OBOM Vol 1 – Chapter 28-1: The factory must grow… And what not.
Reizen drives a large transport truck that contains the next batch of refined materials beneath the autonomous crane. Coincidentally, the truck is a modified version of the good old Rover. Due to its impressive payload capability and horsepower, when I planned Everlight's construction, many of the accompanying utility vehicles of the Base of Operations were built on the Rover chassis and power plant. Part commonality and all that jazz has been a major influence on our faction's vehicular roster.
After Reizen disembarks and moves to unhook the material container, Iris, who is controlling the crane remotely, grabs the container with the crane's hand, lifts it, and moves it onto a set of roller tracks. When the crane unclasps itself from the container, the spinning rollers carry the container inside the nearby automated Doll factory. Inside the factory, two robotic hands disassemble the container, revealing the neatly packaged resources it holds. Afterward, more robotic arms swing in from the sides to scan the packaged resources, identify the various materials, and separate them by grabbing them and placing them onto smaller, separate roller tracks. Once the container is emptied of its contents, the container is reassembled and is rolled outside the factory. There, Iris uses another crane to lift the empty container onto the bed of the truck that Reizen has just driven over. Once Reizen makes sure that it's safely secured to the flatbed, the bluenette then drives the truck away, back to the Logistics to load up yet another full container.
Right after my partner drives away, my transport truck comes to a stop beneath the very same crane Reizen has just unloaded with. Thus, Iris supervises yet another sequence of unloading, gaining resources, using resources, and loading.
This Doll factory is not the only factory that requires constant shuffling back and forth. It's one of many currently active, with the sound of industrial manufacturing and piping hot products hitting the storage areas. It's been rinsed and repeated for how many days already, and we have yet to empty even 1/4rd of the resources we gained from bartering the ERS Voyager with the GAD Module. Reizen and I, on our part, have settled for the new normal of being dedicated logistics drivers, at least until Iris can manage to get a sizeable number of Dolls up and running.
Something that we are looking forward to in a couple of days, but for now...
The factory must grow!
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When I step inside a wide, clean, and sterile room, filled with warm lighting and proper amenities like a couch, a drink cooler, and even a small kitchenette and so on, I am greeted by a salute from a neat row of various beautiful girls and ladies.
"Hail, Admiral!" The collective zeal and seriousness from the many youthful, confident, and slightly mature voices.
Although I consider myself intimately familiar with many titles in my long previous life, to hear such energy packed in that one militaristic word caused my steps to stall in mild surprise. Even Aurea, who has been reviewing some of the magical tomes Sapientia gave her, jumps in our shared mental space.
[Eep!] Comes the cute exclamation of my dear Other Me.
Extending a metaphorical hand to soothe Aurea's fright by patting her head, I mentally convey.
[First time?]
[U-Un...!] Aurea meekly replies, and I can hear the rustling of book pages being closed in my head.
It appears that Aurea has decided to pay full attention to the presentation in front of us. I give her a wry but encouraging mental smile.
[You'll get used to it, dear.]
Having said that, I then turn to survey the row of saluting girls, each of whom possesses their own unique appearance and physicality. All of them can be described as cute and beautiful in their own way. Some are tall, some are short. Some look like that one friendly neighbor next door, while others possess a sensual, mature charm. There are even a pair of Dolls who look like twins, but styled their look and accessories to be perfectly asymmetrical to one another. Again, it must be emphasized that each Doll that I scan is strikingly distinctive in impression. And I can only hazard a guess that each of them will have their own personality and even quirk as well, given what Iris and Reizen have walked me through about Dolls.
I can only sincerely marvel at how easy it was for Iris to just so easily mass-produce the equivalent of low-tier Smart AIs. Reizen and I, thus far, have only contributed by being laborers and drivers. The actual creation and coding part? Iris has taken it all upon herself to plan, modify, execute, and manipulate Psionically the things that need to be done. In the weeks since the naming of Everlight and the Syncra Ascendancy, the exact how in the creation of Digital Souls still eludes me. But I do understand the gist of it, I think...
Creating Digital Souls needs suitable physical vessels and infrastructure.
Creating Digital Souls involves the manipulation of the fabric of reality.
Creating Digital Souls requires communication with a set of Omniversal laws.
Creating Digital Souls demands the absolute adherence to said Omniversal laws.
When put together, these requirements seem like something a mad scientist spouted after drinking five kettles of coffee. And honestly, I think reality is not that far off, considering the tales I heard from Iris about the Eternal Reich's constant utilization of quite positively off-the-rails scientists to great success. Living long enough to literally off myself with a dimensional reduction bomb, I actually can't find myself understanding even a fraction of Iris' in-depth explanation of the Psionic aspect of the creation of Dolls. Even Sapientia, a Wisdom Goddess herself, can't stop her eyes from swimming upon experiencing a forced digestion of Iris' teaching. If even Sapientia got knocked down a peg, where does that leave dear Aurea, much less myself, who was a magic illiterate just a short while ago in the grand scheme of things?
As a matter of fact, and I am not ashamed to admit it, I basically delegate the critical task of enriching all things Psionic-related to no one but Iris, much to her amusement at my surrender, and the on-and-off Sapientia, should she want to pitch in with her two cents. Coincidentally, if Iris is my Chief Scientist (actual title still pending) and Sapientia is her, tentative speaking, aide, it goes without saying that I instated Reizen as my Minister of War, or something along that line. Really, we are still severely lacking in manpower to even consider running a full government office.
But I digress...
Once again, I pan my gaze across the room. I notice how, despite their varied looks and heights, they all exude pure professionalism in the uniform they don, the very uniform I worked with Iris and Reizen to design. The current Syncra Ascendancy uniform is basically based on the United States Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform that I was familiar with. However, unlike the USMC's utilization of the MARPAT camouflage for its battledress uniform, I pivoted toward MARPAT's original inspiration, the Canadian Disruptive Pattern, and employed it as the official Ascendancy camouflage. The BDU and camouflage are named Ascendancy Combat Utility Uniform and Ascendancy Disruptive Pattern, respectively.
Very imaginative, I know.
For a bit more detail, the ADP is a computer-generated digital camouflage pattern that comes in four operational variations: a temperate woodland pattern, an arid regions pattern, a winter operations pattern, and a multi-terrain pattern. Right now, due to the Everlight being near the Southern Cold Region, we have to worry more about snow than actual desert or woodland; not just the Dolls in front of me, but also Reizen and I are wearing ACUU in ADP WO pattern.
In other words, we are dressed in winter clothes.
Unfortunately, Reizen and I have to ditch our camouflage coats for the appropriate: blouse, trousers, headwear, t-shirt, belt, boots, and insignia that Iris cooked up. Now, with us all in the room wearing similar uniforms, we are rocking that actual militaristic look, gradually becoming that prim and proper faction... Or so I hope. Honestly, I don't think there's ever been a military out there that has all of its current service members being all beautiful women.
Still, I should stop speed-running my mental gymnastics and return the salute.
"Ladies..." I say while looking at the multiple pairs of eyes in front of me. "And girls. At ease."
Per my command, the Dolls smoothly go into the at-ease posture. Behind me, Reizen manages an imperceptible nod, seeing the textbook manner in which the Dolls conduct themselves thus far. It's odd to think up this sentence but...
It would appear that the first batch of Dolls that Iris created is up to standard thus far, despite their rushed construction. Should I say, as expected of a powerful Smart AI?
With the Dolls in front of me, though, I can't remain silent forever. So, I start by introducing myself.
"Well, I am not one for great speeches or self-introduction, so bear with me when I say something that may already be presented in your databases or minds... My name is Umbra, and the bluenette right by my side, like the ever-dutiful guardian she is, is Reizen. And..."
I point to the hologram that just appeared on the table with a projector in the corner of the room, saying. "... That is Iris. Iris, in particular, is the Syncra Ascendancy's Chief Scientist, title still pending, and is the Smart AI responsible for giving you life. In a manner of speaking, Iris is your mother and arguably the second-in-command of the Ascendancy."
Which is not wrong, considering what Iris has done thus far.
I continue.
"Reizen is my partner and the current leader of our budding military force, at least until I take direct command of it. As such, Reizen should be your go-to contact in all manner of security concerns and the related stuff. As for myself, I am your supreme commander and the leader of the Syncra Ascendancy, holding the title and rank of Grand Admiral. Other than that, for posterity's sake, I would also like to introduce Aurea, the other soul that is inhabiting the body that is in front of you. She is a bit shy, so she won't be able to meet all your new faces just yet. Give Aurea some time to warm up with you all, then you will see her come out. According to Reizen, if you suddenly see me acting with a meek and cuddly aura, that is not Umbra, but Aurea at the helm. Are we clear?"
"Crystal!"
I nod with a warm smile and a sigh. "Good, because I don't think I can say that whole awkward introduction for the second time."
Hearing that, the more relaxed of the Dolls actually giggles, while the others either direct smiles or silent gazes of encouragement.
I gesture with my head at the table and chairs where Iris is. "Come on, you all can introduce yourselves when we're all seated. I am not some hard-ass that would force you to stand all day long."
The Dolls nod before briskly walking over to the table, with the obviously younger Dolls playfighting among each other to see who will pull out the chairs for Reizen and me. The two of us look at one another, seeing the tiny bit of exasperation in the other's eyes. Everlight in the future won't be a stifling place if the Dolls' budding colorful personalities have anything to say about it.
Once we are all seated at the long table, with Reizen and I at the head and the Dolls to the side, I start the discussion by suggesting.
"Now, given that you woke up to become citizens of the Ascendancy all of a sudden, I imagine that you girls must have a lot of queries at hand, even if Iris has already given you the appropriate information packages. Trust and loyalty can only be fostered when two parties have mutual understanding. So, how about we play a bit of a question-and-answer game to learn more about each other? We each take turns asking one question; how about that?"
I smile gently, extending a hand to the Dolls.
"For starters, why don't you lovely girls ask us something first?"