Life is slowly returning to normal here on Aiora I laugh somewhat to myself on discovering the name of the planet. So very close to the Aiur of the Protoss. I'm damned thankful that the Aiora version of me was somewhat reclusive and a downright wizard at the practical aspect of engineering, even before the accident where I had almost been crushed under a falling building.
The Aiora version of Amelius worked hard studying wanting to build something someday that could possibly protect us from the wraith. So of course when I told mum and the temporary council that if they gave me crews to check the power lines I could at least restore limited power, they didn't bug me for details assuming that I had somehow managed to repair one of the power plants or build a generator.
Truthfully, the lack of questions was probably a combination of my earlier behavior and the stress of leading a cleanup effort that you know is being mirrored across the planet. If anyone had looked for where the power was coming from they would be baffled. The ZPE converter had the ability to wirelessly transfer energy to receivers within range. these were what I had mounted on the poles and hooked up to the power lines.
It took about a day after I'd queued up the control tower for the structure to be completed, and with its completion the next level of buildings and the related information was unlocked. I read over the summary of each new building and I am glad now that I chose the tower over the outpost. I now know that all the outpost would have be capable of at the moment is long range scanners and providing a fixed twenty-five psi.
I'm eager to get away from the cleanup efforts, which are starting to shift from cleanup and rescue to repair and rebuild, and go explore my newest building so I tell my family I need a day off. I spend the whole morning hiking through the woods nearby before I walk right into the shield just inside of the cloak. Walking blindly through the cloaking field, I push my way through the spongy shield hidden beneath it. The tower is awe inspiring, and beautiful. Looking up at the blue-grey metal I can see hints of the golden protoss architectural ethos seamlessly merged with the newer design i'm starting to become familiar with.
I walk forward, heading towards a door that isn't readily apparent, but I know it's there. Appearing for all purposes to simply be another recessed section of the architectural design. The door slides smoothly open with barely a sound revealing a small chamber with another door opposite I recognize that the entrance has been setup to act as an airlock if necessary. Through the inner door is a moderately lit corridor revealing a bronze floor and aquamarine walls with bronze and blue-grey metal supports every few meters. The lighting is coming from triangular panels in the ceiling and glowing blue-white crystals slotted into holders in the walls each holder containing three arrays of seven flat crystals stacked vertically.
Whoever the original engineers and designers were of the technology I found myself in control of, they were pragmatists at their core. A people that believed firmly in functionality combined with beauty. While everything was designed to be aesthetically pleasing, it all had some functionality, nothing was purely decorative. There was nothing in the tower that didn't have a function or purpose no decorative vases or fake flowers sitting in the alcoves. Even the most utilitarian of things was a work of art. Each example of the awe inspiring technology before me was a work of art and beautiful.
The rooms on the first floor were mostly storage rooms and offices, there was a small exercise facility at the end of the hallway, and a set of moderately sized restrooms just outside of the exercise room between it and the offices. For the most part the rooms were mostly empty, containing only computer terminals and hookups for equipment that wasn't in place yet. Near the center of the floor was another transport booth like I had used at the power facility. Next to it was a set of stairs. Stepping into the booth I saw I could now transport between the tower and the power facility. The booth showed transporter location every seven floors. There were three individual booths located on the same level as the control room and another three on the floor labeled medical facilities.
Deciding to assuage my curiosity first, I tapped blinking dot for the control room first. A flash of light later and I exited the booth into an empty corridor. The only hint that I was on a different floor being the script written on the wall giving the floor number and corridor. Following the only path available, I find myself walking toward a set of large bronze sliding double doors with accented blue frosted crystal, the doors open on my approach.
The control center was a thing of beauty. Inside the room were a set of steps lit with glowing panels that spelled out brief warnings in the same foreign language that I could somehow read. The steps led up into a broad walkway with a large stained glass window of a crystal design at one end that had an empty area just in front where I could tell something was supposed to slot into the floor for an added functionality that wasn't currently available. At the other end was another set of stairs leading up to a huge window looking out into a balcony. These steps were also lit with glowing writing that read out a welcome to visitors and travellers, the steps gave notice that all who sought peace would be welcomed with open arms but those whose desires were less than honorable should beware and rethink their plans lest they be crushed.
Heading up the stairs bearing the welcome, to the left there is a set of stairs leading up to a walkway next to angled panels that pivot to allow entry to a conference room. To the right the stairs lead up into the main control center.
I take a moment to admire the large stained crystal window between the two sets of stairs. Just up the steps on either side of the large window there are doors leading out onto a balcony. On the far side of the control center across a walkway there's an office surrounded by clear sheets of crystal which I know are far stronger and tougher than ordinary glass from earth. Probably something similar to transparent aluminum as seen in Star Trek. Ignoring the office for now I check the consoles in the room. Above each is a holographic display. The consoles are an interesting merging of the two technologies as everything else has been. Both the protoss and the unfamiliar designs have a mental component built into them so that the person standing in front of the console need only think a command to bring up the desired interface. Though the standard push button technologies have been included as well for confirmation purpose to prevent someone from disabling main power by daydreaming.
Right now the only facility that is fully functional in the tower is the medical complex taking up several floors directly below the control room. Directly above the control room is a large empty bay with several platforms that jut out over a central area. At the base of the bay a section of floor panels retract to the control room below a few floors up and the ceiling does the same to reveal the clear blue sky above. Unfortunately for me it seems I don't have any vehicles in the bay at the moment. The designs are locked away under one of the required buildings.
I do have a few options available to me. I can either build a platform around the base of the control tower which will eventually allow me to turn this into a city-ship complete with star drive, or I can immediately start building manufacturing and research facilities around it making this a forever land bound control tower. Either way at the moment it is the seat of operations for the planet. Deciding to hold off on making that call for now I head back down to the control room and designate the hot springs and another location between there and the existing power plant as places for new power converters.
The control tower contains a more stable computer core and is able to keep track Psi controlled units at longer ranges taking the current four probes off my hands and tying them into it's systems. Not having them being directed by my own power anymore takes a load off my shoulders that I didn't realize was there.
There are living quarters in the tower for housing the command staff, and whatever scientists end up having labs in the tower. As it is there's probably enough space in the tower that I could house an eighth of the cities population. But i'm not quite comfortable just moving everyone into my shiny new tower. Even though I'm fairly certain I have absolute control over it's systems I really don't want to test that theory out if someone decides they want to try and take control. Afterall I'm only eighteen.
There is one more room I want to check located in roughly the middle of the tower. it's a circular room about two to three stories high. In the center of the room is a platform with cloudy white panels set into golden metal polished and carved with swirling decorative protoss designs. In the middle of the hexagonal dais is a throne-like chair made out of the grey metal. Set into the headrest are more cloudy white panels. The chair itself has an almost gel like covering that feels organic. Though I know the material will last for millennia without maintenance. Sitting down in the chair the back reclines and a foot rest comes out at an angle. The cloudy white paneling in the floor begins glowing a cyan blue.
In the armrests near where my hands sit there is a clear gel I can feel my fingers sinking into the gel. It doesn't feel slimy, and there seems to be some mechanism that draws excess moisture away from my hands keeping the interface comfortable. In spots the gel bubbles up forming buttons and there are lights that come on underneath though hard to see from my reclined position.
Somehow I instinctively know where to press on the hand controls, and just thinking about what I want brings up the screen on a holographic interface above my head. Messing with the interface I find out there are upgrades available for the tower complex. The first one on the list is labeled cybernetics core and has a 200 ZPE price tag. The description says it increases the number of units that can be controlled from the tower as well as unlocking two more buildings from my build list. I have enough resources, I queue the upgrade.
At least I have more Psi now. Plenty for a veritable army of probes for mining resources. I halfway wonder about using them to repair the city. My hud informs me that given the appropriate schematics they could easily rebuild the damaged sections. But I'm also considering that it might not be worth it to expend the effort repairing the current infrastructure if I can use the probes to build a new and more advanced infrastructure over the old one. I'm almost thirty percent of the way towards the required materials for the city ship platform add on to the tower, which will add corridors, housing for a stardrive and a power conduit base. Probably closer to forty-five percent if I use up all my stored ZPE from the power converter. There is still not much point in building an outpost given the tower has better long-range sensors. I cue up another thirty probes for resource gathering at other locations. With the control tower now directing them I feel a bit more comfortable about not micromanaging the probes myself. It's been programmed to keep them from being spotted for now.
Perhaps I can use them to build a few apartment towers during the night inside the city at a few of the areas that were leveled. Each of the smaller towers would have its own small medical facility for minor injuries which would take some of the pressure off the city hospital.
Making a snap decision I direct the sensors to give me a map of the city. Its an amazing feeling having the map downloaded into my head makes it seem like I can see everything about the city all at once. The computer can tell which areas are damaged and begins flagging the buildings based on how damaged they are. There are three locations within the city and under the area marked as within range of the power convertor where there is a large enough area and the buildings that stood there are damaged beyond repair. I decide to go ahead and build apartment complexes in those locations. The computer knows to wait until night time before moving the required probes into place.
I access the build menu once more. The three previous options are there but underneath them are three new buildings.
Academy - 275 ZPE
Trains ground units and pilots for vehicles.
Research Lab - 500 ZPE
Enables prototype development and research of alien technology as well as developing existing technology from theory. Examples of possible research include defensive and offensive weaponry for outposts.
Residential Tower - 150 ZPE
Apartment complex with self contained arboretum and healthcare facilities. Provides living space for fifteen family units. Additional upgrades available to increase capacity.
The tooltip for each building lets me know that I have to place them within range of a power convertor or on a city ship platform. Except for the Residential Tower which has its own fusion reactor in a sublevel behind security doors. Each additional building requires some energy from the convertor slowing the production of the zero point modules which are basically large glowing crystal batteries. The facility doesn't actually charge the zpms, they're an excellent example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Instead it meticulously assembles new ZPMs by creating the required materials from energy or rematerializing the stored matter into the required shape. As long as I don't completely drain a ZPM it's still possible to recharge one.
After some more exploring I notice the time as a glance out a nearby window outside shows the sky is starting to get dark, and I head back to the transport booth and select the power facility. If I'd known I could just transport here using the booth at the power convertor I could have spent more time today exploring the tower. Most of my morning was spent hiking through the forest towards the tower.
Right now being close to any of the buildings is like having a quiet but comforting hum in the back of my mind. When i'm close to the probes I can sort of hear them beeping contentedly as they go about the carrying out my commands. It's more that a little disconcerting feeling that comforting hum fade as I leave the forest for the shelter where my family is staying.
Walking into the room I glance at my mother. From the expression on her face I immediately know something is wrong.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Sammeth wanted to help with the cleanup today." Edriss says looking dazed.
I move closer and prompt her to continue, "Tell me, I might be able to do something."
"He was standing there when the pile of rubble shifted. The construction driver didn't see him and the truck's mechanical arm, they were using it to pick up the heavier pieces of concrete, it upset the pile causing it to fall on Sammeth." Edriss said between sobs.
"He's still alive. Yes?" I ask worried.
"He's at the hospital down the road. His arms and legs were crushed." Edriss says.
Damn it! I curse in my head. There is no way I'm letting my little brother be crippled or worse die. I look my mother in the eyes. "Mom, I'm going to go see him." I tell her. "I'm not sure how but I know it's going to be alright? Okay?"
She gives a small nod.
"Merina is still here right?" Another nod. "Sam will be okay, look after Merina. I'll be back."
I leave the building making my way towards the hospital. Conditions have definitely improved since I started supplying power from the convertor hidden in the forest. Inside the main entrance I locate my brother's room and head down the hallway. Sammeth narrowly escaped having a crushed chest, or breaking his neck. Remembering my brief foray into medical school from my old life on earth before I switched majors I examine the chart. Both of his arms and legs are bandaged and immobilized. The crude x-ray shows the bones in his legs have been crushed beyond the hospitals ability to repair.
I don't know what to do. I can't move him to the medical facility in the control tower. While he's stabilized in the hospital bed the bone fragments could very easily rupture any of the major blood vessels if I move him now. I wonder if I can use the nanites in my own body to repair him like they did for me the first day I woke up. I will something to happen resting my hands on his stomach. I stand there hands on his chest and stomach for what feels like an hour and just when I'm about to give up my hud shows my ZPE level drop from a hundred to fifty the silvery pseudo liquid pools under my hands sinking into Sammeth's torso. My hands are frozen there as what must be at least half my entire stock of nanites leaves from my hands.
I feel emptier and maybe a bit hungry. Just as I'm really starting to worry the flow of nanites stops and my hands are suddenly free again as the last of the silvery liquid sinks beneath my brother's skin and the bruises start to instantly fade. The nanites must be clearing the painkillers and sleeping pills from his body as he moves his head.
Damnation, healing Sammeth is going to blow my cover. Part of the reason i've been so careful thus far was because of the attention that comes with appearing different. If i'd been an outside observer looking at this culture I might have assumed they practiced a form of shamanism given the appellation of the ancestors. However, I had the combined knowledge of my life on earth and my life here. Saying thanks to the ancestors before meals or any of the other little actions taken daily on the name of the ancestors was done in recognition of a race far older than the civilization on this planet.
In some ways it reminded me of the Xel'Naga who guided the Protoss before they were destroyed by their second creation the Zerg. While some things were different in the current situation, the parallel between the protoss and this planet was hard to ignore. I only hopped that the wraith would not be as prolific as the Zerg. I set aside my thoughts as I noticed Sammeth beginning to move in the hospital bed.
"What's that noise?" Sammeth said sitting up before looking at me. "Amelius?"
"What noise?" I said looking at him oddly.
"I thought I heard you talking." Sammeth yawned before looking down at his arms. "What happened?"
"You decided it would be a brilliant idea to get buried underneath a pile of rubble." I said tears at the edges of my eyes beyond happy that my little brother was healthy and safe.
"Oh," he said looking down, "I just wanted to help like you were. Hey, What's that humming?"
"Probably just the hospital equipment." I say.
"Sounds different, it's very faint." Sammeth said.