Chapter 1 - I didn't know...

So… this is death.

I didn’t know it would be so… wet.

I tried to open my eyes, move my hands.

Yep. Nothing works. That’s something I expected.

I let my mind drift for… I don’t know how long. Does time even have meaning if nothing changes?

Wait. Something isn’t right.

I could… I could feel something. Mana, a tiny amount...

Either death has mana… or I’m not dead. And if there is mana…

Launch Protocol E012.

Launching emergency connexion protocol. Answered a smooth yet robotic voice. All in my head, of course. I couldn’t use my mouth, if even I had one.

…Main Control connected. Warning: Control Tower in Sleep Mode. Mana Reactor offline. MIDAR system offline. Computing Crystals 002 to 480 offline. Storage Crystals offline.

What? What happened?

Processing… done. Sleep order, class I, from unit registration number I31-F-XILDEMAPHEWOKAJANV.

Class I… An Imperial order, from an Imperial unit? I31-F… third generation, max twenty years after my death, female. How much time did the Control Tower stay in Sleep Mode?

Warning: the control tower has lost power during an unknown amount of time. The main clock has started counting down again since. Minimal estimated time, sleep mode and unpowered state included: 70 years.

Thanks Psaï. Connect me to the computing crystal that’s still online, please.

...Done.

Perfect. Launch an analysis of my magic.

In progress… done. Magical capabilities are limited due to two factors:

- Your soul is weaker than before.

- Your neural network seems underdeveloped.

My soul is weaker?

Verification… precision: your soul is in a juvenile state.

...Aggregating data… hypothesis: you are in a juvenile state.

Juvenile? I am a child?

Data harvested so far seems to support this hypothesis. Shall I make it our workable theory?

...Show me the data before.

Sure.

Status: Fetus.

Parameters: In acceptable range.

Age: 18 weeks.

Sex: Female.

Race: Human 87%, 2% Dragons, 3% Dvergar, 7% Dökkálfars, 1% Ljósálfars.

Ha. Okay, yes. Make your hypothesis into a workable theory. So I’m in a fetus inside a biotank?

Analysing… Negative.

Then what?

Data tend to show that you’re into a living organism.

Not a machine? Am I in an Entropic Incubator?

No trace of corruption has been detected in the living being carrying you.

You’re telling me I’m in a healthy, normal human?

Data are consistent with this hypothesis.

I am… in a human. A living, breathing, normal human.

Yes. Do you want me to show you their details?

uh? ah, why not?

Name: Processing data.

Status: Adult.

Parameters: Undernourished. Vitamine deficiency. Fat deficiency.

Recommend intervention, need nourishment.

Age: 24 years.

Sex: Female.

Race: Human 87%, 1% Dragons, 5% Dvergar, 3% Dökkálfars, 4% Ljósálfars.

A human. How did you get her genome analysis?

The human is connected to you by blood. I extracted and analysed a cell from her system.

Okay, myself, remember, you studied humans, what’s this again? A body in another one, nurturing it…

Pregnancy.

That’s it, thanks. Pregnancy. So this young human girl is pregnant… with me?

Seemingly.

...Fuck. Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck. Psaï, what happened? Do you have access to memory bank from after Evercore Operation?

Working… The OP was successful, at the price of your’s and Radiance’s life. However, I can’t access further data, as per the Control Tower current state.

Tch. Restart the Mana Reactor, please.

Impossible. The imperial order is locked down.

Fuck that. Registration number C00-NB, Override code Absolute Volition.

Overriding Imperial order… successful. Warning: in its current state, the Control Tower can’t be fully rebooted. Mana grid empty, multiple degradations of the whole system due to prolonged unpowered time.

The shields were down and the solar radiation fucked up the grid?

Indeed.

Okay. With the exclusion of the Computing Crystal CC-02, reboot the whole system, then power the emergency restoration modules in ultra-high precision mode. Estimate duration of the work and steps of the reboot.

Processing… done. Jumpstarting the secondary reactor to bring the stellar shields only will take at least 9 months. No estimation beyond that point can be done for now. An update will be delivered as soon as the first stage of the repairs is done.

Thank you Psaï, you’re an angel.

You’re welcome, mother.

I… I am a bit tired now. I think I will sleep.

Goodnight.

Thanks. Don’t overwork yourself while I sleep.

Yes.

…

…

…

Did I sleep?

Hello mother. You slept 507 hours 35 minutes 55 seconds.

I SLEPT FOR 3 WEEKS?

Unsurprising, as you’re in a very young juvenile form.

...Yeah. Yeah, that does sound right. What’s the status of the Tower?

Work progress at the estimated rate.

Show me the… the data of my mom, please.

Name: Processing data.

Status: Adult.

Parameters: Undernourished. Vitamine deficiency. Fat deficiency.

Recommend intervention, need nourishment.

Age: 24 years.

Sex: Female.

Race: Human 87%, 1% Dragons, 5% Dvergar, 3% Dökkálfars, 4% Ljósálfars.

Tch. She is still malnourished? Shouldn’t people feed her more since she’s pregnant, what’s going on?

Multiple causes hypothesised.

High probability only please.

Copy:

Poverty.

Famine.

Unstable community situation.

Low output period.

Aren’t children the future of any nation? That’s why I dislike poverty. Inefficient.

How does this impact her? And me? Wait, is she in pain because of that?

In order:

It impairs your development. It weakens her and makes her a prime target for any sickness. And, adding malnourishment to the already painful condition of pregnancy only makes the standard pain of this procedure more pronounced, so in a way, yes, it is painful to her.

I fell my heart tightening. I commanded armies and killed thousands, and for every last one of them I made suffer, I was sick. But this was necessary.

On the other hand, I never could stomach the act of hurting someone for no reason. It was already hard enough when it was justified, but without any goal or objectives, I tried my all to never make anyone suffer.

What can we do? I can’t see myself bringing her the food she needs, but I’m sure we could mess with the balance of resources or optimise some processes. Pull all base body mod from my genetic data ba… wait, fuck, we can’t do that, can we?

We can’t indeed, as your body is now… well, new? I’ll need to remap its entire genome and, of course, all data stored in cellular data bank are lost with your previous body.

Of course. Wait. But why are you still here then?

I engraved myself in CC-01 as you died. That’s also why CC-01 is still working.

Ha? Hahaha, well, that’s my child! I’m proud of you! Even if you surely broke half of the treaty on AI by doing so.

Thanks, mother. It was still the same robotic voice, but a flickering emotion could have been felt from its voice. Happiness? Childish pride?

Okay, then pull all the blueprints I’ve in my memories and in yours.

That will not be much.

I know, but I can’t stay here trying to twiddle my own fingers till my nervous system deem it acceptable, right?

You could, but you’re not one to do it.

Yeah, thanks, I can’t sit tight more than needed. I did it for nearly 10 years, I’m not doing it again.

Of course. All data have been pulled and aggregated.

Okay. What Computational Power do we have?

59Qbits of CP.

Urgh. Okay, we’ll need to work with that. Wait, you’re using only 5 Qbits?

I’ve already transferred part of the load on your own system.

Oh? I'll need to study the effect of AI integration in the nervous system of a fetus then, but later.

Yes mother.

For now… okay. Base body modification. Deep but subtle.

Parameters:

No patient awareness of the operation. Also, no pain or negative effects.

Optimise all energy extraction process. Modify her guts, she needs to absorb as many useful things out of what she eats as possible. Diminish energy consumption of the muscle and the brain. Do we have synthesis in our blueprints?

Simple ones.

Complex enough to synthesize vitamins?

Yes, but it will take a bit of energy to make her body produce the vitamins by itself.

Do it, and regulate it as to keep her in the normal parameters, the low ones.

Of course.

Also, regulate her hormones too. If I remember well, having a fetus inside you is like having a parasite, it’s an extremely taxing war. Stop my body from unbalancing hers too much, try to keep her as healthy as possible. Clock down my growth rate and diminish the nutrients I absorb. Let’s try to make this the less painful for her as possible.

I’ll need to partially reconstruct her muscle to optimize them. I’ll use EB/012 strain for that.

Yes, sure, the Enduring Battle series was made for that. I’m surprised we have them.

You stocked it in your mind.

I can’t remember everything I did and why. I surely thought it was a very elegant or efficient build or something, like a must-have.

Valid hypothesis.

Okay, I think I’ve asked everything. Any suggestion?

Based on your data, it seems that childbirth is a traumatic event both for the child and the mother. Can I make modifications to optimize the process, making it least painful and more likely to succeed for both of you?

What do you have in mind?

Pelvis resizing to accommodate childbirth more smoothly. Cervix and vagina structure change to augment resistance. Better expulsion system for the placenta, less chance for it to get stuck.

Won’t this take more resources from her?

Yes.

Then do it only if you’ve spare, understood?

Understood.

Okay, let’s build the Spell based on everything we said.

Processing data… inputted data processed. All information on standby, ready to build the spell.

Three, two, one, go.

Our consciousness melted and fuzed in the strange trance of spell design, a trance I got accustomed to a long time ago.

This was a bizarre and beautiful dance. Together, connected to the Computing Crystal, time lost it’s meaning as our thoughts were exchanged at the speed of light.

There a dot, there a line, shaping a magical construct like some godly architect and its almighty brush.

Done. And, saying that, we split.

Urgh.

Ha.

A shame we can’t stay like that for long. Even more since we lack CP.

Indeed…

Something on your mind?

I missed this.

Mommy is sorry. I said with genuine sadness, something rare.

Don’t be. You sacrificed yourself to Evercore. Now you’re back.

Yup. Let’s mentally cuddle work on spells more in the future!

Yes. Please.

Yup yup! Now let’s see this spell of ours. Hum. Less complicated than I thought.

Our resources are limited after all.

Indeed. Okay, 3 weeks of casting. I’ll try to help you, but my current state I won’t be awake often.

Of course. Let’s begin.

Let’s!