After their father's strange scene and the Queens appearence, the twins were left in the Palace's Main hall.
“So... isn’t it funny? Looking at father behaving like that.” Asked Solfe.
“Obviously not, that's how it should be if he isn't attentive of mother... Sis, let’s go and see grandpa Ludi!” Said Verisa hurriedly.
They haven't seen him for a long time, they had to stay at the calital for two months for tutoring. Finally, they could return to what they were building.
After Solfe nodded her little head with excitement, both girls started walking towards the entrance of the palace.
They followed some corridors, and finally arrived at an open area. It appeared to be some sort of transport station in the form of a big circle.
The huge parking area was filled with greenery, it looked like a lake surrounded by a copius garden. The roads in this world were actually like mirrors, so it looked as rivers or some water body when looked from the sky.
Many carriages that resembled some sort of spiral crab shell were visible at the parking area, each with a driver waiting. The thing was pulled by some sort of strange lifeform, its strange biology allowed it to row with multiple legs or tentacles. Interestingly, they used wheels made of the same material as the roads.
The outer shells opened in such way, that 10 Lamborghini's will lose the door opening competition. The creature's inner shell wasn't simple, it had many scaled doors that seemed to open like those of trains.
It's length was like two fused train wagons. The various eyes of the creature could give many the creeps. However, it was a very interesting and peaceful specimen.
This parking area was for anyone that left for outside the palace border. The little girl's frequently used it to arrive at their territory.
It was a terrain that was near the southern border of the capital's perimeters. This terrain was designated to the both of them upon achieving the first awakening, a little ceremony for those of noble birth or royal bloodline.
The two girls went inside this thing we will call carriage. The interior was cosy and had a lot of space. The creature's instrinsic body had some glass like membranes. This membranes allowed for visibility towards the outside, like windows.
This would probably send them to the place where the person called Ludi was at.
After some hours of travel, the carriage arrived at the twins territory. It stopped for a moment outside of the walls, before reassuming its pace.
The place they arrived was big, with many buildings that had a very different set of architecture than the ones found on earth.
Bricks had hexagonal or triangular shapes. They were usually grey-silverish, with darker tinges depending on the terrain's zones. There were high towers and many houses with conical shapes.
Many patrol teams were guarding a honeycomb shaped wall. It was about 12 meters high surrounding the town. The guards were very organized, with some strange looking machinery and flying beasts. In summary, different types of what you’ll call transport could be seen.
The colors and aesthethics of the town were variable, but the guards had a dark blue armon with silver trims, if they were of higher grades.
Flying carriages, beast riding, a machine or creature that could somehow levitate and change its shape. It was like some kind of silverly bluish liquid slime.
The so called carriage had such a strange combination. Two or more creatures having a symbiotic or mutualistic interaction... Like a slime thing, an armadillo and a tentacled creature? Well, you can find many chimera's in different worlds, just that most were made to fight, whereas this one was transport specific..
Inside the city there were many different races. They were quite busy moving a lot of resources or buying their daily necessities.
The efficient use of those transporting lifeforms seemed to move the economy. They were used in varied manner by each of the unique people that worked or lived in the surroundings.
Each of the beasts or machines represented different type of cargos or business. They had a color based disposition.
Some defined by the color of the creature's or machine's skin. Others used markings made from cloths or a different material. Each color represented a brand or the type of cargo that was transported.
----------------------------------------
The carriage advanced another long distance. Both girls looked over the windows while checking the city's main street. Inside the carriage they continued discussing their sight, from the outer zone to the inner zone.
They seemed to be inspecting the area. Each giving the other some additional ideas for their sandbox. Obviously, the one with the upper hand was Verisa, as Solfe kept giving the 'Exciting' but not usually useful type of ideas.
After finishing that, a big building at the end of the street could be seen. It was like a little city inside a big a city, the so called inner zone.
It was similar to a castle but in conical structure. It resembled something like squids shells pointing at the sky. If looked carefully, many tentacle shaped tubes were unmoving on the base.
The architectural wonder, had a metallic or mirror luster if seen from this distance. After knowing what those materials were for, it was obvious that you could probably see through them.
The carriage entered the inner zone and entered at one of the tube shaped entrances. Its wheels dissapeared inside the shell, as it used an unknown way to move. Probably some magnetic or induction properties from the shell and the metal-glass material?
The strange carriage accelerated like a roller coaster over the tentacle tubes. Even some of the tubes were empty inside and allowed it to enter them. It was a strange adventure and means of transportation. Still, Solfe yelled everytime that they accelerated.
Contrary to her yells, in the inside you would not feel much of that movement. It likely used a biological concept of a gyroscope. This things are too much of a novelty apparently.
After the thing stopped at a more open area, the carriage's strange doors opened. The two little girls jumped off and stayed for some time, before the carriage vanished from their sight.
Another carriage arrived and the girls entered it. At first it seemed to head towards the ruler's zone. But it changed direction and went through the markets. It arrived towards a more desserted area with double the patrol squads.
Those squads rode on creatures similar to horses. However, their mouths and skin, were similar to that of an alligator when seen from a closer distance.
These animals were hot blooded, had a womb to give birth, and also lactated their children. In summary, you could still call them as mammals; or scaled mammals if you prefer another term.
The scales they had were highly vascularized and were made of a strange mutation in the skin. Their bellies were unscaled without hair and it looked similar to human skin, except for the color. The color was not describable as it changed with the surrounding. The color varying armors of the people mounting them, suggested to also carry such a convenient feature.
The two girl's carriage passed some controls and arrived to an open space with a big tower in the center.
This place had all the flying transports described before and some additional bigger beasts. All of them organized in different facilities.
Toward the outside there were beast stables, towards the center were tall buildings and hangars. You could see a big tower that conveyed a similar image to an airport's control center.
They arrived at the entrance and the carriage stopped. They disembarked and waited as the driver gave them a formal parting.
Afterwards, another person came to receive them. It was a Big guy with some eccentric haircut.
The twins seemed to have a very good relation with him, since they talked about irrelevant things after stepping off the carriage. They hugged each other and asked about how they were doing in a simple manner.
The man signaled them to follow him towards the entrance. The guarding patrols opened the way for them to walk. After following the man, they went towards a railway with another one of those strange machines.
This machine was like a railbot, it used two bars of metal as support. This one seemed more technological, as the whole place had better lights and none of those creepy eyes.
It was classy but had lots of technology inside, the interior suited the princesses style.
“Every time I ride this, I can’t help but think of how this things can work so well.” Said the guy that accompanied them.
Verisa looked at him and proudly stated an answer.
“Actually it’s very easy to work it out, it works using the same principles as energy consuming weapons, the difference lays in it's automated system which performs with high efficiency."
"Since it’s automatized, we only need little revisions in control points. In the future, this model should be replaced. It doesn’t use spirits as a medium, we’re still making the transition phase of this project. When it’s finished, I suppose that every city in our kingdom will use these type of bots. After that, flying or running beasts will only be used for travel between cities or other countries."
“I know, but it’s actually such advanced knowledge that even I am surprised every time I ride them. Even the concept of an automatized non rejecting spirit is out of this world”. Said the guy.
“Huhu, it’s all grandpa Ludi’s teachings that make it possible, although many guys call him crazy, this project is going to make even mother wide-eyed.” said Solfe while smirking.
“It’s actually difficult to still conceal all of these things with that big tower, if mother passes near here someday, it will be impossible to hide our little wonderland. In fact I think she already knows... she even mentioned the word little sandbox...” said Verisa.
“I actually think you’re overestimating the empress too much. The guy that brought you on the carriage would not imagine all of the things around him, can’t believe you managed to find a blind guy and make him remember a road. You had him use a royal carriage to take you here, even if he wasn’t blind he wouldn’t be able to understand anything.” said the guy.
“Actually I think he also suspects something… He is blind but he has good hearing… but since sister took him from the slums I don’t think he will ever betray her.” Said Solfe, and after a little pause talked to the guy.
“Heh, Miche you should know that when mother finds, that one of her favorite generals is working at her back without giving even a little knowledge…”
Before Solfe could finish her phrase Miche interrupted.
“Uhm, she left me to care for the both of you, she should respect her decisions… Hahaha… actually if she ever finds out her daughters inherited such scheming minds from her...I doubt she wouldn't be happy." Miche couldn't help but feeling amused at that.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
He though of something and blurted: "Hey, if she punishes me or sends me to the frontlines, I will not object... After having both of you in my care I have found other things to spend my old bones on. It's actually fun participating in all those experiments.”
----------------------------------------
At this moment the railbot was going through an underground passage. There was no daylight, but outside the strange windows, you could see the lights similar to the tunnel of a metro.
At the same time General Miche stopped talking, the breaking of the railbot could be felt, while the machinery voice sounds of arrival were being produced. It was made with Solfe's vibrant voice for another mysterious reason.
“Miche, you’re starting to sound as grandpa Ludi.” Said Solfe pouting for being interrupted before the train stopped.
“Cough... It seems that guy has a lot to explain, always creating things, his disease is starting to spread towards you guys without even knowing” A voice came from outside while coughing.
“Big Sister Lamy!” Said Solfe while jumping outside the opened glass door.
The person referred as Lamy caught her, she gave Solfe a smile and making an UMU expression expressed. “Hmm, you increased about 1.8 kg this week, you should increase your daily exercise and eat less candies and carbohidrates."
Solfe pouted while hearing that and stared with wide eyes at Lamy “Wahhh Lamy is bullying me again”.
“Solfe stop the nonsense! And big sister, why are you always against grandpa Ludi? As his right hand you should respect him a little more.” Said Verisa, at the same moment miche gave her a little signal, as if impliying she should not talk about that.
“No way!!!.... That …. That Bastard!...what right hand?!…he just ditches all of the most troublesome work on me!" Lamy shouted exasperatingly.
"You touched her switch..." Miche whispered.
"Sorry, I forgot..." Verisa replied an apology.
"He just shuts himself in his lab and doesn’t even care about the world outside of it... He doesn’t even bath or eat! ... That stinky guy is just a nasty bastard!! He doesn’t even touch the food I prepare for him, it’s just do this and that, and sometimes I wish I was a bot …” Lamy continued her monologue while making agonizing faces, followed by angry expressions. She also looked depressed or to the point of crying.
Verisa stared at Lamy who was talking to the world. She sighed as if expecting this. Then while looking at Miche, she gave another sigh. Miche was intelligently awaiting her orders. She wanted to say... 'Can't you... like do that without me ordering you? Ah, generals and their orders....'
Although she looked small, their ages were at another level compared to normal humans. She was many times wiser when compared to human peers, but intead she had a little bit more childish behaviour.
It was normal as compared to the difference between a protected pet or a wolf that grew in the wilds. She was still under her mother's protection. So she lacked that maturity that came with independence.
Instead of her, her sister Solfe was more charismatic and liked to be more carefree about maturing too fast. This doesn't mean she wasn't intelligent, just that she didn't like complex things at the time.
Her charm and communication skills were better than Verisa's. The two twins complemented each other. One was intelligent and calcullative, while the other charismatic and manipulating.
Verisa expressed herself, telling Miche to carry Lamy on his shoulders. She didn't like to order or to talk much to people. Except for a few people near to her, she wouldn't be the one talking first.
Miche smirked and carried the order, while the four of them continued deeper inside the complex.
----------------------------------------
They arrived at an acient looking blue crystal elevator that still seemed under construction. It had 21 buttons depicting the actual underground floors. Its working mechanism was confidential, but it seemed to work with a combination of magic and mechanics.
This place was just under the control tower, which was almost completed. Most of the soldiers and guards above didn’t know of this place, which was constructed using automatized machinery and other bots. They were just doing their rounds and learning, for they arrived after the time this place was inaugurated.
If someone asked what was the most strange thing they saw, it was the use of the palace tubes as means of transport. But even with that, no one from the inner zone had the time to go outside of it. Except for the blind man using the royal carriage, which was impossible to think as a secret buster.
All the people in the inner zone were working as per orders of a royal decree... A false or modified decree... Probably. The two girls were too smart to outclass, but they were having fun and high expectations after learning these new things.
Even if the Queen or Aide's found out about that, they would think it was all Ludi's work. Like a construction for children to have fun. The only real problem was their problematic cute father. He really would explode all their construction, by sending one of those conservatory parties to destroy all their work.
The lift turned on, played some annoying music and sprayed something on the air, for fragrant purposes. It seemed that in no world lifts would be able to evade such conditions. (Just imagine a person throwing a fart in one of Dubai's highest buildings... And the next floor is...)
While descending to the lowest floor, Lamy never stopped her frustrating song. Miche had to hold her professionally to avoid punches or kicks.
Solfe wasn’t talking as if thinking of something. The other twin Verisa, never talked a lot. Miche was too occupied on his own matters. So the only voice sounding was Lamy's cursing monologue, which somehow resonated with the elevator's repetitive tune.
----------------------------------------
The door of the blue crystal elevator opened and gave view to a large underground area. The place looked like a big hangar with many divisions at the sides, looking even bigger than the kingdom ruler’s palace biggest hall.
The doors around depicted different areas such as MacroBiological Lab, Ammunition Lab, Microbiological Lab, Engineering Lab, Microdevices Lab, Energy Room, Security Room… Yeah, this thing was enormous.
There were a lot of corridors, anyone would think they were visiting one of the biggest companies of a world.
Following a known route, the girls stopped at a place called the meditating chamber. It had a special type of doors that looked modern, but with a tinge of antiquity. Indeed, every place or lab here, had a specifically made type of isolation system.
This meditating chamber was at the very north path of the floor’s entrance, and had two common sized silver bluish doors.
The doors which glowed with a special type of energy, had carvings similar to Egyptian culture, but depicting the race and language of this world.
On each door you could see a person holding what seemed a curved horn. It looked majestic and seemed to isolate all things that came from outside, including radiation or other energies.
“So he’s been here for 2 months without going out?” asked Verisa while knitting her brows.
“It seems like it” Said Miche while evading a punch to his back.
Miche got angry at such an action, so he decided to lift the woman upwards as he threw her to the door.
“Ahhhhhh, Miche what are you doing!” The woman stopped her monologue as she awakened from what she felt. She started shouting while flying thorugh the air, making a posture of collision towards the doors in the front.
"AAAAAAHHHHHhhhhaaaaaaahhhhhhhh"
When she arrived near the door, some kind of magnetic field surrounded her, and as if it was an elastic force, it caught her sending her outwards.
"aaaaaahhhhAAAAAHHHHH!"
The bounce made her look really funny, she shouted again while flying over the air. It was like experiencing a wonderful Doppler sound effect, for expectators obviously.
At the time she was about to fall, the ground seemed to react to something the woman was wearing. It produced some kind of magnetic force cushion, which stopped the fall and prevented her from damaging her butt.
“Miche! Why do you throw people like that!” said Lamy while struggling on the strange forcefield.
“Hahahaha, you should stop nagging and answer our two little princesses. I knew nothing would've happened to you anyways. Additionaly, nothing apart from that could put a stop to your song. ” Miche said while giving a strange look at Lamy.
"..." Lamy remained silently as her face flushed red.
“Lamy can you tell us what he is doing now?” said Solfe while her sparkling eyes revealed her intentions and expectations.
Lamy gave a look at the doors and seemed to space out for two seconds, afterwards she sighed and talked to the group.
“Actually he has been there for more than two months for now. You girls had to go to Rihuakem for tutoring so you can't calculate the real time lapse."
"With the instruments here giving the numbers, he has been around 5 months by now. Estimating that the isolation chamber he made, —which uses the forces of gravity of our planet to distort space-time— he should be inside of it for more than 2 years.”
Solfe screamed “Ehhhh spacetime?!”
Verisa said “See Solfe, you are so cheerful all the time and only pay attention to what you like. Grandpa told us that our world has special properties. Gravity being strong enough, that even though our world has more mass than some stars such as Geux 110, it isn’t collapsing or doing nuclear fusion."
"That denotes that the strength of the space-time fabric in our world is stronger, which somehow impedes gravity to tear a hole or to distort it. It’s part of the theory, but it seems grandpa Ludi isn’t able to understand everything out of it, or that he doesn't want to explain it. But incredibly enough, he is already using this to change the flow of time inside of that chamber.”
“So how much should we wait for him to go out?” Said Solfe while looking down, Verisa was a genius in such fields, while she was good at gaining attention.
"Didn't Grandpa say, that he was going to exit the next time we came here?"
“That’s what I’ve been telling you guys! That bastard just doesn’t care about anyone, Hmph!” Lamy whined with an angry expression.
“Now, now… just wait for him to get out. What’s the problem? Men have to do, what men have to do.” said Miche while giving an nonchalantly look.
“Ok, so... Is there any new development I haven’t been told about?” Asked Verisa while looking at Miche and Lamy.
“Actually, there is a lot being done, all labs are working with some automatized processes and hypothesis. The guy just can’t work by himself. In his lazy exterior, he likes making things work... while he just touches his beard.” Said Lamy while looking at the surroundings, she thengrimanced for a moment and continued.
“We have about 73 major developments in a variety of fields. Our database has been growing bigger by the minutes with all sorts of information. You can check the summary of each experiment at the counter over there, just use your aura and it will recognize you.” Lamy told them while pointing to an area with a strange machine that seemed newly made.
“Is this what he made the last time I came?” Asked Verisa while making her aura surround the machine.
Lamy nodded. Verisa looked at the little column-table like machine that had a blue crystal in the middle. It blinked and changed like a water slime hovering on top of the column.
The crystal had the shape of an egg with little stars on its inside. The circular suface around it started glowing as if a magic circle was inscribed. It glowed for some time, until seemed it to resonate with Verisa’s particular aura.
-Beep – establishing link….. Link established-
-Recognized user, please use your aura for input. Data will be transferred according to users spiritual capacity.-
-Please state name for this aura pattern before sending it. Would you like a tutorial of usage?-
The voice from the machine sounded, it also showed a window with the text version.
“Name: Verisa Ler Karlimea, start tutorial.” Verisa used her mind to command, she was the only one receiving the machines data.
A moment later, the voice replied confirming the name, which Verisa affirmed.
-Beep– Name confirmed – starting tutorial – Please don’t resist mind transfer-
The egg established the link and started glowing, while Verisa closed her eyes.
“Hey is this machine only for sister’s use?” Questioned Solfe while looking at Verisa's succesfull connection.
“No, it can accept various links at the same time, if you want you can also connect, but it only contains the experimentation data and summaries” Lamy commented with a teaching expression.
“Mmm, well it’s not that I like hearing about it, but there is nothing more to do so, it’s boring…” Solfe murmured, while walking towards the egg.
“Actually he left a special mode for you… it will recognize it’s you” Said Lamy.
“Woooahh, that’s grandpa for you, I knew he will not let me down.” Solfe jumped happily while rushing towards the machine.
“You’re so mischievous, I can’t understand him being so good towards you.” Said Lamy with a long sigh at the end.
“Huhu I’m just that cute, you know!” Boasted solfe while grinning.
“Hahaha, sounds exactly like someone I know” Miche laughed and then asked with a thoughtful face “So, how is he doing?”
“As always father is the best, but mom seems to like torturing him. They went talking with Merick, about finding something, maybe some treasure or who knows what… they just won’t let us sisters know…” Solfe answered while smiling, her father was the best prank material. She then pouted following her change of feelings.
“That’s normal, your parent’s care for you both a lot. But if they find how you two little imps have grown by spending time here, they will have some really astonishing reactions.” Miche commented with amusement tlwards the end.
After that he paused for a moment and looked to Verisa while snapping another phrase “Oh, seems she finished the intro, she is starting to read through the experiments as expected."
“Hey, I’m also going to start with it!” Said Solfe with a brightening smile.
Beep – estab... Link established – Awaiting user confirmation…
Solfe seemed to dislike waiting, she was like forecasting what the system would ask.
“ Solfe Ler Karlimea, Start tutorial!”…. “Start Tutorial!!”….. “Start Tutorial!!!”…
The machine seemed to wait for some time as Solfe was running out of patience.
- Interface repeated three times with matching tone and resonance...
-Starting specific executable [Solfe’s Program]…
-Please repeat the next words to confirm start: “I’m cute”
"…. " Solfe was flabbergasted as she didn’t expect that.
“Hey, I’m not just cute, I’m the cutest, best, brilliant, beautiful, incredible and I just fucking cutely kick ass”…
- Command approved, words and aura confirmation 99.9% accurate...
-Starting Solfe's Program-
The screen color and drawings changed... It seemed like an Alice in Worderland theme. Who knows what would be transferred to the little girl's mind.
Solfe’s eyes opened wide, her mouth was opening and closing... She wanted to counterstrike the machine, but couldn't find the words... It predicted her, who was proud of being unpredictable and mischievous.
“See, the thing he made is making Solfe look funny.” said Lamy as if she expected that.
“Well Lamy, you had it harder than me, your personality is just the type he is most experienced against. He only made me go out and look for some specimens or samples, while you had to keep record of all the complex stuff.” Miche pondered and made a suggestion to Lamy.
Then he scratched his head and added. "I think you should be careful if the guy comes out... You should at least wait... Make sure he doesn't have anything on his body."
“Hah… just a bastard” Grumped Lamy. "I have thought about that. I will wait for the little girls to come in touch with him first... Then, I will smack him hard and shave off his fucking hair!!!"
After sometime, Solfe and Verisa went away from the machine. They stared at each other as if wanting to express their findings.
At such moments, before they were about to say something...
(Rumble) The floor shook and they looked towards the currently closed doors.
With the increased rumblings, the doors to the meditation chamber opened, and a small figure less than 100cm tall stepped out of it.