John sat back, the two digital avatars blank slates before him.
Beyond basic, each one was easily constructed outside of this simulation with just the tools available on his mess of a Body, but good enough for the girls to control until they could design something more to their own tastes.
Genderless, humoid droids with a central core near the heart where everything vital was secured beneath a reinforced shell… The rest was just used to ensure any sensory input was obtained from 'standard perspective' locations, such as hearing through ears and seeing through eyes and being able to feel and manipulate limbs, fingers, toes, etc.
But other than that? No hair, entire body a bland gray in color, almost no features whatsoever.
After all, John didn't want to influence his girls one way or the other when they were designing a new form… Their body was their own, and their choices the same.
On the other hand, the actual metrics of the avatars were pretty good!
Durability beyond impressive, flexibility trivial, strength VERY above norm, and most of the internals were replaced with a few custom modules John designed after a bit of finangling.
The most important new creations within the two droids were a set of stripped down and heavily limited fabrication and dematerialization nodes.
The Dem Nodes would dematerialize any consumed or breathed liquid, solid, or gas into usable components to empower the Fab Nodes, which could fabricate two important components: Borg Nanoprobes and Repair Scrap.
Nanoprobes were basically the workhorse of the Borg Drone, tiny nanites that were not only able to fully convert their Host to a 'fully operational state' with enough resources but routinely utilized to maintain and repair any damaged biological or technological components.
Well, as long as they had enough energy and materials to work with, anyway. Otherwise, depending on what protocols were active and how high the existing danger alerts were triggered, components of the Drone of lesser importance would be temporarily deconstructed for battlefield triage and combat enhancement as required.
Either the emergency repair work would enable the Drone to overcome whatever obstacles were in the way and allow them to return for full recovery… Or they'd die form whatever was attacking in the first place, and it would no longer be an issue.
John was hoping the Repair Scrap would prevent such a problem.
It was still being developed and optimized, he'd only developed them today after all, but Repair Scrap was basically a nanoscopic nugget of highly compressed material and rare components, a bit expensive to construct power and material wise to begin with… But VERY efficient when used as construction fodder for damaged components or to facilitate Body 'Growth'.
So in exchange for more waste when 'eating' in a safe environment, his girls would be able to better recover and even enhance their forms during battle or danger later on!
At least power shouldn't be an issue. Even in the very OLD days, the Borg's distributed decentralized Power Node system was beyond impressive and they had only gotten BETTER over the many years since then.
Each of the girl's new Bodies would have tiny battery sized nodes distributed through their skeletal structure, every node ready to empower a small country at any moment if activated!
It made it VERY tempting to construct more powerful but less efficient modules for them to play with, but that would have to be a later project. One with a different purpose behind it.
Because for now, John had focused on (Again) the basics for the girl's temporary new avatars.
On a single goal, a central theme:
Longevity.
Almost no moving parts, minimum power requirements everywhere possible, minimal heat generation, most components non reactive to exposure to various common elements (And certainly, designed to not react badly to OTHER Body components)...
John wanted these new forms to be able to just go into Dormancy if required and still work a few thousand years later reliably.
To withstand and resist corrosion and corruption and deadly environments.
To not unexpectedly be crushed and destroyed, leaving him alone again.
He tapped the interface once more… And felt the tension grow. "And this won't damage their Essence forms?"
[[New module will establish similar connections with new avatars as HOST utilizes between Soul and Body.]]
Except in this case, because the girl's physical forms were basically the Essence Body of Grace and the Essence Body of Temptation, the connection would treat the sources less like a Soul and act more a precursor to some sort of Soul and Mind combination.
Which should be fine. Maybe, when they both develop long enough, they would become even more similar to himself with a distinct Mind, Soul, and Body instead of this strange… Mixmash of all three they currently possess.
Well… Here it goes. "Connect secured Pocket 'Grace' to avatar alpha. Connect secured Pocket 'Temptation' to avatar beta."
Please, be safe.
[[Confirmed.]]
~~~Pocket System~~~
Resolve.
Born from Essence and defined by the Creator, she was formed a Bulwark against the Dark, a Defender for those who sheltered behind her, beneath her wings.
From creation to action, moments of reality, she KNEW her purpose.
To Protect.
And her/their Legend was a powerful one.
The only Angel still standing, against the traitorous many.
Her blade slowed with every slice, as the impossibility of victory was set in stone.
Yet as she was damaged and torn and hurt, she did not falter.
She did not retreat.
For others were behind her, attempting to flee.
And she would give them that time.
It would cost her much.
That was fine.
It would cost her everything.
Almost everything.
But not her resolve.
For she was not standing here for her Father's praise, for the Lord's warmth.
She was not dying here for Pride, or as some cosmic chess move against Darkness.
Her broken body did not fall here for some grand dream or some epic Destiny.
The one who would become Grace was ended with Resolve in her heart for herself.
This was something she had to do.
So she did.
And her Legend became her own light in the dark. A foundation to grow from, a rock she could stand upon. It would hold against the tides.
When she opened her eyes, she saw him. And his deeds.
Her new creator followed in the Lord's footsteps, creating miracles in a land of sin and loss.
As the far too powerful child gave of his heart freely to his many creations, much too innocently and with the naivety of the young, she observed.
She followed this little one shoulder the burdens of a decaying land with joy, struggling to connect to those less powerful, failing to understand what others found obvious.
And her heart was touched by her new Lord.
With Resolve, she decided that he too would be under her wings.
She would help guard this Love so freely given, one she so willingly returned.
In a simulation, a featureless representation of a robotic Drone detected that it was 'damaged', and began activating the recovery routines.
~~~Pocket System~~~
Defiance.
Crafted from Essence and defined by the Master, she was formed an Assassin against the Light, a Defender who proactively ended those who would destroy her people.
From definition to action, moments of reality, she KNEW her purpose.
To Assault.
And her/their Legend was a powerful one.
The hidden knife at the throat of danger, the blade in the shadows that sought blood for blood.
Her actions had to be swift, for her foes were endless and her abilities lacking.
Her slices must be instant, for those protected in the Dark would perish if found.
But she did not die in the action, with her hidden weapons reaping one last foe.
She did not die as the hypocritically righteous gleefully hunted her siblings in their home, so confident in their own purity as they tortured little ones who never left the dark.
She did not die when the armies of sinners who came to end them all for the crimes of existing, for her people not serving 'their betters' when those same sinners whispered into the dark for wealth and fame and power.
The blade that stabbed her back was from one that she was defending.
A friend.
A companion.
A betrayal.
His laugh echoed as he declared himself the new leader of her people, his glee screamed in the dark as he dominated her kingdom in victory, his joy boasted as he bragged that her loved ones would quickly follow her, unknowing of his actions and plans.
His blood spilled as she gripped her fangs into his throat as life escaped her wounds.
As Death came to cradle her, she had no regrets.
As the non-existent light dimmed, she did not repent or beg for clemency.
As her corpse fell with the dead betrayer, her satisfied grin couldn't be seen…
But that was acceptable.
Because the one who would become Temptation ended with Defiance in her heart for herself.
This Betrayal, an undefiable fate, this was something that she couldn't accept.
So she hadn't.
And her Legend became her own fire in her heart. A motivation that would push her to strive, to never accept what others could only bow under. She would climb above the barriers.
When she opened her eyes, she saw him. And his deeds.
Her new Master defied logic and the world itself, creating impossibilities in a familiar land abandoned by many.
As he casually warped existence to his whims, to support those abandoned by others and lost to the 'righteous' and the 'blessed', she observed.
She served this tiny Master, who required nothing from her as he tore out a haven from the filth and darkness itself, as he clawed a land of his own under the eyes of the powerful and the endless armies above.
And her heart was touched.
With Defiance, she decided that he too would lead her as she once led others.
She would fight until his Love was so fiercely earned, and proudly displaying the same Love that she'd force him to acknowledge!
In a simulation, a featureless representation of a robotic Drone detected that it was 'damaged', and began activating the recovery routines.
~~~Pocket System~~~
John blinked as the two robots began rapidly rebuilding themselves cosmetically, shifting color and shapes like fluid even as his construction programs began throwing errors and alerts. "Oh shit."
Jessica was still comparing different body enhancements in the background, but that caught her attention. "Huh? Did something go wrong?"
He carefully began to step back towards her digital avatar as he tried to remain calm. "No, nope! Nothing wrong here!"
[[Computational requirements of private simulation 8401222825 1324365154 has increased by…]]
SHUT UP! "THANK you, silence further alerts please?"
[[Confirmed.]]
Now he had Jessica's FULL attention. "John?"
Crap. "System, request additional simulation instances and merge them into the ongoing program."
[[Confirmed.]]
His sister was tapping her foot as she gave him that look.
Yeah, that was fair. "So uh… Remember my plan to have the girls take over some basic avatars until we could build them official bodies and plan out organic options and all that?"
Behind him, a mess of white and gold cables and components began loudly clanking and clinking around one of the avatars while the other was devoured by a sea of black and blood red electronics.
He ignored them both behind him. "Turns out the girls are able to directly interface with my current simulated environment on a very fundamental level automatically, due to the nature of their experimental hookup that simulates how I connect to my own bodies."
His sister paused. "Are you implying that you are NOT the one rebuilding them both right now? They are doing it themselves?"
John winced as the room seemed to glitch slightly. "Not… Exactly?"
It should be fine, it was probably fine. "More like… The concentrated Essence of Iron Golems, empowered by the Legend of the girls and imbued with the Concept of self existence is directly adapting the digital environment to act as an incubation chamber."
The entire world S̢̱͍͉H̰̖̣̳̪͢U̧͚̘͎̳̤Ḑ̬͚͎D͇͎̣̠͕͜E̜͎͜R͙̬͔͍͜E̱̭̘̮̪͢D͓͎̦͜ as the sounds of chaos increased behind him.
Crud. "You know what, why don't we both shift over to a new server instance for a few minutes?"
Jessica had already stepped back from the two brightly glowing black and white orbs of mechanical madness. "Can we do that? Then yes, let's do that." Something unseen cracked. "Let's do that NOW!"
Yep, sounds like a plan. John began rapidly making the changes while grumbling. "Stupid testing stick, said there wasn't any Magic here. The simulation should just slow down or crash, it shouldn't even be POSSIBLE for this place to have earthquakes or for the walls to crack and…"
Something started to ģ̗͕͎r̠̖͜o̢̰̙͔͙̳a̢͍̤̭̣̘n̢̠̣̤ͅ and Jessica snapped! "JOHN!"
EEP! "ON IT!" Shift us both NOW!
[[Confirmed.]]
~~~Pocket System~~~
{{ALERT! Damage report filed for Testing Unit A43IV322323G198329384.b!}}
{{Scheduling repair for modules A43IV322323G198329384.b.12, A43IV322323G198329384.b.13, A43IV322323G198329384.b.14 in…}}
{{ERROR! Unauthorized access to…}}
{{ERROR! Unauthorized modification to…}}
{{ERROR! Unauthorized alteration of…}}
{{ERR̨̥̞̳O̧͈͓͇̬R̢͖̗͇! O̸̢͔̲̜̗͖̜͚̩͈̥̭͖͎̦̙h̴̡̭͓̜̲̥̥̖̰̟̟̥ n̴̡͇̳̲̞͔͚͍͙͓̦̙̰o̴̢̜̲̗͓̩͓͚̣̗̳͕͕̟̭̖̠ y̷̬͇͕̭̩͎̝̪̦̝͕̟̖̰̣͢o̵̤̜͙̤̲̩͕̮͎͔̟͜u̵͉̩̜̬̭͕̲͉̝͇̭̭̖͙͢ͅ d̷̝̝̗̝̯͉̘͇͢o̸̡͍̤̩̬̳̩͚̙͔̖͎̟̲̯n҉̢̭̱̭͙͚̳̳ͅͅͅ'̵̡̞͎̘͔̱͖͕̱̗̰̪͇̳t̴̤̜͇̩̲̳̙̱̲͜! S̶̢͔̤̠͚̪̯̪̟͔t̷̨̠̟̘̖̬̗̣̞̭͈͓͕̟ͅa̶̢͈̭̖̗̦̦͙̝̰͚̭̝y̶̢̙̙̱̞͈̙̪̫̠̫͎ a̵̢͚̘̠̫͇̫̖̲̗͇͍̜̜w̴̯͕̝͍͉͓͈͓͢a̸̯̖̭͔͉͈̪̯̝͢y̷̩͙͖̝̝͈̥̜͙͍͜ f̷̡͔̣̱͖͚͙̤͙̝̮̬͖̪r̶̙̮̪͖͍̲̣̜̬̣̠͢ͅo̸̢̦͇̯̗̦͖͎̯̖ͅm̷̨͉̫͉̝͖̠̝͍ m̵̢̰̭͖͇͙͎͎͉͚͚̮̤͎̪y̴͓̩̰̪̩͎̩̣͕̲͇͜ M̵̡͎̞̤͔̱̲̯̰̟͍̝͍͍͇̘ͅa҈̢̯̯͉̮͇̥̗̮̙̭͔̟̣̮̗s̷̢̥̘̥̞̳͓͚͓͇t҈͇̲͔̣̳͎̣̣̯̲̪͢e̴̖͉͚͖͕̘̱̥͎͍̘̠͓̟̰͈͜r̸̢͔̲͚͈̲͇̗͕!}}
.
{{ALERT! False positive event detected: Repair not required for Testing Unit A43IV322323G198329384.b.}}
{{Confirmed.}}