Chapter 67 - Magitech

Notes :

Alright, most of the edits for book 1 are done, and I hope I can get things rolling again here. I hunger for words. And pizza, but that's a different matter.

I hope you'll enjoy the chapter !

Chapter 67

Starborn Mountains, Mount Nebula

Crash Site

"This...is the weirdest thing I have ever seen." Said Sapphiria, as she looked at the sensor screen.

It was, indeed, showing mass. But not in any way she was familiar with. Mass scanners existed, it was how she'd realized the anomaly that had presumably dragged her out of hyperspace had the mass of a planet and yet not the gravity field that came with it. But here it was odder. The scan had a bunch of anomalies that made no sense. Like the parts of her pod that used exotic materials, like the refinery or the fabricator. Some of it registered much more than they should. Others barely existed.

"You have seen intelligent, sapient skeletons ma'am." Politely noted the simulacrum.

"Yeah but it's...almost surreal. Something beyond my experience." She tapped the display. "This? This I understand."

Or at least somewhat did. She was going to need to pull out the schematics of the pod and check exactly what this thing was having problems with. It might contain some answers.

"I suppose that makes sense. Do you still wish to use it?"

Sapphiria nodded.

"It's not going to do any good buried down there. And honestly I have a feeling our little expedition will need all the help it can get."

"Understood. Cart production has ceased, there should be enough to continue assembly without interruptions, thanks to overnight transport."

"Good. Keep an eye on the rails. Send a construction bot up and down the whole tracks twice a day. I want every section that even looks like it's weakening swapped out, understood?"

"Yes ma'am. It shall be done."

"Excellent. Now pull out the schematics for the escape pods. I need to check something."

*****

It took her several hours. But finally she pinned it down.

"Dimensional density. This thing scans for dimensional density." She whispered.

That was...bonkers.

Dimensional density was...well, the density of a dimension. Or, in layman's term, how 'tough' realspace was at any given point in space. The reason why anyone cared was because it governed when you could jump into hyperspace safely and when trying it would turn you into exotic radiation and high energy particles.

The Federation couldn't scan for it, just make a reasonable estimate with mass and gravity scans as well as a giant pile of calculations and then hope for the best. It was why the jump radius around black holes and neutron stars was so stupidly huge. Because they had to be generous in their estimations to prevent accidents.

The thing was, they did know some materials had lower or higher dimensional density thanks to a ton of laboratory tests, some of them before the first hyperdrives were even made.

One of the components that was almost invisible to the artifact for example was the phase array in the refinery, a key system for any hyperdrive. She didn't know why there were hyperdrive components in her materials refinery, though if she cared for the headache and hundreds of hours of delving into mathematical equations she could probably find out in the library core.

But in any case, some of the systems in her meson communicator had the opposite effect, and though this...'condensate' wasn't giving readings that one could call precise, she knew scientists who would sell their souls to get this thing. Shit, her mom would for that matter!

It also brought up...another issue.

The battlestation that had blasted her carrier group out of the skies had anomalous weaponry, which she had to assume was magical in nature. She had to assume that anything that could be done here through magic, certainly is available to whatever the hell is guarding the void around this world.

And if the battlestation that shot her down had anything like this in its panoply of sensors, then her plan to use a stealth torpedo was out. No amount of stealth could bypass that kind of scanning. Unless she could somehow make the vehicle -and payload- of low dimensional density materials but even then.

Maybe a standoff weapon? This appeared to be short range. It would require the mother of all bomb pumped lasers, but...

It was a thought for later though. She wasn't even close to making nukes, let alone putting them in space or trying to force them through conversion rods to turn into lasers. One step at a time. She could start getting sick with worry about that station when she was a position to actually do something about it.

"Well." She sat up, gazing at the ever more busy crash site. "One more interesting point. Cia?"

"Yes ma'am?" Said the simulacrum as she appeared.

"Get the mountings fabricated. We definitely are going to want this on the snowpiercer."

Because if it could pierce stealth, then the monsters that relied on it were going to get one hell of a surprise.

And if she figured out how it did that, or found more in that Convergence, she could add them to Astralis' perimeter defenses. Or even the barrier that she was planning on making.

Either way, she wasn't leaving this down there to rot. There was no testing like field testing after all.

That, and demonstrating she was using a magical item might allay some suspicions. There was no way they hadn't started wondering where her magic was on the surface. Technology covered a multitude of sins, but they would begin asking questions soon.

Especially as the extent of her ignorance became clear once they headed into the Convergence.

...she should probably look into getting some briefings from Ramina and Paul, when they were underway.

They'd have plenty of time on the road after all.

*****

To say that the assembly went quickly would be a considerable understatement.

Most of the fiddly bits and annoying to bring online parts were in the internals. The hull, even modified as it had been, was made to be put together seamlessly. Like those plastic brick things her aunt had in her collection.

Which made sense. If something went wrong, the very first layer of defense, and both the last thing you wanted to fail as well as the most important to replace or repair in a hurry, would be the hull.

Plus...it had some systems integrated into it, notably for thermal shielding and impact absorption, but by and large it was giant slabs of metal. Putting them together wasn't rocket science.

"I believed you when you said it'd be quick, but...hot damn." Said Ramina as she gazed at the almost fully assembled vehicle from the metal catwalk overlooking most of the workshop. "Also...it's fucking huge. I saw the schematics but..."

"Whole different thing to see it in person?"

The AI could sympathize. It was the same when she'd seen her first capital ship. Numbers didn't prepare you for seeing a fucking mountain move on a pillar of thermonuclear fire.

"Yeah. Big time. But guess I'll have to get used to it. Since it'll be home for a bit."

"Yep."

"We'll ready to launch tomorrow?"

Sapphiria looked at her checklist.

"That, or the day after."

"Better start assembling everyone we need then."

The AI nodded.

"Yes. Let's get them situated, then we can start loading supplies and equipment."

"After that, the departure ceremony."

"Departure ceremony?"

Ramina smiled.

"Of course! You can't go on an expedition, let alone one this important, without a little ceremony, now can you?"

Oh Gods. This was going to be her leaving Earth all over again. 'Yes, I'll be back in one piece, I promise', and-

...Actually, from the perspective of her mother, and the rest of her family, she wasn't going to be back in one piece? They were going to get news of her going missing in a couple of months.

Sweet merciful stars. Auntie is going to rip the entire Fringe to pieces.

The last time her aunt had lost her temper, three entire star systems had become glorified debris fields.

She just had to hope it wouldn't be as bad this time. At least no Federation world had been wiped out by aliens.

She hoped. If those raiders had done something monumentally stupid before they stumbled upon her...

Then all bets were off.

But her mom...she'd be devastated. Inconsolable. She wasn't that close to her siblings, mainly due to the fact that she had so many over the centuries of her mom's life, but her disappearance and presumed death in the line of duty -you didn't 'disappear' a carrier group without destroying it- was going to hit her family like a sledgehammer.

"Sapphiria?"

The AI blinked, realizing she'd spaced out. Then she realized her eyes were misting. Damn it.

"Sorry, just...remembering my last departure ceremony." She said, her voice a little hoarse. Crap, she needed to get a hold of herself.

"Oh. I'm...sorry." Said the artificer, softly.

"It's okay." The AI took a deep breath. "I just hope it won't be too formal."

"That's up to Kalia and Malry I'm afraid. They might make it a, you know, opportunity to boost morale."

The AI grimaced.

"Great. I'll see about talking to them."

"Oki doki." Ramina leaned over the catwalk's railing. "This is going to be an interesting journey, if nothing else."

"Let's just hope it doesn't become too interesting."

"I mean yeah. I'm sick and tired of living in interesting times."

"I think we all are. I think we all are..."

*****

Click click clik click, reverse.

The Hand rolled the coin across their bony knuckles as they stared at the vista of the hills and plains that rolled out from the pass, on the other side of the mountains.

It was peaceful. Too peaceful.

Not many animals were moving about. Few birds. Little to no activity.

Winter alone could not explain this.

There was something else driving the wildlife away.

"There's something out there." Said the Hand. "Forward elements, perhaps? Or more assassins." They turned towards one of their bodyguards. "Send a few of the horde forward. Shield the approaches."

Sneaking through the pass would be almost impossible, but that ghoul had already tried. There would be more.

Many more.

The Soulless nodded, and slammed their fist against their chestplate in salute, before departing.

The disparate undead of the horde wouldn't hold anything off for long. But that wasn't their purpose. They had no useable or valuable skills for the war effort, or the reconstruction. They were disposable ballista fodder, nothing more. Or, in this particular case, moving tripwires.

They turned around, and began walking through the pass.

On the other hand, the side they had set up their defenses in was, if nothing else, too lively.

They'd heard the distant rumbles of firearms. The saccato of these never sufficiently damned 'machineguns'.

The rebels were having trouble with the monsters. But they were holding. Probably with the help of that...that thing from below the mountain.

They had heard that some were willing to give up every shred of flesh and humanity to embrace the mechanical, soulless perfection of the machine, but they had never dreamed they would encounter any of these abominations.

Click click click click, reverse.

They continued rolling the coin as they walked. First past the trenches, then the abbatises. Harsh lessons had taught them the value of such fortifications.

And though they were loath to use the weapons that had destroyed so many loyal Imperial soldiers, there was no denying that they were effective. And like the arcana of the pyromancers of ancient Margria, the Empire was never slow to pick up and use a good idea when it came up, or use the weapon of their enemies if they proved superior.

Kallaran, the greatest of the Necromancers and First Emperor, had set an example that even his distant heirs were keen on following.

Such was the way of the Empire. Following in the footsteps of all those who had come before. The Throne above all, even those who sat upon it.

The Hand slowed as they neared the third abbatis, and the curtain wall under construction behind it, gazing at the soulless building it.

Though, 'curtain wall' was not the proper term. The towers would only protude from it if there was time.

Time they might have, if the enemy stuck to moving in the shadows for long enough.

Unfortunately, they were certain that was only a prelude to more direct action.

Infiltrators before the main strike? A well used stratagem. Typical of the age of expansion.

Or perhaps...

They came to a halt, right after passing the gates taking form in the center of the wall.

Finding willing pawns and confederates behind the enemy's lines.

They gazed at the valley.

And in the distance, the rebel infested ruins of the outpost.

Click click click click.

Stop.

The Hand pocketed the coin.

Perhaps...perhaps the monsters could not be solely relied on to get rid of the rebels.

Some contingencies may be in order.

Just in case something made it through. And gave the rebels an offer they couldn't refuse.