[LSB] Chapter 92: Unexpected

“Julian, all the surveillance in the room just shut down.”

The blinking lights scattered across the solar chamber went dark, almost deliberately, as if designed to make MEGAN notice the sudden absence of monitoring.

But of course, MEGAN—and even Julian thought this to be highly suspicious. He knew that the freedom and slack that Humanity Engineering had given him was far more than usual, but to actually shut down the surveillance inside the room that provided the entire asteroid power?

“I didn’t think that Humanity Engineering liked me this much,” he could not help but whisper. And of course, MEGAN had something to say about that.

[Or they actually already know something about you, Julian,] she scoffed, [But if they do, then why not just tell us? But there is also the chance that Victoria actually doesn’t know anything—she did say that the true CEO likes you, Julian… maybe he’s the one who knows something?]

“Hm. I don’t think there’s any use to thinking about it for now,” Julian replied as he stepped cautiously toward the miniature star at the center of the chamber. MEGAN had warned him not to get too close, assuring him that most of the heat and radiation was contained within the tank.

She said that, but with his abnormal senses, Julian could feel the celestial power of the star brutally crawling down his skin… literally.

“Are you sure all the surveillance are gone?” He asked while rubbing his arm.

[That is correct, Julian.]

“Hm,” Julian hummed as he stretched his hand toward the shadow beneath his chin, pulling out the Dodona Coal from the [Shadow Vault].

And true enough, the humming he initially felt that led to him finding it back on the hidden dungeon was being emitted by the coal again. This time, however, the vibrations resonating within it was stronger, much stronger.

[The rock’s glowing, Julian,] MEGAN’s voice whispered in his mind. [The same color as the star. And the star… it’s reacting to it too.]

“I can feel it,” Julian murmured, stepping back slightly as the warmth emanating from the tank shifted.

Well, no. Not exactly.

Or rather, it didn’t grow stronger. It became… focused. A tendril of heat reached out, not in violence, but as if testing, probing. The warmth it radiated was paradoxical—intense but oddly soothing. Meanwhile, the Dodona Coal in Julian’s hand seemed to hum in harmony, as if singing to the star like a siren’s call… seducing it.

Fortunately for Julian, the star was still inside the tank. Still, Julian didn’t seem bothered by this at all—his curiosity still the strongest emotion inside him as he once again stepped closer to the tank.

“Is there a way to slightly open the container? Just enough to let a little plasma leak out?” he asked suddenly.

[You should have just told me you wanted to die, Julian,] she scoffed, mockingly laughing at him, [No matter how strong you’ve become, your body can’t tank the power of a star—at least, not yet.]

“But there is a way to open up the container?” Julian insisted before returning the Dodona Coal back into the [Shadow Vault] to stop the star from reacting.

[Yes, but you shouldn’t be asking that,] MEGAN sighed. [The glass tank is just a safety buffer to prevent sudden leaks and keep the room’s heat and radiation at manageable levels. The real mechanism keeping the star stable is the system of rings floating around it. Without those rings, you’d be vaporized instantly.]

“Hm…”

Julian ignored her protests, stepping closer to the tank. He lightly tapped the glass, allowing his heightened senses to feel the faint hum of the rings circling the star.

“How do I not die when we open it?” Julian asked without an ounce of concern.

[Are you f—I need a new owner. I need a new owner!] MEGAN screamed in frustration. After a few seconds, though, she sighed and calmly said, [There was a suit compartment just before we entered the room—wear one, and you’ll be fine.]

“Hm,” Julian replied, turning around without hesitation. He tapped his cane several times along the hallway, searching for what MEGAN had mentioned—and true enough, there were several openings in the wall, each large enough to fit a hand.

[That’s it, Julian—just place your hand inside.]

Julian followed her instructions, sliding his hand into one of the openings. As soon as he did, he felt something crawling across his arm. The sensation was unlike anything he’d experienced before—light, perhaps even lighter than air, but unmistakably present. A swarm, but not exactly.

“...Smoke?” Julian muttered, holding his breath. The strange sensation made him tilt his head involuntarily. He was wrong, he had felt something like this before, he just couldn’t remember where and when he felt it, “Is it nanotech?”

[These crazy wasteful shits…] MEGAN scoffed, watching the substance crawl and wrap itself around Julian’s body. It resembled smoke, though it behaved like something far more advanced. [...I can’t believe they’re using femto-tech just for this. Do you know how much energy this clump alone probably consumes? More than the entire asteroid combined. But I guess they’re serious about avoiding workplace incidents. But once again, illegal for private companies to use.]

The so-called femto-tech was indeed a cloud of smoke, swirling around Julian’s body in an almost sentient dance. But within moments, the smoke thinned out, latching tightly onto him before disappearing entirely—at least to the naked eye. Julian could still feel its presence on his skin, faint but undeniable.

He was about to say something when an unfamiliar voice interrupted his thoughts. It wasn’t MEGAN, nor was it the Avatar of Searadyn.

[Good day to you, Mr. Winters,] the voice said. Its tone was calm and precise, eerily similar to Victoria’s. [We are detecting a MEGAN AI in your body. Would you like to transfer all control of my systems to it?]

“...Victoria?” Julian asked, startled.

[I am not Dr. Victoria Wilkes, Mr. Winters. I am—]

[Ack! Julian, don’t let me take control of it!] MEGAN suddenly shouted, her voice fraught with alarm. [I wouldn’t be able to handle it!]

[That will not be a problem. I can temporarily upgrade your hardware,] the suit’s AI replied smoothly.

[Why do I feel so… old all of a sudden?] MEGAN’s voice croaked in mock despair, followed by a comical coughing sound as she faded. [But seriously… don’t. Just let it do its thing.]

[Shall I proceed independently, Mr. Winters?] the AI asked. [My primary function is to ensure your safety while inside the Solar Chamber. I am also detecting anomalies in your body, specifically: Complete Absence of Nerve Connection, Optics. Would you like me to attempt repairs, Mr. Winters?]

“That—”

[Upon further review, previous attempts have already been made to repair the Complete Absence of Nerve Connection, Optics, by another femto-tech AI. Repeating the procedure would be inefficient and yield no improvement. Would you still like me to proceed?]

“No,” Julian said quickly, cutting it off before it could continue. “She… is more talkative than you, MEGAN.”

[Ssh! Don’t talk to me for now, Julian! These things are dangerous!] MEGAN snapped, then went completely silent.

With MEGAN gone, Julian found himself unsure of what to do next—or so he thought.

[This is odd,] the femto-tech AI spoke again, unprompted. [You have clearance nearly equivalent to Dr. Wilkes. And since you have activated me, I assume you intend to interact with the energy storage. However, you are not trained to do so, Mr. Winters. Would you still like to proceed?]

“...Yes?” 

[Very well, opening Solar Tank.]

A deafening hiss whispered through the air as the transparent tank began to sink into the floor. Julian braced himself for the searing heat, but it never came. The suit instantly adjusted, restructuring itself to keep the temperature at the most optimal and comfortable level—and it would seem, even accounting for his abnormally high senses.

[Interesting. The sensitivity of your thermoreceptors is exponentially higher than normal, Mr. Winters,] the AI remarked, [I must apologize—it seems I’ve been influenced by the lack of light restriction protocols in your MEGAN. I will now focus solely on my primary function.]

There was a pause before the AI continued, [Please note: in the event of extreme danger, I am authorized to assume control of your body externally and evacuate you from the solar chamber, Mr. Winters.]

“Hm. Thank you…” Julian murmured, stepping closer to the star. The suit wasn’t numbing the heat completely—it allowed him to feel the subtle waves of energy radiating from the small sun. 

Yet, it directed his heightened senses away from discomfort, sharpening his focus on the star itself. And he could feel it: life, pulsing and alive, roaring with restrained power.

The rings, humming with purpose, worked tirelessly to contain this volatile life force, preventing it from bursting free and annihilating everything within millions of miles. Julian’s fingers twitched as the weight of the star’s presence pressed against his everything.

[There is no need for concern, Mr. Winters,] the AI reassured, its voice cool and precise as though anticipating his unease. [I am fully capable of keeping you alive through a supernova. My primary function is to ensure your survival. The aftermath, I am afraid, is something you would have to deal with yourself. Without a power source to sustain me, I would shut down instantly. You would die in the vast, unforgiving expanse of space. I assume you would find that unpleasant, Mr. Winters.]

Julian let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. Even the most advanced AI, it seemed, couldn’t resist the pull of sarcasm—MEGAN had told him as much before. 

Sarcasm, she had said, was one of the first human behaviors AI learned to mimic.

“Are you recording this?” Julian asked, tilting his head as he felt the suit moving ever-so-subtly across his skin.

[Recording is not within my designated functions, Mr. Winters. And your access level does not permit function modifications.]

“No recordings, then,” Julian muttered, relief washing over him. He plunged his hand into the shadow beneath his chin, pulling at the void with practiced ease.

But the AI’s tone shifted, suddenly sharp and panicked. [Warning: Unknown!]

The warning caused Julian to yank the Dodona Coal from the [Shadow Vault], his body tensing as a scalding wave of heat engulfed his hand.

[Warning: femto particles missing! Reason: Unknown.]

The heat ebbed as quickly as it had flared, the smoke-like suit extending over his hand to cover him once more. 

Cover.

Because the parts of the femto-tech suit that he plunged into the shadows… were now missing.

 “Oh…” Julian whispered. It never truly came across his mind at all—not at all. 

The parts of the suit that were missing… were now inside his [Shadow Vault].

[Mr. Winters… Can you explain to me what you did?]

[LAST CHAPTER] <-----> [NEXT CHAPTER]

AUTHOR NOTES

You didn't expect another upgrade before the expected upgrade, did you?

Or... is it really an upgrade? And... did Julian just technically steal company property?