Chapter Thirty-One: Vacation!
Washu finishes the last changes, installed the developer, and then there was a beep. Even as Mikamo came through the door, Washu leaped in triumph as the machine whirred to life. "And that's it. The final project is now one hundred and ten percent done!"
Mikamo looked at her as he came up. "What do you mean, one hundred and ten percent?"
"An extra ten percent for the extra days I spent on it," said Washu. "My contract expired a few weeks ago, remember?"
"Right, sorry," said Mikamo. "The Galaxy Police has been working overtime, with the Juraian Fleet off fighting. Even if we're still strong, without fear of the Jurai Power, pirates are more criminal.
"I actually busted a human trafficking ring a few days ago." He spun out his pistol for show, then sheathed it in the same moment. Showoff. "So, do you want to get going?"
"Nah, I've got to pay Naja a visit before-" began Washu. And then she paused as Naja walked through the door as well. She was wearing black now and looked nice in it. Washu looked at her in surprise. "Oh, Naja, we were just talking about you. How have you been?" She hadn't seen her in a week.
"Well, I figured I'd come to see if you needed any help," said Naja, evasively. She seemed reluctant, somehow. "Nah, just finished," said Washu. "Anything else?"
"Right, um, could you give me a hand with something?" asked Naja in a low tone. "Oh, Mikamo, you're here." Had she just noticed him? What was up?
"Yes, I am," said Mikamo. "How have you been?"
"Busy," said Naja. "Work has been a nightmare. A couple of days ago, some Tal'Darim tried to raid the facility, and some people were hurt. They don't like what we are doing."
"You know I finished my job a few hours ago," said Washu, who hadn't had any such trouble. What had Naja been doing?
"I know, but this just came up, and it's kind of important," said Naja. "It's the Breathe of Creation security system. Ever since Lady Seto left, we've had some... problems."
"Again?" asked Washu. "Well, I guess the last time was six years ago. What went wrong this time?" She'd thought she'd settled all the problems last time. Back when the machinery had gone haywire, and air almost got sucked out of the facility. That hadn't been fun.
"I was hoping you could tell me," admitted Naja. Washu sighed. "Fine, fine. Show me the way." They moved to go, but Naja quickly raised a hand to Mikamo. "Mikamo, I'll have to ask you not to follow us into the lab. Sorry, this is need to know stuff, and I'd need to get all kinds of permission." Mikamo halted for a moment.
"...Right, sure. I'll wait on the ship." said Mikamo, before walking off.
Jurai was getting secretive, wasn't it? Washu didn't like this new side to them. It meant they either didn't want to share the information. Or it was doing something so dangerous that it didn't dare risk a leak. Neither one was to her liking. Even so, she made her way through the facility to the restricted section. Within, she found scientists masked as they experimented with Breathe of Creation. Within an enclosed space, two Juraian warriors were wielding unstable and dark blades. "Oh, so you finally learned to channel the thing," said Washu.
"We found the techniques for channeling Breathe of Creation," admitted Naja. "After that, we had to spend a few more years learning to use it. It operates on different principles to the Jurai power. The stuff utilizes negative emotions, rather than protective instincts. Anger, aggression, that sort of thing.
"The offensive capabilities of these projects are immense." She sighed. "We actually have put some of our warriors into the field. They have far higher rankings than the normal kind."
"So is that a problem?" asked Washu. "No, it's not," said Naja. "Actually, we've learned massive amounts. The techniques we use to manipulate it have made it into standard techniques. Even without the stuff, it's made our ordinary warriors far more deadly. "Actually, that's the problem."
"What?" asked Washu.
"All warriors who utilize the Breathe of Creation become more aggressive," said Naja. "They have far higher kills ratios. It's not that they've gone psychotic, they just, well, aren't as careful. Some of them also demonstrate an alarming lack of empathy while off service. Practical jokes become crueler, that sort of thing. Of course, we've accounted for that."
She reached a door and pressed a gem to open it. Within was Washu's gem, floating high above an altar. It poured energy into the systems, radiating power.
"How?" asked Washu, curious.
"Nesshin ordered those using the stuff to be immediately relieved from service. He's paying for their therapy and longterm health care, just in case," said Naja. "Our next batch of trainees are of far more mild temperament. They'll also be sent only into the absolute worst battles. Places where a death here or there is acceptable.
"They're all fully aware of the risks, of course. And we've perfected the doses now."
Washu didn't answer that. Instead, she focused on scanning the devices and beginning the correction process. She frowned, surprised at how deep the damage was while being superficially fine. "Well, as far as I can tell, this machinery has been worked to the bone. Geeze, I never expected this to fail so quickly. This Breathe of Creation stuff really is a hardcore substance, isn't it?"
"You have no idea," said Naja.
"So how's the fuel going?" asked Washu.
"Actually, we've already put it to good use," said Naja. "And even if we hadn't, it's vastly expanded our understanding of metaphysics."
"Why?" asked Washu.
"Well, the Emperor has-" began Naja.
And then Azaka walked into the room. Naja halted as the knight walked into place, frowning. Everyone in this place was frowning, weren't they. It seemed like this stuff made everyone miserable. "The Emperor has had us attempting to reach the spirits beyond the veil."
Washu paused and looked up hard at the man. "Why not have a chat with Tsunami?"
"Tsunami is a Goddess, making contact with us, lowering herself to our nature," said Azaka. "In addition, we have no guarantee that the information she gives us is accurate. While we trust her, it is possible that she does not understand certain aspects of her own dimension. Just as we don't understand ours."
"And you think you can learn better?" asked Washu.
"We believe that we can expand our knowledge through research," said Naja, annoyed. "And don't get self-righteous with me, Washu. Nesshin consulted her on this before taking any action, and she authorized it. Tsunami is fine with us trying to understand the dimensions as long as we go about it in an ethical fashion."
"We don't believe Tsunami is mistaken, or deceiving us in any way, of course," said Azaka. "Emperor Nesshin merely wishes to have secondary confirmation. Just in case."
Washu didn't fully believe that. "Do you even know what you'd be making contact with?"
"The first space-fairers didn't know what they would find. It's about the same," said Naja. "The first experiment, well, it went down yesterday."
Washu smiled, putting down the sense of panic. "And you didn't invite me?"
"Oh come on, Washu, I can handle this," said Naja.
"Yeah, I guess that's why my security system has been wrecked," said Washu, annoyed. "What happened here?"
"The process was a failure," admitted Naja. "Our attempts put too much strain on the instruments, and we nearly tore open an unstable portal. Fixing it nearly-"
"Say no more," said Washu, finishing up her alterations. It took a lot of power on her part. "Alright, have it your way. But you are not doing any more experiments until I get back from Earth."
"You are in no position to-" began Azaka.
"Uh, yes, I am!" snapped Washu at her wit's end. "You're using my private property as a lynchpin for safety concerns. And somehow, you nearly ripped a hole in the fabric of reality even with it.
"I insist on being present for any more of these experiments.
"And if you don't like it, I'll take my gems, and you can find some other security measure. And when the planet collapses in on itself, we'll know exactly who to blame." What scared Washu was that nobody learned about this.
"Washu is right," said Naja. "We need all the hands we can get on this, and you know it, Azaka. You keep pressing me to go further with this, but we have no idea what we're doing. Even with Washu, we'll have our work cut out for us. We're going to need months to fix all this anyway, so we're not going to be delayed."
"...Very well then, I'll see to it that Lady Seto is informed," said Azaka. "However, she might not be pleased."
"Thank you," said Washu. "Now, if you guys are done, I've got a journey to the unexplored regions of Earth to get to." She finished and turned to walk away.
"Yeah, great vacation," noted Naja, a note of humor in her tone. "Have fun in the most savage and bloodthirsty realm on the planet."
"I will!" said Washu, smiling back.
Clay was observing the data he had found, feeling somewhat depressed. He could spend multiple lifetimes pouring over all this and never understand it all. He'd always believed that, with proper context and understanding, nothing was beyond science. With the wealth of knowledge supplied him by Tokimi, he now doubted if such a thing would be possible. Could an encyclopedia of all this knowledge ever truly be gathered? You could fill trillions of databooks and only scratch the surface.
It was becoming clear that the mortal perspective was insufficient. The solution, therefore, was to gain an immortals perspective. To exist upon a higher plane of existence.
Emperor Nesshin understood this. Like Clay, he hungered for knowledge and power beyond that which had been bestowed on him. An admirable quality.
"Dr. Clay, have you received the transmission," said Zero.
Startled, Clay looked up and checked his console. Sure enough, there was Zero's data report. His greatest creation had succeeded in bugging Naja's lab. They'd never have been able to find it, let alone infiltrate it undetected. Fortunately, a series of time-space distortions hadn't ripped the sensor net up.
While Jurai had been working to contain the breach, Clay had taken a chance. He'd had the place bugged with nanites. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
"I have Zero." Clay read it and smiled. "This situation abounds with possibilities."
"Do you wish to act?" asked Zero.
"Not yet," said Clay, remembering the rules. "Our task is to observe and may only make contact in order to gain more information. Much as I would love to pursue my vendetta with Washu, it will simply have to wait.
"I must admit, I wish I were in a position to participate in these experiments."
"Perhaps the Tal'Darim may have some knowledge on the subject," said Zero. "I doubt the savages have any real understanding of the subject," noted Clay, before pausing. The timing of those distortions had been very convenient for him. It was not impossible that some other entity had created them for Clay to find.
"Still, even an imbecile may stumble across the truth now and then. "Zero, that protoss officer we located. Third Ascendant Malrath, was it?"
"He is now Second Ascendant," said Zero.
"Find his coordinates," said Clay, remembering that he'd made a name for himself. Bel'Shir was his homeworld. "I believe we may have some business to discuss."
It was a long term plan, but it could gain Clay the information he needed. And if gaining that information happened to require giving information that hurt Washu? So much the better.
Washu found Mikamo at the bridge of his ship, fiddling with the controls and checking systems. For a moment, they said nothing as they waited. Finally, Mikamo finished. "Well, we're set to go."
"It's no problem," said Washu. "Listen, about Naja, she's been going through hell lately. That research is really straining her. And Seto just keeps pressing her to go further and further."
"I know, I know," said Mikamo. "I wish she was coming with us. And I also wish we were going somewhere nice. So are you really sure you want to take a vacation to Earth, Washu?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" asked Washu. "You know what," said Mikamo, activating the ship. He began departure into the lower atmosphere. "Most people take vacations on tropical resort planets." "Yeah, a custom-tailored place to be enjoyable," said Washu. "You can't learn anything from those. No, the true purpose of a scientist is in the adventure. To go, both in thought and deed, to new places and document life that no one has seen!
"To boldly go where no one has gone before!" Mikamo tossed a datapad at her.
"Here." Washu narrowly missed it and ended up falling on her face. Picking it and herself up, she rose up, rubbing her head. "What's this?"
"This is a six-hundred-page list of rules Nesshin drew up regarding conduct on Earth." said Mikamo, "As well as the standing rules for dealing with underdeveloped civilizations. Memorize it, because I have."
Washu sighed. "Well, I suppose I have needed a sleep aid." They shot into space and entered war space. Mikamo sighed. "Coordinates set. Great.
"I'm going to go check to make sure the plasma cannon is fine. "Have fun."
And he made his way out. Washu sighed. "Killjoy." Still, at least Washu would have a break from things. Going to the most violent, barbaric place in the universe would be a welcome relief at this rate.
Author's Note:
So, I've begun to notice a theme in each arc within this story. There seems to be a running theme of science attempting to understand a god. And in the process, gradually acting in defiance to that god's wishes. Kind of weird.