85 Drop Off
The Regency Center was close enough to the Docks for the damaged state of the roads to still be a factor in the approach. It was very much 'Downtown' in style and purpose, but held a more central place in the city. Incidentally, that meant parking was as frustrating as ever, especially considering the level of activity buzzing around the large, ornate building.
We were forced to circle out to find a place to park. I had to resist the urge to just lean on my sensors and technopathy and make a bee-line to the places where I knew there were open spaces, but that kind of behavior would be hard to explain without the ability to sense the location of every car in the area.
"There's an open spot." Vince pointed out as I pulled into a side street, indicating the space I had specifically been seeking out.
"Got it." I said, pulling up to parallel park.
Vince craned his neck, checking the location of cars on either side. "Is it wide enough? He asked.
"No problem." I said, putting the car in reverse. I swung smoothly into the parking with barely a half inch of clearance from the SUV in front as I backed in. I stopped right before the bumper of the sedan behind us, then easily corrected position with two slight adjustments. At which point I picked up on the tension radiating from Theo and Vince. It gradually faded as they climbed out of the car and looked at the amount of clearance space between my car and the adjacent ones.
Okay, maybe I had handled that a bit quickly and carelessly. Once again, perfectly understanding the capabilities of your vehicle and the exact placement of the other cars made something that would probably have required extensive wiggling for a normal person a smooth operation for myself. And apparently a harrowing experience for anyone who didn't have my level of confidence about the maneuver.
"Uh, nice job." Vince said diplomatically. It drove home the fact that there was more that I needed to worry about in terms of civilian behavior than just posing powers or super-fast crafting. Still, I doubted an irreverent parking job was going to give me away. I shrugged at Vince as we headed towards the Regency Center.
Well, according to its sign it was actually the Regency Centre, but nobody I knew actually entertained that spelling. That was in line with the feel of the place, the kind of a sense that it was dressing itself up a little too much. Basically, it was an event hall with a bit of extra flair that tried to cater to fancier activities, rather than the business conferences and trade shows that you got in similar venues across the city.
Checking in was a simple enough affair thanks to Survey's meticulous record keeping and some background coordination mostly provided by my duplicates. Managing a large number of short-term volunteers would be a challenge if you didn't have an artificial mind obsessively tracking every detail and updating plans and schedules every time the situation changed or developed in any way.
We identified ourselves at the door, were confirmed for the volunteer lists, and assigned to different parts of the preparations. We weren't thrown into work the second we arrived, but the structure was clear and easy to fall into. Everything was being handled carefully to make sure the volunteers felt valued for their work as well as making sure they knew what needed to be done.
I noticed Vince frantically scanning the busy crowd of volunteers and building staff as we entered the main hall. His face lit up as he spotted an Asian girl in a white sundress with long black hair tied in a ponytail. She was with a group of people who seemed to be assisting with the decorations for the event.
"Michelle!" He called over the low-level din that filled the space. She glanced up and gave Vince a bright smile before making excuses to the team she was working with before rushing over to him.
He caught her in an embrace and leaned down for a quick kiss before turning to the rest of the group. She was a head shorter than Vince but easily had three times his energy.
"Michelle, this is Joe, Theo, and Tybalt, from the gym. Guys, this is Michelle Yoon." He said with a smile while keeping an arm around her. Theo seemed slightly uncomfortable with the public display of affection, minor as it was, but was jolted back to reality as Tybalt took the initiative in introducing himself.
"Nice to meet you." I said after Theo's fumbled greeting.
"Joe? You're the tech guy right?" She asked, glancing back at the hall. "I heard you were on your way down. Didn't realize you were giving Vince a lift."
"Spur of the moment thing." Vince explained, then looked around. "Though things seem to be pretty well handled here. Sure you need me?" She gave him a playful swat at the joke.
"That's all on Garment's lawyer. She has the place running like clockwork. I've never seen an event setup this smooth, especially considering the rush and state of the city."
"You've done this before?" Theo asked, still a little uncertain in his behavior.
"Oh yeah, Michelle's family practically lives in this place." Vince joked.
"We do not." She protested, rolling her eyes. "My mom's on the board of the Brockton Charity Association, so I've been around this kind of thing forever."
I wasn't familiar with that organization, but Survey already had a full assessment ready for review. I quickly skimmed through the summary as the conversation continued. Basically, it was a group that helped organize events when rich people wanted to throw money at something. Okay, that was probably a bit dismissive. They had some significant accomplishments under their belt, but they definitely specialized in more of the types of events that were basically fancy parties that resulted in some level of donation going to a pet cause, rather than ground level work.
Survey also had profiles available for Michelle, her parents, and her extended family. I politely declined on the grounds of respecting privacy, but from the inference it was clear they were fairly well separated from the communities that had lived under Lung and the ABB.
That might have been why Theo was being so awkward. With the way things had played out over the last two weeks it was easy to assume that every Asian person in the city was either connected to or impacted by the ABB. There were probably all kinds of difficult topics that he was being careful to avoid.
The Alchemy constellation passed by as I shifted my attention back to the conversation, with Michelle ranting to Vince about the designs that Garment had put together for the event.
"That's from her color theory video, right?" Vince asked.
"Yeah, we really need to watch that together." She said. Vince didn't look too excited about the idea, but gave her an indulgent nod.
"Sure, once things calm down." He said. She smiled up at him in response.
"Right, well, I should get back to work. They have everything on track, but honestly we're probably looking at a late night and early start to get everything buttoned up." She explained.
"It's that close?" I asked, knowing that it wasn't. Michelle shook her head.
"The critical stuff's taken care of. Well, assuming there are no problems with the tech stuff?" She asked.
"Shouldn't be." I said. "Sounds like everything's pretty much ready. I'm just putting things together." I was doing a hell of a lot more than that, but it was a decent cover, and pretending that I was just running cables and setting up cameras was a good cover for someone with my experience and skill set.
"Right. Well, like I said, the main stuff is covered, but Garment has all these extra plans that she wants to roll out if there's time, so everyone's trying to get as much done as possible." She said.
"What kind of stuff?" Theo asked.
"Shows, displays, guest pieces, tributes. A whole bunch of stuff. It keeps getting revised as people confirm their attendance." She turned to Vince. "Did you hear about Uppercrust?" She asked.
"What, that he's in the city? Or is he coming here?" He said.
"Coming and doing the opening speech. Which is why we have his staff all over the place making sure things are secure and prepared and everything else." She huffed, indicating to a clear third group, distinct from the volunteers and Regency staff.
I was kind of impressed that they had gotten here so quickly, but Uppercrust had the manpower to spare. It was important to remember that the Elite wasn't solely made up of capes. Just like the Protectorate had the PRT it took a lot of support staff to run an operation that size. The exact numbers were hard to gauge since a lot of the less legitimate branches didn't exactly maintain clear financial links and public staffing records, but it was clear that it was a substantial workforce.
"How many capes are coming tomorrow?" Theo asked.
Michelle shrugged. "Uppercrust is the first confirmation I've heard about, but you're going to see someone from the Protectorate. I heard someone talk about the visiting team from Chicago as well."
"The what?" Vince asked.
"They sent some people to help with the cleanup, so we might see them tomorrow." She said.
"You might." Vince replied. "Pretty sure I'm just helping with setup." She gave him an exaggerated pout in response and he cracked a smile.
There was a sudden shift in the mood of the room. The background noise didn't vanish, but it did drop substantially. The reason could be clearly seen from the way most people shifted towards the splash of color that had entered from the far side of the room.
Garment had entered the hall and moved through it with the confidence and passion that characterized her. She took long strides in her elegant red dress as she worked through the room, checking on the work in progress.
It wasn't just Garment that was attracting attention. She was flanked by Survey and Aisha. Even in her civilian form Survey was admittedly stunning, just not impossibly so. Her stern professionalism was serving to moderate the moon eyes she was receiving from various people she interacted with, essentially breaking the spell as she reminded them she was actually doing a job.
Aisha would have been easy to overlook next to the two of them, but she was wearing one of Garment's designs and moving with as much confidence as she could muster. At this point, after the effective amount of time she had spent working with Garment and Survey, it was well earned confidence, and that came across in her mannerisms. Actually, between her height, clothing, and the way she carried herself she could have been mistaken for an older teen, not someone who hadn't even entered high school yet.
I noted that Theo was looking at Aisha with a bit of a slack jawed expression. I exchanged a look with Vince, but more in amusement than concern. Seeing the way Aisha was acting, it was hard to justify the old protective instincts that I had encountered in the gym. This wasn't the Aisha who would tease and provoke and see how far she could push things before someone had to step in. Frankly, she barely looked approachable, much less vulnerable.
"Aisha seems to be doing well." I said neutrally.
Vince let out a short laugh. "At least she found something else to focus on, right?" He joked, then shook his head. "But yeah, she's really going all out on this. Can't say I blame her, with a chance like that."
"Everyone wants to work with a cape." Michelle confirmed. "But I have to say, she's nothing like what you described from the gym."
"She goes to the gym?" Theo asked quickly, then flushed as he dropped his eyes.
Vince nodded. "Daughter of Mr. Laborn. Once of the coaches. He's been out since before you joined, but Aisha was a sort-of regular." He explained. "She landed a job as Garment's assistant or something. Has really been throwing herself into it." He grinned as he continued. "Even went through some kind of manners lessons with the lawyer."
"Comportment." Michelle said. "And you can tell she clicks really well with Garment. She can be a bit hard to read at times, but Aisha never seems to have a problem."
Vince shrugged. "She was always sharp like that. It's what made her so much of a headache for everyone. It's good that she's found something to focus on."
"Um…" Theo started. "Is there something going on? Was there?" Hs asked. Being the only one completely out of the loop had to be an annoying experience.
"Don't worry about it." Vince said. "We should probably get started. Looks like we're getting the stink eye." He inclined his head to an older woman with a clipboard who had been looking at our group conversation since Garment arrived. To be fair, everyone at least tried to look busy when Garment approached them, so I understood her motivation.
"Right." Michelle said. "They're handling people for the setup over there." She indicated to the back of the hall. "Are all three of you…"
Tybalt shook his head and lifted up a pass card he had been given at the entrance.
"Oh, okay. Mr. Cedrick is in charge of Center security. He's over…. there." She pointed out a balding man with a bit of a gut wearing a blazer and dress shirt. He had a walkie talkie on his belt and a laminated ID badge on a lanyard around his neck.
Tybalt waved his thanks and rushed off to introduce himself. I scanned across the bustle of the hall and considered where to start my own work.
"I should head off too." I paused before I left and looked to Theo and Vince. "I'm not sure how long this will take me. Do you need a ride back after this?"
"I can give Vince a lift back." Michelle said before he could respond, earning a smile from her boyfriend.
"I was going to get picked up from the gym. Here should work just as well." Theo said. There was a tinge of emotion that I had seen before in reference to his home life, but we weren't nearly close enough to start sharing that kind of thing.
"Great, as long as you're okay." I said. "I'll need to get started on the setup."
A big part of handling the setup of everything for the streaming and broadcast of the event was severely downplaying how complicated the work was. All the equipment necessary had been 'donated' to the Regency Center, while actually being directly fabricated by the Matrix and delivered using Shipping The Product's logistics powers. The building staff was more than happy to hand the assorted computer stuff off to me as they addressed the donated video equipment.
The plan to stream the charity auction at the event would have been simple enough to set up at Garment's studio while dealing with a couple dozen people, max. At a venue as large as the Regency Center that became substantially more difficult. The hall wasn't set up for media presentations, so compromises in the plan would need to be made. That is, unless someone happened to donate a set of professional grade projectors, screens, and supplemental monitors.
It was the 'donation' part that seemed to be causing the headache for the Center's staff. The Regency Center wasn't a charity, no matter how many they hosted, so substantial donations had tax implications for them. Donations like tens of thousands of dollars' worth of media equipment. The pressing questions were less about whether they could get things set up in time and more about what was supposed to happen to the equipment after the event and what the accounting implications would be if they actually kept it.
I happily collected the assorted technical equipment and did my best to fade into the background. It reminded me a lot of the last time I had surreptitiously re-wired a building before a major event. Okay, the Regency Center was actually fully up to code, so I wasn't heading off any electrical issues, but otherwise I was happy to set up the computer infrastructure under the noses of everyone else at the event.
At this point putting together conventional technology was basically like playing with building blocks. It was so basic that I was mostly entertaining myself by considering the hundreds of technological options I had that would be an improvement over even top of the line streaming infrastructure. I also linked up with my duplicates to revise the layout and placement of things. Like Vince's girlfriend had said, the event was basically developing as we were preparing for it. As such, it didn't hurt to put in little tweaks to make sure to accommodate any changes in the optimal fashion.
Considering that project, it was almost ironic where the next source of frustration came from.
"Are you the one handling the streaming setup?" A formally dressed man asked. He was wearing a sharkskin suit with the cuffs set so that his gold watch was clearly visible on his wrist. He had small rectangular glasses and dark hair that was slicked down. I recognized him as part of the contingent sent by Uppercrust even without the dossier that Survey was transmitting to me.
"I'm handing the setup." I said as the man gave me a critical eye.
"My name is Clyde Newstead. I'm handling media relations for Uppercrust." He said.
"Joe Duris, volunteer." I said, doing my best to look busy.
"I'm going to need to review the placement and connections of all cameras and sound equipment, as well as the network architecture for the broadcast." He said, looking down at me while I unnecessarily checked a cable. "Will you be doing fixed angles during the event, and who will be handling the feed?"
"You'll need to talk to the news guys about that." I said as the Magic constellation passed by without a connection. "WKMP-6 News Local." The same ones I had worked with back at Garment's debut, happily enough. "They've got some deal for news coverage of the event in exchange for handling direction of the steam."
Management of the footage being taken care of by a local news station vastly simplified things for me. They handle direction of cameras for the event and get broadcast rights after the stream, plus exclusive access and plenty of personal interviews.
Survey had taken care of that, hammering out the agreement down to the letter and leaving precisely zero ambiguity in the deal. As a result, the stream would have some actual direction and editing rather than being a series of fixed points with the occasional switch over between them.
It also meant that I didn't need to micromanage things during the event itself. Anything I could do to fade more easily into the background was a good thing. I was already attracting more attention than I was comfortable with. Specifically, attention from a mid-level member of the Elite's civilian staff.
"Generally Uppercrust handles such press contacts directly and maintains a level of control over the use of footage." Clyde said.
I shrugged and carried on with my 'work' as if I didn't own the guy's boss's boss. "Not my department. I'm just setting things up and getting the stream ready."
"Have you ever handled an event like this?" He asked as he panned his gaze across the room, pausing on the clusters of volunteers. "This isn't like uploading some video game footage. There are professional requirements to this kind of thing."
"Hey, if you want to check over my work…"
"I do." He said. "Uppercrust's time is valuable. If you cannot handle the technical needs we are prepared to bring in our own team for the work."
Well, if they'd been willing to make that offer a day ago it would have saved us a significant amount of runaround to make all this look like it happened organically. Of course, using Uppercrust's resources like that was exactly the kind I could do now. It was a core part of why he'd made the offer in the first place. If I wasn't keeping the connection between me and Garment quiet I could have just let him look after all of this, saving the need for any carefully managed army of volunteers.
Thinking about it, that seemed like it would be something of a loss. Despite Clyde's dismissive attitude, the volunteers were doing an excellent job. Sure, they had been carefully managed based on their skills with the work clearly laid out and organized with the help of literal divine interference, but the results spoke for themselves, and not just in terms of the preparations.
There were smiles even on people doing the laborious, bottom tier work. Even Theo seemed to be enjoying himself, which was probably due to the atmosphere. That same spark that had sprung up at the gym was on full display here. This wasn't some outside force coming in to save the city. I mean, it was, but the efforts that facilitated it weren't. The fact that this was a local effort put forth by people who had been personally affected by the attacks and who knew exactly where the funds were going to go stoked a level of enthusiasm that was heartening to see.
I got a good view of it as I walked the media managed through the connections, camera placements, sound systems, both new connections and tie-ins to the Centers' own systems. I broke down the connection to the charity website, how the stream was being handled, the expected traffic and contingencies for overflow. I even introduced him to a camera crew from WKMP-6, including the same technician I had worked with back at Garment's debut at the gym.
He, at least, had nothing bad to say about me. In fact, Clyde was somewhat struggling to keep the conversations on the topics he wanted. He was also trying to pursue questions about broadcast rights and filming decisions with someone who clearly had no authority in such matters. There was a moment of solidarity with the tech as Clyde was handed over to a producer form the news station, which quickly devolved into a speaker phone call with station management.
"They'll be at that for a while." The technician said. He looked as beleaguered as the last time I had seen him, only now the stubble that had been advancing past a well-trimmed beard seemed to have declared victory on his face, claiming the entire thing in its name. He had more than a week of beard growth and an attitude that suggested he would accept commentary on his appearance once hell froze over. "Probably a good time to go get a coffee or something." He added, inclining his head to the tables set up with water and refreshments.
"Thanks, but I should probably stick around in case there's a question about my work." I said.
The man leaned back and shook his head. "If there's questions, I doubt it's going to be over what you set up. This is a corporate pissing match if I ever saw one, and those can go on for hours."
He turned to look around at where I had mounted the various cameras for the event. "You have a good eye for space, the way you've got them spread out. Solid angles, good crowd and close shots."
I shook my head. "Just following the layout that I got from Garment's people." I lied. Sort of lied. Technically I did fall into that category. "I just made sure everything was working and set up properly. If there's a problem he should be talking to her."
That seemed to amuse the man. "I doubt it." He said with a grin. "There's a reason they aren't trying to get Ms. Mertens on this call." I raised an eyebrow and he continued. "She might be easy on the eyes, but don't let that fool you. That's a battle-axe of a woman if I ever saw one. Everyone who's dealing with her is learning that lesson."
On that note, looking over to where Garment's group was reviewing the prep work, you had Garment as her usual basket of sunshine and rainbows, ingratiating herself to everyone every chance she got. Then you had Survey, or Survey's human identity. Still striking, but there was an air of caution when people approached her that even Garment's obvious displays of power didn't garner.
I saw one member of the Center's staff approach with a clipboard and a level of trepidation I could feel even across the room. When the man presented the clipboard to Survey I saw her eyes narrow. She began speaking firmly while pointing out specific items on the clipboard. A pen appeared in her hand and some kind of notations were made on the document, followed by a direct statement that came across as a dismissal.
I didn't need to wonder what that was about, seeing as Survey immediately uploaded the policy changes, both the ones that had been attempted and the ones that could actually be put in place given the previous agreements and local legislation. And then felt my duplicates take them into account and adjust the schedule and work assignments, which Survey mimed into her phone to a support staff that didn't exist, but provided a convenient justification for how she was managing everything so effectively.
"Yep, battle-axe." The technician said, leaning back against the wall. "First thing you learn in broadcast, don't take the pretty ones lightly."
I nodded while the conversation between the news team and the Elite's media manager continued. Through my senses I could tell that additional departments from both the studio and Uppercrust's team had been conferenced in, something that clearly wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon.
"I think I'll get that coffee." I said. "Can I grab anything for you?"
"No worries." He said, looking at the discussion with amusement. "Unlike the rest of you, I'm getting my hourly rate for this. As far as I'm concerned, they can drag this out all day."
I smiled at that as I slipped away to the refreshments tables. It wasn't the surrogate kitchen that had sprung up at the gym, but there were enough drinks and snacks to keep everyone going through the prep work. For once, the items hadn't needed to be donated by my team. Instead, we actually had catering sponsors. Probably a bit grand term for a local bulk store that had dropped off pallets of drinks, bottled water, and various snacks, but they seemed happy with the thanks message that had been posted on the event's website.
I grabbed a small bag of chips and a can of Coke as I took in how the event was progressing. The decoration and presentation were minor parts of the event, all things considered, but they were Garment's primary focus. She didn't have problems with either of them, having a clear idea of the design she was going for and the theme she wanted to convey. While she would have been perfectly happy to handle all the decorating herself by just levitating and pinning streamers and bolts of cloth, the Center's staff insisted on proper fixtures, meaning Garment was only in charge of design and adjustments of their placing, while the people on the scissor lifts handled the rest.
The meat of the preparations was the logistics, everything needed to get the event to happen so that all of Garment's design work could be shown off properly. There were layers and layers to that, more concerns than I would have ever imagined.
They were the kind of problem that should have been insurmountable in the time frame we had available to us. It was clear that Parian hadn't known the extent of what she was suggesting when she proposed the Regency Center for Garment's event. It was kind of telling in that she had never run an event herself, either being a guest, presenter, or at best a partner of the group handling things. It was kind of surprising that she hadn't realized the scope of work after two years in the industry and she was probably going to have a nasty shock when she realized what something like this actually entailed. Of course, after presenting an opportunity like this both Garment and Survey would be happy to help when she decided to tackle a similar event.
Actually, Survey would probably be happy regardless. Normally the number of things that needed to be accounted for and individual factors that had to be tracked would have stressed a person to the breaking point, but Survey literally couldn't have been happier. Even as her physical body displayed frustration with last minute developments and changes in the schedule her program relished the new information that she could track and analyze.
It kind of fell to me and my duplicates to actually address the new information, but Survey was happy to trust the divine coordination and supernatural logistics to us while simply ensuring that every variable possible was completely accounted for. She was less interested in steering the storm of information than she was making sure every particle of it was precisely tracked.
Actual solutions were happily farmed out to the rest of the Celestial Forge, providing they were properly documented and accounted for. It wasn't just major roles like Garment, Tybalt, and myself. Everyone was chipping in to the extent of their abilities. I reviewed them as the Toolkits constellation passed by.
The Matrix was standing by ready to fabricate any supplies that might be needed at the last minute. Literally standing by, as a compact droplet of gold liquid in the Regency Centre's storage room. When it came to the Matrix's tier one nanobots, even a single drop was excessive. They were able to flash fabricate nearly any conventional object and draw reserves of mass from transwarp space, meaning if we happened to run low on anything people just might find an extra case in the back that had been overlooked and misfiled. There was something amusing about a divine quality apocalypse grade nano-swarm being used to avoid supply runs.
Fleet was understandably hanging back and staying out of the craziness while helping out where he could. While publicly he was only helping with the setup and movement of supplies, privately he had been happy to plan out transport routes and a parking system that wouldn't see the event overwhelmed, even with the current limited road access. It would take some external support to put in place, but that's where Tybalt came in.
I watched from the snack table as Tybalt chatted with a group of men composed of uniformed officers, Regency Center security, and the various volunteers who had some relevant experience. I recognized Jackson from the gym, along with some similar looking members. Their 'security backgrounds' were mostly related to bouncer work at bars or nightclubs, but they knew how to manage crowds, and that was what mattered here.
Any conflict of division that might have existed between the three groups had evaporated in the face of Tybalt's efforts. Possibly some level of command expertise connected to his demigod powers. Assigning a child of Ares to oversee event security might have been a little excessive, but Tybalt was clearly enjoying himself on his first civilian outing and I was confident I could trust the task to him.
Interestingly, even Aisha had stepped up in her own way. She fell into the role of 'Garment's Assistant' incredibly easily. Not so smoothly that it came across as suspicious, but enough that people weren't dismissing her presence. It seemed like Vince had the sense that she was playing things up to try to fit the role, and that was probably true to a point. Most of what she was doing consisted of running interference for Garment and Survey. She knew enough about the event to know who to let past and who to direct somewhere else. With her attitude, wardrobe, and position she actually had enough gravity to accomplish the task.
At least most of the time. Of course, people who insisted then needed to be heard immediately quickly learned what Survey's direct attention could be like and quickly ended up wishing they were dealing with Aisha instead. It was an entertaining dynamic to watch. Nobody was totally treating her like an adult, but she had a clear role and was playing it well. Just like the original pitch for Aisha's job had stated, Garment had trouble with certain interactions. Someone comfortable with her who understood the situation could make a big difference. Aisha was more than capable of that.
I spotted a familiar face slump towards the table and practically collapse while fumbling for a bottle of water. "Hey Theo." I said, causing him to wearily tilt his head in my direction.
"Hey." He panted, sweat dripping down his face. "You finished already?"
I shook my head. "Just taking a break while the news guys check over my work." I said. "Plus, someone from Uppercrust's team. Waiting on whatever list of modifications and rebuilds they'll have for me. How about you?"
"Unloading stuff. Moving stuff. Carrying more stuff." He said between breaths. "Just like at the gym, only more of it."
"You holding up alright?" I asked. I was resisting the urge to perform any invasive medical scans, but I could feel his life force through the Dragon's Pulse as well as the patterns of heat both inside and radiating from his body. Even without those kinds of senses anyone could tell he wasn't accustomed to this level of activity.
"I'll manage." He said. "You sure this gets easier? The exercise thing?"
I nodded. "Didn't believe it myself, but eventually you can push through. The hard part is sticking with it."
He gave me a tired nod. "Still, kind of wish I was doing tech work."
"Trust me, that's an entirely different kind of stress." I said, looking towards the news crew. The call was still ongoing and they had dispatched a sacrificial member to get with Survey. Well, to get Delphine Mertens. The P.A. that was approaching Garment's group had the fear of God in his eyes, despite how warmly Garment welcomed his presence.
"I guess." Theo said.
I nodded. "Is Vince around?" I asked. I could have tracked him easily enough, but this was about acting normal. It was honestly less stressful when I didn't need to feign ignorance.
"Off with Michelle." Theo said with a complicated expression on his face.
"They are sweet together." I said. Theo gave a weak nod in response. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't inquire further.
The Asian population in Brockton Bay had the misfortune of being involuntarily associated with the ABB, something that had only gotten worse after the force conscriptions. Seeing what they had been forced into last Thursday had caused strained reactions even from people with no connection to the Empire.
Oh. That was an interesting reaction from my passenger. I looked at Theo again. A simple search into his history could probably confirm that query, but I seriously doubt he would be working under Mrs. Gartenberg if he had any strong leanings. Probably best to leave things vague for now. I could kick the investigation over to Survey and leave any release of information to her discretion.
Survey responded that she would be happy to begin looking into the matter immediately even as 'Delphine Mertens' engaged in a discussion clarifying the rights and permissions laid out in the preexisting agreement between Garment, the Regency Center, and the WKMP-6 News department. She also indicated that she had a preliminary assessment prepared for Theo, but would begin active monitoring and expanded analysis.
I honestly wasn't sure if she had some previous suspicion about Theo or if she just did that for everyone at the gym. And possibly everyone I had met. Thinking about it, the second option seemed a lot more probable.
My earlier comments about feigning ignorance came back to me as I found myself forced to pretend that I didn't notice the person approaching us until she was right on top of us. Honestly I would probably have been justified through the reactions of the rest of the volunteers, though the way Theo pretty much stopped breathing was a definite clue.
"Hey Józef." Aisha said in a playful tone as she snatched a snack from the table.
Well, it wasn't like we didn't know each other. And it wasn't like this kind of thing wasn't exactly her style. In fact, I could see knowing expressions from several of the gym regulars as they took in the exchange. I didn't know if Aisha was doing some high-level play to avoid suspicion about her changed behavior or if she just enjoyed putting me on the spot when she got a chance. Probably both, if I was being honest.
Well, Time to play up professional detachment.
"Hello Aisha." I said in the stilted tone I would have used when enduring her antics back at the gym. It wasn't all acting on my part. "Heard about the positions with Garment. Congratulations."
"Oh yeah." Aisha said as she cracked open a soda. "It's going great. I'm a totally professional woman now." She said in a joking tone.
I had to resist rolling my eyes and turned to Theo who was trying to conceal how much attention he was paying to Aisha's purple halter dress. Garment did excellent work, but somehow I didn't think he was interested in the fashion statement.
"This is Theo, a new member at the gym." I said.
"Hi." Theo seemed to become hyper aware of his sweat-soaked state as he responded. He forced the word out in a tone of voice so awkward that it brought back vicarious embarrassment from my own teenage years. That was a period in my life I was just barely past and never wanted to revisit if I could help it.
"Nice to meet ya." She said with a wink, then looked back to where Garment was having some difficulty conveying what she was looking for in terms of design decisions through nothing but a combination of color swatches and stylistic gestures. "And looks like I should be getting back. See you around, Jozef, Theo."
Theo watched her leave while trying not to come across as staring. He did a rather poor job of it.
"I see Aisha's up to her old tricks." Vince said as he approached us. "Guess some things don't change."
"What do you mean?" Theo asked.
Vince grinned. "Aisha liked to mess with the new members. Joe here was her target of choice before everything went to hell in the city."
Through my various interactions with Theo, I'd picked up on various shades of envy regarding a variety of subjects. His reaction over Aisha's attention was the most intense and definitely the most misplaced of any of them so far.
"She seems to be doing better, or at least trying hard." I said diplomatically.
"All the recent stuff has changed people. You can see that for her." Vince said. "I mean, just compared to how she used to dress."
"How did she…" Theo began, before realizing it might not be the most appropriate question and shut his mouth.
"Anyway, we should probably get back." Vince said. Theo seemed much less enthusiastic about the idea, but nodded anyway.
"Yeah, looks like my break's over as well." I said, spotting the meeting breaking up and Survey quickly returned to Garment. I left to see what changes they would be demanding.
"Nothing?" I asked.
"Nothing." Clyde confirmed. "WKMP-6 is perfectly content with the placement of the cameras, after confirming it was conducted in line with Garment and Ms. Mertens's wishes. Additionally, no issues were found with the web integration or planned streaming service. It had been agreed that the stream will be mirrored on Uppercrust's corporate sight, but we will be able to handle that on our end."
"Well, that's good." I said casually.
The man let out a breath as he took off his glasses. He cleaned them with a cloth from his pocket before replacing them. "Yes Mr. Duris, it is good. I am forced to admit that you conducted your tasks professionally and to precise specifications while demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the material at hand."
Well, as long as he was forced to admit it.
"To that end, while I understand this is a volunteer service, I would like to inquire as to your place of employment." He didn't phrase it like a question.
"I'm kind of between jobs at the moment." I said.
To stretch a metaphor, the man in the sharkskin suit looked like he just smelled blood. "I'm sorry to hear that. A card was drawn from his pocket with the speed of a professional gunslinger. "If you're interested in contract work in the future, please contact me."
"What, join the Elite?" I asked.
He scoffed. "Uppercrust's business interests extend far beyond cape affairs. Our branch employs a wide variety of professional contractors with very clear divisions from such matters."
"Thanks." I said pocketing the card. "I'll think about it."
"See that you do." He said before leaving without another word.
I had to find some amusement in the situation as the Size constellation passed by. It would be a neat answer to my money problems, and I couldn't imagine any work requiring significant effort. I would effectively be working for myself four times removed.
I shook my head as I slunk towards the back rooms of the Regency Center. The work I'd been doing was enough for near universal access, at least enough to find a quiet place to open a door. It was something I'd been meaning to do for the sake of additional access points, but there was another reason I needed to get back to my Workshop.
My duplicates' durations were winding down. It was time to try out the omni-sphere. We would see exactly what it was possible to transfer through Whispered's Tau Wave.
A thoroughly scanned electrical vault was sufficient for my point of access, but I still conducted it under the effect of an elven cloak for the sake of extra protection. Possibly overkill at this point, but the building was busy enough that I didn't want to take the risk.
My duplicates had the omni-spheres ready to go by the time I arrived. Set up near the computer core, they stood ready for me and my duplicates. The spheres part of 'omni-sphere' was a slight misnomer in terms. The device was closer to a cryogenic pod than any kind of sphere. The sphere part of the apparatus was based on higher dimensional geometry, which didn't really resemble a sphere as you would think of it in three-space.
"We all linking up?" I asked. Technically they were on their twenty percent time, but for something like this we could all agree it took precedence.
"Safest way to do it." The first duplicate said as he leaned against his pod. "I know it's technically possible with just one of us hooked up-"
"It's technically possible without any assistance, but for the first time he can use all the help he can get." The second cut in. "Massively built support apparatuses are definitely the way to go."
I couldn't argue there. It was possible for Whispered to establish telepathic contact and exchange experiences with just a 'normal' omni-sphere. These were far beyond that.
For starters, the combination of my miniaturization powers let me build to a reduction of a factor of a hundred in each dimension. The fact that the omni-spheres were full size meant they had the power of the kind of equipment that would normally take up a couple hundred meters of space. Thanks to Always a Bigger Robot that size increase equated to a direct increase in performance, in defiance of the normal limits of such things.
Getting into the craftsmanship, all my quality powers were on display, including the trio of divine crafting abilities. The pods were also built using the Arcane Craft to enhance and focus our telepathic abilities to a new level. The only things not taken to the limits of my abilities were Elven Enchanting and the Glove of the East. Onca again, limits on spiritual energy reared their head.
My first duplicate followed what I was examining from the device. "Once we get a couple more upgrades on the glove we can start going all out on key items. The omni-spheres, the psi-lab, the Skyforge, even the computer."
"Spiritron computer with enhanced use of spirit energy. Should be interesting to see." I said. That would certainly cut down a chunk from the metaphysic processing and the work on Bakuda's code.
"Project for later." My second duplicate said. "Though if this goes well we can open up a lot more 'projects for later'."
"Any reason to think it won't?" I asked, climbing into my own pod.
"Not really." The first said, following suit. "Everything's quadruple checked and we have so many enhancement effects piled onto these things that I doubt they could do anything but their best work."
"Here's hoping." I said as my second duplicate linked to his system. "Beginning meld."
I had described telepathy as miles beyond the messages conveyed through my brain implant. Like comparing an old text-to-speech program to a personal conversation where you could pick up tone, expression, and body language with incredible precision. Going beyond telepathy into the realm of full meld, was so far beyond that it was hard to describe.
That was because it wasn't something to be described, it was experienced. Or experience, in the present tense and first person. The boundaries between you and another person disintegrated and your minds bleed together. I could remember the actions my duplicates had taken as if they were my own, reflecting on them like personal experiences and treasured memories.
For anyone else this would be a critical threshold. The point of mental contact where you could lose yourself, where you probably would lose yourself. It wasn't an experience that human minds were designed for. Even for me, even with all the support and advancements integrated into the system, it was a strain. But it was only a strain, in comparison to the complete mental break that would normally happen.
I could remember up to the moment of drinking the potion, because those were shared memories. A single common point that all three of us shared. After that, minds diverged. Experiences and viewpoints split and warped. I could feel the way my duplicates approached life, the exuberance and irreverence that comes with a finite span, bound to doing what you can with the time available. The joy they took in their actions, the potential for future versions of themselves with me included in that category, and the acceptance of the end without a true end, just a change in point of view.
I could hold onto that now. Hold onto thoughts and experiences and memories. Not just the spiritual shadows that accumulated in the Exsphere on my chest, but their actual selves as distinct individuals.
But even as I tried to retain everything, my duplicates focused on what they believed would do the most good. Experience and development of skills that I could use. There was a moral imperative to prevent them from being extinguished, but even with the opportunity to sustain themselves they didn't focus on personal experiences or differing points of view. They sought to maintain the insights, the discoveries and developments that had accumulated. The flashes of inspiration and refined skills. My duplicates wanted to live on through their accomplishments, and that was what they pushed through.
Knowledge and understanding flowed into my mind. The practice of building primordial devices with Craftsmen of the Gods. The refinement of abilities through the Arcane Craft. Slight improvements that were discovered in the use of magic, in methods of enchanting, in everything I hadn't had the time to practice and refine.
The rest of them were there, but it was faded and in the background. They didn't want to turn me into another duplicate, free from concerns and worries. They recognized those things as parts of me, parts of us. We were unique beings, but we were the same person. The same root and stem that just put out new buds every now and then. Buds that could now reinforce the whole rather than withering on the vine.
I gasped as I disconnected from the omni-sphere. One after another my duplicates followed me. I shook my head as the new experiences filled it.
"I think we can call that a success." The first said with a smile.
"Uh, yeah." I said numbly. "About the transfer, the focus on it…"
"Exactly the way it was supposed to go." The second said. "We know what's important." He gave me a crooked grin." You know what it's like to figure something out that you can't put into words but know it's important, but also know that there's no way you'll be able to preserve it?"
I did now.
"Lifespan never bothered us. Any of us." The first duplicate said. "It was all those lost moments that got to us. Them. As long as we can hold on to those, that's what matters."
It was a very 'me' way of looking at things, but somehow it didn't come across as a toxic mindset. Not like this.
"Thank you." I said, reviewing the information. "And you were right. So many new projects." I paused as one specifically came to mind. "Fold Quartz?" I asked.
The second shrugged. "We've been touched by the protoculture for ages and haven't done anything with it."
"That's because it's more than just fabricating the material and banging out a fold-space drive. There's a resonance to that stuff. You need to be able to connect to it, harmonize." The first duplicate explained.
"Music. A personal connection through fold waves to the super-dimensional structure of the crystal. Something that takes time to develop, and not something you can just explain or write a report on." I said.
"Yeah, not easy to recreate, even in the computer. But we can put time towards it, and once we figure out how to resonate with Fold Quartz…" My duplicate didn't need to elaborate. We all understood the potential there. With full resonance, a complete link between spatial waves and super dimensional structures, the supporting machinery became unnecessary. It meant free wormhole transport, manifested spatial shields, and even heavy quantum attacks manifested directly or with minimal technical support.
"That's not even getting into what we can manage with the computer core." My first duplicate said. "When Tybalt gets you in there for ninja training the duplicates can jump in for sparring practice. You can get both sides of the fight at the end of the duration. Should help speed things up."
I nodded. Even if they limited the computer time to their end of duration free period that was still thousands of times what they would otherwise get, with the only restriction being the limits of what the computer could emulate.
"It's a really big deal." I said. "I'm glad we've locked this down."
"Before we were going, you mean?" The second joked. "Yeah. By the way, how are you doing for spiritual energy? You good for another upgrade after the next set?"
I still wasn't comfortable with the way they discussed their own effective deaths, but I could understand where the mentality came from now. "I should be good." I said, reviewing everything I'd done outside the workshop. "And I can jump back out after I take care of this.
"That's good…" My first duplicate began, then paused as we felt the Forge connect to the Personal Reality constellation and saw the workshop shake around us.
I ended up surveying the effect of the connection with my next set of duplicates, freshly created just as the previous ones faded away. We were standing on the Loft looking down at the main storage area. Once again, it had expanded as the repeatable mote of Additional Space was secured.
The difference was this time it was secured twice. Once for the loft and once for the main area. The loft had expanded to a square eight hundred meters on a side. Below us the main area had gone from eight kilometers on a side to eighty. I was looking at a section of land sixty-four hundred square kilometers in size. My workshop had jumped from the size of Manhattan Island to what, a little smaller than Puerto Rico? Particularly if you counted the additional areas.
Though some of them were a bit out of scope with the rest of the workshop. The garage had expanded from the size increase for both the loft and the main area, multiplying its number of bays by five each time. It had jumped from an already excessive thousand bays to a ridiculous twenty-five thousand. Oh, and the maximum size for each of them was now seven and a half kilometers long.
At least the size of the bays was dynamic, so you weren't parking your car inside a space the size of a city to get it refueled.
I'd ask what possible use we could have for that many docks that could hold excessively large spacecraft, but Fleet had already submitted a number of proposals for the grant fleet of the Celestial Forge. He didn't see any irony in the name.
Somehow the expansions to the Garage were mild compared to what had happened to the laser tag arena of all things. Like with the Garage, the arena had expanded from each mote of Additional Space. It was already four kilometers on a side and eight stories tall. Now it had jumped to four hundred kilometers on a side, but mystifyingly 'only' thirty-two stories tall.
Once again, I was at a loss for what to do with the space and once again Fleet entered a suggestion for a vehicular combat arena. It included proposals for everything from the Mad Max tanker chase to a full on Zoids showdown. Frankly, I was inclined to let him set up whatever he wanted, just to get some use out of the space.
"Okay, I think this is officially excessive." I said as I looked down at the wide expanse.
"Well, it's been excessive for a while, but it's good that you've finally admitted it." My duplicate said.
"Hey, just think. The expansion shows up one more time and it will be the size of Texas." The second said with a grin.
I let out a single laugh as I shook my head. "At some point we'll need to come up with something to do with all this space."
"We'll work on it." My first duplicate said. "And fill you in afterwards."
I smiled at him. "I'm looking forward to it." I said, and meant it too. "Alright, let's get back to work."
Jumpchain abilities this chapter:
Additional Space - Starting Area (Personal Reality) 200:
This Starting Space Upgrade expands your Personal Reality by a factor of 10 in each dimension… or rather the standard three dimensions, you rabid cheeselord. This can be purchased multiple times. Additional Space also upgrades various expansion options. The first purchase of this brings you to 64 Million Cubic Meters, then 64 Billion Cubic Meters, then 64 Trillion Cubic Meters. Earth's volume, for reference, is 1 Hexillion Cubic Meters and it's surface area is 510 Quadrillion Square Meters. Cover the Earth in storage facilities 100 meters high and you get 51 Quintillion Cubic Meters of Storage space.
Additional Space – Lofty Loft (Personal Reality) 200:
This Starting Space Upgrade expands your Personal Reality by a factor of 10 in each dimension… or rather the standard three dimensions, you rabid cheeselord. This can be purchased multiple times. Additional Space also upgrades various expansion options. The first purchase of this brings you to 64 Million Cubic Meters, then 64 Billion Cubic Meters, then 64 Trillion Cubic Meters. Earth's volume, for reference, is 1 Hexillion Cubic Meters and it's surface area is 510 Quadrillion Square Meters. Cover the Earth in storage facilities 100 meters high and you get 51 Quintillion Cubic Meters of Storage space.