Swarm Ascendant

While the Media landscape of Scania is mostly state-run or -sponsored, there is some diversity to be found. Still, after the blanket ban on advertisements in 2030, it was hard for private actors to finance...

--News of the World, a study, 2043

***

If I was going to be moving out, and preferably as soon as possible, I had some work to do beforehand. I sought out Dad, who was talking to two of the women we lived with, Greta and Kira, at the dining table. As I approached, he noticed me and cut off his gossiping.

"Yes sweet pea? What can I do for you?" Dad asked.

"Weeeell, I maybe have some big news."

"Again? What could possibly be bigger than becoming a Valkyrie?!" He protested, as the two women across from him looked on with curiosity.

"It's not really bigger, but... I may have been offered to move in to a new place."

"Oh no. But... Oh no! I thought you liked it here..." Dad was crestfallen. Kira reached over and began rubbing his arm.

"I'm sure she'll visit often." She said, looking at me.

"Yes. Yes! Of course I will. You'll hardly notice I'm gone at all." I quickly picked up the thread.

Dad seemed to be rallying. Slowly, but still.

"I guess it was bound to happen. Oh, they grow up so fast, and soon they're gone." He said to Kira, who looked over at one of her own kids, who was currently watching something or other on the TV. Dad shook his head, then looked at me more steadily. "Who are you moving in with? And where? Have you been hiding some girl from us?" He smirked at the last.

I blushed furiously.

"Hah, I knew it! Some girl has finally gotten her claws in my little Sylvi, and now she is moving out. Still, I am a bit disappointed I haven't met her, you'd think a Dad would..."

"Daaad!" I interrupted him. "It's not like that. I was invited to stay with the other Valkyries, at Valhalla."

"Oh. I see. That's... of course you would." Dad said thoughtfully.

"Oooh, now that is exciting!" Greta exclaimed. "Do you think we'll be allowed to visit? I've always wanted to go up there, see what it is like."

"I'm... not sure?" I hedged. "I'll ask, of course."

"Well, if this isn't worth celebrating, I don't know what is." Dad said, finally finding his cheer. "When are you thinking of moving out?"

"Well, I was hoping tomorrow, but if that's..."

"Tomorrow... Already?" Dad was back to being dejected. "I was hoping for at least another month with my sweet pea..."

Kira swatted him on the arm. "Come on, now. We were celebrating, remember?"

"Right. Right! Well, if that's the way it is, then we'll just have to make the best of it tonight. I'll bake a cake, and make a stew and... Kira, do we have any potatoes left? We'll need to invite everyone, and..." and Dad was off in planning mode.

I left them to it while word spread, and soon the place was a hive of activity. It wasn't a grand party, nor a fancy one, but it was a gathering of some of the people I liked best in the world, and that made it the best kind of party.

We ate good food and embarrassing stories were told about me and my exploits, which I took in the good spirit it was meant in. Dad told most of them, but even Mother dragged up a few tales I'd almost forgotten about.

I'd lived with all of these people for years, laughed with them, cried on their shoulders and now I'd be moving on. It was exciting, but also nerveracking. What if the people I'd be living with now weren't as nice, as understanding? But then I remembered Val would be there, and figured everything would be alright.

The party ended, and I withdrew to my room, sated both physically and spiritually. It was nice to know you had people in your life who would drop everything and come celebrate you like that at a moments notice. It was even nicer to know, as I had been repeatedly told, that I was always welcome back, to visit or to stay.

Well. Time to make even more friends with whom I could share life like that.

***

Next morning, and pondered my plans. Was I really going to rush into this, and move right away? I guess I was. I hadn't expected the decision to be made quite this suddenly, but I had sort of been on the lookout for an opportunity for a few years now, if something good were to present itself. Well, it hadn't taken the form I had expected, that was for sure, but it still felt like the right thing to do.

I was also feeling ravenous and slightly sore all over. I guess the Gene Treatment was kicking in. I sought out some food in the kitchen, and ate for what felt like two. Finally satisfied, I went back to my room and began packing my best clothes into a few bags, taking a few trinkets from my childhood with me as well, wrapping them in a set of bedsheets. I would come back some other time and clean up this place properly, but for now I'd just pack the essentials. I didn't have much to pack anyway, so it wasn't long before I stood in the middle of my room with two bags full of things, the room looking just a bit more abandoned than it had. My eyes fell on the posters of Valkyries that still hung on the wall. Those, I'd leave behind for sure. Now it was time to go live with the real versions.

***

I had sent a message to Val, indicating that I'd like a pickup and transport to Valhalla. She sent an affirmative back, letting me know she'd have a hover van waiting for me on our roof soon. So, I changed into my armoured suit, put on my helmet and picked up my bags, then headed towards the exit. On the way I ran into some last minute well-wishes from the people I'd been living with. One kid had drawn a crayon rendition of me that was as sweet as it was terribly proportioned. I thanked them all and assured them that I'd be back soon, if nothing else then because I still had some things to pick up. With that done, I left the apartment complex and headed for the elevator, where I found a novelty: a drone that wasn't my own following me.

I wonder who's following me around like that?

[It is controlled by an amateur news-broadcaster from a food-court in an adjacent megabuilding.]

That's... I don't know how to feel about that. Why would... Oh right, Valkyrie. I guess I am newsworthy now.

[Indeed.]

How did you know? Wait, don't tell me: you hacked the connection.

[Of course.]

Hmm, I don't want to have this drone follow me around the place. Can you disable it?

[I can show you how.]

What followed was a brief introduction to cyber-warfare, which ended with me taking over the controls to the offending drone and shutting it down in the hallway. I figured the owner could come pick it up if it was precious to them. Now a bit paranoid I had my own drones sweep the area around me the rest of the way to the roof, and again once I reached it, but didn't find any more drones lurking about. Satisfied, I stepped out onto the roof and approached the van waiting there. It was as nondescript as a hover van could be. I guess not even Ghost Widow wanted to always be riding a giant spider mech around. I mentally shrugged and reached for the door. It was locked.

Stumped, I took a step back. Maybe I'd gotten the wrong van? But the roof was pretty much deserted, so...

I decided to message Val.

The van unlocked moments after I'd sent the message, startling me. More of her pranks, perhaps? Regardless, I took it as a sign and opened the door, then considered hesitantly.

I sent Val another message.

A reply came back after a brief pause.

It read.

Satisfied I got into the van, putting my two bags on the passenger seat. It really was a bit much for how little I was bringing. Regardless, as I settled in, the van took off and set off towards the sky fortress, Valhalla.

I arrived without incident and landed in the same hangar. I collected my bags and stepped out of the van, then seeing no one here, I hesitated for a few seconds before walking towards the door to the armoury and further into the base.

I entered the living room to find Val in conversation with a woman I didn't recognize. They were sitting on a couch quite close to each other, in casual clothes.

As I entered they looked over to me, and Val greeted me.

"Ah, Sylvi, there you are. Or should I say Hornet? Either way, welcome back!"

"Thank you!" I put down my bags and took off my helmet. It only seemed polite. "Sylvi is fine, I haven't really gotten used to Hornet yet, anyway."

"Sylvi, this is Katherine, also known as Titanite." Val put an arm around her shoulders, then stage whispered towards me. "Kath here was just complaining that I shouldn't invite every stray I come across to come live here."

Katherine blushed. "No, what I was saying was that you should at least talk to the rest of us before you decide on such things. Anyway, it's nice to meet you Sylvi."

"Oh come on now." Val grinned. "Sylvi is too cute and pretty to be a problem, isn't that right Sylvi?"

Now I was the one blushing. "I-I guess? And it is nice to meet you too, Katherine, I hope we'll get along."

"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine." Katherine said quietly.

"Good! Now that you've become friends, we can show Sylvi to her new room!"

Val got up, then dragged Katherine up after her. Katherine didn't seem that enthusiastic about the whole idea, but followed along after some insistent tugging. I picked up my bags and followed along as Val lead the way up a flight of stairs then down a corridor.

"This is my room," She gestured towards a door. "And you'll be right in here next to me!" She opened a door into a rather spacious, but also rather empty, room, which she led the way into. "You have a private bathroom, we can move the view-screens if you prefer them elsewhere, and we can get you started on some basic furniture if you'd like. So, what do you need?"

I looked around a bit helplessly for a bit.

[Perhaps I can help out here.]

A ghostly outline of a bed appeared in my augs, snapping around the space before settling into place, right where I wanted it. Then more furniture appeared and disappeared, in various places and configurations.

[I'm sampling your responses to get a rough outline into place before we move over to detail work. The items are all pulled from catalogues which Ghost Widow has most graciously indicated we can generate on a local matter reconfiguration machine. Do you mind if I share the results with Ghost Widow and Titanite?]

Uh, no, go ahead and share it.

[Done.]

The flickering ghost furniture continued to change shapes and places for a few minutes, before it sort of settled down into a steady state. It was... nice. Cosy. Most of it was made of a pale wood, which I thought made for a bright and breezy look alongside the white walls.

"Very nice and classy, Sylvi." Val commented next to me, as she looked around. "You should get a splash of colour in here, though. Maybe a rug or a painting? Ooh, some plants would be just the trick."

Instantly a nice rug appeared on the floor and a bunch of plants appeared on various shelves and surfaces, including some rather large ones on the floor. It wasn't a jungle, it merely accented the place with living greens here and there.

I... rather liked it.

"Won't this be a bother to tend to and keep alive?" Katherine said sceptically.

"I can set these up to water themselves, and if it's just a bit of pruning and nipping, I think I have enough hands to take care of it. I love it. Thank you Eyon, Val."

[My pleasure.]

"No problem, I barely did anything. So far. You can thank me once we've gotten some actual stuff in here."

And so we set off to find a machine to make my little dream into a reality.