Author Notes:
I am cooking with gas! My head is now filled with nothing but OBOM, hahaha!
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Closing yet another layer of safety bulkhead that leads into the Base of Operations' power plant, I dust off my hands before turning to look at the waiting Sapientia and Reizen, saying.
"Alright, since this whole Philosopher Stone generator thingy is your idea, Sapientia, don't blame me if I call you later to maintain this odd contraption."
Hearing that, Sapientia gives a thumbs up. "Oh ye of little faith, if you constructed the generator according to the blueprint I gave you, then that thing will run unhampered for at least fifty years straight."
"I will take your words for it then." I say before nodding in Reizen's direction. "Hit it, Reizen."
Reizen, who has been standing by a control station, silently pulls down a set of levers and starts pressing buttons according to the notes I wrote down for her. After some clicks and clacks, the Philosopher Generator hums to life as it converts the mana inside the Philosopher Stone into usable electricity before sending it along the entire power grid of the Base of Operations. Through the vision port built into the blast door, we can see myriad colours of light shining. As the base receives full power, things like lighting and ventilation systems start operating. Unlike the dead silence before our arrival, there is now a technological and industrial background noise. While it's not grating, it's a noticeable change of pace, one that actually gets Sapientia to hum in marvel.
"This... This is the sound of progress." Sapientia closes her eyes, smiling as she says it.
I move to pat Sapientia on her shoulder. "Wait till we start rolling out the industrialization package for the place. Perhaps very soon, you won't be able to recognize this island."
"I can hardly wait." Sapientia rubs her hands together, grinning and eyes blinking with expectation.
I then step closer to where Reizen is. "Things are all in order?" I ask the blue-haired girl.
"All systems green..." Reizen replies, nodding. "At least that's what I can see. Even though there's a manual for this, the architecture is quite antiquated compared to what I am used to. In my opinion, the consoles are more analog and buttons than is strictly necessary.
I giggle wryly. "Can't help it. I have a thing for redundancy. And analog redundancy is cheaper than digital redundancy. That said, I make sure that everything can be connected to the Command Center. If we're done here, why don't we go and wake the sleeping beauty up?"
"... That will be wonderful."
"Alright then, let's make sure we get there before dark. It's gonna be a bit of a walk from the Generator Room to the Command Center." I smile, leading the way for Reizen and Sapientia to follow.
Along the way, we take stock of the now well-lit passages that are carved into the mountainscape. There are things like security checkpoints, common areas, armories, and even a washing room on our way to the brain of the Base of Operations. Because the Command District is built into the mountain with multiple levels, all of us get to ride an elevator as well.
Coincidentally, because the Base of Operations didn't really have much power, if any at all, upon finishing construction, all the blastdoors and gateways that needed to be closed for security reasons were left wide open to allow us access to the Philosopher Generator Room. Now that the electrical grid is up and running, each time we pass a security gate, we seal it behind us in case a raccoon or something slips through and makes a den somewhere it shouldn't.
Eventually, we get to the Command Center, one that is basically armored and reinforced to high hell and one among a few areas in the Command District to feature hidden automated gun turrets in the walls and ceilings. But those are not our subject of interest here. That honor goes to none other than the Central Intelligence Console in the middle of the vast war room, filled with the necessary tech gizmos to run the massive Base of Operations as smoothly as if it's slathered in butter. Stepping closer to the console that shares the same acronym as the Combat Intelligence Center upon naval warships, I operate a terminal nearby. After a few beeps, two covers opened on the side console, thus revealing two separate levers.
I give Sapientia a look, prompting her to excitedly perk up before hopping to lay her hand on one of the levers.
"Do we pull these together?" The Ember Goddess asks, leaning on one side to look at me.
"Technically not," I reply. "But why not do it together, for ceremonial's sake?"
"Oh~! Then on a count of three, then! This has me all excited in the right way."
I chuckle at Sapientia's enthusiasm, and I can very much feel the same emotion radiating from Aurea as well. Reizen, however, is much more composed, but I can see her hands holding the container that carries the AI chip tense in anticipation. When the countdown started by Sapientia is over, we both pull the levels downward. A hiss of pressure is released from the CIC as, in the center of its chassis, two hatches open upward and to the sides. Then, from the opening, a cubic receptacle is raised. There's a slit in the receptacle, making it the part where the AI chip is to be inserted.
Without further words, both Sapientia and I step back, ceding the stage to Reizen. Not one to be indecisive now, Reizen walks to the CIC and opens the container in her hand. Very carefully, she plucks out the crystal AI chip and inserts it into the receptacle.
[Is this the part where people say... Moment of truth, Umbra?] Aurea whispers her question.
[Yes, Aurea, I believe so... Why the whisper, though?] I send a mental tilt of my head and a question mark to dear Other Me.
[I guess... It just fits the solemn occasion?]
[Fair enough.] I send over a mental wink and a chuckle as I see he receptable automatically lowered into the chassis of the CIC and Reizen take a couple of steps back.
Nodding to Sapientia, we move to pull the two levels in the opposite direction to close the central opening. Afterward, I hop over to the terminal and check the status of the AI chip. Honestly, I nearly exhale a long sigh, thanking Viola when the chip returns the Code Green.
I would hate to tell Reizen a sordid negative on the matter of her digital friend. More than that, without Iris, many of our future development plans will be put on the back burner.
I turn to give Reizen a thumbs up, to which she accepts with a nod and her eyes closed in relief. Without further ado, I key the command to start the initialization of the AI chip, waking up the digital soul that has been slumbering for a long, long time.
After a few seconds of silence, from the CIC, a holographic projection flickers to life, showcasing a young girl who is resting with her hands hugging her legs that are curled into her body, and her head resting on her knees. A moment later, from the audio system of the CIC, we all hear a cute yawn as the AI girl slowly wakes up.
"Wah! That was such a nice nap!"
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"Hey," Sapientia gives me a tap on the shoulder after she and I give Reizen and her AI friend, Iris, some space. "I'mma take a hike and give your base one last survey, see if the geography here is stable and whatnot."
"Ok." I nod. "Thanks for the aftercare service."
Sapientia chuckles. "I am so not in the mood for a slip-up after the whole Tide Mauler fiasco."
Leaving behind a wave of temporary parting, Sapientia blinks out of the Command Center. Now that it's just me in my own little corner, I take this chance to review with Aurea the recent changes in the GAD Module.
[Talk to me, Aurea, what are we looking at?]
Inside our shared mental space, Aurea perks up and explains in our singsong voice. I can feel that she is trying her very best to present the information in a clear and concise manner.
[As expected, the GAD Module only allows us to construct one Base of Operations, Umbra. If we want to build another base instantly, the first Base of Operations needs to be destroyed. The criteria are judged by the Module, so we can't cheat by abandoning the first base, building a second one, then reclaiming the first. This means that if we are to expand into other islands, we will have to spend both time and resources to construct bases there.]
[Sounds about right, anything else?]
[Yes... Ehm. The GAD Module still allows for the building of naval vessels without requiring a shipyard and manpower. However, other than being the most costly and time-consuming option, it's but one option among three, I think. The cheapest option, resource-wise, is to procure our own manpower to build a vessel in the Base of Operations' shipyard. And the last option is to forgo the manpower requirements and let the GAD Module use the base's shipyard to build the vessel for us. Each option has its own pros and cons, but from what I can see, unless we have no physical shipyard available, we shouldn't use the first option as it's just so wasteful!]
[Gotcha. Once Sapientia's back, we should consider roping her into crunching the numbers. Her and Iris, if the latter is up for it.]
[I hope so as well, Umbra. If we can plan our expenditure right, I think we can build up an autonomous force in no time!] Aurea hypes us up.
I can very well imagine Aurea's cute and earnest expression when she is motivated like that, so I giggle and pat her head, mentally, of course. Oddly enough, I have come to enjoy the phantom sensation of my hand rendering headpats to my Other Me.
There's a bit more back and forth between the Aurea and me afterward, mostly about planning our future focus and the name of our faction. The latter, in particular, should hopefully be settled alongside the flag of our faction when everyone gathers around. Aurea and I already have a few ideas on that front.
"Umbra, we're done!" Our mental discussion is cut short when Reizen calls out and waves to us from the CIC.
"Coming~!" Giving Aurea one last mental headpat, I skip over to where Reizen and Iris are, making sure to stand in full view of the latter's inquisitive gaze.
I give Reizen a brief nod, to which she returns with a downward tilt of her head, not even bothering to contain her delighted expression. It appears that her talk with Iris has borne happy fruits for both of them. I smile, happy that things worked out so nicely for, well, all of us. I then turn to look at the holographic projection of the artificial soul.
As I scan the AI from top to bottom, I greet.
"Hello there~! I presume now is the time for us to introduce, or reintroduce, ourselves, Miss Iris? I am Umbra, and as of now and well into the future, Reizen's partner in crime. Pleased to make your acquaintance, lovely Miss Iris." My self-introduction even comes with a curtsy.
Surely that will cause my favorability meter to rise a notch or two in Iris' eyes, right? And for the record, the slightly over-the-top introduction came not because Iris is well within my strike zone.
[X]
[Seriously, Aurea, I love you, and I know you love me for how intense your gaze is, boring into the back of my head.] I give my dear Other Me a mental wink. [And since when did you know that pressing X is to doubt?]
[I... Recently, I came across your memories of playing video games. One portion of the memories struck me as especially memorable when the main character you played as was a law enforcement officer trying to solve a case by identifying the liars and inconsistencies.]
[Aha! I see that you also know how to enjoy a good action-adventure game that has a good narrative, Other Me.]
[Un! I wish there was a sequel to that game that you could play...]
[You and me both, Aurea. You and me both...] We both sigh regretfully over a lost opportunity due to circumstances.
That mental conversation occurred in the few seconds it takes for Iris to appraise me. She is somehow sitting on nothing with her legs crossed, and one of her arms is supporting her chin.
Finally, after seeing what she wanted to see, the AI returns the greeting with a small, meaningful smile.
"Strictly speaking, this wasn't the first time we met, but I understand why the formality is needed now that we're in a much better circumstance." There's this electronic edge in Iris' voice that, strangely enough, is quite alluring and uniquely hers. This is not because of a subpar sound system, as I make sure the CIC and whatnot have a beefy audio setup to facilitate conversation between Reizen and Iris more easily. "Anyway, I am Iris, formerly the Smart AI and Chief Scientist of the ERS Voyager. I am also Reizen's bestie and, don't be surprised, her Godmother. Now, I am just a normal Smart AI that is seeking a new job posting that, hopefully, will be provided by the lovely Miss Umbra and her other self~!"
I chuckle. "A lovely introduction, Miss Iris." I then turn to Reizen with an amused glint. "And it's an honor to meet Reizen's Godmother at last. Now, why didn't you tell me she's your Godmother, partner dearest? Had I known that was the case, I would have made the CIC more splendid to accommodate her."
Reizen, being put on the spot, actually blushes as she looks away shyly. "That... Well, it never came up before, so..."
Honestly, it's the first time I've seen Reizen get shy over something. Then again, I kinda understand why that is the case. You can't really have a normal talk to someone else when your best friend, who looks younger and is shorter than you, turns out to be your Godmother. That's gonna derail any conversation fast, just like now.
"Alright. Alright. Let's not tease Reizen so much when we have more on our plates." Iris giggles with her eyes squinting in obvious joy, seemingly glad to witness a side of Reizen she has been longing to see. "By the way, we can forgo the honorifics and whatnot. Any friend, or partner of Reizen, and this is technically in plurals because there are two of you in one body, is mine as well."
"I would like that as well." I nod easily enough. "You can just call me Umbra. And if you see me acting a bit more subdued than I am now, then that's Aurea behind the wheel."
Iris makes a finger gun at me. "Gotcha. Not my first rodeo with split personalities or body-sharing individuals."
"Do I want to know?" I quip.
"No. No, you don't." And Iris winks and smirks.
"Right then, I presume that Reizen has keyed you in on the details?" I smile, continuing the conversation now that the pleasantries are out of the way.
"Reizen did give me a concise, if a lot to unpack, report of what has happened since she first woke up. Honestly, I didn't expect the girl I rested my hope on to be such a badass woman." Iris replies with obvious appreciation.
"I think Reizen oversold me on some places." I look at Reizen warmly as I speak. "Without her, I would be a goner many times, and I most certainly wouldn't have gotten here."
"Trust me, Reizen is not one to exaggerate anything." Iris comments. "If my girl only speaks facts, so do accept the compliments where it's due."
When Reizen nods in agreement, I have no other choice but to say. "Alright, just make sure to pull me down if the good words get to my head."
"Duly noted." Iris adds. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but when Reizen said that you built this whole base with the System given to you by the Matron Goddess of our religion, just how big is the base exactly?"
I smirk, eager to get into the brass tacks.
"For that, allow me to hook you up to the Base of Operations' internal network."