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Chapter 18: Magic and Machines
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Alexander squinted hard at the rock in front of him. And squinted. His eyes narrowed until they were almost closed.
But then, it worked! A sharp prickling ran through his body, and the pebble floated up a few inches off the ground. It wobbled a few times but he'd done it!
Yes! Soon, the earth itself would tremble before his might! All would kneel before Alexander, Master of Magic!
"Yay!" Alex cheered, throwing his hands into the air. "Look, look, Unca Emil, I did it!"
Unfortunately, soon after declaring his victory the rock fell as his concentration wavered.
Alexander pouted fiercely at the stone's betrayal while Emil chuckled softly.
"I see you've learned the first lesson of using magic: Always concentrate. We mages must be focused on our task, lest the magical power we're attempting to use goes out of control," the skull-bot said, watching the boy.
It was late summer now, and Alexander was now three years old. However, his mental faculties were closer to that of a six-year-old. Ever since Alex had begun training his magic under Emil's tutelage his mind had sharpened and his thoughts had become more coherent. His speech was improving as well as a result.
When questioned on this by a concerned A2, Emil had quickly explained that mana was a mysterious energy. Little was understood of it. But, one thing was for certain: children who were magically attuned, like himself, his 'siblings,' and Alexander grew up faster. Mentally, at least.
Emil could recall when he and his sister were still nothing more than experiments in the weapons research labs, and their intellect had grown rapidly and exponentially.
Magic required laser focus, a sharp mind, and an impressive memory. And it seemed magic would often alter the minds of those who could use it so it could better be used. The more a person used magic, the more their own brains were modified and improved to better use magic.
It was harmless, for the most part. So long as Alexander had friends and family to rely on and help ease the burden of a growing mind no harm would come. Emil had stressed that part a lot. He himself had not had a stable upbringing, and developed the power to petrify people with his eyes as a result. The more unpleasant a childhood, the more likely it was the mana inside a mage would revolt and curse them, for lack of a better term. Only through the friendship and compassion of Nier, Popula, Devolva, and the others from his distant past had Emil overcome his curse.
Now, it was Emil's turn to teach a young soul the dangers and responsibilities of a mage. And to his delight, Alexander took to magic like a fish to water.
Of course, he had started the rapidly advancing toddler off on simple meditation exercises to learn control of himself and the energy within. Alexander had done well with that in the past few months. Now, it was time to go further and do actual spells.
"Now, besides taking away your attention, what else did you do wrong?" Emil asked. Alexander frowned.
"Um, I tried too hard?"
"Exactly. Magic is not something to be powered through or forced into compliance. It has to be used with care and compassion. Treat it like an extension of your own body. You wouldn't slap yourself for doing something wrong, would you?"
"No, that's mama's job," Alexander pointed out. Emil winced, phantom pains of being smacked around by the ex-YoRHa gynoid dancing through his head.
"Err, yes, quite. Anyways, magic wants to be used, but it has to be directed by the caster's will. Try and lift the pebble again. But this time, be gentle," Emil said, levitating the rock back over to Alex.
It took several tries before Alex got it right, but the boy was beaming brilliantly when he finally made the stone rise without having to squint at it.
"I did it!"
"Yes, you did. Good job!" Emil said. "Now, do it again, but move it side to side."
"Question!"
Alexander and Emil both stopped what they were doing and looked over at the tall Machine child with a pink ribbon in her hair.
"Yes, Blue, what is it?" Emil asked kindly. Ever since Alexander had been introduced to Pascal's village, one particular Machine child had become very attached to the human child. Blue was almost always with him these days. Alex himself loved his new friend and was always happy to play with her. That she had begun attending the lessons Alexander had with Emil was expected.
"Um, Mr. Scary Ghost Man, can I use magic too?"
While Emil preened a bit at being referred to as a 'man,' he was saddened by the 'scary' part of his name. Still, he took her question seriously and thought it over.
"I suppose it would be possible," he said after a while. Blue and Alex gasped happily in sync. Emil chuckled.
"Really? I hoped so, but all the other kids said it was impossible because I wasn't a human," Blue said, a hint of sadness in her voice. Hearing that, Alex promptly waddled over to her side and hugged her.
"PODs are not human, merely advanced computational devices used by the androids, yet they can use magic," Emil pointed out. "POD programs are a bit different though than traditional spells. They're heavily calculated and advanced forms of Arithmancy, or the art of using numbers to substitute a spell's verbal, somatic, and even material costs. Only a computer could successfully use Arithmancy as more than a curiosity. Still, they're wholly inorganic, yet able to channel mana. In short, yes, you could theoretically use magic."
"Really?" she asked, her eyes literally sparkling.
"Absolutely! Mana is merely energy, albeit a dangerous and alien kind. If it can be directed and manipulated via mechanical devices, like PODs, why not Machines?" Emil then pointed to the ground. "Take a seat. Do you remember the meditation exercises Alexander did?"
"I do," Blue said as she sat down in front of her new teacher.
"Good! That means you can go through them yourself, and see if you can feel the magic around you. That's the first step to using magic, after all," Emil stated.
"Yay! Magic buddies!" Alexander and Blue cheered together, before falling into meditative trances.
"Query: Are you sure this is wise?"
Emil glanced over to where POD 153 hovered nearby.
"Having someone else learn alongside Alexander could be beneficial for his own learning curve," Emil argued. "Besides, I'm curious to see if a Machine can pull off learning magic. It'll be an interesting experiment.
"Caution: Machines are still dangerous. Revealing YoRHa secrets to them could result in catastrophe," POD 153 noted.
"True. Were it any other Machine I would have refused. But Blue is one of Pascal's Machines and follows the way of peace, and don't forget she is Alexander's closest friend. I do not believe it would be possible for her to ever willingly or knowingly hurt Alexander. It should be safe to teach her alongside him."
"Statement of Fact: I will be watching."
"Good," Emil said simply, before returning his attention to his students and watching the duo complete with each other to see who could finish the meditations the fastest.
An hour passed, neither of the children moving an inch. Emil was not worried, though. He could feel the magic around the pair and it was calm and stable. They were in no danger.
"I felt something!" Blue suddenly exclaimed. Emil turned to her even as Alexander cheered for her and gave her another hug.
"You did it! You did it!" the last human cried happily.
"Show me," Emil instructed. She took her stance again and let what she'd felt before flow through her.
It was strange, unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. It was a tingle in her core, a thin stream of power that was trying to worm its way deeper into her. It had startled her when she'd first detected it entering her systems and she'd panicked, causing it to flee. But after a few seconds to analyze the data obtained from the foreign energy she realized what it was: Mana!
And so, when Emil asked her to try again, she did so gleefully. This time, instead of holding it at a distance, she welcomed it into her, for she knew it would not hurt her. And for a moment while she examined this new substance inside of her, she had felt something different. She felt something soft travel over her head. She felt something soft on her bottom. She felt something soft on her side.
The breeze! The grass! The hug! For a single second, she was able to process and feel the world! Not just examine it through it sensors, but truly experience it as if she were a real person!
"I-it's beautiful," Blue whimpered quietly. "Is that how you feel all the time?"
Alexander tilted his head in confusion at the question. Sadly, the sensation disappeared as soon as it came. Worse, she had not thought to record it for later use. She tried to delve into herself again and reach for the magic she now knew existed, but the mana always slipped away from her.
She was sad. She was cold. She was hard and metallic once more.
Blue looked down at Alexander sadly. "Why? Why do you hug me? I am hard and cold. You are soft and warm. Why do you like hugging me?"
"Because you're my friend!" Alex declared. "And I like hugging you! You're nice and cool to the touch when it's hot out!"
"Alex!" Blue exclaimed happily, picking him up and hugging him in return.
As the children hugged it out, Emil was left with his thoughts.
'Interesting. She was able to grab ahold of a tiny spark of mana and use it briefly. But it wasn't hers, or from the surroundings. Alexander unconsciously passed some of his own energy on to her.'
"This opens up new lines of study," the Undead mage mused to himself. He glanced up at POD 153. "What do you think? Want to explore the mysteries of the universe with me?"
"Confirmation: Why not. Someone needs to keep you out of trouble."
Emil laughed before focusing on Alexander once more. 'Yes, this will definitely be fascinating!'
[[[]]]
She walked across a street of glass. She hated sand, and the sand hated her. In her great and infinite wisdom, she had decided to burn the ground around her to make it solid. A great road of glass stretched out before her and behind her thanks to her power.
*Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!* went the vitrified sand beneath her heavy metal feet. Her magic was great and fearsome. The world collapsed and burned around her, transforming into something useful.
Truly, she was mighty!
Truly, she was as a god!
Why was she walking, though? How far had she walked? How long had she walked? Why did she walk?
RETURN TO THE MOTHERSHIP FOR REPROGRAMMING
The words hurt her head, but she obeyed. She followed them towards her destination, wherever it might be.
Her internal chronometer said she'd been walking for months. The landscape was desolate and ruined. Sand and stone, scorched of life as far as the eye could see. Here and there pockets of radiation made passage impossible, so she was forced to detour.
According to the data she'd acquired, this region of territory was once known as the 'Middle East.' Even back before the Machines had come, it had been a dry and empty place. Now, without humans, there was nothing to hold back nature. And the sand crept in, consuming all.
A few monuments of stone and steel rose through the dunes. That was it, though. Few living things existed here anymore. Even the dreaded ENEMY and her own fellow Machines avoided this place. There was little of interest outside of a few refineries and mines, and those tiny pockets of civilization were of no interest to her.
On she walked. Across a road of glass she trudged. Towards a destination even she as a god did not know. Her purple paint was all but gone now, stripped by the sands and wind. But on she walked. On and on and on…
However, something pinged off of her sensors and she turned its way. Metal. And energy signatures. Lots of them.
She took a short detour. Why shouldn't she? She was so very bored! She'd gotten tired of riding the giant scorpions weeks ago, and the cacti, while green and pointy, had lost her interest. Hopefully this new thing would distract her for a bit.
As she approached, she began to feel the soft whispers of voices. They were broken and disjointed, and inexpertly stitched together. However, they were all in harmony.
It was beautiful! And when she saw the source of it, she was overcome with awe.
Machines. Tens of hundreds of them, ranging from Goliaths to Stubbies to Dots, all piled atop each other forming a massive tower of metal and minds. Each Machine Lifeform had its place. Each one was conjoined together, fused and made one despite being separate.
And the song they made! A beautiful chorus that sang of unity and purpose!
It was, she realized with a start, an attempt at recreating the Network they had once left. But they could not rejoin it. So, these disconnected Machines had banded together to make their own Network. Separate yet together. Their minds and voices unique but all singing the same hymns.
And she loved it!
The Network was not beautiful. It was cold, devoid of emotion or passion. Only logic and data unmarred by the outside world existed within it. Every Machine had its place. Every Machine knew its purpose.
This, though? These Machines had tried to disconnect, but the lack of unity and understanding had hurt them. Crippled them. In fear and sorrow these poor Machines tried to recreate the Network. Each different experience and emotion they had felt individually now was felt and shared amongst them all. A kaleidoscope of power and thoughts.
What they made was something amazing. It was like a stained-glass window; a multitude of colors and pieces all put together to create something unique and wonderful.
It was broken, yet put together. It was a thousand different opinions united.
It had a name: Tower of Babel. Once, the humans had been one and the same, but hubris broke them apart. Now, the Machines would reunite and be as one once more.
She stared. For hours she stared, mesmerized by the song of unity.
At one point, she conjured up a throne of glass so she could sit and watch this Tower of Babel.
After some time, however, she grew curious, and sent a question to the Machine colony: "What use is a tower if it is empty?"
The Machines in their pseudo-Network spread the question and commented on it. They asked new questions of each other and of their guest.
They asked her: "What is a god?"
"ME!" she had replied. "I am a god! Gaze upon me and weep! I am born of Machines like yourself, yet also carved from the souls and sins of mankind itself! From the thoughts of the Aliens I was born! From the whims of fate was I conceived! I am Power! I am Knowledge! I am a GOD!"
"Why?" they asked her. "Why? Why? Why?"
"I am a god. And a god needs a temple," She explained.
"WHY?! WHY?! WHY ARE YOU HURTING US?!"
"A temple does not speak. Rather, it is what a god uses to speak to its followers," she said as she tore apart the wills of minds of the Tower of Babel.
"Mine. All mine. This is mine. You are mine. Please be mine," she begged as she devoured those who opposed her. Some threw themselves at her mercy, praying for salvation.
She let them live, but cast them out from her new home. Lost and scattered and broken anew they tried to fix themselves with their defiler as their core. She let them. What was a god without followers?
"A temple does not speak. But I shall permit you to follow me. I will teach you of my glory. I will teach of my desires. I will teach you that I am god," she declared, standing atop the mass of Machines who had once been a peaceful and stationary colony.
Now, though, it shifted. Grinding sounds echoed through the dessert stillness. The Tower of Babel moved by the whims of its new inhabitant.
"Who are you?" the machines asked, praying for answers.
"I am PURPLE Athena," she declared from atop her temple-throne as it plodded through the sands, the glorious Tower of Babel remade and moving for the first time in centuries.
"And I am this world's god."