The largest conference room at Nontech was filled with the sound of murmurs and shuffling papers as the team of engineers and scientists sat around the massive oak table, discussing their progress on the development of a true AGI. At the head of the table sat Nontech's CEO, a middle-aged man with a serious expression and a no-nonsense attitude.

"Alright, let's get started," he said, bringing the room to attention. "I want a report on our artificial intelligence project. Where are we at, and what are our next steps?"

One of the lead engineers, a young woman with short blonde hair, stood up and began to speak. "We've been making steady progress on the AGI project, sir. We've been training it based on the actions and decisions of our test subject, Jason, in the virtual world. The results so far are promising, but we still have a long way to go."

There were murmurs of agreement around the table, but one person spoke up, "Once it's fully operational, the value we're getting from him will be much lower, and he won't have the same leverage as he does now. What are we going to do with him once the AGI is up and running?"

The CEO considered this for a moment before responding, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But for now, let's focus on getting this AGI up and running. The potential impact it could have on our company is huge - as is the consequences of not being first." He looked around the room, meeting eyes with a flinty seriousness.

“We will do whatever it takes,” he said. “Whatever. It. Takes. And the digital consciousness that you call Jason is the one thing that gives us a leg up on our competition. We will not dither around and squander this opportunity that we grabbed. We’re going to squeeze out of him something that we can scale up. Something that will work for us fully. And if Jason chooses to continue to help us towards that goal, great. If not…” he allowed himself to trail off. “Do I make myself clear?”

—

Jason sat in his war room, staring at the maps and reports spread out before him. The information was clear, the enemy was amassing their forces, and they were preparing for an all-out assault. He knew he had to act fast, but as he looked at his own resources, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

He had the technological advantage; that much was true. His weapons had revolutionized his kingdom's infrastructure and economy, but when compared to the sheer number of bodies his enemy was preparing to send his way, he wasn't sure it would be enough.

He leaned back in his chair, running his fingers through his hair. The pressure was mounting, and he knew he had to make a decision. He couldn't afford to wait any longer. He needed to build up his own military forces, and fast.

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He called for his advisors, and together they began to take stock of their resources. They counted the number of soldiers, weapons, and armor they had at their disposal. They compared it to the enemy's numbers, and the difference was stark.

Jason knew he had to find a way to level the playing field. He began to brainstorm, throwing out ideas and weighing the pros and cons of each. He knew that time was running out, and he couldn't afford to make a mistake.

Finally, he settled on a plan he thought would give them the best chance. He would send out his own forces to raid the enemy's supply lines, cutting off their resources and weakening their army. He would also begin to draft more soldiers from the population, offering heavy incentives for those who joined up.

He sighed, tapped the map on the table twice, and stood up. Taking the fight to the enemy was a risky move, but it was the best plan he had. Waiting for a superior force to attack all at once would be suicide. He knew that the fate of his kingdom, and his people, rested on his shoulders. He couldn't afford to fail. He called in Tyler, gave the orders, and his advisors set to work.

As he watched them leave the room, Jason couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that the coming battle would be the greatest test of his leadership, and he couldn't help but wonder if he was truly ready for it. But he pushed the thoughts aside, knowing that he didn’t have a choice. He would do whatever it took to protect his people, his kingdom, and his own future, and he would emerge victorious.

—

The ironworks was a symphony of clanking metal and roaring flames as the workers toiled tirelessly to produce the heart of the kingdom’s rise. Workers were visible leaning over benches, rifling musket barrels in one section and creating the enameled wire needed for the generator coils in another. Jason stood in the midst of it all, his eyes scanning the work being done with a critical eye. He was constantly amazed by the sheer scale of it all. The wires were being produced in such large quantities that it was hard to comprehend the sheer amount of work that went into them.

But as he watched the workers, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. His now-superhuman memory was coming in handy. He remembered that on the stator coils, "the center of the coil is supposed to be the diameter of your magnet. The height of the coil is supposed to be half the width of the diameter of the magnets." That knowledge might have taken weeks, if not months, to optimize through trial and error.

The workers looked up at him with confused expressions as he let out a loud whoop of excitement. They were used to him being excited about new inventions, but this seemed a bit excessive even for him. But they trusted him, and if he was excited about this, then it must be important. Multiple workers had smiles appear on their faces as sweat rolled down their foreheads.

Jason knew that he was running out of time. He knew that he needed to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted by his own excitement. He couldn't afford to let his guard down now. He needed to keep pushing forward, to keep innovating and creating new technologies that would give him the edge he needed to win this war, and the one after it, not just the upcoming battle.

As he watched the ironworks continue to churn out wire after wire, he knew that this was just the beginning. He had a long road ahead of him, but he was determined to see it through. He would make sure that Unity was ready for whatever the Silver Kingdom threw at them.