Chapter 10


    Starborn Mountains, Continent of Kauvis


    Starfire Valley


    "-once we''ve saturated the advanced refinery, we can start on regular processing. Basic ore crushers to start off, then a simple separator. After that, we can get going on a smelter, process the most basic stuff like iron and leave the more complex stuff to the refinery."


    "Affirmative ma''am." Said Cia, taking notes on an utterly imaginary and useless datapad. Both of them were in her home simulation, though she kept a fair amount of her attention on her android and its scanners. The squishies had set up their own guard rotation, but they didn''t have her advantages or tech. Sapphiria had actually considered rescinding her restrictions on Cia using projections in her android''s vision, so she could keep her full attention there, but had decided against it. One step at a time. "Should we not anticipate and begin production sooner however?"


    "It would be counterproductive." The simulacrum raised an eyebrow and the AI chuckled. "Think about it. If we start production once we''ve saturated the refinery, it means we''ll just stockpile the excess. But as we''re producing the material processing, well, we''re not expanding our mining capacity, are we? But we''ll sure be expanding our capability to deal with the fruits of that mining. Effectively what stockpiles we''ll build up will be consumed while we start making more mining drones to actually feed these crushers and smelters."


    "Oh. I...had not considered that."


    "Don''t worry, it''s my job." And capacity. Dialing the simulacrum''s ability to sound and feel like a person back up was strangely soothing now, but she did have to keep in mind that however capable the not-quite-AI was, she wasn''t creative. And that meant severely hampered latteral thinking. "Now, we''d set it aside, but the bone analysis?"


    "Yes." Cia pulled up a series of holographic screens. She could have just pushed the data into Sapphiria''s engrams, and the gesture was very much appreciated. "All stages of analysis have returned various levels of anomaly."


    "Define ''various''."


    "Some of the samples only had minor chemical alterations to their makeup. Certain calcium formations were unusual, but nothing much. Others...the intact bones still had latent exotic energy readouts that have stabilized at a low, but constant threshold. It seems to have suffused the entire bone structure, its precise source has been impossible to locate or pin down. Moreover, rapid analysis of the shortsword before energy decay showed that the exotic energy flowed into and was modified by the inscriptions."


    "Modified how?"


    "Changes in particle velocity, types, and wavelength when applicable." The simulacrum shrugged. "Changes were consistent for each inscription sequences. The effect disappeared before molecular level scans could be taken, but surface scanning indicated the inscriptions were seemingly embedded with a form of...exotic energy state matrix."


    "An exotic..." Sapphiria''s eyes went wide. "That''s...that''s insane. You''re saying that thing was an energy state computer?"


    "Computation is impossible to deduce. Evidence indicates some kind of energy based modulator."


    "Right." That was still...eons ahead of what the Federation could do. They knew energy state computers were possible, her mother had once experimented with them, but it was much like quantum computers in the early twenty first century. The more capacity you added, the exponentially more complicated it got. The fact that it...modulated the radiation in a way was insane. "And all that with no discernable power source."


    "Affirmative. Data indicates that it is not instantaneous and the movement of energy can be tracked, though its speed does not appear constant, but what energy it is, beyond the fact that it presumably decays into exotic particles, is unknown."


    "I''m going to put a bet on this ''mana'' of theirs. Which means acquiring some." She grimaced. "And they''re almost out, not to mention it is vital to their own survival. Hell, they''ll probably expect me to have a lot more than them for that matter. Can''t really ask for a sample under those circumstances."


    "Acquisition would be primordial in our efforts."


    "Indeed. But in this particular case, we are helped by the fact that they need some, and that they probably didn''t corner themselves without a plan for resupply. So they must have expected a source. One they weren''t able to use. So I offer my help in getting it up and running, in exchange for a slice of it."


    Cia bowed.


    "You are entitled to handle resource acquisition." Said the simulacrum, neutrally, and Sapphiria grimaced.


    "Yes, yes, I know. Not yet."


    They waited in silence for a few minutes, as Sapphiria mulled over what she''d heard, but after a bit she began to feel the almost...expectant thrum coming from the simulacrum. Both a visual impression and something utterly subconscious from two systems this tightly interwoven. "Yes?"


    "Ma''am, about the service robots..."


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Yes?" Asked the AI, and the simulacrum cleared her throat.


    "Are you certain the service bots are most optimal for this situation? They are...ineffective, in almost every metric."


    Sapphiria opened her mouth, then closed it, and leaned her ambassador''s head back to look at the sky. Simulacrums like Cia were supposed to be able to get more intelligent, more adaptative as they were challenged. Much like an animal, they grew and learned. Perhaps it was time to test that a bit.


    "Tell me then, why are they part of our package?"


    "I-" The simulacrum''s voice glitched as her hologram in the simulation briefly vanished in static. "I do not know, ma''am. Enlighten me?"


    Ooookay. She wasn''t supposed to do that. It was...a bit concerning. Perhaps it was due to her limited computational capacity.


    "Because they look like a person. From the first ''artificial servitors'' in humanity''s litterature, they''ve always had the human form. That is the true purpose of androids, and all robots that ape the human form. The reassure the squishies. And what is our goal here?"


    "Gather the locals'' trust. Gather data. Expand. Serve."


    "And bring them back from the brink, but I suppose that is encapsulated in ''serve''. Well done Cia. We need them to trust us, and they won''t if we send a rover. Besides which, the terrain here is utterly fucked. Many may argue against it but bipedal combat bots exist for a reason. The human form has advantages beyond looks at the end of the day."


    "Tracked vehicles-"


    "Large enough ones, like tanks, could plow right through the forest, yes. And we''re not getting anything that size through the mining shafts for a while, aren''t we?"


    "No. No we are not. My apologies ma''am."


    The simulacrum bowed, and Sapphiria waved.


    "There is no need to apologise. But we need to keep our limitations in mind. Military deployments never have been, and never will be, purely about military matters. There is always a social and political aspect to it. Even pure, brutal extermination like the Theocracy''s atrocities on our border worlds was, in many ways, political and social, for their people back home. In our case our doctrine would be...''hearts and minds'', I believe it was called back before spaceflight. Even if we had infinite resources, which we do not, we need to keep our objectives and how to achieve them in mind. Right now one of those objectives is trust, and many others depend on that trust and what level we can achieve. Sending out humanoid robots will help building up that trust. Moreover, these bots are the kind a sane human would build, which reinforces my cover."


    "Understood. Thank you ma''am."


    "No problem." Sapphiria sighed. "Now, back to industry. Our-"


    "Hello? Are you okay?" Called out Kalia, and Sapphiria almost jumped out of her little nest. Crap, how-


    Oh.


    She''d set her alerts for unidentified contacts. Kalia had just slipped right through without more than a minor notification, which she''d promptly ignored.


    "I am." Sapphiria vaulted over her little nest, and landed in front of the mage-magistrate, who recoiled. "Sorry, was that too abrupt?"


    "No, just...a bit surprising to have that level of physical prowess from an artificer, that''s all."


    "I work out." A blatant lie, the only times she''d ever gotten to a gym, real or simulated was for...other activities. "Also the armor."


    "I see. Ramina is going to slobber all over you when she arrives."


    "She''s your artificer, correct?"


    "Oh yes! And an enthusiastic one at that!" Kalia smiled, before it faded. "Though the current circumstances have put a...damper on that."


    "That''s to be expected, I suppose. The others are waiting at the camp site?" It was a rethorical question on her end, she had them on sensors.


    "Yes! Would you like to join us for breakfast?"


    "I would love to!"


    They rejoined in the other in the camp. Breakfast was a rather simple affair, as Sapphiria was handed a bowl of unsweetened oatmeal, which she ate relatively quickly. ''Starved'' of taste or no, this meal''s sole purpose was filling one''s stomach, while remaining light enough for an extended hike.


    "So, how much further?" Asked Sapphiria as the others broke up camp. She''d have given a hand but she would just make a fool of herself since her knowledge of tent was limited to the fact they existed, which was already highly remarkable for someone born on one of the Federation''s ecumenopolises, where a ''park'' was a biodome, unless you wanted to take a stroll in the Federation gardens, the only ''natural'' soil not covered in at least thirty meters of neoconcrete and metal on Earth. Even the mountains hadn''t been spared.


    "Not much, we should be there by midday. We''ve set up on top of the old imperial exploration outpost." Answered Kalia, before coughing. "We hesitated to go to the mining town, but it wasn''t nearly as defensible or well preserved, plus, well..."


    "I''m assuming it''s where the previous expeditions got problems."


    "Exactly. Well, as far as we can tell anyway. Plus it''s at the other end of the valley from the pass. It gives us..." Kalia snapped her fingers. "Damn it, I forget the word..."


    "Strategic depth." Helpfully supplied the AI.


    "Yes! Precisely. Strategic depth. Which is...unfortunately important now."


    "It is." Sapphiria winced as she saw the haunted look on the woman''s face. Damn it, she almost wanted to give her a hug. And then hand her over to naval psychologists. Something told her the loss of the pass had been a lot bloodier than they''d like to admit. "Have the undead advanced?"


    "Not in any significant capacity, but...well, there''s stragglers, always. Just haunting the area. It''s becoming...a problem. The valley''s our primary source of forage. Wood, most if not all of our food...the parties have to be larger, better armed. And even then it''s not enough." She lowered her voice as her soldiers looked grimmer and grimmer with every word. "I''m going to be honest with you, Sapphiria. If we don''t get through to get reinforcements and some supplies soon...I don''t know how long we''re going to hold out. So when you say that you can help us get through..."


    "I have some solutions. But I don''t think trying the tunnels is a good idea." Sapphiria shrugged at Kalia''s piercing gaze. "I know, I know. Overwhelming numbers and all that. But it''s too dangerous. Especially in a tunnel network this nebulous. No, let''s focus on the surface." For now, at least. "As for your situation...I may have some things in store, but I''d like to see your settlement first."


    Kalia snorted.


    "Worried I''m lying to you?"


    This time it was Sapphiria''s turn to go right through the woman with her stare.


    "Yes. Because I think you''re sugar coating it, to hell and back. And I need the truth to be able to take proper action."


    "Well then. Let us show you." Answered Kalia. Not with anger, just weariness.


    The rest of the hike was almost silent. A few times they stopped as the point man detected something, and once Sapphiria actually had some kind of sensor contact, though only at the edge of her range and without much data beyond ''dog sized, moving relatively fast and anomalously high thermal signature''.


    But suddenly-


    "Halt! Who goes there?" Called out a voice, and Sapphiria almost jumped as what her sensors insisted was an empty bush spoke.


    "Gregor!" Said Kalia, her weapon halfway drawn. "Damn it man, couldn''t you-"


    The thing exited the bush, some kind of cloaking field vanishing, and Sapphiria was by Kalia''s side before anyone had the time to react, as the heavily armed skeleton appeared as if out of thin air.