Analytical engine
- You may be looking for the Clockwork Ouroboros, a completed analytical engine.
The analytical engine was a self-reprogramming clockwork machine designed by Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace in the 1820s and 1830s. Although their idea was widely believed to have remained theoretical, (PROSE: The Book of the War [+]Loading...["The Book of the War (novel)"], AUDIO: The Enchantress of Numbers [+]Loading...["The Enchantress of Numbers (audio story)"]) an analytical engine known as the Analytical Engine or the Clockwork Ouroboros was completed in secret in 1834 in an attempted Star Chamber attack on Faction Paradox, ultimately being shut down by Lord Byron. (PROSE: The Book of the War [+]Loading...["The Book of the War (novel)"])
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
Conception[[edit] | [edit source]]
Babbage developed the analytical engine as a more advanced version of his unfinished difference engine, in which he had progressively lost interest. He tried and failed to garner government funding for the project, which was widely believed to have been the end of the idea. (PROSE: "The Analytical Engine" [+]Part of The Book of the War, Loading...{"namedep":"The Analytical Engine","1":"The Book of the War (novel)"}) Indeed, the Fourth Doctor believed that Babbage's analytical engine concept ultimately "came to nothing". (AUDIO: The Enchantress of Numbers [+]Loading...["The Enchantress of Numbers (audio story)"])
Secret completion[[edit] | [edit source]]
However, the Star Chamber, who needed a sophisticated computer to run the Musical Offering and mount an attack on the Eleven-Day Empire, had been keeping an eye on Babbage through his assistant, Ada, a spy for the Chamber. In late 1834, learning that Babbage was now looking for funding, they ordered Ada to officially make contact and offer him funding, and he accepted the commission. (PROSE: "The Analytical Engine" [+]Part of The Book of the War, Loading...{"namedep":"The Analytical Engine","1":"The Book of the War (novel)"}) An analytical engine, nicknamed the Clockwork Ouroboros, was indeed completed in secret in September, then moved on 1 October to the physical Star Chamber beneath the Houses of Parliament. There, it was activated, beginning the invasion of the Empire (PROSE: "The Clockwork Ouroboros" [+]Part of The Book of the War, Loading...{"namedep":"The Clockwork Ouroboros","1":"The Book of the War (novel)"}) which ended when Lord Byron used his shadow-weapon to destroy the runaway engine. (PROSE: "The Eleven-Day Empire: The 1834 Attack" [+]Part of The Book of the War, Loading...{"namedep":"The Eleven-Day Empire: The 1834 Attack","1":"The Book of the War (novel)"})
Legacy[[edit] | [edit source]]
Prior to first meeting her, the Fourth Doctor had read all of Ada Lovelace's notes on Babbage's analytical engine, and found them remarkable. Lovelace was surprised he had understood them. The Doctor noted that Lovelace had written the world's first computer program in her notes regarding the engine. (AUDIO: The Enchantress of Numbers [+]Loading...["The Enchantress of Numbers (audio story)"])
Following the failure of the 1834 Attack, the Faction studied the remains of the Clockwork Ouroboros and designed smaller-scale Babbage-based music boxes and hurdy-gurdies capable of sparking hallucinations and time distortions. These were mostly used as toys and to prank Charles Babbage himself for his part in the attempted assault. (PROSE: "The Eleven-Day Empire: The 1834 Attack" [+]Part of The Book of the War, Loading...{"namedep":"The Eleven-Day Empire: The 1834 Attack","1":"The Book of the War (novel)"})
