"Do I have to curtsey and call you Majesty and stuff?" Octavia asked and shrugged. "Why not?'
"Uh, yeah. Let's go with that. I'm okay with her—she's on board," Anna said, and killed the connection.
"Your choice. I can go back to trying to kill you, if you'd prefer," I said.
"You were doing pretty bad at that," Octavia said.
I was, but then I'd been bringing up some toxic gas from the levels below. I had stockpiles enough now that I could flood the entire level if this didn't go as needed.
"That isn't an answer," I said.
Octavia grinned. "Tell her Majesty I'm on board, digital hotness."
"It's Emma."
"I like my name for you better."
I'd keep the poison gas on hand. For now though, with all we faced, I was happy to have any support we could get.
41
A week passed. It was enough time for us to finally clear out the entrance. I repaired my exterior cameras, but there wasn't much I could do in terms of weaponry that might manage to hit an airship.
It was also time for my research project to complete.
You have an unspent core point.
Core points can enhance your competencies and open up new options for Research and Manufacturing.
Research Menu
"Runner"
Runner possesses a speed core granting her enormous speed of body and mind. You have two possible rewards from this research.
Accelerator
This chamber will offer a modest increase in speed for all base facilities and defenses based on their level.
Speed Matrix
With the Speed Matrix you can upgrade biological entities with the hasted ability granting them a lesser version of the speed Runner herself possesses.
They were intriguing possibilities. The first option sounded like it would improve the speed of everything in my base, but by a modest amount, although that would scale over time. The second would give me an upgrade I could apply. With a number of my functions now biological that meant I'd be able to apply it to them as well, although at a cost in core points.
I preferred the passive upgrade. Not all of my systems were biological, and core points were a precious commodity. While I'd love the ability to mix something like the Speed Matrix in a Fire Matrix in a defender, I could have a lesser version of that at half the cost.
You have an unspent core point.
Core points can enhance your competencies and open up new options for Research and Manufacturing.
Your options are:
Research 4
Research 4 will allow you to institute advanced testing protocols. These protocols will halve the research times of all projects. In addition, when beginning a new project you will gain an enhanced breakdown of the possible benefits.
Military 2
Military 2 will allow you to control a greater number of defense drones. There is power in numbers.
Manufacturing 1
Manufacturing 1 will allow the production of automated minions. They are capable of autonomous facility repair and will halve all build and production times for new facilities.
The Military upgrade had already proved its worth and going that route again was tempting. The Manufacturing was as well, I truly was weak in some of my fundamentals. The Research upgrade seemed underwhelming, although I suspected that as the level continued to increase some vastly better rewards might be found further along that path.
Ultimately, I wanted to be a SCIENCE facility and that meant I needed to do SCIENCE. I took the latest Research upgrade.
I granted Bernard a full teleportation upgrade and sent him scouting the surroundings so that I could get an idea of what was going on out in the world.
He didn't need long to report back.
It was a small-scale war. The three Scholar airships hadn't left and were regularly engaging the gangs on the ground. They were winning handily, their firepower more than any of the gangs could match.
I called my council, such as it was, together. Projecting details of what was going on for Anna and Mechos.
"They're hunting cores while they're in the area. They'll get bored, eventually," Anna said.
"Are you certain of that?" Mechos asked.
Anna gnawed on her lower lip for a long moment. "No. This area has a higher core density than it's supposed to. Higher than it says in the records."
"Bad record keeping? Were you in charge of it?" I asked.
"I was, actually. I was hiding this laboratory," Anna said. "Those ships are flying Lady Sylax's colors. It isn't beyond her to try to make a claim for this place."
"I'm not familiar with the name," Mechos said.
"Her colors are black and red. How much more do you need to know? Sylax likes to play the vamp and really likes shedding blood."
"Did you two finish with the shielding?" I asked.
"You're hidden. And they'll likely think I was poaching cores and ran off," Anna said.
"You do seem like a thief."
"I do, and they'll want to believe it. That means they don't have to report my presence and that means they have more time to operate off the books and try to establish their own claim," Anna said.
"If they do claim this area, what will it mean?"
"They'll be here in force. They'll use disruption towers to weaken the physical laws still in effect," Anna said.
None of that sounded particularly good.
"I'd rather not have that happen, “I said.
"The question is, can we stop it? They appear to have a considerable technological advantage," Mechos said.
"We can't. I've said it before, you're not ready for this fight yet. We stay low and we poach cores, and we don't get involved," Anna said.
"What about the Righteous?" Mechos asked.
They were the logical alternative. They had at least one airship of their own and they were at ideological odds with the Scholars.
"They're fuckers that want purify everyone and everything with a core. They aren't really your friends," Anna said.
I didn't doubt her. I knew that they weren't my friends, but that didn't mean that we couldn't have a common cause.
"I have the frequency they used to contact us before. I can reach out to them," I said.
Anna let out a low breath. "Emma, have I steered you wrong yet?"
Despite her many shortcomings, Anna had always tried to be a good partner. I recognized that.
I said, "No, but you're too close to this, Anna. It is making you even dumber than usual."
"For what it is worth, I agree with Emma. I don't trust the Righteous either, but they are our best option," Mechos said.
Anna scowled at us both, but then nodded. "Fine. I'll play nice, but on your heads be it."
It was settled then. I had a call to make.
42
"This is the Righteous Purifier," said a drawling male voice on the other side of the communications channel.
"This is Emma. We need to talk."
"One moment. I'll get you Commander Danik."
It took a minute for a new voice. Gruff and male.
"This is Commander Danik of the Righteous Purifier. I understand you wish to take us up on our offer," Danik said.
"Incorrect. I've no desire to be under your command any more than you have a desire to wind up in my testing lab. I want to discuss the Scholars," I said.
There was pause, I suspected they were discussing things.
"What do you know about the Scholars?" Danik asked.
"Three ships for now, flying the colors of Lady Sylax. We believe she intends on staking claim to the Wasteland," I said.
It seemed best to be upfront with my knowledge. Anything which made me appear a knowledgeable and capable partner would make them more inclined to cooperate.