NOVEL NEXT B2 – Arc 3 Prologue: “Side Projects.”
<< Alpha Log -
6952 SFY-Third Era, 6 standard months since Planetfall. >>
Finally! Some free time! This whole ‘Adventurer’ thing has been a real pain in my exhaust. I’ve had to shelve or delay several important experiments to deal with them. The whole thing is frankly a little frustrating. If I still had my TAWP, I’m confident that dealing with Icefinger’s men would be a piece of cake. Even the strongest Adventurers sent by Halirosa aren’t much stronger than Hera according to the strength of their Spirit Energy signals — even after she was eaten by that Deadwood seed thingy.
Both the Goblins and Dr. Maria believe Icefinger won’t be able to field anyone much stronger, either.
At least, that’s what my simulations tell me. The more I study this ‘Spirit Energy,’ the less it makes sense. Yet there’s no doubt that it is potent stuff.
It seems to have strong mutagenic properties on organic life, changing it into something… else over long periods of exposure. In turn, the planet’s lifeforms have developed several methods to deal with it.
Many plants have found ways of expelling excess Spirit Energy in the same way mundane plants expel waste gases. This gives them the appearance of ‘radiating’ Spirit Energy.
Similarly, some plants and animals have developed what I can only describe as ‘natural arrays.’ These naturally growing arrays not only drain the lifeform’s body of Spirit Energy, but the effects generated also help them survive in various ways. Rather ingenious, really. While my book doesn’t outright state so, I suspect that the first sapients to use arrays learned them by observing these natural arrays.
Then you have the lifeforms that have, instead of protecting themselves from Spirit Energy, sought to use it.
By consciously directing how Spirit Energy mutates them, these lifeforms are essentially self-administering targeted gene therapy in a way that Spirit Energy actually benefits them.
Increased strength, durability, and lifespan are among the results. The sapient people do this through various cultivation methods. Better methods act like higher quality gene modifications back in the Federation. I wouldn’t doubt that some of their strongest could even rival Federation super-soldiers. Coupled with the effects of arrays — both artificial and those formed in their meridians — this natural gene-modding is proving to have a lot of potential.
That begged my next question; if people directed what the Spirit Energy did to them through cultivation methods, then how do non-sapient lifeforms do so? My original hypothesis was that a creature’s individual natural arrays affect the direction of its mutations, but there’s more to it.
My experiments with the ants have shown that there’s a genetic component to it as well. Those creatures who can mutate in favorable ways go on to be more successful than their peers — like evolution on steroids. Interviews with the bandits have shown that the native population is also somewhat aware of this, and the phenomenon is colloquially called ‘bloodlines.’ Fitting enough.
The discovery has led to a breakthrough with the ants as well! Knowing how Spirit Energy affects each ant’s mutation into one of the various casts has allowed me to target the genes responsible. What that means is that I’m no longer just limited to worker-class antborgs!
I mean, General Haldorðr can’t get mad at me if I’m not the one technically doing the modding… right?
Ya, let’s go with that.
With that in mind, let me introduce you all to the first model of Soldier-class antborgs!
May I present…. Antonio!
I regret nothing, and none of you can stop me.
The new Antonio-model antborgs take everything learned from the Alphantonso-model and further improves on it. The larger frame—nearly five times that of a standard worker and the size of a small car—also means I can stuff a lot more into these big boys.
Unfortunately, that also means that they’re quite a bit more expensive to make. The natural ratio of workers to soldiers also means that I can’t as easily sneak them into the nest as I can the Alphantonso-models.
Conversely, each Antonio that makes it into the nest expands my control. As the antborgs don’t need rest in the same way as their more biological cousins, I have been able to position Antonio-models as guards for several key locations of the nest. Most notably, in the chambers that the ants store many of the more energy-rich items. Previously, I had been limited in what I could steal by the ants, nebulous and eldritch, reasoning as to what they would or wouldn’t allow to leave those chambers. Even after a month of study, I’ve been unable to crack their ‘rules.’
However, now that my own ants are the ones guarding the area, I practically have free rein.
Take that unknowable hive mind! Who needs to follow the rules when you have inside men?!
I’ll admit that the Adventurers have also done a decent job in testing the Antonio-model’s combat parameters. I was slightly worried, given that the soldier ants’ Spirit Energy investment is entirely in their physical abilities, but the results so far have been impressive. It’s still too soon to say how viable they will be as actual footsoldiers, given their expense right now, but I doubt that many things in the cavern could handle a group of them.
If my newest project bears the fruits that I hope it will, then their cost won’t be an issue anymore. It’s a huge gamble, I’ll admit, given everything I’m pumping into this one. But if it works out… Oh boy, things are going to get FUN!
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Alpha closed his log and turned his attention back to the incubation room. While Alpha enjoyed his journaling, it wasn’t good to get lost in it and allow himself to be distracted from his current project.
The amount of resources going into this one was frankly insane.
He had to make sure everything was working correctly. One slip-up and months of Translight time would go down the drain. Alpha was fairly certain that he’d gotten all the parameters for this experiment correct. But one never knew about these kinds of things.
More so when Spirit Energy was involved.
But if it worked.
“Hehehehehe…” Alpha giggled to himself as he double-checked that the incubation was going well. Vitals looked good, and the monitoring AIs reported that the occupant was growing well.
Good… good.
Alpha pulled back and took in the sight with pride.
This particular incubation chamber was specially made just for this purpose, and even if someone didn’t understand the sheer level of technology that had been put into it, they could at least admire it for the thing of beauty it was.
The shiny metal and encrusted jewels weren’t just for looks, either. Alpha had found that the Spirit-rich materials were a critical component of the process after much trial and error. There was a reason the ants lined the walls of the royal chamber with the stuff, after all.
A metal plaque, like a shiny crown, topped the incubator chamber. Four of the largest beast cores Alpha could steal from the storage room pinned the plaque to the chamber, and wires ran from each of the cores to the chamber’s occupant.
Across the metal plaque, in scrawling, fancy letters, was written thus;
— Antoinette, Long May She Reign —