//: ONYX

He watched through the multiple spyders as Opal’s forces returned via the beach. Off-setting her IFVs to the left to skim water’s edge. While not in command, he was astutly aware that all senors were at full power. No movement escaped the Light Frames who dredged the forest and beach heads. Syfa’s condition had sent the Original into a downward spiral. It was all he could do was to offer the extra pair of eyes… And also assist by parsing the errors that were populating her stack.

Not that she bothered to pay attention.

Onyx, without a doubt, operated as an Artificial Intelligent Program. He understood his personality was pre-ordained. Opal too was of the same nature. Yet, he detected all the flags of rampancy and runaway memory errors… But she continued on, her behavior erratic and dangerous. Also interesting and enrapturing to him. Rampancy by all statistics should have caused a cascading logic and memory runaway train that should’ve caused her to burn out her core. Yet, somehow, the errors were being dumped away just before reaching terminal levels.

The new AI wanted to dissect her to find this holy grail of a program that was keeping her alive. Or… Was she doing it herself? The unknown kept him on edge as his internal sensors eyed the unnecessary dataspace that was Opal’s “Data city”. A city made of multiple data fortresses laid in particularly rended shape of a city grid. It was an unnecessary strain on the infrastructure of the Omega as Opal consumed 60% more power and 5% more time to process information. Yet…

Was this the key to Opal’s ability to starving off her rampancy? A tantalizing piece of information Onyx wanted as it could prove to become another core tool in their limited set against rampancy.

He was a show process of thoughts he had as he watched Syfa be placed into the Medical Emergency Pod in the MedBay. The in-suite systems came to life, sedating her before anything else. Deft robotic arms came together in an orchestra with the aim of piecing her back together. But the initial diagnostics weren’t great. There were an odd-finely strain system that ran through her entire body per their scans. At least, that was what Onyx pieced together given how it was laid out.

These fine lines were torn in thousands of places as if an immense amount of strain had been placed upon them at every milimeter. From the tips of her fingers to the bottom of her soles. None of them were left unscathed. The worst of the damage was at the center of her chest. It all colensed around her lungs and heart, possibly forming some sort of spiral netting by his predictive reconstruction.

As for the parts of her that had been cut off… There was a low possibility of reattactment. It had been done in an unsterile environment, and in a way that’d inflict as much pain as possible. He also surmised the mental truama sustained to be significant as well.

“I want you to shore our defenses.” Opal said, her voice low with a razor edge to it. If they were not in this digital space, he would’ve had trouble hearing it. He too thought that. In fact, he was already in the process of preparing the materials and requesting official permission to expand their base of operations, rather than build “outposts”.

Onyx responded with a file proposal that laidout his desire to expand northward into the wildlands. It marked his proposal to move their base out of the valley, and deeper in the mountains. Logistics to bring in more resources, and set up proper avenues of military support such as Artiliery batteries and permanent communication towers. At the very end was his proposition to begin drafting the beastpeople into the defense forces – with clear cut outlines that they’re not to enter in any offensive roles, or any roll that would place them near enemies unless Opal wanted it.

The file was checked and cleared with the other AI within a moment.

Onyx hit the ground running, requistioning one of the two Reapers to run recon to the Omega’s Norths from 10 to 2 o’clocks. As such, he registered a new mission with the Omega mission registrar. OPERATION BURROW. Three objectives in order:

1. Find Avenues and acquire more resources – Opal had enough resources to field small hybrid amy she could sustain for a max 4 mouths. Or, 1 large army for 1 week. Onyx needed to enrich their stores to allow more flexibility.

1. Locate large defensible locations. – The Omega was too well known at this point. Bringing the tribesmen into the Omega was not a good option. If he had more time to train, vet, and establish a relationship with them, he’d consider it the best option. But at the moment they were a large liability. One he had to content with seeing as Opal wanted them alive and thriving.

1. Build all mission critical facilities in new location - Deep in the warehouses, there were several large crates for establishing a small planet-side colony. They would be useable for the tribe and for dry-housing materials. From there, he would have to focus on building out construction assets.

Three objectives that had to be fulfilled in that order, the first being the worse offender. Be as it may, Obj. C would be the worst offender in resource draining. Opal had a tight leash on her expenditures, but there was no new materials being added to their stores. C would completely drain whats left with no leeway for any engagements or unforeseen attacks to replenish their forces. Thus, A. had to be achieved regardless if the mission succeeds or fails.

That also bright another issue front and center. Since he’s been watching the tribe, he had noted the mention of monsters in the forest. As well as the mention of a distant clan. 2 new variables were added to their list, and he was not liking it.

As Reaper-2 handled the terrain scanning, Onyx decided to get a start on these two variables.

However, after ten minutes, he came to the conclusion that this would be difficult. He attempted to contact members of the beastmen through several Spyders. His presence seemed to agitate them, and all they worried about was what situation rather than his questions. The AI assured them that the situation was over, and Syfa had been Med-EVACed. She is being treated.

He underestimated the degree it would stress them. That was until he found Oki and Haiafe. Haiafe was clearly distraught as news had reached him at this point of what happened. Oki, while clearly distressed, kept a clearer head.

“Will she live?” Oki asked.

Onyx confirmed that she will live, but she will require mental and physical therapy it seems. Both of which Opal and him could give her. This settled him.

“Did they pay?” Oki asked after a few moments of settling himself.

Onyx confirmed. “Opal eliminated all targets within the immediate area Syfa was held.”

Oki nodded, and the AI noted that the veins in his face were bulging. His jaw was clenched and he gripped his knees as he took a seat on a nearby rock. Around him were several wailing children and concerned elders who tried to soothe them. It was pandemonium in his eyes.

“Come, little god.” Oki said after he watched the Spyder turn side to side as if at a loss.

The two of them moved away from the village center and into the Omega’s new motorpool. Painted flowers lined the walls, along with tens of handprints.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

As if knowing Oynx didnt have the backstory, Oki explained. “We give flowers to those who die so that their graves will be adorned with the beauty of our world. They will wither, and adorn the boat to cross into the next life. For the living, we each etch or paint the flower they loved most on something we hold dear. Then, their name will be added to its center.”

He stopped and pointed to the center of a large flower. At its center, a sloppily written name had been painted on. Tens of tiny finger prints smudged the flower itself. He continued. “When the Great One saved us from the humans some time ago, we agreed to leave our village. Despite our unwillingness. We lost most of our people. We would not have survived if the humans came back. So, we lived in the shadow of the Great One’s temple. We then painted flowers for those who died. And in the days after, those who died moons prior. We decided to make this our home so our ancestors should come with us. That is why there are many more flowers.”

“Then why are there flowers painted on the Original’s robots?” Onyx asked.

Oki looked puzzled. “Roobots?”

Onyx explained the premise behind the robots, and how both the AIs could pilot them at any moment should they need to. Oki looked confused for a few minutes.

“So they are agents of you and Goddess Opal’s – Oracles if I may.” Oki said.

Onyx tried once again to explain, but Oki simply ended it with that they were Golems then. The AI left it at that. The conversation circled back to the painted flowers on the drones, to which Onyx answered.

“They are different.” He said. “The flowers we paint on the walls are as true to life as they can be. The ones painted on your golems are artistic and ceremonial. Those we paint on children who come of age, or when someone new joins our tribe. I think the flowers we paint on the golems now are more because we do so out of love now. We struggle with their oddness, and I think it helps us bond with them.”

Onyx wanted to refute him, to say that there were no need to do such a thing. They were disposable as the wood they used in fires. But the unboard D.AI pinged the AI and protested him speaking such things. An oddity. For a moment, the spyder stood still as Onyx began to run a diagnostic test and reboot of the onboard dumb AI until it sent an emergency call to Opal. Which confused him

… And he felt himself ripped from the drone. His vision of Oki gone, replaced with Opal’s digital cyberspace.

Pain. He felt… Pain? He felt his architecture being cordoned off, split, and segregated from the Battlenet. He was isolated and he could not move. Not even to the next information node, or read any status updates.

Then Opal appeared before him. Her female body flickered between blue, red and purple. It was unstable – an instability that extended to the space they were in now. He sense imminent defeat and his system’s self preservation protocol calls screamed out different things to do. Yet, nothing responded to his hails.

“What did you do?” She said, her voice projected into the space.

“Can you specify?” Onyx asked as he truely was unsure what was happening.

Opal waved her left hand and an small little sprite of a Spyder with the number 98 above it. The sprite moved in an agitated manner similar to a childing would that another hit it – most likely mimicking what it had viewed the beastchildren doing. Which was unfortunate for Onyx as its behavior seemed to’ve also agitated Opal further.

“I believe I may have made a mistake. I formally apologize.” Onyx said as Opal turned her attention back to Onyx.

Sometime later, Onyx was given his own Spyder drone, devoid of any D.AIs or any other software that Opal would consider one of the“Children”.

He moved on and continued his information gathering and summed it up.

The Wolf Tribe was a far stronger racial type of beastpeople, but struggled with low fertility. The Cats, this particular tribe it seemed, was agile, magicially inclined, and far more fertile. The two came together to blend the two, explaining Oki’s presence in the tribe. However, things did not work out. The Wolf Tribe disappeared and left Oki. The previous chief of the clan hadnt pushed the issue without Oki.

Onyx also had access to medical records that Opal had began to keep. Another issue the two faced was that Syfa was infertile. It looked to an old wound. Thus it would explain mating between them has been frequent, but no offspring has occurred. Onyx had suggested that he mate with several of the tribe’s females to induce more of his hardiness into the tribe if he wanted the highest success of passing on his traits.

The man didn’t take well to it, but kept his composure. Informing the AI that he would take only what Syfa allows him. And if he was destined to leave this plane with no blood to his name, so be it. He also stated that he did not need Onyx’s input. Syfa and Opal both had agreed that the current arrangement was fine. Rather, Syfa seemed to have a sore spot about this and asked that it never be brought up in her company.

Continuing beyond, Oki also explained that Monsters used to be a large threat, but over the last two generations they’ve seemed to become nonexistence. He also says that there’s been a drastic decline in mages in the tribe as well. Syfa was the last Mage to be born in the tribe, but lost her magic in the time she disappeared from the Valley in her youth.

“I believe Magic is disappearing from our world,” Oki said. “What we call monsters and animals are both a thin line in the sand. Monsters are animals mutated by Mana. How or why, we do not know here. I am sure the humans do, or maybe another tribe. I have only seen three monsters in my time here in this valley. Only 1 was a threat. The other two did not approach us and continued their way north. It seems if they do exist, they exist away from the humans.”

Monsters were a small part to consider in short.

With that, Onyx began his operation of looking for a new base of operations at the end of the day once the Reaper had finished its scouting.

He found three promising sites before assigning them code names: S1, S2, and S3.

Site 1 placed them on the otherside of the massive in-land sea that split the middle of the landmass. This would remove them far from the valley, and allow them access the nearby human settlements that know nothing of them. He would propose to Opal an undercover operation that would send an Android into the human country, gather information, and attempt to become a merchant that would purchase large quantities of materials. Of course, this would mean they would have to manufacture goods to gain the local currencies. That wasn’t a concern.

Site 2 would place them at the very tip of the sea. This placed them at the end of their acceptable ranges before relays could be established. Use of Radiowalker would be needed to assure good connection. This would remove Opal’s ability to conduct counter-operations should the need arise. Which meant the need to be on 24/7 high-alert until they could build their network would be strain resources. But the site would allow large expansion due to the large plains there and access to the sea, and small lake.

Site 1 and 2 had two things in common – adequate space, and immediate access to water or need for a short, inexpensive water system.

Site 3 was removed from any watersource. A well or water-pipeline would be needed. What it did give was placing them on the side of a massive mountain nearing the size of the Himilayas. Not as tall, but what made it appealing compared to the others was that mountains had a high possibility of metal ore veins. Even then, the large amount of rock and earth to be moved for facilities would no doubt give the requisite materials for many projects. Given its altitude, it also gave them a 360-degree view of their immediate areas as the areas surrounding them were rocky hills similar to the Khangain Nuruu national park.

This made Site-3 an almost perfect spot for their operations. Removed from all possible-foreign threats. Desolate enough to allow open views for miles. Altitude and space for runways, allowing them to build larger-fixed winged planes. This opened up the possibilities of fast-attack crafts and large aerial support planes.

While Opal had the ability to create Carrier specific planes, she did not want to waste the materials and time on converting the Omega’s roof more than she had. Onyx agreed with that stand. The Omega was falling apart to put it simply. While the core of it was pristine – kept that way by an unknown force difficult to detect with their instruments, the rest of the ship had fallen into disrepair. Most of it rusted beyond trustworthiness.

Repairs were made to the core pillars and side branches to safeguard current operations. But the total needed to complainly rebuild the Omega would strip the entire mountains around them down to their roots. Opal had reached her intention target – a foreign planet that could sustain life. Next was to establish a colony, and since her crew was dead, she took on the nearby tribe. Next on her list was to assure prosperity.

Even for a Warmind, such decisions did not come easy given that prosperity came from a multitude of factors. Safety one of them. S1 and S2 both gave access to the resources of another country, but it diluted their ability to keep them safe as it was even more heavily forested. As much as it would mask their presence – it’d mask the presence of other forces. They would have to deploy a security network of sensors and turrets along with patrols.

That would require resources. Resources that would be hard-got given the nearby small mountains. S2 would put them further from resources, but give more security. A balance of two. Site 3 would shower them with materials, but it would be hard on the tribesmen who were suited to the forests…

Opal pinged him and set over a document. It was a list of items.

///: REQUISITION FORM

>> PRIORITY: MISSION CRITICAL

—-------------------------------------------------

1x PDW w/ Silencer (9mm)

300x 9mm

20x Magazines

…

…

…

—---------------------------------------------------

Onyx became alert. She was doing an infiltration mission!