Next update is sent to betas; deeefinitely waiting for feedback before posting it, though, so it'll probably be >12 hours. Wound up splitting what I had into multiple chapters, too, so it's not as big (~ 3.4k) as my previous estimate (~ >4.2k).
Black Speech has a pass and a fail, Nani has to almosts and Halping has a pass and two fails. I read that as someone is going to dodge a bullet while another is going to wish that's all it was, two of the Crafting Club will almost get the joke, and I'm not sure if pass or fail is the good outcome for halping.
Black Speech has a pass and a fail, Nani has to almosts and Halping has a pass and two fails. I read that as someone is going to dodge a bullet while another is going to wish that's all it was, two of the Crafting Club will almost get the joke, and I'm not sure if pass or fail is the good outcome for halping.
Black Speech = some form of commuication with or between Symbie/Antagonists, possibly including Decimator.
Nani the **** is this = Valkyrie Cores visiting Hell's Hand wondering what the heck is going on. They are confused, as expected.
Halping = Loot Rolls
I'm leaning toward the second being the Crafting Club. Two of the girls are so close..
Honestly a little part of me wants a couple of QA's smaller secrets to be cracked by one or two of 'em, with bonds growing and friendship and a liiittle bribery.
But.. it really wouldn't make too much sense unless you're going a little in the crack direction. Which is a shame.
I kind of doubt anything that isn't a god or something on that level can threaten full powered entities, Scion even mentioned in his interlude that they are completely unassailable while in transit between stars and at full power, if something was sufficiently technology advanced to do it, than the entities can choose to just skip a galaxy, I kind of doubt such a species will hide how dangerous they are.
While the valkyries in this verse might be a threat to unprotected shards given time, I kind of doubt they can handle the warrior just smashing his Siberian finger on the solar system and squashing it.
They didn't actually threaten the entities, but they would have found a way to disrupt or block the process the entities used for their breeding dance, which I guess is a chain reaction that can be disrupted, I am not sure the entities couldn't have removed the modifications to the planet (I don't see nano technology being complex enough to handle all the exotic things entities have like stilling, sting, matter removal and so on), but it might take a lot of energy, enough that the cycle is a waste because not enough data was gathered to offset this loss.
Will someone ask if QA had children, given her apparent age boy is that going to cause a stink. Also way back in ch 2 when QA first met Anna QA was thinking this:
but human reproduction was icky and… and Anna was female, wasn't she? Queen Administrator would not need to tolerate requests for excessively physical attention should they become sufficiently close allies. That was immensely relieving.
Only if they didn't ask for clarification, hell hand crazy people choosing to make their own offsprings using technology and consider standard method disgusting and inefficient is understandable if weird from a human's point of view, I doubt they will jump to rape camps without more proofs, especially as evidence show that hell hand used cloning and such.
Rape camps probably not, personally accosted much more likely especially if they're talking about Anna QA might mention that with Anna she doesn't have to "tolerate excessive requests for intimacy" which could be taken to mean "rich kid making passes at her which she can't say no to because daddy is a bigshot".
Or they'll find cloning factories in the arcology and assume that they just clone more and more test subjects.
And QA finding human reproduction disgusting is just her finding human reproduction disgusting.
She is the big shot, they can see it in the pictures, this is also assuming they had such a society that allows big shots in the conventional way, and seeing that she is one of the only Valkyries they have (they found one another core).
I am more inclined to think they will agree she probably just find it disgusting in a child like way, a single question can probably clarify it.
AN: I split up the original chapter since it was getting rather bulky, so Decimator doesn't get screentime just yet.
>>"I'm rather surprised that we've only found a few bodies," << Elise dully noted. >> "You'd think this one Broadcast guy would've had a whole horde seeking his kidneys." <<
Liz could echo both the thought and the tone. Both Valkyries were starting to feel numb from the atrocities piled upon each other like carcasses. The house filled with speakers specifically keyed to cause debilitating pain had been bad enough. Finding residue of Broadcast in all surrounding houses — houses that he'd clearly occupied and wrecked without permission — made it all the worse. Broadcast's most recent excursions were even marked by bloodstains and the odd bone fragment.
This place was definitely wearing on her morals, Liz reflected. When she entered this hellhole, signs of maiming and torture would've, and had, spurred her into a cold rage. Now they were just one more atrocity on the stack.
The stealth plating on most of the homes was also slowly becoming annoying. Sure, it was nice that the UN would be able to tear them down and repurpose the materials, but Liz and Elise seldom knew what laid behind each door. Each house might as well have been its own island. The two Valkyries had started opening doors in alternating turns just to share the risks.
Liz prepared for yet another jumpscare as Elise opened the door to Maker's home. A moving, dog-like figure within had both of them extending and raising weapons. Sensors indicated the being in question strongly resembled a horrid mix of cat, dog, an oozing slime thing, and humans, with limbs and sensory organs sticking out seemingly at random. Little could horrify Liz after what she'd seen of this place, but it was still disgusting.
"Kill... me..." the abomination rasped.
Elise froze with a half-raised cannon rather than doing exactly that, eyes widening with horror. Liz, on the other hand, had spent her time more productively.
>> "Their lungs are specifically shaped to make that noise," << Liz reassured her partner. >> "I don't think it can even feel pain, let alone form thoughts." <<
Elise let out an explosive sigh of relief and slammed the door to Maker's house.
>> "I'm telling you, UNOMI should look for any known torturers who vanished off the face of the Earth. These people were sick. Anyway, could we just check out the big houses and let the B teams handle the others?" <<
It was true that they weren't finding much in the smaller homes, Liz would admit. A few interesting devices and plenty of material for the forensic and analytical teams to pore over, but nothing urgent.
>> "We can check them first, and transition to further floors if we find an entrance," << Liz allowed.
She had a feeling that only the highest-ranked would've survived whatever calamity killed the inhabitants of Hell's Hand. The leaders — Hebert likely included — might've even been the ones to cause it. Oh, the Valkyries were only finding the occasional dead body within the residential area, but Hell's Hand had apparently been removing those even on the upper floors. The lack of corpses meant little, especially with the ludicrous number of blood samples dated from the same timeframe.
Liz still felt ashamed for laughing when UNOMI-Fourteen claimed it might be similar to a teenager frantically cleaning up their room before their friends arrived. Knowing Liz's luck, she'd find another teenager controlling the Arcology.
>> "Any idea what they're likely to do with the mayor-parallel?" << Elise asked, unknowingly echoing Liz's thoughts.
>> "I think we shouldn't be discussing this on comms after the last inhabitant decrypted transmissions and files that she didn't have the codes for," << Liz dryly replied. >> "During a panic attack, even. Whatever Command does, though, I'm confident that it will be far better for the mayor than leaving her alone in this. You saw how the other inhabitant reacted to a warm bath." <<
~ ~ ~
Apparently, experienced Valkyries did not necessarily need to breathe; they could manually oxygenate their blood. Despite her breathless state, Instructor Shapira was in no significant danger of self-harm. With that potential problem proved pointless, QA returned her attention to a far more interesting subject: Anna Sanchez.
"Alphabetical organization is the simplest method of sorting available food options," Anna explained. "Random assortment would introduce an unnecessarily large risk of missing one or more options, especially if the menu changes over time."
Monica silently opened and closed her mouth, apparently having trouble with her response. QA promptly inserted herself into the available silence.
"Human nutritional requirements and psychology will likely conflict with this experimental methodology. Variants on the same food will often fail to provide the variety necessary for bodily upkeep. Similarly, human psychology encourages them to not consume too much of the same food. Have you considered constructing a model based on regular scans of the cafeteria? It would be simple to flag any additions to available fare."
Anna blinked and furrowed her brow.
"That would require creating models and determining possible degrees of variance for each individual item. I do not believe that is a worthwhile time investment. Nutritional requirements are not a concern as excess nutrients can simply be stored until they are required. I am not aware of the psychological phenomenon you are referencing; could you direct me to any relevant reading?"
Queen Administrator's face twitched slightly before she suppressed her distress. She could not provide the requested references, nor could she identify whether or not the information was derived from Host's memories or archived information. She opened up Symbie's browser and began searching available human literature. She did not want to sabotage her credibility with Anna, especially over something so minor.
>> Instructor Liri Shapira: "May I interject?"
Queen Administrator paused her search. She didn't like to rely on distractions, but…
>> Cadet Taylor Hebert: "Yes."
"Not everyone spends all their time synchronized with a Valkyrie Core," Shapira promptly commented. "At the very least, they'll usually desync before bed. You and Hebert are almost the only ones we've found who don't at your age. Also, going in alphabetical order wasn't a bad idea, but Hebert was right; you'll get tired of bread before long. Have you considered recategorizing your list by culture? You'll have some repeats, but your meals will be a lot more palatable."
"...That sounds like an acceptable substitute," Anna allowed. "However, I have not yet stored the vast majority of items necessary for such a reconfiguration. We would need to return to the cafeteria."
Anna turned to meet Queen Administrator's eyes. The shackled shard absentmindedly tried to keep Host's body from assigning a disproportionately high emotional weight to something as simple as where Anna's human optical sensors were focused. It wasn't as though Anna would be using the information for an attack; she had significantly better sensors for that.
Similarly, QA needed to fight Host's reflexive urge to duck her head. Fragmented the memories may be, yet the months preceding Host's aberrant connection had not been kind to Host.
"Can you safely tolerate an unknown number of interested individuals? The Friends were already noteworthy even before your adverse reaction in class. I am not experienced in dissuading gossip."
Queen Administrator blinked. The idea that the Valkyries wouldn't notice her activities had never occurred to her. Their Impeller Fields allowed unusually high-resolution examination of their surroundings; UNOMI monitored QA's use of human Internet browsing methods; there had been plenty of witnesses throughout the day; and inadequately secured cameras monitored the vast majority of known areas.
"I expected any and all displays of weakness to become public knowledge," Queen Administrator dismissively replied. "I am used to it."
Queen Administrator momentarily paused as a thought occurred to her. They were already in a simulator, and QA had yet to see more than Durga's primary body. Anna appeared moderately concerned with QA's continued well-being; that alone should serve as adequate justification.
"May I see your equipment and weapons?" Queen Administrator asked, aiming for a hopeful and earnest tone. "It would be easier to avoid showing weakness if I know what qualifies as strong."
There. That should be sufficient, shouldn't it? Anna's face did scrunch slightly in response to the request, but she appeared neither upset nor offended. Silver even squirmed slightly to draw attention from any possible negative thoughts. The subsequent tilt of Anna's lips seemed to indicate that the comfort-attack had been a success. Silver was already justifying the exorbitant cost of her creation.
In response to the reminder, Queen Administrator checked Symbie's sensors and found Nyx, Instructor Shapira, and Monica in a small group to the side. A review of recordings indicated that Shapira had pulled Monica away and handed the younger Valkyrie an electronic tablet. QA's smiling roommate was currently tapping the tablet while a shoulder-mounted Friend nibbled her hair.
QA returned her attention to Anna when the perfect Valkyrie wordlessly disappeared behind layers of black armor and weapons of war. Laser and thruster ports appeared and opened all across Anna's and Durga's shared frame. Missile racks hung down from their waist and rested beside their legs. Vambrace mounts held what were likely high-velocity kinetic slug launchers. Four unknown weapons peeked over their shoulders, but pointed well away from any onlookers. A pair of backswept horns poked out from the top of their helmet. And—distributed energy converters absorbed and released incoming light? Perhaps QA hadn't overstepped with her Friends after all.
Anna's Impeller Field reflexively answered Symbie's first scans with destructive interference. After about two seconds of such disruption, Anna and Durga allowed the scans through. Within a second, QA could confirm that the best Valkyrie was ludicrously lethal. The expressed portions of their weapons were, as expected, only a small part of each device; QA wouldn't be surprised if the portion in storage was approximately shard-scale. She didn't immediately know, though. Symbie's scanners registered multiple significant blackbodies, including the portals leading into Durga's own storage. That wouldn't be an impediment if QA were in control of her primary body. Since she didn't have access to her own arrays, the hidden portions of the equipment would remain hidden without significant upgrades to Symbie's sensors. Upgrades that Host would need to help with, even; QA's access levels weren't enough while she was piloting Host's body.
...Too slow.
"May I ask Durga for the designs, your own scans, or both?"
Anna inclined her head to one side, reflexively twitching one unknown cannon-weapon away in the process.
"You can try," Anna allowed, "but I don't think she'll answer."
Possibly not, but surely the Cores were supposed to yield their information eventually and having Broadcast contact them would be far too expensive. Queen Administrator was allowed to ask other shards for information relevant to Friend-making. Symbiotic Support Frames might not be shards, but they were fulfilling the same role. Her rights should still apply.
"For the love of God, Hebert, please don't try to hack Sanchez's Frame," Shapira sighed.
"Just call me Anna," Anna immediately replied.
"I'm not Br–" QA reflexively began, then stopped. Right. Even if she was about to talk to a shard, Valkyries weren't shards. They were doing a remarkably good job of making QA overlook that fact.
"That would be incredibly rude," the shard said instead, and stopped trying to speak exclusively with Host's organs.
<"SUPPLEMENT. Hello! You've done a really impressive job of improving your host; I don't think even Queen Shaper would find very much to complain about." Decimator forgot to tell me how I'm supposed to talk to you, though, so this might sound like nonsense. If you try talking back, I can probably match whatever methods you're using.>
~~~
Anna was very, very confused, a sentiment that Durga's emotional echoes seemed to agree with. Taylor's echoing SUPPLEMENT — well, she couldn't even think the word without accessing the attached information packet.
The packet that Anna still hadn't downloaded or stored, but retained access to. The packet so large that Durga gave up quantifying it after the exabyte threshold.
"Hebert, a DoS still counts as a hack attempt. Please tell me that wasn't deliberate."
And yet, there was useful information in there. Anna simply couldn't deal with the full file, but analyzing just a single small portion seemed surprisingly reasonable.
"I did not intend to send that to anyone save Durga. I am hoping you are incapable of understanding it; while unlikely, successfully doing so would be exceptionally dangerous for you."
It was like it wanted to be understood. Instead of rearranging itself so that it remained inscrutable, the SUPPLEMENT shifted until it started to make sense.
FROM: Instructor Liri Shapira
>> "Anna, are you alright? Please respond."
TO: Instructor Liri Shapira
>> "I am fine, but also busy."
Anna ignored further audio inputs. None of them contained relevant information.
The file was a description—no, a design. Atomic and subatomic configuration and arrangement down to the quarks for every last nanometer of some intimidatingly large object. Non-repeating connections in a variety of possible modular formats, and why did it have to give her options when it was already so hard to develop even a single model of the end product?
The packet shifted again. Primarily a single recommended elemental configuration, now, with some specific sections to be determined with the aid of a random number generator. Overall, the entire file was down to 17 petabytes. Still enough to give Anna a headache.
Anna paused at that, gathered the scattered parts of her mind, and repaired a few strained veins in her brain. She'd caught the problem before any neuron damage and loss of memory could occur, but it may be wise to schedule periodic self-repair reminders while she was deciphering Taylor's design. Anna didn't want to frighten Silver by having her body collapse; bad enough that the pegacorn was looking up at Anna with huge, soulful eyes and obvious concern–
A determined girl in a garden-that-wasn't, singing the songs of control
–Another connection manifested. Access to hardware that Anna somehow knew belonged to Silver, with a sub-nanosecond latency. A potential boost comparable to the difference in magnitude between having Durga's Frame extended and keeping it in storage. Security protocols stringent enough to satisfy even Durga, provided that Silver didn't deliberately leak information.
<REASSURANCE.>
Which she wouldn't. That would make Anna unhappy and Silver was specifically designed not to do that. She would only attack Anna if Anna were being forced to commit genocide against humanity, and Silver would try to minimize Anna's pain in such a scenario.
Part of Anna stopped to consider that. It seemed... reasonable. A strange contingency to have, but not one she could disagree with. The more concerning part was how she wasn't supposed to mention that possibility at any point, even to Taylor herself. Anna would be worried about possible subterfuge if not for the ID so clearly attached to that part of Silver's report. Taylorwas the one to add that.
Taylor's name made her mind itch. Silver's software seemed intent on simultaneously insisting that the name was both correct and utterly wrong, that the ID both did and did not fit the name.
Durga's self-care alarm pinged, and Anna checked her brain with about half her mind. That promptly changed to the entirety of her attention in as the results registered. She had a crystal tumor attached to her brain, with smaller fragments clinging to her skull. They seemed to be actively maintaining her health and assisting performance, but it was still a foreign entity in her head. That simply wasn't supposed to–
She'd left her Impeller transparent, and repeatedly read a suspicious data packet. Difficult to exploit, but clearly still possible; Anna couldn't easily conceive of any other ways for an outsider to add hardware to her brain without her immediate knowledge. Anna snapped her defenses back up, pre-plotted a path toward removal and storage of the foreign material, and... hesitated. Silver's ID was attached to all of it. Silver's body emitted the same ID, from the flats of her hooves to the tips of her tiny, twitchy ears.
In hindsight, the low latency should have been a warning sign.
Anna nudged Silver toward her hands and lifted the pegacorn to eye level. The Friend blinked innocently and tilted her head in a manner that might be distracting if Anna wasn't busy. Anna should ignore Silver's dangling hooves, too.
"Silver," she said sternly, the word tasting strange, incomplete, and inadequate on her tongue. It would have to suffice until those impressions could be better examined. "Why is there part of you somewhere it isn't supposed to be?"
She didn't want to frighten the UN by explicitly noting that it had been added to her brain. Silver was too adorable and soft to be evil. Besides, she'd opened up her mind for Anna to freely use. The Valkyrie could do a lot of damage with that kind of access.
Anna could feel a significant portion of Silver's hardware becoming momentarily unavailable as the pegacorn decided on an answer. The process concluded within seventy-four milliseconds.
<CONNECTION.>
The packet was much easier to filter and interpret on the Friend's hardware. Anna cross-checked three random fragments just to be sure, and there did not appear to be any tampering or malicious interpretations.
Friends—no, entities?—like Silver were allowed to connect with one person at a time to lend assistance, and did not typically disconnect until either their own demise or that of their host. Silver had deliberately kept the necessary hardware separate and easily removable in case it failed to make Anna happy.
Hardware required for a Friend-host connection would usually disguise itself as part of the host's brain; once again, however, Silver correctly assumed that Anna would be uncomfortable with such blatant and invasive adjustments to her brain. Examples were available for comparison; both Taylor and Rose had the normal version.
Anna paused. Nope, that was definitely an ID swap, and she no longer had the feeling of wrongness to deal with.
<Rose?>
<SWITCH.>
That one sounded quieter, as though Silver didn't want to be overheard. Given the contents, Anna found the caution perfectly understandable. Taylor was actually named Rose, and the real Taylor was hidden and healing all the way back in Africa. Something about the original Taylor getting even more injured if they hadn't switched places? Similar to a body double, only with the higher-ranked person taking on all the risk?
...Anna should definitely report that. After removing the additions to her own brain, anyway. Silver had provided enough information for it to be disassembled, redesigned, and remade to everyone's satisfaction; the connection could be reestablished later. And she did intend to put it back if she could minimize possible risks. The potential improvement to her combat ability was staggering even if she couldn't safely rely upon it.
~ ~ ~
Liz pushed open the door to Queen Shaper's home and stopped dead in the doorway. The place was a gods-damned greenhouse of flesh, an impression that exotic alien flowers growing from flesh-beds did nothing to dissuade. Unlike with Maker's home, however, there seemed to be a method to the madness. Many of the flowers had medical properties, were highly toxic, or were simply Taylor tailor-made for use in making unusual colors of dye. Vines would probably do their best to crush either of the Valkyries if they continued inside, and thorn-launchers would fire acidic projectiles while intruders were distracted or immobilized.
Diagrams and sketches of strange alien creatures covered the walls and made inroads on the ceiling. Nearly all of the creatures were blatantly dangerous in some way: bodies optimized for biting, flying snakes intended to pierce through targets and keep going, tentacles to immobilize foes before other weapons finished them, mosquito-like insects armed with deadly toxins, mobile weapon emplacements, armored transport, literal walking bombs... It was like the concept art for some manner of horror game, except odds were good that the sketches had been brought to life.
Liz chose to ignore the wall with sketches of modified humans. Denial wasn't a great way of coping, but it was all she had. Well, denial and looking at the semi-innocuous critters, like the ones that looked like little more than warm, purring pillows.
Pillows that, according to the notes, were meant to be comfortable while retaining the ability to eat anyone using them without permission.
There is no bright side. It's nightmare fuel all the way down.
>> "Well, I guess we know Hebert's title now," << Elise sighed.
Well... Ana got an Upgrade(?), some further insights into Taylor/QA(Rose?)'s messy situation, and a semi-permanent link to a Friend in her head... that's something alright.
Well... Ana got an Upgrade(?), some further insights into Taylor/QA(Rose?)'s messy situation, and a semi-permanent link to a Friend in her head... that's something alright.
Not permanent, she actually removed it immediately so she could analyze and rebuild it. Anna now knows Waaaay more than what the rest do! And its going to be so damn fun to wirness what comes next!
Also hoping that Rose explains how she Isn't Shaper, but that they have worked together Extensively in the art of Friend Making!
Well I enjoyed the middle section, but I'm definitely getting the same feeling from Dreamer/Taylor/Rose/whatever-her-title-is that I did from It's Not Wrong. Which is, the more that character is included in the story the more my enjoyment of the story dies. I don't even know why, it's just like QAylor's adventures are all so fun and then including Dreamer is pure buzzkill.
That one sounded quieter, as though Silver didn't want to be overheard. Given the contents, Anna found the caution perfectly understandable. Taylor was actually named Rose, and the real Taylor was hidden and healing all the way back in Africa.
"Human nutritional requirements and psychology will likely conflict with this experimental methodology. Variants on the same food will often fail to provide the variety necessary for bodily upkeep. Similarly, human psychology encourages them to not consume too much of the same food. Have you considered constructing a model based on regular scans of the cafeteria? It would be simple to flag any additions to available fare."
Anna paused at that, gathered the scattered parts of her mind, and repaired a few strained veins in her brain. She'd caught the problem before any neuron damage and loss of memory could occur, but it may be wise to schedule periodic self-repair reminders while she was deciphering Taylor's design. Anna didn't want to frighten Silver by having her body collapse; bad enough that the pegacorn was looking up at Anna with huge, soulful eyes and obvious concern–
A determined girl in a garden-that-wasn't, singing the songs of control
–Another connection manifested. Access to hardware that Anna somehow knew belonged to Silver, with a sub-nanosecond latency. A potential boost comparable to the difference in magnitude between having Durga's Frame extended and keeping it in storage. Security protocols stringent enough to satisfy even Durga, provided that Silver didn't deliberately leak information.
The file was a description—no, a design. Atomic and subatomic configuration and arrangement down to the quarks for every last nanometer of some intimidatingly large object. Non-repeating connections in a variety of possible modular formats, and why did it have to give her options when it was already so hard to develop even a single model of the end product?
She'd left her Impeller opaque, and repeatedly read a suspicious data packet. Difficult to exploit, but clearly still possible; Anna couldn't easily conceive of any other ways for an outsider to add hardware to her brain without her immediate knowledge.
If Ana notes the whole Taylor/Rose thing, who wants to bet that someone assumes 'Taylor' is actually a Valkyrie core that up and built it's own body to run around in while the operator is incapable of operating it?
Friends—no, entities?—like Silver were allowed to connect with one person at a time to lend assistance, and did not typically disconnect until either their own demise or that of their host. Silver had deliberately kept the necessary hardware separate and easily removable in case it failed to make Anna happy.
So these particular Friends are Pseudo-Shards. Good to know! From the hints, I'm guessing in this case it's like adding another Core's resources to her - computation, translation, understanding and the like. Perhaps more weapons or storage space?
I'm getting the feeling both QA and Taylor left more than a few features in Friends they didn't even realize. Taylor did cannibalize what would be a Bud's resources to make them.
I'm guessing it's not reproducible unless you have properly made Friends with a shard link, however tertiary.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how Durga reacts. And Anna, when the shock wears off. And maybe the crafting club too, if they've found this connection. And UNOMI will be.. getting drunk somewhere, I dunno.
