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Chapter 364: Ragnarok
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There was a single large chamber, ducts, and passageways.
The chamber was meant for the main researchers and the workers to live and do their things.
There were multiple ducts where the ‘products’ of research and development were located and being made. ‘Boxes’ of electronic gadgetry were all lined up in a row inside the glass-walled ducts and they all made items in their chambers, like a large factory, which their products were picked up by robotic hands to be put in the central conveyor belt in the middle of the ducts.
It was a large production facility of T-Devices and Item Analyzers —products for a rising upstart.
The passageway was where they are right now. It was a secret passageway between an inconspicuous wall and a full cabinet of electronic contraptions that as soon as they emerged, you’d never think there was such a secret place there.
“I’ll meet you on the other side of that door.” Said Maki as he turned back to the secret hallway as the secret electronic door on the wall closed.
Siva didn’t mind since he already had the general feel of the nearest 100m area around him through the passive [Auricle Scan] of his absolute domain.
Using [eco-location] technique via the sonar utility determines geographical emplacement and even mapping in the area the domain reached.
As a result, Cortana used a display that only Siva had in the entire game —a greenish hued panel window that only he had in the game.
It was spread so wide above his vision, in fact, that if another person could see it, they will be so amazed their eyes would dance left and right.
So far, ever since he entered this underground facility that housed and protected the Memory Crystal, if Siva wished it, Cortana would have been able to take control of this place and carry it away from the ‘magically’ decrepit Maki.
If one thing, it was really a mistake for them to bring Siva in this place… then again, Higginson is going to suffer greatly if Siva wasn’t able to at least know what was making the [T-Devices] and the [Item Analyzer] items tick.
‘In the end, I achieved almost all of my goals for coming here in Jeremiah.’
[You don’t believe in luck boss. So I will phrase it like this: these are all because you’re reckless.]
Siva was choked, ‘True. I only have Plan A and if it didn’t work, I would force Plan A to completion.’
[That’s why I said this isn’t luck. You practically forced the Humans to accept your demands. And besides, who would have thought that you’d really recognize that Memory Crystal? Even I was surprised by that piece of your memory.]
Siva flinched, ‘Just now, you said you’re surprised by my [memories] triggering a vision. You’ve also seen it… and yet you still claim you’re not sentient in this level?!’
[Boss, please recognize my sarcasm. I was just using a personality algorithms referenced from some TV series to reply that way.]
‘…’
Siva, led by Higginson, walked over the door and when it opened, another White Armoured Maki was there to meet the group.
No one was surprised.
Maki was the Security Officer of the facility and of the entire Human settlements. Although he has a lot of ‘physical bodies’ out in the continents of the planet serving as either a spy or an overseer to keep an eye out for threats to the Humans, he is still an existence vital to the Human Society so of course he would always be aware of the matters in his home base.
He was the Achilles of the Naturals. And just now, Siva had infiltrated his heel so Maki was left with no choice but to comply with his demand.
This was his only weakness.
To the Humans, he was a Legendary Guardian, as well as the Keeper of their race’s secrets… the archive of information —the history of how their Technology came to be, starting from the earliest discovery of metal until the NanoTech Age and until today.
If Siva would become aware of this, then he’d do his best to touch that information because it was the key to bringing back his parents.
He needed the [Genetics Research Technology]!
*****
Besides, if he does something out of the ordinary and endangered the Humans, Maki will unleash his metallic wrath and swarm Siva until he becomes a pig feed.
Earlier, they have already been briefed with the identity of Maki and right now, what Siva and Maki doing is just looking at the goods to be traded.
Maki didn’t do anything ‘showy’ for a Security Officer and although Gaspar was also there, in truth, Maki was already enough.
He is so complexly advanced and so powerful that not even 20 Gaspar could match one of Maki’s ‘bodies’ who not only didn’t know pain, but also did not know fear —adding the fact that he was part of Neth Kingsley’s party when they defended the planet 56 years ago— not to mention Maki is also part of the defense force from the time when the LAGRAM Armada invaded the game world’s version of Planet Earth.
Maki keeps safe the archive of information that had the vast and extensive knowledge of Humans regarding battle tactics and techniques.
Then, factoring in the fact that unlike the Humans, Maki’s android body doesn’t share the same limits set by gravity and flesh, he is indeed the true representation of the magnificently fierce Achilles in the Human Society.
‘With Maki here… heh…’
‘Let’s see how you act now.’
‘Our trump card is here.’
‘With Maki, we will be safe.’
Knowing Maki’s might and power, a huge sense of security and relief hugged the hearts and souls of the dignitaries.
Unknown to them, though, is the underlying risk that Higginson had. As such, with Siva’s prompt earlier, his Battle-AI had explained to Maki that Siva had sworn not to willingly hurt Humans unless they chose to hinder the goal of his plans.
Although one-sided and arrogantly unfair, all Maki had to do is to not antagonize and not step in the way of Siva while he is holding his heel, inside his belly —this very facility itself!
Siva was already aware of Maki waiting in the other side since he had a mini-map that indicated the positioning of almost anything that’s moving in the nearest 100m from his location.
He could even tell that there are four people in the next area next to them, 20m away.
“Please follow me.” Maki prompted.
Siva remained silent and keeping in pace with the graceful yet warry walking stance of Maki, he was beside Higginson floating 2in above the ground along with a silent Scion.
“The resonance is getting stronger.” Hojer made another excited update.
“It should.” Siva said coolly, “The closer we get to the Crystal, the stronger that resonance will be.”
“How can you be so sure about that?” a senator murmured to himself but unfortunately, it was loud enough that it attracted Siva’s attention that he turned his head to that senator.
He then looked at Higginson, “It seems that your politicians are too used to being overlords in the past few years? You should be worried.”
The last line was uttered as cold and as casual as possible that Higginson shuddered as he glared at that senator. The next moment, that senator’s Real@D projection vanished in the midst of their group.
The rest of the dignitaries became surprised and they looked at their President with questioning gazes.
“I warned you.” He said as he proceeded along the group, slightly behind Siva.
This was supposed to be just a tour but because of Professor Hojer’s report earlier and the fact that he is head of the Research and Development Team of the Colony, he had had every right and privilege who could be granted the passage and the right to see the Artifact in the flesh.
Besides, it was also planned as well that the information that’s going to be disseminated wasn’t a major Intel and is actually an open secret that all qualified personage of The Alliance are able to know given the right authority.
—all of this circumstantial events, adding Siva’s timely recollection of the [memories] of that war, contributed to this chance of him visiting the very Artifact itself… and even perhaps knowing more secrets than what the Humans intended for him to know.
‘This is really a fortuitous trip.’
[Having the right information, knowledge, or tools when opportunity comes, is a definition of luck.]
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Siva couldn’t help but think that way. Ever since he first started recalling these [memories], he had also started to believe that having the right Intel in the right time will prevent him from missing out on the right circumstances when fortuitous occasions presents itself.
On the same page, information saves lives and it also becomes a weapon when setting up plans and counter-plans when working out schemes for one’s goals.
This is most especially applicable to him.
As Siva followed along Maki’s lead, he never gave up the chance to examine these ‘box machines’ that produced the mainstream devices of Terroa.
‘In the game, they can be bought in the stores but in here, they are made en masse. Cortana, what’s your read on them?’
[I can pretty much read 99% of their entirety, sir, but the missing 1% is a real mystery.]
‘Oh? Why so?’
[They’re made up of a material I can’t scan.]
‘And that’s even when you’re using the Auricle Device’s [Item Analyzer] function itself?’
[Yes sir.]
Siva was weirded by it. Their short exchange all happened within a moment and he glanced at one of the machines that produced the Auricle Device.
He saw the small high-end devices being finished inside the machine and then picked up by robotic arms and lined up on the conveyor belt. It goes to a separate junction-duct section that gathered all the finished products into a sorting bay manned by a few people in lab coats.
These people wore a specific mask-gadget on their faces and scanned them… sorting out the defective finished products to the quality ones on two separate conveyor belts.
Sensing Siva pause to watch them, Higginson took this chance to create a positive impression and explained, “These workers are all paid highly for their skills and their ability to keep secret. The items in this place are all the products that The Alliance sells in their cities.”
Siva’s [memory] of the Memory Crystal explained that the ‘unknown material’ Cortana cannot scan is the reason why these items are special.
Maki, sensing the [Scan] couldn’t help but show his frown on his face.
As much as possible, he wanted Siva out of his lair because outside this 1km-large facility, Siva is unable to [Scan] him but inside… he’s like a very sick individual with a squirming worm in his belly.
Sensing Maki’s displeasure… Cortana smiled and sent to Siva, [Boss, I’m 35% complete from Scanning how this Maki is ticking.]
Siva felt happy.
‘Then I just have to buy more time.’
[But Maki knows I’m scanning him and he’s doing his best to fight out my hacking ability.]
‘Seeing that even with your 500YB capability, you still took all this time and only completed 35% is all the reason to believe that what we came here to take… the AI ability of the Humans… is Maki himself…’
[Actually, I could have taken the Battle-AIs of the President but when I found out about Maki’s main core who’s been wandering in Heartilia, I’ve figured that to create the perfect AI for the job, it’s better to model it to the best Ai available.]
Siva knew that in regards to Cortana’s reasoning, she is the best prototype model but because of the risks involved, he decided that it should just be someone who was ‘smart’ enough but doesn’t have the capabilities of Cortana.
The Smart-AI Siva envisioned should be capable of the same processing algorithms as Cortana but is safe enough to ensure that in case of hacking it wouldn’t jeopardize the user of the AI.
Maki and Siva’s gazes met and Maki frowned even more as anger showed on his face. He then Siva and shouted, “What else do you want?!”
Maki was really feeling the threat of Siva when the 35% that he himself was feeling ticked by an additional 1%.
To Siva, it was a sign of progress; to Maki, it was a sign of doom!
“I believe you’ve already understood my intentions from Higginson. I don’t need to explain to you my purpose for coming here. I’ve paid with my identity being exposed and the resources I’ve painstakingly gathered…… it wasn’t my fault that this facility doesn’t permit magic and so it opened an opportunity for me to complete my purpose.”
“Bastard.” Maki cursed and cursed. Actually, he could have just closed off the [Scan] to prevent Cortana from actually scanning him.
After all, the core-Maki isn’t in the Colony but was somewhere in Heartilia, doing something else.
But blocking off the connection between him and the Facility means that his control over the entire security system of the Colony and Hive Facility will also be ultimately disconnected.
If that happens, then Siva would have free reign to do virtually anything he wanted there.
That’s a risk he can’t take.
Who knows if Siva would be audacious enough to take a few items from the ‘factory’ or even—since he failed to [Scan] Maki and that the Hive Facility’s security system is vulnerable to control—Siva’s AI can even put up a very strong firewall to prevent Maki from taking control of the systems again.
—especially, given Cortana’s hacking capability, it was even easy for her to totally take control of the Colony and the Hive Facility.
If that happens, then Humanity will be totally lost.
“Damn it…” And so, Maki could only curse and resist as much as he can to preserve whatever kind of chance they have to prevent the worse-case scenario from happening. “You’re so cruel, you know that?”
Siva was unperturbed, “I don’t care.” He said with icy seriousness, “For my goal, I’d do anything.”
Maki and Higginson understood —as well as the ambassadors who had taken that oath earlier— it was this ‘goal’ he had that forced humanity to land on this compromise.
Humanity needed those Dragon Resources in order to survive in this harsh world and Siva, for the sake of information, gave them the resources they needed.
Seeing the defeated look of Maki, the senators and the rest of the delegates all felt the despair in the air permeating their skins.
Maki was their last line of defense but even he still failed to get an advantage to Siva. Sadly, all of them failed to realize that Siva had been hacking on Maki’s core program all this time.
[We just wanted to know how you developed into that kind of Smart-AI, Maki, you don’t have to put up this awful resistance since it will only make it hard on you in exchange for nothing.]
Was it dignity?
Maki was a ‘person’ born during the War for Earth around 81 years ago (25 years of Warp-travel + the war 56 years ago... war duration not included) and of all his ‘peers’ who were AIs that was on the same level as him, only he and Galatea (Star Ship Pandora’s AI) remained alive; everyone else… were destroyed.
(AN: Please read footnote [1])
Higginson, knowing the cold air between Maki and Siva, wanted to cool things around and took a step between them, “*cough, cough* Time is of the essence, gentlemen…”
Siva playfully chortled, “Right. Time is Gold.”
Maki hissed, “Once you’re finished, I want you out of my territory at once.”
Siva as really becoming amused more and more, the further he looked at Maki.
“I’ve already made a promise with your President earlier so you don’t have to be this scared. What I want is simple and you can provide it. Still, as I’ve already told you, resistance is futile. It will only aggravate the situation the further you try to resist my demands. But if you give the information I need as soon as possible, I can promise you with all my heart and soul that I will keep my oath and leave you be… as long as you don’t try to hinder me on my goal… which is a simple matter considering the promise I’ve made with Higginson Bollard.”
He gave the man a sideward glance.
“Hmp. Trust is something built, not demanded.”
Maki turned his back against him and then walked forward to lead the way across the rows and columns of neatly arranged conveyor belts and item-making machines.
“Have it your way, then.” Siva didn’t care. What he needs now is to buy as much time he can and this is also what Maki was trying to avoid.
Maki wanted to rush things and be done with it while Siva wanted to buy as much time as he can until Cortana completed Scanning Maki.
[I’m done scanning every item in this place.]
‘What are they?’
[There are two kinds of T-Devices though. Then there is the Item Analyzer, Auricle Device, the Harvesters, even NM-Converters… hah! There’re also mini-satellite towers that I’ve once hacked; there is a Portable NanoFurnace-making machine over there, then the thing that we came here to check on that direction.]
Siva followed Cortana’s finger pointing towards the next area that they were going to; beyond the sanitation dock-looking white door.
‘Well now…’
It was standard process: you raise your hands up and let a white mist wash over your body then you wait for the rest of the team inside a waiting area before entering that fated red-colored door.
Siva inhaled deep. Although he already had the entire lay out of the next room on his mini-map, the details he could get on actually being there is different from the ‘map’ on his vision.
Again, Maki did not enter the next room area and only stood there, glaring at Siva.
“You know you can’t do anything by glaring at me like a tiger going for a kill.”
“At least it makes me feel good.” Maki didn’t hide his sarcasm but instead of being angry, this made Siva even happier.
‘Maki… is indeed the prototype we need.’
[Scan at 87%.]
‘Just keep me posted.’
[Aye, sir.]
Hojer’s Real@D image vanished and Maki stood there, still angry, until Siva, leading Scion on one hand, entered the area beyond the door last; a small hallway with another set of sanitation mist.
Just in front of them was dull grey metallic door.
‘It’s already beyond that.’
[Scanning a few large devices, sir. Something big is in the middle of that area.]
‘Let’s go.’
Siva couldn’t wait and hovered first, next to Scion.
The dull metallic door opened with a hissing noise and in there was another glaring Maki with a large body but familiar White Tech Armour. Beside him was Hojer’s real self… a monocle on his left eye.
“Hello!” Greeted an overly excited Hojer; “It is my greatest honour to be in your presence, sir.”
Siva didn’t reply to him and only wandered his eyes towards the view up front.
It was a large circular room… like a cathedral of sorts measuring over 80m across. In the middle of this large hall was a floating circular object that emits a bluish white misty-gelatinous substance that served like a barrier, preventing anything that may try to get close to it.
In the middle of this barrier was a relatively tiny object not more than a hand’s size surrounded by machines that supported it like a set of raker-arms to a valuable lab-specimen.
The arms aren’t moving but the two circular rings where they are attached to are, and they served like ‘rings’ to a planet —one of them is moving on a different axis of rotation.
[Hm. Clever. Those raker-arms are made of Black Rock and Grey Rock, sir, which makes it float. No electronics needed.]
‘Ah… magnetism then?’
[On the body, yes, but the arms themselves are all equipped with 99% Human Technology, with the last 1% being the same unknown material that made up the last 1% of those devices outside.]
The large circular room was like the universe and the ‘Artifact’ we’re looking at in the middle was the sun, with the two circular rings being the orbital support of those arms attached to it.
Siva’s group were in outer most area 5m wide that looked like an outer ring for the entire system. In here were 20 people in lab coats, all working busy bodies that seemed to not care for them at all.
A pathway 10m wide extends from the edge and stretches for 40m before stopping on a platform where Hojer was in that panel view earlier.
“The Memory Crystal…” Siva whispered but it was loud enough for the rest of the dignitaries and the Real@D people around him to hear. “This is the same ninth Crystal back then.”
Scion looked at him and for the first time, talked a matter that Siva found surprising.
“Ragnarok?”
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Gods fall and legends rise…
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[1] Okay, this needs a re-explanation. Basically, all Star Ships (Odyssey and Pandora) have AIs that served as the ship’s ‘spirit’ on them. They’re all very advanced AIs created during Humanity’s resistance against the LAGRAM Armada’s Earth Invasion (all part of the lore surrounding the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ Humans are in Terroa). I’ve already hinted this before in Vol_5 and early 6, and now, I’ll mention this again since we’re tackling on this in the upcoming volumes: SS-Odyssey is the space ship that Neth Kingsley of Earth used to travel to Terroa (of course it’s before Neth recovered his memories) with the mission being scouts; to check to see if Terroa (Planet T312120-A) is fit to serve as temporary colony for the survivors of mankind while they’re rebuilding Earth that was decimated during the war. Now, Maki, the AI that supported SS-Odyssey, is also the same AI that we have in this chapter. Galatea, however, is the AI responsible for the other space ship that brought the Humans from Earth… and that space ship is called ‘SS-Pandora’ —the Colony— that measured kilometers in size. At this part of the story, I’ve only mentioned Galatea and Pandora sporadically and only in passing and as reference by Characters randomly spouting things as flags. But please remember that Galatea is the AI responsible for SS-Pandora. So now, the explanation of why Maki cannot leave Siva and Cortana alone is finally justified, as well as lighting up the (forgotten) history of Maki. EXTRA: I have separate stories for Neth Kingsley’s journey from Earth to Terroa called “Project Salvation Novels” which I pulled down because its format wasn’t a suitable style for Wattpad. And in there, Maki was originally called Mark-1 with two more bodies; as the other two was destroyed and only Mark-1 surviving thus his name came to be.
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Next Chapter: Maki’s outburst…
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