Chapter 98. Memory.
Roku. Omashu Palace.
I decided not only to be a nominal successor to Bumi but also to get involved in the city's affairs by familiarizing myself with its operations. Over the next two days, I discreetly observed the work of officials at various levels and reviewed some paperwork.
"Why not implement your idea of transporting people along postal lines?" Bumi suggested. "The people would definitely appreciate it."
For this purpose, I was allocated two lines that wouldn't significantly impact the overall postal system.
"If only Mechanist were here, he'd figure this out quickly..." I sighed to myself, having spent hours designing a new mode of transport. To ensure the system's success, I had to consider the weight, length, and width of the cabins. Additionally, the postal rails themselves needed modifications for greater safety.
"Flight Thirty-Two... Hmm, slight rocking at maximum speed, risk of cabin derailment," I noted. Yes, the number of attempts to create something decent had surpassed double digits.
But progress was being made, and according to my calculations, the final result would be achieved after twenty flights. So, by the end of the day, we should definitely be done.
"Roku! This is too comfortable! No danger, it's all so slow and boring!" Toph complained. She was among the test riders.
"That's how it's supposed to be," I replied. Did they really think I wanted to make it faster? Their main task would be to transport specific groups of people downhill, for whom high speeds would be harmful.
The primary passengers would be the disabled, the elderly, and pregnant women who found the descent challenging. Each cart could hold six people, and one such line would serve an entire district. The only drawback, which overshadowed many advantages, was the inability to transport residents uphill. The route was one-way, so they'd have to return on foot.
To enable a round trip, a moderately strong earthbender would be needed to lift the considerable weight of six people. Such individuals were simply not cost-effective to employ. Therefore, only less powerful benders would operate the lines. Steps were created for them to push the cart back uphill. The design had to be modified by raising the bottom, but this conserved more of the workers' energy.