[MFR] Chapter 48 - Talking Shop

Note :

Apologies for the late chapter, I got a problem with my uber order and got massively distracted with the mess.

Also, loved the response to the first chapter of The Starlight Trader ! I'm happy I nailed it !

Chapter 48

Starborn Mountains, Mount Nebula

Mining Hub

"So, I have to ask, what's a sonic fence anyway?" Said Ramina as she hefted a box of parts. Given her build, she was deceptively strong. More augments, maybe? Not that Sapphiria herself had room to talk, given her own size. Damn it.

It took a second for the AI to remember where Ramina would have heard it. Oh, right, she'd mentioned it in passing when discussing defensive solutions with the town council.

"Well, it's kind of like this." She grabbed a box of her own, off of the minecart, and followed the artificer down into the side tunnel. The two way rail network was now complete up to the mining hub, and was now being expanded to the tunnel entrance. She'd put a branch down into the tunnels she used for storage once that was done. "You know how there's sounds that just attract or drive away dogs? Whistles and such?"

"I'm familiar with the concept. So you mean a kind of like...screaming fence? A fence that just yells at whatever comes near?"

Sapphiria almost stumbled as she processed that.

"What? No, I-" She sighed as Ramina chuckled. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?"

"Kind of. I assume it does something inaudible to people?"

"More or less." Humans could actually 'feel' a far wider range of sound than they could hear. Though part of that was because sound was movement and energy. Any powerful enough, even if you couldn't hear it, would start to affect materials, which included their whole body. There was also some weird stuff with the inner ear, but she wasn't a doctor. Or a bioscientist. Her mom probably would have known, she knew every centimeter of the human form, inside and out. "Usually it's multi layered, and backed by drones. It also requires some calibration, which I don't think we can afford. Not to mention, well, as I said, we don't know if it'll even deter these things. They don't react like normal animals."

"No they don't. It's why we call them monsters after all." Ramina sidestepped a cargo bot, as it rumbled in the opposite direction, carrying some wooden beams. "Thanks for the beams, by the way. It'll really help. I won't mention to Kalia that I rode you, so long as you don't tell Malry you gave me wood."

This time Sapphiria did stumble, and she turned away, blushing madly as the artificer burst out laughing.

"...Was I that obvious?"

Ramina smiled.

"Not at first. But then whenever she touched you or looked you in the eyes you looked like one step away from kissing her until one of you ran out of air."

Sapphiria licked her lips.

"W-Well...y-you seem a lot more forward than usual."

"No, this is what I'm usually like." Ramina set down the box next to their little construction project, and Sapphiria followed suit. "Kalia just has that...not calming, but moderating effect on people? She has that aura, you know, the one of a true leader. When she speaks, you listen."

Sapphiria nodded. She knew the feeling. Her mother had it. So did Ciel and Airah. Not her aunt though. She had something...different. She had gravitas, just in a different way. Like a raging fire, a passion that felt like it was going to consume you alongside her.

"I see what you mean." She smiled. "Plus, I assume you'd want to be on your best behavior in front of your boss."

"Pfff. She knows my antics." Ramina watched as the AI opened the boxes, and began pulling out components. "So, this loading station, it's mostly going to be a bunch of your golem arms?"

"Something like that. It'll load the minecarts while bots stockpile the materials near it."

"Why not use conveyor belts, for all the moving?"

"Too expensive." Said Sapphiria, almost absent mindedly.

She only realized her mistake as Ramina just stared at her, mouth agape.

"Expensive? EXPENSIVE? You use golems like they're candy and a fucking conveyor belt is expensive?!?"

Sapphiria opened her mouth, and then closed it.

Crap.

Her manufacturing was, right now, limited more by mass than complexity, so long as she didn't try to make very high tech systems. For her, a few meters of conveyor belt was as expensive to make as a cargo bot. Her new, simpler fabricator would help with that somewhat, but it was already busy on the snowpiercer project, and would remain so for the foreseeable future.

"Look. We all have our limits, alright?" She finally said. Implying incompetence was embarrassing, but it would get her out of this.

For now, at least.

"Okay, okay." Ramina colored, raising her hands, clearly afraid of having offended her. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry."

Sapphiria sighed.

"Apology accepted."

"I could show you how me make them, if you'd like."

"I'd appreciate that." The AI smiled. "See? Told you we'd both learn from your apprenticeship."

Ramina smiled back.

"I guess so!" She gazed as Sapphiria began pulling out her tool kit. "Do I get to help with the assembly?"

"Yep!" Sapphiria handed over a few of the simpler instruments. Ramina had her own of course, but the AI wasn't going to trust something made by people who hadn't mastered splitting the atom, let alone space. Wait, had they split the atom? The first steam locomotive was only a century and a half before the conclusion of project Manhattan, and there was no telling what literal magic might do to how they advanced. A question to save for later. "Let me project the schematics, and we can get started."

She activated the holographic projectors inbuilt into the armor, and a set of three dimensional schematics popped up, complete with instructions.

Ramina's knees wobbled as she saw the hologram, and Sapphiria saw the same hunger appear in the artificer's gaze as when she looked at her armor.

That hunger was...concerning. Squishies that looked at technology like that tended to do very stupid things to acquire it. Or go further than they should. There was a reason the Federation's scientific initiatives all had AI managers and project leads.

Besides...unless she was seriously mistaken, Ramina was the one Paul had been sent after.

Why? What had she done to have this kind of response?

"I am so, so deeply jealous of you sometimes, lady Sapphiria." Finally said Ramina, as she discreetly swiped her mouth. Had she been drooling? Sapphiria checked her sensor logs. Yep. She had. "Could you get me something like that?"

"That could be arranged." Answered the AI, neutrally and, more importantly, noncommittally.

Not because she couldn't, or because of the projector itself, but she really, really didn't want to give the artificer the computer that would have to come with it.

Ramina shook herself.

"Not a priority though. Golems first. Plus, what am I gonna do with it? It's not like I have much to work on besides what assignments you hand me."

"Pretty much. Though I hope you won't take it the wrong way, but most of what you'll help me with is the grunt work."

Ramina chuckled as she began picking parts and putting them together. She glanced at the schematics from time to time, but she was still remarkably proficient. Then again, that was the point of these schematics. They were made so that squishies on a backwater colony with zero technical expertise would be able to follow them. A trained...technician? Engineer? However primitive their tech, would have no problems. They didn't even have to know how to use the tools, there were helpful graphics showing how to employ them.

"That's standard for any apprenticeship. You always want to make sure your ward won't cut their own hands off before you show them the delicate and dangerous machinery. Plus, most masters pay you for your labor, or offer you a bunch of stuff. So far, you fit right in."

"Thank you? I suppose?"

The artificer pointed her wrench at Sapphiria.

"The only thing I'm worried about is that usually they also provide room and board. Which, don't get me wrong, I'm sure you can do, but I'm worried about the, ah, limitations of your fare."

Sapphiria grimaced.

"I...well, I've got nutrigel."

"Exactly. So I think I'll bring lunch next time."

"Next time? Wait, are you skipping meals?"

Ramina shrugged.

"Hey, I mean no offense but-Eeep!"

The artificer yelped as Sapphiria grabbed her by the collar and put her on her feet like she was some kind of oversized kitten.

"You. Will. Eat. I won't have you go hungry or sick on my watch."

Ramina opened her mouth to protest, before withering under Sapphiria's glare.

"Fine!" She threw her hands up. "I'll eat the nutrislop."

Some nicknames were universal it seemed.

"Good."

"Honestly I don't understand how you and Kalia can even stand this stuff, let alone like it."

Sapphiria froze like she'd been struck by lightning.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"That you and Kalia like nutrigel?"

Sapphiria's jaw dropped.

"I don't- she likes it? What's wrong with her? Is she okay?"

"I think so? Maybe?" Ramina wavered. "Why are you so shocked? I assumed, you know..."

"It's made to be nutritious and efficient, not tasty. Besides, when we got dinner, she added mushrooms."

"Well, she's been complaining about our 'delicate palates' and us insisting there be more with the nutrigel." Ramina squinted. "If she stops that when around you, then you really need to visit more."

"I'll take that under consideration. In any case, let's get you something to eat."

Ramina grumbled, before perking up.

"Does that mean I get another ride?"

Sapphiria shook her head.

"No." She sighed at Ramina's dejected look. "I'll carry you when we go back up, but I need to fetch the nutrigel from my home." She had a spare nutrigel vat, just in case. Never knew when the squishies might need extra, or if she was going to have some guests. Also she'd been meaning to try and work on the taste, before reading the extensive archives on the subject and realizing that literally every person, biological or otherwise, who had ever eaten the stuff had tried. All of them. Including Theocracy Xenohorrors.

"Oh! Sure, sorry. Far from me to intrude upon your sanctum."

"Thank you." At least she understood boundaries. And staying in designated, safe, areas. That was more than most squishies. "I'll be back. Uh..." She looked at the schematics, floating in the air. "Those will vanish, by the way."

"I'd guessed. Don't worry, I doubt you'll be long, and I can take a look at this place in the meantime."

"Don't wander beyond the perimeter."

The artificer rolled her eyes.

"Yes mom, I'll be good."

"I mean it, the defenses are not set to recognize you, if you wander off, you will get shot." That was a lie. First because she no longer had much of a defense down there to begin with. Secondly, there was no way in all the hells and heavens she was willingly setting any of her devices to fire indiscriminately on squishies. She could, and would, neutralize them for their safety if she had to, but she wasn't trusting that decision to what passed for an IFF system in her turrets.

Ramina winced.

"Damn. You really don't want us down there, do you?"

"Girl, I didn't want anyone down here." Said Sapphiria. Which was true. Strangely, that seemed to actually cheer the artificer up, despite the AI having effectively threatened her life. Did she interpret being allowed down into the mines as some kind of honor or privilege?

Actually, it kind of was, in a way. Hm.

"I'll do my best to make myself small then. Not that it'll be an issue, I'm a pretty tiny package."

Sapphiria tried really hard to not think about the fact that they were almost the same height and, if anything, her android was actually smaller because of the armor. Damn it.

"Good. I'll be right back!"

She took off sprinting, pinging the vat to start producing a batch.

She had a squishie to feed. And herself too, since she'd probably have to pretend having a meal as well.

Maybe she should dedicate some resources to making those ration bars. Especially if Kalia was starting to...ugh, like nutrigel. Was that even possible? Could it become an addiction? Was it dangerous? She'd have to look it up in the library core.

She also needed to talk to Cia. The simulacrum had, at her request, stayed quiet so far to avoid her responding out loud by reflex, and generally being distracted. But she could almost feel the simulacrum's emotions in her various pings and reports. She didn't even want to know how one could make a simple ping feel sassy, but Cia sure did it. Somehow.

Smartass.

Stars, had she thought that affectionately? Was she starting to...like the simulacrum's attitude?

That was probably the most unsettling thought she'd had all week.