From the soul gem construct, multiple machines started to take form, growing from the walls, floors, and ceilings; air ducts were created, runic lines to carry power.
Dave added in his gravitational runes along the floors and ceilings of the ship. These would make it so that the gravity inside the ship always remained the same.
Everywhere he looked, the different groups were creating the machines that would keep the ship functioning and make it battle ready.
Dave’s consciousness passed through these as he moved to raised sections of the soul gem construct in different areas. He ran control lines through the soul gem construct from the command center in the middle of the battleship to these modules. Runic lines started to form on these nodes, swirling together in a complex pattern and revealing powerful gravity runes that would allow the ship to maneuver in any direction.
Dave moved from node to node, checking out the connected systems. There were issues here and there but with a quick talk to those making these systems, they were able to work out the issues.
Dave and Ela-Dorn worked together, breaking up the job of creating the teleport coding. Time had no meaning in this place as they were all stuck in the excitement of building and seeing the results in front of their eyes.
All across the ship, different parts and sections were growing. The bland walls and simple areas were built up. Metal plates came together in one room, the different sections already created by a Dark mage, coming together as if they were part of a three-dimensional puzzle. Runic lines spread out and connected to the fusion plant, racing through the ship to connect to other systems.
Sections grew out from the soul gem construct, making complicated plates filled with runic lines. Storage areas were coded with holding runes, making them larger on the inside to store items. Power runic lines met up with completed machines and different parts of the ship, powering them on and bringing them to life.
Air filtration centers were created. They were based off the growing towers in Terra, and modified to increase their ability to clean air. Magical coding was laid in the different growing beds, to increase the rate of growth for the altered plants to unheard of speeds. They were capable of keeping the air within the battleship clean and breathable instead of using purely chemical means like the human ships that fought the Jukal did.
Heating and cooling were adjusted with heat and cold exchangers based off the much larger prototypes that were in the flying citadels on Emerilia. They could manage the temperature of the ship, while also creating power.
Modified fusion power plants based off the information from the Jukal, as well as the versions that Dave had made, were created. Dave’s fusion plant looked rudimentary compared to these newer versions. He had been making them simply to create more power in a shorter time; these new techs and researchers delved into the fusion plants, updating them, increasing their power output and decreasing the fuel consumption.
Beds had runes that would increase one’s Endurance, allowing them to get more rest in less time.
Teleporters, updated with magical coding instead of Magical Circuits and runes, were added in, as were onos, which allowed one to move throughout the ship at greater speed, or even between ships. A mix of gravity runes and Fire runes were created in order to move the ship. Although the gravity runes were extremely powerful, they were complicated. If they were damaged, repairing them would take a long time.
The Fire runes were pulled from destruction staffs, refined down to create the most thrust possible in the direction the coded runes were pointing. This gave them essentially thrusters to move the ship in every direction, without needing the thruster housing to direct the blast.
In the medical bay, there were beds covered in runes that would promote healing and recovery. They were similar to the ones Jules had in Terra but were heavily updated.
All of these items and many more were being built concurrently, using the best magical coding and current tech.
As issues came to light, machines that had been completed were destroyed and rebuilt again and again until they were perfected.
Missile tubes that had been formed outside the ship were all slotted in; attaching to the different structural members of the ship. The soul gem construct wrapped around them as power and control runic lines appeared, connecting to the opposite points on these tubes.
The different parts of the massive cannons came together in mid-air as they approached the battleship. The different structural members reached out, fusing to these cannons and securing them in place. The soul gem construct connected to them as well.
Dave stopped moving through the ship as he saw the interceptor modules come together. The different parts connected to one another—the disruptor spell formation and the twin runic line-covered barrels that fired Mana bolts, before they, too, were placed at different locations around the battleship.
The last of the weapon systems were completed. The soul gem construct grew once again, covering the exterior of the ship’s superstructure. Here and there, runic lining pushed out from the soul gem construct, creating lines down the length of the battleship.
The soul gem construct inside started to change colors as the floor turned black and became rough to have grip; the walls and ceilings became gray.
Inside the walls, there was thick runic lining that passed through the entirety of the ship. Along the ceilings, the runic lining that provided light stayed on, illuminating all of the different parts of the ship that were still under the process of being altered or created.
Beds grew from the walls; lockers were created; touchpads to turn on and off lights. Water lines were added; air locks and armored doors formed. Handrails grew from the walls in case the gravity runes failed; the crew and those aboard the ship could use these handles to move from place to place.
Dave appeared within the command center. The flat ground changed as runic lines like a swarm of snakes came in from across the walls, ceiling, and floor. They came together, reaching certain places; consoles grew out from these runic lines.
Others appeared in the room, working on these consoles, checking their functionality and doing tests. As failures were found, other groups would move through the ship, altering and changing things until everything was functional.
Seats were grown out from the ground as the forward area of the command center displayed screens that connected into runic lines running from the different consoles in the command center. There was a weapons fire control, a navigation, power management, shields and barriers, communication, sensors, and then the command staff.
All of these areas were separated by area of responsibility and setup to maximize efficiency and flow.
Looking upon the growing details of the command center, Dave felt a shift outside the battleship, turning his attention to that area, scouring it with sensing spells.
The layered armor and soul gem constructs all landed on the battleship’s sides, fusing with the superstructure of the battleship, and both metal and the soul gem construct that had grown throughout the ship.
Layer after layer fit perfectly together as they compressed and collapsed down onto the battleship. Each of them fit around the different weapon mounts and the holes in their side, allowing the raised sections from the soul gem construct to peek through.
Dave looked at it from the outside. Alterations were made here and there as the layered armor was pulled off and then re-applied. Dave moved to the different runes and control runes he had laid down, altering and changing them so that they worked perfectly.
The frantic building of earlier had died down as fewer and fewer items needed to be changed. It was like a wave as things were completed and left as they were.
The last air converter came together and lit up the runic lines connected to it.
Everyone looked through the battleship. Here and there, changes were made as they passed through a few times. From the drives, to the weapon systems and the structural supports—everything was reviewed and looked over.<
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They all left the battleship. None of them had anything to say as they studied its hull and the dangerous lines that shaped it.
The battleships in the slips at the asteroid base had an imposing aura, but to those who had made the systems of it, they had always felt that it was hollow. A good-looking toy with no functionality.
Now, as they looked upon this battleship, their hearts beat with pride.
Their demons about how the battleships would function in battle were pushed away. They knew that this battleship they had created was the best that they could have done.
It was an impressive piece of engineering, combining the magical abilities of Emerilia with the technology of Earth, the Jukal, and the vision of the players. It spoke of power, the cutting edge of magical technology possible.
The battleships before were all paper boats compared to this.
The aura that came from the completed battleship was of a powerful tool, craving to be used. It exuded power and strength, as if it would sweep away all who stood in its way.
Even being around it, all of those who had come together to make it; felt as if they could charge through the lines of anything they faced, destroying all who tried to stop them.
For a while, they studied it. All of the systems were running perfectly, ready and waiting for what was to come.
“Time we got some food.” Ela-Dorn’s words pulled them all out of the construction fugue that they had been in for an unknown time.
Thankfully, all of them had high Endurance from focusing on their projects so long.
Dave was shocked to see that a week had gone by as they had been working. The different problems that they had run into were not simple ones; it had taken them time and effort in order to break past them. Taking a week to create everything was still shocking.
Dave opened up his interface and logged off the Mirror of Communication.
He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. The seat he was in started to raise itself from its reclined position. His body felt tense and sore from sitting so long. He started to stretch, pausing midway as he looked into the middle of the room. Floating there, in the center of everything, was a scaled-down model of the battleship they had created within the Mirror of Communication conference room.
Dave had forgotten about the model. All of their efforts inside the conference room had been replicated and applied to this physical model once it was completed. Here and there, sections were being finalized as the model was only now updating everything had been confirmed.
“Looks like it’s time for us to start testing it,” Dave said.
With the scaled-down model, they could get Jeeves to put it through every test they could think of—see what the limits would be for a scaled-up version, spot any problems they had missed.
Dave opened up his interface. Using his administrator rights, he took the completed files and plans for the ships that they had created and Jeeves recorded, updating the battleships that were in the shipyard.
With his simple commands, automatons pulled apart armored panels while the soul gem constructs inside started to melt apart before reforming to meet the specifications that the design team had put together.
There were still going to be mistakes and things that needed to be fixed—Dave didn’t doubt that. However, now they had a ship that was functional and without the major issues he had found with the first versions of the battleships.
“Looks like we’ve got some visitors.” Malsour sent Dave a report on multiple stealth ships appearing from the peripheral of the Nal system, moving to where the Sprite was located and they had begun work on an asteroid that they were going to build their outpost on.
These ships dropped off gear and personnel who got to work hollowing out the asteroid.
“There have also been requests by Captain Xue and Councilmember Lisdel to meet with you and discuss the future of working together,” Malsour said.
“A council member?” Dave frowned, feeling uncomfortable. “Why do I have a feeling that things have become a little bit more complicated?”
“Well, whatever the case, we run this side of things—it doesn’t matter what they try to do,” Malsour reminded Dave.
“True, but I don’t want to isolate the people who might be able to help train our people how to fight and work in space better,” Dave said. “Which reminds me—Jeeves!”
“Yes, Dave?” Jeeves’s voice came through the ceiling.
“Take the plans for the battleship version two and upload them to the Mirror of Communication training simulators. See if the trainees can find any issues with the new version and get used to it so that they’re not all messed up when it comes time to fight in them,” Dave said.
“I will give them an overview and update the ships when they are waiting between battles,” Jeeves said.
“Good. And what were the results of the simulation for the portals with the new upgrades?” Dave asked.
“They were all positive, but they will need verification due to unknown factors that I cannot simulate within the Mirror of Communication,” Jeeves said.
This was why they made prototypes. The Mirror of Communication was really good for testing out different things, but it wasn’t perfect. There were always extra things to consider when they were being used in real life, which was why everything they did was so rigorously tested to try to find out what those flaws would be before they were needed.
It was also why a number of the different people who had worked to create battleship version two were now around the scaled-down model, running tests on it to make sure that their fixes had worked.
Dave let out a sigh as a sense of satisfaction filled him. They were that much closer to having not only a battleship but a fully functional one.
“So, what next?” Malsour asked.
“Next we ramp up our production as much as possible, issue out quests for the different players to speed things up. I want to have that new aerosol healing potion ready for Emerilia as well as those healing beds to Terra. I want to manufacture enough personal orbs for everyone to help them out with the coming battle between the Pantheon.
“I want to bring the other leaders of the Terra Alliance in on this and get their people ready for the fight that’s to come and I want to have a fleet that is capable of going up against the Jukal and can ensure the safety of Emerilia,” Dave said.
“Well, then I guess we should lend a hand to the refinery being built first,” Malsour said.
Dave sighed and nodded.
“Dave, Malsour!” Ela-Dorn said as she saw the two of them making to leave.
“What’s up?” Dave asked.
“The council member and Captain Xue still need to see you,” she reminded them.
“That’s all you.” Malsour moved away.
“Ah, but aren’t we good friends who love to support each other?” Dave wrapped his arm around Malsour’s shoulders.
Malsour let out a heavy sigh before he rolled his eyes. “Well, let’s get this done with sooner rather than later.”
“That’s the spirit!” Dave said with enthusiasm and teleported the two of them out of the room.
***
Captain Xue looked at the work that was going on at what was to be the Deq’ual system’s outpost.
Councilmember Lisdel had retired to his quarters. People hadn’t complained about him yet, but the man was overbearing and it was clear that he came from the group that believed the Emerilians to be some sort of half-breed.
Every sentence he talked about the Emerilians was derisive and confrontational. He talked over those who were even voicing neutral opinions, saying that the Emerilians were “hiding their true intentions,” or “not true humans who are worthy of our trust.”
Xue’s hand tightened in anger before he let out a cold breath. Of course, the politician had not been without his extras. He was “reporting” back to the people of the Deq’ual system every day, boasting of the work that the Deq’ual military were doing, making
the Emerilians’ achievements look as if they were nothing important.
Xue had been apprehensive of the Emerilians at first. But as they had come to work together, searching for an asteroid and the Emerilians even sending over a few of their automated miners to start the building, he’d come to realize that the Emerilians were helping them more than they were helping them. Once he realized this and all of the things that the Emerilians were effectively giving them, he had made sure that no matter what the small things that they asked for; were on time and done to the highest standard.
As soon as Lisdel showed up, he’d had Xue get rid of the automated miners by the Emerilians. Then he’d had the gall to take a picture after they had left, telling about the great and impressive work that the Deq’ual military were doing.
It grated on the nerves of most of the military members there.
Taking credit for someone else’s work didn’t make them feel good; it made them feel cheap. They wanted their own accomplishments to show through.
Xue’s eyes moved to the growing asteroid base. There were now three ships from the Deq’ual system. Two of them were filled with supplies and personnel to help turn the asteroid into a base.
The work was much slower without the Emerilians’ help, who were ready and willing to help. Xue looked up from the asteroid base. The screen in front of him showed outlines around several different asteroids. These ranged from ones that were simply being hollowed out for resources, and the ones that were being made into bases.
Their production speed was something that even the home Deq’ual system couldn’t match, no less the outpost that they were building in the Nal system.
He pulled his eyes from the screen in front of him and checked his armored plates, breathing apparatus, and sidearm. As he moved through the checks, his brows were knitted in thought. He had watched the different battles that were happening on Emerilia. Flying citadels moved between different locations; everywhere they went, they used everything they had to pummel the races that had made it through the portal locations. The Emerilians in the towns and cities were also pushing back, while different forces were regrouping. Even though the Emerilians were getting some semblance of peace back and security, even Xue sensed that a storm was brewing. Simply too many people and beasts had stopped fighting and seemed to disappear overnight.
The Pantheon Moves Page 12