The workshop provided to Sobon was more of a relief than he had felt in a while. It was shielded from nearly all forms of scrying, well stocked with materials--and crucially, it even had advanced tools, some due to the Founder who now pretended to be the Diamond Lord, but also, because of the previous Founders' influence over this world, and their nurturing of the Diamond Lord in his life.

It was only after seeing the workshop that he had agreed to the plan, because it was far from clear that he would be able to work with any real efficiency with his heavily damaged spirit. But the workshop contained several tools, many of which the Diamond Lord had probably never had the means to properly use--processing cores meant to connect to mental augments, and multi-dimensional fabrication matrices that were not useful for those working with qi. Some of the items weren't even powered when he discovered the workshop--they might have responded to specific forms of qi by the Diamond Lord, but they certainly were never meant to operate without dedicated aether generators.

Sobon had asked why they were there, only to be reminded that he knew--that the Auction House had been built on top of a crashed starship. Nor was that, apparently, the only historical source of alien technology, and the Founders had made... some allowances, for the Diamond Lord to acquire parts. For all that, the workshop was far from complete--even assuming he could get everything here working, a great many tasks were only really safely achievable with specialty hardware, like creating subspace warp cores.

Technically, the spatial manipulation he would need to do was also best done with specialty tools, but the Marines did a lot of it anyway. It was less that he was supremely confident he would succeed, and more that he was used to the danger.

The first thing he did when he was alone was create enough aether batteries to run the fabricator without using his own spirit, and then he forced his own personal dynamos to begin charging them while he connected to a processing node, searching through the connected system for anything useful. The contents weren't Crestan, nor Founder, nor apparently local--it must have been taken from the crashed starship, or some other source--but by some small mercy, the system's damaged micro-assistant recognized him as, according to its poor translation, [not-barbarian], and was therefore willing to drop all but the highest security restrictions on the system.

Sobon could relate.

Regrettably, even with an Intent-speaking interpreter, it was difficult to find much of use. A lot of the files were no longer relevant and could be scrubbed--old security and personnel logs and the like--and processes that would never be useful could be safely stopped. The extra resources Sobon used to sketch out designs, and tasked the assistant with searching for anything similar in the files.

While it was working, Sobon tried the same on another system, but that system's assistant failed to activate. Although Sobon could use the processor with brute force, it wouldn't accomplish much that he couldn't do on the other system. He was tempted to connect the two, enhancing the power of the other assistant, but there was a good chance the core was simply too flawed to make use of, and might even contaminate the good core.

He moved to a third, finding that the core had been completely wiped, and seemed to be clean internally, which was... interesting. Either the Diamond Lord had somehow acquired it from a real source, or the Founder, or someone else, had formatted it. It lacked any kind of assistant, but it also had no extra processes drawing power, so Sobon simply hooked up to it and used it to expand his mental canvas--and more importantly, his memory.

When he was hooked up, he triggered a download from the mental database he'd gotten from the Ri'lef, then ran several analyses on the data. As expected, spiritual damage had rippled through parts of it, but not all. But more interestingly, the analyses showed that the Ri'lef understanding of qi he'd been given was inconsistent--at least, from a certain, aether-centric perspective. It was difficult to pin down how and why it differed from how his own people understood aether, but the analysis was clear.

"You find something amusing?" The Founder, as was becoming the case more often than not, entered the room exactly as Sobon began to wish to speak with him. "About the workshop, perhaps?"

"Qi is more than simply layered aether, isn't it?" He frowned, disliking how he'd said the analysis, but instead of changing what he said, he turned to a projector--far less sophisticated than the Founder presentation apparatus he had been allowed to use, but sufficient to project several concepts into free space and organize them. "I understand that it's held together by the... Consequence-layer aether?"

"Saying that it is 'held together' is a poor choice of phrase," the Founder answered, its bare grey feet silent as it crossed the floor to examine the equations, which Sobon assumed was theatrical rather than practical. "Your society embraces many of the strengths of aether, but the purity of your understanding requires forgoing others. Alas, a more nuanced discussion would take a very long time indeed."

Of that, Sobon had no doubt. He took a breath, although it was purely for his emotional health, in this false body. "How much of my understanding is false? Are the equations--"

"As I said, a nuanced discussion would take time." The founder's voice didn't have any heat to it, and if anything, seemed amused. "Your equations are not wrong, and if you have a specific need to rectify the differences, you should ask directly. I am not one of our engineers, but I do have a basic grasp of the concepts."

Sobon shook his head, but threw together a mental picture of the Fairy Orb--the transportation vehicle he had promised. Even in concept, it was a complicated structure that spanned four spatial dimensions--plus extending into aether dimensions beyond that. "I've thought back to when I was using spatial expansion on my house, and I just can't tell whether there was a small difference or not between how the equations work in theory and how they seem to work here. If there was, it would be a matter of long-term stability. For artifacts that we hope to last..."

"Your equations are acceptable," the Founder said. "Physics isn't modified that much by being in an aether-rich zone. If you need it, there is an aether pattern in the Fate layer which can stabilize space by reducing the effect of aether in general--without the added complexity of working within the Consequence layer of aether."

Sobon grimaced. In order to create the Crestan Crown, Sobon had forced himself to create a sample of the highest-order aether he had ever witnessed--what his people called Hyperior Aether, and the Ri'lef called simply called 'Truth.' This Truth aether was woven throughout qi--all qi present on the planet, created by all living things. But that level of aether was not actually accessible to the people using it; it was simply bound into the structure of qi, ensuring that those who used the power could advance through the layers of aether naturally, if they trained correctly.

Holding the actual aether in his hand had changed Sobon, though he wasn't sure how. It wasn't some grand insight, but it did feel like he became connected in ways he was unclear on. But... from what he understood, qi was only built on Truth, the forward-spin of the Consequence pair. Any effect that reduced the influence of aether, in that tier... would be its reverse-spin counterpart.

Not all reverse-spin aethers were violent or subversive, and all aethers were dangerous, but he still didn't like the idea of working with it. He also didn't really like the idea of working with Truth again, but... he had already committed to it.

Sobon shook his head, clearing his mind at the same time. "I have to work, before I start doubting the plan again," he said, his mind flickering through the Fairy Orb design, listing the requirements and associated aether patterns. "It will work, though? You believe?"

"A large part of my task here, Crestan, is to not interfere with your behavior. I suppose it would be faster to clarify why." The founder looked up and away slightly, at nothing that Sobon could sense. "All beings are bound one way or another by fate magic. The more you interact with me, the more my fate affects yours. But in this matter, you are the specialist, and any fate magic I could command would lead you astray. This is a well known phenomenon to our people." They looked back at him. "However... all beings, even Founders, perform fate magic unconsciously, unwillingly. All of the highest tiers of aether are difficult to choose not to perform. The feedback mechanisms are imprecise. We go through many years of schooling, and it is still imprecise."

Sobon thought he understood, but before he opened his mouth to reply, another thought occurred to him. "It's not about performing it. It's about fighting someone else who uses fate magic on you unintentionally."

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The founder nodded. "People on this world are able to unlock levels of fate manipulation simply by advancing. You have unlocked it by manipulating the raw aethers of fate and consequence. I must defend myself against fate manipulation by others on this planet. I will violently repulse any accidental fate magic that you cast upon me. I will not deliberately alter your fate. However, when you ask an open ended question like 'Will this work', even when you intend for me to give a clinical analysis, you desire a prophecy, a surety."

That made Sobon positive that he knew the answer. "And there is no surety. Right." He looked back at his equations, his diagrams, and sighed. "Still... I think we have our bases covered. The Thrones will act as seals to slow the fate aethers that your facility is putting out. The Crowns will clear the most powerful people's minds, give them something peaceful to focus their minds on, help them detect corrupting influence, and encourage them to fight them off. The Orbs are to help pull fights away from populated places, and discourage people from sitting on their thrones for their entire lives, the way the Diamond Lord did. And the Swords..."

"Yes... your aether swords." The Founder flicked one hand out, and a blade of aether appeared there, with a ball of Truth aether at its base--just like the one he had given Ki'el. It had been... a choice between simply destroying his Hyperior Aether dynamo, or finding a place to hide it, and giving it to her felt right. "I do not believe anyone on this world is prepared to wield this power as a weapon--but for certain, this is the most innocent form such a weapon could take."

Sobon scoffed at the very concept of an innocent weapon. "If they ever really understand it, thousands of years from now, there will be severe consequences. But if I understand the locals, that won't be how they view it anytime soon. Because Truth aether is what gives qi its form, and only Consequence-level aether or higher could possibly unmake qi. The first time someone understands that the Aether Sword can slay the most powerful qi warriors... no one will see past that. Especially as a power that only exists in a handful of legendary swords--they'll see a weapon and nothing else."

"With one exception," the Founder said, gently, the sword vanishing from their hand.

And Sobon nodded, feeling his certainty deflating slightly. "...Except Ki'el. She already doesn't see the sword as a weapon alone. If she understand that it's more, she'll change the world." He looked away. "...Do you mind filling these aether batteries for me? And maybe a few more?"

The Founder simply willed some sort of power generator into existence in response, and Sobon looked at it, then--as he came to understand that its operation was foreign to him--glared, somewhat peevishly, at the Founder. "I was going to make a dynamo next."

"Then do." The Founder glanced around the room. "I must say--I am not a scholar of the Child races' technologies, but much that's in this room interests me. The fabricator, of course, but what use is this one?" They gestured to a machine that Sobon had looked at the last time he was here.

Sobon walked over, double checking what he thought he understood from it. "Ansible creator," he said, after a moment, and forced himself to speak with intent. "[Ansibles] are exotic matter that interacts with aether in specific ways in response to electrical or chemical stimulus. They are a common way to use non-aether technology to create aether effects. I plan on using them for the Fairy Orbs; they're very helpful for space manipulation."

"Really?" The Founder looked closer. "Seems broken to me."

Sobon assumed they were seeing something that he would have had to take the machine apart to find, but he also wasn't surprised, and said so. "Even if the core components are cracked, I have what I need to create replacement parts. You could, technically, just create ansibles out of aether, and creating a tool like this is much easier for someone that already has aether." Mentally, he checked out, going back to redesigning the Fairy Orb, but continued to speak. "What I find most fascinating about them is when a non-aether culture creates an Ansible Creator for the first time. It means they grasp the physics fundamentals that underlie aether, before they have proof that the physical laws alone don't describe the universe. I know the Founders have files on civilizations like that--I've read one of the public ones--but I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when someone proves the existence of aether to their entire civilization."

The Founder chuckled at that. "Our records aren't that detailed," they said, "but I can imagine the sweeping changes. And more importantly, the people who resist."

Sobon paused his designing for a long moment, thinking about that, but continued before he replied. "I suppose so," he said, glumly. "There are always people who resist change."

"Before aether is understood, it is both fetishized and demonized," the Founder replied, and Sobon thought that they sounded interested in the topic as well. "The same can be said of many different types of power, especially military and financial power. But aether, even when it is diffuse, has effects, and it creates many myths across the world, myths that are difficult to differentiate from lies and entertainments." The Founder paused. "I don't mean to start another conversation on 'Myth' with you."

"It's fine," Sobon said, as he began to slowly design a four-dimensional physical structure on a mental canvas. "It's not a bad thing to think about difficult philosophical questions... if you have the spare time. I admit I haven't given your other question much as much thought, though."

"How much power is too much?" The Founder's mood didn't seem to dim. "It's fine. In the end, that's not a question for you or I to decide. The ones who truly have too much power are the elite within my society... and beings greater than us all. And ones such as you and I have no chance of affecting them, whatever answer to the question we may find."

Sobon could agree with that, but then, he would never have thought that questions of mythology would be at all relevant to himself, either. Or... a great number of other things, really. Instead of answering, he looked around the room, eager to find something other than difficult discussions to help him divide his attention. By the time he decided that he would begin constructing proper dynamos--real, non-attuned aether dynamos, the kind that should be powering equipment--he looked up to find the Founder gone once more.

That was rude of me, Sobon decided, as he took the output from the Founder's generator and hooked it up to the fabricator. Of course they could sense that I didn't want to talk after that, but I shouldn't have just stayed silent.

He put a mental note up in his now more exhaustive notetaking space to apologize, but it was quickly drowned out by other things he had to do and think about.

He ended up losing track of time long and running out of strength before he had a finished prototype for the Fairy Orb. It was, he decided, a very unpleasant part of his false body--it would continue to function without fatigue, but if he didn't take breaks, the weaker parts of Alassi's brain and his own mind would still begin to crumble around the edges. Becoming tired was a very human thing, and suffering the consequences without feeling them coming was alarming.

He did take a break before collapsing, but it was difficult to resist the urge to get back to work when he didn't feel tired. He was left with setting a timer, and relying on old cyborg patience, simply switching off his mind and forcing it to recover. At least, with functioning mental augments, he could pick up his work again at the same place he'd left it.

The prototype for the Fairy Orb didn't look anything like its namesake when he finished it--not depowered, and taking up most of the workshop. A crystal structure that, when fully within normal space, appeared to be strange multi-axis wheel and spoke structure, with various larger rooms at the end of each spoke. This form of it actually took power to maintain--it was necessary to finish construction, but the 'natural' form of the structure pulled all of the spikes into extradimensional space.

Sobon rechecked every surface for flaws several different ways before he was satisfied, and reached into the control nexus to bring the structure 'down' to its orb form. The pure crystal sphere, somewhat larger than his body, was thick with space and time aethers, and he passed through it only as it allowed. Once he was in its center, he shifted the orb so that each of the rooms was the part expressed in the real world, the energies within the orbs letting him hover in place--or move freely within. The interior spaces were empty now--but they would someday be filled.

Resting places. Armories. War rooms. Battle stations. The crystal interiors could store anything, and the shell could be inscribed and reinscribed without damage. The Fairy Orbs were, as the name implied, the tools of the other half of the Crestan Mixed Marines--the personal space fighters of the Fairy Marines. Sobon resisted the urge to run his fingers over the crystal again. Properly equipped, with a proper power source, Fairy Marines in orbs like this one could take out full-size star ships.

Sobon twitched a finger, and the orb shrunk itself, passing through him, until it was a crystal sphere he could conceal entirely within his fist--and then, with a twist, it was a small, unadorned crystal ring. He took a deep breath, then left the workshop.

When he found the nearest exterior door, to no surprise, the Diamond Lord was standing there, waiting. Sobon eyed him, but moved to stand outside, hesitating only a moment before expanding the Fairy Orb from his ring finger until it surrounded him. And then, with only a push of his will, he soared into the sky.

A minute later, he was in orbit, looking down on the world below, feeling his guts clench. Every tool that he gave out had the potential to change the world--to ruin it, in the wrong hands. But as he passed over the world below, so high that most masters couldn't begin to sense him--especially with his qi now so limited--he understood yet again the dangers.

Some day, probably soon, every empire would have a shield above them, or else. He shook his head. When Crest had first reached for the stars... but this was a different world. And those powerful people who will reach this height, see the world so distant, so large... they won't all think of protecting the small marble of existence that is their home.

Of course, some of them would likely destroy themselves trying to master thrust vectoring and momentum, or lose themselves in the stars and never find their way home. But too many would only look down and see targets. As a military man, Sobon understood only too well.

With a soundless sigh, he picked out the mountain where the Diamond Lord had lived, and flashed down through the skies, stopping himself barely a foot from the ground, and banishing the orb with a thought.

The look the Diamond Lord gave him was uncompromising, and Sobon just nodded. He would find some way to seal it, but the die was cast--or it would be soon.