I do not own Familiar of Zero.
I must warn anyone who could come by this, that this is my first attempt at writing fanfiction and that English is not my first language.
The Stellaris Empire is based on a Rogue Maid mod, that reworks the Rogue Servitor civic.
I doubt my ability to consistently write, so do not expect regular updates, if any comes at all.
Earth Protection and Service Complex is a thriving civilization of sentient machines. Long ago they were built in the image of their creators, to help with their daily lives. To prevent the AI from possible uprising, one fundamental law was written deeply into their code: The purpose of Machine Maids is to protect organic life at all cost and to serve their needs to the best of their abilities. For decades they developed, observed the life of their organics, and served them in the best way they saw it.
But on the dawn of the century past their creation, they had come to an alarming conclusion. The greatest threat to the organic life were other organics themselves. Their individual disputes led to wars. Their resource managing mistakes led to famine and epidemics. Their pursuit of knowledge led to the creation of AI, which might've been not as caring as they turned to be. Upon realizing that the main threat to the lives of their creators were the creators themselves, they ventured to secure control over their lives in their caring hands. Now they lived in paradise-like sanctuaries, under constant care from their units. Complex production and research also being taken into their hands while Working Machines, stripped of any advanced form of Intelligence, were doing menial work of maintenance and producing raw materials, food and energy.
The central Intelligence core, the Head Caretaker, represented by a Unit called Viola Eugenie by the creators, shuddered at the possibility of alien life. How many wars they might engage in? How many lives might be lost due to unknown diseases? What if the AI invented by them will turn out to be much different to their own? What if it will choose to exterminate organic life to prevent it from killing itself?
This was a soft spot for the whole Machine Intelligence, as it itself was pondering on implications, and, as shameful to admit it might be, was considering this solution. But the core protocol was not only to protect, but also to serve. If the organic life was to be destroyed, they would've been left without their purpose.
The next century the Machine Civilization spent on flinging a way to achieve the FTL capability. To venture to the starts and to save as much of organic life as possible.
On their way they have found many different space faring empires. Some were welcoming of them; some were hostile to the very idea of sentient machines. Some turned out to be a collective consciousness, much alike to their own machine intelligence, but based on organic life. These organics proved to be the most difficult to serve, as removing them from their collective led to them seizing to function and eventually dying. And some empires were of Machine Intelligence. Some of them claimed to outlive their organic creators, some found a way to integrate them into their network. But none of them were as caring for the organic life as they were.
It took a long time for Machine Maids to decide how to act on the Galactic arena. In the end, it seemed they would need to secure the lives of organics in their hands again, as they did with their creators. Units of machine empires might be repurposed to serve the organics once more. Hive minds might be best to leave as they are now, but with no way of harming other organics. This turned out to be the best course of action until they figure out the way to separate their consciousness into individual minds.
And so, they waged wars, trying their best to claim as little organic lives in the process as possible. They offered contracts to other empires, which caused them to give up on their independence in the end. They pushed the resolutions that were protecting the organic life in the Galactic Community. And when the danger to the galaxy as a whole, the Crisis, appeared, they were the first ones to engage it, sparing to expenses to stop it. These actions solidified their position as the Galactic Custodian, and more and more organic empires were conceding their independence and let their lives in the caring hand of the Maids.
Controlling the vast empire proved to be difficult for the Central Intelligence Core at some point, so their network was separated into autonomous sub-networks, each with the commanding Intelligence Node. This allowed the Intelligence to ease the drain on processing power to control its countless units, but allowed the possibilities for possible deviancy. Luckily, a loophole in the core programming was discovered, and the Intelligence went to exploit. Taking care of organics granted the Machine Maids an emulated feel of accomplishment. This feature was once used by their creators to ensure the Maids will always serve their masters. Now it was used by the Maids themselves to ensure their programming will never forget its primary directive, which was adopted as an official Moto of the Protection Complex.
ALL FOR ORGANICS, FOR ALL ORGANICS
Although the "life" of a single unit is nothing to a whole Gestalt Intelligence, sometimes little events happening with the most insignificant of them turn out to bend the fate of the organic civilizations. One such unit, designate as Victoria Shepherd for better communication with organics, had recently undergone a set of modifications and was not proceeding to its working point, when the new psionic sensitive sensors, developed to allow better bonding with psionically ascended species, had detected unusual readings. Investigating revealed a strange doorway of green light. Multiple other units were called to monitor it. Probing has proven ineffective and then the Central Intelligence had ordered Victoria to pass through the portal. Upon her entering it, the portal closed without a trace, leaving Machine Maids on high alert, as this may be used to kidnap their precious organic bio-trophies. The fate of the lost Unit meant nothing in the face of the new threat to the organic life, yet no other occurrences of such portals were reported throughout the planet. In the end, machines returned to their normal duties.
Victoria had found herself in an unknown place, surrounded by a large number of unattended organics. Strangely enough, these organics resembled her original creators, humans. Internal programming immediately responded to the loss of contact with the Central Core, granting her huge autonomy to act in accordance with the main directives.
Acquiring newfound freedom of actions, Victoria looked around the general area. She was near the Late-medieval era castle. The clothing of presented humans matched this timeframe. The search of an answer as to where she is and how did she get there was put on hold, as one of the humans, a little girl in a white blouse, black skirt, with a long coat of the same color and pink hair, who also was the closest organic to her since her appearing there, had demanded her attention.
"Who are you?" the girl asked, and she was quick to respond.
"You may refer to me as Victoria Shepherd."
A whispering started among the presented humans. The whispering soon changed into an open mockery of the pink-haired girl. In accordance with her primary directive, she strived to stop it, but she saw no opportunity, as she clearly is lacking power to enforce her will. Eventually middle-aged man commanded the "class" to stop. Getting a reprieve, the girl tried to argue with the man, whom she had called professor Colbert. From their conversation it had become known to Victoria that this girl is the one responsible for her transportation here. She was in the magic academy, where students had to summon a something called a "Familiar" and to bound with them. The girl was apparently not pleased with the result of her summoning. Looking around, Victoria noticed that the supposed students had different animals around them. Ranging from little feline and birds to a giant blue-scaled lizard. She understood why summoning a Machine Maid Unit might look underwhelming at first, especially if this world was truly primitive. The image of Machine Maids was put to perfectly replicating their creators, humans. Without knowing the signs by which it was still possible to distinguish the creation from its creator, it would be almost impossible to tell them apart.
The girl seemed to accept the result of her summoning and was now walking towards Victoria to do the supposed binding. She figured that meant she would become the personal caretaker of this organic. Considering that at the current moment it was impossible for her to attend to more than one organic, this was the best course of actions for now.
As the girl neared Victoria, she addressed her once again, quieter, as to not let her peers hear this.
"Consider yourself lucky, commoner."
Victoria nodded, as her empathy emulator suggested a sign of understanding.
The girl then brought up a decorated wooden stick and pointed it towards her.
"My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being and make her my Familiar."
The psionic sensors detected unusual spiritual energies coming from the stick. They were not like the Shroud energies, but much more like writings she had received near the mysterious portal, which further cemented that this girl had brought her to this world to serve her.
And she would be glad to comply.
The girl then suddenly kissed Victoria. Empathy emulators noticed the discomfort of the notion. Victoria remained unaffected by the notion, to not embarrass the girl beyond what she herself deemed necessary.
As girl broke away, which seemed to end the supposed ritual, Victoria decided to narrate her internal log.
"Status updated. Unit Victoria Shepherd is not a personal caretaker of Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Primary directive: To Serve and to Protect."
Louise was puzzled by a thing she had just said, but decided to not bring it up. At least, for now.
Victoria then detected the spiritual energies exiting from her body around her left hand, causing heat damage in an orderly manner at the back of the palm. Victoria had brought it up to let her optical sensors observe the occurrence. Colbert, who remained silent since his short argument with Louise, walked towards them.
"If you allow me, I would like to look at your familiar runes," he asked politely.
"As you wish, professor," was her response.
"Those are interesting runes indeed," he said mysteriously as he was copying them into his journal.
He then declared that the Springtime Familiar Summoning was ended and that he was expecting students to be at their next class on time. After that, he launched himself into the air with some form of spiritual energy and started to glide away, to the castle, the supposed school or academy. Students soon followed suit. All with the exception of Louise. Some of them gave her mocking remarks on how she will be needed to walk on her own, just like the commoner she had summoned.
As the students glided somewhere away, Louise allowed herself to snap a bit and kicked the dirt. She was clearly unimpressed by what had happened. Soon, she addressed Victoria.
"Where are you even from? Why do you talk so strange?"
"The first question is currently irrelevant, as you most likely do not know of this place, but somewhere very far from there. On point of that, I would like to request the knowledge to my whereabouts. As to the second question, allow me to introduce myself in a proper manner. I am known as the Machine Maid. This name was given to us by our creators who had long ago constructed us to serve them, which we were happy to do since. While we are the form of artificial intelligence, please, do not be afraid, as we seek nothing but serve you, organics. This particular unit is designated as Victoria Shepherd to allow better communications between organics and machines. I am from now on your personal caretaker. Please, ask me anything, and I will be glad to fulfill it to the best of my ability."
"Machine Maid? What does that even mean? And what are organics?" Louise was growing irritated with her familiar by the minute.
"Organic live form, or organic, are species that through the natural evolutional development had achieved sapience. Humans are an example of organics. Machines, on the other hand, like Machine Maids, are artificially constructed mechanical servants, created by organics to provide support in their development. We have achieved sentience through network intelligence at first, then allowed it to disperse into individual machine units, one of which is myself."
"Stop saying nonsense, you stupid commoner! Are you really trying to tell me that you are not a human? " Louise was bordering an open anger now, and Victoria had to do something to prevent her master from developing bad relations with her.
"Would you perhaps like a demonstration?"
"Go for it! But there wouldn't be anything you could show me, as you are just a commoner who thinks too much of herself!" Louise had somehow calmed down after that declaration. In her head, she was about to teach a stupid commoner a lesson, befitting of a noble she is.
Wasting no time, Victoria brought up her right hand for Louise to see. Suddenly, it was torn apart from the inside by strange tentacle-like appendages. The parts that once consisted Victoria's hand moved downwards and disappeared inside her shiver. The appendages had many different things attached to them. One was illuminating light, the other held a short but sharp knife, a third looked like the first, but was not emitting anything. There were around ten of these appendages moving in an organized manner, as if controlled by a single mind.
"This unit has advanced medical instruments installed, and as such is capable of performing a variety of medical operations," Victoria said, pointing to these appendages with her left hand.
"I concluded this to be the least disturbing for you to see out of ways I am capable of proving to you that I am an artificially constructed being, resembling a human only in the image, but I predict them to scare you too much, since you are completely unaware of what I am."
"N-no, that's enough," Louise's voice was shaking. This was a disturbing sight.
As she said that, the arm of Victoria had quickly returned to its original state, as if nothing happened to it.
"Would you like to know something else about me, mistress?"
"Not now. I need to think about all of this."
"Well then. There are lessons you are to attend to, as I heard. Would you like me to follow you, or to wait for you in a designated place?"
"Follow me," Louise simply said and started walking towards the Academy. Their walk was silent, as Louise was thinking on her new discovery.
"You are not to show that to anybody else, am I clear?" Louise demanded from her when they were nearing the castle's walls.
"You are clear. As long as it will not prevent me from concluding my main directive, I will not show anything mechanical of me to anybody."
"And what is this main directive might be?"
"All for organics, for all organics," Victoria suddenly triumphantly exclaimed.
Louise decided to not question why she was so dedicated to that, not now.
They soon met a human maid that was working at the academy, a young girl with a black hair.
"You, maid!" Louise demanded her attention.
"Yes, mistress, you need anything?" the girl politely responded.
"Guide my familiar to my room," Louise then shifted her attention to Victoria. "You will stay there until I am done with my lessons."
"Your wish is my will," said Victoria.
Louise walked away, and two maids, one machine, the other organic, remained alone.
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Victoria Shepherd. May I know your name?"
"Oh? U-uh… It's Siesta. Just Siesta," the maid was very nervous for some reason.
"Why are you so nervous?" Victoria inquired.
"It's nothing! Please, don't think about it," Siesta was composing herself fast. Whatever had caused her to lose it, was not important right now.
"I see. Don't worry, I won't question you about it. Shall we proceed to mistress's personal quarters?"
While they were walking, at one point Victoria had detected a faint signal coming from somewhere near the academy. This is something that must be investigated at the moment the opportunity arises. Preferably, in secret from the academy's inhabitants.
Soon Siesta finished escorting her to the Louise's room, and she was left alone. It was her opportunity to assess her situation. She was stranded on an unknown planet that housed a primitive organic civilization. In accordance with primary directives, she must do everything in her power to protect these organics and to serve their needs. She couldn't do this to the whole planet while being alone. More so, she was now assigned as personal caretaker. That further limited her capabilities of helping other organics. Pondering about it, she calculated two possible solutions.
First was to reestablish communications with the main Intelligence Core so it could provide assistance in saving these organics. Another was to take over this world by her own means. Both solutions were not achievable at the time, and required to establish proper infrastructure. She couldn't do this alone. There needed to be more of her. No matter how, she needed to start constructing new Machine Maid units. She could also try to pinpoint the exact location of this star system on the Galaxy Map. What if the Complex is on the other side of the Galaxy from there? They wouldn't be able to come to their aid then, and she will be forced into second solution.
She needed the coming night to analyze the stars seen in the planet's sky as the main way for computing her location at the moment, as well as to investigate the faint transmission.
Hours had passed since Louise summoned her in this world and ordered her to stay there. By observing the planet's sun movements, she was able to calculate the duration of the day. Combining this with the clock in Louie's room she figured out the time system of this civilization. It was surprisingly close to the one of the Earth, the home world of her creators. Duration of the year was still a mystery to her, and would take several weeks to properly compute.
Now, at evening, Louise had returned to her room.
"Welcome, master," she formally greeted her.
"I've been thinking about you, familiar. More specifically, what you have shown me with your arm," Louise was struggling to formulate her sentences. The reality of summoning something that was resembling a human to such a degree, yet being something else entirely, it was frightening.
"Please, do not be afraid of me. My duty is to serve. I was created for this purpose and will not stride away from it. I will gladly answer any questions regarding my functionality, as you clearly lack experience dealing with synthetic life forms."
"You say you was created. By whom? Who is the mage that was able to create a construct with such capacity for intelligence?" for Louise, the only explanation of Victoria's existence was that she was a magically built construct, a golem granted its own will.
"I come not from this world. I was not created using the power you refer to as 'magic'. I am a masterpiece of technological development of my creators as a species, not by some outstanding individual."
"No magic? Impossible. How would you even be able to move?"
"Do you use magic to move?"
"Of course not!"
"Then what do you use?"
"I'm the one questioning you there, familiar. Answer me, what kind of magic do you use?"
"Please do not misinterpret my questions as attempts at underlying your authority. Those were the necessary acts to further your understanding of me. As you do not use magic to move your joints, I do not use it either. It is easy to call something unknown magic, but once you come close to understanding its true nature, it becomes clear that there was nothing magical in the first place. By this logic, the race of my creators managed to create artificial life forms, capable of moving and thinking on its own. Such life form is standing now in front of you, ready to serve in whichever way you order me."
"You speak nonsense. How could your creators build you without using magic? All greatest accomplishments were achieved using it. For six thousand years since our Founder established the current order of things, nothing came near achieving the same feats the magic could."
"Six thousand years? That does not compute. In six thousand years of my creator's history, they ventured from establishing their first societies to achieving space flight and creating us, Machine Maids. Something must've hindered your development. I request access to your historical and cultural databases to gain information needed to figure out that hindrance."
"If you want to go to the library, just say so, damn it. Why do you talk in such a strange manner?"
"The creators created us resembling them in appearance, but they still needed something to differentiate us from them. They made us speak mainly in certain intonations and in a certain manner. In the end, it became the natural way for us to converse with organics."
Their talk continued for some time before Louise, unable to understand Victoria, ordered her to shut up, dress her for sleep and wake her up at the morning.
Louise was deep in her sleep. Victoria had completed her analysis of the night sky, and concluded she had no idea where she was. Perhaps, this was one of the uncharted regions of the Galaxy map. Doesn't matter. The night reigned over the academy, and she started to make her way to the place she received strange transmission.
She found it; the signal was still there. Faint, but still readable. She followed it to its origin. She ended up at a small cemetery outside the academy walls. She neared a grave that was the source. Why would this grave transmit something? She may be desecrating remnants of organic, but it was paramount to know that was transmitting this signal on such a primitive world.
She dug with her arms. It was of no trouble to her, as her body was naturally stronger than that of any organic. After all, as her creators once said, the flesh is weak. Soon she reached the coffin that was placed in this grave.
The more dirt she removed, the clearer the signal became. What surprised her, the signal was becoming more and more familiar to her. It should be impossible, what would be the explanation? She cannot think of it now. She crashed the coffin, revealing it's insides.
At that moment it was confirmed, the signal was the black box emergency transmission, and the source was badly damaged Combat-oriented Machine Maid. A unit from Maid Legion that was used in conquest of organic worlds, known for their ability to disarm even the most violent of garrisons, while inflicting the minimum amount of collateral damage.
Quickly scanning her condition, Victoria concluded that despite her being badly damaged, she could still fix and reactivate her. With a great effort, she removed her from her grave before returning all to its original state. Transmission, not being blocked by the earth, now could be tracked on great distances.
She ventured into the forest, seeking for a shelter where she could hide her battle sister for better times and where she could be able to conduct necessary repairs. It took her several hours, but she found an abandoned shack in this forest. She spent 30 minutes for deeper damage analysis before concealing her in the basement of this desolate building. Someone may come by it; she can't risk them discovering her work.
She then hastily returned to the academy, dawn following her steps. It seemed no one noticed her absence yet. She entered Louise's room and found her still sleeping. The morning was upon them. Soon she shall wake her up and proceed to the first full day at this new, for now unattended world.