On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Four Hundred And Twenty-Six

“Now, I may be a beautiful genius…” Shiro said, looking at the box of crystal cubes. “…but science isn’t my specialty. I know a bit, but… what’ll happen when the aether runs out and the Alchemy device returns to the Boundary? Aren’t a lot of pure elements a little explosive, poisonous or worse?”

“Of course. That is why we have started small-scale.” Ixitt pointed out. “I do admit a fascination for the principles of explosions and chemical reactions. I fear those of us of a more spiritual leaning are often more interested in the end results, not the process. Aether is powerful, a mediator of laws and principles, but that which is not truly understood will never reach the heights of true power.”

A mediator of laws and principles? An interesting phrase… At Ixitt’s words, I thought of my own experiences. It seemed to be largely true, and the same definitely applied to elements as well, otherwise Shaeula wouldn’t have grown stronger when she started to understand the actual composition and effects of the air, and the movements of it. Aether costs are lessened and it’s far easier to do something we understand is possible. It can still achieve potentially impossible feats, like creating matter out of seemingly nothing, but then, is that actually truly impossible?

I wasn’t Arisu-san, with her keen interest in physics, and as Ixitt went on to explain that this was just a testing device, and the actual planned factory would funnel the separated solids, liquids and gases into a number of specially prepared holding tanks, I found myself thinking about her. A talk show, huh? I’ve been on TV before, there was the reporter in Kyoto that interviewed me, and the press conference in London, but… oh well, I’m honestly not sure whether I’ll be the star of the show or not. Arisu-san certainly has that ice-cold charisma, and quite the backstory of tragedy, betrayal and revenge. But in our experiments with her Room, I had realised that what seemed impossible likely wasn’t. Matter can be created from nothing, right? Else how did our universe start? I think Quantum Mechanics allows all sorts of weirdness, like you can pass through solid objects, the chance is just so small that you’d need to try for many times the age of the universe for the necessary states to align…

With those thoughts in mind, I saw Ixitt produce a small device made of silver and crystal, in which was placed a blue Etherite, which surprised me. “I thought you were saving the blue ones for artificial Ether Spires?” My Eye flared, showing me the description.

Artificial Boundary To Material Connection – This genius work of Mortal Engineering allows a small area of your Territory that you have full ownership of in the Material that is connected to a Boundary area that you also control to be supplied with energy, pulling Ether and Aether from the Astral and dispersing it over the surrounding small area.

I see. That’s certainly useful if it stacks, and it seems like it does… The Device shone, a rainbow glow glittering across the metal and blue Etherite. Ixitt looked to have inserted some sort of fuel, a powder of red and orange, and soon my Eye could notice the difference in density. It’s not a huge gain, but on top of what we already have…

“Fortunately, now we have trade with the Night Parade, our supply of higher-end Etherites has increased. And the artificial Ether Spires are condensing a number of red and orange ones.” He rubbed his hands in glee. “This device was the hardest to manufacture, I am afraid green Etherites are unable to take the strain. If only there was a way to get our hands on the precious indigo or violet ones…” His expression was greedy, wistful.

“Speaking of the Hyakki Yagyō…” Shaeula said, smiling wickedly at Ginneka. “…we can now-now fulfil our promise. You will be working hard, cat.” As Ginneka made a mewling noise of surprise, Shaeula looked at Asha and Shiro. “I would test-test the ability of this thieving cat to bring alcohol to the Boundary. Not-not only for trade, but for my grand-grand opening of the Spring. I wish to impress, and also extract as much-much wealth from the powerful of the Court as I can.” Her smile was now positively wicked. “This all depends on the cat though.”

“I’m sure she’ll be helpful, right?” I said, and Ginneka hurried to agree. I turned to Kana’s father. “I don’t suppose you can do me a favour and go shopping for booze? Get a mixture of beers, wines, spirits and some high-end stuff too. You can keep a few bottles for you and your family as well. Karen-chan will sort you out with the money.”

With that agreed, the girls agreed to return to the Boundary and sample the drinks extensively, making the excuse they had to thoroughly test the effects and potency of the transfer. Leaving them to it, I continued talking with Ixitt, admiring the device.

“So, it’s fuelled by Etherite powder?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Not exactly. The power comes from the ambient ether, the powder is an accelerant, a catalyst, much as the blue Etherite is. The materials are spectacular, quite unlike anything from the Seelie Court. Study of it and the Materia Tree is advancing Mortal Engineering by leaps and bounds. There are still some areas they are insufficient though.” He launched into a grand speech about the types of materials needed. The silver metal was adequate for most purposes, and the crystals and Etherites worked for other things, but apparently wires to transmit aether were missing, as bluesteel could be spun to transmit elements, but had very poor efficiency with aether.

“For now I am spinning the silver metal into strands, but it is a labour and aether-intensive process. Wires and threads are crucial, so a workaround would be a great breakthrough.” He finished. “I had considered one possibility…” He looked at the girls, who shivered.

“I’m getting a bad feeling all of a sudden…” Shiro said, and Ixitt waved one hand.

“It is nothing to be concerned about. I have seen old records of silk from ancient spiders being used to inlay certain magical circles and runes. Apparently the silk takes on the properties of the spider itself. So I thought that hair from those with great power would work similarly…” As he spoke, all of the girls covered their heads protectively.

“No way! A girl’s hair is her life. If you think you’re having mine, you’re mad!” Shiro denied him. Shaeula followed up with a similarly angry refusal.

“You would not-not wish to see my beautiful amber locks shorn away, would you?” she asked me, and I sighed. I’m not fussy, but I do love long hair on girls. But…

“Yes, none of you would be right with short hair, but Ixitt does raise one interesting point. But we won’t be experimenting on any of you.” I promised. “We’ve all been strengthened, but I wonder, does it apply to hair as well? Ordinary hair has tensile strength comparable to steel, so…” I pulled a few strands free from my own head. “I’m curious. Run some tests.” I handed the strands to Ixitt.

“Of course. Load bearing, aether throughput… but your hair is too short to be much use…” Ixitt wheedled.

“If the results are good, I’ll experiment with regrowing hair with Ether Healing. If, and only if that works, we’ll ask for suitable volunteers to donate.” The girls looked extremely put off, but Ginneka was the one shivering now, seeing me looking. A shapeshifter can definitely replace shorn hair…

“I think we should change the subject, Aki.” Shiro told me. “Now I could really use those drinks. You come too, Aki. No point being able to be in two places at once if you can’t make use of it.”

“That’s a good idea. I can better understand Ginneka’s grasp on the Divine Favour.” I agreed. “But before that…” Ixitt was setting up a number of small silver spires. “…what are we testing?”

“There is so much, I can hardly wait to start.” Ixitt chortled. “But the key element is… sustainability. Much as I would like, we cannot have Ginneka constantly returning key equipment to the mortal world.”

“I should think not, nya. I agreed to help, but I am a woman of leisure, nya. I deserve fair treatment!”

Ignoring that interjection, he continued. “You have considered the same issue. Now…” he brought up a design schematic on one of his tablets. “…the weight of accumulated trash per cubic metre varies by type, from around eight thousand kilograms for steel and other metal waste, to less than two hundred and fifty kilograms for general household wastes. A cubic metre seems the ideal volume for the alchemical devices to work with. Yes, for some wastes, such as old fridges, cars, heavy machinery… a cutting process would be required. After all, damage to the waste is irrelevant.”

His schematics showed the underground factory split into several parts. A huge storage facility, where waste would be sorted into rough types. Fortunately, unlike traditional recycling there was no real problem if other types crept in, so that was one time and labour-intensive overhead saved. There would then be transport belts that would move the waste to the cubes, heavier, more cumbersome items such as household appliances and cars routed through an automated cutting area first, where robotic arms would slice up large objects into manageable chunks.

“I see. It’s a production line, and again, unlike manufacturing, the robotics on the line can be relatively cheap and crude, as we don’t need precision.” I mused. “It’ll take a lot of power to run though…”

“Here.” He pointed. “The underground will be supplied with electricity by a bank of hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen is sourced from our own recycling, and the produced water can be routed into a chamber for recycling and the hydrogen then resupplied. A virtuous circle. Eventually, we would replace these with our own prototype battery and generation technology, but… one thing at a time.”

“That sounds amazing. But isn’t it impossible?” Kana asked. She had stayed behind when her father left, since she wasn’t going to be of much use buying alcohol. “I’m not the best student, I do enough to keep up appearances, but I know such free energy schemes violate the laws of… uh, I’m being stupid, aren’t I?” she flushed red, embarrassed.

“No, not really.” Shiro laughed. “It’s kind of cute, girl. Anyway, it’s not a closed system, we are adding extra power from the Boundary, in terms of aether, right? So it only seems like some perpetual motion scam device.”

Asha, who was looking at the display, somewhat confused, shook her head. “This world is too strange for me to grasp, but… I understand you are doing it to make the world clean again.”

“And of course, to profit greatly.” Shaeula puffed out her chest proudly. “Money makes this mortal world-world go round. Without wealth, our dreams are simply that-that. Dreams. But yes, the mortal world has many-many wonders and delights I would not-not be without now I have tasted them, but there are the ugly things too. Dirt, waste, poverty, crime. All-all should be eliminated in the world we will inherit. There are similar issues that plague the Seelie Court too. Incompetence. Malice, enemies within and-and without. Lack of entertainment, boredom, malaise.”

“Yeah. I would say there’s no way that humanity can ever pull together, but… an outside threat such as whatever might be coming could do the trick. But we’ll plan for the worst. Carry on.” I said to Ixitt, who then detailed a large number of Alchemy devices, where cubic metres of waste were poured in, disassembled, and the materials moved to large storage containers of various types. Some were pressurised, for gases, others were heavily reinforced due to containing dense metals, and there were some others made of special materials to store incredibly hazardous elements with high oxidising or basic properties. The storage tanks were then mobile, able to be moved on a system of rails to go outside to be taken away, and replacement storage tanks easily slotted in.

Shiro whistled, seeing an animated demonstration of it. “Damn, the start-up costs are going to be brutal.”

“Indeed. And that is not all. Above-ground, there will be a second facility.” He showed details of more production-lines. “These are the production site for the proposed battery technologies, as well as the joint project with Ichijou house. With access to materials from below, the cost basis should be reduced to the minimum.”

“So what are you doing with that Mayumi girl?” Shiro asked, and Ixitt brought up more schematics.

“They wanted weapon-tech, being as Ichijou house is the premier manufacturer of armaments in Japan.” He pointed out. “And also some other profitable side projects, such as light and strong composite materials. Even split between us, I anticipate large profits, Though our battery and recycling technologies are not in scope of the agreement, and the wealth from that falls to us.”

“Hinata will be smiling so much her head will explode.” Shiro smirked. “She’s got quite the rivalry going with that other girl. Friends hate to lose to each other. It’s probably why Yasu is so wound up right now. His harem dreams have been stolen by one of his friends. If you started going out with Hisano, that would push him over the edge, Aki. I’m almost tempted to see it” Her grin was wicked.

I held in a sigh. “Come on, she’s just a trainee. Sure, now I know she’s Yasu-san’s cousin, I’m keeping more of an eye on her, but… there’s nothing going on there!”

“For once I believe Akio.” Kana jumped in. “I’m in change of the trainees, so I spend a lot of time with them. Though Hisano-chan is grateful. She’s changed a lot. She’s got some confidence now. But she’s not stupid. She knows her place. Going up against us is too big an ask for any normal girl. That way only heartbreak lies.”

“Us, huh? Think highly of yourself, don’t you, Kana?” Shiro said, and she laughed proudly.

“Of course I do. You should too. After all, we’re the ones that Akio pursued!” She struck her chest for emphasis.

“You’re right.” Shiro said, a little surprised. “I never thought about it like that.”

“Back on topic…” I changed the subject, as it was getting a little uncomfortable. “What sort of volumes are we talking? Getting the waste to the site and the refined materials out might be challenging based on the location of the site.”

“Of course. I have planned for that as well.” Ixitt said proudly. “Schematics for underground tunnels with transportation trains leading to the Sagami bay. Goods can be shipped in via sea, or by road and rail.”

“Shit, aren’t tunnels under Tokyo like a hundred billion per kilometre? And these ones look bigger and deeper. I doubt even Mayumi’s rich family can swallow that cost upfront.” Shiro pointed out.

On seeing the plans, I had a flash of inspiration. “No, but… if we have access to a lot of wielders of earth element, and potentially even just a large number of those who can use aether… coupled with artificial Boundary to Material Connections… no… ugh… I can see my ether being spent brutally…”

“Yes. If you purchase the land along the proposed route…” Ixitt wheedled. Fortunately most of it was under existing roads, so the nominal ownership agreement would apply and I wouldn’t need to spend money to buy it.

“It’s one hell of an investment, but even if you think long-term… having a large underground recycling facility and production lines could be useful in an apocalypse.” Shiro pointed out. “Moving the weapon production lines below-ground…” she pointed to a large open space on the schematic that wasn’t being used. “…we have to prepare for the worst, right? And…”

“Yes. A smaller tunnel, just for people, linking to our prospective new home in central Tokyo.” I traced the line. “Basically, everything will be a fortress. A very expensive fortress.”

“Of course, this is all assuming we can scale the technology.” Ixitt had finished assembling his devices. “And for that, we need to know just how Ginneka’s abilities work. Hence this setup.” He pointed to the structures, which my Eye told me were Artificial Warehouses. He took out a number of small metal balls, and they vanished inside. “Now, we wait. One we will force to drain the aether within it rapidly, a couple as controls, one we will try and see if we can replenish the aether manually, and these…” he pulled out more devices. “I would see if we can convert electricity to aether. After all, lightning is electricity, no?”

At his mad-scientist grin I found I was getting interested myself. I miss crafting items. I haven’t done it in a while, not needing to, having Ixitt and Bjarki on hand. But… I still have a few ideas of my own, and some of the skills and classes help out in other ways. Perhaps I should get involved. I have the ability to be in two places at once now, so surely I have some extra time…

********

“Seems to work just fine.” Shiro grinned, a little red-faced, as she poured out more shots of whiskey. “Go on Tsukiko, drink up. This is really good stuff! You too Eri. No point worrying about being underage here, is there?”

Shaeula had needed no invitation and was rather intoxicated already. Empty beer cans were scattered around her, faint traces of aether still clinging to them as she drank from her own bottle of strong spirits. Ginneka was curled up into a ball, sipping at some sake, and her bemused brother also had some liquor in his hands.

Meanwhile, I was also watching Ixitt’s experiments, and the results were exceptionally fascinating. As expected, exhausting all of the aether more rapidly would dismiss an object, but it could be supplemented when Laverna’s blessing was already applied, much like I could keep people with inferior Chakra networks in the Boundary by topping them up with Chirurgery. What was even more interesting was that Ixitt had moved into testing basic items, such as a brick, a bar of iron, bluesteel, dwarven iron and silver, and the materials from my Buildings and the Materia Tree. Bluesteel and the dwarven metals vanished back to the Boundary more quickly, as we had anticipated, as they were not native to the Material, but…

“So why do the resources from the Tree last longer than even bricks or iron bars?” I mused.

“I believe it might be their special nature.” Ixitt was overjoyed at the results. “They are extremely sensitive to ether, elemental energies and perhaps more…”

“Yeah, adherence at the least.” I agreed.

“It seems that the efficiency of imbued aether is high, and perhaps…” He moved several more outside the area of the artificial Connection. “…it absorbs some of the ambient ether. If so, the difference in density should show a time variance in their existence here.”

“If it follows some sort of linear rule, that would confirm it.” I suggested, and Ixitt agreed.

“In addition, destroying the object seems to hasten the departure.” Ixitt concluded, looking at a number of destroyed objects. “But changing it in certain ways…” He looked at the pool of molten iron I had created by melting a block of metal. “…has seemingly no effect on the time it remains. Now, I wonder… what about alloying?”

As we discussed this, I was also observing the alcohol. Drinking it didn’t make it disappear, as it wasn’t destroyed, at least not immediately, but I was still half-expecting it to vanish eventually. Would that remove the effect, as if it was never drunk in the first place? If so, that has both plusses and minuses… I have to say, testing the booze with the girls is more enjoyable though, especially… I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the girls ply Tsukiko-san with alcohol. It was then my attention was back on the Material though, as a military motorcade pulled up at the base of the shrine, and out got several soldiers, including one of the military Chosen I didn’t know that well, escorting a downcast and submissive woman.

Once they arrived at the Shrine where Ixitt was setting up a portable forge, ready to begin mixing together various substances, the solider saluted me. “Oshiro-san, we have brought the prisoner to be handed over into your custody. If you could sign this…” He pushed some documents my way on a clipboard, and after scanning them to make sure nothing was untoward, I signed them.

“In that case, I will be going.” He said, but not before shooting a sharp look at Nie Ling, who shrunk under the anger. As they left, I pushed down my complex feelings about her and offered my hand.

“How does it feel to be outside?” I asked, and after a moment she shook my hand lightly and I could feel her trembling, her eyes watery.

“It is… not unpleasant.” She said in Chinese. “But… I don’t know what my future holds, or what the right decision was.”

“Who ever does? It’s lovely when the easy thing is the right thing, but quite often we have to choose between a number of wrong things. For tonight you’ll have to stay here at the training school. Don’t worry, there’s a number of spare rooms available still.”

She nodded. “I understand. I… suppose that is all I can hope for. I can’t return to China, not now.”

“No, even if we’d let you go, which isn’t really an option, you wouldn’t have a good time there.” I agreed. Considering the damage the invasion caused to already fragile Japan-China relations, and also the fact she betrayed their so-called Department for Managing Divine Mysteries, she’d be whisked off for interrogation, and likely liquidation. She knows too much.

“I never asked for this…” she said again, and I sighed.

“I know. But then a lot happens in life we didn’t want, we just have to make the best of it. It’s not like I’m going to torture you. But you will work hard.” I promised sternly. She flinched, but nodded after a moment, acknowledging her position.

As I glanced over at the busy Ixitt, I outlined her first task. “Now, if you could send a few people into their dreams, bringing them here… that would be a good start.”

“Here?” She seemed incredulous. “This is reality, not a dream.”

“Hey, to them, we are but a dream. Just like the butterfly dreaming it was a person. It’s all about perspective.” I said softly, and I was thinking that her whole situation was a matter of perspective, different from wherever she was standing. Yes, it’s easy to decide from one viewpoint, but… that’s not how life works…

********

“We meet again.” Eri said coolly, and Nie Ling looked down, chastened. Eri let out a bored, irritated sigh at that. “Oh, do grow up. I get you like feeling sorry for yourself, but… one of the victims of your invasion is here. She died and nearly had her spirit eaten.”

At that, Nie Ling seemed surprised, and the elegant Tsukiko-san nodded regally, though her faintly red cheeks and slight sway betrayed that she was rather drunk. I glanced over at the others, and Shaeula shrugged, her smile cheeky.

“Yes, I am Matsumuro Tsukiko, the Diviner. I was killed by that which threatened you. If it was not for these who risked their all to save me…” She looked at me, Shaeula, Shiro and others gratefully. “…I would not exist. As it is, I am here in spirit, unable to return to the life I lived. And many would envy me. But for the Definite being overthrown by those who do not know how to give up…” Her smile was genuine and heartfelt, and somehow alluring. “… not just those that died as a direct result of your actions would lament. No, how many thousands, tens of thousands would be devoured? The great golden-eyed fiend is rapacious, ravenous. It would eat and eat until nothing remains.”

“I know that…” she whispered. “But I surely have the right to look out for myself?”

“If yooou do…” Hyacinth growled, having been quiet up until now. “…then yooou can not complain when we use yooou for our own ends. Hyacinth… I have dooone bad things, I know it, though I dooo not remember.” She looked away, her silver-violet eyes full of deep emotions. “…so I make amends. If nooot to the victims of my actions, then tooo those who wish to stop future sadness. The world is cruel. I dooo sympathise. For Akio and the mistresses I wooould do terrible things, worse than to the Myconids.” She shuddered. “But sympathy will nooot stop me using you. Now, dry your tears, woman. Self-pity is ooonly a temporary comfort to yourself, it will never heal yooou. Only doing for ooothers will save your heart. Trust me, Hyacinth knooows well.”

“She is right.” Shaeula agreed, going over to give Hyacinth a hug. “We did not-not show the Myconids mercy, for they deserved none. We have killed, and perhaps we could have handled matters in other ways. But there is no-no turning back the past. Only the future. You made your choice. It might have been between a bad-bad and a worse, but you still chose. Now prove yourself worth the sacrifices you forced on others. If so, I will say-say your choice was right. If not-not…” she didn’t finish, but the withering contempt in her amber eyes was plain.

“I… all right. I know.” Nie Ling pouted. She looked to Daiyu for sympathy, but she had none to give, being on the other side of the battle, despite their circumstances and flight from China being similar. Seeing that, Nie Ling sighed bitterly. “I’ll pay for my survival.”

“Good. And if you do, one day… no, let’s not talk about the future. But the now. So…” I pointed to a number of Mortal Engineers waiting eagerly, as well as the leader of the weaselkin musicians, Tillyae. Shaeula had long wanted to bring mortal music to the Boundary and lower Astral, but a Throne slot for Tillyae seemed wasteful. But if she can be sent to the Material for a few hours here and there, she can learn our songs and teach them to her musicians. I wonder if they would actually give benefits like their own songs do?

As she set to work, struggling at the concept of sending them the other way, I asked Shiro to buff her. She rolled her eyes at me, but she did it, and soon the first couple of weaselkin vanished, and over in the Material my other body watched in surprise as they appeared, blinking and confused for a moment, the shimmer of aether around them visible even to the naked eye.
“At last… helpers!” Ixitt crowed triumphantly, and as several more appeared, including Tillyae, I grimaced. Wow, unlike all those who had a Throne, these ones are here in their ordinary appearance… just wow. Echoing my sister, I pinched my nose, feeling a headache coming on. So it works, but this complicates things a bit…