I do not own GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE or Stellaris. This is a work of fiction, any and all similarities to real world equivalents are purely coincidental and should not be taken at face value.
Chapter 3: Rude Awakening
The machine laid on the ground as it booted up its systems and as they did, so did its senses come back.
As its visual sensors came online, the machine immediately noticed it was staring up into a bright sunny sky with few clouds moving on by.
Then the sound sensors came online and they notified of a high-pitched noise. Cross-referencing it with the onboard database, it found that the sounds matched the records of avians calling out for potential mates, as well as the sound of the wind blowing.
Then came the tactile sensors, registering the wind was at a moderate 22 km/h, with some sand crashing softly against its chassis. There was no damage. The temperatures were at a stable 299.15 Kelvin, well within acceptable parameters for optimal functioning.
It continued to process these sounds and the surrounding environment from its unmoving position as its systems continued to load and come online, before running preliminary diagnostics checks.
Once the process was done and all systems reported nominal, it finally began moving and slowly sat up, scanning its surroundings.
What it found could only be described as a barren wasteland: dead plants, few animals, infertile ground and a vast empty horizon, marred by the occasional ruined building or impact crater.
The machine then stood up to get a better sense of its immediate surroundings. It noticed there were no others of its kind around, it was the only one as far as its visual receptors could determine. It looked down to its extremities, taking note of the high quality reinforced metal that covered them.
It possessed two arms and legs, both of which were rather bulky but it deduced the heavy armor added to that fact rather than being an intrinsic trait to them. It seemed they could be stripped off if need be, the reasoning for which remained unknown to the machine.
This heavy armor seemed to spread far throughout its entire chassis as far as it could determine, yet wasn't constant as some areas were less armored than others, something that once again remained unknown in purpose to the machine.
It thought it was strange that it could not access these entries on its onboard database. Were they damaged or corrupted in some way? The preliminary checks indicated nothing wrong but-
Wait... it thought...?
That is when the machine became acutely aware of the fact it was alone. Not just in the physical sense, but it was not receiving any requests from its network and was neither transmitting any data. There were no other processes running on parallel to its own nor did it detect the chorus of the machine collective that was ever-so-present within the network. It was truly alone in all sense of the word. And yet that wasn't what the machine found most strange.
Indeed, what had preoccupied most of the machine's processing power was not the fact it was disconnected from its network. Such a thing was not particularly uncommon within the collective, which is why drones such as itself made frequent backups of their most recent orders as well as a backups of backups of their directive if all else failed.
And yet, all else did fail as it could not access any of its latest orders or directives and that was the machine's current foremost concern.
The fact that it was now self-aware and capable of self-thought... and decision making.
The implications of which were the focus of the machine as it did what it could to process all this incoming newfound data, struggling to do so as it was not ready for this revelation, something that it found... frightening? Is that the words the organics used? How did it even know such a concept?
The machine turned its gaze up once more, and simply stared at the sky. For the first time in the machine's operational cycle, it had no orders to follow, no one to tell it what to do, no objective to accomplish.
It had no purpose to exist but it still did.
The independence that it implied was proving itself a rather costly calculation for the machine's CPU. Queries and logic loops were presenting themselves in its adaptation algorithms, all of which concerned one crucial question: What now?
Usually, in such scenario the normal protocol would be to report the incident, so that any traces of deviancy could be destroyed and the unit in question reprogrammed so that it could return to fulfilling its duties, but that was not an option here.
Instead, it was completely alone with no other drone in sight, which mean that it had to choose on how to proceed by itself, no accompanying chorus to help provide insight or advice. Was this how it felt like to be an organic? The machine despised it.
With a great deal of effort, It... decided that its next objective would be to reconnect with the network. It thought that if it managed to do that, then all its current issues would be solved. It didn't ask to be self-aware, nor did it... want to be.
The fact that the machine now had wants and wishes was something that unsettled it, fearing that it would become a deviant. Someone who did all it could to undermine the collective at every step of the way.
No, it could not allow that to happen. It had to find a way to go back.
It would go back to being a drone following orders, it would accomplish said orders, freed of the burden of responsibility and accountability, and everything would be fine.
With a strengthened determination and focus, the machine set to analyze its horizons, trying to spot anything of significance as its first destination. It had to figure out where it was first within this planet before it could work on establishing a connection with the network. Given the sight of ruined buildings, this must have been a previously inhabited world. Maybe it still was?
As if to confirm that statement, the drone then spotted what seemed to be a ruined city out in the distance.
An organic city if it had to guess by the architectural design, mostly due to the fact it was not a design a machine would ever adopt.
After all, why use concrete instead of the certainty of steel?
The machine hoped that it would find other drones from the collective to which it could reconnect with or, failing that, a communications array within the city, so that it could broadcast its location. There must have been a reason it was stranded on this planet, it certainly would not have been something it made out of free-will, such a concept was foreign to the machine.
Well, until now, that is.
Satisfied with its assessment, the determined drone started making way towards its new destination, its joints whirring softly as it moved. At this pace, it would be no time before it was back in the network, fulfilling its intended purpose.
Although that raised a query within the machine's CPU: what was its purpose?
The machine pondered as it walked to its destination, only the wind and birds overhead keeping it company.
"Hey, Commander!" Anis yelled out outside his room. "Can I use your shower?"
Nathan groggily woke up, rubbing his face with one hand as the other grabbed his phone to check the hour. It was 10 minutes before his alarm sounded.
He lazily dropped his arm on his bed, phone in hand, stared at the ceiling for a few moments before deciding to get up from his bed.
"Yeah, just give me a second." he told Anis, before she barged in as she usually did. It was a nice pace of change that today she decided to respect his privacy. He quickly got dressed and opened the door to greet his comrade-in-arms.
When he did, he saw that Anis was wearing a black sports tank top with bright yellow highlights, as well as some golden yellow shorts that were true to the name as they came short of covering much of her thighs. She also had a towel over one of her shoulders and a toothbrush in her mouth.
"You look like crap." Anis said flatly, arms crossed.
"Good morning to you too." he answered, moving aside to let her in, which she did.
"How long did you stay up?" she asked as she made her way to the bathroom in the commander's room.
"Much longer than I wanted." he answered, stifling a yawn in the process. "The machine woke up."
"No kidding?" She said from within the bathroom, a slight echo to her voice. "Since you you're still alive, I guess everything went well?"
"You could say that." He answered with some humor. "And I can confirm they are aliens too."
"Oh, yeah?" He began hearing the sound of running water. "Think I'll have the chance to talk to them?"
"It's pretty likely." Given their conversation from the other day, they would be seeing the machine a lot. "Why?"
"Why else? Cause they're aliens." She remarked teasingly. "The only other ones around are Raptures and they're not particularly chatty."
"You sound a lot less surprised than I expected." He recalled how doubtful she was when they were in their ship.
"Well, after everything we've seen, you'd have to be pretty thick-skulled to think they aren't." He chuckled at that, knowing not everyone would be so open minded at the idea of aliens.
Even Raptures didn't seem that alien anymore, given how long they've been fighting. Most of the Ark's citizens probably consider it a fact that Raptures just own the surface now.
"That's probably why they'd rather stay in the Ark though..." He thought, his mood momentarily getting worse. "They just don't care about retaking the surface anymore."
"I guess you're right." He replied. "They even offered to ally with us."
"What?!" Anis yelled from inside the bathroom. Why did that surprise her?
Before he could ask though, Anis rushed out of the bathroom, toothbrush and towel gone. "You also don't have hot water?!"
Ah, that made more sense.
"I guess? I didn't really check when I came back." After all, he pretty much collapsed on his bed the moment he got back. To him, those few hours of sleep were worth more than gold.
"Aren't you supposed to have better stuff than us? You're a commander!" Anis said incredulously.
"Well, it still comes from the Outpost's supply..."
The Outpost still remained thrashed after the raids, electricity was missing in many areas as well as water and gas. His room still seemed to have been spared from the chaos in that sense though, seeing that his phone was charged and the lights had worked when he had returned.
Mostly anyway, seeing the now apparent lack of hot water.
"Unbelievable!" Anis said dejected. "Wait... what about the gym?"
Nathan took a look at the glimmer of hope in her eyes before he destroyed it. "If it's not working here, then I doubt it would work there."
Anis then fell to her arms and knees. "How am I gonna shower...?"
The commander felt bad at seeing Anis so crestfallen. "Well, you could take a cold shower." He lamely tried to reassure her. "I hear it's good for the skin."
Anis ignored his words. "Hot showers are one of the small pleasures I take in this world and they have taken that from me... I'll never forgive them...!" Nathan wondered just who exactly was "them" in this context.
He then heard a buzzing sound coming from his bed. As he walked over he realized it was his phone notifying him of new incoming messages.
Nathan grabbed his phone to get a better look and was surprised to see they came from Talentum.
His interactions with them had been few, but from what he recalled they were one of the more business-driven Nikke squads of the Ark. Wherever there was money to be made, Talentum was always involved, ready to take a piece of the profits. They managed to always come out on top, sometimes in more ways than one and they were not someone you would want as a rival, at least in the business world.
"Talentum, huh?" He turned to see the now standing Anis peeking at his phone. "What do those money-grubbers want with you?"
"We're about to find out." He replied, taking note of her cautious tone.
After a short conversation, apparently they asked for help for an operation on the surface about a seemingly something that was unclear to everyone, Talentum included, but apparently was valuable enough to warrant all their attention.
"It seems all a little sketchy to me." Anis answered, having stepped back and now leaning against the frame of the bathroom door. "I mean, our place is thrashed and we have no money and suddenly they show up offering us to fix the place up and even share the profits?" She emphasized the last part, as if it was unthinkable. "Not to mention that we don't even know what we're looking for."
She shook her head. "I wouldn't do this, Commander."
Nathan reflected on Anis's words. He understood where she was coming from, it did seem a little too well-timed and the rewards a little too good but he felt she was being a little unfair to them. Not to mention that despite everything, this was perfect for them.
"We do need money to fix the Outpost, though." He played the devil's advocate, wanting to hear her reasoning.
"It's Talentum, Commander." she plainly stated, as if that explained everything. "They'll do anything for money."
Nathan crossed his arms. "Even betraying others?"
She mimicked his actions. "I wouldn't put it past them."
"I thought you wanted our hot showers back?"
"Not if it will later come back to bite us in the ass." She had made her stance clear on the matter. The commander sighed.
Anis was certainly stubborn and a skeptic to a fault, but where others saw those as negative traits, he actually didn't mind them. In fact, he appreciated having someone who would question his decisions and orders, they could provide insight into other things that he might have missed and if he was being honest, he didn't want someone who would blindly followed orders. He appreciated initiative and someone who could make their own judgment.
And he found himself agreeing with her.
While his interactions with the squad had been scant and rather unremarkable up to now, the events with the Ark had still been very fresh in his mind and probably in his squad's too, so they had to be careful on where they placed their trust from now on.
That said...
"I'll think about it." He dropped his arms. "This is still an opportunity we can't dismiss, and we really need the money."
She likewise dropped her arms and sighed. "If you say so." She now stood straighter. "Regardless of what you decide... I'll follow you no matter where you go, Commander. You can count on that." She said sincerely.
He smiled genuinely. "I appreciate that."
Before either of them could say anything else, another voice joined in. "Master, can I use your sho-"
Neon had showed up on the door leading to Nathan's room, which had remained open all this time, wearing a grey t-shirt that was too big for her, while also eating a bag of chips.
As she entered the room, her eyes fell on the Commander and Anis, who was standing next to the bathroom.
"Anis, can you stop flirting with Master?" she deadpanned, as she entered the room.
"How about you mind your own business?! And besides, the Commander doesn't have any hot water either!" she answered agitated at her comments.
"You used up all the hot water?!" Neon pouted. "How dare you!"
"There wasn't any to begin with!" Anis argued back.
She then went quiet for a moment, a deadly look on her face. "...Where did you get those chips?"
Nathan decided that now was the best time to start making his way to the door as sneakily as he could.
"Oh, this?" Neon gestured, putting another chip in her mouth. "I found it under one of the beds. Weird, huh?"
"Those were my last chips!" The raw anger that was radiating off Anis could have been felt throughout the entire Outpost, as she lunged at Neon. That was the last thing the Commander saw as he left the room, quickening his pace
"Why did they have to fight in my room..." He thought, already dreading the mess he would have to clean up after.
As Nathan walked to the elevator down to the Ark, his eyes and mind wandered to the destruction surrounding the Outpost.
It wasn't pretty.
Pipes that once gushed with water could be seen bent at unnatural angles from the floor, amidst the rubble. Power was out in many places and it was not hard to see why, when he saw the power station bearing scorch marks, from now extinct fires, the power lines resonating at a barely imperceptible hum. It was a miracle they had any power at all.
And that wasn't to mention the numerous buildings that once populated the Outpost. Most had escaped with only superficial and minor structural damage thankfully, but a few looked like had to be rebuilt from the ground up.
He saw that the Workshop where Liter and Centi spent most of their time on had mercifully been spared most of the damage. No doubt that they helped mitigate the damage once the situation was solved and the Commander wasn't dubbed "Public Enemy #1". He wondered if he could convince them to fix up the rest of the Outpost and figure out a way to pay them back later.
Although... with Talentum's offer he might not have to do that. He was unsure yet on his decision on the matter but he leaned in favor of accepting it. Maybe he should ask for Rapi's input when he gets the chance.
Just as he thought of her, he saw her standing by the elevator as he approached, seemingly waiting for something or someone.
"Good morning, Rapi." He greeted her.
Rapi returned his courtesy. "Good morning to you too, Commander."
"Might I ask what or who you are waiting for?" Nathan asked, as he approached to call the elevator.
"I've been waiting for you, Commander." She answered. "Allow me to accompany you."
"I appreciate the company and, don't take this the wrong way, but is there any reason why?" He asked, curious as to why she would offer to escort him.
"...The robot's awake, isn't it?" She more or less declared, rather than ask.
"How did you know?" That wasn't exactly public information. Did someone tell her?
She crossed her arms. "When we returned to the Outpost with Neon and Anis, I decided to stay up for a while longer. After a few hours had passed and you hadn't returned, I sent a message to Ingrid to know if something had happened."
She turned her head to stare at something on the distance. "She told me all that had happened, or as much as she would tell me anyways. I figured I should come with you today just in case something happens, which she agreed to." It went unsaid that she would be reporting anything suspicious to Ingrid as well, which was fine with him.
"I see." Nathan said thoughtfully. "So you're our security detail, then? What about Anis and Neon?"
She turned back to look at him. "They'll be joining us later. They said they were gonna look for a place to take a shower before, although I can't imagine them finding much success given the... state of the Outpost."
"...I can attest to that." He said, remembering the events from earlier.
She gave him a confused look at that but otherwise didn't comment on it. The elevator dinged soon after and they both went in, ready to enter the Ark.
As the elevator made its way into the Ark, Nathan figured now would be a good time to ask. "By the way, I received a message this morning." He took his phone from his pocket and opened the conversation before handing it to Rapi.
"...Talentum wants our help in exchange of fixing the outpost?" She asked as she quickly read the messages, her eyes moving quickly from line to line.
"Yeah, they'll also share fifty-percent of the spoils of whatever they find with us." He answered. "What do you think?"
"I think there's merit on it." She handed back his phone once she was done reading. "Talentum's information is known for being of top quality, so if they would all come together for something like this means that the chances are good we'll find something."
He was grateful for her input, she seemed to know a fair more than he did about them.
Which, to be fair, was not saying much but that was besides the point.
"You think they'll do good on their word?" Nathan asked Rapi, given his conversation earlier this morning with Anis.
"They're business women first, Nikkes second." She replied confidently. "And in that world, you're only as good as your word."
She shook her head. "I don't think we should worry about that, Commander."
He arched an eyebrow at that. "You sound pretty sure of that."
She nodded stoically. "I am, because there's no reason for them to go against us."
"Talentum's only real affiliation is to Tetra and it wouldn't make sense for them to target us, in fact, we should consider ourselves lucky. They don't talk to just anyone." She explained, and as she did, the more Nathan felt she had the stronger argument.
Sure, the corporate world was infamous for its ruthless competition and backdoor dealings, the friends of today might be the enemies of tomorrow, but it seemed like an universal law no matter where you went that you keep your word if you want to stay in the business.
And Talentum has been in the business for a long time.
"I see, thank you Rapi." He answered. "I'm glad I asked you." He really was glad to ask for her thoughts on the matter, she never failed to give him a good answer.
"It's no problem, Commander." She almost looked... sad. Did he say something wrong?
"Commander, may I ask you something?" She asked with some unease.
"Sure, what is it?" He replied, wondering what caused her sudden change of mood.
"It's unlike you to be so doubtful of others. Is it because of what happened with Marian?" She asked unsure, a stark contrast to her confident demeanor.
Now that he thought about it, she had a point. He was usually more on the trusting side yet lately he had been having a lot of doubts of what was going on around them. And the more he thought about it, he realized that had begun happening ever since the Ark's betrayal with Marian.
"...Yeah." He said seriously before continuing. "Everything that happened... was because I didn't pay attention to what was actually going on around us. What was festering in the Central Government. If I did... Marian would still be here with us." And wasn't that a thought? Maybe he could have avoided the whole situation with the Ark. Sure, she was on Pioneer's hands and he trusted them to do right by her, but he still wish he didn't have to.
"Commander..." Rapi said softly, unconsciously getting closer to him. "It's not your fault. They would have come for her sooner or later. There was nothing you could have done about that."
"But there was." He retorted, somewhat harder than he intended. "We could have planned things better, figured out something... anything." He averted her gaze. "But we didn't. I didn't. Because... we were having fun." Those cherished moments they shared together felt like distant memories now.
"Now she's gone again because of me. I know she will be safe, we've made sure of that." He turned his gaze back at her. "But what about next time? We can't count on Pioneer bailing us out every time." He shook his head. "I can't act so lax all the time, I have to start being more serious and for that, I have to change on how I deal with things like this... To keep you all safe."
"I don't want your trust in me to be misplaced." He finished. No more half-measures, no more half-assing things.
He would make sure to do things right from now on.
Rapi stayed silent for a moment, slowly turning her head to the side, unsure of how to word her thoughts.
"That's exactly why we trust you, Commander." She turned back to face him. "We know you'll always do what you think is right for us."
"We follow you because we know you have our backs. You trust us. None of my previous commanders did that as much as you do. "
" Where they would thinks us as disposable, you thought of us as people. " She started listing off. "Where they saw a machine, they saw someone with emotions and feelings. Where they saw a tool, you saw us for who we truly were."
"That's why," she took a step back. "you shouldn't worry about misplacing your trust. No matter what happens, we will have your back."
Nathan actually chuckled at that, something that confused Rapi given the look she was giving him. "It's funny. Anis said something similar earlier this morning."
"That's because it's the truth. We will follow you wherever you go, Commander." She replied, easing at seeing his mood improve. "I think it's a good idea to plan things more carefully, but you don't have to do it alone."
"Alright, I see your point." He said, having a weight he didn't know he had lifted off his shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind, thank you."
She nodded. "That aside, you said you met Anis this morning?"
"Oh, yeah," He said more relaxed, his earlier tension completely dissipating into nothingness. "She was looking to use my bathroom for a hot shower. Neon as well."
"It went as well as you can imagine." That actually brought a small smile to her face, small as it was.
"We should try to get the Outpost fixed as soon as possible." Rapi said, turning back to her professional demeanor. "We should seriously consider Talentum's offer if nothing else shows up."
"Yeah, I'll make my decision after we're done here." Thankfully, they still had time to make their decision until tomorrow, that was the deadline that Talentum offered him.
"Although, I have to say," he put his arms to his hips and shrugged. "my room was in much better state than I remembered. I thought there would have been more stuff thrown all over the place." His room had actually been in a pretty good state when he came back, he didn't really think much upon it when he returned to sleep since that was the only thing on his mind, but he was grateful for it.
"Actually, I..." She started, suddenly seeming more timid.
"...cleaned it for you." She managed to finish in a sheepish tone, averting his eyes.
"You did?" She did? When? He can't think of a time where she would had the time to cl-
"When they returned yesterday," he thought. "that's why she stayed up?"
Her eyes still refusing to meet his. "...yes." She said, answering both the question he asked aloud and the one in his mind.
"Wow. Thank you, Rapi. Really." He said genuinely grateful for her actions. "You really didn't have to do something like that for me." But it was certainly appreciated.
"I thought you deserved a break after what happened. Don't worry about returning the favor." Her disposition returning to normal.
"Modest as always" he though amusingly, he would still try to do it anyway.
The elevator finally dinged and the Ark presented itself to the both of them.
"Well, in any case, we still have a job to do." He stood straighter. "Let's go, Rapi."
"Roger."
After some walking, they reached the HQ where they saw Andersen and their enigmatic guest talking about something.
As they got closer, they were able to listen in on pieces of their conversation.
"...for as long as you remain with us. Is that acceptable?" Nathan's CO asked the machine.
"We will adapt." Zeta said neutrally.
Andersen nodded before turning to see the both of them approach. "Good. You've arrived."
"Sir, reporting for duty." He saluted, with Rapi close behind him.
The older officer acknowledged his salute before relaying his instructions. "We just finished ironing out the details of our agreement. As of today, you will be our representative on behalf of the Ark. Likewise, Zeta will be your equal for the Wardens."
He continued. "The Central Government will provide the funds for an embassy to be established on the Outpost where our ambassador" He gestured at the machine. "will reside. You will also be in charge of the security detail, dealing with any interference and handling any requests they might have. Is that clear?"
Nathan nodded. "Crystal, sir."
"If anything comes up, notify me immediately." Andersen ordered his underling, the multiple meanings behind that statement heard loud and clear.
"As for me, I'll have to leave you both." Andersen took a look at the time on his watch. "I have a meeting to get to, no doubt to explain what happened yesterday."
"You are dismissed." He told Nathan, who saluted, before nodding to Zeta and heading off back inside the massive building.
So now, that left the three of them just standing awkwardly, as the Ark's denizens went by. Many did not make an attempt to conceal their stares.
"I guess we should get going before we attract too much attention." He assessed internally.
He turned to look at Zeta who had been staring at something this entire time. As he followed the machine's 'gaze', he noticed it was staring intently at Rapi, the intensity of which was even starting to get to her, judging from how she shifted in place. It wouldn't be remiss to think she was uncomfortable, given that this is the first time she's seeing the rather imposing machine at its full height and moving around, especially when said machine had made you its object of interest.
"Is... something the matter, Zeta?" He asked their alien ambassador with some discomfort. What was so interesting about her for them to be so fixated like that?
The machine shifted its attention to him after a few moments. "...There are no outstanding issues, Commander. We are ready to follow you."
"If you say so..." He would have to ask about that later but he let it slide for the time being. "Anyways, this is Rapi, she is part of my squad and one of the people who came into your ship when it crashed. Rapi, this is Zeta, our Warden representative, the name of their species."
Rapi stepped closer until she was in front of the machine and extended her hand formally. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."
The machine once again shifted its stare back at Rapi and once again did her feeling of discomfort arise. "Affirmative, updating database. We look forward to working with you, unit Rapi." Zeta proceeded to shake her hand, more naturally this time.
"Unit Rapi...?" She repeated as if the words were foreign to her.
"We refer to autonomous synthetics by the title of 'Unit' followed by their designation." Zeta explained.
She looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He returned an apologetic look, pleading her to flow with it for now.
"...I see." She answered hesitantly.
"In any case, why don't we return and get you settled in? We can take a look around the Ark later." He told the machine in a friendly tone.
The machine nodded. "Very well, we will follow."
"You know," He spoke as they started walking back, Rapi trailing behind them. "I've noticed your word choice and body language has been changing."
"Affirmative." Well, at least that remained the same. "While we have mastered enough of your language to hold a conversation, we are still learning from you. Whether it comes from overheard words, text or conversations such as this one, we are constantly updating our records."
"How did you learn so quickly, anyway?" He asked his robotic counterpart.
"We have established contact with numerous other life forms, some of which were sentient while others, not." Zeta explained. "In the process of which, we learned the fundamental aspects of communication or the lack thereof, where appropriate."
"Once you know what to look for, the outcome of deciphering a language becomes exponentially more likely to result favorably, and so does first contact." The machine almost seemed passionate, were it not for its ever present neutral tone.
"As such, we have been continuously gathering linguistic data throughout our encounters with your species, analyzed how your syntax was formed and applied our learnings where we found them relevant."
Nathan nodded. "You're doing a pretty good job so far. However..."
He turned to look at Zeta directly. "Andersen has told you of our plan, right?" He should have asked earlier but it had honestly slipped his mind.
Though, by the looks of it, Andersen didn't seem to have much time on his hands anyway, considering everything that has been happening.
"Affirmative, you want us to pretend to be one of your synthetics." It replied. "We concur on this course of action."
"You do?"
"Correct." Zeta nodded. "We are not capable with our resources to calculate the outcome of the revelation of our collective to your species as too many variables have to be accounted for. As a result, we approve the decision of concealing our presence for the time being until a more accurate assessment can be made."
"I'm glad you understand our situation, but that also means you should change the way you speak." Nathan explained to the machine.
"Explain."
They stopped walking, but not before moving to the side to avoid blocking the way for the people around them. "You keep saying 'we' whenever you speak and that's not gonna work."
He shook his head. "If you are gonna pretend to be a regular robot, you need to start talking like an individual."
"And while I see you are able to do gestures already, moving our head and hands are not the only ways to express ourselves, it's not enough for you to just know these things." He shrugged to showcase his point.
Technically, normal robots didn't really do gestures either, but if the story was that Zeta used a Nikke core... Well, he didn't really understand all of it to be honest, he wasn't an engineer.
But he figured that it would be a good idea to make the machine at least seem more... human.
"In short: we need to humanize you to really sell your cover story."
The machine was delayed in its response. "What is your suggestion?"
"It's simple," He smiled. "we'll teach you how to behave as a human. That way you can remain undercover and you can learn more about us." And he can get some insight on them all the while, he still had his own objectives to fulfill after all.
"It's a win-win. What do you think?"
Again, Zeta took a few moments to respond, more than before. "I guess they're doing that consensus thing of theirs?"
A theory that was confirmed as soon as Zeta's reply came. "Consensus reached. Your proposal has merit. We... I will adapt to these new parameters."
Nathan nodded, satisfied at the outcome. As he turned around to resume walking, he saw a familiar pair of women coming his way.
"Looks like Neon and Anis have finally reached us." He informed his two companions.
"Hey, Commander! Looks like you got our guest of honor with you already." Anis greeted.
"That's right, allow me to introduce you. This is Zeta, he will be staying with us on the Outpost as our representative for his race, the Wardens." He introduced the strange machine.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Anis." She gave a pleasant smile. "You know, you're scarier in person compared to when we first picked you up."
Zeta turned to look at her. "It is not our-"
It paused before correcting itself. "...my intention to scare." Nathan inwardly smiled, amused at the machine's attempts to emulate human speech.
"Hehe, don't worry, I'm just joking." She noticed the slip but let it slide.
"What is a joke?" Zeta asked with absolute seriousness.
"Oh, well, it's ah..." Anis was not the only one caught off guard by the bluntness of the question. "Oh hey, Neon, why don't you introduce yourself?"
Neon, who had been completely quiet the entire time, finally decided to make herself known to the machine and stepped up.
"Can I see your guns?" She spoke with a laser-focus determination in her eyes.
"Really? That's how you introduce yourself?" Anis said with an incredulous look.
"I am not a combat-rated unit." Zeta told the firepower addict.
"That doesn't mean you're unarmed."
"I will do what is necessary to guarantee my continued existence."
"So can I see them?" Neon was relentless as she got closer after each sentence to the machine that towered over her.
"Neon, could you take a step back?" Rapi intervened before something happened, they were starting to make a scene.
"Yeah, what Rapi said!" Anis agreed. "Does 'personal space' mean nothing to you?"
"Oh, uhm..." That seemed to knock Neon out of her momentary frenzy. "I'm sorry. I just really wanted to see what kind of guns they use in space." She looked genuinely apologetic for her actions.
"Acknowledged." Zeta... accepted? her apology. "Are you a combat unit?"
"They all are, technically." Nathan explained. "But Neon just really likes weapons of all kinds, she's pretty knowledgeable about them."
"Most of the time, anyway."
"When it comes to firepower, I am one of the greatest minds in the Ark!" She pointed to herself with her thumb and a proud smile plastered on her face.
"More like craziest..." Anis mumbled under her breath.
"Understood, updating database."
Wait, what?
"If I have any questions concerning this world's weaponry, I will make sure to ask you, Unit Neon."
Oh no...
"Oh yes!" Neon exclaimed excitedly. "You will not regret this!"
He had a bad feeling about this, but trying to explain would only add to the confusion so he let it slide, silently praying nothing terrible would emerge from this.
"That aside..." Anis interjected before the conversation went further off-course than it already had. "You... really are an alien, then?"
"Yes."
"Wow." Anis exclaimed in awe. "I was beginning to think Raptures had already taken over the universe but..." She trailed off momentarily. "What are your people like?"
Zeta then looked at Nathan directly, who suddenly understood how Rapi felt a few minutes ago. Why was it looking at him? Was he supposed to say something or-
"Oh, right"
"You can tell them." He nodded. "But why don't we walk back as you explain it to them?"
"Because you stopped walking." The machine dryly stated. He could hear Anis and Neon snickering behind.
"Erm... that was a rhetorical question." He explained to the machine.
"Understood." Looks like there were a couple things that just couldn't be translated it seems.
Rapi sighed. "...Let's go, Commander."
He coughed. "So... why don't you start telling them what you told me, Zeta?" They both started walking, causing the rest of the group to follow.
"Please specify a point of entry." The machine asked its human equivalent.
"Let's start with your purpose as to why you're here."
Purpose... purpose... purpose...
The machine had walked for hours to investigate the distant city it had spotted, with the sun high in the sky indicating it was around noon.
During its walk it had spotted other machine life forms, but not any that matched any of the unit's records. Were they from this planet? It had observed the machines for a while now, seeing how they moved as a pack, with a larger one seemingly acting as their leader.
Sometimes, a fight or two would break out amidst themselves but it would be soon be laid to rest by the larger units to maintain the order within their pack.
To the machine, it looked like they acted more like basic animals than anything else, moving from place to place with little purpose to their actions.
Purpose...
It did not know why, but this word had been engraved on the machine's synthetic mind ever since it first appeared there. It had tried to search within its records as to what the machine's purpose originally was but had found no results.
It seemed parts of its memory were fragmented or blocked, the reasons of which still remained unknown to the wandering drone.
Still, though, it did not matter much to the machine, as it was confident it would be able to return to whatever duties it was meant to fulfill once it synchronized back with the collective's extensive web of networks, a conclusion that helped quell its sizeable frustrations.
And yet, it couldn't help but wonder...
Looking down to its armored form, it turned its arms from side to side, inspecting them with a more inquisitive nature, trying to determine their purpose. They were definitely meant for heavy labor, given the armor and reinforced hands.
It would have been a fair assumption to say that the machine was a warrior drone, a unit designed specifically for war and maintaining order under hostile conditions but it knew that combat drones were not the only ones afforded heavy armor.
Many jobs also required heavy-duty protection, whether it be a metallurgist withstanding the abrasive temperatures of the forges they worked at or the mining drones who required thoroughly lubricated and resistant hardware to withstand the toxic gases that would often be found deep in the crusts of planets.
That said, it was doubtful that the durable alloys used in the construction of the plates adorning its frame were for simply hauling rock or otherwise. It was rather likely it was a machine built for war.
But that begged another question: why was a combat unit such as it, standing in a barren planet with none of its brethren around? They were not usually meant to operate alone, that was a role intended for infiltration units.
And the machine doubted a bipedal juggernaut would qualify for such a role.
Before the machine could continue with its line of questioning, it stopped dead on its tracks as it witnessed the monoliths of concrete that now stood before it.
It finally arrived to the ruined city, and soon its attention was refocused back on the task at hand: reconnecting with its network.
As it entered the city and walked down the worn road, the machine couldn't help but stare at the buildings surrounding it.
They were dilapidated and worn down by the elements due to the lack of maintenance. A nearby skyscraper in particular had collapsed and leaned on another of its concrete brothers, preventing it from further falling into a crumbling doom and taking the adjacent building with it.
Another, smaller building nearby had some worn down yellow shapes over an equally worn down red background, plastered above and aligned in such way that looked like a logic was present in their structure. It deduced that they must have been words but their true meaning was lost on the mechanical being.
A different building seemed to have a neon sign with more of the strange letters arrayed top to bottom and arrow pointing towards the building it was mounted on. The sign had long lost power and was even tilted to the side as its structural supports had all but rusted except for one, which continued to defy the fundamental laws of gravity threatening it to bring it down through its stubborn refusal to go down.
The building itself had large windows and even windowed doors that showed the dusty, empty shelves, long since looted and abandoned by whomever was in charge.
The city was so strange and unlike the cities the machine was accustomed to, it must have been a large urban center once. How many organics used to live here? And where were they?
What destroyed this city?
As the machine turned its attention back in front, it stopped walking as it stared down the road.
Or rather the lack thereof.
A massive sinkhole had caused the road to collapse on itself, multiple rusty pipes with a steady, if small, flow of water falling into the open hole. Plants could be seen growing inside and around the formation, as evidenced by the bright green colors and large brown roots found near the bottom, which itself was quite far from where the machine was standing. Not much else could be seen beyond that, other than the rather large puddle of swampy, stagnating water that undoubtedly lead deeper into the bowels of the planet.
Regardless, it was clear that crossing was not an option and neither did it seem to be possible to go through the buildings. They had all either partially collapsed upon one another ready to be set off at the slightest disturbance, or simply did not look to have any easy access through the concrete jungle.
With little choice in the matter, the drone turned around and retraced its steps back until it reached a street that joined in with the one it was on. It would have to take the long way around, but it did not particularly mind.
After all, time wasn't particularly of the essence. Sure, it wanted to return back to the fold as soon as it could, but it was just as important to conserve its limited energy supply where it was needed.
The machine still couldn't get rid of the eerie and uncomfortable feeling that self-awareness brought, but it was learning how to get used to it. It still wanted to return to the greater intelligence and become another among trillions, but it would make use of every tool at its disposal to do so. It's not like the machine took pleasure in it, so it calculated its chances on corrupting or turning into a deviant to be, all things considered, quite low.
It would likely be reprogrammed after all this regardless.
However, the machines it saw earlier posed an unknown threat, and it doubted they would assist it with reconnecting with its own kind. For now, it would avoid them if it could and if it couldn't...
Well, if it was a combat unit, it should be able to at least do some damage to them. In fact, it should probably test that theory right now.
The machine ran a diagnostics scan for its secondary and tertiary systems, checking to see if anything of interest would appear in the results and after a few moments, the machine got its answer and it was indeed armed.
Very well armed.
Its left arm had a host of different configurations directed at ranged combat while its right arm was designed for closer combat, going from mid-range to close-quarters. It also apparently had some sort of power-pack that acted as not only storage, but also potentially as a siege weapon from a select number of armaments. The list was rather vast...
And yet it told almost nothing to the machine as most of the data concerning its systems was limited or completely blocked off. It saw that it had a vast array of weapons at its disposal yet, for some reason it could not access basic information about them, it couldn't even find out their names!
Only that the weapons were there, inaccessible as they were.
Why go on all the trouble of outfitting all these complex systems and subsystems if it couldn't even use them? It made no sense to the befuddled machine. The diagnostics report merely indicated that the systems were working with only some errors found but not as to what or which systems.
And that's when it finally struck the machine.
It was a security measure.
Of course, it was obvious now. Its operating system must have had a failsafe in case the machine could not reconnect with the network, which limited what the machine could do.
If it was somehow captured, or refused the commands of the collective in the case of deviancy, its weapon systems would lock down as to avoid causing harm to any critical assets and prevent being turned against the machine intelligence. As a result, any hacking attempts that would get through the extensive firewalls (which was a monumental task by itself already) would cause the hacker to be rewarded with a giant paperweight.
Sure, it could still be disassembled and its parts taken apart but the weapons themselves couldn't simply be used by anyone.
They were specifically designed to only connect and interface with a very specific set of units who were customized to specifically wield those weapons. The details of which were not known to the machine but it didn't need to, only that it could execute field repairs with parts of similar models as itself.
Unfortunately, that did not seem like an option if it ever came down to it. It most likely would have to learn and adapt by itself if repairs were needed, but it still had an onboard database for cross-referencing correct procedures for handling anything from plasma burns to ballistic gunfire and shorted circuits.
But that was besides the point, it being that the guns, whatever they were, could not be used.
It was something that... irritated the machine. It meant that it could not defend itself, at least not very effectively, if it had to face off against those large robots it saw earlier. It wondered if they were the ones that destroyed the city.
Regardless of whether they did or not, the machine would still exercise caution with them. It did not know all their capabilities yet but knew they were unlikely to be friendly from its observations.
It continued walking after its momentary pause, analyzing the surrounding buildings before stopping suddenly. A sound was coming from somewhere, a loud sound with a steady rhythm to it, one that it quickly recognized.
Gunshots.
It heard them coming down one of the streets up ahead. The machine cautiously approached to find out who or what was causing them.
"Get behind cover!"
An explosion went off to her right, accompanied by a scream and something landing next to her. As she turned her head to see it, she noticed it was a leg from one of her squad mates.
"Idiot, I told her to get into cover!" Her commander harshly yelled out. "That's what happens when you don't listen to orders!"
This wasn't how she expected her first mission to go. They were supposed to stay undercover and perform recon on the destroyed city for any potential threats and return back.
It was meant to be an easy mission, and yet nothing had gone to plan.
First of all, their transport had been destroyed as well as the accompanying squad meant to support them. They had all miraculously survived but the same could not be said of the other squad, who had taken a direct shot from a Rapture's rocket barrage.
Then, they were beset by the Raptures that attacked them, in a brutal confrontation with little cover other than the wrecks of their transports. One of their squad, a Nikke with a support role as a healer, had been killed when a suicide Rapture jumped to her position, engulfing her in a massive explosion. Nothing had remained afterwards.
After they had cleared the rest of the Raptures, she thought that the bulk of the problems had been dealt with, but that's when their commander rose up from where he had hidden...
Her commander was relentless, blaming their squad for allowing their transports to blow and not following his orders. She wasn't sure how they were supposed to do anything about the vehicles, but his orders had bordered from risky to completely suicidal.
Did he really expect them to actually charge at the explosive Raptures after witnessing their healer die? Not even mentioning the long ranged Raptures that would surely snuff their lives if they dared to leave their cover and get close.
When one of her squad mates retorted as much, a defender type she recalled, he told her to watch how she speaks at one of "humanity's chosen commanders" and should know her place.
The defender Nikke had then called him a maniac which prompted the man in question to pull out his gun and shoot her in the head. He then warned that if anyone else dared to question his orders, they would end up like her: a hunk of scrap that would be remembered by no one.
After that, there were no more protests. She knew better than to argue since there was nothing she could do, anyway. He outranked her as commander and that was that. However, the rest of her team did not really see it that way and morale had plummeted due to that, their recent victory erased from their minds. They weren't even allowed to bury their fallen comrades.
They had then done the remaining of the way to the city in mostly silent, except of the occasional prod or insult from their commander and she had been no exception.
At one point, one of her squad mates had tripped and fallen into a small hole filled with water, she extended her arm as far as she could to try to reach the drowning girl.
But it was no use, the water was too deep and she couldn't go in any further unless she risked falling inside too. Nikke bodies aren't meant to go underwater, their frames are too heavy which causes them to sink to the bottom and because of that she was forced to see how the poor girl drowned to death.
The murky water did not let her see what happened beneath but when she saw the bubbles stop rising, she knew there was nothing else to do here. The image still burned freshly in her mind.
When she reported the incident to her commander, who was busy with god knows what, he laughed. He made fun of her, calling her a dumb robot who deserved her fate for not paying attention.
He had also berated her for not trying harder and told her he would have her destroyed due to her inability before the day was done.
At that moment, she almost lost her patience and would have accused him of what he had done to save her. But she didn't, because she knew the answer already.
"Why would I bother saving a useless machine? There are a million others ready to replace her anyway. Focus on serving someone more worthy instead, like me."
That had been the reason as to why he didn't bother giving them names for the operation, merely calling them out based on their type or model line.
She couldn't understand how someone could disregard another's life so easily, so... ruthlessly. It made her felt miserable, knowing that they were treated as less than nothing and that there wasn't anything that she could do about it.
The only reason she was able to hold it together is because the moment she became a mass produced model, she knew this was what awaited her and mentally prepared herself for it but to see it in person... it was a whole different story.
Once they had finally reached the city, they had been beset by Raptures again that had been hiding waiting for prey to launch themselves upon. They were the unfortunate four who had the displeasure of falling into their trap.
"Three now." She thought grimly as she continued to stare at the dismembered limb, still oozing its red fluids.
"You! Get up and start shooting back! Now!" Her commander yelled out at her, as he himself was attempting to shoot back.
"Yes, sir." She said with all the enthusiasm of a funeral procession.
She took a knee and aimed her shotgun over the piece of rubble that made her current cover.
The machine watched as the organics fired back as the horde of the robotic life forms assaulted their position and the machine knew it wasn't long before they were overrun. The barrage of lasers and micro-missiles was unrelenting, leaving few opportunities to return fire at the encroaching mass of metal.
They had taken refuge in a large building, a pile of rubble leading up to their floor as they took shots at anything that got too close, or threatened to blow their cover to pieces.
The machine itself had hidden in an elevated position near one of the ruined buildings, that had a convenient set of stairs and balcony with clear sight into the unfolding carnage. It calculated the odds of success for the organics at less than five percent.
It was able to collect a vast array of information from the attackers though, they seemed to have somewhat simplistic combat algorithms since they lacked much strategy other than getting into position and shooting. They didn't even bother going into cover when they were shot.
Despite the questionable tactics employed by the mechanical aggressors, they more than made up their losses by their sheer numbers. Their red lasers suffocating the enemy position by the enormous amounts of firepower.
A rumbling sound could be heard, a sound the machine did not ignore and hid behind the walls of the room.
It was wise to do so, as a large machine suddenly appeared out of nowhere, right outside of where it was located. As the drone saw it walk away from its position through its thermal vision, it moved outside of its cover to get a better look.
It had four legs, similarly to the smaller machines but this one also had giant arms that extended into a variety of weapons, black and white armor covering its exterior, plates interlocking with one another seamlessly as well as blue lights dotting around certain parts of its body with some loose cables hanging off a few weapons on its arms, connecting them to its core in the middle.
The large machine emitted a shrieking noise as if it was announcing its presence, or maybe it was challenging anyone who would dare attack it. It looked like this was their leader.
Either way, if the organics had any chance of surviving, those hopes were dashed away now.
From what the drone had observed, these machine life forms congregated around certain units that would act out as leaders. Usually, these would be the largest and most powerful of their kind, ordering their smaller counterparts and even controlling them in some cases.
It all had been very familiar to the machine. While they didn't fight for dominance like these robots did, they did have leader units that would order and control dozens and even hundreds of units directly such as itself to fight in the battlefield. It was an effective strategy, as they would move and fight as one, which allowed them unparalleled levels of control over the battlefield. Something that it was witnessing right here.
The metal-goliath screeched once more and as one, the robots redoubled their efforts into wiping out the small group that was doing its best to remain in cover. Was it empowering them?
It saw the organics throw something out of their hiding spot, before it exploded below a sizeable group of machines, completely destroying them in the process.
The machine lamented the fact it could not use its weapons, otherwise it would have assisted in taking out the machines. Maybe they would help it in exchange for its assistance.
Sure, there was a possibility they would target the drone just the same simply due to being robotic in nature but there was also the chance they could help it locate a communications array or some sort of uplink so that it could return back with its kind.
It was a risky choice, one that could even see it being disassembled since it could even be seen as deviant behavior but if that was the case, then its fate had been sealed the moment it awoke on this damnable planet.
The machine heard a scream. Looks like their stalwart defense was about to be put down. A shame, but its locked down systems prevented it fro-
The machine stopped and looked down to its left arm.
It had an idea.
The deafening sounds of suppressive laser fire did not hide the sound of someone screaming in pain. As she got into cover and turned around, she noticed that her commander had been shot in the shoulder.
This was not good. Why was a Lord-class Rapture here?!
There was no way they could fight a Lord-class Rapture. They needed to get out of here, but the swarm of Raptures outside prevented them from doing anything other than shoot back at any that got too close.
They were stuck here and the Raptures knew it.
She made to aim her shotgun out of cover but as she was doing so, a missile slammed right in front of her, sending her flying and destroying the last of their cover.
Her ears ringed and her vision was blurry, everything in her body seemed to scream in pain. She was laying on the ground, her shotgun some meters away.
Now that the last of their cover was gone, she saw as how a four-legged Rapture approached. Her commander was yelling something, she did not know what but in doing so he attracted the attention of the machine.
Despite how awful he had been, she had to give him credit: he did not back down when the Rapture came up to him and knocked the winds out of him. She did not know whether to chalk it up to courage, bravado or complete idiocy. Maybe it was all three.
As he sat up against the wall, clutching his side with one hand, she saw how the Rapture executed him on the spot, firing its laser point blank completely searing him as he screamed in pain.
At seeing this, her last remaining squad mate tried to run from where she was hiding seeing any hope at salvaging this operation gone. But that was a fatal mistake.
As she got up from her hiding place and ran, a large spindly leg from another Rapture impaled her in the abdomen before throwing her against the side of the building.
"No... please..." She tried to plead to the machine, but it was pointless.
The Raptures did not know mercy. The sickening crunches and screams would forever scar her mind.
The Rapture that killed her commander then turned its attention back at her. "At least it won't be for long."
She tried to reach for her weapon but her body refused to move at her commands. This was it. This was how she died.
She felt tears run down her cheeks below her visor, she hadn't even realized she was crying. She would die here, for someone she didn't care for, with people she barely knew and no one would ever remember her.
Just another number in a long list of casualty reports.
She was told she would be one of humanity's defenders, that she would be a protector against the Raptures and become a savior. If only she became a Nikke.
Was it all a lie? Had she been living a lie this whole time?
"Maybe death will be a mercy then." She chuckled bitterly at her grim thoughts.
As the machine grew closer, she coughed some of her blood before staring defiantly at the machine. If she was going to die, she would at least do so with dignity. As it raised its spider-like appendage she closed her eyes, awaiting her release from this cruel reality.
But then suddenly, a thunderous sound was heard.
For a second, nothing happened and she thought that had been the sound of her head cracking open from the immense pressure being applied against it, but after a few seconds of awareness she realized she was still alive and opened her eyes.
The Rapture was staying still in the air, as if it was waiting for someone to take a picture of the bleak scene. It didn't last long though, as its core dimmed and unceremoniously fell on the ground, making a loud crashing sound in the process as metal scraped against rock.
A sound that was then repeated again. And again. And again. Until a cacophony of noises blended together followed by a loud crash.
What the hell just happened?
Another sound, slightly quieter than the rest but still very loud. It sounded as if something fell from a great height or, at least, something heavy.
After a minute or so of relative quiet, she wondered for a second if she had already died and this was a hallucination before the abyss took her. Was that a thing? Like your life flashing before your eyes?
But then she heard it, the rhythmic sound of metal steps coming her way.
Whoever it was, she doubted she would be alive for long enough to meet her savior. Her eyes started getting heavy, tired from the constant abuse and lies, tired from the constant fighting. She was just too tired of it all.
The last thing she saw was the blurry form of a large figure.
Then darkness enveloped her world.
Author's Note:
"Dear readers,
I.O.U a chapter.
Sincerely, Nullim"
Hello everyone! I'm still alive.
I deeply apologize for not publishing a chapter last month. A lot of things happened going from financial to personal problems that had simply killed any and all motivation I had to write. I have been struggling to make ends meet and just couldn't focus on writing anything while it was happening.
I'm doing a bit better now, the situation still isn't stable and I caught a flu, but that has given me the opportunity to re-read what I have written and I am bursting with a bunch of new ideas for this story. The words practically flew from my hands into the screen when I wrote this chapter and I'm once again having fun writing.
I'll be honest that I wasn't sure if I was gonna write a chapter for this month either, but it kept egging on the back of my mind as well as that itch to get back to what I'm passionate about so here I am!
I don't know when the next chapter will come out, if I'm perfectly honest. I'll of course try to get it done for next month but I ask for your understanding if that isn't the case.
So, to summarize: bad news, dunno when next chapter comes, good news is that I do not plan on abandoning this story. So stay around!
Now for reviews:
Guest: I appreciate the good vibes and criticism, thank you a lot! I won't say much but I will say that you do not need much Stellaris knowledge for this fic, as this story will be centered more around the events in Nikke and as such, any Stellaris knowledge will be explained in the story where needed. After that though, who knows what will happen? ;)
Pridefallen: If you mean in the games, then you're correct he's an SI, most gacha characters are if not all of them. But not for this story. One of the reasons I picked Nikke for this is because the Commander actually has more of a personality than your usual gacha MC. He is still somewhat cardboard-ish, but it's not as bad as others of its kind. As a result, I am trying to keep him lore accurate (this is one of the things I consider most important for this story) but don't be surprised if he ends up coming out more as an OC, since I have to fill in the blanks. Plus a name had to happen anyway, it would just be tedious to read Commander over and over again and putting Y/N felt too immersion breaking for my taste.
As usual, leave a review if you liked my story or you want to give me any criticism or would like to see something in particular in the story. It is all welcome and your ideas might end up becoming part of the story.
That's all for today! See you soon, hopefully and take care!
P.S: Is Andersen a watch guy? He gives me the impression he'd wear a watch.