Pan sat up in the luxurious bed and stretched, arching her back and putting her arms above her head. Last night was everything she hoped it would be. Victor finally bedded her, she was a little shocked at how gentle he was. Someone as strong as her soldier should have been far rougher with her, but he treated her as if she were made of the finest porcelain.
This morning he had already gotten up, climbed into the shower, and was now making something he called ‘pancakes’. They smelled amazing, and curiosity was getting the better of her as she lay on the fluffy pillows. Being rabbit-kin gave her enhanced hearing, she had four ears after all.
She smiled as she heard Victor humming happily while he worked in the kitchen. She slid out of bed and grabbed the amazingly soft robe and covered herself, then slid her feet into equally soft slippers as the white floor was cool to the touch.
As she slipped out of the bedroom Victor spoke, “Ah, you’re finally up.”
“Damn, how could he hear me from here with these slippers on with such tiny ears?” She thought to herself. She wanted to sneak up on him and put her arms around him while he cooked. Instead she sauntered over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs.
“So, what are these ‘Pancakes’ that you keep talking about?”
Victor turned around with a plate stacked high with saucer shaped disks of some kind of bread? “Well, he did say cakes.” She thought.
He then dished out three of the large ‘pancakes’ on to her plate and then summoned a bottle of a thick brown liquid. “And this, is the syrup to cover the pancakes.”
He then covered the bread disks in the syrup and handed her a fork. Yet another of his strange eating utensils. Pan watched as he made his own plate and cut the pancakes into small triangles with this fork before spearing it and taking a bite.
She decided to give it a try and cut her own smaller triangle, making sure to get the sweet smelling syrup on the piece she cut. Her ears raised straight up as the flavor hit her tongue.
Victor smiled wide, “Good aren’t they? Nothing better to recover your energies after a vigorous night.”
Pan couldn’t disagree, this was nothing like anything she had ever tasted. This would be something only the wealthy could afford.
Victor swallowed again before speaking. “So, would you like to go with me today for my equipment inspections?”
She wasn’t sure what Victor had on his mind, but this was not what she expected. She was being offered a chance to see how a virtual god built his magical devices. How could she say no?
She finished chewing and swallowed, “I’d love to see how you make such miraculous devices, let’s finish eating and I’ll get dressed.”
After dressing she met Victor in the airlock as he readied his ‘tablet’. He then opened the extremely thick door into the cavern. The cavern looked different than it did the last time she left the habitat.
It suddenly hit her as to the difference, the walls and floors were now painted white, and the magical light disks on the ceiling reflected far more light. She followed behind Victor as he tapped on his tablet with his fingers.
He turned his head back to her, “We’re coming up on resource storage, this won’t take long.”
She followed him into a huge cavern that reached far above her head. Metal shelves held large cages filled with ingots of various metals. Each had Victor’s strange rune like symbols and strange squares with black and white squares in them.
“I usually randomly scan the codes and verify there are roughly the amount of ingots in the bins that my inventory control computer says there is. Can’t go running out of copper or silver, both are necessary for the next stage in construction.”
Pan looked up in amazement, “All these bins are silver?”
Victor turned back, “Yes, those six are silver, the ones beside it are aluminum, these two here are gold. The tanks over there are petroleum for plastics.”
Pan tried to keep her jaw from dropping even more, “There is more wealth in this room than in most of the province!”
Victor continued his ‘scans’ as they walked back and forth across the huge shelves, dodging a cargo drone as it stored more ingots in their proper place. “This mountain was scanned from above the planet, it was chosen because of its high metallicity. Which will come in handy for all the things I need to build.”
They left the storage facility and walked further down the cavern. “Next up, manufacturing and assembly.” Victor stated as they walked.
This time they did not enter a huge room off the cavern, but the cavern itself widened out hundreds of meters in both directions and at least a dozen meters up. Huge machines sat at regular intervals chugging away.
Victor took a left turn and Pan followed. “These are auto factories. They take the raw resources and break them down to manufacture the individual parts necessary for me to build what I want.”
Pan put her hand against the smooth white surface of the huge machine. “They’re so big, how many of these are there?”
Victor didn’t look up as he tapped on his tablet, “Twelve in each construction cell. All are being used to complete parts for the shuttle.”
Pan watched as a small metal assembly was spat out of the end of one of the machines. A small drone picked it up and waved a thin red light over the part before placing it in a small plastic bin.
As she followed Victor he spoke again, “On the other side is assembly, that takes these parts and assembles them into bigger components.”
Pan watched as huge metal arms manipulated parts and occasionally from behind metal guards bright white light shown and large cones gathered what must have been foul air from the work.
They made their way back to where the center of the cavern was and looked over to the other huge machines on the other side of the room. “Those two huge machines are the nano-forge and nano-foundry. The foundry supplies fuel for the forge, but the forge does the work of final assembly of the complex parts I build.”
Pan didn’t fully understand, and as the machines were not doing anything at the moment she couldn’t really get an idea for how they did things. “So this will build the shuttle that could take us anywhere on this world?”
Victor nodded, “Yes, in a few days the major sub-components will be ready and the nano-forge will assemble them together into the final product. Something like a shuttle requires atomic level precision, and only the nano-forge is capable of that level of detail.”
Pan shook her head as she followed him out of the huge room back into the other side of the cavern, “You built all of this in just a few weeks?”
Victor looked back, “Well, yeah, some of it was in storage, but most of it had to be built from the resources mined here. I don’t have infinite dimensional storage after all.”
Pan thought to herself, “Divinities in the stories couldn’t do some of the things he nonchalantly does before lunch.”
“And here is Petroleum refining.” Victor stated as they stood behind a huge metal and glass door.
Pan looked through the glass at huge machines that consisted of massive pipes covered the inside of the room. One of the hauler drones was backed up to the wall and connected to a pipe and was making a large chugging noise.
Pan waited a moment as Victor continued to stare down at this tablet. “Are we not going into this room?”
Victor shook his head, “Nah, Petro 1 and 2 are running fine, and the fumes in there are dangerous without a rebreather, no matter how much ventilation I add. Come on, off to hydroponics!”
They walked still further down until the cavern branched off. Victor pointed to the right, “This is where the cavern breaks off and turns into the mine shaft, we’ll continue left.”
They walked for a long while until they finally reached a doorway on each side of the cavern, “This is Hydroponics, the other side is the meat lab and canned storage. I may have gone overboard on this, but I’m used to ensuring I have plenty of supplies for my troops, if nothing else I’ll have surplus for the nearby towns.”
They walked into hydroponics. Row after row of vegetables and fruits grew towards large blue lights in the ceiling. Their roots sat in water, but they looked perfectly healthy. Small drones buzzed about the plants doing different chores.
Pan gasped, “There is enough food here to feed several villages!”
Victor smiled and nodded, “Yeah, like I said, over did this, but it won’t go to waste, as the food is harvested it is sent to canning where it will be safe for a couple of decades. The canning equipment can also prepare and package things for easier consumption, like the pizzas that you love so much… Or the pancake mix.”
Pan slowly stared back at Victor, “So we have infinite pizza?”
Victor laughed, “Well, I suppose we do. Come on, let’s check across the hall on the meat labs and canning.”
They exited hydroponics and into the next huge room. This one was far different, inside sat hundreds of small white metal containers with glass windows.
Victor walked up to one and peered inside before showing Pan, “Inside here we are growing genetically modified meat. This one is beef, and each one of these half full dishes will continue to grow the beef until it is full, then harvest it before canning.”
Pan looked in at the dozens of small glass dishes filled halfway with pink meat. “Wait, you grow meat like a farmer would vegetables?”
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Victor nodded, “It’s a little more complex than that, the cells require a special nutrient bath, as well as specific light to grow, but in essence, yes, I grow meat here.”
Pan stepped back and looked around, “What other meats are you growing besides beef?”
Victor sighed, “Sadly, the only cultures I could afford were beef, poultry, and pork. Had I continued my service to the Emperor, by the time I retired I could have bought more, but that probably won’t happen now.”
She followed Victor to a door off the lab that probably said ‘Canning’ or something in his language and watched in fascination as his machines placed fruits, vegetables, and meats in cans, bottles, and pouches. The noise from the machines was nearly deafening to her delicate ears, so Victor hurried her through to the storage area.
Inside the ceiling once again raised to over a dozen meters and row after row of the same metal shelves covered the room. This time the height was much closer together and the bins were much smaller. Very few of the bins held anything.
Victor tapped at his tablet. “This is just getting started, some of the faster growing fruits and vegetables as well as the first small batches of meats are stored, but it will be weeks before we begin stockpiling food.”
Pan looked around at the mostly empty shelfs, “We have enough to get by until then, right?”
Victor nodded, “Yeah, the habitat has a couple of weeks of food for several people, plus I have more in storage, this will be our primary source of food in the future.”
After a few more taps he nodded to himself and ushered Pan out of the storage area and back through the noisy canning area before they exited from the lab into the cavern.
Pan looked back to see the corridor ended shortly past the two doors, “So this is what you inspect everyday?” She asked as they walked back to the habitat.
Victor nodded, “Yeah, this is what I check on. Luckily most of it is automated, some things I can handle with my implants, but it’s easier with this tablet.” He stated as he shook the device.
Pan didn’t know what implants were, but simply nodded and followed him back to the airlock.
Once inside, Victor sat on the large couch and dropped his tablet on the table beside it. Pan sat down beside him and curled up under his arm. She didn’t want him to go, this was as close to heaven as she could have ever dreamed.
Victor smiled down at her, “Hey, wanna watch a movie?”
Pan smiled up at him, “Only if you make more of that ‘popcorn’ stuff we had last time. Maybe something I don’t have to read a ton of ‘subtitles’.”
Victor grunted as he got off the couch and headed to the kitchen. “I’ll see what I can do, in the mean time, let me get us a big bowl of popcorn!”
_________________
Mei sighed as she adjusted the wide brimmed peasants hat and adjusted the rough sawn robe over her blue silk one. “Remind me again why we have to dress as peasants?”
Xiang planted her walking stick into the ground as she walked, “Because someone obviously is looking for us, first the bear-kin instinctuals, then the rooster-kin we spotted yesterday. We’ve had this conversation already Mei, are you afraid someone will recognize you?”
Mei continued to follow the road along with the rest of the peasants towards the Celestial City, “The hat is uncomfortable, the clothes itch and stink, I think I prefer to fight my way there.”
Xiang sighed, “Just another day and we will be inside the city walls, catching a ride on that supply wagon helped us make up for lost time.”
Mei nodded, “I can’t wait, a nice bath and clean clothes for a change.”
Xiang glanced over, “Not getting soft on me are you Mei?”
Mei glared over at Xiang but said nothing after seeing the smile on her face. She wouldn’t rise to her goading.
They slept in a field that night before reaching the city gates and discarding their disguises. The gate guards stepped aside after noticing the jade amulets on their wrists. Either that or they were distancing themselves from the smell.
Half an hour later they presented themselves in front of Shui Lau, the headmistress of the Iron Paw sect.
Shui was middle-aged, hair turning slowly to gray, being a cultivator she was still beautiful, even though she was probably closer to one hundred and fifty years than one hundred.
Shui raised an eyebrow as she eyed the two, “I believe you could have visited the baths before you came to me?”
Mei glared over at Xiang who was insistent that they see the headmistress before they did anything else. “Much apologies headmistress, we felt it was imperative that we report in first, we have been attacked several times on our way here. Always by instinctuals, and we’re pretty sure they know we carry a missive to the Empress.”
Shui took a small sip of her tea before continuing, “Shihan sent a message stating you were coming, but she failed to mention a missive to the Empress herself. Care to explain?”
Xiang spoke first, “Shihan must have known what we carried would be important and did not want to risk someone listening in. We ran into a hidden master defending Wuzhen, we were overrun by wolf-kin instinctuals, and he came to our aid.”
Shui looked from Xiang to Mei, “HE came to your aid? A male hidden master?”
Mei nodded, “Yes mistress, at first I thought him to be a spy for the instinctuals, but he sensed my incoming attack from behind and dodged. I then found myself inside a residents house as he destroyed the roof below my feet before he flew to the clock tower in the center of town.”
Xiang continued, “It was then that I called to Mei for aid as the wolf-kin were over-running the wall and we were forced back into the town center.”
Mei picked up where Xiang left off as Shui’s gaze went from one of them to the other. “As we were driven back he landed behind us and burned several that were flanking us before stepping through our ranks and burning the rest.”
Shui looked at both of them, “So this hidden master then imparted a message unto you to take to the Empress herself?”
Mei nodded and brought out the silver bauble the hidden master known as Cane had given her to take to the Empress, the red gem in the center gleamed in the light of the head mistresses office.
Shui looked at the bauble, then looked back to the two across from her. Her face went ashen before she spoke, “Hide that immediately Mei.”
Shui quickly stood up as Mei secreted the bauble away, she shouted to those in the outer chamber, “Gather a group of our best cultivators, make sure Xue is sober and with us!”
Mei turned to Xiang and raised an eyebrow before speaking, “Head Mistress, is everything ok?”
Shui turned back so quickly her robes spun around her, “No, you have dropped a divinity stone on my desk!” She then turned back to the doorway.
Mei and Xiang stood and moved to behind the head mistress looking to each other before staring ahead awaiting orders.
Soon a contingent of the Iron Paw Sect stood ready, weapons in view and Shui looked back over her shoulder, “We will be going to the Imperial palace right now, there is perfume in my top desk drawer, both of you use it, there is no time for you to bathe before hand. Hopefully Xue will be here soon.”
Mei and Xiang used the basin to clean as best they could before using the obviously expensive perfume from the head mistress’s desk, they stood behind the headmistress as a tall stocky woman entered the adjoining room brandishing a glaive that nearly touched the ceiling.
Shui spoke, “Good of you to join us this morning Xue, I hope you do not need to bloody that giant weapon of yours, but I fear you may. For this morning we visit the Empress herself, and some may try to stop us.”
Xue grinned menacingly, “They may try, but they will fail.” She then turned to the rest of the gathered cultivators, “Form around the headmistress and her underlings, I will take point.”
With that said, and without looking back to ensure her orders were followed she exited the office.
Soon Mei and Xiang were surrounded by cultivators far stronger than themselves as the headmistress walked ahead of them towards the tallest building in the celestial city.
The palace sparkled in the light of the morning sun, Mei noticed the headmistress seemed to the commoner on the street as though she were calm, but her fists were clenched so hard her knuckles were white.
The crowds in the streets parted as though they were sharks and the crowds were bait fish, some of that was surely the killing intent that seeped off of Xue at the head of the group.
Within minutes they were before the gates of the palace, an Imperial guard captain walked out to meet them in her golden armor.
She stopped before Xue, who slammed her glaive down so hard it splintered the hard packed street before the palace. “Lady Shui Lau of the Iron Paw Sect, what brings you unannounced to the Imperial palace today?” The golden captain asked.
Shui answered, “I bring forth a missive in the form of a divinity stone for the Empress herself.”
The Captain’s eyes went wide before she shouted orders in the Imperial tongue, her eyes never leaving the group.
Soon the group were surrounded by Imperial guard and ushered inside the Imperial gates before the huge metal doors were closed behind them.
The Captain then spoke as she began walking, “A divinity stone has not been seen in the Empire in centuries, nor has the gates of the palace been closed. I will take you to the Empress herself, I already have a runner informing her of your presence, if she didn’t already sense you, which is more than possible.”
Shui just nodded, Mei and Xiang followed keeping their heads straight but their eyes darted in all directions taking in the splendor of the palace. Intricate metal columns held up the massive ceiling in the entryway.
As they walked they saw tapestries displaying feats of heroics from the empires’ past. Finally, after what seemed like forever they entered a grand chamber.
Mystical lights shown down from above in a ceiling so high even cultivator eyes strained to see it. The same ornate metal columns held up this ceiling, as guards were posted between each one.
Flags from ancient and sometimes forgotten kingdoms were flown from each column showing the might of the Celestial Empire, which had consumed each of these kingdoms in its might.
Soon they noticed the carpet below their feet went from red for welcome to purple for audience with the Empress.
Every cultivator was brought up on the ceremony from a young age, should they ever be so privileged to have an audience with the Empress. They all dropped to one knee a heartbeat after the Captain dropped to both of hers.
The Captain spoke in a surprisingly loud tone, her voice amplified by the room itself. “Your Majesty, a contingent of the Iron Paw sect has brought a missive to you. It is placed within a divinity stone.”
The Immortal Empress, dressed in elaborate gold and purple robes stood from her throne and stepped down the steps of her raised pedestal before stopping in front of the Captain.
She looked down at the bowed group, “Captain Jun, you have done well bringing them to me immediately, I assume you implemented the ‘Jericho’ protocol?”
Mei could not help but wonder at her imperial accent, so much like Victor Cane’s.
The Captain spoke, but never raised her head, “I have my liege, the palace is in lock down as you have ordered should a divinity stone arrive at our gates.”
The Empress did not smile, “It is good that you did, while this standing order to the Captain of the guard is over a millennia old, it is one of your most important duties. I now order you back to your post, be vigilant, for the Empire may be in more danger than you can imagine.”
The Captain stood, saluted with a fist over her heart, and exited the Imperial chamber the way they came in.
The Empress then looked down at the Iron Paw sect, still on one knee and bowed, “Rise Iron Paw Sect, and follow me.”
The group rose as one, although confusion was apparent on all their faces, but they dared not say a word before the Empress as they followed her towards a solid metal wall.
Before the Empress the wall suddenly slid open and a bright and inviting room awaited them, she waved them to the large table which had more chairs than they had members before seating herself at the head of the table and the wall closed behind them.
The Empress looked around, “Now that we are out of the view and hearing of the pompous leaders, aristocrats and troublemakers we can get to the bottom of this.”
She then brought up her hand, palm up, and looked at the floating glyphs of the Imperial language before closing it and nodding.
She then spread her hands across the top of the conference table. “Now that I am sure we are not being overheard, who has this divinity stone?”
Shui looked over to Mei, “One of my sect members, Mei Hu was given the divinity stone by what she thought was a hidden master and told to bring it in person to you. She thought it a missive or symbol, I do not believe she knew what it was.”
Mei produced the bauble and placed it on the table.
The Empress looked to Mei, “Tell me everything about how you came into possession of this stone, leave no detail out.”
Mei looked to Shui then started her tale, being as specific as possible. Afterwards she felt spent, as though she had been sparring with the heroes of old.
The Empress listened, hands steepled together, “This hidden master, Victor Cane. What kin did he appear to be.”
Mei hesitated before answering, “I saw no outward sign of kin, and he seemed to have an accent as regal as your own my Empress.”
The Empress put her hands flat on the table and slid back in her chair staring at the ceiling.
Another door slid open from the side of the room, it appeared to be a sitting room, complete with food and drinks. The Empress spoke, “All leave me except Mei, you are to await our return in the sitting room while I ask more questions and check this missive.”
The others looked around before rising and leaving the room, the giant metal doors closing behind them.
The Empress watched them close before turning back to Mei, “Come, sit at my right side and bring the stone.”
Mei did as she was told and took her place.
The Empress picked up the bauble and turned it over in her hand, then with her other hand a thin blue light appeared to run from one side of the object to the other.
She then looked to Mei, “This is not of this world, nor was it one I made. This is Imperium technology. I am no longer alone.”