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W Machine
W Machine

Japanese Name

W機関

Romanized Name

W Kikan

Debut

Chapter 2 (light novel 7);
Chapter 11 (manga)

Creator

Charlotte Edding

Status

Deactivated

The W Machine is supposedly a meteorological weapon that changes the weather, developed by Charlotte Edding under supervision of Norman Harris. It’s present in the Book of Wisdom II story.

Background

W Machine site

The location of the W Machine experiment.

The government became interested in the technical article written by Charlotte after her intelligence was raised by the Book of Wisdom. No one else could understand its content, but the plan described was feasible. A device capable of changing the weather would be a powerful, strategic weapon to a country. Many civilizations were destroyed because of climate changes rather than plague or wars. The development of the W Machine started with the investment of the military, under supervision of Norman Harris, after negotiations between Charlotte and the government.

She was put under heavy security to conduct the experiment. According to her, it would stop battles. Norman sarcastically affirms the W Machine would save lives.[1] In the manga, he affirms the machine is the last hope for the Kingdom.[2] The weapon also caught the attention of international agents that aimed for Charlotte’s assassination. The letter W stands for Wonderland.[1]

Characteristics

The W Machine supposedly changes the weather. To create snowflakes in a sunny day, it would need to alter temperature, humidity and the state of the atmosphere. The technology should change the path of the wind to artificially induce heavy rain or suppress natural disasters. In theory, it brings flooding to prevent starvation.[1] In the manga, it’s seen producing rain clouds.[2] However, the W Machine is revealed as a device used by Charlotte to make her and Eric's childhood wish come true. She wants to make people smile and laugh, especially her parents. The device plays her innocent singing voice while giving the sky the colors of the rainbow through colorful snowflakes. The cute, sweet-flavored snowflakes have different shapes, such as flowers, stars, musical notes and Christmas decorations.[1]

The surface tension of water vapor in the air stops the formation of clouds. During normal artificial rainfall experiments, usually an aircraft sprays fine particles in the atmosphere to incite the nucleation of clouds. Alternately, the W Machine uses special enzymes, biological macromolecules related to breakdown of proteins and food processing, as nucleus for the clouds. Additionally, ultrasonic waves control the size and shape of the ice crystals.

W Machine button

Eric activates the W Machine.

The W Machine is seen on the cargo bed of a military truck parked in the courtyard of a heavy secured, old castle. It looks as a combination of astronomical telescope and parabolic antenna. Electricity is supplied by a steam turbine acting as a power generator.[1] In the manga, the machine is located at the top of an old tower. In this version, Norman gives Eric the remote activator of the W Machine.[2]

Plot

In a coffee shop, international agents discuss their preparations to kill Charlotte Edding and stop the development of the W Machine, which would be a threat to their country. Hugh and Dalian watch as Eric is beaten by Mr. Edding and Charlotte is taken to continue the experiment. Later, Eric explains about Charlotte’s situation after the Book of Wisdom raised her intelligence. The city was crowded with scientists and engineers. When Hugh and Dalian meet Charlotte, she invites them to watch the experiment the next day, affirming they would see snow. The same night, Hugh confronts an international agent that reveals about the involvement of the military in the development of a meteorological weapon. The man is restrained under Norman’s orders. Sarcastically, the latter affirms the device would save lives. 

Charlotte working

Charlotte developing the W Machine.

Before the W Machine is activated, Charlotte explains its mechanism. She was adjusting the device and giving instructions to scientists and engineers. As requested by her, Norman had invited children to witness the results. Eric, wishing Charlotte’s happiness, tries to destroy the W Machine. Soon after, Cecy shoots Charlotte, but is unable to kill her and spoil the experiment. While the assassin is taken away, the W Machine starts, playing a beautiful song and making snowflakes fall from the sky. It makes everyone laugh and smile. Charlotte and Eric had discussed about this dream in their childhood. Now, she had turned her dream into reality. Norman orders the soldiers to withdraw and discard all the materials that could point to the existence of the W Machine. The case would be regarded as abnormal weather.[1]

Loge's attack

In the manga, the W Machine is covered in flames.

In the manga, Norman is seen supervising the experiment, observing the W Machine producing rain clouds. Norman apprehends Eric and Charlotte’s parents to threat her. He’s only interested in finishing the W Machine and increasing the power of the country. He thinks Hugh and Dalian are spies aiming for Charlotte and the meteorological weapon. After the Loge’s giant covered the tower in flames, Eric activates the W Machine with a remote control previously given by Norman. The flames are extinguished by the snow.[2]

Trivia

  • The name of the machine is a reference to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a 1865 children's novel by Lewis Carroll.[3]
    • The novel has an anime adaptation from 1983 called "Fushigi no Kuni no Alice". One of the episodes shows Alice using a machine that controls the weather.[4][5]
    • Wonderland Weather is a fictional company that artificially creates heat or rain through a special machine. It's present in the 1998 American spy film The Avengers.[6]
  • Weather modding and warfare are real concepts. Weather modification techniques were used by the United States in the Vietnam War.[7] The most common form of weather modification is cloud seeding to increase rain or snow, usually to increase the local water supply. Chemicals and bacteria are used as nucleators to produce ice and clouds.[8] Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell, in 1931, was one of the first to discuss the theme.[9]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Mystic Archives of Dantalian light novel, Chapter 2, volume 7.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 The Mystic Archives of Dantalian manga, Chapter 11.
  3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (2017, February 19). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:17, February 19, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alice%27s_Adventures_in_Wonderland&oldid=766318770
  4. Fushigi no Kuni no Alice. (2017, February 11). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:18, February 19, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fushigi_no_Kuni_no_Alice&oldid=764800745
  5. Alice in Wonderland (1983) - Episode 35: The Weathermakers. (2015, July 4). In Youtube. Retrieved 17:20, February 19, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTaVPv30Iug
  6. The Avengers (1998 film). (2017, January 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:21, February 19, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Avengers_(1998_film)&oldid=761750425
  7. Weather warfare. (2017, January 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:24, February 19, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Weather_warfare&oldid=761827349
  8. Weather modification. (2017, February 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:21, February 19, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Weather_modification&oldid=765923266
  9. Weather Warfare. In New World War. Retrieved 17:26, February 19, 2017, from http://www.newworldwar.org/weatherwar.htm
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