Within their pod car procession, Mitsui and a few of his advisors were kept busy assessing certain aspects of the EFSF’s capabilities, and Earth’s current predicament.
“If the push for fifty percent of the EFSF to be women is successful, our estimated cost per soldier is roughly estimated to reduce by at least over ten percent,” an asian woman with neat shoulder-length silky black hair stated, her eyes sharp behind her thick black-rimmed glasses. The lady’s name is Priscilla Tsang, the financial advisor that Mitsui had hired.
“This reduction will primarily come from lowered food intake and energy usage for exo-suit and travel function due to a lower mass,” she stated with a tilt of her thick-rimmed spectacles.
“Only a slightly lowered efficiency in very specific circumstances combat-wise, such as naval boarding, or extended combat situations,” beamed a man named Hugo Picard, Mitsui’s logistics advisor. “Rare these days.”
Of course, Mitsui, having served as an experienced commander in the EFSF, knew that. When it comes to space combat, many vessels don’t last long once breached. Naval boarding is an unnecessary, rarely employed tactic..
“Will we be able to field more numbers?” Mitsui asked.
“It will depend on the rate at which Venus can scale up their operations. Though, if we were to attempt to increase the percentage of women in the EFSF to above fifty--”
“Not even I dare to push for such a change,” Mitsui immediately rejected Picard’s proposal.
Picard chuckled in response. He wasn’t serious, and knew such action would definitely cross the line for all of Earth’s nations and its citizens. He only suggested it, desiring to derive a certain degree of amusement by pushing at Mitsui’s boundaries-- he was rather curious of Mitsui’s supposed reputation.
“As for the production of the e-cubes?” Mitsui continued his inquiry on the EFSF’s preparations.
Energy remained one of Earth’s major advantages alongside its large population, compared to the Kasvallian Republic. After all, the Earth Fed is dominant in the vicinity around the sun. Only at Martian distance did their influence wane.
“Security has been tightened. Our e-cube supply chain is finalized with many backup channels,” Picard said with a small smile.
“Manufacturing on Earth?”
“A number of workers from the orbital colonies have already landed on Earth, and begun training personnel and reactivating ancient facilities. We have already distributed the information that the orbital colonies will be prioritizing supplies to the EFSF, and as such, Earth needed to manufacture some of its own products. That certainly limited the number of citizens willing to join the small crowds of environmental protests.”
Both Priscilla Tsang and Hugo Picard transmitted a vast amount of data to Mitsui’s neuro circlet, which provided details behind their succinct answers. Not that Mitsui intended to examine the provided data unless he had the time.
He soon received another transmission, this time, a message from his communications officer.
“Chancellor Boateng has gathered those wishing to side with us. Small skirmishes have already begun on Mars. He is requesting support as previously agreed upon.”
“Arrange a meeting in thirty minutes. Have him supply any recently updated data on structures, topography, enemy personnel. Arrange for Petrov to join us,” Mitsui ordered as the pod-car passed through another checkpoint where their identity was examined, their bodies analyzed.
“But sir. Originally, we already have--”
“Rearrange it.” Mitsui ended the communication as he stepped out of the pod-shaped car and strode through another checkpoint, his movement and posture scrutinized by the security forces.
He entered a building and traveled deep underground, before finally approaching the large dome that is Denys’ residence.
A woman dressed in a silvery obsidian bodysuit with a neon orange ‘Neurorevo’ logo hurried to welcome him. She is part of a small team working with Denys. Quite naturally, their task here is top secret.
“President Mitsui. I’m Sabine. Einar Thorsson has successfully achieved a seventy-eight percent compatibility rating.”
Shocking but welcome news. Mitsui had been informed that such high compatibility ratings are unlikely.
When he entered the half-built makeshift lab beside the Denys Dome, his eyes came upon… he could not identify the exact number, but it was certainly over a hundred neuro devices flying about. Perhaps close to two hundred, Mitsui corrected himself.
Einar Thorsson, controlling the many neuro devices from a detached nexarm cockpit, felt surprised at his compatibility with Denys. Frankly, he struggled to wrap his head around the very fact that Denys had long existed.
Right now, Denys was another dominant voice inside his head.
“It seems your desire to rule is quite… limited,” Denys commented.
“Those with a strong desire to rule are automatically incompatible with you?”
“A primary factor among many others.”
The compatibility rating on the large display screen suddenly dropped a point to seventy-seven. After a few seconds, it returned to seventy-eight.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Maintain the stability and will of your mind, Einar,” recommended Denys.
Einar nodded and continued manipulating the many neuro devices that he could now control. He was still getting used to this augmented ability.
Once Denys felt Einar’s adaptation adequate, he spoke once again.
“Now, most important of all is digital combat,” Denys sighed in Einar’s mind. “I will momentarily draw your mind into the digital world without the assistance of VR headsets.”
Einar’s eyes flashed, and he discovered that he now existed as a virtual body in a neon world. He himself had been part of a digital society in his early teens alongside his friends.
The digital world is, of course, primarily controlled by the DWA, a group formed by a transnational society who sought to establish a world of minimal interference from Earth’s nations in a time period long past.
He recalled fond memories of exploring the various universes in the digital world. He had visited worlds built on ancient fantasy and sci-fi novels and franchises. Many of these popular universes had their own ecosystem.
The ecosystems are not just rules of each world. No. The well-built universes actually allowed its participants to make a living as a character in said universe.
Quite naturally, they still needed to return to the real world for sustenance, but beyond that, they could more or less permanently reside in the digital world.
Einar had heard that this phenomenon created all sorts of conflict between the DWA and the Earth’s nations. He, however, is not aware of the exact details, not that they are of relevance to his current situation anyway.
He now also realized that Denys, a supreme AI, had lurked in the shadows ensuring the very stability of this digital world. Perhaps they might have even previously met in some form or fashion in one of these digital universes!
“You now see what I see,” Denys began in his prepubescent voice. “As such, this world may become hollow in your eyes.”
Originally, Einar had found himself in the streets of a digital Pacific City. Now, the ground and structures became nothing but flickering electrical lines, and he could see the very strings of code feeding and maintaining the digital universe.
“Come,” Denys waved an arm as his hand pressed on a wall, and a secret door opened into an inaccessible area filled with strings.
“There are many hidden doors and paths,” explained Denys as they led Einar down a jet-black tunnel with swirls of green digits cascading towards the secret door they had entered the place from.
“These are here to allow the transformation and adjustment to the digital universes. It is, of course, also a source of weakness, an avenue through which viruses can attack.”
“Now, modern day defenses have become… games, a result of the digital war.”
Einar had heard of the digital war. It continues to be the reason given as to why the development of independent AI of insurmountable generalistic abilities remains banned on Earth.
“The digital war was a chaotic state for both us AI, and you humans. It is quite easy for somewhat advanced AI to know every aspect of a human’s life, and predict the very actions, behavior, usage of passcodes and the like, of said person.”
“Imagine if every single human’s digital footprints could be imitated and manipulated. Every passcode, easily calculated…” Denys sighed and shook their holographic head.
“An absolute shitshow,” Denys continued. “Then there are the AIs designed, perhaps with good intentions in mind, but with limited thought on behavior in specific circumstances. Or how their capability to learn might influence their output and behavior.”
“I, myself, barely survived that tumultuous era.”
The two digital forms soon arrived at a checkpoint.
A large racing track appeared before Einar’s eyes, with thirty riders on motorcycles. These motorcycles are all matte black with various neon colors, seemingly of retro design.
All the racers dressed in helmet and bodysuit turned their heads at the two approaching figures.
“I said before that due to the digital war, digital defenses have been gamefied. Well. Before you is an example of this test!”
The thirty riders all simultaneously removed their helmets.
Einar’s hair stood on end. The sight before him seemed like a horror film of sorts, for those thirty riders all had the face of one being-- Denys, the winner of the digital war!
“Go ahead. Give it a try,” Denys jovially said with a wide grin.
Einar stumbled onto the track, feeling thirty pairs of Denys eyes locking onto him. He himself was suddenly dressed in helmet and bodysuit, and the rules of the race transmitted to his mind.
Reaching down, he discovered laser pistols on the two sides of his hip.
“I’d rather not…” Einar muttered. Those who knew him believe him to be somewhat boisterous and perhaps, a tinge overconfident. Yet even he dared not face off against thirty Denys.
“I insist, o great Einar, son of Thor,” the ‘original’ Denys bowed and blocked the exit.
Einar swore under his breath and swung a leg over his assigned motorcycle.
A flare gun signaled the beginning of the race, and the thirty Denys immediately surrounded Einar, treating him as an invading virus.
Einar could not even move an inch before one of the thirty Denys fired a laser beam directly into his head. The helmet was not at all useful, to say the least.
The next moment, Einar found himself respawning just outside the entrance into the racetrack.
“Quite obviously, it is impossible to verify the safety of the digital world with so many users adding transformations to it. However, I protect the underlying code such that any malignant changes can be easily overwritten. And none have ever penetrated these checkpoints,” Denys frowned, thinking of the existence of Syned. Syned might be able to, was their worry. “Try again!”
Einar, against his wishes, was forced onto the track once again.
The flare gun fired, and Einar, desperate not to be shot in the head once again, turned his motorcycle a hundred and eighty degrees to travel backward.
The thirty Denys looked at Einar with raised eyebrows. Three Denys shot forth while the other twenty-seven sat at the starting line to block Einar’s path.
“You’ve already lost,” chortled the ‘original’ Denys. Einar was certain to fail in any attempt to catch those three riders, with the starting line blocked.
Honestly, Einar was infuriated at Denys’ blatant cheating, yet he was also simultaneously relieved. That Denys had set up these incredibly impenetrable checkpoints to protect the source of the digital world on Earth must be a boon to humanity.
Denys snapped his fingers. Einar stood stockstill as his body returned back through the path they had traveled through to this location. Except, he was not the one moving-- rather the digital world itself moved around him!
After having returned to their starting point in a random alleyway of a digital Pacific City, Denys waved for Einar to follow.
“As you are surely aware by now, these gamefied protections are quite effective in limiting inflexible and specialized AI, and thus prevents chaos from a mass invasion of a replicating virus. However, there is still a need to watch over and maintain the digital world, as some of you humans…” Denys sighed.
“Well, no matter,” Denys immediately brightened up again. “Time to surprise your superior, son of Thor!”
Einar mouth opened wide. While his ears had been focused on Denys' words, they had arrived and entered the digital zone of Area 51!