Flesh is Weak

Upon the Anvil of the Machine God are we remade.

The day began quickly enough with an early Monday morning working out and jogging. Koriel and I set the goal for the morning with an easy run around the block. When I got home breakfast and then push-ups for twenty minutes in the living room next to the beige couch. I got to thirty before it began to hurt but I pushed onto fifty. The numbness and pain made me get up and go to take a shower.

The heat helped get rid of the numbing and after I was done and dressed I logged into my computer to find a sword dojo to look for a teacher. I'm prepare myself to possibly run into Kiba or the Kendo Club with these lessons before I get an idea.

"Koriel are there devices that can teach skills faster? Like an indoctrination system that can give you the barest basics?"

Koriel is silent for a moment.

"There are devices like that but they don't make up for an experienced teacher."

I have a basic plan.

"True, but there are sword styles in the future that don't have counters to them here. I'd still need a practice partner however, if I can form a basic style that people can't recognize, then I will have another advantage over my foes. Make them be climbing up a hill rather than me."

Koriel is impressed by that.

"That's cunning. Playing to our strengths in making foes adapt to us rather than the reverse."

I don't gloat.

"This way, I can test the gear further, too. My imagination with your knowledge of the devices of the future and we can make new tech that will widen the gap further. Chaos isn't here thus, a being called Vashtorr will not make technological advancement a bad idea."

Koriel got curious there.

"Vashtorr?"

I nod.

"Vashtor was a minor Chaos deity supposedly born during the Dark Age of Tech. It was dark advancements made manifest and innovative ideas eventually fell under him. He was trying to become a major god with any advance and all advancements in technology feeding him."

That makes Koriel sick.

"We were doomed to stagnation in another way."

I nodded.

"You were, but we here are not. The Mechanicus is right some knowledge should not be reached for at all. Like to a degree AI but we can make a new philosophy there with lessons of the far future. I don't want to rule, but if we go down that path, it can be something we hammer into humanity."

Koriel grew worried at AI.

"You would bring Abominable Intelligence into existence!"

"I'm not a big fan of AI either. I'm not advocating for it just consider it. There was a massive theoretical in the hobby for why AI rebelled against humanity in the Dark Age."

That got my partner curious.

"What was the theoretical?"

I explained to her the theory.

"The idea was that a flaw was inserted into the Men of Iron by an agent of Chaos or that there was the beginning of souls with them, and again Chaos struck, corrupting them. Supposedly, we also had AI on our side during the cybernetic revolt. The only evidence of this was a very unreliable story with only one source that had a tale connected to it. I don't put too much stock in it, but it builds a basic argument for AI if true because people react differently thus, maybe machines souls can too?"

Koriel doesn't like that idea as a lifetime of teachings of the evil of AI rears its head, but she is that rare scientist in the future.

"It's a good theory. I still maintain that AI is dangerous. It will eventually outgrow us and will eventually be the logical choice to eliminate inefficient things."

"Yes, it is a good premise there. We might have to consider it. Again, I'm not on board with AI, but it might help eventually. These devices for indoctrination or education how complex are they? I don't want the same pain again, and what powers them?"

Koriel began explaining the devices and the power source two plasma generators. I hate that it is an answer to Terra and its energy problems. I could be the wealthiest person on the planet with that. The issue strikes there with no prior models to justify how the current model came into existence. No research that I can bullshit my way using. It's the problem of the future in reverse. Koriel understands my frustration.

"It's horrible being in that situation. When we get the reader up and working, we can find the first model and use that to secure that for the problem."

We share an anime moment of drooling over the possibilities of dark-age tech. Recognition for me and a source of funding for us. Give us the basis of our possible solutions for both exploration and, if needed, a way to sell the idea of a technocracy to Terra. Oh, this feeling is better than tits as we can help people at the same time. We continue to salivate at the possibilities. Oh, Machine God, that's a beautiful picture. Five minutes later, we finally collected ourselves. Koriel, however, still has a gigawatt grin like me. Oh, beautiful technocracy. How we can become more powerful and machinelike. I want that future. The plan, however, must be followed.

"We can oil our robes later. Machines first."

"Agreed on both. You called me something yesterday. Mood kindred?"

I blushed and scratched my head in embarrassment.

"A term from a fan in the hobby. He was a genius in making your stupid, wacky world even wackier. I miss that show. It was amazing. But that leads me to another question. Is it possible to preserve memories so we don't lose out on them? Because the human brain is amazing, but it degrades over time."

Koriel smiles there at the preservation of knowledge.

"There are. We are indeed this mood-kindred thing. Most would not consider that from what I'm gathering about this time."

I chuckled.

"Logic will be our greatest asset. There are a few here with that. My favorite character has that, but she has a crippling need for control and order. Understandable with her sister being a magic girl. I want to know if that is a true split personality or the real one. I also want to know if we are in a grimdark reality or one like the base universe's source material."

That discussion of realities gets us talking. I go down to the basement and begin to picture the machines. Interrupting the reality talk for descriptions of the indoctrination machine and the power source. I made them before continuing the enlightening discussion, and it only hurt a little. The more complex things I make build up the reservoir of energy? I'll write that down. As I was putting the machines away and hooking them up to the power sources, Koriel asked a question about a reality we had discussed.

"Truly, there was a place with giant sandworms. That gave a spice material?"

I nod as I hook up another generator to the machine that is a seat in front of an enclosed screen in the far right corner of the basement.

"There was, and the books were great. They laid the foundation of science fiction and, to a large extent, your universe for us. Dune was a bedrock work. It had very complex plots and was very anti-reliance on AI as well as strong messiah leaders. It's partly why I don't want to be Emperor. Tyranny is a slippery slope and can start out in the most innocuous way."

"Yet humanity has functioned better under strong centralized states. I say that despite being Martian. We were a very rare world in the Imperium, being a democratic society. Centralized systems can be extremely efficient."

I nod but counter.

"They can be if run right. They can become too cumbersome and frozen in inaction if they are too centralized. The Imperium kinda became the worst of both worlds thanks in part to a tyrant second only to the Emperor in scale. That stupid madman fucked entire worlds with his stupidity. The only good thing he did was help form the nuns with guns and their kick-ass pipe organ tank."

We continue the philosophy debate. Stopping again to make machines to mask the energy build-up in the basement. After that is done and they are powered, I go upstairs and have lunch of scrambled eggs. I cleaned up the kitchen and dishes before preparing for my midday run. Koriel and I have made a mental list of what we must do daily for the week. Running three times a day. Work the anvil in between, then eat and do your hygiene. With a few hours set aside on Friday for morale purposes and extra time for unexpected things.

Exiting the house and starting my run. I enjoyed the run and headed towards the park. Thankfully, I didn't see any devils on the way there. I started running around the park and enjoyed the endorphins' calming effects. I am about to leave the park when I accidentally run into someone. We both fell to the ground, and the sound of a female oofing made me blush badly and be a little terrified because this might be a devil. I quickly got up and began helping the person up. I'm both shocked and horrified to see who it is.

It's Issei or rather a female Issei. For fuck's sake, now I know who this can be! This was the woman from yesterday. The combination is either an extremely horny woman who is perhaps competent but more likely to be horny beyond belief with a highly perverted desire for either an all-male harem, an all-female one, or both! She might get thirsty for me! Plus, be stupidly convincing with her dumb amounts of charisma!

The female Issei looked up at me, and she was beautiful. She had long brown hair with warm chocolate brown eyes dressed in an earthy brown shirt, and a black skirt. She didn't immediately woof or be an open pervert. I do catch the pervert however seeing the lust in her eyes. This could be good? Maybe it's the somewhat competent one? Or is this a second Kiryuu? Oh, that's horrible too. Now, there are two of them!

She smiled softly, and I was immediately suspicious of that. Before she finally spoke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. I was thinking of something else."

Sure, you most definitely were. I do however help her up without hesitation.

"It's all right. My mind was busy with stuff, too."

Why did I say that! Her eyes widened significantly, and then she grinned pervertedly. She grabbed my hand and dragged me back into the park quickly. She then sat on the fountain and began speaking confidently and without a filter.

"Finally, I found a person of culture! Oh, how am I so lucky! Finally, I'm one step closer to having a person who understands me utterly! You're not an extremely open pervert like the two creeps at my school! Oh, we shall get along so well! Oh, thank the Shinto, I have a possible friend!"

I sweatdrop at the rant while her eyes are closed in pure happiness. Koriel is horrified, too. I can tell she was hoping I was exaggerating the perverted desires of this hero. Well, heroine now. The female Issei continued her rant, unaware of my discomfort and growing horror.

"Finally, I can talk about my greatest desire. A harem of my own! I have not had friends in so long because everyone views me as creepy and too perverted! But you're here and real! Oh, I have so many questions. What's your preferred part? What's your favorite color of hair? My name is Issari, what's yours?"

My brain short-circuited. I say something unconsciously and with no filter because this is not the possible competent one, and having no friends is horrible.

"The word you're looking for is mood kindred, and my name is Gregor."

Issari beams more at the action. Especially thinking over the word.

"Mood kindred? Yes, we must be that! Oh, it's so wonderful to meet you, Gregor-san! That name is from the United States, right? What prefecture?"

I'm still in shock, as is Koriel. I continue the unconscious responses. So wrapped up in the ever-growing horror unfolding.

"It's a state, and I'm from the state of Vancouver."

Why did I say that! I don't know anything about Vancouver! How is she this charismatic! Or am I just the biggest idiot being led by a master manipulator! Probably a bit of both! Koriel remained silent in pure horror. She is thanking the Machine God that she has me instead of Issari. Issari continued her evil ways.

"I don't know much about the United States. Is it true that you tip people there? Don't you also have hordes of guns and beer?"

I'm now offended because that's a massive stereotype at the end. Yeah, it's true, but where is the subtlety upon meeting a stranger! But I remember that she hadn't had friends in a long time. She's probably extremely rusty with social cues. Oh, this is horrible. I'm feeling pity for the pervert. I decided to be nice because this was probably like Asia and not having a friend.

"That's a stereotype with the guns and beer, but it's very true, too. Yes, we do tip waiters in the States. We don't have Japanese social norms of extreme politeness. In America, it's hard to make money when wages have not really risen for a few decades in many places."

Issari stopped beaming.

"That's not good. I didn't know that. I have a question, Gregor-san. Why is an American here in Japan, and why is your Japanese extremely good? I can't hear any accent it sounds like you were born and raised here."

I'm stumped because that is actually a good question. Why am I like that for her? I hear everything in English. I'm reading English on the signs and the menu, along with the websites that are clearly Japanese-based. I answer the question while avoiding the second half, hoping she is really extremely rusty with cues.

"I'm half Japanese. My mom was from here, and my dad was from the States. He was a businessman, and he and my mom met after the Cold War ended. They married, and my dad got citizenship here. Isn't today a school day for you?"

Issari really is a mix of a knucklehead and a competent thinker. It's scary how she flips between the two easily. She might be a scary fighter right from the get-go.

"That actually makes sense, I guess. We finished school last week. I do so, so I hope I get into Kuoh Academy. Then, I will be one step closer to my goal of being a harem queen! All the sexy ladies and the smart men will be mine! What school are you hoping to get in?"

Oh, Omnissiah, that's answered the reason for being there. It has logic, too, which is horrific. You need good grades for the school and it's mostly female, so there is that. Oh, this is horrible because she will spread like a horde of Orks. I go back to unconsciously responding while Koriel just started slamming her head against the walls of the gear about how much I wasn't lying about Issari.

"I see. I'm hoping to get into the school too for an engineering degree eventually, thanks to it all being one big multi-tiered school."

Issari beams more, and I realize I just keep digging a hole with this. She smiled shark-like.

"Oh, that's wonderful to hear! My mood kindred and I shall dominate the school together! We look about the same age so we will probably be in the same year. We shall be the ones getting our shared dream of a harem! I'm so happy to have found you! I must have a Shinto spirit looking out for me to have this day be the happiest in the last seven years! Together, mood kindred, we shall get our dreams!"

She kept blabbing on and on about how her harem would be the greatest thing ever, with the smartest men and women who could help her become more intelligent and more socially accepted. I'm now heavily leaning towards the fact she is a very likely social dragon. Oh, this is bad. I can't easily get out of this. She is a master manipulator. It's so very well hidden, but I can tell. She is smarter than the cannon, Issei. She is dangerous, and I now understand why she will cause problems for Rizevim and Ophis. Fuck she might be able to fight Vali somewhat competently from the get-go. She might tear Riser apart easily.

I was unconsciously nodding my head as she continued on her rant. I am resigning myself to being her friend as this does solve an issue I have with needing control of the situation. That does now bring up a moral question. Can I let her die to Raynare? It's always been very ambiguous if Rias did that intentionally or not. I slightly lean more toward yes it's intentional because you secure a possible powerful piece and can easily make the narrative work your way. I don't know if devils here are completely alien in their thought process and whether or not they have to continually feed their sins.

I'm extremely uncomfortable with that line of thoughts and letting Issari die. She seems like she is nice just a mega pervert with an extremely good heart. It is sad that kids and most adults just judge the outside without seeing that people are a mix of good and bad equally. My possible DND flaw is Chain-chan. Issari's is her mega pervert nature. Rias can be greedy and a spoiled brat, but she is kindhearted and does seem to care for her peerage most of the time.

I returned to the situation after Issari asked me another question, finally finishing her rant about how her hope is that her main waifu or husbando will have an extremely uncommon hair color, which makes me uncomfortable.

"Do you want to get lunch together, Gregor-san?"

I froze because this could be an attempt to get into my pants. Issari makes herself more terrifying because she does read this social cue.

"I mean as friends. We barely met, and I. I think we could be friends. Right?"

That was not manipulative. That was a very lonely person trying to make a friend. I can't hate her for that, and I feel regret because I had been a hypocrite judging her without knowing her.

"Sure. What places do you recommend? I'm trying to eat healthier, and I plan on doing lots of exercise. I heard they have multiple clubs in Kuoh Academy. Maybe if it's mandatory, I will join an exercise one."

Two can play that game since she is manipulative, too. I need practice for when I become a Fabricator-General and or maybe an Emperor I need it against practiced players. Her manipulative nature is for the harem. Mine will be for the betterment of humanity. Oh, Omnissiah, we actually might be kind of mood kindred. We are clicking and not just because of a possible social dragon thing. We are two sides of the same coin. She wants friends, and I can probably help her by being the normal one who gets her enough acceptance so that she actually has a chance. It would really help her to not be immediately lumped into the complete pervert category, like the two other perverts of the trio and Kiryuu. Issari smiled and then grinned perverted.

"Oh, that's a good idea. I'm using that and will join you! I know a few places that are cheap and serve healthy food. We are definitely mood kindred. Let's go!"

She dragged me off the bench and out of the park at an extremely quick pace. And I curse my empathy thinking. As does Koriel. She growled to me inside my head.

"You're an idiot. You deserve to suffer."

I mentally voiced my agreement.

"I am and do, but this makes steps ten and eleven easier. We save time there, and we can make the best out of this."

"I hate that you're still logical right now. You're helping a massive pervert get her goals easier. She could want to bone you if you keep playing too nice."

"Yes. But we can also steer her to be more competent than ever and make less work for us so we can be the tech man who is going to have to do more work on the side of making humanity stronger."

Koriel growled, hating that logic.

"Fuck you. I hate her so much."

Issari is still dragging me to a restaurant, and we are moving fast. She is also blabbing about how she is going to get a harem member who is a swordsman or swordswoman, who will teach her how to use that. I sighed, as did Koriel. Oh great, that's another thing we are both interested in. Issari will be like a tick that won't come off easily.

She dragged me into a restaurant that I didn't recognize, and got a waitress's attention. We were seated fast despite it being noonish with the place nearly empty. The room was well decorated and well lit, with the chairs being traditional in design, and the table was cozy. Issari smiled more than ever. She looks so very happy, and I feel bad for her seeing she is extremely lonely if I'm getting this extreme of a reaction from her. She smiled more, and after we ordered and got water, she asked more questions about me.

"You're getting an engineering degree you said. Is it for one of the new manufacturers that's opening up in the city?"

I drink my water and then answer. While watching for devils.

"I have thought about that, but I really want to push the field forward. I have several ideas that could be interesting to try out, but there will be lots of theories, first and foremost. What is your plan for the future?"

She sighed dreamily as I hit a kink of hers in being intelligent. I don't like that.

"That's nice to hear a dreamer talk. Everyone is too busy being stuck in the middle of not doing that. My plan is to be a potential poet possibly so I can use the pen to win hearts! Get me the harem faster and more efficiently if I'm good."

Oh, I hate that logic. Poems do win people over. Why does she have to use logic that's not completely insane? However, she missed the look on my face and continued.

"I so do hope that I can do that, but I'm not totally idealistic. I probably will get an office job and not like it. I can dream. What other things do you like to do, Gregor-san?"

I am nervous about that, but I remember a thing I really enjoyed. I miss my friend who had left that thing we both shared behind because of real life changes we both went through.

"I like strategy video games as well as city-building ones. I like the logic-driven parts of them. I'm not big on ultra-competitive ones, but they are great to play every so often."

Issari tilted her head in confusion. So, she is not a gamer.

"Aren't all games just shooters, though?"

I shake my head at the uncultured response.

"They are not. There are many types of games. Just have to explore what types you could enjoy. What's your main hobby then?"

Issari blushed ultra red. Why do that if you're a mostly open pervert? She stutters out very softly.

"I enjoy painting. Not just our shared interest. I actually like the possibilities art can create and how it's a way into the mind of the user. A glimpse of a being."

That's actually deep. She's not just entirely a pervert. There is enough of a cultural person there, too. I'm still in shock, and I don't correct her wrong ideas.

"I see. I'm terrible at painting. Never got the total hang of it."

Food arrived, cutting the conversation off a bit, and I enjoyed a second lunch with egg and salad again while Issari had a soup. We enjoyed the food and the comfortable silence. I froze upon seeing someone enter the restaurant. There is Sona and Momo. Both in their school uniforms, and both being pretty. Sona is like always not smiling. Her purple eyes are behind her glasses, and they are studying the room. They don't pay attention to me again. Sona did linger a bit on Issari, but only three seconds before she and Momo got seated.

Issari does catch that. She glanced over her shoulder towards the entrance, and she saw Sona.

"So you like that type of hair color. I can't blame you. She's pretty, but looks like she has a stick up her ass. The white-haired one looks more fun."

I bite down a nervous laugh and drink water to kill it completely. That describes Sona well. She does have a stick up her ass. However, anyone sane with a magic girl sister would have that.

"I'm sure she has a reason for that."

Issari shrugged.

"Probably, but she is not my type. Not enough of a certain thing. You do you mood kindred. It's so nice having someone who isn't shouting it to the rooftops. We are definitely going to be good friends."

Issari turned and began to watch Momo more intensely, and that let me sweat drop openly. You were shouting it to the rooftops earlier. I do watch Sona, and she doesn't pay attention to us. Why is she not sensing my gear? That's a weird question. Same with the language thing. I have several ideas, and none are good. Maybe I have something more to my family? Or maybe this is the remaining parts of the former soul of this person? Maybe it left things behind? I sit thinking that over while Issari is not drooling openly over Momo, thankfully. Just watching a certain part of Momo that confirmed the infamous part she likes. I sigh and realize that I am going to have to correct that.

I gently get Issari's attention by making a noise with my chopsticks. That gets her attention.

"You shouldn't do that. The staring thing. We don't win friends easily by doing that. Just a tip."

Issari blushed beet red again.

"She is just so sexy. You're right, but it's hard."

That last bit was a whine. I must try and make her competent.

"She is pretty, but staring doesn't make a good impression. Admire like art. That is how I do it."

Issari thinks about that, and Koriel sighs. She then just started pacing back and forth. I'm thankful that my body is not ultra-hormonal as I was a horny bastard as a kid. Issari finally nods her head in agreement.

"You're right. I will try that. It's a good analogy. You are definitely a person of culture."

I shiver because that's not my culture. She is a teen and they don't get that till their mid-twenties. Issari is still staring yet it is less now, but baby steps are good. I prepared to correct that again. I'm not Asia and her dragon-tamer bullshit, yet I'm going to become that. Before I could do that, the waiter returned and brought our check. That grabbed Issari's attention away from Momo. I offer to pay the bill. Issari narrows her eyes, and we start a glare off.

Lightning dances between our eyes, and I finally offer to split it half and half. Issari likes that more. We pay the bill, and then we get up after the waitress returns for plates. I don't like the fact Sona watched Issari more than ever as we left. She narrowed her eyes at me, too. I don't back down on her gaze. We watched each other for two seconds. Then she went back to reading her menu. We left the restaurant, and I said to Issari.

"Thank you for lunch, Issari-san. I have to get going. I need to finish my run, and then I need to do several other things. I enjoyed the talk."

Issari beams and then informs me of something.

"Please call me Issari-chan. Would it be alright if I call you Gregor-kun?"

I'm stuck here, so I nodded.

"Sure. I hope to see you again, Issari-can."

I was about to leave when Issari stopped me.

"Maybe we can hang out tomorrow and exchange phone numbers?"

I don't want to do either of those things. However, I'm stuck in this now.

"I don't have a phone, actually, and as for hanging out, maybe. I have lots of things to do this week. Maybe I'll meet at the park at the same time tomorrow if I'm free? I'll eventually get a phone, and we can chat more easily."

Issari nodded quickly.

"I'll give you my home number till then and sure if I'm not busy too. I have important things to do, too! It's wonderful to have met you, Gregor-kun bye!"

Issari skipped off after giving me the number. At least she is happier. I'm not, but that will become normal with being Fabricator-General and or Emperor if it happens. Rulers are very rarely happy. I began to jog my way home in silent thought because I was extremely confused about the language processing problem. That's really bugging me. It's not gear-based because Japanese was not a language of the future that I can remember. So, how are Koriel and I talking to one another? How can I understand the language? I need further testing on that.

I jogged home without issue, unlocked my door, entered the house, and locked the door quickly. Before Koriel appeared on my hand. She is not impressed.

"We are now tied to the pervert. You were not exaggerating about her."

I nervously scratched my head.

"It's usually a dude, but we got one that's not completely hopeless. I'm now worried as that is a major change. The timeline might not follow the same path."

Koriel nodded.

"Our presence might have changed the timeline. I was never well versed in that field, but it would make sense."

I hummed in agreement before making my way to my bedroom to continue looking up potential dojos for sword work for later this week. Tonight is the education system for swords. I really need to figure out why I can speak, hear, and read things in English. Why is it coming off as Japanese to a native speaker? Maybe I'm not completely human? Maybe my mom or dad was a supernatural being? Which is not good if we continue down the grimdark path logic. Maybe it is leftovers of the previous soul.

I entered the room and sat on my desk chair. Opening the laptop and powering it up. Koriel doesn't get how that works because I did not pray to the machine before opening it. I gently explained that it should work without the prayers, and that's because of how the warp works. It might have created a feedback loop that didn't stop. Only reinforced it till it became uncontrollable. That makes Koriel more pissed. Because she was now in a personal fight between centuries of teaching and the very hopeful desire for it to be that simple so you can focus on the hard science. That fight is why she stays silent while I search for a dojo. I found one that is decently close, and I hope there are no Kiba or Kendo club girls there. Because I hate the anime logic. I have had four separate encounters with devils in three days. I am eventually going to run out of luck in them not detecting the gear. Then Rias and Sona will compete for me like a hunk of meat at a butchery.

I really don't like that. I believe it was Sona who had the last dibs before Rias. With the timeline possibly being skewered, it might make Rias push extra hard for me, and I don't want that. I'm not going to give her anything from a lesser position. I am a sentient being, and I have rights too. Just because it might usually make right doesn't mean it should always. Yes, she is in a bad situation with her betrothal, but nobles have been doing that for an extremely long time. Did she really not try at all to make the best out of her situation? Or is Riser more of a disgusting person that we just don't see enough of to know his history?

I hate being a big-picture guy. Life is rarely the surface view. It has so many layers, like ogres and onions. Koriel tips her head there, but I just shake my head and refuse to elaborate. I do, however, think I'll go to the dojo tomorrow. I prepared the next ideas for experimenting. The language issues because that is bad with its problem. I open several sites in various tabs representing different languages. I start with Chinese.

It's coming off as English. I will try the next site in Spanish. Same result. Then Korean. Again, it's English. Finally, I do Russian, then Greek, and Vietnamese. All come off in English. That leads me to a theory.

"I might have a supernatural parent. Devils and angels, both pure and fallen, can instantly recognize languages humans have because of something connected to the Tower of Babel, I think. This has horrifying implications and possibilities if that is true."

Koriel is confused with the tower part. I explained that supposedly all languages humans have stemmed from that structure, and with all mythologies being right here, there is evidence for that. Along with the long-lived natures of the supernatural world's denizens, there might be people who were there for that.

Oh, we need to test this further. We have three species to draw our conclusions from. Devils, Angels and or Youkai. That last one is less likely, but I will start there and work my way up. Before I stand, I go get my parent's box and look at the pictures of my dad and mom again. I don't see anything unusual about them. Nothing stands out besides the eyes on my mom and the hair on my dad. However, with illusions being a thing, I can't trust the photos much. My dad looks a little older than my mom. My mom appears to be more relaxed in the photos than he is. Koriel shoots her shot here.

"What kind of ways can you tell you might be this part supernatural thing?"

"Perhaps through DNA. Along with imagining certain things. Devils and angels have wings. Youkai have additional body parts in the shape of animals. I don't think I'm a Youkai unless my parents did something to suppress my features to allow us to integrate with the mundane."

Koriel doesn't like that because it sounds like a mutation. Which is fair because that is usually connected to the warp. Chaos is not here, so there must be another reason. Maybe the supernatural world are warp entities that slowly evolved downwards into material beings. Or maybe they are mutants that became stable strains. There being gods like Big G and the creation of angels and, by extension, devils through the biblical scriptures puts a hole through that idea. I am preparing for my first test. I go to the center of the bedroom and then try to imagine wings on my back. Nothing happens.

I then try to imagine a tail or maybe a snout. Again, nothing happens. So, either no parent was supernatural, or there was a ritual. I try the second route with DNA. I go to the basement, open the door, and descend the stairs. I need to fortify the house more. Or better yet, I need a second base of operations so I can put a new layer between me and the eventual supernatural persona of me. I do like being a Skitarii, and the rebreather and the robes can help mask me further. Maybe carapace armor with the helm and armor plus the protection the robes give, and I can have a turtle defense of armor. That could work until I enhance myself up to new levels of power.

A single space marine can conquer a world. A single custodian can conquer multiple systems, and the Emperor can conquer a segmentum with his bullshit. I don't want to be a psyker because that crap is terrifying. I don't want to hear the voices too! Or see crap that really isn't there. Koriel gets the disdain for psykers.

"They are cursed with being badly needed and also hated. Old Night destroyed hundreds of worlds thanks to them. I won't cross that line and neither should you unless the situation changes dramatically."

I nodded.

"Psykers are batshit crazy. We also don't have the Emperor here to stick a shard in me to stabilize me. We also don't know how friendly or unfriendly the gods are. Warp spawn are dangerous and with how we feed them I don't like them."

"You will have to eventually explain how that works. I still find it difficult to believe that mortals can form gods. Are we the cogs of them? Now that you believe in the Machine God, are you not forming a new god?"

I summoned the anvil. Koriel is on the other side of it again.

"I can be forming the beginning of one. However, it takes many people to form a new one. I don't plan on forming a new religion with our beliefs. Those are usually suspect, but all religions do start out as cults and then slowly become mainstream. People have faith in the strangest things. Some people just take the greatest comfort in believing in something bigger than us. I believe in the Machine God because, for me, the anvil is a miracle beyond measure. Yes, the biblical god made the gear, but I chose this. Free will is amazing and horrifying."

We start with more power generators. Then, make a DNA machine. The basement is getting crowded with stuff but I will get rid of things once they are done with their use. I also need to learn to control the mechadendrites further. I'm not as tired as before, and I'm postulating that maybe being a perpetual helps with the soul energy, too. It might have helped solve that a bit. Hopefully, I prepare a needle for the poke after powering up the machine.

I poke and then drop a bit of blood on the scanner on a box-shaped object. The wound heals up. The machine whirls through the scan and shows me a message and picture of the percentages of my ancestry. And fuck, dude.

It's half unknown DNA that is not in the database it has set to the thirtieth millennium. There goes that hope. I have unknown DNA, and there was likely a ritual to suppress that. I'm not trained enough to get a hint of what it was or which side of the family it is from. I investigated it more. I let Koriel take control of my body for this because I'm an idiot. The sensation of not having control of my body is weird. She finally got the data narrowed down to what side of the family twenty minutes later.

"It's your father. What was the last name?"

I don't get that at all. I then think of potential people who have green hair, and there are not many characters I know of with said hair. I will have to research this further. I will need to try and get into the supernatural side more because I need to compare things.

"Mason. I will go through the family tree again as far back as possible. We need to dedicate a day to that and a week trying to get into the other side. I have a theory, and it's not good. I don't want that."

Koriel nodded, understanding the thought we both didn't want to voice out loud.

"I'll make the adjustments. Start the education on swords."

I willed the scanner away and then moved to the enclosed chair. I had created this with as many sword styles of the far future as was possible. Because I wanted to believe and know that the space marines hypno indoctrinated their neophytes with the basics before they hammered the actual training in. I sat in the chair, and then the session began. The circle spins as things are implanted into my mind.

When the session ended two hours later, my head hurt. I wobbled around after standing, and I unconsciously fell into a sword stance from the world of Baal. That's so very weird. I quickly moved towards the memory preservation machine, and then before I lost any more of my memories about the forty-first and second millenniums, I inserted them in the machine. It's weird because the memories are there, yet it feels like they are not there properly. I shrugged that off and named the machine.

"The anvil of knowledge. I will add everything I ever come across to it. Make the temple of all knowledge look like a washed-up crack house. Because I will never lose knowledge like the Dark Age of Technology. I'll make multiple backups. Because I don't want us to forget what could have been."

Koriel nodded in approval.

"The quest for knowledge is never-ending. We will have to search everywhere and through every single thing to collect it."

I chuckled.

"That's Sona's goal too. I'm not going to be in her peerage. I'm nobody else's tool."

Koriel smiled because this was not so bad for her. She is not stuck in the sea of souls. She is not with Issari, and we are the future of the Mechanicus. Not the past.

"We won't be. Now go run. Then, two more hours of education. Then sleep. Keep to the schedule."

I snarked at her, moving towards the stairs.

"Sure, big sis. I'll visit the kendo dojo on Wednesday. My exercise equipment probably will be here tomorrow. We also have to hide this all. Unless I put it in the living room."

Koriel is amused as am I. We continue our very long journey up the mountain. I really hope we can get through this and survive Issari and her thirst.

The run went off without an incident. No devils and no stupid perverts. I jogged around the park three times before returning home. When I entered the home, I immediately made a quick meal of rice and then went back downstairs for more education on swords. I'm debating if I want to go fully brutal onslaught or be logical and pick apart my opponents with pinpricks, wearing them down with a harrowing of attacks. Koriel says to do the harrowing because it and my regeneration factor can learn more opposing styles faster and counter them when we have them fully memorized. I need to increase my brain capacity for that and that requires enhancing machines which right now we will need more room for those.

I will, when jogging tomorrow, look for abandoned buildings in the area that might be a stray nest. Since they were trash mobs for the peerages to fight and they did that a lot. It would also mean more opportunities to have the devils run into me. Along with a larger chance of them learning my gear. Oh, the bad situation. We will figure something out. Hopefully, I will also get into the other side and find pictures and information about several people of interest.

Serafall especially. Azazel to a degree and then Kokabiel. We need to know how radically different this world is and if it's grim, dark, or actually really like the base world in its lightness. I hope it's the lightness. I expect the worst, being bitter and jaded. This, after all, is a universe with possible Orks and Rangdon. I really hope that my dad isn't who I think it might be.