Author's Forward:
Howdy everyone! Sorry for the hiatus. I'm in my last month of college, and classes are really kicking my ass. I've been keeping people updated over on the Discord and I forgot to give everyone an update over here as well. I don't like just putting out announcements and I was hoping to do so when I wrote the next chapter, but I've just been so underwater with classwork that I haven't had the time.
Its probably gonna be a while still before any more chapters come out. I'm hoping to write at least one chapter over thanksgiving break, but we'll see how that works out.
Anyway, here's one of the chapters from the Discord so that I can get this notification to everyone.
- - -
POV: Arthur Sinclair.
In the back of my mind, a star fell and was missed by the forge.
Special Achievement: Faster, Stronger, Better [Genetically alter a species.]
Perk 'Altar of Spellmaking' missed due to insufficient points.
(Available Points: 100, Required Points: 400, Points Doubled, New Point Total: 200)
Slightly Overweight whistled towards the new, much smaller huragok. "Your name is Overly Small."
I had absolutely no idea how I was supposed to respond to that name, but I ignored it and listened to the conversation. The huragok, now named something that loosely translated as Overly Small, simply bobbed up and down. Rather than respond in English this time, it replied in the huragok language, with the same whistles and deep hums that sounded almost like whale song from Terra. "I like it!"
Neither of them said anything else for several moments, so I interrupted. "So, can you tell us what you can do? The Celestial Forge… uhhh… the thing that —"
The huragok interrupted me once more in perfect English. "I know what the Forge is. I have your memories."
I didn't really know how to respond to that, so I just coughed and continued. "Right. Well, I got an achievement for genetically altering a species."
Overly Small nodded. "Right! I'm smaller, so I can't carry as much material, and I work slower than other huragok, but I can reach tight spaces!"
I stared at him, waiting for him to continue; he giggled in response, something I had not expected. "In exchange, I can work with Wraithbone!"
There it was; I nodded in understanding. "So you have vocal cords in order to sing the full range that is required from Aeldari techniques."
Overly Small nodded in confirmation. I turned to Slightly Overweight. "I thought that only Lifebringer huragok could modify other species."
Slightly Overweight's response left me with a raised eyebrow. "That is correct, but all huragok can become lifebringers. To become one requires a certain genome to be activated by a Forerunner; it is also activated temporarily while creating a new huragok."
"So how can we activate this gene permanently?" Slightly Overweight did that weird shrug he had started, where he lifted all his tentacles up into the air just a little. "I do not know. Something that should very much be explored."
Overly Small was just bobbing up and down. He took the first opportunity he could to interrupt us. "When can I start working?"
We spent the next several hours testing Overly Small's ability to create wraithbone. Unfortunately, he ran into the same issues that I had. His soul was not that of an Aeldari, meaning that his emotions were not as strong. He would have to recreate the techniques that the Aeldari used for singing wraithbone into the proper shapes.
Despite this, he could still create basic wraithbone with no issue, not to mention things like wraithbone dust; where I could originally produce 50 kilograms in a day, Overly Small started with only being able to produce about 30 kilograms.
After several hours of testing I was pulled away for another matter.
- - -
I stared blankly out the window at Bubbles. Behind me, Eamon coughed. "At his current rate of growth, we won't be able to fit him through the Stargate in a little less than a week. In a year, we expect him to have grown to almost 900 meters."
I stared incredulously at Eamon for a moment. "Alright. Where do we want to move him then?"
Eamon shrugged. "He's your responsibility. You're the only one who can communicate with him at the moment. Until we've figured out their communication method, you're in charge."
I pursed my lips. "Alright. Give me a day. I'll need to prepare a place for him to stay."
- - -
With a careful push on the controls of my EVA suit, I pushed forward towards Bubbles the Space Amoeba. Gently, I placed my hand on its carapace. My experience in creating Overly Small had given me some more insight into how I could transfer memories.
It wouldn't allow me to just dump all my experience into a person, but I had performed tests and I could now transfer single images or basic concepts. Of course, I was doing it by shoving that information into soul energy, and then shoving that energy into the mind of another. I was fairly certain that any competent telepath would be capable of reading the information I was showing, with or without my consent, but it was certainly an advancement.
As gently as I could, I began trying to communicate with Bubbles, starting by trying to tell it that it would need to move if it wanted to follow us. Rather unsurprisingly, considering that it had imprinted on me — on all of us, actually — it was rather excited to travel somewhere else.
I began showing it pseudo-images of the solar systems that it might travel to. Space Amoeba didn't see with normal light, but with far-wavelength infrared, microwave, and radiowave. That just allowed them to see the state of a solar system with significantly greater ease.
Though, to say I was sending images would be inaccurate; I used vague concepts to explain what each of the systems contained. By the end, for reasons truly beyond me, it was clear that Bubbles wanted to go to Columbus.
After nearly 30 minutes of trying to change its mind, Bubbles was still insistent.
So, I ordered the Stargate to be brought into orbit, and after carefully attaching myself to Bubbles, I asked it to go through. It was rather nervous at first, but after spending several minutes "looking" through the gate — since it could detect the light spectra actually capable of passing through the wormhole — it finally took the dive.
Seconds later, I felt myself rematerialize on the other side. Bubbles circled the Stargate a few times, seemingly just watching it. Then it shut off, and he stopped.
Next, it turned its attention to its surroundings. Just a few hundred meters away was the main body of our under-construction mobile shipyard, with the hulls of the four jump-capable vessels sitting in their dry docks under construction.
Bubbles next turned his attention to the nearby planets, carefully showing me all the scans he took of the planetworld below. They weren't anything all that interesting, but comparing what Bubbles saw to what our own scanners saw would be an interesting project to spend a few days on when I had the time.
I watched for a few more minutes before unbuckling myself, saying goodbye and entering the Tel'tak that was waiting for me nearby.
I took one last look out the window to see Bubbles simply floating there happily while scanning the surrounding system. With a shrug, I took the ring transporter down to the planet.
- - -
I pursed my lips and nodded. "Alright then. I think it's ready for fabrication." Behind me, Slightly Overweight and Overly Small both nodded in agreement.
It had been a long day. This morning, a new Huragok had joined us, then Bubbles had been moved, and now we were putting our final touches on the Voidhawk Mk. I, our upgraded variant of the Nighthawk.
The upgrades were extensive, though calling it an entirely new set of Power Armor didn't feel quite right to me. Nonetheless, everyone agreed that the project would get an entirely new name.
To start, the entire skeleton was replaced with Wraithsteel. The armor had been replaced with interlocking Wraithsteel and Naquadah plates — we were struggling with material design and had yet to alloy Naquadah with Wraithsteel; the material had strange properties, and figuring them out was confusing. This was alongside extensive radiation shielding to protect against the Reetou Karesh.
Along the spine, space had been made to fit the Ashrak cloaking devices. They would just snap into the suit. In a worst-case scenario, the pilot could open it up and just pull the cloak out.
Along with the space for the cloak, there was also a very simplistic field generator that would protect the user from zat blasts. The field acted like a faraday cage that would allow the energy beam to dissipate around the wearer.
The power cell had been completely replaced with a naquadah reactor that produced almost no excess heat, and three times the energy output, and would only need to be replaced once every few centuries.
Several small gravitic pushers had been placed on the side to allow for basic control in zero-G. While on a planet, the user wouldn't be capable of flight, but their effective mass would be reduced by about 70%. This meant that they could move as if they were on a planet with only 30% of Terran normal gravity.
The entire computational suite of the Nighthawk had been replaced with several compacted flexis. Similar to the cloak, they could be removed in a worst-case scenario.
Built into the back of the wrists was a pair of weapons. The first was a disassembled Zat that would allow for rapid-firing just by pointing your hand at an enemy. I had spent several hours trying to figure out how to dampen the sound produced by the Zat's energy blast, but without redesigning the focusing crystal, I didn't have any way of doing so.
The temporary solution was to integrate the weapon into the gloves. Touching an opponent would allow you to silently activate the Zat to disable them; activating the weapon this way also prevented any interference with the Reetou Karesh, so the cloaking field would still be maintained.
Second was a laser weapon that could be used either as a lethal weapon or as a laser cutter.
Of course, both had to be requisitioned from somewhere else as we were not yet capable of producing our own focusing crystals for either of the weapons.
I turned around and nodded to the team. "Alright then, I think we're good to begin fabrication."
Like that, we prepared our constructors to begin printing parts; we also sent out the requisition requests for more parts — namely the computer modules, Goa'uld components, and crystals. I was confident that we'd have the prototype ready within four days.
- - -
Four days later.
As we finished the final tests of the power armor, the time had finally come. The Voidhawk was supposed to be effectively the same for an operator, just with more everything. More power, more speed, more maneuverability.
The first test pilot of the power armor would be Rory McLeod, my sparring partner and an instructor at the academy.
So, without any waiting, we got him into the suit. The moment he took his first step, the Celestial Forge fired twice. The first was a miss, as the object just dropped past the forge.
Special Achievement: Create your First Original Power Armor Design (Voidhawk)
Perk 'Armorer | Fixer | Weaponsmith' missed due to insufficient points.
(Available Points: 200, Required Points: 900, Points Doubled, New Point Total: 400)
The second came with a choice of two options; the instant I looked at my choices, my breathing deepened; I knew exactly what any sane person in my position would choose. I took a deep breath and turned my attention away from my options.
Special Achievement: Complete 10 Special Achievements. Perk Cost Waived.
Choose a perk:
1: Talking Head (Dresden files, 300 Points)
- Description:
Something between a magical computer and a lab assistant, this Spirit of Intellect would have forgotten more about magic than most wizards ever knew if it was actually capable of forgetting without being ordered to. Its personality is something between your own and how you think it should behave, which means you're probably getting something close to Bob if you're not careful. Aside from dispensing forgotten lore, they're able to possess and control things, ranging from friendly dire housecats to giant stone lions, and can even act as an emergency mystical battery if need be. Includes a free storage skull.
2: Key of Avatars | Hierarchy of Souls (Lords of the Night Liches, 300 Points)
- Description:
Key of Avatars (200CP) Upon buying this perk you gain access to the first level of the Arcana of Avatars, and will naturally deepen your understanding and power in it over time with no more personal investment in that growth. The Arcana of Avatars first lets you craft, and then manifest, an Avatar. Crafting an Avatar starts modestly expensive in Arcane, and eventually becomes very expensive, though you only need to craft a given Avatar once. Manifesting it costs the same amount, and maintaining it ties up a petty amount of mind and intellect to start, growing to a modest amount for the greatest Avatars. Withdrawing the invested intelligence causes an Avatar to dissipate, but by paying the Arcane cost again it may be resummoned. The range that the Arcana of Avatars may summon at is normally dependent on your Arcane State, but by buying this perk you gain the maximum range - able to summon an avatar even into another plane of existence, though you need at least some way of targeting where you want it to manifest, of which you know several methods. Normally, it's only possible to manifest a single avatar at a time. Most avatars are constructs, though Greater and True Avatars are living creatures. Avatars are immune to mind affecting spells. You can look through your Avatar's eyes at any time. Your avatar is completely loyal and incorruptible by any force, magical or mundane. It will work towards your goals even if it doesn't know it's an avatar or that you exist. You may take control of your avatar at any time, and while doing so may channel your abilities through it - casting spells, manifesting powers, and so on. Likewise you can use your skills and feats through it. The avatar may be aware of this control or explain it away as you like. You may give them orders they will follow to the best of their abilities. There are several different stages of avatar that you can learn to manifest sequentially.
1. Rudimentary: Has no mind of its own, is very fragile, cannot channel your powers, can't speak, and can't pass for a living thing. Will be destroyed by even a light blow. You must actively control it, or it will collapse to the ground.
2. Lesser: Has the mind of a dumb child but can follow orders, but won't do anything you didn't explicitly order. Can't yet channel your powers. Might survive a single light blow. Cannot speak. Can pass as a living thing at a distance, but is cold and doesn't breath.
3. Standard: Has the mind of a slow adult. Can speak, but only in your voice. It cannot attack on its own, but it is able to be a channel for your powers and skills at this point. Its flesh is warm and it breathes, though it won't sweat or bleed.
4. Superior: Has the mind of an average adult and can think independently as needed. It has the health of an average human. It can contact you to get further instructions if it needs them. It can use basic skills on its own.
5. Greater: Is actually a living thing, a first level character with skills and feats and the attributes of a starting adventurer, though it will never learn or grow. If you don't want it to, it won't even know it's an avatar, believing itself a real person, following your goals subconsciously.
6. True: Nothing can detect that a True avatar is anything but a normal mortal. It can fall in love, have children, learn and grow, though it can't grow beyond a fourth of your own fully realized potential. Though it can be better than you at things by specializing differently. Once you grow able to manifest a True avatar, you'll start the cycle again with a second avatar, starting at Rudimentary and growing to True, at which point the cycle will repeat.
[center]ADDITIONAL: Hierarchy of Souls (100CP) Normally an Avatar is a transitory thing - even the True Avatar. Not for you. Once you have manifested a True Avatar you will be able to separate a piece of your soul - the part that's able to manifest that Avatar, and imbue it with vast quantities of Arcane, raising that Avatar to the status of Sub-Soul. You lose the ability to manifest one Avatar, but in return the Sub- Soul becomes a persistent being you don't need to maintain. If it should ever be slain, it will return in a night and a day for no cost. Its potential grows, being able to become as strong as you. This is just potential, it will have to get there the hard way. If you let it, it can channel your powers itself - casting your memorized spells, manifesting powers from your reserves, and so on. It also counts as a Bound Phylactery. So long as it lives, you will return. You can channel spells through it as if you were present, without having to take control of it or use its actions, and observe around it, rather than just through its eyes. You always count as touching it for the purposes of spells (and it counts as 'you' for purposes for self-only spells), and can flawlessly teleport to it over any distance by the spell, or for a small cost in Arcane. You can store Arcane in it, and both you and it can draw upon that Arcane to use Arcana itself. You can hang up to six spells in it for both of your uses, and hang another six spells as contingencies. If those contingencies are attack spells, they won't harm your Sub-Soul even if they drop down on top of it. It retains the incorruptibility and absolute loyalty of an Avatar, and counts as a living creature or as a construct, whichever is most advantageous at any given moment.[/center]
First, I had to finish this testing regimen.
- - -
Two hours later, I was sitting in the office alongside President Arriston, Elder James, and Ma'chello. As I finished, I let out a deep sigh. "Look, I can't tell you anything about either of these franchises, so all we have to go on is this description. With that in mind, I have to go with the Key of Avatars."
A round of agreement went around the table. Without any further hesitation, I selected the perk and closed my eyes. Knowledge flooded into my brain about how to make avatars from Arcana.
Arcana was just another energy source, though it usually built up in a person's body. I was rather lucky; I could just replace that energy with soul energy from the Sea of Souls. Even better, I could actually improve the avatars somewhat with my knowledge as a bonesinger. Though that would be in the far future. I could maybe make some sort of pseudo-avatar in the distant future.
I opened my eyes and nodded. "I need a day to make a rudimentary avatar. From there, it will take about 6 days to become Lesser, then 11 days for Standard, 23 for Superior, 45 for Greater, and then 90 to become True."
The president nodded. "Well, I suppose you should get started with that."
I smiled and stood up. "Understood. I'll get on it. On another topic, the Voidhawk armor passed initial tests with flying colors. We'll begin constructing a few more prototypes for testing, but it looks like the armor will be ready well ahead of schedule."
The president smiled and nodded once more. "Understood. Thank you for all your work, Arthur."