Do my creations truly have AI, or are they just a fragment of my own intelligence?
That's the thought I woke up with as I jumped in the back of Acat and continued my nap. Of course, after I had enjoyed a lovely morning with my dear wife. If we didn't make this balancing schedule - I don't doubt that she'd stay with me for as long as she can.
Anyways - I cast the Engineer's wet dream on myself and got myself into my mind castle, more like a mind field though.
The familiar cloudy weather was quite pleasant, but now I needed to use the schematic of the real world to make a fitting factory - and because it is my dream, for as long as I don't fear that the rough stone ceiling would collapse on me, I would be fine. After all the dreams are just a reflection of your inner psyche... all fantasies are.
If you don't trust yourself enough, don't go.
Is this voice mine?
Does it matter?
Nah. For that I began building, blink here, suddenly a floor appeared, blink there, and I don't mean teleportation, the walls stood tall, pillars holding the rough rock above. This way I could tell it's not stable. So now it's time to make the power source, the heart, the steam engine.
It truly saddens me that I couldn't achieve... or no - that I'm too lazy to make a pipe system that would deliver water up here. But why should I when I'm presented with the convenience of the Create Water spell?
Though I would also need to transport fuel for heat... Yeah, nah, not necessary. The nice thing about this design though, is that I can create an underground piping that can lead hot water down to the building, and because the factory is set so high above everything I have free pressure. No need to make pumps when gravity is doing everything for me. The piping being set underground, I am free from worrying about the water losing heat because of the isolating properties of the ground... Although it won't be a bad idea to make a dumping point right at the end of the system that would allow for recycling the water, because. This dumping point will just be two pipes, each with a U turn at the end, not in, forward to backwards, but up to down, the turn being higher than the rest of the outputs (apartments, heaters, sinks and all that.)
But people won't be pouring boiling water on themselves... So I would also need to create a separate sector of this system that would also deliver cold water. YES! I CAN SEE IT NOW!!!
A wide grin spread across my face as I willed the system into existence, yes, the schematic will overlap a bit with already built stuff, but that won't be an issue, because the walls alone are thick enough to handle that.
But I am getting a bit off track... Perhaps now it's time to answer the question... I have seen it time and time again that my creations are a part of me, but could I consider them AI?
I went out of the factory and onto the catwalk, that hung over a guaranteed death fall. Leaning against the railing I looked onto the land... A bit unfinished, I took a copy of only what matters, but this.
Ugh, this is empty, like unloaded chunks. But almost romantic - focusing on the task at hand.
Oh, you and me, my dear...
I went back inside and decided to make a lounging area for myself to open the valves of the mind and spill forth all the creativity.
Does a piece of my mind go with a piece of my soul, and does a piece of my body accompany it?
In a way, perhaps - mana could be a piece of the body, given Megumin falling on her face every time she does a bomba. Hmm... Yeah, definitely, it's like life essence, but less important, only stopping one's motor functions once they have used it all... Unless we are yet to see someone use their mana till there's absolutely none left...
Guess I will leave this with no real conclusion, it's quite paradoxical, it is a piece of me, which means natural, but it is also created by me, which means artificial. My perspective hasn't changed much, I still see my machines as an extension of me.
And with that, it was finally time to move onto the creating the blueprint for the automatons, first were the mechanisms, if I want to make it fully mechanical, that would make it a bit inefficient if it gets damaged, but if I make it use my transmutation (Perfect Conversion) it would be moving like it's haunted. Perhaps mechanical is the best, and with the memory enchantment and some other features it won't be staying down for long, and with how many there would be... Well, good luck to whichever poor fella I decide to attack, for now just the devil king is on the list.
But how will I make the mechanism?
Perhaps hydraulics... Instead of blood to fill muscles, it's water.
I checked the movement on myself to see how it would work. The expansion of the muscles, that's what I'm looking at.
Either that or I'm going to add a motor to each joint and making it semi-mechanical... Perhaps a little worker inside the head, that dreams of movement, this movement translating to the motors spinning appropriately... But for my little worker to know how to operate it, I too must know that.
I closed my eyes and in an instant all my sensations were gone, I was an exoskeleton... man this is uncomfortable... Ok, maybe not like this. I exited this exoskeleton and was sitting once more in the lounge chair, creating a controller to test the movements with. I'm not planning on making the design a cylinder, so the robots won't be able to turn 360° at the waist, but they would be able to turn, just how much I can. I placed a piece of me in the brain and proceeded with the testing, but this way I was learning how to control it, not how to be it. So I removed the controller and made it copy my movements, a bit like Atom from the movie "Real Steel".
At the waist, at the hands, at the neck, at the legs. Every movement seemed to be good so far. Punch - the robot punched with me; kick - the robot kicked with me; I even taught it to wield a weapon, and when all of this is done, I shut off my main brain (not really), to insert the little worker that I just taught all of this, allowing for me to feel everything it felt, for me - it is uncomfortable, for it... Well, it doesn't care. It seems that I can now control the robot if I ever inhabit it again.
Now onto the conveyor belt, rotation from the steam engine, transmute the needed brass to the factory, cast some iron for added colours later, make plates, thin for easier shaping - then the shaping press and a cutter to remove the excess. And that's basically it for the outer shell. Now for the skeleton things become complicated - more iron is brought, cut into hollow cube pipes... don't drop it. Every joint has a full sphere hinge that allows the limb to move all around, except for the set limit that is enforced by the shell.
Hmm? Does this speak to me? Perhaps we are all limited by our physical shells...
Anyways, this skeleton also had motors, which interact with the shoulder joints, neck joints, spine joints, wrist joints, ankle joints, and finally - the pelvic joints (the connection with the legs, there is no third leg), and at the foot. The rest is on a 2D plane (elbows, knees, fingers, toes).
In all honesty, I think that is pretty accurate to the human anatomy.
Yup, now I just need to make a conveyor that would put it all together, perhaps starting from the skull would be best, since I might make this a chain conveyor with hooks. Here's how it would work, based on a mechanical clock, the conveyor belt would stop in a position that would allow for deployers to add onto the skull, first starting with the torso, then the arms, and finally the legs, then while on this conveyor, the shaped plates would be applied onto the exoskeleton, slowly finishing up the armour. Lastly, the automaton would get its helmet, which would have a little worker inside of it, since I need to personally create this soul piece, I would instead make a little manager that would make little workers for me. If the soul is infinite, this should allow for me to sit back and relax without the need of creating artificial life. So now I just need to wake up and print this whole thing.
Wait, no, I forgot about the helmet, perhaps I can make my own the same as the robot's, with the little workers serving as headlights the robot would be creepy af. Not me though.
(I will draw a design and comment on this paragraph so you can visualize it. Basically brass armour with a helmet that is sealed off by a glass oval shape at the face, the helmet having a few sharp edges for intimidation.)
I quickly made a separate line that melts and shapes the glass before installing it and sealing it by molding the glass into the helmet, basically bonding them molecularly.
With that I finally woke up, Acat has stopped somewhere at the wall of the resort, which I jumped without much of an issue. Now I just needed to go to the peak and start printing, and it would be best that I align it, otherwise the piping would be not where it's supposed... Perhaps it would be best if I slow down a little. Build stuff one at a time.
Yeah... Let's do that.
The climb to the peak was faster than yesterday. Actually I can't quite tell, I got no clock to time stuff. So now that I'm at the place, I just need to place the schematic, cut the pipes that run down to the resort, seal the hole that this creates, and finally let my little workers do the job... Which allows me to go skiing...
I relaxed and sighed: "Finally..."
As I looked down at the steep slope, my confidence shrunk. I have rode down such a steel slope only once, and even then I fell a few times. I turned my gaze to the longer path, but even then I would get exhausted knowing just how long it is... Like a 40 minute trip if I walk it... I also can't accelerate properly if I don't want to hug a tree.
Perhaps it would be best if I up my defence. Primarily my theory - why do I make it more complicated by slowing down projectiles, when I could use my power to directly reinforce the defenses of my armor? This way, not only does the force get consumed, but also gets spread out through the exosuit, and with the helmet - I'm pretty sure I'll be fine.
Too bad though, I just now realized it's best I don't use the exosuit for this - not only would I have to alter the boots of the armor, but also the acceleration would be crazy. So I simply stuck with the helmet, and the helmet only.
I took a deep breath and proceeded down the long path, the slope wasn't this steep, allowing me to slow down the good ol' "bring the fronts together" technique - haven't used that technique since the modern era.
I should probably make ski poles... I don't know, feels weird without them.
Deciding to speed up a bit, I straightened the boards and proceeded to try and use the professional way of slowing down, a bit to the left and bit to the right...
I reached a lovely area that is almost flat, allowing for me to relax a bit since the technique put a lot of strain on my legs.
What should I think about next?
The helmet is doing well, blocks stray snowflakes, and also preventing my face from freezing, although it would be nice if I get myself some thicker clothing... I'm feeling cold.
I tapped my helmet a few times, the feeling almost unfamiliar... Oh...
I have forgotten what is the true joy of creation - to make something with your own hands, doesn't matter if you let the machines do it after that... This way creation is intimate, me and my creation.
Another memory surfaced like a bubble in a fish tank, me and my creator. How long has it been since I have come to think of you? I got everything I want in this world, and I still have more to want, I am diligent, I make for the joy of it... But still, a possibility was ripped from my hands.
I could only be thankful for what I have.
Abruptly I stopped, the motion perfect, as if a force beyond me was helping me. I took off the skis and decided to just take a seat... Yeah, it's cold, but at least I am in peace.
What do I truly desire?
...
...
...
To become the best version of the self. Lead the way, may it be your will... May I become as familiar as I once was. Help me?
A smile formed on my lips, it felt almost forced... No, it wasn't - as I turned myself back to what truly mattered - truth - I felt my heart being filled with a warmth like no other. None that this world could offer me... Perhaps Eris though... My dearest Angel.
Thank you.
A tear also fell, one of true joy as I got on the skis again and continued down the slope, the rest of the trip was less exhausting, thoughts of truth, of love filled my mind. Who? God.
Unlike my time in Bulgaria, when I would say my nightly prayer, here - right now - I have the luxury of continuing this thought... Into what? Into the future... Do I truly need to kill the demon king? Yes... No? Perhaps.
I could probably defeat him and give him no option to terrorize the world, which would mean that he is defeated in the heart... Or perhaps - I could change him; death to the old self - embrace divinity.
Eh, the time for that will come, I am here and now, tomorrow will worry for itself.
With that I finished the ride, my legs shaking just slightly from the shock, but overall - I was good.
I am truly delighted... Now let's get back to work... truly this time, for I have not laid a single finger in the process of making the automatons - I am more than likely to scrap the idea, out of dignity and honour.
I moved onto the cooking mechanism, setting up an recipe schedule, which serves as the blueprint, how much time to cook, at what temperature, what ingredients, what process and so on and so on. In the end this would end up on a plate and then to the system that would read its ID and send it to the appropriate table.
Then I moved to make the lifts. There will be a few - surface lifts for the tracks that are not too long, and then there's the chairlifts. I just need to make it all, I dig holes till I reach rock, before forming large metal beams that will serve to hold the mechanisms.
The mechanisms weren't anything revolutionary, at least for my old world, lots of wheels and a long metal cable, which I made on the spot, because I wasn't going to make a factory just for a cable. With it I used the help of my creations to hold the rope and then make it complete a loop, allowing me to turn the mechanism to see how it is. Now I just needed the chairlifts. Which was easy enough.
Now for the surface lifts... It's literally a surface lift, there's not much to it, same case as the chairlift but instead of chairs it's a pad that you put in between your legs so you can be pulled... I don't recommend this for snowboarders.
Am I satisfied with my work for today... Actually - yes.
I was able to look up at the sun and be thankful for the life I have been given without expecting to do more tomorrow. So I left. Back to home...
Today I treated us to a nice dinner. I made it, of course, but this was more special, because my heart was filled with good. I felt a peace that was unmatched, my mind empty of all the bothers, my heart willing and happy to do the work.
Thank you, Father!