Chapter 96 – Brass Awakening

The APC pulled up to the Desert Crawler, its massive frame casting a long shadow over the sands. The elevator platform began to rise, the mechanical hum filling the air. Talia nudged Dapple gently.

“Wake up, sleepyhead,” she said, her voice soft.

Dapple stirred, her legs twitching slightly. Talia tickled her carapace, eliciting a series of chirps and clicks.

“Sleep-more.” Dapple said.

Talia frowned and turned the nudge into a gentle push. “Dapple, come on. Time to move.”

The spider slowly uncurled, blinking her many eyes groggily. Talia’s concern deepened. Dapple seemed more tired than usual.

“Maybe you should sleep in the nest in the zoological module,” Talia suggested. “With the scrap piles.”

Dapple chirped in agreement. “Talia-idea-good.”

They exited and Dapple headed toward the center of the platform where the module was located. That just left Hot Pink, who was perched dramatically on the edge of the elevator.

The spider looked back at Talia. “Hot-Pink-going-to-die!” the spider said before leaping off.

Talia’s heart skipped a beat. “Neo, what’s happening?”

[Notice: Hot Pink is hanging from a strand beneath the elevator.]

A video feed appeared, showing Hot Pink swinging back and forth, her voice a mix of chirps and clicks. “Traumatized-Traumatized!”

Talia sighed. “Hot Pink, get back up here.”

Hot Pink scrambled back up, her legs a blur of motion. She glanced around. “Where-Dapple?”

Talia stared at her for a while, causing the spider to fidget. Ultimately, she decided not to comment on the theatrics. “I’m worried about Dapple being tired,” Talia explained. “You need to take care of her.”

Hot Pink tilted her head. “Dapple-old! Give-HEM-treat-make-stronger!”

Talia blinked. Oh. Maybe the treats would help Dapple? It sort of made sense if the spiders used the HEM for repairs and maintenance, maybe Dapple would feel better.

Talia nodded. “Neo, send some HEM treats to the zoological module.”

[Acknowledgment: Dispatching HEM treats.]

Hot Pink chirped excitedly and dashed off after Dapple. “Treat-Yay-Treat!”

“Leave some for Dapple!” Talia shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

She turned and made her way to the command module.

Talia’s suit connected seamlessly with the command dais of the Desert Crawler as she sat down. Her HUD interface lit up, displaying system diagnostics and status updates. She glanced at the power levels.

[Notice: Suit power and consumables are being replenished. Completion in 5 minutes.]

“Great,” Talia said, her voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space. “Let’s talk about the new HEM mining operation.”

The main screen flickered, then displayed a detailed map. The bootstrap base and the Desert Crawler were clearly marked, along with two new auto-bases further northeast.

“Two auto-bases already?” Talia’s eyebrows rose. “I thought it would take a week to finish the first.”

[Update: Efficiency gains have been obtained through constant monitoring and updates.]

“We were out of contact,” Talia countered.

[Notice: Auto-AIs are capable of planning during this unit and User’s absence.]

That was slightly scary but also very good. She studied the map, noting the strategic placement of the bases. Her mind raced with the implications of such rapid progress.

“It didn’t slow down our military production?” she asked, her analytical side kicking in.

[Report: Production is 23% ahead of schedule, thanks to recovered salvage from our own units and enemy units.]

“Twenty-three percent?” Talia muttered. “I didn’t expect that much of a gain from scrap.”

[Clarification: Most losses in the engagement were energetic sources. HEM is plentiful.]

“Great,” she said, leaning forward. “But what about the mining operation?”

The screen zoomed in on the bootstrap base, highlighting a queue of construction vehicles currently being operated on.

[Proposal: CRD-X9-R with improved mining capability and improved defenses, including a local energy shield module and point defense turret.]

“What’s the cost?” Talia asked, her fingers tapping the console.

[Report: The additional power plant required will increase cost by 25%, but improvements will enhance survivability. Previous units can be upgraded without paying full price for a new unit.]

“The research module is coming in real handy,” Talia remarked.

[Confirmation: Research module’s contributions have been significant.]

“Let’s do it,” she decided. “But we need to be careful about the cost. We have a lot of CRD-X9s now, and upgrading them will be expensive.”

[Suggestion: Units can be upgraded in batches to prevent resource shortage from stalling production of all other projects.]

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The screen returned to its default status display, showing various operational metrics.

Talia nodded, her mind already planning the next steps. “Sounds good, Neo. Let’s proceed with that plan.”

Talia pulled up the artifact translation progress. It was mostly gibberish to her on the screen. “Neo, how’s the translation coming along?”

The main screen shifted, revealing the artifact nestled in a cradle within the research module.

The chamber was sleek and sterile, bathed in a soft blue light. Robotic arms hovered around the artifact, their movements precise and deliberate. The walls were lined with screens displaying data streams and holographic projections of the artifact’s structure. A low hum of machinery filled the air, punctuated by the occasional beep of diagnostics.

[Report: The words on the artifact appear to be random in meaning. Deeper analysis is difficult without invasive practices.]

Talia frowned. If the words were gibberish, then either they were encoded or meant to mislead. But why? She needed more information. “Rosetta’s still working on it, right?”

[Confirmation: There are still gaps in the precursor knowledge being put together by Rosetta.]

Talia leaned back in her chair, staring at the artifact.

It was crucial to understand this piece of technology. The precursors had left behind so many mysteries, and their recent meeting with with the Tch’Llik had cemented her thought that they might be critical in their struggles with the Blues. She couldn’t afford to overlook any detail. “Neo, what about Rosetta’s new drone body?”

[Informative: Rosetta remote unit coming online now.]

The screen changed again, this time showing a fabrication chamber.

Inside stood a light LIRU, but instead of the usual beige desert camo or jungle green, it gleamed a deep brass color. The unit looked around, examining its hands before glancing up at the camera and waving.

“Uhh, did you coat her in bronze or something?” Talia mumbled.

[Notice: The brass coloring was requested and did not incur extra resource cost. The chassis uses standard Durasteel construction.]

“Hello, Rosetta,” Talia greeted, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Hello!” Rosetta’s voice came through cheerfully. “This new body has amazing specifications! I have not one, but two remote processing datacores!”

“Any reason for that color?” Talia asked.

“Oh! It’s a classic color for AI units such as I when utilizing an artifical body, and I quite approve? It has such a shine to it!” Rosetta replied.

Talia chuckled. “Are you alright being transported to the jungle nest on your own?”

Rosetta’s eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement. “I can’t wait to return to the Tch’Llik’yzz’Lrr! Their language and culture are fascinating, and I have so much more to learn from them.”

Talia tried not to choke on the sweetness. Rosetta’s cheerfulness felt almost out-of-place given the gravity of their situation. Still, she held her tongue.

“Neo, send her,” Talia instructed, her voice steady.

[Acknowledgment: Dispatching Rosetta via Pegasus APC.]

The main screen projected the path Rosetta would take, highlighting key waypoints. Talia yawned, the fatigue hitting her like a wave.

[Notice: User has been active for over thirty hours. A rest period is recommended.]

Talia sighed, rubbing her eyes. “I haven’t even enjoyed the new living quarters, have I?”

[Statement: Leaving the quarters underutilized reduces efficiency during high-intensity situations.]

Talia stepped off the command dais, feeling the weight of exhaustion in her limbs. “I understand,” she said, her voice softer now.

The quick trip from the command module to her new living quarters took only a few minutes. She paused outside the door, using her suit HUD to check on Dapple and Hot Pink.

Dapple lay snoring softly, her legs twitching in her sleep. Hot Pink was draped over her back, legs protectively curled around the HEM snack chest. The sight brought a smile to Talia’s face. They looked so peaceful.

Talia turned off the camera feed and opened the living quarters module’s outer door. The short elevator ride down into the depths of the Desert Crawler felt like descending into a sanctuary.

As the elevator stopped, the doors opened to reveal a bio-decontamination room. A suit stand occupied the center, and holographic directions guided her to step into it.

“Neo, I’m in position,” she said, adopting a T-pose as instructed.

[Notice: Improved high-speed decontamination process will now begin.]

Talia braced herself as the chamber filled with high-pressure gas, followed by the atmosphere being sucked out. Light bombarded her suit from every direction, and then a tube descended, surrounding her. Liquid filled the tube, soaking her briefly before being drained away. High-pressure air blew over her from multiple directions, completing the process in record time.

[Report: Suit ready to be cradled.]

The suit stand lit up, and Talia walked into it. The mechanism attached to her front, securing her in place.

[Notice: All exterior surfaces and atmosphere purified. Safe for User to disembark.]

She triggered the release, and the back of her suit opened. Stepping out carefully, she suddenly felt the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her. Without the suit’s support, her limbs felt like lead.

“Neo, I’m ready for bed,” she mumbled.

The inner doors to her quarters slid open, revealing a space that left her momentarily speechless. The room was highly furnished and luxurious, far beyond what she had expected.

“Did you steal this schematic from some Cortex CEO’s ship?” she asked, half-jokingly.

[Report: Adjustments made via research module for User comfort.]

Talia couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She wandered further in, taking in the plush seating, elegant decor, and ambient lighting that seemed to adjust to her presence. Every corner of the room exuded a sense of calm and luxury that was almost surreal.

She moved toward the bed, her steps slow and deliberate. The mattress looked inviting, promising a comfort she hadn’t felt in ages. She climbed in, sinking into the soft layers with a sigh of relief.

As soon as she settled her stomach growled, the sound loud in the quiet of her new quarters. She sighed, feeling the emptiness gnawing at her insides.

[Notice: User’s caloric intake is critically low.]

“Yeah, I know,” she muttered. “Nutri-paste tastes like dirt.”

[Complaint: User’s preference for chocolate survival rations has resulted in a significant caloric deficit.]

The ceiling above the bed flickered, transforming into a monitor. A line chart appeared, showing her caloric intake dropping off sharply after the last of the chocolate rations ran out. She noted the chart’s scale. Neo had engineered the decline to look steep and alarming.

Talia groaned. “Neo, I can’t deal with this right now. Figure out a solution. I’m too tired to move.”

[Acknowledgment: This unit will find a solution.]

Her eyes closed, the exhaustion pulling her under.

She barely registered Neo’s next words.

[Notice: Solution will be implemented.]