270: Toymakers

The new Cultivation cubby was a room rather than a cramped cubby. Concrete walls, ceiling, and floor, all lined with detailed ritual scrawlings by the construction bots. He’d also gone a step further compared to the old cubby, where he’d simply had metal sheets affixed to the walls with the rituals scrawled on, turned outwards to prevent them from being damaged.

Now it was more solid. There was a layer of metal sheeting with the rituals set into the walls, floors, ceilings. Then a layer of fast-setting concrete. Then another set of ritual sheeting. Then one more layer of fast-setting concrete. With this, he should ensure it was all but impossible for ripples to escape, no matter how intense. This same setup was what he intended to place over all the walls, ceiling and floor of his entire base, once it was all properly squared.

He put a new, thicker sleeping matt inside. Perhaps he would even use this as his bedroom, since the ritual scrawls he’d created would also block Aura-based methods of detection. Thinking on the bedroom idea further, he considered the door. It was simply a large, thick steel door, which now had a lock which could be engaged and disengaged over Local (and a hidden failsafe manual method of unlocking it, from either side).

With some changes, the door could also be made to blend with the wall. That’d be handy as he could be hidden and safe in here even if people broke into his home, able to prepare to spring out in ambush. As a place from which no spiritual emissions would emerge it would thus be a good hiding spot in the event Cultivators got into his home. So long as he wasn’t broadcasting over local, the thick stone would also keep him safe from a quick scan by invading Earthborn. Considering that, he decided to setup a console system that would connect via wires to the cameras he setup throughout his base. That way he could monitor outside without using Local

The only issue was that of air. If he could work out a way to allow fresh air—and ideally, fresh Aura—into the bolthole, while also ensuring it maintained that perfect seal which would allow no Aura ripples out, it would be absolutely perfect. Perhaps a multi-stage ventilator system involving airlocks that open in succession? An entrance and exit?

The idea held merit. Aura ripples would only go so far, and only bounce so many times, before becoming inert. If they were passed through airlocks lined with ritual scrawls built to absorb such ripples, then that old air could be—in a way—scrubbed of ripples before being vented and switched for free. A future, larger setup would be necessary to bring fresh air into his base as a whole, once he lined all the walls with rituals. He gave Simulations the job of drawing up the designs for the Assembler, which it accepted without much interest—focused on A3.

Crucially, the cultivation room was also large enough for A3 to fit inside along with him. This was crucial—at least in the eyes of the Modules—because communicating properly with the bot required use of his Soul Sense. Since that couldn’t easily pass out of the room, and if it did would prevent the rituals working properly in any case.

He supposed he would have time to teach the bot, even while Cultivating. At least, some of the time. Constructing Nodes took his entire focus as ensuring the Node’s quality was as high as possible was paramount. But while making an Orb via the Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote, his attention was more free to wander. It was just rote work, a job that had to be done and required him to stay still and use his Soul and internal system, but it didn’t require much focus, and there was no such thing as a good Orb or a bad Orb. When the process finished, you got an Orb and that was that.

He looked to A3, who was currently stood in front of the Assembler, and knew that for now at least, Cultivating was off the table. The others were obsessed with A3 which clearly wanted to wander freely, not be stuck in the cubby. He supposed they could continue lessons in there later on.

Moving over, he stood beside it, watching.

Object? asked A3, tapping at the Assembler with one of its limbs. Once again Nicolai felt those strange emotional stirrings from the Mask.

Yes, object:machine:machine-factory:Assembler, said Psychology. The Assembler creates tools, weapons, bots, and other things.

Make weapon?

The Modules were about to reply, but the Mask spoke up and Threat Analysis dutifully passed the message along.

Not just weapons, lots of stuff. Like toys! said Threat Analysis, in its impression of the Mask—overexcited and slightly whiny.

Hey, wait, what? That’s not how I sound, said the Mask, affronted.

Yes it is, you sound almost exactly like that, said Cyberwarfare. It was a very good impression.

Thank you, said a smug Threat Analysis.

What is toy? asked A3.

The Mask used Nicolai’s Soul Sense tendril—he was allowing the others free use of it—to send a sense of fun, play, imagine to A3.

A3 practically leapt into the air, then jigged excitedly around the room, watched with some disbelief by Nicolai as it careened about like a dog with the zoomies, hyperactive  to the extreme over the mere idea of whatever a “toy,” was. He noted it moved quite a bit more easily than the last time, which he supposed meant it was started to better settle into its body. Still somewhat clumsy, however.

‘A3! Settle down, come over here!’ he called, realising someone would have to as it narrowly missed one of the passing construction bots. He beamed a spiritual sense of reproach and annoyance at the bot, and it reacted nearly instantly, ceasing its mad leaps and stilling. It turned and began to come towards him, only to be distracted.

Brother? spoke A3, staring at the bot it had almost crashed into earlier. That bot had paused, recognising a hazard and opting to remain still, but now it was moving again and had caught A3’s attention. A3 waggled back and forth on its four legs with rising excitement as it stared at the other bot.

It’s getting a handle on its language packs, noted Psychology.

The construction bot ignored A3. Checking its internal diagnostics, he saw it viewed the bot as no more than a mobile hazard. Due to the changes in A3’s processor, it now lacked the digital signatures that would have caused the other bot to view it as a related unit or even another bot at all, and so the construction bot wasn’t sending the kind of requests for routing info and purpose it might otherwise have asked of another bot. Such generalist semi-intelligence was typical for Earth bots these days, though they were well below the level of true sentience.

‘It’s not your brother, A3,’ he said softly, approaching the confused bot. He gestured at the other bots. ‘These are… simpler. They might look like you but they are not like you. Do you understand?’

No, mewled A3 piteously.

‘I suppose you wouldn’t.’ He wasn’t sure what else to say. The Mask might have, but it was busy.

The Mask, and the Modules, were all focused inward for the first time in a while.

Let’s make him something! the Mask had cried when A3 was running around, and now they were all set to arguing on what kind of toy A3 should be made.

It was clear that all other tasks had been sidelined in light of this all important new goal. Peering at Simulations, he saw that it was kind of, sort of, still working on the ventilator plans he’d told it to draw up… but in the most minimal, back-burner kind of manner. Roughly 95% of its processing power was focused on devising “Best-ever toy mk1.”

It was at that moment, for the first time in his long life, that Nicolai sympathised with the Governor.  He’d had it easier because the Modules had simply been very interested in everything he set them to, since this whole world was so new and interesting. He’d barely had to actually manage them. But now, faced with tasks like “Draw up plans for a ventilation system,” compared to “Make toys for A3,” it was obvious that this had changed.

Still, he found he didn’t mind. He was enjoying watching the others devise plans for a toy. In fact… he was increasingly considering giving his own input.

The Modules current plans—after the bureaucracy of collective planning and compromise had stripped everything interesting from their designs—now revolved around making A3 a big, air-filled ball to push around, and he considered that deeply uncreative. He nodded. For A3’s sake, he had a duty to ensure the job was done properly.

###

Before long the cave room was gradually filling with random toys. After settling on the bouncy ball, the Modules had unanimously declared that in fact, they would each work individually on their own specific toy, as it was clear the others couldn’t be trusted to design something good.

Nicolai created two toy guns. They fired small balls of paint, and was designed to be used by A3’s manipulators. They made a satisfying clicking noise when fired. He felt that if he was to make A3 a toy, it might as well lead to something practical. The fundamentals of shooting and taking cover could be instilled through play. Play fighting was, after all, how many young animals learned to hunt and kill.

However, annoyingly, the bouncy ball was A3’s favourite, because it enjoyed chasing it through the room. Until the ball fell into the hole the mining bots were working in, where it was popped by one of the bots, who saw it as an obstacle to be destroyed and removed. Nicolai had to send the other construction bot over to intercept A3 before the distraught child-bot dove into the hole in a rescue attempt.

He was secretly glad to see the creation destroyed. He’d put quite a bit of effort into those toy guns, which at last A3 showed interest in.

In the “game” they played, A3 lost continually. The Mask told him he should pull his punches, not be so ruthless in how he predicted the bots movements, used Soul Sense to poke the gun around a corner and shoot it while avoiding being shot himself, and various other strategies.

But he knew that if he did that, A3 would learn bad habits. However, he did made some concessions. In the game they played A3 was accorded more “health.” He had to shoot it numerous times, whereas it only needed to hit him once. In future games, he would gradually lower its advantage, as its skills grew. Not only that but the bot did not become frustrated, quite the opposite. It burned with determination, a desire to land just one hit.

The only real issue was that the Modules became increasingly upset about being left out of this game.

An idea was had, and the Assembler churned to work.

###

Amongst the crowded, busy workings of the construction site that was the cave, metal killers hunted on rubber feet.

With the gradual extension of the mine, the link it had made into the tunnel, and the general clutter of the main room, there were many places to hide.

To one side there was a collection of rock and dust, dumped by the construction bot who’d been working there some time ago. Now, the rock shifted an inch and a camera peered out.

A3 scanned the cave, hunting for targets. Extended in its manipulator was a small plastic gun. It had experience, now. It wouldn’t be caught out so easy as last time. With more opponents there was more chaos, and it was able to land some hits on its uncles—who seemed more interested in shooting one another than avoiding A3’s own shots. Though Father, frustratingly, continued to be unhittable. Stay still, stay patient…

The tiniest click, and it peered to the side. There a spindly metal form was gradually, carefully, poking up out of the mining hole.

A3 twisted and fired in an instant. A ball of paint sped through the air and caught the droid on its head with a splat!

As though that had been the signal, the whole cave erupted into chaos as slender metal forms, and one darker figure, lunged into motion. Paint flew crazily throughout the cave, and the only sound was the splatting of impact, the clicks and clacks and skids of rapid movement. It ended in only an instant, and the Local buzzed with activity.

I got you, I got you Cyberwarfare! cried Simulations, waving its toy gun furiously. Stop cheating!

No you did not, Threat Analysis got you before you got me!

But A3 got Threat Analysis before Threat Analysis got me…!

Nicolai, you kept shooting me for far longer than necessary, spoke a surly Psychology, looking down at its paint splattered form.

A3 watched, feeling sleepy and happy as the paint ran down its legs.

###

After that, surprisingly, the young bot went to “sleep.” None of them understood why, but it seemed to need or at least desired to spend some time hibernating.

Nicolai was somewhat glad for this. It meant he could get back to Cultivating.

The Modules new droids were still moving around the cave. They were very simple. Kind of metal stick-figures in a humanoid shape. These were modelled on GRECKON’s own LDI, or Light Droid Infantry, which were used worldwide by military, police, and corporations.

He’d been thinking. He didn’t want to start selling proper combat bots like those he’d make with the Assembler. At least not anytime soon. For starters, people would naturally regard those with some suspicion, as he wouldn’t be able to make anything comparable to proper combat bots—thus they could easily tell these were Assembler make, and would anticipate the things to be full of backdoors and spyware. The other issue was the expense of making them, and how straight up dangerous one would be.

But droids were simpler to make. In fact, the Modules were sure the Assembler would be able to create very serviceable copies of the standard GRECKON LDI model.

People would recognise droids that looked like that. With the branding properly applied and the software closely matching the real deal—something the Modules were capable of—they would view such droids with much less suspicion.

The idea of not only making good money from selling droids, but also knowing that if he encountered people out in the wild using droids he’d sold, he’d be able to seize control of them, was very appealing.

Not to mention the other benefit of having himself a team of GRECKON style droids. The Modules could directly control them in a much more intelligent manner than the norm for a droid. He would be able to quite quickly and cheaply make a team that could fight alongside him.

Best of all, droids could pack up small. He should be able to fit quite a few in the Big Mouth, to deploy as needed.