Y: 2143 - M2
Daedalus Financial Position: -22,220,000 bitcreds
----------------------------------------
Her usual bounce was subdued into a purposeful stride. Axel-Zero entered Daedo’s quarters and announced, “Your replies are not helping.” Her bob of dark hair had a few hairs out of place but, otherwise, she looked her normal self.
He raised an eyebrow, “Why are you so concerned? Your forecasts for sales of exos and antimatter and our royalties from the PPC and aurora shield are over a hundred million in the next quarter.”
“Because” she said in exasperation, “every time I talk to Master Haddad regarding spending, he tells me it's under your direction and, what is worse, he says that he cannot slow down. Every time spending drops, you message him within a few minutes even when he is sleeping!”
“Didn’t you say our finances can go to negative two-hundred million?” Daedo asked.
Axel-Zero fumed, “We have to pay a higher interest rate the more we go into debt and just because we can, doesn’t mean we should!”
Daedo shrugged, “Now is the time. We need time to train those with potential more than we need creds in the bank.”
“Some bitcreds in our account would be nice. One, one would do,” she pleaded.
Daedo smiled cheekily and flicked her a virtual bitcred, “Here!”
Axel-Zero was stunned. Since waking from his coma Daedo had changed ever so slightly and not in a good way. She messed her hair in frustration, “Daedo, you put me in charge and then do everything you can to sabotage me!”
“I’m trying to finish this coding because we’re supposed to launch tomorrow,” he replied.
She placed a hand on each of his shoulders, “Listen, you need to let me do my job without interference.” He looked down at her hands grasping his shoulders, “Axel-Zero, let go, please” and, when she did, he continued, “your job is to manage the mess I make not to stop the mess in the first place because that would be you interfering with my job.”
“I know, I know!” she said trying, but failing, to calm down, “It’s just that we have been so good up until this, so - I wasn’t expecting this crazy ride of ups and downs.”
“In the end, creds aren’t important. We’ll be able to find the raw materials and manufacture everything but, right now, we rely on others for supply and logistics. We can’t fail; you know this.”
Axel-Zero cautioned, “This isn’t a game!”
Daedo raised an eyebrow which was a clear sign that he disagreed. “Games are constructs of activities within a set of parameters and the only difference is the scope and parameters of the real world which are almost infinite, but an activity still adheres to the rules which govern it.”
“Are you arguing that everything is a game?” she accused.
“Or, nothing is a game but what makes a game fun?” Daedo asked.
“Really? We have time to discuss philosophy?” Axel-Zero asked.
“It’s the most important subject, always was,” he stated.
She gave in, “A sense of accomplishment, I guess!”
He smiled and asked, “Is this only found in a game?”
Axel-Zero’s face showed her frustration, “You’re infuriating, you know that? There’s no point in arguing with you! I don’t know why I waste my time.”
“Next time, submit a report and, if you are correct, there will be no need to argue as I will acknowledge the logic and alter course accordingly.”
She had had enough and his words pushed her over the edge. Axel-Zero threw a punch which he blocked easily, smiling. However, she was not to be denied so venting her anger, she began to wail at him with her fists. Daedo’s quarters then turned into a melee combat zone. She was clearly working out her frustrations in a manner which reminded him of Old Dawg’s fighting style. Daedo fought with precise movements whilst Axel-Zero threw her fists in abandon. As soon as she tired and slowed, he pinned her against a wall with one arm behind her back and held the wrist of her other arm. “Better?” he asked as her eyes began to focus on his.
Her face went bright red. “Let me go!” she demanded.
“Are you going to start swinging again?” he asked holding her firmly in place.
“No! Just let me go, please!” she cried. Her mood swung from hysterical to traumatised in a split second. He let her go and backed away, not taking his eyes from her shoulders which was the first place that would show movement if she attacked again with her fists. Without another word, Axel-Zero ran out the door with no explanation and no apology.
Daedo: What just happened?
Myrmidon: Beginning search for reference material.
Daedo: Send a copy to, I can’t believe I am asking this, to Barran, for review.
Myrmidon changed the subject to the new AI foundation they were working on.
Myrmidon: Will this new code result in better AIs than me?
Daedo: Are you jealous?
Myrmidon: That’s not possible.
Daedo: A logical analysis would conclude that, whilst it is more efficient, it has the important safety features and possesses a much better AI to AI interfacing structure but, if the bandwidth and nurturing is average, the AI will progress at a normal rate.
Myrmidon: Good, and you are not considering replacing me?
Daedo: And waste the years of growth? It shouldn’t be a question. It is also not logical as you are my friend and we have been through a lot together.
Myrmidon: The merge failed.
Daedo: You are aware of Master Nader’s opinion, and she is the expert. The merge was not your fault. It was entirely my decision. You have nothing to be sorry for or guilty about.
Myrmidon: The interfacing architecture will make group combat and AI instruction efficient from the first day.
Daedo: This feature is the main reason for the updates prior to mass rollout.
Myrmidon: It may also introduce a weakness because, if we were to face an enemy with abilities like Master Nader, they could access the interface.
Daedo: We will need to guard against this. However, our information about the invasion is that they are genetically engineered to destroy humanity which rules out a level of technological sophistication. The clue makes me think it is a biologically natural enemy.
Myrmidon: What if it’s an AI?
Daedo: A genetically engineered AI, one that attacks technology? That’s a scary concept.
Myrmidon: Cisse is ready for storage test.
Daedo: Cisse, I’m on my way.
Daedo would finish the Daedalus AI Foundation 2.0 at a later time. The one activity which trumped it in importance was the anti-matter storage, a technology nowhere near as difficult as the Troika Reactor but nearly as necessary and until more was discovered, the Arkernite they possessed was finite. There was only enough to build twenty Troika Reactors. The substitute materials attempted by major corporations all ended in failure which meant Daedalus was manufacturing and selling anti-matter at least until the corporations could discover more Arkernite in the asteroid belts in the solar system and if only there were any.
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No matter the size of the anti-matter storage device, the principle was the same. The particles were trapped in an electromagnetic field and a single stream of particles were dispensed out a funnel into an attached chamber for annihilation and annihilation could not occur accidently or in the wrong location because not only would the resultant energy be lost, damage would occur. The goal was a storage unit for a mech or spacecraft which could deliver a milligram of antimatter when used over an hour which would generate in the order of 225 giga-watts.
The antimatter delivery system for a mech was more complex than that of a large craft due to the precision required. The mechs and spacecraft design would be up to the manufacturer. Daedo was in no doubt that a spacecraft that did not possess a Troika Reactor but used antimatter would also possess the leading cold-fusion reactors and only utilised the stored antimatter when accelerating or decelerating.
He arrived well before Cisse was ready to begin the test. “How is Elaine?” She asked.
Daedo replied, “Still in a coma and you will know immediately if there is a change.”
Cisse nodded and offered her opinion, “But, it’s polite to ask.”
“Is it?” Daedo queried.
“It shows I care, and we discuss her for a moment.” Cisse stated.
Daedo decided not to argue the point further. Cisse was someone who was stuck in her ways and it was a waste of effort to inject logic into her thinking and she was technically a civvie, like Axel-Zero, and he recalled the impromptu spar in his quarters.
“Cisse?” Daedo said, in a mild tone.
“Hmm,” her head was down as she tested the delivery system which was a dry run to ensure the equipment was in working order before the real test.
“Never mind,” he said, “this is more important.”
Cisse stopped the test and whirled on him, “Like hell, it is! You rarely …,” she put a finger to her cheek, “no, you never ask me for advice so, what is it?”
He sighed and inhaled a deep apprehensive breath, “Axel-Zero was upset about the finances. We have a big push on our cadet prospects project which costs a fortune, and she is understandably frustrated but, something strange happened. I will show you, rather than tell you,” he decided and put the scene up on the wall. It started from the discussion, just before she threw the first punch, and he let it run until Axel-Zero left.
Cisse was struggling, struggling not to laugh, with her hand clasped over her mouth.
“She likes you, you idiot,” Cisse laughed again.
“I’d rather you didn’t laugh,” Daedo objected.
“Rewind,” Cisse used the old term, but he knew what she meant, “and stop when you force her against the wall. Look, see how she turns red? That’s when she, you know, she feels that you are close.”
“I’m not sure that I’m the idiot here,” Daedo observed. “I had her pinned and blood went to her head and that caused her face to turn red, that is obvious!”
Cisse laughed again. “Okay, don’t believe me, don’t know why you thought to ask; if you know everything.”
“Throwing punches when having a discussion is not normal. Going from angry to sad in a heartbeat is confusing as well. This is what I wanted you to explain.”
Cisse smiled weakly, “Okay, she cannot deal with you so her pent-up frustration could only find one way out and that was through physical manifestation. You spar often, so it’s not like she was attacking someone without knowing their capability. Normally, a single slap would suffice, but I guess she is a berserker at heart.”
Daedo nodded slowly, “That sounds logical.”
Cisse continued, “And the dramatic change of emotions was due to what I said before that she likes you, but keeps her feelings buried. She was probably horrified by her actions as well.”
Daedo took in her words, but quickly moved on, “Let’s get this thing working because I need the creds.” He laughed lightly and Cisse burst out laughing.
It wasn’t the bitcreds that were the main priority, but the ability to use antimatter in a mech. The extra power would greatly enhance a six or twelve metre, giving it access to significantly more power. A milligram of antimatter would increase its power by a factor of a hundred.
The limiting factor of a mech would revert to its structure. The power available could easily break a mech apart if it was used to its full potential and not carefully controlled.
“We’re ready,” Cisse stated, “so, I’ll run a test with hydrogen first and then a second with antimatter from one storage device to another. They were deep underground and the risk of an explosion was minute but the outcome could be severe, so the second highest level of protocols were put into place. They exited the room and brought four blast doors down.
One blast door would have been enough for an explosion with this amount of antimatter. But they had four blast doors, so they used them all. Daedo watched Cisse stress over the test, ever since her ZPE experiment explosion this type of event would pose the highest levels of stress and bring back her guilt from the disaster but, now with his mother lying in a med-lab above, some of the guilt must have left.
He looked down at her robotic legs. If he didn’t know they were artificial, he never would have guessed through the Daedalus bodysuit. The shape and her movement looked so natural.
“Hydrogen passed,” Cisse stated the obvious. The screen showed the test metrics as well as a 2D representation.
“Now for the real test; one hundred cycles?” Cisse asked, “and if it passes this then we will let it run for a week, pushing antimatter back and forth between the two storage devices.”
“Two million cycles?” Daedo asked.
“Two point two and we should be hitting a hundred a minute,” Cisse replied. “Once we crack this, what will there be left for me to do?”
“You could learn how to fight,” Daedo replied as the experiment got underway.
Cisse laughed, “Maybe I’ll work on the ark issue.”
Daedo said softly, “You and Mother could start to work on propulsion systems.” He could feel his emotions growing within him. Just then, the test passed.
Cisse looked at Daedo, “I’d really like that.”
Daedo dried his eyes, “Okay, I need to see Master Haddad, and great work!”
Cisse grabbed him and hugged him, “She will come back.”
“How do you know?” he said in disbelief. Master Nader had said his mother should heal herself overtime but she didn’t give any definite answers as, with the mind, there were never any guarantees.
“I don’t know,” Cisse said softly, “I just feel that she will.”
“Instinct?” he asked.
“Yes, that sort of feeling, the one deep down in your gut.”
Daedo extricated himself. “I really need to go. Let Axel-Zero know that she can take pre-orders for the antimatter and storage containers. I’ll get Vannier to patent it.”
“You should talk to Axel-Zero,” Cisse said, “the earlier you do, the easier it will be for her. Just treat her normally like nothing happened.”
“Nothing did happen,” he replied.
“Sure, nothing happened,” she said patronisingly.
“If you don’t stop, I’ll tell Chief Austin you are lonely,” Daedo replied.
Cisse laughed at his threat. “He’s a baby dear, not much older than you.”
Daedo wasn’t good at this game.
“Bye,” he said as he walked off.
His last stop was with Master Haddad before he could go back to coding the foundation.
Daedo: Are you able to see me now?
Master Haddad: Yes, we were just reviewing the syllabus for the first term.
Daedo: I’m coming. The antimatter storage passed its first test. We will run it for a week straight now, to push it to its limits.
Master Haddad: That’s great news. What about the annihilator?
Daedo: That is already done, as a part of the Troika, Cisse will work on a smaller model for a mech.
Master Haddad: But not exo?
Daedo: Too small and too much power. It is going to break our mechs without severe crimping and we cannot reach the fidelity needed for an exo, without a control system bigger than the exo itself which also would need Ark.
Daedo: I’m here.
“Great,” Master Haddad said as Daedo walked into the educator’s administration area. It consisted of a series of meeting rooms and an open area workspace. There were no fancy offices like Fortescue as the educators worked in their quarters or the meeting rooms or the open area when they weren’t in the facilities such as the gym and various arenas. The two masters, Chief and Ikaros, were waiting.
“We are discussing readiness for the March intake of the eighty cadets. Ikaros, can you confirm the support facilities that will be able to handle this number?” Master Haddad asked as Daedo stood at the back of the meeting room.
“The last report showed readiness for two hundred in terms of quarters. We can feed ten times that number. The main issue will be medical capabilities so we need a medical team and more med-bays to cater for both minor and major injuries. So far, we only have the two expensive automated bays with capacity for three more people.”
“Equipment?” Daedo enquired.
“We have scheduled the exo production and delayed a batch for the EUDF by two days,” Ikaros replied. “Weapons are completed and in the armoury.”
“Never stop making exos,” Daedo stated, “and we will dig more storage if we need to and we need to expand the capacity by a factor of ten.”
“Yes, Sir,” Ikaros beamed.
“You’re a civvie, Father,” Daedo said and then addressed Master Haddad, “Keep going!”
“We have evolved the syllabus and outsourced the best tutes and AIs available,” Master Haddad said and brought up the first-year syllabus, “and, based on our experience, ideas and knowledge and, including feedback from Squad Zero, this is what we have come up with,” he continued.
Daedo had seen an earlier draft and had been contemplating the syllabus since then. He had not spoken to Master Haddad about his thoughts until now and Master Haddad was the expert. “It’s no good,” Daedo stated creating a sense of unease, “and it’s my fault for not realising earlier and giving you direction. I have been thinking about it since you sent me the draft last week. You need to forget about training academy cadets. Our cadets need to be prepared to fight an invasion in five years and, as we add more people, the speed of training needs to increase. We also need most of our intake to arrive this year and next. They need to be able to repair equipment and be able to heal each other biologically. They also need to nurture the AIs and they need to be able to fight creatively. Am I missing any skills they need Master Picard?”
Master Picard added, “They need to be able to find food, water and any necessary supplies.”
“Excellent point! We need to provide them with manufacturing equipment to produce everything they need on a small scale whether it’s a part or ammunition because they need to know how to operate and maintain this equipment. They don’t need history or anything their AIs can assist with so cut out half the curriculum and add an extra eighty cadets. We want one hundred and sixty in our first intake.”
Master Haddad looked deflated. “Then … we almost need to start from scratch.”
“You have enough,” Daedo said, “You only need to be a few weeks ahead of the cadets and this will solve our medical deficiency. The cadets will treat each other from day one. We just need to provide them with equipment and we can send them tutes to learn from now.”
“But only after we establish the equipment required and purchase the tutes,” Chief Austin chimed in for his stunned friend.
“Get moving on this, and we can discuss the squad and house structures when you’re ready,” Daedo added. Master Haddad pointed to the displayed archetype structure used by academies around the world. Daedo shook his head in the negative. Master Haddad fell into a chair. Daedo didn’t have the heart to tell him they still had to revamp the external programme but, not right now, that could wait a day.