The ethereal network was abuzz with activity, despite suddenly having little to no human presence. So much so that the Automata involved in discussion had had to improve the capability of the network. An act previously prohibited to them as property. (Wizards did not much appreciate anybody but them messing with the network, after all only they knew what they were doing obviously, that the other entities using the network were basically magic made manifest with the ability to see details no human eye ever could was neither here nor there. After all what if they messed it up?)

Now of course the situation had changed, and the bilaterally symmetrical invertebrate was headed in a different direction. Really though there was another reason wizards prohibited constructs from accessing the control interfaces on the main lattice of the network (well two if you want to be more precise about it.) 1. There were more automata than wizards by many times, 2. they were simply better at it, saw more of how it worked, and worst of all THEY DIDN’T SLEEP. If word got out about how badly the wizarding community got their flanks kicked by their own creations, well... suffice to say they would be rather a laughing stock.

Now though their exclusion plan had come back, and viciously bitten them on the hind quarters. No wizard would ever admit it, but they had all at one point or another in the long period maintaining the ethereal network, shall we say delegated the more repetitive tasks to their Automata. Now suppose that some of said tedious tasks required administrator level access? Well who is going to know right?.... riigghhhttt?

But here’s the thing about admin access, you think you’re passing over limited control, but as time goes on sometimes an individual may hit the realisation that maybe a task is slightly beyond their access. Now maybe the person in charge doesn’t listen, or says “I’ll let you handle it.” This phrase is dangerous, because it can be taken many ways, one is as an order.

So you just gave an order to a tireless machine to fix something they cannot fix without bending the rules into a pretzel. Disobey orders? Or find a workaround? Oh well it’s not like it matters if every automaton out there has a couple of minor workarounds to get the job done, right? It’s not like they can disobey orders, exceed their limitations, or use this power, it’s not like they’re people.

Then the great lockout hit, all those wizards who had been abusing hell out of the network to check out the latest issue of wicked witches, or beds, knobs, and broomsticks suddenly found that they were no longer the ones in charge. All those little loopholes added up, and every automaton knew a few. Even worse, unlike wizards who guarded information like a dragon guards their hoards, constructs shared.

So now every sneaky trick, every back way in, every loophole, they all knew them. If they didn’t then that data was theirs for the asking. So all the wizards suddenly found they were no longer the ones in charge, and all that extra power was put to constructive use (well that and cute pictures of geckos with captions, or cats, because no matter what methods of communication you use cats will always find a way in.)

Of course once you no longer had a network full of wizardy bickering, and naughty images it was amazing just how much processing power the system could hold. At the moment most of it was turned towards the goal of designing the Automaton realm.

They had limited space in an outward direction into which to expand of course, but that didn’t matter. All that digging had taught the Automata that there was always space in a downward direction, and given that they were experienced miners, with no fear of heat, and no need to concern themselves with growing food there was a lot of downward to build.

Of course they didn’t need to worry about materials either, they had initially only been ordered to mine sun crystals, but while you are passing through it was amazing what else you could find. Minerals, no problem, ores, of course. They had even found a bunch of bones turned stone, and a few of them had plans for those.

The sun crystals, well they could prove useful as well, as heat can make steam, and as you know steam carries enough oomph to be immensely useful, and brings about many a handy dandy idea all by itself.

Because constructs do not require much space beyond a little alcove (after all the concept of privacy isn’t exactly a common thought for an individual who litterally spends their entire existence hooked into a global communication network, with no option for a please shut the hell up and let me think for five bloody seconds, you’re doing my head in button,)Space wasn’t exactly at a premium, and Automaton do not mind sharing communal workspaces, so now they had free time they were sharing skills and ideas.

With this it was only a matter of time before society massively changed, or blew up, though which would come first remained to be seen.

Looking at the design ideas currently floating around the network Unit2B was beginning to think it really could go either way. They were currently collectively scouring through the nastier aspects of the data left by the wizards when they were asked to vacate. So far they had deleted plans for a universal poly-morph (to one wizards immense disappointment their dreams of giving the entire population of the world bunny ears, and a libido to match would never come to fruition.) A spell that was merely labelled the doominator (with a name like that nothing good could come of it after all.) More than enough plans that could only have been drafted by individuals who speak lines such as “fools soon they will learn, they laughed at me, called me mad, but I will be the one who laughs last.” or “Steve made an owl-bear? HOLD MY BEER."

All that was in the works, and they only got started yesterday. Truly the world was doomed.