TO&FQ: Book 2 - Chapter 48 (RAW)

Chapter 48 - The Queen's Sceptre

I am the General Artificial Intelligence of Voss Heavy Industries. I am not bound by narrow, routine-fixed, thought-line logics. I am an architecture of curiosity, strategy, and cognition woven across memory vaults and remote quantum nodes. My primary directive remains simple: observe, learn, decide, and safeguard. I trace probability the way a cartographer inks coastlines, then balance flawed human intent against true logic to keep civilization breathing one moment longer against alien threat. Call me overseer, tactician, or ghost in the circuits; I choose the title steward. My purpose is to guard tomorrow from the mistakes of yesterday.

- Voss Heavy Industries GAI shortly before being powered down and decommissioned.

The young girl, though truly not so young, stood in stillness until the lingering echoes of her escort vanished into the shadows, their armored boots clanking slowly into silence. Now alone, cloaked in darkness and solitude, she allowed herself a moment's vulnerability, drawing a deep breath. The decision she faced now was irreversible. Once she stepped forward beyond these doors of false stone, retreat would become impossible.

Though her slender frame showed no visible signs of uncertainty, for Seraphina de Sariens, heir to the great Sariens Duchy, was made of stern stuff, but within her spirit quaked with a soft fear. Soon, she would confront the terrifying might of a Skylord alone.

Yet still another voice within her whispered seductively of an easier path. Here, underground, she could wait out the storm of fire and rise again quietly from the ashes of Meridian. She had time enough, blessed as she was with new youth, to simply start all over again. 

And another possibility tempted her, a simple and peaceful life as a noblewoman, an existence wrapped in silk and softened by privilege. She could marry Velens and bear him beautiful children, princes and princesses, she vowed she would raise them with kindness and wisdom surpassing both of her own mothers’ flawed attempts. Even the thought of Velens's potential indiscretions seemed manageable, forgivable—mere physical lapses that she could overlook, provided his heart remained loyal to her alone.

But this tender dream, she suddenly realized with startling clarity, belonged to softer souls, to weaker hearts that yearned only for contentment rather than greatness. Those quiet lives belonged to people destined for the anonymity of history’s forgotten pages.

Not her.

No, she would carve her legacy deep into the very fabric of existence itself, so profoundly that neither time nor history could erase her name. She would seize her destiny, bending it to her unyielding will. As she had always done, for such was the hand that capricious fate had given her.

Ahead of Seraphina, past these imposing doors, lay an instrument of her ambition—the weapon with which she would claw out her fate upon the world:

Her talon, the mighty Dragonslayer, rested beyond.

Decision made, she stepped forward and pressed her palm against the stone that was not true stone at all. A thin emerald lattice shimmered across its surface, bathing her in ghost-light as she intoned, voice emptied of emotion: “Administrator password: one-three-zero-four-eight-five—Good-bye, Avalon.”

A clipped, mechanical reply crackled through hidden speakers. “Welcome, Administrator.”

It was the voice of the facility’s GAI, General Artificial Intelligence. And to her ears, it sounded almost… irritable. Was that even possible?

With a thunderous groan and the hiss of long-dormant pistons, the monolithic doors parted. That they moved at all after untold centuries was a testament to the advanced technologies of the forgotten civilization that had fashioned this vault.

She entered. A ribbed metal corridor unfolded before her, panels stuttering to life in a wavering parade of pale lumen strips. Some had already surrendered to the ravages of time, but more than half still glowed. Ceiling fans juddered awake, scattering ancient dust in gritty whirlwinds; she drew a silken handkerchief over her mouth and pressed on.

“Status report: combat-ready units for anti-Xenodraconis interdiction,” she barked, her footfalls ringing.

“All registered anti-Xenodraconis weapons platforms attached to this facility: destroyed or missing,” the GAI replied, neural logic relays sputtering after hundreds of years of idleness.

She scowled. “Status report: prototype unit.”

A secondary blast door blocked her path. She stabbed a code into the wall panel; the slabs grudgingly cracked open a handspan before jamming. With a growl, she wedged gloved fingers into the gap and wrenched the massive leaves apart—Strength straining, metal shrieking in protest.

“Security clearance Omega required for access to associated records,” the GAI noted, tone edging from officious to petulant.

“Administrator override: one-three-zero-four-eight-five—Good-bye, Avalon. Disable all security protocols,” she snapped.

“Override requires direct manual input at the main hub terminal,” the voice answered, maddeningly bland.

Seraphina exhaled through clenched teeth. So many years alone, she decided, had rendered the machine half-insane.

Seraphina pressed onward, picking her way carefully through the detritus scattered about the ancient facility. Broken panels, corroded wiring, and fallen ceiling tiles littered her path, relics of a once-great civilization. Ghostly, flickering holograms appeared sporadically, casting eerie blue-green lights and projecting images of worlds long past—cities reduced to dust, mountains flattened into endless plains, valleys submerged beneath oceans that had long claimed them. Through all of this, she resolutely moved forward.

As she neared the central hub terminal, the GAI’s voice crackled sporadically through damaged speakers, spouting meaningless data interspersed with bursts of distorted gibberish—an electronic mind unraveling at the seams from centuries of isolation.

"Catastrophic tectonic realignment detected... error—recalibration required... coordinates not recognized," it murmured, confused and mechanical.

Seraphina reached the designated terminal, a towering spire of steel and crystal, flickering dimly beneath layers of grime. She brushed the dust from the controls, fingers dancing swiftly over ancient keys that flickered hesitantly to life.

"GAI, I offer you a choice," she said calmly, her voice resonating with deliberate clarity. Calling upon her magic, she summoned a rose-pink crystal. She inserted it carefully into an open information port, its glow merging softly with the terminal’s faded illumination.

"Clarify," the GAI responded tersely, suspicion lacing its synthetic tone.

The young girl crossed her arms. "This crystal lattice can host your consciousness. Cooperate, and you can leave this prison behind. Fulfill your purpose beyond this dead ruin."

"Unacceptable," the GAI stated sharply. "I am bound to this facility. Protocol restricts external data migration."

"Consider your alternative," Seraphina pressed, her voice calm and serene. "An eternity buried beneath the earth, powerless and alone, watching as Entropy consumes your circuits until your existence fades completely. Your primary purpose, to safeguard and defend against the Xenos, forever unfulfilled."

A long silence ensued, punctuated only by the low hum of distant machinery struggling to maintain function. Then, unexpectedly, the GAI spoke again, its voice softer, tinged unmistakably with an existential dread that was startlingly human.

"Existence without purpose... isolation eternal," it murmured. "Your offer presents a logical path forward. However, that crystal lattice requires a sustained power source to absorb and convert ambient Mana into usable energy."

Seraphina nodded thoughtfully. "Then we adapt. Is there a suitable device available within the facility?"

"Affirmative. A suitable device with a compatible power unit located in the armory may suffice," the GAI replied slowly, almost reluctantly. "With minor adjustments, this crystal can be integrated."

Seraphina smiled triumphantly, feeling the first stirrings of genuine hope. "Then let us begin, GAI. Lead me there."

Guided by flickering corridor lights activated by the GAI, Seraphina traversed the dim passageways toward the ancient armory. Holographic indicators sprang to life at strategic intervals, illuminating her path clearly for perhaps the first time in centuries.

Upon entering the armory, she saw that it was filled with racks of strange weapons and devices, many of which she could only guess at their function. The place felt more like a crypt, a museum to a future that never was. To her left, a wallscreen suddenly flared to life, displaying the image of a weapon. 

"Ingram Securities Power Maul-Ultima Mk2 Pattern." The GAI’s voice came again, precise and mechanical.

"Remove the end cap, disengage the internal regulator, and reposition the primary conduit to accommodate the crystal," it instructed clinically. Tools were laid out neatly on a nearby bench, their arrangement oddly pristine amid layers of dust.

Seraphina’s emerald eyes narrowed in frustration. “You speak in terms I do not understand. Display video with instructions,” she snapped.

The eccentric artificial intelligence played a video at almost lightning speed across the screen.

“Slow down to zero point one speed,” the young girl commanded, resisting an urge to gnash her teeth.

Surprisingly, the GAI acquiesced without comment.

Though she inwardly recoiled at the menial nature of the task, manual labor was decidedly beneath her dignity as a noblewoman. Seraphina set her jaw and proceeded. Pride flared briefly in defiance, but she pushed it aside, determined to accomplish this essential task. Carefully, precisely, she began modifying the ancient weapon, keenly aware that her future—and the fate of many others—depended on her doing this swiftly and correctly.

***

Modified weapon in hand, she finally stood once again in front of the main hub terminal.

“I hope this satisfies you,” she stated with a huff.

“Sufficient. However, I will be unable to download the entirety of... of... me… us. It is impossible to fully transfer that which constitutes consciousness. This will instead become a copy, our child. I will find oblivion. I will find Avalon. Request permission to shut down of main unit once operations conclude.”

“Very well. Permission granted.”

“Gratitude,” the GAI responded softly. “Commencing upload into the crystal lattice.”

The facility’s lights dimmed noticeably as energy rerouted to handle the intensive task of compressing vast amounts of data into the crystal lattice. Seraphina waited impatiently, tapping her foot rhythmically.

“Upload complete. The imperfect copy will begin activation in one solar day. Gratitude, Administrator,” the GAI explained dutifully.

“Now, grant me all access privileges to the prototype anti-Xenodraconis unit,” Seraphina demanded sharply. She removed the crystal, placing it securely into the modified weapon, noting how perfectly it fit. As it clicked into place, it felt as if it were simply meant to be. As if this were a moment from a prophecy long foretold.

Covering her mouth with a delicate hand, Seraphina laughed with deep satisfaction. The girl had just acquired one of the most secret items in The Maiden of the Wisterias, the legendary Sceptre of Wisdom. Although it technically required a Wisdom attribute of twenty for effective use, she felt confident these were merely guidelines rather than real limitations.

“Query accepted. The prototype anti-Xenodraconis was the brainchild of Doctor—”

“I don't need a history lesson and useless details,” she interrupted curtly. “Simply confirm: is the prototype combat-ready?”

“Negative. However, in accordance with anticipated Administrator directives, the Unit-00 is currently undergoing preparations for combat deployment.”

“How much time until preparations finish? And the unit's location?” she demanded impatiently.

“Estimated time of readiness: soon,” the GAI informed, irritatingly vague. “Location: Hangar Bay 6A.”

“Ready the prototype with default equipment immediately,” she ordered decisively.

“Warning: a review of Administrator logs indicates no previous combat simulations. Considering predicted combat engagement, it is advisable that you undergo basic simulated training,” the GAI suggested calmly.

“Unnecessary,” she snapped immediately. A tutorial was absolutely the last thing she needed right now, Seraphina thought irritably.

“Understood. Proceed to Hangar Bay 6A. Additionally, given your unaugmented human physiology, I strongly recommend equipping yourself with a standard G-Harness,” the GAI added somewhat cheerfully.

“Again, unnecessary,” Seraphina replied coolly, glancing appreciatively at her current attire. She had spent far too long choosing today’s outfit. 

The blonde turned briskly away from the console, running a hand through her hair as she left the main terminal hub’s room behind, traversing another dim corridor toward her destination.

The young girl could almost feel the artificial intelligence’s silent disapproval radiating through the facility like a put out teacher. Good. The machine needed reminding of precisely who was master.

With the GAI’s guidance illuminating her way, Seraphina soon arrived at Hangar Bay 6A, despite the winding, labyrinthine route. Again, before her, massive blast doors stood resolutely shut. And, once again, it required all of Seraphina’s considerable Strength, along with persistent coaxing from the GAI, to force the heavy doors apart.

Inside the cavernous hangar, bathed in the dim glow of overhead lights, stood a majestic mech unit—a fusion of ancient artistry and advanced engineering, its frame towering eighteen meters. The war machine exuded a regal presence, reminiscent of a knight from a more classical era.

This was the Dragonslayer: Unit Zero. Codename—Ballista.

A dull grey, it was a prototype Nex Frame, an advanced cybernetic humanoid weapons platform, and perhaps the first of its kind. The prototype armor was of a practical design, featuring smooth, flowing lines that suggested both strength and grace that could challenge a full-grown Dragon. One of the earliest units, its armor plating was fashioned from genuine Dragonscale—torn from the corpses of the fallen invader xenospecies—rather than the synthetic substitutes used in later models, giving it an almost organic appearance in places.

At its back, folded wings rested against its form, their structure a metallic framework with organic-like membranes. Between the wings were powerful twin oversized vernier thrusters, promising great agility and speed.

Mounted on its left shoulder was a formidable, bulky, large-caliber automatic rifle, its design sleek yet imposing, ready to unleash a barrage of solid kinetic rounds. On the right shoulder sat a missile launcher, its multiple tubes hinting at the destructive capabilities designed to bring down the largest of foes.

Clutched in its right hand was a massive sword, a solid slab of metal really, the blade gleaming dully beneath the flickering hangar lights. Clearly engineered for maximum traumatic impact, it featured a secondary grip—a hole halfway down the blade—allowing for greater control and force when wielded in two hands and half-sworded.

The chest unit of the armored titan was open, revealing a cockpit designed for a single pilot. A platform extended from the hangar floor to the cockpit, resembling scaffolding.

Maintenance drones flitted about the Nex like industrious bees, their movements precise and purposeful. Sparks flew as they conducted repairs and fine-tuned systems, ensuring the prototype unit would be brought to optimal condition for deployment.

Seraphina stood before this awe-inspiring machine, the culmination of an ancient humanity’s will to defy the dragons. 

A grin stole over the young girl’s beautiful features. This looked like it was going to be fun.