"One more whiskey for the road, Tesla?"

"That'd be great, if you'd please," he responded evenly as he placed the empty bottle on the salon's bar. Most of Chaldea has already settled into their seats for the evening as robots floated out of the kitchen doors with appetizers. One deposited a small garlic bread basket on the counter as the uniformed Sanson fished out a large whiskey bottle for the inventor. Tesla glanced over at the warm food, which tried to tempt him with its dazzling aroma.

Even if it was Leandre's famed garlic bread, its whispers could never move Tesla; He'd eat it only if he felt like it, and tonight wasn't a night for it.

Standing perfectly postured in his navy blue suit, he waited patiently as the only present barkeep returned with the bottle. He glanced to Mata Hari by one of the tables, who was happily spoiling the children with an early dessert. The archer allowed himself a small smirk of amusement before he looked back and gently whisked the bottle off the counter.

"Should I just add it to your tab?" Sanson asked lightly as he picked up a glass to shine. His calm eyes suddenly glinted with amusement. "…or Edison's?"

"I could do without an added headache tonight… so my own," Tesla chuckled back as the assassin nodded in confirmation. "Take it easy, Sanson."

"That applies more to you, Tesla."

The inventor chuckled again and strolled away. Jeanne began a new number, and it was even more upbeat than the last one. Chaldea's musical selection was more jubilant tonight since an employee had her birthday today, but he would not be celebrating. For the most part, he hadn't celebrated much since the end of April. He gave a rare allowance to certain special events, like the rather humorous play just a few days ago, but that was it.

Those moments were few and far between. Even sleep was a far-flung concept, though truthfully, it had always been. He had prided himself on being able to live off very little sleep in his past life, so this summoning often felt like too much of a vacation. With no actual need to sleep to maintain his body's health, he was free to commit as much time as he wished to any chosen endeavor. For now, it was less for his few private interests and significantly more to the greater dilemma at hand.

Chaldea had yet to find Solomon's location, no matter how much effort he seemed to commit.

As he exited Salon de Marie, and started walking towards the Command Room, he primed his thoughts for the night ahead. Like clockwork, his mind hummed to life as calculations and permutations zipped across his mental sight. He would go over it all once again, like he did with many of his inventions and experiments, in an attempt to find a path to a solution. However disheartening it was that an answer eluded them, he knew trial and error was just one of the painful quirks of scientific theory…

…and if there's anyone who knew quirks, it was Nikola Tesla.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Fragment 73: Old Habits Die Hard

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"Anything on this run?"

"Third sweep and still zero inquiries that match the given specifications," the robot chimed back as one of its eyes gazed at the inventor.

Tesla sighed and nodded. "We'll go to ten on this variation. Once complete, stop the sweeps, and highlight any different quotients for comparison."

"Understood. Estimated finish will be approximately one hour."

A symphony of beeps, clattering keys, and other sounds mixed with bright screens that ran rampant with compiled data. Outside the massive windows, Sheba hummed and twirled within its specialized housing. The blue globe was spattered with tiny, dim red lights that signified the many more possible singularities that it was able to detect thanks to recent upgrades. It was a marvelous invention for humanity's preservation, ironically crafted by secretly malicious hands that sought to bring ruin.

It just needed some new tweaks, and still more at this rate to better detect planes outside the standard space time continuum. The given clue of Solomon's whereabouts was helpful guidance, but not as specific for any worthwhile scientist to rely solely on; It was the equivalent of standing in the middle of Africa, asking which was is Istanbul, and receiving a simple point of the hand without a compass bearing. They knew it was in a given direction, but without more specifics, trial and error was an imposing nightmare.

However, it was nothing new to an inventor like Tesla. Was it difficult with what information was provided? Certainly, but not impossible. Impossibility is simply an obstacle that must be climbed. How many previous inventions were deemed impossible before they were gifted into the hands of man by intelligent individuals? Indeed, impossibility was relative, and only separated the average minds from the truly motivated geniuses like himself.

For the Tesla, who revolutionized technology with a power previously 'rooted' in the realm of the gods, this task would just be another accolade.

Still, he was getting admittedly pressured, and for fair reason. August was a few days away, which meant half a year before the timeline was extinguished. If he had all the time in the world, he knew, without any doubt, his genius would produce the necessary results. However, the rush was obvious, and the importance of meeting the deadline absolute. Time was against them, and he wasn't the only one getting a bit antsy.

With hands akimbo, Tesla gazed around the control room. Every day, the Leyshift and Science Department employees who assisted with the search would be helping him until dinner. They would often be joined by Roman, Da Vinci, and one of two other servant colleagues working to solve this dilemma. At nights it was different, where one of the other intellectual servants usually aided him. Tonight, it was only a large group of specialized robots who kept him company, but that was alright.

Although, it might not have turned out that way if he wasn't so adamant that the acting director get actual sleep.

It was motivating to see a human do so much and worry even more, but Tesla had seen more than enough to draw a line for Roman. He had heart, but in the earliest of days it made him do some very questionable decisions to keep up his actions. As one of Chaldea's first servants, he'd seen full well just how determined Roman was to assist, even if it meant pumping himself with drugs to keep him going.

Upon finding that out, Tesla had quickly slammed his foot down on the matter.

It was one of the rare times he actually berated the hardworking man. The archer always despised the use of drugs, and what they did to the mind. Those days were long gone, but Tesla knew the recognizable fidgets from Roman. He was worried, and he would be here tonight pacing back and forth if it wasn't for him; It was a good thing Tesla had a lifelong habit of working to the dead of dawn and appreciating every minute of it. This was something he was used to, so he'd continue to do it in Roman's stead every night without regret.

A flash from Chaldeas snapped Tesla from his thoughts. A robot beeped, "New anomaly detected in the core timeline, Mister Tesla. Malignant class singularity."

Tesla's hopes quickly deflated, but he held firm. A malignant singularity was also a fair priority, and usually provided a higher potential yield on rare supplies or valuable artifacts. It was not something that could be left alone too long, but it was sadly a result from the usual, background scans. "Which era?"

"Thirteenth Century Common Era. Anomaly location in the British Isles."

"Something to do with Magna Carta then…" Tesla quickly surmised before nodding. "Mark it for observation. We'll inform the Doctor when he arrives."

The robot beeped again, and Tesla was more than happy for their fatigueless contribution to humanity's survival. There'd been a lot of jokes that humanity would be enslaved by artificial intelligence among the modern scientists, but Tesla actually theorized that'd be plausible. If modern humans were as 'lazy' as he'd come to believe, then it's a far different, and more concerning, era than he would have appreciated. He wouldn't despise them like Gilgamesh did, but it only offered further support on his personal belief on the necessity of eugenics.

However, that was his personal belief, and it wouldn't stop him from trying to save humanity as a whole. Despite how decrepit it may have become, he would not abandon them. They were merely led astray, and they could be brought down a proper path. Despite how much troubles he's had in his life, he was at least an objective realist who understood things could change if given the chance.

All they had to do was ensure the current equation didn't end in absolute zero to make it possible.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ III ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

In the past few months, Tesla's free time grew scarce, but his post-breakfast relaxation period was a mental necessity. It served as a small window to refresh his mind and prepare himself for the day's long rigors. There was no effort involved slipping back into his old routines, though they admittedly didn't have much control over him than they did in a previous life; Back then, this obsessive-compulsive disorder of sorts had dictated his every action.

These days, it was more like little habits that he did out of nostalgia and consistency, rather than being a slave to impulse.

Thus, Tesla stood in his room, which appeared more like an archive. It wasn't a mess that one would expect from a stereotypical lab rat, for he held high hygienical standards. Simplistic oak bookshelves covered every feasible wall. He had very few pieces of furniture, which initially included only his necessities: The standard bed, the regular table and chairs for guests, and a desk for him to continue research notes. With the help of Helena's scolding soon after she arrived, a couch and some forms of 'living decorations' were added.

After a refreshing shower, Tesla finished putting on another one of his formal suits. This one was simple and black, without any unnecessary frills, but with every ounce of standard sophistication; Even the shoes by the door were carefully and perfectly shined. He was always adamant about how people dressed when presenting themselves in the workplace, though he'd learned to keep his opinion reserved in Chaldea; It usually only led to a fruitless argument here. Was it seriously that bad to believe others should dress with class?

He closed his closet door, and smiled as he heard the soft cooing of his roommate. "Hungry?"

Following another coo in response, Tesla glanced towards his room's only real addition he'd appreciated. A brass stand rested beside the couch, topped with a fluffy white pillow. Nestled on the soft accommodation was a lone automaton, forged in the likeness of a pigeon. However, Helena had been thoughtful enough to copy the design and behavior of a homing pigeon, all without the accompanying mess that came with pets.

Regardless, Tesla wouldn't have cared if he had to clean up after the bird. It was a nostalgic image from his later years, where he had a pigeon that endeared him. He'd lived a single, celibate life to preserve his natural genius, but at the end of his life he still found love of a different sort. He had been wrongly quoted as saying something more, but this was not something many would understand without proper context. He didn't even care if others mocked him as 'falling in love with a pigeon,' which was a disgusting misnomer of the full truth.

It was a voiced expression that was best described as a profound appreciation for another. The original pigeon, who often visited him before it passed away, had taken a liking to him. A bird that often mated for life tried pairing off with him, which had been an endearing discovery; For an animal to appreciate a human to such an extent was simply eye opening, but he appreciated the gesture. After living so long in isolation and loneliness, it was an act he could not ignore, and so loved the bird in appreciation for what it has done.

Now, it was a companion in his new life, just like Helena had her Colonel Olcotts. Tesla walked to his desk as the pigeon flew over in anticipation. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Grace."

As he reached for his desk' drawer, the pigeon hopped to the side and gently pecked at his hand. He smiled at it, reached over, and gently petted its head. He opened the drawer with his other hand and pulled out the specialized bird feed, followed closely by a small double-dish tray. After pouring some food for the bird, he took a nearby water bottle and filled the other side with the cool drink. Content with its gift, the bird cooed lightly as Tesla put away the feed and took a seat.

"Eight-forty…" Tesla hummed to himself as the bird ate before him. He still had over an hour until he headed back to work.

With that in mind, he committed himself to yet another habit from his old life. After closing his eyes, he gently curled his toes. He released the tension, then curled them once more. The process was repeated again and again, but he would not stop until he reached a hundred. Upon its completion, he believed his brain would operate at maximum efficiency possible, which meant this was one of his more necessary routines… or quirks, depending who you asked.

It was hardly his only little quirk forged by his previous OCD, but one or many Madam Blavatsky loved to tease him about. His resistance to touching hair, having a certain number of napkins when he ate, and time specifications on when things needed to be performed were just some of many. They were compulsions he had no control over before, but they were more like habitual impulses in this summoning. He wasn't sure why it no longer controlled him, so to speak, but it wasn't something he'd argue.

After the hundred toe curls, then he could finally start one of his own private intellectual hobbies. "What do you think I should do today, Grace? Sudoku? The Mount Rainier Puzzle?"

He'd have liked to do some difficult board games like Ticket to Ride, but being time crunched meant some sacrifices were inevitable. Perhaps another time he could do some mentally exciting games with others again; Playing Anomia with Da Vinci and Roman was up there on his favorite activities list. Despite being a diligent worker, Chaldea's relaxing atmosphere had made small dents in his dutiful resolve.

For the most part, though, he was as hard working as ever.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IV ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

While Sheba still spun, maintenance was being completed on the deployment system today. With the advent of a third master, the current deployment spaces were rather limited. Thanks partially due to Merlin's rather vaguely explained yet obvious workings, Chaldea was able to support much more servants in the field than before. This meant deploying a larger number was also a bigger possibility, but the upgrade had been delayed for a long time.

After the seventh major singularity, no one wanted to risk the deployment system being down when Solomon could strike. Back in June, the number of deployment spaces was finally upgraded by an entire team plus two for the master and her adviser servant. Though it was still less than the original forty-eight master spaces, they decided to do more routine maintenances to ensure everything worked fine; It was better to be safe than sorry.

"Cable ties, please~!" Da Vinci requested.

"Of course, ma'am," a nearby robot responded as it offered the long items.

After glancing to the control room, where Edison was busy trying out new possibilities on the scans, Tesla looked back at an adjacent floor panel. The battle-clad Da Vinci hummed as she fiddled quickly with dozens of cables and embedded processors. Each space sat atop a mess of technology that few would understand; It even took him some time to understand its true complexity. It only got more convoluted when magecraft was added.

He looked down at his opened space, and gazed at the mass of wires and computer equipment. Thanks to reinforcement and precautions, there was no worry the panels would collapse and destroy this valuable equipment, but there was no harm checking on off days. Upon hearing nearby grumbling and hissing, Tesla suppressed a chuckle. "You alright over there, Babbage?"

"As alright as I can fathom being with all this improper technology…" the behemoth of a servant complained as he carefully opened one of the large floor panels on the walkway. "Untie the cables."

"At once, Omnissiah!" one of his helper robots declared. Because of his form, some smaller actions were far harder to complete alone. Thankfully, the Chaldean robots listened to him like he was some sort of machine god, so he was never short of any possible helpers.

"Is that the eighth tile?" Da Vinci asked as she quickly glanced over. She tapped a finger to her mouth and nodded. "Right… The masters said there's occasionally a hissing sound around there. I think a cooling vent sprung a leak?"

"At last… something more to my specialty," Babbage practically groaned as he stared into the vent. He released steam, and Da Vinci giggled. "I'll have a look."

Searching mission aside, it was fairly often the inventors got to work together, but not without some accompanying oddities. For one, especially if Edison was here, they'd sometimes fall into a small debate about the development of technology. Edison would say it would always needs improvement. Babbage would complain it had too much to do with electricity. He'd argue that it had too little to do with his developments. Da Vinci would usually stay out of it, but enjoyed herself all the while.

Despite this, there was that underlying respect as fellow inventors. It was merely placed aside when their competitive nature came to the forefront: Human's survival instinct and need to impress transferred to their creations. Humans wanted their offspring to succeed, just like inventors wanted their creations to beat out the others. It was purely nature at work, so competition was a given.

For some cases, it was just a lot more blinding than others; He and Edison's rivalry was the shining example of this. As if to balance them, any competitiveness from Da Vinci was always in good fun. She smirked at him, "Care to race, Tesla?"

"I'd rather not rush work on the deployment system," he countered with a smirk of his own.

Da Vinci huffed playfully and shook her head. "You're no fun… I wanted to show off my skills!"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'd rather be careful when working," he apologized with a small smile as she quickly scrambled through the circuitry.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ V ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Tesla circled the Summoning Chamber for the third time, completing one of his usual circuits. It was an unconscious habit to make three consecutive loops to allow his mind time to think, and usually by the third time he'd have an answer to his dilemma. It had become a bit more common since this new dilemma has proven very unfruitful. Though Solomon's location remained undisclosed, he had gleamed dozens of possibilities for search patterns.

A new one had just popped into his mind, and he resolved to test it later in hopes it would provide yields. However, that experiment in dimensional planes would come later. As he jotted the possibility down on his notebook, he looked up as the doors finally opened. The uniformed Anishka and Gabrielle walked in, but only he waved since their hands were full of saint quartz. "A little early today… Nothing better to do?"

"Feeling extra special about this one!" Gabrielle cheered eagerly as Anishka giggled beside her. "Scathach, Rama, and Sita will be in in a minute, but I want to get started!"

"Feeling extra special indeed…" Tesla noted with a chuckle as he pocketed the small notebook. "Let's waste no time then, masters."

He quickly walked over and took a saint quartz from Anishka to speed up the process. The masters discarded some of the extra in a bin by the console while Tesla walked over to the furthest pedestal. He looked at the rainbow commodity then back at the pedestal and smirked. No matter how many times he visited this room, it made him proud and excited. It was inventions like this that became possible thanks to his efforts, and he'd always be proud about that.

He placed the saint quartz on the podium and strolled back to the console. Anishka did the same, but Gabrielle had swiftly skipped back in her eagerness; It was always amusing seeing her excited for a summoning. It usually meant she was about to get rewarded with something mundane and uneventful, but it never stopped her from having 'buena onda' as Quetzalcoatl decided to call it.

"Come on, slow pokes~!" she teased behind the console as Tesla rolled his eyes playfully. She pouted at him as he slowed down briefly as a joke.

Soon enough, he was beside the console as he prepared to take part in the smallest, daily celebration of his: Watching the Fate System activate. Gabrielle threw the lever, and he watched as the system went about its usual routine. Every time it occurred, he had to suppress a smile. This was only possibly because of what he had helped give to mankind through technology! The salvation of the human order was guaranteed thanks in part to his efforts!

Though he often declared himself a gentleman, which was also why he came to help with summonings, he had a newfound haughtiness in every summoning he's had. In his past life, he only truthfully held this sense of superiority over Edison, but that was clearly not the case anymore. For whatever reason, he had the compulsion to promote himself highly, but it was hardly a bad thing. He merely got accustomed to hiding it behind a wall of modesty.

As the orbs turned a rainbow color, Tesla's eyesbrows rose. Gabrielle cheered loudly, "I knew it! Luck be my lady tonight!"

Anishka giggled, "Maybe you summoned Lady Luck?"

"…What would she even look like! Oh! Maybe she's actually a guy!" she joked, and Tesla couldn't help but laugh at that usual curiosity.

Light filled the room as the summoning reached it conclusion, allowing Tesla to stare at the earliest glimpses of the silhouette. Long hair settled in its ponytail, and the individual's slight curves hinted at a woman. As the light faded further, his simple hypothesis was realized as the short, bluish-white-haired lady stood before them. Her red eyes glanced curiously and cautiously towards him, as servants usually did if he was the only servant present.

Not that he'd blame the red-eyed woman for being cautious, of course. He observed a bare shoulder and curiously revealed sides of her thighs; It wasn't the most provocative battle attire he'd seen. In fact, the woman was dressed in rather traditional navy and white clothes for Japanese Samurai, complete with a burgundy waist-band and distinctive red shoulder armor.

A newly materialized katana was the obvious pointer though, but as a servant, Tesla did love playing the guessing game. The woman looked towards the masters as Gabrielle skipped over and grinned, "Hi! Welcome to Chaldea! I know you must be kinda confused, but thanks for coming!"

Anishka soon appeared at her friend's side and bowed lightly. "We're honored you've agreed to help us. Any help we can get is always appreciated."

Tesla watched her curiously eye both their hands, then fall confused. "…Which one of you is my master?"

"Both of us, plus Gudao, who is not currently present… so three masters in total," Anishka offered with a small smile. "I'm Anishka Sharma, and this is Gabrielle Rutherford."

"Just call me Gabby!" the orange-haired magus beamed, and the newly arrived servant slowly shook her head. "And who might you be?"

After a small pause, and a glance to Tesla, she smiled apologetically. "Masters… You may call me Archer for now."

Ah, so it was going to be like this. Some servants introduced themselves only by class, but on rare occasion, some chose a specific alias. Most had just accepted the circumstances, or Chaldea encountered them previously. This woman was new, but she clearly had some hesitations about the whole ordeal. Tesla could hardly blame her, especially considering the reinforced structure that made sensing anything past a certain distance near-impossible… unless you were Enkidu.

That said, she'd probably warm up to them and drop her real name in time, or maybe someone else would reveal it. At most it took a day or two.

The masters looked at each other before the new archer bowed lightly. "Please forgive my rudeness… but I do not wish to divulge my true name for now. I want to understand this place better-"

"Before you feel comfortable enough? That shouldn't take long," Tesla chimed in with a small chuckle as the woman looked towards him. "Preferably not too long... Calling you Archer makes me feel unintentionally disparaging."

"…Disparaging?" she asked curiously with a tilt of her head.

"Indeed," he nodded quickly. "Servants are famous in some way, and one should always feel proud of that! By calling you by an alias, I feel as though I cannot properly honor your legacy as a gentleman! It feels… impersonal… but if you're uncomfortable, then pushing would be rude on our part."

"I see… Then servants in Chaldea use their real names?" she asked curiously, and was met with pleasant nods from Gabrielle and Anishka. She hummed to herself, then looked back at Tesla. "And who might you be? Are you a great heroic spirit?"

"…Oh boy." Gabrielle lightly giggled as the new arrival turned to her in confusion; The new archer just unknowingly flipped a hidden swit-

"…Am I a great heroic spirit, you ask?" It was a new, haughty impulse newly forged by his conception as a heroic spirit, but this was a compulsion he'd gladly bathe in. Tesla leapt into the air, shining with bright light as he shifted to his battle attire. The newly arrived woman stared in shock as Tesla landed between them and the console in a crouch. His brass fist clanked lightly against the fortified ground and crackled with electricity, all while his cape billowed from the landing.

Anishka and Gabrielle giggled as Tesla stood up proudly, flicked his cape again with his free hand and shook his unique hair like a beauty commercial. He flashed a proud smirk towards the new arrival, who stared in outright bewilderment as he placed his gauntlet-free hand on his hip. "I'm the man who revealed Zeus' thunder to the world! The modern Prometheus, and prodigy without equal! The Professor of Thunder and-"

"That's Tesla! He's an archer too!" Gabrielle dared to interrupt with a grin. He gawked.

"Don't say it so casually! It's not often I get the chance to make a grand first impression!" Tesla complained as his face faltered with incredulity. Gabrielle and Anishka laughed, but he quickly shook it off, then chuckled when he heard the new arrival's soft giggles.

"Nikola Tesla… The great scientist and inventor? It's an honor to meet you!" Though clearly amused, she tilted her head again in confusion. "But… you're an archer?"

"He uses arrows made of lightning." At Anishka's rather strange explanation, the new arrival looked at her in renewed bewilderment. The Indian woman sighed. "We have archers that throw swords… fire swords from portals like cannons…"

"Tota sometimes hurls baskets of rice!" Gabrielle added, which only served to confuse the new arrival more. "Ah, don't worry about it! We can't figure it out eith- Ohhh~! Hey, guys! Come say hi to the new archer!"

Tesla glanced to the doorway as Scathach, Rama, and Sita walked in. Though the former was battle-clad, likely from a spar, the latter two would serve as a batter example of how casual Chaldea was. Rama had a white tropical shirt and red board shorts, while Sita had a plain red sundress. Rama waved with his free hand since the other was ever-glued to his wife. "Your giddiness paid off today, Gabby!"

"I knew it would this time!" she boasted with a puffed chest, and Tesla partially wanted to deflate her with a tease to get even. Maybe another time. For now, his main curiosity remained with the new arrival… who suddenly had a very conflicted expression on her face. Anishka noticed too, and he followed the gaze past the group of three servants and towards the opened door…

…where Ushiwakamaru had frozen in the doorway. The battle-clad rider gazed with a quickly paling expression at the new arrival before swiftly bolting out of sight. The doors soon closed behind her, leaving the group in shock. Sita hummed in confusion, "Where's Ushi going? I thought she wanted to watch today's summonings."

Scathach glanced back to the new arrival with Tesla. As the new arrival sighed, Scathach raised an eyebrow curiously. "I assume you know her?"

They'd gotten rather lucky with most summonings, but everyone understood puzzles pieces didn't always fall correctly. Sometimes, they were just an outright bad matchup. Judging from her mixed expression, the new arrival obviously had some history with Ushiwakamaru, which quickly made guesswork more plausible. However, for her sake, he'd keep his identity theories a secret and merely wait to see if his hypothesis was right.

Hopefully that possible animosity with Ushiwakamaru would be more like him and Edison, rather than something more problematic… but it didn't look that likely. Regardless, he'd see if he could help make this new arrival a bit more comfortable while the last two summoning attempts occurred. After that, it was back to the work grind as usual while she got a tour of the place.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VI ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

After strolling into the control room with whiskey bottle in hand, he quickly gazed at the squadron of busy robots. "Progress?"

"Sweep eight out of ten. No new results," one beeped back, but it barely fazed him. He was disappointed, sure, but irritation and frustration would not get the better of him. Though time ticked away, they still had months, and they were doing all they could.

He walked over to the primary console and quickly removed the jacket of his suit. It was discarded neatly onto the back of one of the console's chairs to ensure it would be wrinkle free. The whiskey bottle was placed beside the console so he could quickly smooth his formal vest and shirt, straighten the tie, and check his pant creases. After ensuring he was prim and proper, he crossed his arms and gazed up at the primary monitor.

Thanks to near photographic memory, comparing these partial results to the ones obtained only hours ago was a breeze. Regardless, the information was obviously stored and archived for everyone else who lacked the cognitive grace. His eyes scanned over letters and numbers, checking for any possible deviations or fluctuations among given variables. Only a few minutes after he started the bi-hourly task, the door opened, but he didn't turn to look.

It was obvious who it was based on the servant's presence, and he could never mistake it for anyone else. Edison walked into the room quietly, but sighed as he took off the jacket of his vibrant, cerulean three-piece suit. He walked over to Tesla with a blank expression and neatly placed his jacket on the other free chair. Still, Tesla did not look, but remained focused on the data which streamed and scrolled onto the screen like a waterfall.

Finally, as Edison cracked his finger joints and rolled his neck, Tesla's eye twitched. The archer sighed, "Must you always be so loud about that?"

"You're welcome for my assistance, thanks for asking," Edison responded just as calmly.

"I didn't expect you to come before dinner. You're not eating?"

"If you're working here and I'm not, I'd look terrible," the caster stated evenly with a simple wave of the hand. "I already took yesterday off."

"Committing time to your defense project is a reasonable excuse," Tesla noted with a shrug, but they still had yet to even glance at each other. Their eyes remained focused on the screen. "We'll move on to your hypothesized dark matter detection after this one."

"Then Solomon's domain emits no magnetic fields of any kind." Edison frowned slightly. "Whatever he's doing to hide himself, I'd like to get a firm grasp of it."

"No doubt to steal it and improve it with your capabilities," the archer stabbed, though his voice was still calm and collected.

"For the last time, Tesla, I'm acquiring enemy assets by legal means to benefit society… or in this case, Chaldea," Edison countered evenly. "That field, whatever it is, would be a valuable asset for Chaldea and provide fertile grounds for further R&D. It'd be a waste not to study it."

"…I'll concede that point as fair, but we have to find him first."

The door to the control room opened again, but this time both of them looked. Their blank expressions finally filled with curiosity as Helena appeared in the doorway. The small woman in a black, strapless evening dress gazed to them with a small smile. "You boys doing alright?"

"Debatable," they answered together. They glanced to each other, stared for a moment, then looked back to Helena.

"Shouldn't you be at dinner, Madam Blavatsky?" Edison inquired.

"I thought I'd have a light dinner here tonight." Even the robots were curious, though they kept two eyes on their tasks and the third to glance. Helena walked into the room, followed by one of her Colonel Olcotts and a small procession of robots. The robots were armed with an array of serving tables, dishes, and eating utensils. It brought a small smile to the two inventors' faces as Helena grinned. "You two have been working very hard lately."

"It's only natural for us geniuses," Tesla responded, and Helena eyed him humorously before nodding in agreement.

As the robots set the small tables up in a safe part of the control room, Tesla and Edison turned back to the console. They didn't see the small smile Helena sent their way, but the archer knew it was there. She had been very shocked yet pleased about this strange oddity she stumbled upon months ago; She believed maybe the two inventor rivals would finally have more civilized debates and arguments to settle their past issues.

Even though they both liked pleasing their dear mutual friend, that was a true unlikelihood in nearly every other circumstance.

Beyond any doubt, their rivalry was still as fierce as it ever was… but they were gentleman, first and foremost. They were also in a scientific work environment, and had a common goal that needed to be met. Humanity's survival trumped everything, and so guaranteed their civility within the control room. Though light jabs and stabs would still be traded, they'd never ignite the usual inferno they did outside of this room.

That was just simply how it is. They could work together as a small truce for a common goal, but it would end in basic civility. Their famous feud would remain an endless struggle to prove their superiority over the other, but it could be paused for circumstances. Once humanity was saved, their competitive rivalry could continue until Tesla finally proved, without doubt, he was obviously the better man.

Until then, he would quietly accept this necessary politeness. "Are you certain your theory on detecting dark matter signals will work? We can't afford to be experimenting."

"We're running out of standard means to test," Edison countered, and Tesla let him take that point. "It's been months with zero results from the standard spectrum of magecraft and science... The King of Magecraft has certainly earned his title with this disappearing act."

"Is it possible it's the use of a true magic then? Even if unlikely?" Helena asked as she walked over and handed tesla a stack of napkins. He thanked her quietly so he could do his lifelong impulse of counting them. She stared at another screen, which showed a visualized map of the Milky Way galaxy. "I didn't think a dimensional bounded field could be capable of this level of concealment…"

"Yet it exists… A space that can't be seen nor detected," Tesla grumbled. "True magic or not, he must be planning to wait out the clock."

"Because we're too dangerous, and he knows this!" Edison boasted confidently. "He's seen what we're capable of, and decided the best way to claim victory is not seeking battle!"

It was a fair point often stated since the searches first began, but he had to wonder if there was another reason he was waiting rather than acting. If Solomon was an intellectual, as he should be, then he obviously had contingency plans. His current actions likely ran parallel to those designs, but whether he was stalling, waiting, preparing, or teasing could not be discerned.

Regardless of the case, Solomon would have a monopoly on time until they figured out why their sweeps consistently turned out empty-handed.

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With a grumble, Tesla walked down the hallway towards the resort. It was just passed midnight, and Edison had insisted he take a small break and shake up his usual routine for once; It was hypocritical coming from a man who was equally as stringent with his schedule. However, at Helena's insistence, he reluctantly agreed for once. Since she would be staying in the control room for the night in an attempt to help, he figured a ten-minute walk would be reasonable.

Still, even if it didn't control him as greatly as before, he felt his mind and impulses screaming that he should be working towards results right now. It was hard breaking habits, and even worse when they were lifelong routines, so shaking things up on a rare occasion was difficult. Even now, he fought against the urge to turn back and walk to the control room since a three-loop stroll was more than adequate. Instead, he managed to walk through the entrance lobby and into the dark club.

He was surprised to find others were still here. Billy the Kid and Geronimo turned and waved to him as they sat at the bar, and he returned the welcoming gesture. The Native American glowed in the aquarium bar's lighting, in partial thanks to the vibrant nature of his red polo and tan slacks. Billy had a black button up and dark gray denims on the other hand. Judging by the number of beer bottles before them, they'd been here a while.

"Ah… the elusive Tesla," Geronimo mused with a small smirk. "Good evening."

"To you as well. I didn't expect you two to be up so late," Tesla pointed out as he reached the bar. He signaled to Lex behind the counter, and the robot swiftly moved to get some whiskey. "Any special occasion?"

"Just shared some drinks with Robin and his buddies," Billy answered swiftly with a grin. "Did someone wrangle you out of the control room?"

"I guess that's fair to say," he surmised as Billy quickly surprised him by sliding over an unopened bottle of whiskey. He stared at it and blinked, before smiling lightly and nodding. "Thanks for the gift."

"You're the one working your butt off while the rest of Chaldea bathes in rest and relaxation," the gunslinger countered with a small smirk, and Geronimo chuckled beside him. "How do you do it?"

A fair question sometimes asked of him. With so many relaxing, most would be lured away from any sort of work. Their concentration would shatter, especially with the looming pressure of mankind's fate overhead. Some would even possibly throw it all away and accept the inevitable outcome as fact, but geniuses were no ordinary men. They delved in the improbable for the glorious achievement that rested beyond. They were cut from a cloth untearable without serious effort.

"How do you spin your revolver around so easily?" Tesla questioned back as his answer. Geronimo nodded in acknowledgement, but it took Billy a few more seconds to understand. "It's only natural for an intellectual genius. Time simply flies as we work."

"Did it bear any results today?" Geronimo asked quietly, though by the small disappointment in Tesla's eye, he probably got the idea before he even spoke.

"Maybe Edison and Helena will have an answer when I get back," Tesla noted as Lex hovered over with another bottle. At least he's have two more for the remainder of the night. "If Edison's proposed search queries don't work, I'm uncertain how we should search next."

"Well there's always something to search for, right, Geronimo?" Billy asked hopefully.

"Signs will exist in some manner," the caster nodded. "However, this is a case of pathfinding I have no experience with. I track through land, not planes of existence."

"Unviewable planes for that matter…" Tesla quietly added, but scratched his chin and drew the other servants' attention. "Nonetheless… Would you mind telling me about that?"

The thought to ask for outside perspectives was always in the back of his mind, but a genius only turned to it when options were nearly exhausted. It was a point of pride for a scientist to find the results by himself, but this was different. Nearly four months without results, which was two fifths of their allotted time expended. At this point, and considering the situation, he'd willingly concede early.

Geronimo looked at him for a moment. "There's a lot to discuss… Would you like to start at the beginning?"

"Fundamentals are always important," Tesla noted as he took a seat. Though part of him instinctually yelled for him to return to work, it was mostly drowned by his impulse to understand from a different angle. An outside perspective always yielded interesting inquiries. It was the same reason he learned and understood the largest religions in the world, and made an effort to learn eight languages in his lifetime. Sometimes, a rare quotient can be gleamed from a fresh mind.

"Then I'll be brief so as not to waste your time."

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"Sometimes, the clues are misleading… Sometimes, the quarry hides where we least expect it, hidden among common sights our eyes casually skim past. In those cases, they must do little to mask their presence."

Of all the advice Geronimo gave in the past hour, that one echoed loudest within his mind. He's learned much about the brief theory and application of proper tracking, but it would be reinterpreted for the task at hand. Maybe that phrase would just be a reminder or a new viewpoint, but regardless it was something to take note of. Geronimo was an intellectual of a different sort, and Tesla would apply his perspective accordingly as he finally returned to the control room.

Edison kept his eyes glued onto the primary screen. "Were you actually discussing anything or just having a chit chat to take a load off?"

"It was a serious discussion on tracking, as I stated to you earlier," Tesla briefly reminded with a small huff. Helena sighed in her seat.

"Always the busy sort, you were…" Edison mumbled. "Reminds of that time you fixed the dynamos on the SS Oregon."

"You thought I was out partying," he grumbled back lightly and rejoin him at the console. "At least you know better now."

"I don't blame you for endlessly working. It takes a lot to even stay in my shadow," the caster answered back as Helena watched their back and forth exchange in exasperation. "You missed nothing. No results despite my suggested search for dark matter."

"I figured that'd be the case," the archer noted, more out of unfortunate consistency for their attempts than a sharp jab at Edison's pride.

"The only thing we ever find are new singularities," Helena sighed as she summoned her special tome. She quickly browsed through it, probably for the dozenth time this evening by Tesla's count. She'd been curious if she'd missed anything in her own personal archives regarding uncommon bounded fields. "Maybe he'll show himself in another singularity? Like London?"

It was doubtful he'd just be sitting in… '…Wait a second.'

"It would be his undoing to reveal himself just to taunt us," Edison countered, but Tesla had already tuned the conversation out. "If I were him, I'd just sit on my throne and laugh as we sit here helpless."

They'd been scanning for hidden planes of existence like the one that sheltered Chaldea from the timeline. They'd been scanning the void and attempted to peer between the veils to find their answer, but they never thought to consider the path was already apparent; Why waste the excess energy to protect oneself in a new plane when there was a convenient one that housed countless other time singularities?

Edison looked over to Tesla and saw him gazing towards Chaldeas. Curious, his rival gazed at the rotating orb, speckled with tiny red dots that symbolized the singularities. Malignant and benign alike often came and went with each resolution, sometimes by their own doing, and other times not. That's what got Tesla thinking though.

The singularities were distortions in time that separated themselves from the true timeline. By doing so, Solomon was able to threaten humanity's existence since Alaya's Counter Guardians would not respond; Normally they'd be the ones to ensure their survival. Though not a truly different plane of existence, these anomalies were like Chaldea, a dimension separated from the flow of time until they resolved, whether for better or worse, and impacted the timeline.

'Which theoretically means…' Tesla thought as he straightened his stance ever so slightly. "I have a new inquiry I want to try."

"Was this theory born from Geronimo's lecture?" Edison inquired.

"I guess that's fair to say."

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Edison stared with hope and surprise. "…This looks promising. The other singularities never acted like this."

It was seven in the morning when their search produced a valid possibility. There was an unusual amount of growing relief and serenity, rather than early celebration for the trio. They merely stared at the conceptual image on the primary screen, understanding it was still just a hunch, but far better than anything they had before. A darkened orb that reflected various locations and different periods of time remained there.

His hunch, inspired from Geronimo's lecture, had proven correct: Solomon was hiding in plain sight.

This realm, separated from time and place, was like a mimic. It would occasionally anchor itself to the world and reflect a time and place it randomly chose. After an indeterminate amount of time, it'd select a new anchor to mimic, thereby keeping itself relatively 'attached' to the timeline but constantly concealed. Its shifting illusion made it harder to find, were it not for the consistency of one benign singularity disappearing only for a new one to instantly appear elsewhere.

Coupled with its consistent and matching dimensional location, there was little doubt they'd found the culprit.

Quietly, in a rare show that made Helena's jaw slowly open, Edison glanced towards Tesla with a small frown and held out his hand. "Well done, Tesla."

With a matching frown, the archer reluctantly raised his own, grasped his rival's hand, and shook. "You're the one who found the pattern. I just pointed."

"I merely improved what you started," he countered as they quickly released. It was a rare show of respect for the two rivals, but in some way, they did always begrudgingly respect the other. This time, he'd allow that admittance if only because their search was likely over. "We'll keep observing it until Roman and Da Vinci get here. I want to see why we can't peer into the singularity itself. He's clearly hiding something in there."

"The dimensional coordinates have been locked. Unless it shifts, we can recheck this anomaly as you desire," one of the robots beeped.

"Great… great!" Edison declared as he finally let out a relieved laugh. Though it gave Tesla a small headache, he couldn't help his relieved smirk either.

"And with plenty of time before breakfast," Helena smiled as she checked her watch. "I could use a shower…"

"Edison needs one especially," Tesla added as he sniffed the air. "I thought you got rid of that terrible habit of yours…"

"What are you talking about!? I showered before dinner!" the male caster complained as he glared towards Tesla. "At least I don't smell like cheap liquor!"

…Cheap!? He drank like a class act regardless of the alcohol! "My whiskey is refined and carefully chosen! It's not cheap like your lawsuits!"

"Maybe if you spent less money on the useless things and invested properly in your capital, you'd have been rich in your past life like me!"

Helena was visibly exasperated that they finally broke into an argument in the control room after many months. However, Tesla secretly took it as a good sign, just as Edison likely did. It meant their small truce was over, since their collaboration was likely complete. As the data registered on the screen for the mimicked singularity, the initial, deeper scans were showing far greater magical energy readings than standard singularities.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ X ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Every time there was something worth celebrating in Chaldea, Tesla always felt miffed they lacked any billiards tables. It was one of the few fun activities he actually thoroughly enjoyed, though he'd been meaning to at least try golf after Edison admitted an interest. As an activity often related to business and success, it was only obvious the two would have to duke it out there since their verbal spats often resulted in nothing.

At least he was thinking about the future again after the veil on the hidden singularity had lifted.

Though he often avoided most social situations in his past life, he actually looked forward to it these days. In particular, he definitely appreciated the impromptu early-dinner party that Chaldea celebrated in the resort. The barbeque dinner wouldn't be cooked for a while longer, since no one expected one on a Thursday, but he would be more than happy to mingle; Chaldea was a place full of peers, whether as intellectuals, heroes, or something else.

Sitting at one of the club's booths, with a golf magazine in hand, Tesla watched as a brightly laughing Roman passed by with David; It was good to see the doctor in his highest spirits. Seconds later, his current companion finally sat down across from him and placed his camera on the table. Tesla glanced at George as he jotted a few notes into a pad. "I didn't realize you grew an interest in journalism too."

"I haven't," the rider replied with a small smile before slipping the tiny notepad back into the pocket of his white polo. "Just a lot more editing notes than usual."

"Ah, I see then," Tesla stated as he flipped a page in his magazine. A robot quickly hovered over to give them their iced waters. "How're your photo albums coming along?"

"They look more like scrapbooks right now," he chuckled before taking a sip of his drink. "I should get them organized before our big offensive."

"You've got time. Roman wants to get as much information as possible before we land."

"Maybe a week or two then? I think that's enough time for one book," the rider pondered, though his smile partially faded. "Maybe less if Solomon tries something."

"I'm sure he knows we've found him. No question," Tesla affirmed with a small frown. "What troubles me is his lack of any discernible reaction thus far… It's mind boggling."

"As if it were a trap," George surmised, and the archer nodded. "No wonder Roman wants a triple check."

"That's just Roman being Roman," Tesla smirked, and the rider chuckled. "But enough of that… this is a party. We're supposed to be celebrating."

"I think everyone else made up for our little lapse just moments ago," his friend noted as he motioned around them.

Loud laughter echoed from the Arcade, followed by cheers for the male master who was probably winning at some game. The Celtic group started up a drinking song in the corner, since every hour was a good hour to drink for them. The two gazed out their booth's open-aired window as the swimsuit-wearing children ran down the boardwalk. They giggled happily with squirt guns in hand as a rabid Jaguarman, whose jeans and striped green shirt were completely soaked, stormed after them.

"One would never think the world was ending…" George chuckled as he quickly snapped a photo of the festivities through the window.

The rider can never seem to put his camera down for more than a few minutes at most. Tesla chuckled, "And some say I work too hard."

"It's hardly working! Just my fun hobby!" George easily responded as he finally placed the camera down. He used to apologize for spontaneously taking pictures, but that had long since passed. The two occasionally spent time without actually talking much, but merely relishing in comfortable silence. Tesla often did mind puzzles while George worked on his photos, with only minimal small talk exchanged. It was a curious friendship, but a quaint one nonetheless.

It served as a nice break from his usual isolation, filled with set routines and endless compulsions, though one his body often argued. Even now, with no work to be done, his body yelled that he could be doing something productive. That was the issue with being a lifelong worker: One simply couldn't just stop. As his body urged him to commit himself to work, he had to fight back so he could just relax every now and then.

Celebrations in his past life were often tedious and dull to him. Time spent in celebrating an achievement could be better spent theorizing how the latest discovery could be put to good use, or starting the new research project. It was merely clockwork for him, and akin to moving a mountain to break. These days, though, it was far easier, even if Chaldea was founded as a development facility.

Placing his magazine down, Tesla glanced to his watch, then back at his companion. "How about a few rounds of speed chess?"

"Only if I'm the black set," George chuckled. Tesla quickly nodded his head and stood. It was a fun yet intelligent game for two smart individuals to indulge in, and a fun past time for the two of them. "I'll order some appetizers while you get it!"

With a quick nod, Tesla got up and navigated the club's crowd. After slipping past some dancing servants and mingling groups, he walked into the Arcade and towards the game shelves. There were plenty of chess boards since they were far easier to procure than the other games, so he was not worried about any lack; It was only a matter of which design flavor.

"I'm here, guys! What'd I miss?" Angra yelled as he jogged into the Arcade. Tesla passed him a quick glance as the avenger, wearing only black board shorts, moved towards a crowded couch. He stared at the group of playing individuals as cheering erupted like a sporting event; He never did understand the draw of video games since he considered them rather mindless.

"Dude! Angra! You gotta see this!" Tyler called out from somewhere in the crowd. "Tomoe's just got to Smough and Ornstein but hasn't died once!"

"I call bullshit!" Angra cried out as he quickly ran the final distance. The crowd erupted into cheers again as Tesla grabbed one of the wooden chess sets. After Ushiwakamaru seemed to recognize her, it was only a matter of time before the new girl spoke her true name; Medea still held the name-concealment record with three days. At least Tomoe seemed to be fitting in just fine if she was playing video games with a crowd.

Tesla quickly maneuvered himself out of the arcade, through the cove, and back to his seat. Curiously enough, the dish of marinated vegetables already rested on the table. He chuckled at George as he leaned out the window to photograph some servants starting up limbo on the boardwalk. By his position leaning out the window, he was balanced perfectly on his waist like a teeter totter. "Don't have an accident now. I'd hate to watch your camera's demise."

"I've become good with strange positions," George chuckled as he slowly pulled himself out of the window. After doing so, he plucked one of the peppers with a toothpick, then assisted Tesla with setting up the board. "How many rounds this time?"

"Best of thirty?" the archer asked, and the rider quickly smirked in agreement.

Moments later, the board was prepared, and some onlookers had already gathered to watch. It wasn't often they played speed chess in public, but when it happened, they grew a gathering like the gamers did in the arcade. It was no question why, because their little friendly competition was nothing short of 'magic' to watch. A few employees were the first to gather nearby as Tesla reached for the timer. Xuanzang peered over her booth behind George to stare in growing excitement.

As soon as his hand touched the button, their hands were lightning. A pawn moved forward, and barely a fraction of a second later, George moved one of his. Seconds more passed, and nearly half of the board was moved. Moments later, pieces were getting struck from the checkered surface in carefully calculated moves that left the spectators murmuring quietly. A chunk of the board was cleared just past the thirty second mark, but only the two competitors understood what was happening.

Tesla sighed in defeat as his king was cornered, and the crowd golf-clapped for George. "Your defense is as tough as ever."

"I try to keep things consistent," the rider responded with a chuckle as they quickly reset the board. "Round two may go otherwise."

"We'll see."

Even if he wasn't working, he was either preparing for it or working his cognitive functions. The mental agility and precision of speed chess was one such activity, though only capable with others. It was a workout he was glad he discovered in Chaldea, but just another humorous reminder of who he was. Despite how little control his compulsions had in his new life, there were some things that couldn't be shaken.

If there was one habit Tesla could never break, it was exercising his genius to its full extent.