(Author's Note: This turned into something of a housekeeping chapter, finishing at the start of the meeting with Uppercrust, as I didn't have time to close it out and didn't want to split it between chapters. The next chapter will be opening with the meeting between Apeiron and Uppercrust.)
81 Augmentations
"So, you're magically lucky now?" Aisha asked as she watched my work. Well, watched as well as she could considering the speed at which it progressed. "I mean, more than you were before?"
I let out a breath as I paused my work. "Honestly, I never really nailed down the effects of E-rank luck." I explained. "That kind of luck, it's more about defying fate. Avoiding things that are supposed to be inescapable. Trying to quantify its effect on normal stuff…"
"What, you never hit the casinos? Not even as a calibration run?" She teased. I shot her a look and she backed down. "Fine. But what exactly is the deal with 'fortune energy' anyway?"
I had only given the broad strokes of my latest power before we exited the simulation. Even at thousands of times faster than normal perception, it wasn't the kind of thing I wanted to leave my duplicates free rein over. That had left most of the explanations to fall coincident with the list of tasks that had built up over our time in the simulation. My duplicates had dumped most of the details into the computer, but as usual, Aisha preferred to ask directly rather than sort through reports. It was a directness that had carried through all of the training and downtime we had been through.
"It's related to the new glove, right?" She asked, gesturing to my left hand.
Until I could copy it with the next set of duplicates, it was the only version of it in the workshop. The slim daywear glove contrasted sharply with the bulky form of the Avid Glove on my right hand. Apparently two hours of babysitting an eldritch item of clothing that was also dealing with sensory input that was coming at thousands of times the normal rate had my duplicates ready to dump it on me the second I got out of the simulation. I knew the gloves could be difficult to manage, but it appeared that kind of overstimulation took things to an entirely new level.
"Same source, but not exactly the same principles." I explained, setting down my work for a moment. The late-morning sun was climbing high over the Skyforge, brilliantly illuminating the inaccessible landscapes around us. Even with all the upgrades and equipment I had received, the enhancements granted by my volcano and forge still made it the optimal location for crafting.
"Yeah, spiritual energy was complicated enough." Aisha said. "With everything you're already juggling, how the hell does fortune energy fit in? Can you use it like spiritual energy?"
"Sort of?" I replied. "You could probably call it a subtype of spiritual energy. Definitely related, but very specialized."
"And it makes you lucky?" Aisha prodded again.
I let out a sigh before I replied. "Kind of, or at least as much as that can be quantified." I admitted.
Having an entirely new system of metaphysics dumped on me was a familiar experience at this point, but still a somewhat trying one. The fortune/misfortune dynamic had probably been present from the moment I received the Glove of the East, but it wasn't obvious until Burning Bright took my levels of fortune energy off the charts.
Given what fortune energy could do, and how it accumulated over time, it was probably better to get a handle on it up front rather than try to deal with it as an unknown system of power that would have been working in the background. Considering the consequences of either a deficit or overabundance of fortune energy, it was good to not be flying blind here.
Honestly, the idea of fortune, of luck as some definable characteristic, it was something I wasn't particularly comfortable with. It brought up all kinds of questions about self-determination, free will, and fate. If someone happened to be born with an abundance of fortune energy or an inherently higher luck then what did that say about the nature of their life and accomplishments? Were they actually responsible for any aspect of their life? Were the people around them or their environment given any account, or would luck override everything? Did it absolve a person of both responsibility and achievement? Success and failure, preordained?
Or was that looking at things backward? The world was full of long shots, one in a million chances that had been seized at the right time to completely change someone's life, or the lives of millions. Was fortune an accounting of how much random chance had influenced your success, or contributed to your failure?
Really, there was no person so secure in their lives that a random disaster couldn't lay them low, and similarly there were stories of miraculous recoveries and windfalls that turned around desperate situations. Maybe the world this power came from had energy balances that controlled a person's fate, but that wasn't the case in this world.
In fact, before I received the ability to manipulate fortune energy directly I doubt it had any meaning beyond a tallying of chance. I knew that people had levels of fortune and misfortune energy, but certainly not anywhere close to what I had received from Burning Bright. I doubt it was enough to significantly influence anything. A history of fortunate occurrences didn't guarantee a secure future. Likewise, a troubled past didn't mean you were doomed to an unhappy life.
That was probably the real sticking point about this dynamic. With what I had gone through in my life… well, I didn't want to start comparing hardships, but I don't think it would be unfair to say I'd had some unfortunate circumstances. For the longest time they had loomed as a combination of bad luck exacerbated by my own personal failings. It had taken months of work to peel that back, to acknowledge what was actually happening and shift to a realistic view of the situation.
It wasn't bad luck that had gotten me into the position I'd found myself the night of my trigger. It was a series of completely understandable events, the contributing factors of which built up over years. The idea that I had been born under a bad star and doomed to a troubled life seemed like an insulting oversimplification and a cop out for everyone in my life who contributed to that situation.
Likewise, the idea that fortune could fix everything, just make problems magically vanish, seemed equally insulting. Even if things started to line up in my favor, that didn't eliminate the effort necessary to properly capitalize on those opportunities, or diminish the effort needed to reach this point. I had no problem with things starting to line up in my favor for once, but I wasn't about to try to coast on the hope of good fortune. I don't think my mentality could handle that kind of approach to life.
"Luck is a hard thing to define. So far I've been trying to take it out of the equation by accounting for everything I can and minimizing the impact uncertain factors can have on the situation. As a consequence, even if those factors start playing out in a way that's favorable to me, it's probably not going to be a tipping point." I explained.
"So that's it?" Aisha asked with an air of disappointment. "Major luck power and it's not going to make a difference?"
"It's going to make a difference." I assured her. "We're still going to cover everything we can-"
"Like Survey would have it any other way." She quipped. I smiled at that before continuing.
"Even so, it's impossible to cover everything." I continued. "This level of luck, it should be enough to keep us from being blindsided, or at least introduce some element to mitigate things if they end up going bad."
Aisha blinked and shifted uncertainly. "It can do that?" She asked. "I mean, thinking about luck in terms of like, lottery tickets or not getting caught in the rain is one thing, but…" She took a breath. "Shit, this stuff actually changes reality, right? That's the only way it could pull off that kind of thing. Some of it might be small, you could get by with little nudges, but at the end of the day, this is warping the fabric of existence, isn't it?"
I took a breath. "Yeah, no other way to define it, really." I admitted. "I'm not sure how much of it is the effect pulling you towards a desired situation and how much is it directly acting on the world, but there's no question, it's undoubtedly messing with things, and on a really high level."
Aisha nodded slowly as the implications set in. "You said it was like spiritual energy, right? So, it does more than just juggle probabilities around you. What else can you do with it?" She asked with an intent look on her face.
"In sufficient quantities? Pretty much anything." Coming from me that was a significant statement, but this was one thing that could back it up. "It's going to take time to work out how to use it directly, but with concentrated amounts of fortune energy those reality warps become a lot less subtle. You could see spontaneous healing, transformations, manifestations, or significant empowerment of people, animals, or objects."
"That's the god thing, right?" She asked. I nodded. Normally referencing divinity like that would get more of a reaction, but this wasn't my first rodeo when it came to godhood related powers, even if most of them were kind of god-adjacent rather than a straight path to deity status.
"Right. A person's soul is like a container for fortune energy. It's where a lot of the crossover with spiritual energy comes from. You overload the container and the person turns into a spiritual entity. Um, not to get theological here, but-"
"Yeah, I think we crossed that bridge back when you became a demigod for the first time." Aisha said with a sly grin.
I huffed. "Fine. Transformation comes with a bunch of stuff like agelessness, a spiritual state of existence and thematic powers. In that state fortune energy basically functions as spiritual energy for all intents and purposes. You also get the ability to convert worship or reverence from people into more fortune energy."
"Yeah, sounds like a god alright." Aisha, her eyes twinkling. "Figures, just when I get a handle on all the ways you can give someone superpowers, you break something like this out."
"It's not exactly that simple." I cautioned.
"No shit?" She quipped, then shook her head. "I mean, come on Józef, we've gone over all the other power up options. I know how heavy this stuff can get. If an upgrade like this didn't have some major caveats it would be suspicious as hell. So, what's the deal?"
"Well, first off, it takes a lot of fortune energy to turn someone or something into a god." I said.
"Something?" She asked.
I nodded. "It can work on animals or objects as well. With objects, they're kind of like the tsukumogami you get in Japanese folklore." I paused. "Actually, kami are probably a good baseline for this kind of thing."
"You think this is like the Greek or Hindu stuff? Accessing mythologies?" She asked with an attentive expression.
I shrugged. "I'm not sure if I'm really accessing mythology, or just something that looks like it. I mean, I'm pretty sure Hindu gods weren't cyborgs, but at this point who can say?" I shook my head. "Anyway, you basically need to overload something to turn it into a god. Different people have different capacities for fortune energy. It grows over time, but pretty slowly unless you have a power like Burning Bright."
"Okay, so it's easier to turn someone with low capacity into a god, and harder for someone like you right?" She paused as she saw my face. "What?"
"Throwing out words like 'god' kind of muddles what's happening here." I explained. "Your strength as a god depends on how much fortune energy you have. There's not exactly a lower limit, but you could end up as a very petty god."
"How petty?" Aisha asked as I noted the Magitech constellation pass by without a connection.
"I'm not sure." I admitted. "God of a tree, or a rock, or some random object or obscure concept? I mean, even if I used all the energy I had to overload myself, I'd still only be low-level, rather than trivial."
"Uh, are you going to go that way?" Aisha asked. "I know it's kind of a heavy concept, but, you know, it's still godhood."
I paused as I worked over the situation. "Eventually? What I mean is, with growing reserves and enough power it's going to happen eventually. But eventually is like, hundreds of years' time, not this week, and 'this week' is what I'm really focused on at the moment."
"It's seriously not worth becoming a GOD?" Aisha asked. "Seriously?"
I shook my head. "Even assuming I could get the energy to pull it off, there are drawbacks. For gods, fortune energy doesn't affect luck any more. It's kind of a combined mana and health bar for them. The power of everything a god does depends on their fortune energy, and they're limited in how much they can access. Their capacity still grows, but it's still slow, and if their amount they have falls below a threshold they turn back into a human. Or animal or whatever they were before."
"Ah." Aisha said. "So, not the easiest powerup then?"
"Not without a lot of groundwork." I agreed. "There's also the issue of actually getting that much fortune energy. I have a pretty big reserve, but it doesn't grow on its own."
"That's what the draining field is for?" Aisha asked, then smirked. "Same thing that got Victor in shit back at the summit, right?"
"Except I can turn it off. Have turned it off." I assured her. "And yeah, that's the only built-in way to get more fortune energy."
"So, what happens when you drain someone?" She asked. "I figure that kind of thing has to be bad?"
I nodded. "Bad, and permanent, unless they can get a refill from somewhere else." Which I wouldn't count on. As far as I knew, I was the only person on the planet who could manipulate fortune energy. "Deficiency of fortune energy means those little nudges start going in the other direction. Making things slightly worse, creating problems, exacerbating health issues. Definitely the kind of thing that will shorten life expectancy."
"Got it." She said, then her expression turned significantly less serious. "So, you'll be breaking it out for the special bastards, right?"
I had to return her smile. "Normally I'd be against this kind of permanent effect, but I mean, it's not like I couldn't come up with curses before, and there are plenty of people who could probably use a persistent run of bad luck."
Draining someone's fortune was a really horrible thing to do, something that would have endless repercussions that they would be struggling against forever. The thing was, I really didn't care if Hookwolf kept having car trouble at the worst times, or Kaiser ended up the target of multiple IRS audits. There were plenty of people who had been lucky enough to avoid the consequences of their actions. With this, I could effectively profit from their downfall while maintaining complete separation from it.
"The field would be too slow to help in combat, but…"
"Arcane Craft?" She asked. I nodded and she rolled her eyes. "I swear, that has to be your most stupidly powerful ability." She paused and raised a hand to her hair pin where the diamonds were gleaming in the sunlight. "Not that I'm complaining."
"It's only as strong as it is because my other powers are holding it up." I explained. "The effectiveness is tied to skill, knowledge, and power. If I was running on nothing but Arcane Craft it would probably take months of research and weeks of work to make even the most minor items."
"Lucky that." She said as she stretched out in the sunlight. She was still in the softsuit that served as her interface for the computer core, not that it was strictly necessary with spiritron processing, but it was still comfortable and definitely more comfortable than her full armor. "So, if not the god thing, what are you going to use that good luck juju for?"
I decided not to comment on her irreverent terminology. "It's still a resource, and a significant one. It's close enough to ki and spiritual energy that with enough practice I should be able to use them interchangeably. That's a big deal for spiritual energy, since that's a bit tricky to manage."
"Ki and spirit energy. Same stuff the glove boosts, right?" Aisha asked.
"Yeah, which was probably the point of their connection." I said.
It was hardly a coincidence. The Glove of the East was capable of enhancement of any item, and made a particularly profound difference in anything that used my ki or spirit energy. That included anything built with the advanced levels of Elven Enchanting. Considering the current power of items that had been named or sung to during creation, that kind of boost couldn't be understated.
Unfortunately, it was also an exhausting process with diminishing returns. Anything could get a little boost, but major enhancements needed massive amounts of spiritual energy, and that took time to properly recover. All that could be easily sidestepped by using my reserves of fortune energy
"There are other potential applications, but most of them will flow from figuring out how to emulate spiritual energy. Also, I'm pretty sure fortune energy can be extracted and stored." I explained. "If I can figure out a way to work with it directly, my resource powers should handle the production of as much as I need. Even if I can't use them to make more, it should be possible to amplify or enhance the energy somehow."
"So, it could be like mana?" Aisha asked. "Just flood the workshop with it? Make another pseudo ley line?"
"No." I said sternly. My tone clearly caught Aisha by surprise so I quickly moved to explain. "You CAN infuse fortune energy into an area, generally to positive effects. Plants grow better, things stay clean easier, less decay, gentler weather, that kind of stuff. But if you flood a contained area with fortune energy you can turn it into a divine realm."
"And that's…. bad?" She asked.
"Mortals can't exist in divine realms. Anyone mortal who enters is going to be reduced to a soul." I explained.
Aisha looked understandably concerned. "So, their body…"
"Disintegrates." I explained. "Obviously something I'd prefer to avoid." I paused. "Though if we have enough fortune energy to turn the Workshop into a divine realm, that would basically solve a dozen problems for the one it would create."
"Well." Aisha began. "That might be a problem you'd like to have, but personally I'd prefer to be able to visit without wearing a luck proof suit or whatever, so best to avoid that."
"No question there." I said as I turned back to my work. "Are you sure you don't want to help with this?"
Aisha quickly raised both hands to ward off the suggestion. "No way. I appreciate all the training, but I know what I can do, and this is beyond me. Besides…" She smiled slightly. "I don't want anything but the best for Orudios."
I nodded and turned back to the Wish. A run of upgrades had been overdue from the moment the Wishes arrived, but I wasn't prepared to start altering sentient and possibly sapient beings without understanding what they wanted. Well, that understanding had plenty of time to develop over the last year/couple of hours. We had a good idea of what the Wishes were looking for and, as the only Wishsmith in residence, the work fell to me.
My mind briefly flitted back to that training. At the time I had understandably been more focused on the memories of existing in inhuman bodies while running a weeks-long nightmarish gauntlet in order to survive that hellscape. The training had been tagged on at the end, my 'reward' for survival.
Like most of my memories from other universes it was indistinct when it came to specific details. Everything connected to the power was crystal clear, but most of the fluff around that information had been stripped away. I remembered being taught by an expert wishsmith, learning how to construct Wishes and design upgrades for them. All the technology behind those extraordinary machines, machines that I had briefly embodied, was provided to me.
The principles behind the technology were extraordinary. If I had gotten it earlier it could have become a foundational part of my loadout. Of course, that would have involved a permanent association with rainbow unicorns. I probably wasn't ready for that kind of step back then, and honestly was barely alright with it now. If not for Aisha's enthusiasm and the honestly endearing nature of the Zoids I would probably have delayed the upgrade work indefinitely.
Aisha could actually have assisted with the upgrades, or at least with the compression effects, but we both knew it would have been me humoring her. The Matrix couldn't keep up with the speed and quality of my work, particularly with technology, so a human had no chance, no matter how skilled they were. Aisha at least had enough understanding to follow what was being done, at least in concept. My build times were still on a level that reduced the actual movements to a blur.
Combined, all of my speed enhancements resulted in dozens of hours of work being completed every second. Even taking the utmost care with the modifications, they basically progressed in pulses of mad energy where there was barely enough time to recognize that construction was happening, much less follow any individual movements.
The work was a rebuild, not a new construction. Despite how much I could improve the design of the Wishes, their technorganic cores weren't something I could mess with. Without a complete breakdown and recreation of them from the ground up some of my powers were off the table, notably Master Craftsman, Elven Enchanting, and Daedalus' Student. Still, I had plenty of abilities in play, and that was before you accounted for the improvements in technology and design that were being introduced.
Well, designs. The plural was important because the skills learned from Bigger on the Inside synergized exceptionally well with my Tinkerer power. Mechashift principles were insanely easy to apply, allowing four distinct forms without even getting into the possibilities of shifts facilitated by the newly integrated Cybertonium. Still, it was better to work with what could be accomplished within physical constraints without getting into T-cogs and transwarp mass storage.
And it wasn't just Cybertonium that had been included. There was a complex blend of advanced materials integrated into the unicornium of the Wish-Zoids bodies, all enhanced by the Skyforge and Volcano, then further enhanced by my quality powers. Every component used or modified was crafted using the precise steps outlined in The Secret of Steel, granting the array of enhancements allowed by that technique.
It wasn't the full force of my crafting abilities like what I had unleashed on the mirror, but that had been a simple object enhanced beyond conventional limits. The simple nature of its construction allowed the additional effects from things like Daedalus' Student and the Arcane Craft to be precisely focused. While my work here lacked that level of elegance, the nature of Wishes allowed for the inclusion of technological and magical elements that couldn't be applied to that kind of divine object.
All my familiar skills were back in play. Design simplified by Ambrosial Artificer then miniaturized by Gadget Master and Miniaturization and Efficiency. Lathe of Heaven drew out the potential of the materials used and imbued additional characteristics to the work. Technology from a dozen worlds was used to complement the exotic nature of Wishcraft. The design was tweaked with They're Like Legos to be modular and even easier to modify and upgrade. Panzerkampf ensured that the Zoids, which were undoubtedly war machines, would function perfectly in the face of anything short of direct and intentional damage.
Some powers were deliberately left out. Powers that could be applied later, or needed more care and consideration. No Hybridization was conducted. The Wishes, while certainly qualifying as weapons, weren't infused with an elemental nature as yet. Likewise, no elemental runes were used to supplement their abilities. Similarly, Dust infusions were held back until they could be selected to synergize with the Wishes' elements.
And there was a second reason for holding off on that application. Dust functioned best when directed by Aura. Even passive effects from Dust that had been infused into equipment had advantages in the hands of an Aura user that were otherwise absent. The reason Tybalt was missing the modification being conducted to his Zaber Fang was because he was preparing for the final training session, the last step to properly unlock the Auras of the rest of the team.
It was a session that was going to have three more participants.
Every living thing is capable of generating Aura. You wouldn't look at a Zoid and assume it would fall into that category, but the power of a Zoid came from their technorganic core, which was unquestionably alive. A year's worth of spiritual development coupled with Heretical Adaptation of their bodies had left no doubt about the nature of the Wish-Zoid's existence.
Aura was overpowered when even applied to a baseline human. Admittedly, it was an additive increase rather than a multiplicative one, but the potential of giant robots with their own Auras had incredible implications.
Unfortunately, the Titans didn't fall into that category. While they had come a long way from their time with the rest of the group, their presence in the simulation was the result of their cores being simulated by the photonic processors, not a spiritual connection. I knew it was possible for machines to develop souls or soul equivalents, but despite their advancements, the Titans were a long way from that point.
The final step of construction was magitech alterations. These were being handled with a light touch, mostly to set up the potential for later, more specific attributes that could be introduced. I tied in some basic reinforcement and secondary power sources in the form of mana generators and Atlantean Crystals, but mostly worked to leave things open for later alterations.
And then I was done. Orudios, Dekalt, and Zaber Fang stood under the stone eagle of my Skyforge with the unicornium of their Zoid forms gleaming in the sun. The sharp angles of their armor and build of their weapons and support systems was streamlined and accentuated by my design powers. They looked elegant, regal, and deadly all at once.
I heard Aisha let out a whistle as my power failed to connect to a mote from the Knowledge constellation. Glancing over I saw her slowly approach Orudios, only for the unicorn to take a step forward and excitedly nuzzle the girl, being careful of its now atomically-sharp horn as it did so.
Aisha giggled and rubbed the Wish-Zoid's nose before turning to me. "So, um, did the other stuff work out?" She paused. "Not that I'm doubting you, but I mean…"
"Yeah." I looked over the Zoids. "That kind of project was pretty intense. I get that you need to see it for it to really sink in." I paused as I checked the Workshop network. "On that note, Tybalt is on his way. Also, Garment is heading up from her workshop with Tetra. And Fleet-"
I was cut off as Fleet flickered into existence right next to me. In place of his cape costume, he was wearing another modification of his 'chauffeur outfit'. Not a proper chauffeur uniform, though Garment had plenty of designs ready, but a comfortably designed suit with an open collared shirt. Just professional enough to pass in his expected role while allowing the relaxed nature he prided himself on to shine through.
Despite the speed of his movement there wasn't even a wrinkle out of place on his outfit. The casual display of speed had covered the distance from the Titan Hangar to the Skyforge at a rate that would have set the air on fire if not for his elemental abilities. On a similar note, there was a bloom of flame as Tybalt materialized next to him. Actual teleportation in his case, rather than movement too fast for even me to follow in real time. Finally, I noted Garment hustling up the stairs to the volcano's exterior with Tetra scampering after her. Garment had changed again into a high-slitted red evening dress that flowed around unseen legs as she strode up the steps in great bounds.
The dress was one of her new creations. Garment had emerged from the simulation with a year's worth of fashion designs to unload in her workshop, including new concepts for Tetra's Kamui form. That had, of course, required immediate management of the item's extraction from their spiritron forms, being conceptually replicated in her significantly expanded workshop and precisely filed for potential future use. As a result, she had instantly disappeared into her workshop, with only the completion of the Zoids being sufficient to draw her out.
With the rest of the group, save the Titans, assembled I reached out to Survey through the Workshop link, despite the fact that she wasn't technically in the Workshop at the moment.
'Everything's set up. Do you want to come for the debut?' I transmitted.
'While I would be pleased to observe such an application of protomatter in person, I believe the direct attention of my physical form is better served through my current work. I would be happy to observe through Workshop sensors and virtual presence methods.' She relayed. There was a slight shimmer as a hologram of her avatar appeared next to the group. I could feel the way it was tied into her central program on the Spiritron core and linked to her physical body, but she was adamant about not abandoning her task.
Just as Garment had instantly departed for her workshop, the instant Survey emerged from the simulation she immediately made her way to the mirror. The scrying effect, despite being a divine feature, still needed to be conducted outside the Workshop's privacy curtain. All my power and technology and I still couldn't get around those limitations. Still, the requirement was well known and had been addressed by my duplicates through a ridiculously well warded backroom in Garment's studio. Survey had paused just long enough to assume her 'normal human' form before devoting herself to the mirror.
The mirror could, in theory, reveal any location on the planet. Any in existence really, but trying to map spatial coordinates was a pipe dream at the moment. Survey was still focused on directing the scrying effect to specific locations, something that was tricky to accomplish. Even with the weight of my crafting abilities facilitating things, this was a divine object. The works of gods weren't generally known for user friendliness.
Survey had already secured a few calibration runs on targets in the city, checking on Uppercrust's hotel, the PRT headquarters, and various suspected gang locations, some of which were now confirmed. Currently she was projecting the mirror's sight to locations along the Nine's presumed path, both looking for evidence of their passing and features of potential routes they could take.
I doubt anyone but Survey would have been able to grasp the function of the mirror so quickly, but that also led to the current problem. Survey had to be present, directing the observation. Physically present, devoting the attention of her body to the task. I knew she was already frustrated over the limits of the application of her divine senses. Having someone as expansive as Survey being restrained to a single point of view… Well, I could feel her frustration as she tried desperately to optimize her searches.
"It's fine." I assured her through her hologram. "But you'll need to take a break for the Aura training."
"I am aware of that." Her hologram said. "Time has been allocated for training and development activities as well as necessary public appearances of my civilian persona. Regardless, I will endeavor to optimize what time is available for observations. Data gathered during the initial stages possesses a heightened value in terms of its positive influence on upcoming operations."
I picked up a feeling of awkwardness from Aisha, likely triggered by the casual reference to what was being concealed from her. I grimaced and turned to her. "Sorry, it's just-"
"No, it's fine." She assured me quickly. "Seriously, I've been fine with not knowing for the past year-ish. You don't need to blow it now. Besides, I saw how you got after working on it with Survey." She swallowed and shifted slightly. "I know it's something big."
I took a breath. "Sorry, didn't want to worry you."
She shrugged. "You're good at burying that kind of stuff, but there were tells about how bad it was."
"She means you didn't complain about joining in downtime activities." Fleet said plainly. There was a slight smile on his face as a string of nods and affirmative gestures spread through the group. Even from Survey.
I looked across the group. "I don't always complain about taking a break." I protested.
"The vast majority of 'downtime' you engage in is selected based on secondary benefits or development of ancillary skills." Survey stated. "Following our working sessions, you were typically willing to pursue any activity suggested without consideration of its long-term merit or suggesting the inclusion of training elements. While the presence of your appearance and efficiency abilities makes evaluations of your emotional state difficult, the deviation from established behavior patterns was apparent enough to be widely recognized by the group."
I let out a breath. "That bad?"
Aisha grinned. "Pretty sure if it wasn't you wouldn't have agreed to the go-carts without rolling in some kind of super tech trial or training in combat driving." She glanced to her side for a second. "Well, you or Fleet." Fleet just shrugged without comment. The fact that the go-carts did eventually get fitted with advanced motors was probably enough for him.
I shook my head slightly as I considered the situation. Moments like this… I wasn't sure if they were callouts or just assurances that I had people looking after me. The thing was, it was true. After hours of digging through the horrors of the Slaughterhouse Nine I was ready for anything that might turn my brain off. The downtime had helped, but I found myself wondering how long it took the group to catch on and whether anything had been specifically selected for my benefit.
"Anyway, since everyone's here, where should we start?" I asked.
"Uh, should we wait for Matrix?" Aisha asked. I smiled at that and she raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Quickly, I pulled up a wireframe breakdown of the design of each Wish-Zoid. Specifically, it highlighted a series of small reservoirs composed of what to all appearances were drops of golden liquid.
"Seriously?" Aisha asked. "They're inside the robots?"
"After the destruction of the Alpha Vehicle the Matrix highlighted how a reserve of nanobots stored within the frame could have facilitated repairs." Fleet explained calmly. "And would have been a significant advantage in passenger space."
I felt the Matrix's agreement with Fleet's statements. The two had grown closer in the simulation, and not just because of their tall ship project. Fleet was definitely more focused on vehicle maintenance and operation than construction, but there was enough overlap for the two of them to find common ground. Also, as with Survey, Fleet had proved to be a calming and focusing influence on the Matrix. The vials inside of each Wish contained the first Alpha series Generation Five nanobots. I seriously doubt the Matrix would have been alright with that kind of exploratory half-step in development without a year's worth of exchanges with Fleet.
And these were good nanobots. Prototypes hand crafted with my noble phantasm and integrating every advancement I had gained since the finalization of the Generation Four nanobots. Their primary function was repair, but they were capable of anything the Matrix could accomplish. Sudden augmentation, fabrication of actional weapons systems, technological emulation, or even spot alchemy. The Matrix was powerful as a concentrated force, but they were a dispersed intelligence for a reason, and there was no limit to how broadly they could disperse.
The Zoids weren't the only ones to receive them either. To address the indecisiveness of the Titans regarding potential upgrades, the Matrix had suggested a nanobot reserve as a reformatting option, at least until a finalized design could be decided on for me to personally construct. To be fair, 'more nanobots' was pretty much the Matrix's solution for everything, but like with Fleet, the Matrix had built up a rapport with the Titans. I think their more mechanical mindsets appealed to the Matrix, probably because they never fully embraced a humanoid identity. Understandable, considering the state of their existence.
"Okay." Aisha smiled at her Orudios. "I know they're tough, but repair is always good." Turning back to the group she asked. "So, where are we starting here?"
Survey's hologram stepped forward. "The protomatter emulation is the most challenging and innovative aspect of this work. As it represents a significant advancement as opposed to other emulation options, the results of the conversion would be of interest to evaluate."
I could see Tetra rolled her glowing red eyes as Survey expounded on the advantages of cybertonium based protomatter. She didn't specifically call out life fibers in comparison, but I could hear the unstated argument. And also see the now-stated argument as infrared transmissions began bouncing between Tetra and the Workshop's receivers.
Deciding I better step in before things devolved, I shifted my attention back to the group. "Okay, the Zoid cores will still be adjusting to the conversion process, so I'm going to walk them through the first run." I began extending my divine technopathy, then paused. "Fleet, if you'd like to help out?" I asked as I felt the Forge fail to connect to the Vehicles constellation.
There was a slight smile and a nod from him as he sent out his own divine authority in a steady pulse. The process of creating their bodies and sharing fragments of my soul had allowed some of my demigod powers to express themselves. Normally they would have been weaker than my own, but being both specialized and housed within a physical form devoted to amplifying that singular purpose meant within their areas of expertise Fleet, Survey, and even the Matrix could outdo me.
At least in terms of specific expressions of my demigod powers. Frankly the Matrix could be a hundred times better at demigod crafting than me and still not come close to what I could do with the support of my other powers.
Also, when it came to remotely directing vehicles I really couldn't hold a candle to Fleet. Even before his divine abilities, it was literally what he was built for. He had also taken responsibility for the Zoid's wellbeing from the point of their arrival in the workshop, something he extended to the Titans as well. Actually, to every vehicle in the workshop, regardless of whether it possessed a level of sentience.
The point was he was very good at this. I had designed the transformation mechanics, but while flying blind Fleet was able to guide the Wish-Zoids through it as well as I could have hoped to. Everyone watched as the transformation to their first alternate form began.
Despite the bickering between Survey and Tetra, there were significant advantages to protomatter. There were advantages to life fibers as well, but they were distinct from what cybertonium could accomplish, as Survey was always happy to remind Tetra at every opportunity. One of the biggest features was its ability to act as living metal, a term that was more accurate than you would believe. Survey's own body was an emulation of biological processes facilitated through protomatter. Technically artificial, but for all intents and purposes it was a living, breathing thing.
That was the principle that had been extended here. A year expressing themselves as biological creatures combined with Heretical Adaptations of their technorganic cores had facilitated a state of existence that I would otherwise have never considered imposing on them. But this wasn't an imposition. It was no forced transformation or alteration of their nature. It was bringing out the expression of their soul in a form that was natural in every possible way.
A typical Mechashift was a heavily industrial affair. Components shifted and rotated around each other, folding down or expanding through compression principles. The shift playing out was considerably more elegant. My miniaturization skills coupled with an understanding of nanotechnology had allowed individual components of the transition to operate on a scale barely visible to the human eye. Rather than a brutal shifting of metal, the surfaces of the Zoids flowed and shifted, taking on a softer appearance as they transformed into their organic forms.
Before my Skyforge stood a dragon, saber-toothed tiger, and a unicorn, each with a brilliant silver hide and shimmering prismatic mane.
I could feel Aisha tense through the dragon pulse as she did her best to suppress a squeal. Honestly, seeing Orudios in the 'flesh', standing on the slopes of my volcano with the cool mountain wind blowing through its mane I could understand Aisha's reaction.
Dekalt snorted, causing a brief gout of multicolored flame to briefly puff from its nostrils, then extended its long neck down towards me and pressing its maw into my chest.
"Aww." Aisha said as her own Wish approached her. "Someone's jealous."
I smiled slightly as I shook my head, but my hands still found their way to scratch the gleaming scales under Dekalt's chin, much to the Wish's satisfaction. Tybalt was already aggressively scritching his Zaber Fang's chin, pausing only to give me a look of approval.
"Should we proceed with the remaining tests?" Fleet asked, presumably after he judged enough attention had been lavished on the Wishes. Well, on Orudios and Dekalt. Tybalt's Zaber Fang was giving the impression that it would be happy for the scritches to continue for the rest of the day.
"Yeah, unfortunately we're on a schedule." Outside of the simulation time was suddenly something that had to be spent responsibly, and only so much could be budgeted for doting on your dragon.
"Acknowledged. Proceeding with vehicle transformation." Once again Fleet took point in guiding the Wishes through the next Mechashift, taking them into the third form I had worked on.
Living flesh shifted to hard metal, then began a series of more significant shifts. Changes in form and profile. Compressions and alterations. A complete reassembly until three vehicles were sitting before us.
Aisha's Orudios had reformed itself into a motorcycle. A large model, similar in design to my original motoroid, at least in its rarely used civilian mode. Sleek and silver with multicolored decals decorating its chassis.
In Tybalt's case, the Zaber Fang had also shifted to a motorcycle, though one that was the thematic opposite of Aisha's Japanese inspired design. The large chopper had the profile of a Harley Davidson, though with an excessive amount of chrome. Any parts not gleaming metal sported splashes of color. No rainbow pattern, but a full spectrum of different tones spread across the bike.
And then there was Dekalt. The results of that transformation elicited roughly the same level of reaction from Garment as Orudios' unicorn form had from Aisha. As soon as the transformation was completed she rushed forward to fawn over it.
Dekalt was significantly larger than the other two Wishes. With the compression effects I could accomplish that wasn't a problem, but I had already received another motorcycle with my tinker equipment. It was easy to make a case for an alternate vehicle mode.
Which was why Garment was now lounging across the hood of a sleek silver convertible. The two-seater sports car had a profile sleek enough to put any supercar to shame. The gleaming metal of its chassis was complimented by the brightness of the colors used in its accents and interior. Sharply angled headlights and a technically-unnecessary grille hearkened to the Dekalt's eyes and teeth, giving a predatory edge to the design.
The headlights flickered slightly as Garment actually climbed onto the hood of the vehicle, reminding everyone that the Zoids were still present and aware, even in vehicle mode. Apparently Dekalt wasn't sure what to make of Garment using it as a stage like a car-show model.
"Um, I'm glad you like the design, Garment." I said. "And I'm sure Dekalt appreciates the attention as well."
From what I could pick up from my divine senses I could tell Dekalt did not appreciate the attention and was in fact very confused by what was happening. Meanwhile Garment continued to extol how wonderful the design of the car was, specifically when compared to the Pinto that I insisted on continuing to drive. Idly, she expressed the suggestion that perhaps Dekalt could replace the Pinto on a permanent basis, allowing the other vehicle to be retired to a secure place within the workshop. She then expressed that the molten crater of the volcano seemed to be a perfectly appropriate place for such a retirement.
"Okay, I didn't follow most of that, but it's got to be hilarious, right?" Aisha asked from where she was straddling her motorcycle.
I took a breath as I watched Garment continue to pose on the hood, doing her best to highlight how much better it would be for me to drive around in a gleaming silver sportscar than a forty-year-old sedan with multiple safety recalls that nobody would look at twice.
"Garment is making some recommendations regarding my choice of civilian vehicle which, while well intentioned, would run counter to my attempt to avoid attracting attention." I explained in a stern tone, causing Garment to wilt slightly and put a comforting hand on Dekalt's hood.
"Um, is that a problem?" Aisha asked, looking down at her bike. "I thought you said… were you not able to get it to work?"
I quickly shook my head. "No, that's fine, but it's only for you. The focus is tied to your powers. Unless I find some way to replicate them…" Which Mega Bomb might be able to pull off. "It's not going to be an option for the other Wishes." I turned to where Tybalt was testing the grip on his handlebars, which were extended enough for him to reach comfortably from the seat. "Tybalt's power might cover him, but if I go out with this car it's going to attract as much attention as you'd expect."
"Ah, so only Apeiron gets the cool car. Got it." She glanced down again. "But it works with me?"
I nodded. "You should be able to feel out the effect. Concentrated version of what makes people ignore you when your power's active. You could ride Orudios in any form you want and you're not going to attract any more notice than if you were on a bicycle." I explained. "Um, you're covered for technology, so you won't need to worry about any recordings, but it's still a parahuman stranger effect. There are people resistant to those things, so try not to be too obvious about it."
She gave me an amused look. "So Józef, what is the non-obvious way to ride a unicorn through the city?" She had to suppress a snicker at my expression. "Fine, motorcycle mode in public. Even if they see through it, I'm still licensed."
And hopefully nobody would dig into the reason why a thirteen-year-old had gotten her motorcycle license more than two years early.
"Also, as a warning, these are really powerful vehicles." A trio of engine revs answered my statement with approval. Two sounded like roars while the one from Aisha's bike had the timbre of a horse's neigh. "They're at least as fast as the base forms, and still have access to their leap and dash abilities."
She nodded. "So, ride in armor?" She asked, a little disappointed.
"Armor, or once your Aura is fully unlocked." I clarified. Even the weakest possible expression of that ability would be enough to protect her from a high-speed crash.
The time in the simulation had also afforded us time to go over every possible enhancement in great detail. Breaking things down based on utility and invasiveness had been a helpful approach. Biotics and Valkyrur had been ruled out, both because of the treatments involved and the difficulty in mastering the related abilities. Cybernetics were off the table as well, with even a neural link being ruled as too invasive. Heavy biological augmentation was vetoed on the same grounds, despite what could be accomplished with Star Trek medicine or Chimera proteins.
The exception was Psi Operative training. That was both stable and could grant seriously valuable abilities. Beyond that, there was some consideration of nanite enhancement, but mostly the agreement was to focus on trainable abilities, augmented with life fiber clothing to accelerate the benefits. Aura was a big part of that, but so was ki, alchemy, and even tinker skills.
"Got it." Aisha said. "Uh, should we get started on that?" She looked to Tybalt who meowed that we still had enough time to finish the demonstration, particularly with his Zaber Fang.
"Alright." I turned to Fleet. "Final form?"
"Understood." He replied before guiding the Zoids through their final change.
This was the real reason I had handled this work on my own. Anyone could have applied the principles of the skill book, but it took my supporting powers to bring it to this level.
The Wish-Zoid's robot forms were terrifying war machines. Their organic forms were spiritual expressions with the potential for development of abilities that I could only theorize. Their vehicles were both incredibly useful forms of transportation and considerably more subtle than their other forms. But they weren't subtle enough. For the Zoids to be accessible, we needed a way to transport them covertly. Like Aisha said, there was no subtle way to ride a unicorn through the city.
I watched, following the mechanics as the Zoids folded in on themselves. Mechashift principles flowed easily from one form to another, with the principle of the transformations being usable during combat. Each form could shift to any other one, and I watched the vehicle rapidly drop in size.
Aisha managed to catch Orudios before it hit the ground. She looked down with shining eyes at the tiny unicorn figure sitting in her palm. It was the size of a phone charm, complete with strap, and probably the easiest thing for a girl her age to conceal. Carefully, she reached out one finger towards the tiny unicorn. As the tip of her finger approached Orudios moved its head slightly, just enough to nuzzle it, before falling back into position, frozen to the world and indistinguishable from a plastic toy.
My own Dekalt collapsed out from under a frustrated Garment, who at least managed a graceful dismount from the hood before it shrank away from her. She watched the car quickly grow smaller, then caught the final glimmering piece. She held it up to examine it, then handed it to me.
I accepted the coin. Brilliant silver and a bit larger than a dollar coin. The engraved image of a dragon made it look more like an arcade token or souvenir than any form of currency, but currency was the exact reason why the form had been chosen. Living as a dragon brought certain behaviors, a fondness for treasure being one of them. I think there might have been something of a mutual expression of trust behind the act. Treasuring each other, each the other's hoard.
Regardless, it was certainly a convenient way to transport a reptilian war machine. I rubbed my thumb across the engraved image of Dekalt and watched as it briefly responded, then, like Aisha's unicorn, fell back into the illusion of inanimateness.
The sound of a meow drew my attention to where the Zaber Fang had compressed to its travel mode. Specifically, a meow that was significantly higher pitch than what you would get from Tybalt. More of a mew than a proper meow. Additionally, it was an actual meow, not the sections of Felyne language we were used to translating.
Looking over to Tybalt I spotted the tiny silver kitten winding itself around his legs. Dekalt and Orudios may have been fine being stored as inanimate objects, but asking a cat to remain still would get you the exact opposite response. Of course, when you tried to move a cat they would be happy to perform a perfect impression of an immobile mass, so it was really a toss-up.
The point was, between Tybalt and the Zaber Fang an alternative had been chosen. The only one of the Zoids with a second organic form, the Zaber Fang's discrete form involved it collapsing into the tiniest silver kitten imaginable, complete with two tiny incisors jutting from its mouth.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't the most convenient form to transport a war machine, but the kitten was small enough to be concealed in a jacket pocket and, if its behavior in the simulation was any indication, would be happy to spend most of its time sleeping. In fact, the kitten let out a yawn, proudly displaying its little saber teeth, before curling up against Tybalt. Tybalt scooped up the ball of fur and happily cradled it in his paws, smiling widely at the rest of us.
I looked down at the coin in my hand, feeling out Dekalt's intentions through my technology sense. With a smile I flicked the coin, sending it spinning high into the air. Right at the apex of its ascent there was a cacophony of sliding metal as it unfolded into its full Zoid form. With a powerful beat of its wings, it took to the air, circling around and roaring down towards us.
"Okay." I admitted. "That was pretty cool." Tybalt meowed in agreement.
And then the Workshop shook under our feet. Aisha looked over to me and even Tetra was jolted out of her ongoing argument with Survey.
"Uh, something just arrive?" She asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. Something did."
"You know, before a year or whatever in the computer, I probably would have been more excited about you getting a movie theater." Aisha said as we stood in the lobby of the Entertainment complex.
Well, technically the cluster secured from the Personal Reality constellation was called the Entertainment Room, despite being a complex of six rooms. There was a movie theater, music room, video-gaming theater, sound stage, a miniature live theater, plus a lobby with a self-service candy, popcorn, and a soda dispenser.
The concessions actually weren't that great. Popcorn was popcorn, and the soda was serviceable off-brand stuff, but all the candy was the weird brands you really only see at Halloween from people trying to cover for trick-or-treaters at the lowest cost possible. Some of the boxes of powdery chocolate I hadn't seen since I was a kid, usually as the last item left days after Halloween, once all the more serviceable candy had been consumed.
The facilities were all fairly basic. Serviceable, but definitely on the cheaper side. Given the ridiculous luxury of everything built by me or my duplicates it was actually kind of refreshing to have something this down-to-earth.
The simple nature of the seating and concessions didn't mean this was in any way a basic addition. The facilities were all top notch and the cluster had been bundled with four additional items. One called Kit and Kaboodle added a recording booth, professional mixing board, and a limitless supply of instruments. They couldn't be taken out of the workshop, but the studio could create any kind of instrument you could find on Earth, available on demand, perfectly tuned and ready to play.
Another minor mote called Auditorium added exactly what you'd assume. Four hundred seats with a fully automated stage. By just specifying a production the theater would provide all the props, lighting cues, and sets necessary to carry it out. An additional mote called Costume Closet provided any costume that might be needed on request, which was why Garment had vanished backstage the second we arrived.
For some reason, the access to the entertainment room was situated on the Loft rather than deeper in the Workshop. There seemed to be a slight division in purpose, with the main storage area being reserved for utility items with luxuries being allocated to the Loft. I only had the slightest indication of how that would play out, but there was an abundance of motes waiting in the Personal Reality constellation, some of which could be secured multiple times.
One such mote was the final item that came with the cluster. Music Collection was paired with the music room and provided five hundred albums. A fairly wide range of music to be sure, but the nature of it was what was causing Survey to struggle against her commitment to stay with the mirror, and also deploy as many sensor drones to the room as she could fit.
"Okay." Aisha admitted. "We couldn't pull that in the simulation." She turned to me. "Is she going to let anyone else near that music?"
"Probably, once she finished with the liner-notes, sheet-music, creator commentary, and explanations." I said.
Like with the last major infusion of media from the Personal Reality constellation, the provided albums had the particular property of not being from our universe. From what I could gather from browsing Survey's initial reports, the majority were from the same world as the books in the Library. Everything prior to the appearance of Scion was identical, with diversions becoming more drastic as time went on. Nearly thirty years of cultural drift, captured in musical format, with each album accompanied by a wealth of information on its creation.
From what could be gathered, priority had been given to the most popular albums. Best selling records led to a fairly diverse selection, with everything from major releases, best-of collections, holiday albums, and even movie soundtracks. Altogether it served to fill in a lot of blanks in the picture the Library had begun to paint.
It was a major find, but that wasn't what had nearly driven Survey into a frenzy. The collection had music from the capeless-Earth, but it didn't just have music from the capeless-Earth. Scattered among the collection were occasional albums from the worlds of my powers.
It was a selection even more varied than the collection from that other Earth. There was a collection of Klingon opera, a CD from a boy band called the Achieve Men, a collection of 'the Best of Mahogany Hall', a full concert performance by 'Lynn Minmay', a self-titled album from a group called Priss and the Replicants, a country album from someone named Cherlene, a collection of astartes battle hymns, a longform performance of 'The Storm King' that came on a stack of phonograph records that stood three inches thick, a rap song about mole rats, a memorial album for someone named Kanade Amou, and a surprisingly wide sampling of alien music.
Trying to piece together secrets of a distant universe from pieces of music and their supporting notes was a challenge, but it was one Survey was ready for. It was probably a good thing the upgrade to the computer core had taken her infinitely divisible attention to an even higher level.
Honestly, I wouldn't have minded the chance to dive into the collection, both the conventional and fantastic, but we were on a schedule. No doubt Survey would have everything cataloged and backed up well before the next time we entered the photonic core for training. As much as I appreciated having a resource like the Entertainment room, it would have to wait until the current crisis became less time sensitive.
"We should probably leave her to it." I said. "You'll need to get ready for training." Tybalt meowed in agreement as he held his kitten-mode Zaber Fang against his chest, letting it nuzzle into his neck.
"Yeah." She said with a nod. "Aura, then martial arts, then ki training, then we need to deal with the colors." There was full conviction in her voice when she mentioned the colors. It was something that had only hardened through her time in the simulated environment. She knew how dangerous they could be, but also how powerful they were. The capacity to use them, to utilize them in a way that no one else was capable of, it was something she was seriously devoted to.
I had spoken with her about that. Made sure she didn't feel obligated to contribute and knew that this wasn't necessary. She had assured me she wanted to do this. It was scary, but it was also exciting. A new potential application, something nobody had seen before. The same eagerness and curiosity that had driven her to investigate the ABB on her own was still driving her.
I just hoped that the usual parables about the cost of curiosity didn't hold true. Fortunately, I had the capacity to make sure this would be handled in a safe way, or as safe as things could get when dealing with eldritch variations of reality.
"For the colors we're going to wait until I can upgrade your hairpin." I explained. "The way Ren adapted, and what you can do with it is impressive, but the least we can do is make sure you have the best tools I can make before you start."
Of course, for them to be the best tools we would have had to rebuild the hairpin as a divine object, add features from Daedalus' Student and turn it into a top-tier mystic code. Aisha had been dead set against breaking down either her focus or her armor, despite the improvements possible or the fact that I could reclaim the original Elven Enchantment using the Crucible of Eight Trigrams.
In Aisha's defense, if she had been cycling through multiple iterations of her support items they may have been stronger, but she wouldn't have accumulated enough use to trigger Heretical Adaptation. The entire opportunity to directly utilize aspects of the Prismatic Laboratory's colors had grown from Aisha's stubbornness and sentimentality.
Aisha nodded, then glanced to the side. "That's going to be a lot of work, right?" She looked up at me. "I mean, the glove can make a big difference in anything you use spirit energy for, and you only do that for the really important stuff. And I know that's a big deal, hard to recover from." She raised a hand to the amulet that contained her collapsed armor. "I remember the drain when you made this."
I shook my head. "It will be fine." She gave me a critical look and I pressed on. "It will. My reserves aren't as bad as they used to be. I got a serious boost from the supplemental powers around my Teigu. Plus, spirit energy's kind of weird. It's at a low point when you're in low spirits, isolated and down. Stuff that recharges you as a person helps recover it." I leaned back. "After that break, I'm pretty well topped up."
She still looked uncertain. "But it's still a big deal, right? I know how it can hit you. I just don't want you to end up burned out. You said there's a lot to do, and the glove takes a lot of energy, right?" She must have seen something in my expression. "What?" She asked warily.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out." I said, briefly noting a failed connection from the Quality constellation. "You're normally pretty good at this kind of thing."
She scrunched her nose. "What? You found some trick?" She was starting to sound more intrigued than concerned.
I lifted up my left hand and showed off the Glove of the East. "This glove lets me channel a lot of spiritual energy into an object. As a result, the object becomes more powerful, more efficient, and better at utilizing my spiritual energy. It can even take multiple improvements, but each one takes more energy and gives less return, to the point where it basically becomes prohibitive." Aisha nodded. I raised a finger to my chin and put on an excessively contemplative expression. "I mean, with that kind of cost, it would really help if I had some way to make the glove more powerful, more efficient, and better at utilizing my spiritual energy."
I watched as the penny dropped. "You're going to use your duplicates? Once you copy the glove? So, you can use the glove… on the glove?" Her eyes were shining as she worked out the implications.
I smiled and gave her a single nod. "With the next set of duplicates, we copy the glove, then use one of the copies to enhance the original." I smiled wider. "Then, with the next set we copy the improved glove and use that to improve the original even more."
"And you can keep going, right?" She asked. "Keep feeding the loop?"
"Well, to a point." I admitted. "Even with the improvements, multiple enhancements are going to be costly, and we're going to see diminishing returns at some point, but it will let us take things further than we could ever have hoped to." I explained. "Three iterations should be a safe bet, but if the cost is reasonable we might be able to push it further."
"Right. So what, start on the colors tonight? Tomorrow?" She asked.
"Tomorrow to be safe." I said. "Things are hectic enough without diving right into something like that. And you've got enough to focus on right now."
"Yeah." She glanced back at Tybalt. "I should probably get ready for Aura training."
"And I should go drag Survey away from her work." I said with a smile.
Fortunately, I didn't need to physically drag Survey away from the mirror, though I did check in on her prior to the training. There was a point she had been requesting my input on since I finished with the Wish-Zoids. Surprisingly, it turned out it wasn't the data she had gathered form the Mirror that she wanted to talk about.
"Well," I began. "That's unfortunate. You're certain about this?" I asked as I checked her results. There wasn't much chance that she wasn't certain, but when dealing with magical or parahuman related effects I have more insight than her thanks to my powers.
"The test was brief, but I believe it was conclusive." She replied. "And, for obvious reasons, I did not wish to conduct a prolonged trial."
I let out a breath as I pieced through the results of the trial of the portal sensor. A gadget that had functioned perfectly in the workshop had run into a slight snag when trialed in the outside world. Namely, the fact that portals were two-way affairs.
Normally this wouldn't have been a problem. The shielding built into the tiny portal aperture should have blocked just about any effect from penetrating it. Since the Analysis sensors didn't need any form of energy transfer or carrier medium to function it was a near complete block, with the only factor being a physical, if inaccessible link between two locations.
Unfortunately, when it came to a shocking number of parahuman abilities, that seemed to be enough. Reviewing Survey's theory, generated with the benefit of initial data from passenger space analysis, I had to agree.
Some powers functioned with effects that emanated from the parahuman in question. You could block that effect with anything that blocks the medium used for the ability. Unfortunately, a lot of powers seemed to function based on proximity to a parahuman. The cape in question wasn't so much a source of the power as they were a targeting solution for their passenger. And in a lot of those cases, the effects were mapped out based on any space that fell within a certain area, even if it was only connected through a nearly invisible portal.
Survey's test had detected overlays of background parahuman effects. It had been brief enough that it was unlikely anything would be noticed, and her location was still warded to the best of my ability, but it painted a concerning picture. Linking two spaces could effectively extend the reach of a parahuman's power. And you would be at ground zero for that extension.
With Cherish's presence in the Nine it created a difficult situation. It was possible her power worked from a different medium, but more likely putting a portal anywhere near her would extend her sensor range through it. Even if we were shielded from the effect, something that would still take time to guarantee, she would certainly notice the portal's presence.
So, portal-based analysis scanners had a drawback. A rather significant drawback, considering our intended use for them. I mean, they were still an incredible piece of technology. Placed remotely while shielded and linked by a quantum communicator they could be used to scan with near impunity while only giving the observed parahuman access to whatever desert, wasteland, or remote island we decided to use. The problem was the potential that certain parahumans would be able to detect their presence. Still, in cases where we didn't require absolute secrecy they were the perfect tool.
Unfortunately, this was one of those cases. If Cherish suddenly realized someone was repeatedly opening portals in her vicinity it wouldn't matter how careful we were about Jack's power, the Nine would know someone was on to them.
"We can work around this." I assured her. "We'll put some more time towards the mirror. It was only a trial creation. Improving Arcane Craft or using Feel It Out, we can make better versions."
"I would appreciate that." Survey said. "Additionally, this is not an entirely disadvantageous discovery." I raised an eyebrow. "The effect could also be utilized for our benefit. Through her experience with enhancement from the striker system, Aisha has mentioned the possibility of being able to extend her power to additional memory applications, though with a limited range. The use of portals could address the range limitation for Aisha, or those of any other parahuman we wished to assist."
Right. There was nothing stopping us from making use of the effect, except the fact that most of my abilities were supported by me, not an extradimensional mega-computer throwing around insane amounts of power. Still, if there were any capes with powerful effects that were limited by range…
Taylor. It was Taylor. I didn't even need to confirm, the mere thought had my passenger screaming at me. Setting up Taylor with an array of portals, even miniature portals like the ones the scanners used, could extend her range anywhere on Earth. It could extend her range everywhere on Earth. Anywhere on any Earth.
When I first learned about Taylor's power I had a hard time seeing how it could be powerful enough to deal with the kind of problem my passenger was warning me about. Now, considering what she could do with this technology, the fact that Taylor's insect control basically had no upper limit, yeah, I sort of got it. Still not the whole picture, and Flechette and Panacea still factored in somehow, but yeah, I got it.
You know, at this point it really took something for the scale of anything to impress me. The idea that, with the right setup, Taylor could control every bug in every permeation of reality, yeah. That did it. That was something on the scale of the Celestial Forge.
"Were you able to identify some application of this effect?" Survey asked, observing my reaction.
"Yeah." I said, my voice was a bit strained before I shook it off. "I'll upload the details, but you should get ready for training."
She gave a quick nod. "Thank you. I will look forward to reviewing it." Which would undoubtedly happen the second I submitted it.
Survey and I returned to the safety of the Workshop's privacy screen. While she split off to Tybalt's final Aura training session I took a moment to see to the progress of the spiritron computer.
So far I had left most of the work to my duplicates, only seeing final results or prototype components. As a result, I was able to see the system emerge into existence and even see the impact of what I'd learned from the records and work of earlier duplicates being applied by later ones, but it never felt like it was my project. The first major invention to come out of my workshop, and innovation, advanced from base principles to a fully functional wonder, and I only got to stand on the sidelines and watch it emerge.
It wasn't like I was totally separated, but my contributions to the project had a distance to them. I would review the work of my duplicates and have ideas of flashes of insight on how things might be improved or how problems could be addressed. Then, with the next duplicates, I would see the results of those ideas being put into practice. My duplicates were me, and they had both my insights and innovative thoughts. It was just weird seeing the beginning and end of a development process while missing everything in the middle.
But that was the deal we had made. There were things that the duplicates couldn't do, or things that would garner no lasting benefit if done by the duplicates. We had chosen an optimal distribution of labor, and I wasn't about to argue against how they decided to spend their limited lifespan. All in all, the project had been a success. Glimmering towers of photonic crystal, the highest order of mystic code, stood clustered in the heart of my workshop. A computer core like nothing else in the world.
I could feel the power of it, even from where I stood, and not just through my technology sense. It pulsed with every manner of energy. Magic flowed through its crystals, facilitating computations performed in the very medium of the soul. Cybertonium relays split energies through the infinite fractal nothingness of transwarp space, then consolidated them back together in an ordered form, a trivial operation for my system that would have been beyond the combined computing resources of the entire planet. Impossible work was being done, and as such an impossible problem was being addressed.
I felt the systems as they picked apart the enigmatic nature of Bakuda's code. A tinker mega-project, drawn from more sources than any recent trigger should have access to. Without the technology of Leet, without the coordination of March, without her previous technical background, and without the shortcuts allocated by her status as a chaos tinker it never would have been possible. It was still hard to believe she had created something like this, but it was a testament to what a tinker could accomplish when their limits were relaxed.
And it was coming apart. Slowly, but faster than it had with any previous system. It wasn't just one code that I was struggling against. There was no single cipher key that would unravel the entire mess. This was more than encryption, it was an entirely new method of conveying data, one that stretched beyond any single form of data transfer, or even any single universe. I couldn't fathom where her inspiration had come from, what kind of situation would call for communication of this level of complexity, this kind of density of information conveyed with this level of energy.
I couldn't now, but I would. I wasn't cracking this code; I was deconstructing it on a fundamental level. The answer was buried beneath a mountain of secrets, and I would seize every one of them on my path to success. I would break this monster of a project, and then I would make it my own.
It would help as the system developed. The calibration run had been invaluable, even beyond the training, planning, and recreation benefits. The base level, the first floor of the system's existence was complete. Higher orders of metaphysics were being constructed upon that foundation. Higher floors of more complex concepts. Concepts that would allow greater immersion, more productive training, and faster progress towards the solution to Bakuda's code. That encryption wasn't the only prize here. The system that we had constructed in pursuit of our goal was a legitimate wonder, a miracle with unfathomable potential, and one that would be of vital importance.
I closed off my evaluation of the spiritron core as I noted the Forge failing to connect to a mote from the Knowledge constellation. Tybalt's Aura training was already underway. The final step needed to fully unlock the Auras of the rest of the team. It was an important moment, but also a concerning one. Aura was a power that we didn't have a great handle on. So far the entire experimental group consisted of two humans and a Felyne. Given the variety present through the Celestial Forge nobody could be certain what Aura would look like when manifested through an animate pair of gloves, or a life fiber hybrid, or a focal nanite of a dispersed swarm that existed in perpetual superposition. Even Tybalt's instinctual understanding of combat related matters was limited in what it could predict.
It was something that I wanted to be on hand for, both for the significance of the event and in case help was needed for any reason. Still, I had to be careful not to interfere. Tybalt was a masterful combat instructor, but I didn't want him to have to account for any unexpected variables at this point. With a thought I drew on the power of Dark Slayer and teleported to the upper levels of the training room.
Looking down at the scene below me, I felt I might need to reclassify my description of Tybalt as an instructor. Possibly with stronger language, composed mostly of four-letter words.
I understood the principle at play. Aura was fundamentally about self-expression, about allowing your true nature to shine onto the world. The ritual could briefly break down the barriers that closed a person off, allowing the light of their soul to shine freely, but that was all it would do. The Aura would be present, but they would lack the ability to control or direct it on anything but the most fundamental level.
Drawing out Aura through training was a different matter. It was also a different matter from this. Typically, the process would be handled over a period of months where in a person would reflect and train, learning their limits and the nature of their responses so that as Aura began to be drawn out it could flow freely and be easily shaped.
Tybalt was condensing months of combat experience into a few hours of direct instruction, and the effects were apparent. I didn't want to use the term madhouse, mostly because even the worst insane asylums were run with more order than what was playing out below.
If you didn't have time to gradually draw out someone's nature it seemed you could just create a series of situations so desperate and stressful that their first instinctual reactions would facilitate expression of self. In the constant flow of traps, disasters, and directed assaults Tybalt was leaving no space for any level of doubt of conflicted response.
The process was even successful with Fleet, Survey, and the Matrix. It would take a demigod of war to press strong A.I.s to the point where they abandoned analysis and pretext, but Tybalt was accomplishing it masterfully, mostly through cutting them off from external support and turning the programmable reality of the training room into such a maelstrom of chaos that even they couldn't respond in anything but a base manner.
It looked like madness, but there was definitely a method to it. Just triggering random desperate flails wouldn't bring out any hidden power. Instead, the conditions were being carefully managed. I could see how he was handling things and feel the way he was directing the digistruct holo-matter of the room. It wasn't just a gauntlet. The entire scenario reacted to the participants.
Tybalt was watching, watching everyone. Whenever there was a moment of confidence, an expression or reaction that resonated with one of his students Tybalt adjusted the parameters, drawing out more variations of that response and allowing greater success through it. He was finding the traits tied to the expression of Aura and reinforcing them.
I could see it working. Flashes of color, obstacles being deflected, bursts of speed or strength in complete defiance of physics, or more defiance than they normally would. Even with the stressors of the room, if anyone save Aisha or Garment cut loose it would be hard to challenge them, but that was built into the system. Rules, parameters, and limitations they were struggling against, then struggling more because Tybalt turned the entire room into something that resembled a tumble dryer full of rocks.
It was working because Tybalt wasn't just driving them to the brink to draw out some hidden ability. He had explained the process. They were active participants, heavily stressed participants, but still engaged with the program, rather than being directed by it.
As the session neared its conclusion I saw the results as all of Tybalt's efforts over the past… two days came to fruition. A red field snapped into place around Tetra, briefly shimmering with an iridescence distinct from her usual glow. Then a silver sheen enveloped Survey, followed by Fleet glowing a deep blue. The Matrix extracted themselves from a mass of emulated matter that couldn't be processed by their nanites just as their armored form shimmered with a golden field. Garment flared white just as a purple shimmer spread over Aisha's body.
The Wishes were the last to conclude their training. I was surprised they had been able to manage it in one session, but something about the directness of their natures supposedly helped them along. Orudios's aura glowed turquoise while a pale-yellow spread over Zaber Fang. Finally, Dekalt took to the air in a shimmer of electric blue.
The group gathered in a state of exhaustion that was more spiritual than physical. In fact, it might have been the first experience with genuine exhaustion that Fleet, Matrix, and Survey had ever experienced. Smiling, I dropped down from the overlook, landing in front of everyone.
"Congratulations." I said with a smile. "Who wants to celebrate?"
The celebration lunch took place in the lounge around the sea snail aquarium. The room had been supplied with a spread of food that had already been prepared by my duplicates before I could even make the attempt. As I settled in for the meal I shook my head at Aisha.
"No." I said firmly. "This isn't a birthday party."
"Come on." She prodded. "Everyone's due one after that training."
"I don't think anyone actually perceived that as a full year." I clarified. If the experience had dragged on like that I had badly mishandled the lessons. "Counting the downtime, it's only been a few months."
"Fine, then I'm owed one." Aisha clarified. "Possibly more than one if we count all the earlier times."
"We're not. Your birthday is a date on the calendar, not something you count from accelerated perception." I paused as I considered the motivation behind her request. "You just want the cake, don't you?"
"If you're making it? Hell yes." She said with a wide grin.
I snorted. "If you want a desert you could just ask. I mean, the duplicates would probably make you a six-tier cake just to mess with me."
"Yeah, but that wouldn't be birthday cake." She said, making no effort to hide her amusement. "Plus, it's more fun when you trick someone out of it."
I was going to protest, but Tybalt nodding along kind of took the wind out of my sails. The kitten on his shoulder mimicking the gesture was clearly an indication that he was a horrible influence.
I grinned at the situation and settled back in my seat. "We should finish up soon." I looked around. "Sorry to cut the party short, but we've got a busy afternoon."
"Garment will need to make an appearance at the Regency Center to attend to initial details of the upcoming event." Survey explained. "Proceeds from sales of Garment's Theme, extended, by Boundless Music have addressed the majority of the initial expenses relating to organizational concerns. Additionally, covertly donated goods have been delivered, manufactured by the Matrix and facilitated by the duplicates." The Matrix inclined their armored head slightly. "This has addressed the majority of the equipment requirements for the event, though it is likely any further deliveries may attract undue scrutiny."
"What, people don't just throw thousands of dollars of electronics at every charity in this city?" Aisha quipped. When it appeared that Survey was about to launch into a briefing on the history of charitable contributions in Brockton Bay and the proportion represented by physical goods Aisha quickly scrambled to change the subject. "So, what else needs to be done?"
"Approvals for the layout, schedule, and design scheme are required. These have been prepared by Apeiron and his duplicates, but they require a certain level of evaluation from third parties. It is not anticipated that any issues will arise, but Garment's attention is required. Additionally, several local businesses and groups have extended interest in varying levels of involvement. These offers have also been vetted, but will require Garment's direct action, as will the organization of the volunteer staff."
Garment made a series of excited gestures at the mention of the volunteers.
"Yes, I'm sure they'll love your gifts." I said. My duplicates and I had helped with the designs, even if we couldn't touch the assembly. At least Shipping the Product meant we could ensure everyone got Garment's token of appreciation before the event started.
"You volunteering too?" Aisha asked. I nodded.
"Tech staff." I explained. "Officially handling the live streaming and setting up the equipment for such. Unofficially that will take about twenty seconds, so I'll be mostly providing moral support and dealing with anything that needs last minute tweaking or emergency management."
Aisha shook her head. "I have no idea how anyone would pull something like this off without your kind of power." She looked up. "I mean, the city needs it, and it's going to do a lot of good, but for anyone else…"
"Anyone else it would be smaller, or take longer, but there would still be something." I said with a smile. "From the sound of it, Parian would probably have tried something. Seems like she was eager to help out."
"She was quite excited by the prospect." Survey said. "I will be meeting her later this afternoon to discuss her contribution to the event." She paused as Garment made an eager gesture, but shook her head. "Parian was quite insistent in not taking up any of Garment's time, given the compressed schedule of the event."
Garment drooped slightly, but I nodded. "That was nice of her." I paused. "Will Garment be alright without you?" I asked Survey. "If she needs to head out while we're meeting with Uppercrust?"
"Um, I could go with her?" Aisha offered. "I mean, my dad signed off on this as a volunteer thing and I can at least run interference or whatever." Fleet also raised a hand in offer and Garment expressed her satisfaction with the suggestion.
"That should not be a problem. I will be able to advise, even during our upcoming meeting. Should any complications arise, please contact me promptly." Survey replied.
"Got it." Aisha said seriously. And it was fairly serious. Her first public work with Garment. I knew she could handle herself, had handled herself as both a cape and a civilian, but I couldn't help but worry a little.
I knew the concerns were mostly unfounded. Anything that could happen to Aisha and Garment while planning the event was minor compared to what else we had been dealing with, but public identities had levels of consequence attached to them and everything that happened with them. I couldn't dismiss my fears completely even as we prepared to depart.
The fact that the Forge missed a connection to the Vehicles constellation really didn't help. It meant I was heading into a meeting with Uppercrust with a 'full tank' of reach, enough to spontaneously secure any of the major motes in Forge. That just seemed to be tempting fate.
But things were different now. It was hard for me to embrace the mindset, but the fact was, I was lucky now. It was an immutable fact, born by the abundance of fortune energy I carried. I didn't know exactly how far that luck could be pushed, but at the very least it should head off any major disasters, at least for long enough to prevent them from spilling over.
Aisha was looking a little nervous as she headed out into the studio with Fleet and Garment. I wasn't sure if it was her own nerves or if she had picked up on my concern. Regardless, I did my best to reassure her.
"You'll do fine." I said to her. She had changed into one of Garment's recent designs, slightly higher fashion than she usually wore, but something that would clearly identify her as an associate. "Everything's already set up. You can handle it."
"Right." She said, taking a breath. "You too. I mean, good luck with your meeting." A glimmer entered her eye. "So, you flying out on the dragon?"
"Ha." I said, feeling the coin resting in the pocket of my costume as it stirred slightly. "No, apparition." I explained. "Survey has enough information on the hotel for me to target right outside his rooms, and I'll be taking her side-along."
"You can handle that now?" She asked. "No risk of splinching?"
I grinned. "Not since the Shadow element." I assured her. Next to me Survey stepped out in her full cape outfit, the thin blue band resting over her eyes her only concession to a mask. She looked stunning as ever, but with Garment's designs on display there was a lot of that going around.
Well, at least we'd make an impression. "See you after the meeting." I said to the group as Survey rested a hand on my offered arm. Then, just to be cheeky with respect to fortune energy I added "Good luck."
Aisha had just enough time to stick her tongue out at me before I moved through the steps of destination, determination, and deliberation and apparated to Uppercrust's hotel.
Jumpchain abilities this chapter:
Entertainment Room (Personal Reality) 200:
Keeping yourself busy isn't always easy, and sometimes you just want to relax and listen to some music or watch a movie. This is for you. A six room complex is added to your Personal Reality. Each room is an almost perfect movie theatre, music room, video-gaming theatre, sound stage, or miniature live theatre. There are 24 comfortable chairs in each (the exact level of luxury depends on your housing level). A popcorn and generic candy vendor and off-brand soda dispenser (self-service) are provided at the basic, but will upgrade to name-brands with any housing upgrade.
Kit and Kaboodle (Personal Reality) 50:
There's not much purpose in having a sound-stage if you don't have recording equipment and instruments. While not the best, this Entertainment Room Upgrade provides you with professional grade musical instruments of any kind found on Earth, and a professional mixing board and easy to follow instructions on how to make best use of it. The instruments from this can't be removed from the Warehouse without the Extruder.
Auditorium (Personal Reality) 50:
This Entertainment Room Upgrade adds an auditorium to your complex with stage for bigger productions and comfortable seating for viewers. the Auditorium can seat up to 400 in comfort and the followspots always follow, the lights always change on cue, and the props and sets are always in the proper order and condition.
Costume Closet (Personal Reality) 50:
This Entertainment Room Upgrade adds a closet full of costumes, exactly what you need to perform your various acts or routines. The contents will adjust to the wearer and will be as comfortable as reasonable. They're self-cleaning and self-repairing, but they cannot be removed from the Warehouse without the Extruder.
Music Collection (Personal Reality) 50:
You receive a collection of 500 albums (EPS or LPS) based on personalized criteria such as genre, artists, or themes (big band, love songs, acapella, etc.). Liner-notes, sheet-music, and creator commentary / explanations are provided, as well as live performances, remixes, and covers. Total guaranteed run time not to be less than 2,000 hours. Every month you'll get a new album. This can be purchased multiple times and only music from previous Host Realities is available. If you find that, upon listening to an album for the first time that you do not like it, it will be replaced… but since perfect memory perks are a dime a dozen, asking for a replacement will result in a mental block being placed over the music. You'll still be able to remember you heard that album and didn't enjoy it, but not the actual music. This block is fiat backed until you hear the album again someplace else or gain your spark.
