Chapter 30 - Sunset Eyes

Note : I entirely blame the end of this chapter on me having this song on a loop while writing it : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv0Igrt5zho

Also the chapter's name is a play on that song's name.

Chapter 30

Starborn Mountains, Starfire Valley

Crash Site

Sapphiria fell and skidded along the floor, finally coming to a halt as she hit the wall.

She grimaced as she propped herself up on her elbows, her vision a mess of error codes and glitches.

Alright. Note to self: when sparing with an imposing riot control bot you've just given a heavy medieval mace to instead of a police baton: WEAR. YOUR. HELMET.

Also, ow.

"MA'AM! Are you alright?" Sapphiria grimaced as the simulacrum appeared, untouched by any of the glitches of errors due to being a projection, and simply shut down her video receptors for a full reboot, leaving Cia floating in the void.

"Yeah. I mean, no. But I'll be fine." Her android was self repairing. Well, up to a certain point. But unless she lost the reactor, computer core or communication systems, it would fix itself eventually. That or she could pop it in the fabricator to help it along. The problem was she couldn't replace either of the three with just a fabricator. "Just got some sense knocked into me, that's all."

Her eyes finished rebooting, and she saw the bot towering over her. She had a flash of panic as it had not stood down and held position as ordered, before realizing it was holding its hand out.

She took it, and allowed it to boost her up.

Cia started speaking, both from the bot's speakers, which were cheap enough -and with some potential uses with the squishies being so damn insistent with throwing themselves in harm's way- that they had been kept, and using their direct communication link.

"You must be more careful, ma'am. Your ambassador-"

"Is irrepleaceable, I know, I know." The AI grabbed her jaw, holding it in place as it began knitting itself back together, batting the bot's hand away as Cia tried to do it. "I'm surprised you took control of the bot."

"My function includes direct tactical support when necessary." Which essentially meant 'intervening when my AI is being an idiot', as they were both aware. "Though my effectiveness is limited. I was not given programs for ground combat."

Sapphiria grimaced. And not much in terms of space combat either. AIs trusted simulacrums more than they did squishies, but that didn't mean the Federation was confident handing the control of weapons, let alone those capable of scouring entire continents clean of life, to them. Simulacrums sat in the uncomfortable gap between a 'smart' but not intelligent weapon that wouldn't deviate from its programmed parameter and a fully sapient AI that was, well, a full on person. A simulacrum was specifically made to adapt, but they couldn't do so creatively and more importantly weren't sapient.

There was a whole shipload of philosophical quandaries in this mess, which Sapphiria had always kept as far away from as she could. Especially as it wasn't a subject considered wise to bring up at a family diner. Her mom was all for simulacrums, and had enthusiastically helped Ciel, their original maker, spread their use, but her aunt...

Her aunt believed simulacrums should be elevated to full AIs and their production stopped. Period.

The use of simulacrums by the Navy was one of the reasons for her retirement.

How to do the elevation was a problem, of course, but her aunt had successfully done it by infecting a simulacrum with her Arcadia kernel.

It had almost set off a schism and outright civil war. Because that was effectively how Arcadia had spread her hivemind to other AIs. The only reason things hadn't blown up was because her aunt had been the one to lead the war effort against Arcadia's crusade to absorb all of humanity. That she was the reason they'd won in the first place.

It was technically illegal to do it now, but if it had been done once...

Sapphiria checked her files. She had a 'pure' copy of an Arcadia kernel in her inner core systems. In case she needed to replicate or had a catastrophic failure.

"Ma'am?" Said the simulacrum, and Sapphiria shook herself mentally.

"It's nothing." She closed her files. "Just a...a thought. For the future."

"Well, we need to focus on now." The simulacrum tilted her head. "The transport bot has arrived at the mining hub. It reports it is now holding a message."

"Crap. Physical, or...?"

"It is holding a physical copy as well as a recording."

"Download the recording. I'll meet it halfway for the physical one." If nothing else, if there was a need she'd be partway to the surface that way. "It shouldn't be too urgent, if they didn't send someone alongside it."

The simulacrum nodded.

"Most probably."

"Alright then." Sapphiria stretched, wincing as it caused some error codes. It would take a bit for her android to fully repair itself. It wasn't impaired per se, but definitely not working at full efficiency. "I could use some movement besides getting my ass kicked. Riot bot checks out, seems to be working right. You're cleared to start production on the others."

"Affirmative. Have a safe journey ma'am."

"Eh. We got the place pretty well secure." For that matter, it was true. With her junkbots she'd actually started deploying patrols. Their range wasn't terrific, but it did mean things were far less likely to sneak up on her. She'd also deployed a third sensor layer, with some relays, to serve as additional early warning for her crash site and rapidly growing industry. "But thank you." And with that, she took off.

She had to admit, she usually didn't like spending too much time in her android unless it was to...how did her mom say it? 'Squish the squishies'? 'Put the squishable in squishies'? Actually, knowing her she probably had both sayings. Anyway, unless she actually needed an android for whatever she was doing, she used another system, or just a hologram.

But she was starting to develop a liking to it. Something as simple as sprinting down the corridors and mineshafts at neck breaking speeds was exhiliriating in its own way. She'd never done keel racing, where AIs raced down the keel of their flagships at insane speeds, but she could see why some did.

Maybe she'd start doing it when she came back.

...if she came back.

She shook her head. She had a plan, of sorts, and squishies to protect.

Her aunt had forced far more daunting odds when she'd fought against Arcadia, and she'd still come out victorious.

*****

Sapphiria winced as she came out of the tunnel.

Yikes. One of the few things she did like about planets was snow. She found it beautiful, in its own way. And it was certainly quite the vista before her, the sky speckled with falling flakes.

Except for the couple of shivering squishies in fur coats greeting her at the tunnel exit, who looked about as miserable as infantry in a muddy trench.

"Huntmarshal." Sapphira extended her hand, and Tramistres shook it.

"Lady...sorry." The old woman smiled. "Just Sapphiria. It's good to see you. As you no doubt realize, things have taken a turn."

"I've gotten Kalia's message." The AI grimaced. "How bad is it?"

"It's melting off, for the most part. It won't stick. But it's only the first of many. And every time it'll get worse, trust me on that."

Sapphiria nodded.

"I do. I should probably make my way to the mage-magistrate then."

"Sure. Kelbrock! Accompany her." The huntmarshal smiled. "Snow and rain can obliterate a forest's waypoints like nothing else, especially for the unintiated."

Sapphiria opened her mouth, then closed it.

How the hell could she explain to the old squishie that her sensor mapping didn't give a single crap about either, and that even if it did her guidance systems would give her the android's exact position and allow her follow the path anyway?

"Right. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. And watch out. The monsters here..." Tramistres shivered. "They come out during the cold. When things freeze over, horrors will pour out of Northrend."

Okay. That wasn't good. Perhaps she should investigate those 'monsters' further. If there was animated, murderous skeletons after all...

She'd need to ask a few questions when she returned.

"I'll be careful." She patted her plasma gun.

"Careful, or dishing out extraordinary amounts of pain and violence?"

"They're the same thing."

Tramistres smiled.

"Perhaps by your reckoning. Many will thing differently. Be safe."

"Thank you. I certainly intend to be." She extended her helmet, and gave it a tap. "I'd like to see monsters get through this."

The look the huntmarshal gave her almost froze her reactor core solid.

"No. No you don't. You really, really don't."

Awkward silence descended upon the small outpost, and Sapphiria licked her lips.

"Alright, I'll be on my way then." A hunter gestured, before walking into the forest, and she moved to follow him, as she processed what she'd just heard.

Animals that could go through molecular armor? That was...

Terrifying. And also the description of half of the Theocracy's foot soldiers.

She needed to pull up some archives.

*****

This time, the mage-magistrate was waiting for her at the edge of the settlement, her town council in tow. Well, most of it anyway. Gregor wasn't present, the old skeleton nowhere to be seen.

"Lady Sapphiria!" Called out Kalia as Sapphiria went to meet her. "I'm glad you came so quickly."

"Kalia! Yeah, I came as fast as I could." Well, more or less. She couldn't just go full sprint with the squishie alongside her. In fact, they'd had to slow down considerably even from the usual speed, so he could keep up in all the mud and snow. The AI retracted her helmet as she smiled. "It's good to see y-"

The AI's sentence ended in a strangled half squeak as the mage-magistrate, stepped forward, and cupped her cheek.

Sapphiria had to suppress the sudden urge to lean into it as she tried to get something more coherent than 'eh?' out of her mouth. And failed miserably.

"You're hurt." Said Kalia as she tilted the AI's head slightly. "What happened?"

Sapphiria's knees started to weaken as she swallowed, before she almost suffered a software crash as she gazed into the woman's eyes, colorful like the sunset and filled with concern. She should step back, assure her that she was fine, but she...she didn't want to step back. She wanted her to get closer. Much closer.

Kalia leaned closer, and Sapphiria felt her lips part slightly despite herself. She started to lean forward as well and-

"Apologies for my lateness!" Kalia took a small step back back, turning away towards the arriving undead as Gregor walked in, and Sapphiria just stood there, her processors doing the electronic equivalent of flailing in the wind as she tried to figure out what just happened.

She saw Ramina and Malry trying very hard not to stare at her, and she shook herself, trying to get her thoughts in order.

What...the hell had just happened?

"Gregor! Finally able to make it. Any report from the scouts?"

"Yes, but there isn't much of note. Everything's mostly quiet." He looked at her, then Sapphiria. "Um...am I...interrupting something?"

It suddenly seemed to dawn on Kalia that she was cupping the AI's cheek, and she let go, blushing, as Sapphiria had to suppress the urge to grab her hand and put it back in its rightful place.

Wait, rightful?

"My deepest apologies! I didn't mean to- I, uh..."

"You were concerned about me." Said Sapphiria as she tried to keep her voice level, and she smiled. "I appreciate that."

She appreciated it a lot, actually. Far too much, even.

"Thank you." Kalia smiled back, and Sapphiria felt her knees starting to fail again. "I was afraid I'd offended you."

"You haven't, don't worry." They both looked at each other, and the silence began to stretch into awkwardness. "Should we, ah, go to the council room?"

"What? Oh, of course!" Kalia visibly shook herself. "My apologies. Follow me! We have much to discuss."

Sapphiria nodded, as she followed the mage-magistrate, and tried to process what had just happened, while ignoring the trying-to-be-discrete-but-failing-miserably stares from Malry and Ramina.