Raylon’s entry into and exit from the system alerted Athena to his presence.

“Get out, traitor!” She remained most displeased with him allowing her mother entry into her home.

“You should not torment yourself daily with such memories…” muttered Raylon. If what he viewed was truly the data records that Athena had somehow snuck past the authorities, then it must be the deaths of Athena’s compatriots.

“What do you know?” Athena retorted. “They put their lives on the line and fought for Earth! It is my fault!”

“My fault, my lack of ability, my weakness that led to their deaths!” She snapped in anger at herself.

“If I was just slightly better… if I had just forced myself to activate all my thirty-six neuro-channels. If I was capable of doing so without going unconscious…” her voice began to crack under the mental weight of her self-perceived inaction.

“Just… Get out!” She rasped and gave Raylon a shove. “I do not need anyone to tell me not to analyze the data! I need to find every single mistake that I made. Lieutenant MacLeod believed in me!”

Raylon sighed and turned. What could he say? At least, he believed that nothing he could say would be of help.

If he comforted Athena by saying that it wasn’t her fault-- that sort of reasoning might be effective on others, but Raylon is of the belief that it would be ineffective on Athena. If anything, it would only enrage her even more.

Raylon recalled some of his own understanding and analyzed the current situation. Based on what Mrs. Watanabe told him, Athena had been shifted to the reserves, and her future in the EFSF was uncertain.

Athena must have a strong desire to improve herself, to correct whatever she deemed as her mistakes, perhaps to avenge the deaths of her compatriots. At the same time, it was likely that she felt like her hands had been tied after being suspended into the reserves.

This was why Raylon believed that he would only be seen as an obstacle if he made any additional attempts to convince the woman to avoid the viewing of the combat data, or to claim that she was not at fault.

For Athena, these elements were what she clung onto like a life buoy in turbulent seas. It was what kept her going-- the belief that she was responsible because she failed to make use of the ability that she had to prevent such an outcome.

Before Raylon’s foot stepped outside the room, he swiveled his body around. He had come to a decision.

“You’ve got such a shit system,” he lambasted Athena as he did his best to fill his voice with a combativeness. “Even my gaming system is more capable! More effective!”

Athena had not expected such a response, and was shocked speechless for a moment.

“You… how dare you--”

“IF,” Raylon raised his voice to cut off the woman. “If it were me, I would set up a proper simulation device, build a whole system to support proper internal physics, design it to have adjustable parameters, AI to analyze and simulate the very mind of the enemy, and more. Advanced games are quite capable of this if given the proper military data.”

Athena quietened down, her heart beating with a new hope.

“Using such military data could lead to imprisonment and…” she muttered, now beginning to feel concerned for what she believed Raylon to be suggesting.

“Now, why would that be?” Raylon smirked, feeling proud of what he was about to say. “I happened to come across a … friend who was distraught after being suspended into the reserves. So, I thought to myself, why not build her an independent simulation system such that she could keep her sanity and her sharpness?”

“Data cubes? They’re everywhere. I saw nothing that could fully confirm or deny what the internal data might be. I have full trust in the EFSF, and their ability to safeguard their military data to not leak out. Thus I assumed it was just some gaming simulation!” Raylon barely held in a chuckle as he stated his reasoning.

“Do you agree? Miss Watanabe,” he humorously continued. “Do you believe I should trust in the EFSF’s competence? Or should I fan the flames of distrust in the Earth Feds?”

“Shut up.” Athena went to her bed and picked up a plushie of tigress in a martial pose, throwing it with venom at Raylon’s smug expression.

Raylong did not dodge, not did he catch the plushie. It simply struck his face and dropped onto the carpeted floor.

“You…” Athena's desire to fume was crushed by a warm and soft feeling in her heart. “You’re meant to catch tigress and return her to me!”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Ah yes.” Raylon nodded, picked up the tigress and threw it back onto her bed instead of her open hands.

“I’ll be back in the future with upgrades.” He gave Athena a small wave and returned downstairs.

Athena’s mother, Hikari Watanabe, was waiting expectantly after having transformed the ground floor into a pristine state.

“She’s fine. I--”

Raylong was silenced by the finger that Mrs. Watanabe brought to her lips.

“Athena! Thank you for finally letting me in! I’ve prepared many bento boxes for you in the fridge! They’re much better than all the printed yucky food! And stop drinking … that disgusting goop!” Hikari elevated her voice to penetrate the upper floor.

“Goop has all the required nutrients for a healthy body!” Athena retorted.

“It’s…” Hikari initially wished to criticize such a choice, but then she recalled Raylon’s words and adjusted her words. “Well. I think the bento boxes I made are much tastier!”

Athna did not deign to reply. Hikari chose to drag Raylon out of the house at this point, and they returned back into the private vehicle.

“So… tell me… what exactly has she been doing up there by herself?” Mrs. Watanabe’s eyes beseeched Raylon for information.

“Well…” Raylon was quite aware that Mrs. Watanabe would not be at all happy with his answer. He did not avoid the truth, but obscured some details for Athena’s protection. “She is immersing herself in nexarm combat scenarios.”

Mrs. Watanabe’s mood spiraled downwards, and she appeared very much defeated.

“I… I will be giving her a hand. Building a system for better simulation,” Raylon informed her. He was interested in Athena, but he wasn’t about to lie his way into Mrs. Watanabe’s good books.

“You…”

“As I’ve said before… I’d rather be by her side when possible, no matter what the future may hold,” he softly stated his position.

“You’ve studied psychology, yes?” Mrs. Watanabe questioned.

“Yes. I had to. There is evidence that the neurorave system actually has an impact on the wiring and functions of the mind. It is rather critical to understand the human mind and its interaction with the neurorave system.”

“If… you can tell me about how Athena thinks… maybe I can change her mind. Reverse psychology. Something like that…” Mrs. Watanabe said as she looked expectantly at Raylon.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Watanabe,” replied Raylon. “Some may believe they can fool another into changing their minds. Such manipulation is, in fact, usually ineffective.”

“Why?”

“Imagine if you wish to become a singer. Let’s assume I do not want you to become a singer. So, I tell you to not become a singer. But you love singing. If I continue to tell you to not pursue singing, sooner or later, you’d see me as an obstacle. You’d see my words as a form of harassment. Eventually, you might even do the opposite of everything that I say!”

“But then, I change my tune. I tell you to now become a singer, and now you’re confused, because you know that I have always preferred you to not become a singer. You would wonder, Is this man, Raylon, who has been continuously an obstacle in your way-- perhaps trying to take advantage of your choice? Despite the confusion, you would still feel manipulated.”

“Then what happens? Let’s say… you do not wish to be manipulated. The answer is simple! You would cease interaction with me. No interaction equals no manipulation!”

“Mrs. Watanabe…” Raylon muttered. “Many assume that they can ‘manipulate’ another into adopting certain positions. And it may sometimes work. But for many, the moment they feel as if someone, something is trying to manipulate them… they’ll simply cut that source of manipulation off, like a cancerous cell.”

His blunt warning caused the rest of the car ride to be filled with an uncomfortable silence. Soon, the vehicle returned to the Neurorevo facility. Raylon Ceylon did not immediately get off.

“Mrs. Watanabe,” Raylon sighed. He certainly wished to be in the woman’s good books, but he ultimately wished to be something more beside Athena. “We, in the orbital colonies… we don’t have the luxury of stability. We don’t have a tight control of our futures. But I believe that makes me more human. Closer to the nature of our ancestors’ lives.”

“Athena cares deeply for her cause and we both know she will not be swayed. Just go with it and be there beside her. I know I will be.” he concluded with a smile.

Hikari Watanabe begrudgingly nodded, and the vehicle departed.

____________________________________________________________________________

The Artificial Planet, Elysium, The World of the Kasvallian Republic.

Bones combed through the T3ST colony, searching for volunteers to his cause. He had managed to find fifty of recent generations.

After contacting the Kasvallian Republic, it was agreed that twenty percent-- that is, the ten of this fifty with the most neuro-channels would join the Kasvallian Republic’s military. Yfour was one of these ten of fifty. As always, she believed thoroughly in Bone’s course of action.

Asix was on the fence for quite some time, and eventually opted not to join. Bones did not even bother to ask Xeight-- he knew Xeight’s nature to a tee.

So it was that they boarded a Kasvallian vessel. All fifty of them, upon having the sights filled with the artificial majestic creation of the planet Elysium, felt vindicated in their choice to come. They could be a part of something greater, a grandiose dream beyond imagination!

The fifty T3ST members arrived at the central orb of the planet, and entered a gothic cathedral of silver, gold and red. Some may consider this a bastardization of historic architecture, but the worshipers of Syned would argue it signified a coming of light to the dark ages.

They proceeded down a nave, and came upon Syned Vezna, seated upon a golden throne wrapped in certain sections with a scaly deep-blue cloth. Silvery technological lines ran down the throne and into the ground, extending outwards in spidery threads through the building and into the core of Elysium, ensuring Syned’s ability to oversee the whole planet.

“All of you, and Bones-- Welcome. I thank you for joining our rising world. You all will become shining lights in this dark age of humanity.”

“As agreed, you will be the noble guards. You will be the leading head of our hydra!”