"And what would that be?" Revi asked with a knowing smile.
"From your smirk, I assume you already know what I'm about to say," Aphrodite remarked.
"Possible," Revi replied.
Aphrodite shook her head before saying, "You want Adam to come pick you up in the Ashes Galaxy, which is in Sector Eight, while we are in Sector Seventeen and the Reef Galaxy is in Sector Fifteen. Sectors Seventeen and Fifteen aren't exactly next door, let alone Sector Eight, which is on practically the other side of the known universe."
"Of course you did," Aphrodite replied while rolling her eyes before asking, "I assume you have a suggestion?"
"I do indeed," Revi stated before declaring, "The experimental drive."
"Pardon?" Aphrodite replied.
"What?" Stacey asked.
"The experimental drive?" Adam asked with a raised eyebrow as he wondered what Revi was getting at.
"Oh, I see what you're getting at. That's a pretty good idea," Rowena stated as she understood Revi's meaning.
"You mean that special drive on Adam's ship that seems to allow him to travel in time?" Tephe asked curiously.
"Can we just pause this conversation and focus on what Tephe just said, please?" Lorelie requested, causing everyone to look at her as she added, "I think we need to discuss the fact that Adam's ship is actually capable of travelling in time and how we need to keep this quiet."
"I understand what you're saying, but I don't think that will be possible. Everything was streamed after all," Stacey stated.
"We already know that the AI Spector is limiting what can and can not be posted on Xer-verse and other social media sites, so for the time being, I think our best plan is to play dumb," Lorelie stated.
"Play dumb?" Tephe asked while tilting her head.
"We agree not to discuss this with anyone outside our group and if anyone brings the topic up, we just feign ignorance, "Lorelie explained.
"I agree with Lorelie's suggestion. Time travel is tech that any race would want to get their hands on, and while we can't stop rumours of it's existence from spreading, we can at least deny any knowledge of its existence, thereby making people doubtful," Revi suggested.
"I will also be sure to speak with Eri, Tessa, and Becky about this later," Lorelie stated.
"I doubt any of the viewers in a position of power, such as Malacoss or Erkath, will be loose-lipped about this," Aphrodite pointed out.
"Agreed, but to be on the safe side, I will speak to Erkath regarding this and ask her to speak with Malacoss. I will also speak with Raphilia and ask that she speak with Oracle Andromeda about it," Rowena stated.
"Good, I'm glad we're all in agreement," Lorelie said before looking at Revi on the holographic screen and adding, "Sorry about interrupting you before, Revi."
"No problem. I agree with your suggestion and am glad you brought it up," Revi replied.
"So what's this about the experimental drive?" Adam asked.
"How accurate was Ambassador Shalendra's story about the experimental drive?" Revi asked.
"Ambassador? That's going to take getting used to," Adam said with a smile before asking with a confused expression. "Story?"
"When she was telling you of how Theodmer Sarmaer theorised that by incorporating time travel into a subspace drive, you could theoretically move to any other point in the universe in minus one second," Revi explained.
"Oh, so you're suggesting that the temporal displacement stabilisation device allows the experimental drive to work this way?" Adam asked in understanding.
"Well, does it?" Revi asked as the other women listened in with interest.
"Theoretically, though it has never been tested successfully," Adam admitted.
"Didn't you just use it to travel through time, though?" Stacey asked curiously.
"Yes, but that was back to the present, where there was an anchor for Spector to lock onto," Adam replied, causing the women to show confused expressions.
"What do you mean by anchor?" Rowena asked.
Instead of answering, Adam asked, "Spector, can you explain it since it will probably be easier for you, since I don't fully understand it myself?"
"Affirmative," Spector replied as another holographic screen appeared, showing Spector's AI construct that seemed to move as it spoke, shocking all the women.
"Holy fuck!" Aphrodite remarked as she saw the construct.
"Is that your AI's construct?" Rowena asked in shock.
"How is it so big?" Revi asked.
"It's not just big, it's compact. Look how detailed its coding is," Lorelie stated.
"No wonder your AI seems to be so advanced," Stacey stated.
"That looks so cool," Tephe said as her eyes sparkled while Maya stared at the AI construct with interest.
"Is that important?" Adam asked as he looked at Lorelie.
"It's not just the size of an AI construct that determines how advanced it is, but also how detailed the coding is. A small AI construct can be more advanced than a much bigger one as long as it's coding is far more detailed," Lorelie explained.
"I see," Adam replied in understanding before saying, "Please proceed, Spector."
"Affirmative," Spector replied before it began to explain. "Whenever I travel through time using the experimental drive, a part of the drive always stays connected to the present, which is also why the stream still works and why time continues to advance and we can return to what should be the future even though we are in the past. This part is called the anchor.
The anchor makes returning to the present easier since I have a guide rope of sorts to lead the way back.
Jumping back in time to a specific point and also location in the universe, however, is far more difficult, as I have to perform some extremely advanced temporal and sub spatial calculations simultaneously, which are always changing."
"I see, but what do you mean by the calculations are always changing?" Rowena asked.
"Time is always moving forward and the universe is always expanding. Because of this, the specific coordinates are always changing, and so every time I jump, there is always an element of risk," Spector replied.
"If the coordinates are always changing, doesn't that mean it's impossible to calculate the exact position and location?" Revi asked.
"Affirmative."
"Doesn't that mean that you're guessing?" Aphrodite asked.
"Since when do AIs guess?" Stacey asked.
"Since now, apparently," Aphrodite responded.
"I prefer to phrase it as calculations with a certain degree of uncertainty," Spector replied.
"So it's a guess?" Tephe asked, to which Spector's only response was for the holographic screen showing her AI construct to vanish.
"If I didn't know that AIs don't have them, I would have sworn that we just hurt her feelings," Lorelie said.
"So what your AI is saying is that it can't guarantee that you will be able to jump to Fenix Nest?" Revi asked with a frown.
"As I said, the experimental drive has not been tested since the installation of the temporal displacement stabilisation device," Adam replied.
"Well, Fenix Nest seems as good a place as any to test it," Stacey suggested.
"Yeah, I want to hang out with Revi again," Tephe said excitedly.
"I want to hang out with you again too, goddaughter," Revi replied in a teasing tone.
"Ugh, I changed my mind," Tephe replied with an annoyed expression before turning to Adam and saying, "Let's not go pick up Revi."
"Little brat," Revi said with an amused smile as everyone else laughed at Tephe's words.
"Spector, is it possible to jump to Fenix Nest before proceeding on to Aqua Primus?" Adam asked.
"Negative," Spector replied as the holographic screen of its AI construct appeared again.
"Why not?" Adam asked.
"After returning to the present using the temporal displacement stabilisation device and performing a full scan on it, I have determined that we need to wait twenty-six hours before using it again," Spector explained.
"The temporal displacement stabilisation device has a cooldown period?" Adam asked with amusement.
"Affirmative, rapid use of the temporal displacement stabilisation device could lead to it becoming damaged, and I currently lack certain materials needed to produce another," Spector stated.
"Hmm, it might be a good idea to acquire those materials just in case," Adam said thoughtfully.
"Agreed," Spector replied before sending a list of materials to his HUD.
"Then there's no problem," Revi said happily, causing everyone to look at her before she added," You can jump to Fenix Nest and spend the twenty-six-hour cooldown period here. That will give me time to show you around the capital city since the last time you came here, it was a war zone. After the twenty-six hours are up, we can then jump to Aqua Primus."
"This is acceptable," Spector stated before its holographic screen vanished again.
"Great. I can use the time that you have to remain in the Felidae Galaxy for Lorelie's tour to wrap up some work and arrange for my ministers to cover my vacation," Revi said happily.
"I guess we're in agreement then," Lorelie stated with a smile before turning to Adam and asking, "As long as that's ok with you, babe."
"It will be nice to see Revi again. I never really got a chance to interact with her previously, and I know that Tephe would love to hang out with her again," Adam replied before patting Tephe on the head and asking, "Right?"
"Right," Tephe replied while enjoying Adam's touch, while Maya watched the pair with interest.
"NOTICE!" Spector suddenly said loudly, attracting everyone's attention, including Eri's, who had just come back into the room.