If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead and more, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
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"It doesn't do anything yet, sir, the vacuum seal is currently broken," Tesla tried to explain. John just blinked at him, completely lost, before grabbing the crate and hauling it away. As the last of the boxes were loaded, Tesla turned back to the four exhausted workers who had pushed the handcarts from lower Manhattan.
"Thank you, gentlemen," Tesla said, patting his pockets. He pulled out a few crumpled dollar bills and a handful of coins. He stared at the meager sum in his palm, suddenly realizing that in his frantic rush to pack, he had completely forgotten to secure any actual cash. He became visibly, intensely uncomfortable, his pale face flushing red.
"I... ah. I seem to be somewhat short on liquid currency at the moment," Tesla stammered, looking at the workers apologetically. "Would you perhaps accept a promissory note? Or... or I have a patent for an improved arc lamp I could sign over—"
"We don't want no patents, buddy," one of the sweaty workers grumbled, crossing his arms. "We pushed those carts three miles. We want cash."
Before the situation could devolve into an embarrassing argument, Caleb stepped in smoothly. He pulled a crisp fifty dollar bill from his silver money clip and handed it directly to the lead worker.
"For your trouble, gentlemen," Caleb said. The workers' eyes went wide at the massive overpayment. They tipped their hats furiously and vanished into the crowd before Caleb could change his mind.
Tesla looked at Caleb, deeply embarrassed. "Mr. Thorne, I apologize. I will calculate the exact amount and reimburse you the moment my current patents yield a dividend."
"Don't worry about paying me back, Nikola," Caleb waved the concern away casually.
Tesla looked at Caleb, his pride stinging slightly. "Mr. Thorne, I must object. I will write down the exact sum and ensure you are compensated out of my first research stipend—"
"Nikola," Caleb interrupted softly, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "Friends help each other. Consider it handled."
Tesla paused. The word friends clearly meant a great deal to him. He was a man who had been surrounded by ruthless businessmen, skeptical investors, and corporate spies his entire life.
The word friends clearly meant something profound to him. He was a man who had business partners, rivals, and creditors, but very few people he could genuinely call a friend. To be called a friend by a man of Caleb's staggering power was a profound rarity.
He looked at Caleb, shedding the last of his guarded eccentricities, and thanked him sincerely. "I consider you a friend as well, Caleb."
It was a quiet, incredibly important emotional moment. Caleb had managed to earn Tesla's absolute trust without exploiting his genius, and Tesla had voluntarily chosen to place himself under Caleb's protection and financial support.
"Alright," Caleb smiled, clapping his hands together. "Let's get out of this freezing city."
Once everyone was aboard, the train lurched forward, beginning its long journey back toward the South.
Inside the luxurious parlor car, Caleb formally introduced Tesla to Mary-Beth and the core members of his organization. He made sure the inventor learned the names and roles of the people he would need to interact with frequently.
Mary-Beth greeted Tesla warmly, offering him a comfortable seat and a cup of tea. She did not treat his intense, eccentric mannerisms as something strange or embarrassing. Her gentle, friendly attitude seemed to instantly put the awkward inventor at ease.
But the moment the pleasantries were finished, Tesla quickly pulled Caleb into another intense, rapid fire discussion.
The conversation naturally and immediately returned to science, engineering, electricity, and the limitless possibilities for the future. Caleb was more than happy to engage. He genuinely enjoyed speaking with Tesla, the inventor was one of the few people Caleb had met who wanted nothing more than to understand how things worked and discover what was possible.
Tesla brought up ideas rapidly, challenging Caleb's assumptions and becoming increasingly excited whenever Caleb introduced an unfamiliar concept. Caleb answered using his advanced knowledge and memories from his previous life, careful not to reveal the true origin of his foresight, framing his insights as theoretical deductions.
At first, Mary-Beth, Arthur, and Hosea listened closely, finding the conversation fascinating. But after an hour, it became increasingly difficult for them to follow.
Caleb and Tesla began discussing technical subjects at a level that left almost everyone else completely lost.
"If the resonance frequency matches the terrestrial standing waves, the atmospheric conduction would be practically limitless," Tesla hypothesized rapidly, waving a biscuit in the air.
"Agreed," Caleb nodded. "But you'd need a grounding grid capable of absorbing the back feed capacitance, otherwise the feedback loop would melt the primary transmitter."
Arthur leaned over to John, keeping his voice low. "Do you understand a damn word they're saying?"
"Not since they said 'hello,'" John muttered, taking a sip of his beer with a highly amused, thoroughly confused expression.
Even though Caleb relished the discussions, he eventually made a point of reminding Tesla that they were on a cross country journey, not locked inside a laboratory. Caleb made sure Tesla did not spend every waking hour calculating. He encouraged the inventor to eat properly, sleep for more than three hours, look out the window at the passing scenery, and simply enjoy life sometimes.
This quickly became something of an ongoing, friendly challenge between them.
"Nikola, the math will still be there in an hour," Caleb said one afternoon, closing Tesla's notebook. "Look out the window. That's the Appalachian mountain range."
"But Caleb," Tesla insisted, reaching for his pen. "There is simply too much to discover and not enough time. The earth is a massive conductor just waiting to be tapped!"
"At this rate, you'll work yourself into the grave before anyone gets to see these inventions you're trying to create," Caleb joked, leaning back.
Tesla looked at him entirely seriously. "Wasting time is far more frightening to me than death, my friend."
Despite Tesla's resistance, Caleb continually encouraged him to develop better social skills and learn how to enjoy the ordinary experiences of life. He tried to help Tesla become more comfortable around the rest of the group. It was difficult, Tesla was brilliant at explaining machines, but incredibly awkward at casual social conversation.
Caleb treated it almost like teaching a difficult new skill. He gently coached Tesla through social situations, explaining how to tell when someone just wanted to make small talk, and how to avoid immediately turning every subject into a grueling technical lecture.
Tesla sometimes made an earnest attempt, and still failed spectacularly.
During dinner one evening, Tesla turned to Javier. "Mr. Escuella. I noticed the tension on your guitar strings. Have you ever considered the mathematical correlation between the acoustic resonance of the hollow body and the specific tensile strength of the catgut?"
Javier stared at him blankly with a mouthful of steak. "...I just play the notes, amigo."
Mary-Beth stepped in, laughing softly and helping Tesla understand normal social interactions in a gentler way, steering the conversation toward music in a way everyone could understand.
As the days of travel continued, Caleb also began thinking about how Tesla's genius could be directed toward practical problems within his growing empire. During one of their research discussions, Caleb pitched an idea.
"Nikola," Caleb asked, "would you be interested in designing a more advanced system of automated machinery? Something capable of producing bicycle components much faster, while maintaining consistent quality? The same machinery could be adapted to increase the speed and precision of our firearms production."
It was a serious industrial opportunity, one that could save Caleb tens to hundreds of man hours.
Tesla, however, immediately said no.
He wasn't rude about it. He simply explained that factory production improvements did not interest him. He was fascinated by electricity, energy, and pushing the boundaries of scientific possibility. He did not want to spend his life optimizing assembly lines for bicycles.
Caleb understood perfectly. He didn't force Tesla to do something he didn't care about. Instead, Caleb began thinking about how to reframe the problem to make it interesting enough that Tesla would want to solve it voluntarily. It became another friendly challenge.
"What if," Caleb mused aloud the next day, "you designed a system where electrical motors could automate repetitive mechanical movements using alternating current? A machine that demonstrates your electrical theories in a highly practical, stress tested environment?"
Tesla initially remained reluctant, but Caleb could see the gears turning in the inventor's head as he began considering the possibilities of building an automated, electrical array.
The train journey continued for several days, the passage of time allowing Caleb and Tesla to settle into a strange but highly productive friendship. They debated ideas during meals, sketched diagrams across the parlor tables, and sometimes Caleb would deliberately drag Tesla outside during a station stop just to make him breathe fresh air. Tesla would complain, but eventually admit that the scenery was pleasant.
Mary-Beth thoroughly enjoyed watching Caleb handle Tesla's eccentric personality with patience rather than frustration. The other members of the group gradually became accustomed to Tesla's presence. Arthur still didn't understand the science, but he respected the man's undeniable passion. Hosea was fascinated by the fact that Caleb genuinely enjoyed having someone around who challenged him intellectually, and occasionally worried about how expensive Tesla's future experiments were going to become.
Throughout the trip, Caleb ensured his relationship with Mary-Beth remained the emotional anchor. Even though Tesla increasingly occupied his intellectual attention, Caleb made sure to spend private time with his wife, sitting beside her, reading with her, and making sure she never felt forgotten. Mary-Beth understood that Caleb was genuinely excited to have found Tesla, and she encouraged him, while still affectionately teasing him about acquiring another person who refused to stop talking about work.
Eventually, the long journey drew to a close.
As the familiar, moss draped trees and humid swamps of Louisiana began to appear outside the windows, everyone realized they were finally home.
Tesla looked out at the approaching skyline of Saint Denis with intense curiosity. He knew this was his new home, the place where Caleb intended to provide him with the limitless resources needed to pursue his dreams.
"Saint Denis will have the laboratories, the factories, the workers, and the infrastructure I promised you, Nikola," Caleb reminded him as they gathered their coats. "Everything will be ready."
"I am incredibly eager to begin, Caleb," Tesla responded, his eyes shining with genuine excitement.
"Just remember our deal," Caleb smiled, placing a hand on Tesla's shoulder. "I expect one thing in return. You must occasionally eat, sleep, rest, and interact with the people around you."
Tesla adjusted his collar. "I promise to try."
Caleb laughed out loud, knowing full well that "try" was absolutely the best answer he was ever going to get.
As the heavy train hissed to a halt at the Saint Denis station, Caleb looked out toward the bustling, wealthy city he had conquered. He realized he had returned from the North with far more than souvenirs, political connections, and business plans.
He had brought back Nikola Tesla, and with the greatest mind of the generation now firmly embedded in his growing empire, Caleb's staggering ambitions for technology, manufacturing, and industry had just taken an unstoppable leap into the future.
When the hissing, massive steam locomotive finally lurched to a halt at the Saint Denis station, the doors to the private parlor cars swung open.
Nikola Tesla stepped out onto the platform, gripping his leather suitcase tightly. He stopped, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath of the thick, humid Southern air.
"The air down here is... remarkably different," Tesla noted, opening his eyes and looking around. "It feels much fresher than the claustrophobic smog of Manhattan, although I can still smell the distinct scent of coal and factory smoke in the distance."
Caleb chuckled softly, stepping down beside him with Mary-Beth on his arm.
"You have an excellent nose, Nikola," Caleb smiled, guiding the inventor toward the exit. "But that is something I intend to fix. One of my primary goals is to ensure Saint Denis becomes significantly cleaner and better organized as it expands. The factories currently under my control, and any future heavy manufacturing plants we build, will be deliberately zoned away from the residential and commercial districts. We will build them far enough away so that their industrial waste and smoke do not choke the people who live here. I refuse to let this city become another New York."
Tesla nodded in deep approval. "A well planned city is a reflection of a well ordered mind."
While they spoke, the capos initiated a massive unloading operation. More of Caleb's men were already waiting at the station to welcome their Don home. Vincenzo's trusted lieutenants were there, bringing a fleet of luxurious carriages for Caleb, Mary-Beth, and the senior members of the syndicate, along with several heavy wagons to transport the staggering amount of equipment, luggage, souvenirs, and highly sensitive scientific materials they had brought back from the North.
The reunion between Caleb and his men was warm, efficient, and profoundly respectful. The guards were genuinely relieved to see their leader safely home after such a long, dangerous trip into hostile territory, while Caleb acknowledged them with his usual, unwavering calm confidence.
Once the copper coils and the steamer trunks were properly secured, Caleb, Mary-Beth, Tesla, Arthur, and Hosea climbed into the lead carriage and began the ride back toward the Garden District mansion.
During the journey through the cobblestone streets, Caleb pointed out the window, explaining to Tesla exactly where his future laboratory and manufacturing factory would be located.
"The site is on the western edge of the city," Caleb explained, mapping the geography for the inventor. "It offers excellent access to the rail lines for moving heavy materials, and it provides the physical isolation required for high-voltage experiments. There is, however, one minor drawback."
Tesla raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"
"The swamp," Caleb admitted with a faint smirk. "It borders the Bayou Nwa."
Tesla waved his hand dismissively. "The presence of a swamp does not bother me in the slightest, Caleb. The humidity may require additional insulation for the conductive wiring, but the isolation is preferable. However..." Tesla's expression suddenly turned deeply serious. "...I must insist that I do not want mosquitoes, snakes, alligators, or any other unsavory creatures finding their way into my laboratory and interfering with my work."
Arthur let out a rough bark of laughter from the opposite seat. "You'd better hope the gators don't chew on your power cables, Mr. Tesla. They get mighty cranky when they're shocked."
"I will personally ensure the wildlife is kept at bay, Nikola," Caleb laughed, reassuring the eccentric genius. "I am stationing a permanent detachment of trusted men around the property. They will handle the security perimeter, keep unwanted visitors away, shoot the alligators if necessary, and make absolutely certain you are left alone to conduct your research without a single interruption."
Tesla seemed to appreciate the reassurance, though his mind was clearly already returning to the blueprints of the laboratory itself.
Eventually, the carriages rolled through the heavy iron gates of the Garden District mansion.
The members of the gang who had stayed behind were already waiting on the grand portico to welcome the returning group. The reunion was incredibly lively and deeply affectionate, a sharp contrast to the cold, corporate maneuvering of New York.
Little Jack Marston ran across the lawn the second the carriage doors opened, his face lighting up with absolute joy. "Pa!"
John dropped his bags, dropping to one knee to catch his son in a tight, massive hug. Jack excitedly began telling his father about everything that had happened while they were away, including a long story about how Cain the dog had cornered a raccoon near the stables.
Standing near the steps, Mary Linton waited quietly for Arthur. When the massive enforcer approached her, their reunion was warm and profoundly understated, yet it clearly showed how much their relationship continued to deepen. Arthur, usually a terrifying wall of stoic muscle, visibly softened around her, gently taking her hand in a way that the others had become accustomed to noticing and quietly respecting.
Mary-Beth also received a wildly enthusiastic welcome from the women of the gang. Abigail, Karen, Tilly, Molly, and Miss Grimshaw immediately surrounded her, pulling her into tight hugs and demanding to know every single detail about the honeymoon and the glamorous northern city.
Once the initial, joyous greetings were over, Caleb and Mary-Beth began handing out the souvenirs they had brought back.
The scene was lighthearted, filled with laughter, immense curiosity, and genuine appreciation. Karen and Molly squealed in delight at the expensive, modern perfumes, while Hosea ran a reverent hand over the leather bindings of the rare historical novels Caleb had found for him.
Javier expertly flipped the pearl handled throwing knives into the air, testing their balance with a wide grin, and Pierre, the young lawyer, looked at the gold nibbed fountain pen with absolute awe, understanding the immense professional respect the gift conveyed. The gifts proved that Caleb and Mary-Beth had genuinely thought about every single member of the group while navigating the chaos of New York.
Afterward, the entire sprawling family sat down in the grand dining room for a massive lunch feast prepared by Antonio and the kitchen staff.
The meal provided the perfect setting for Caleb to formally introduce Nikola Tesla to the members of the gang who had not yet met him. "Everyone," Caleb announced, raising his glass. "I would like to introduce Mr. Nikola Tesla. He is the most brilliant scientific mind of our generation, and he will be joining our operations here in Saint Denis." Several members looked at the tall, gaunt inventor with intense curiosity, while others, like Bill Williamson, were still trying to understand exactly what the man actually did.
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Name: Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 8/10
- Agility: 8/10
- Perception: 9/10
- Stamina: 8/10
- Charm: 8/10
- Luck: 9/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl MAX)
- Rifle (Lvl MAX)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl MAX)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl MAX)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl MAX)
- Sneaking (Lvl MAX)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl MAX)
- Poker (Lvl MAX)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl MAX)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl MAX)
- Dead Eye (Lvl MAX)
- Bow (Lvl MAX)
- Pain Nullifier (Lvl MAX)
- Physical Regeneration (Lvl MAX)
- Crafting (Lvl MAX)
- Persuasion (Lvl MAX)
- Mental Fortitude (Lvl MAX)
- Cooking (Lvl MAX)
- Teaching (Lvl MAX)
- Trilingual Language Proficiency - G, I, & C (Lvl MAX)
- Inventory System (Permanent - 100x100x100)
- Acting (Lvl MAX)
- Alcohol Resistance (Lvl MAX)
- Treasure Hunter (Lvl MAX)
- Drugs Resistance (Lvl MAX)
- Business (Lvl MAX)
- Leadership (Lvl MAX)
Money: 2,772 dollars and 60 cents
Inventory: 283,392 dollars and 61 cents, 11 gold nuggets, 74 gold bars, 1 Double Action, 1 Schofield, 2 Colm's Schofields, 1 land deed (Parcel), 1 Mauser, 1 Semi Auto Pistol, 1 Lancaster Repeater, 1 Old Wood Jewelry Box, 1 F.F Mausoleum small brass key, 1 Ruby, 1 Broken Pirate Sword, 1 Milton's Safety Deposit Key, Proof Of Marlin-Thorne Firearms Co., 10 Dynamites, 1 LeMat, 1 M1899, 1 Carcano, 1 Ownership deed of Doyle's Tavern, 3 Diamonds, & Important Documents & Deeds Of Cornwall
Bank: -