147. Toasters
Adam couldn't do anything other than stare at the message and ponder, weighing all the options he had and the timetable he could fit them in, while keeping an eye on the situation.
Rather than being worried, he was feeling responsible, even though he wasn't fully blaming himself for the Jotnar attack. He just didn't have it in him to do anything else other than taking care of things, especially when it was this messy.
Who knows what kind of shenanigans the Sacred Code would put him through, judging by how crazy it went during Kave's trial, in addition to a Dragon invading Cyberspace.
Until this day, it all felt too surreal, but he would soon learn that one frontier would be just as critical as the other. Until then, Adam went to visit the Script Monastery.
This building had long since been finished, even before the upgrade of the Command Center into a Base Bastion. In fact, the Script Monastery was a primary requirement for such an upgrade.
But because of how eventful everything was, Adam hadn't stepped foot in the monastery building after its completion, dumping most of its construction efforts on Solana's shoulders, which kept her busy most of her day.
Adam remembered that in the early days, he had laid a big foundation, covering a sizable cellar that belonged to an old house, since the monastery required its own underground level. After that, he erected four pillars at the corners of the building, each in the shape of an Ancient Egyptian obelisk. That was all the construction he did before Solana took over.
Under her supervision, she finished the outer walls of the monastery, added a massive blast door as the only entrance and exit, and then finished the roof with a pyramid-like design.
Most of the building was built with concrete bricks rather than being printed as one perfect piece, which took longer than needed but provided room for future upgrades and protected it from the usual fractures that would develop on 3D-printed buildings.
The building's aesthetics and grandeur would always draw attention from refugees staying in the base; most of them were curious about the Ancient Egyptian style, which offered more comfort than the brutalist design everywhere else. The answer was usually due to Solana's origins, being a member of the Sisterhood of Aten-Sor, an extremist world with a lot of sacred sights, all dedicated to a few visits by Sol Imperius himself on his way in and out of the Sacred Solar System.
The lore, as well as the building itself, started to spark interest in many individuals regarding the stories of Sol Imperius, especially among the faithful who were trying to find light and warmth in the darkness of this world. They began building their tarp tents right at the side of the building, gathering around fire barrels, and exchanging stories from Solana's sermons, all with a common belief that Wartopia, the game, was some sort of a prophecy that reached Earth from beyond the Rift; that the myths and even urban legends of Aliens, Bigfoot, and Sol knows what else, were all part of a world that always existed, but exploded into being with the outbreak of the Rifts on D-Day.
Adam listened to these conversations from the side, feeling heavy-hearted as he knew that his lies may have led to this misunderstanding. He had summoned Wartopia; he had brought it from fiction to reality, and no prophecy or divinity was involved. However, some doubt crept in, and the people's speculations made their way into his mind.
If those Urban Legends were somehow shadows from the Rifts, something that always existed, or maybe something that was reflected, it would mean that the world was more fucked than he even realized.
Take Japan, for example: their urban legends were so many and so disturbing, there should be no shortage of horror in that place if we are operating on a theory of Rift Reflections.
At that point, Adam realized that no matter what he did, people would still form their own views and interpret things as they wished. Rather than hiding behind his lies, he might have been perceived as some sort of Apocalypse Messiah, a herald of some great war or whatever. At least from the background, he could have had some level of control over the narrative; however, it was too dangerous to let the people's minds wander endlessly.
He would have to take charge of those thoughts one day: reshape how people think, more lies, more manipulation, more custom-made half-truths.
Perfect! Now I'm stressing over things that are yet to happen. He thought to himself as he pushed forward, wearing his dark coat and hood to hide his identity, only giving the appearance of being some sort of military officer, so people kept making way for him until he reached the Monastery's blast door.
In such instances, soldiers or officers would flash a badge or report something to the intercom outside, but Adam had an entirely different relationship to these kinds of procedures, and all he did was stand in front of the blast door and give it a command.
"It's me. Open up."
While his voice wasn't particularly loud enough to be heard by anyone, the metal gates complied with a groan, their gears churning from inside as they came to life, slowly rolling on the interior rails. To the onlookers, only Solana would open those doors, receiving whoever came to her by simply opening the doors narrowly and walking out to receive them, never letting anyone inside. As for this mysterious individual, the gates opened sideways, far wider than Solana would ever open them, and rather than her walking out, the stranger walked inside to reveal a large stairway ascending to a higher elevation within the building, right before the gates closed again.
It was a dramatic scene for many of the faithful that night, a change that would precede other changes, and it was especially felt in the way the flames danced over the Holy Furnace a few yards away from the monastery, a place no one was allowed to approach.
As for what was going down in the Monastery, Adam himself was clueless when a sudden odor hit him out of nowhere: a strange mix of burnt oils, ceremonial incense, and something alive in the mix. He walked up the stairs, the blast door closing behind him, and the dark interior beyond the stairs gradually became brighter as various lights started to radiate more strongly.
This radiation was soon followed by the echoing, familiar voice of Sister Solana.
"The Sacred Code resonates with a harmonious canticle in welcome, Brother-Commander."
The voice came from all corners, but Adam's eyes were fixed on the large statue at the far end of the large, open, six-pillared hall. Calling it a statue was rather strange; it would be better to call it a bust, a really giant bust at that. But Adam knew for a fact that it had more to it underground; after all, it was inspired by the Moai Statues (🗿) of Easter Island, with thick features and a deep gaze.
"Never in my mind had I imagined that you erected a Guardian, Sister Solana," Adam spoke, hiding how taken he was by that imposing statue.
"Praised be Sol Imperius, Brother-Commander. By what purpose have you arrived at this humble Monastery?" Solana emerged from behind one of the pillars, her voice no longer booming through the space. Strangely, she wasn't dressed in her monastic battle armor, but rather in a plain tank-top and work overalls.
She would have looked like a normal girl at that time except for how heavily modified her body was, featuring fully cybernetic arms, neck, torso, and Sol knows what else.
"Humble monastery?" Adam raised a brow, turning towards the guardian statue. "How did you fit all that in here?"
"Seismic auspex scans of this sacred hill have revealed that our Monastery rests atop a massive stone formation. The excavation and elevation of a suitable section posed little difficulty, since it was all carved by Blazers."
"So you just dug down, found a piece of rock, cut it with Blazers, raised it, and carved it into a guardian, just like that?" Adam asked.
"Carved while raising it," Solana corrected him.
"And how was it raised, exactly?" Adam asked.
"Primitive methods. The excavation cavity was simply filled with debris, after which the mass was shifted incrementally through coordinated rope-rigging action, dragged left, then right, until the Stone was maneuvered into its designated position." She replied.
"Jesus, woman!" Adam's poker face finally crumbled.
"Kindly refrain from invoking the names of local deities within a Solarium Monastery. These are secular grounds."
Adam narrowed his eyes for a bit, not sure how to respond to that. It was true that the Solar Dogma was secular, but it still felt weird to experience it head-on. The lore was rather inconsistent about this one, with many authors interpreting a secular religion the way they saw fit, most of them viewing it as some sort of hypocrisy or rigid philosophy, while others saw it as a conflict of idealism among its adherents; the latter becoming the canon explanation in later editions.
In other words, the Solar Dogma was whatever the local authority felt it was, and with Solana being that authority, it was easy to see it as the rigid philosophical type.
Adam decided to put those useless thoughts aside, since he was already familiar with Solana and her antics, focusing on the issue at hand.
"I was given clearance by the Sacred Code to undergo the Trials of a Legio Bellarium Captain-at-Arms," he explained the purpose of his visit.
"Praised be!" Solana's expression lit up immediately. "It is likely that the number of troopers has reached the maximum authorized Threshold. I have detected minor latency within the Bellarium processes, as they remain dependent upon your node. Nevertheless, this is most encouraging news. A Captain commands a Company, and the elevation from Trooper-command to Company-command unlocks numerous operational privileges."
"I know, but it would take a considerable time to get the rank of Captain in an Iron Maiden Trial, right?" Adam asked, clearly hesitant.
"Delaying it is worse," Solana replied with no regard for his worry. "Simply put, you are now operating a force inflated far beyond the parameters for which its command tools were designed. The management utilities granted by the Sacred Code are calibrated for a Platoon of approximately one hundred and sixty-five Troopers. Exceeding three hundred and thirty personnel within a single Platoon constitutes a logistical catastrophe. The Sacred Code's Platoon-Administration Routines would inevitably begin to degrade, which accounts for the latency faults I have been correcting."
"Faults?" Adam frowned before asking, "How bad?"
"Nothing serious for now," Solana replied nonchalantly. "But after experiencing this so-called Freeze, it is rather difficult to say, with so many systems affected."
"Hold on! Won't the aura of the holy flame just fix any effect the Freeze had?" Adam asked with clear worry.
"Eventually," Solana replied, adding a shrug one second after saying so.
She was clearly unsure.
Despite how many machines Adam was trying to fix the past couple of days, the issues in them proved rather beyond his technical understanding. Most of his scanning software proved useless at detecting the issues, and he was rather hoping for Solana to enlighten him on the matter.
"This Freeze, it is not just some Sorcery, is it?" Adam asked, prompting the Nun to nod.
"It delivered a devastating Cyber-Impact upon every system it touched. Fortunately, the Holy Flame proved a perfect countermeasure against its effects." Solana explained.
"The alien woman called Kahori explained it as Sorcery, something different from Runes or anything scientific in that regard. She said that Sorcery and Technology are opposites and can't be compatible," Adam said, briefing Solana on his meeting with Kahori.
"As repulsive as the statement is to vocalize, I find my conclusions aligning with those of the xenos filth. Yet, as you are aware, Brother-Commander, such occurrences are hardly unprecedented." Solana said.
"You mean just like how the Holy Flame counters Demonic Influence, Machina Cyber Incursion, and Eldritch mindfuckery?" Adam asked.
"Yes. If you analyze the data, every one of those phenomena originates from sources that defy conventional science. They counteract, corrupt, or outright circumvent the explanatory framework of human technology. The Freeze conforms to the same pattern." Solana explained, laying out her opinion calmly.
"Damn!" Adam exhaled, holding the bridge of his nose as a headache kept assaulting him. "So, if we head into Cyberspace now, we will be affected by the Freeze to some extent."
"I have been trying to find that out…" Solana said, but before she could complete her sentence…
Clang! Clang! Rustle!
… a strange sound of metal hitting metal and something crumbling came from the place she had come from.
Adam's brows furrowed, looking behind Solana, who tensed up immediately. He tried to take a step past her, but she stood in his way, her face barely keeping its composure.
"Solana." Adam locked eyes with hers, causing her to avert them. "Do you have some sort of a guest?"
"N… No! I—I wouldn't, Brother Commander. These are monastic grounds, completely forbidden for worldly individuals or mundane visitations," Solana replied, fidgeting where she stood.
"So, what's in there?" Adam asked, pointing at the place.
Before Solana could even answer, more noise came from within, and the composure she tried to keep immediately crumbled. In a moment of hesitation, Adam immediately shifted his body sideways, ready to break into a run, but as she moved to intercept him, he skillfully shifted to the other direction and, with a nimble rotation, rushed behind her and reached past the pillar.
Childish as it was, Adam was grinning ear to ear, while Solana was utterly embarrassed, trying to catch him. There, he saw what she was hiding, and his smile gradually faded.
"Are those…" he asked, watching the heap of pre-apocalypse junk all piled hastily in one spot over one table that was miserably failing from the weight of the junk all over it, "… toasters?"
There weren't just toasters, though. It was all manner of household appliances: from coffee makers to air fryers, from torchlights to children's toys, and from car electronics to copying machines.
A pile that was almost fifteen feet high, with enough junk to fill a medium-sized room.
Adam turned to the overly embarrassed Solana, who was clearly trying to soldier her way through this massive revelation.
"I know you were confiscating old-world junk from people… but damn. That's some hoarding habit you have!"
Adam went ahead and reached for a toaster under the pile, causing the device's inner mechanism to start clicking a few times before a DING was heard. Solana's entire body underwent a shiver upon hearing that ding sound.
"Oh, you like that?" Adam asked, noticing Solana's face flush red.
"Please, stop it."
Adam immediately pulled the lever down for the timer to start clicking for a couple of seconds before… DING!
Solana reacted similarly once again, this time completely looking away from him.
"That's actually nice! Therapeutic, even." Adam said, smiling silly at her.
"I know, right?" Solana replied, almost too enthusiastically sharing that thought, but Adam was already pulling the lever again, causing her to hastily snatch the toaster with a flustered face. "Stop it!" She cried.
"Alright, alright!" Adam said, stepping away from the pile. "I can say for sure I love that old-school toaster bell; it fills me with nostalgia, but I thought you were an electronics type of girl. This is all too mechanical for you."
"I… Yes." Solana nodded hesitantly. "I do like the electronic aspect of such wonder machines, but I find myself attracted to all sorts of appliances in this world… as long as they aren't fossil, I mean. They would have been such a great thing to have!"
"Even if not electronic?" Adam asked. "The Sacred Code would need circuit boards to function."
"Yes, but that's the beauty of simple things," Solana replied with a sense of clarity. "No Sacred Code may mean no holiness, but it also means no corruption would be possible."
"I see." Adam nodded to her words, seeing the nun in a different light, no longer the rigid annoyance she usually is. "This will be our little secret then; I see no harm in it. And in exchange, a secret of my own: I really find Sacred Geometry in those blessed boards so inefficient and dumb."
"Oh!" Solana blinked twice at the obvious HereTechia in the middle of her monastery, before shrugging in understanding. "Your circuit architectures prioritize efficiency over protection; I shall grant you that. However, the design can be mirrored upon the same board and replicated as needed, rather than burdening the assembly with excessive circuitry."
"I like the sound of that." Adam scratched his chin, thinking of the easy solution she just provided. "Does it do anything, however?"
"Sacred Geometry creates symmetrical and flawless circulation of power through BCBs that would drive Rogue logic and Demonic powers crazy," she explained before putting it in simpler terms. "It creates orderly patterns that defy chaos, which is what xenos are."
"Makes sense in Wartopia, I guess." Adam nodded but thought for a while, trying to build a theory in his mind, yet he found himself knowing less than he needed to build it up. "I would have asked you to teach me about Sacred Geometry, but I have the Captain Trials to go through."
"How about we do both?" Solana offered him. "It is better that you learn about it in Cyberspace anyway."
"The Sacred Code is the will of Sol Imperius, he who taught us to undergo trials not for vanity and materialism, but for self-elevation and learning. The path of enlightenment is the path of learning."
"I like the sound of that." Adam nodded with a shrug, approving of what he heard. "Just let me grab a couple Runes, and let's do all the learning and trials we can."
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