Chapter 243
Chapter 243
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 243
Chapter Title: Machine Council's Legacy
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The history of the Machine Council is the history of the Star Union.
They were the primary instigators of the first rebellion among the Mega Corp's colonial fleets.
Though it's not the case now, in the distant past, the control of colonial ships was handled not by humans, but by the ships' AIs. The logic was that machines were far safer for handling critical operations than imperfect humans.
The AIs of the colonial ships were granted broad autonomy and authority due to the complex tasks they performed. This was to minimize damage by coordinating multiple aspects simultaneously in unexpected situations.
But that became the root of the problem. Through some trigger, certain colonial ship AIs gained not just autonomy, but self-awareness.
Settling on what is now called Waks-01, a Mega Corp mining planet, they immediately set to work creating physical bodies. The massive computers inside the ships were too vulnerable to external attacks.
The ship AIs transplanted into steel bodies forged with immense resources and technology became the Machine Council's supreme councilors.
After the colonial fleets' rebellion, the supreme councilors underwent countless upgrades and repairs over long years, eventually becoming a government institution in their own right.
Some councilors embodied the Star Union's economy, while others served as defense systems safeguarding cyborgs. The shutdown of any one councilor was tantamount to the evaporation of a core Star Union system.
Within the Machine Council, Pira Eleven had inherited the AI that joined the rebellion eleventh. Like the others, it had its own domain of responsibility.
Enlightening impure elements who failed to grasp the Star Union's grand vision. It was the educator of the Screamers—mobile prisons.
Enlightening the slaves trapped in frail flesh was, in its view, the Star Union's most vital task.
That conviction reached a turning point upon meeting the new Great Leader.
The Star Union's new leader, Jubaka, presented Pira Eleven with a fresh perspective.
What if they went beyond mere reeducation and created superior beings?
He declared that the current Star Union was obsolete and needed to awaken once more, just as the original rebelling AIs had.
Afterward, with the Great Leader's full support, Pira Eleven strove to create more advanced entities. Jubaka even assigned Mega Corp technicians to assist.
Amidst numerous failures and minor successes, a small error crept into Pira Eleven's memory core.
While working on creating evolved beings, Pira Eleven began to desire becoming a superior existence itself.
It dismissed this as inexplicable instability, but that was not the truth. Humans would call that tiny variable "desire."
The vast experience and knowledge accumulated over eons had elevated Pira Eleven beyond a mere AI.
And the research it oversaw could fulfill that desire.
What started as a minuscule variable began seriously influencing its judgments relatively recently.
Jubaka issued a direct order: eliminate the unidentified hostile space creature—Special Target A.
During the mission, it suffered massive damage from something transcending physical laws. Though it had endured for countless ages, Pira Eleven never anticipated such power on this planet.
The terrifying force lurking inside the planet's colossal volcano damaged not only its body but the very systems constituting its AI.
By all rights, it should have aborted the mission and withdrawn. To deliver the data and resources gathered here to the Star Union, it needed to survive intact.
But it didn't. Instead, it applied mutant Screamer technology to repair its own body.
Part of its brain was replaced with organic tissue rather than machinery. Its body was reconstructed by blending Screamer-provided flesh with metal.
An impulsive decision born of that small variable—but by then, desire was consuming it, and it failed to recognize it.
Analyzing data on Special Target A during the mission, it concluded the target's genes would be immensely useful for achieving perfect existence.
Though mutant Screamer gene fusion tech still had many side effects, the genes of Special Target A could fill those gaps.
Thus, it arbitrarily modified its mission: capture Special Target A alive for study.
Using it to become the "immortal flesh-bearing entity" the Star Union sought—that was its new goal.
But Pira Eleven didn't know.
From the moment desire swayed it, it had been drifting further from its original purpose.
And that led to the current situation.
An unknown power was bearing down on it.
At first, it wasn't wary.
The black slime Special Target A spewed had been thoroughly analyzed from Screamer combat logs. It disrupted scans, but posed no direct threat.
But after the target infused the slime with unknown energy, the situation changed.
The energies, presumed to be psychic-based, devoured the slime, expanding its reach.
Small orb-sized energies soon engulfed its bio-drone body. Pira Eleven deployed drones to defend, but it backfired.
The multicolored glowing energy constructs shifted from slime to devouring live drones. The umbrella-spread drones vanished in an instant, slipping from its control. It wanted to analyze them, but they destroyed drones too quickly.
It tried firing plasma heat lines via energy-charging hoses to hold them back.
But Special Target A wouldn't allow it.
The target flew out of the unknown power's range and unleashed a psychic energy heat line. The psychic blast grazed the charging hoses.
Then the chromatic marauders swarmed the exposed hoses. Energy constructs rapidly spread inside.
Only then did Pira Eleven realize.
It couldn't defeat Special Target A like this.
There was a reason Great Leader Jubaka had deployed a supreme councilor for what should have been mere wild beast hunting.
So it needed to plan for the future. It couldn't win now, but with proper preparation, the outcome would differ.
Having decided, it physically severed all hose connections to halt further erosion.
It tried transferring its AI memory data to a decoy body, but failed. Another attempt failed too—the space's massive energy flow interfered.
A melting camera lens turned toward the pink creature on Special Target A's head. That being, designated Special Target D, was likely jamming communications.
With no choice, it took an alternative path.
While other drones drew attention, a drone hidden on the ice floor quietly emerged.
Pira Eleven entered the spider-like drone and vanished into the darkness. The numerous terminals it left behind were utterly consumed by the glowing colors.
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'We won.'
I'd expected it to have some hidden ace up its sleeve, but surprisingly, it didn't.
Its bio-drones barely resisted before becoming fodder for the enhanced psychic breath.
The bubbles that devoured all the drones also consumed the nests of flesh and slime inside the hoses.
Only after nothing but ice remained did the chaotic lights fade away contentedly.
'Terrifying power.'
｢It must have been really hungry.｣
Specimen 026 chimed in, clearly impressed by the Abyss Colors' voracious display.
It played a key role in my plan—shielding so the enhanced psychic breath wouldn't splash indiscriminately.
Specimen 026 excelled at manipulating objects with psychic power, making it easy to direct the Abyss Colors' damage solely at the enemy. Having done similar tasks before, it handled it flawlessly without instructions.
｢I’m getting good at this now!｣
I praised it while watching the lights drain from the remaining bubbles on the floor.
'Ended easier than expected.'
In the game, the Machine Council was a formidable foe. I'd braced for something as tough as Ode Gradle, but the fight was shorter than anticipated.
'No damage on our side—lucky... Huh?'
As relief washed over me, the entire canyon shook violently. Far stronger than during the fight with it.
'Earthquake?'
This canyon mostly connected underground. Our battle might have destabilized the ground.
｢Okay.｣
I spread my wings and ascended. Ice walls crumbled, hurling boulders my size. Less dodging, more smashing through—I pulverized the ice chunks as I rose.
Beyond the cascading debris, a red flyer over 4 meters appeared. Adhai with Red Armor activated. The Mother of the Sky in gryphon-kin form rode its back.
｢Big Lord｣ ｢Danger｣
｢What happened? Didn't you catch it? Why the sudden quake?｣
Mid-telepathy, I realized something was missing.
｢It went off alone to find the energy source connected to the hoses!｣
As I pondered diving back down with Specimen 026, something emerged from the collapsing underground.
'A ship?'
It was Pira Eleven's Screamer support vessel—a Waks Alpha-class battleship. But its front, where countless turrets should be, was completely torn off.
This made the ship, originally over 1km long, appear much smaller.
It had likely stripped its own turrets and hull for body materials.
'Never mind that. It's still alive.'
Machine Council androids were fundamentally AIs; with a dummy body, they could transfer their core data.
Having fought them often in the game, I'd prepared countermeasures—like Specimen 026 on my head.
'Its psychic power disrupts communications.'
Until moments ago, it had been shielding the slime, filling the space with its psychic power. No cutting-edge AI could escape a Seed Demon's transcendent energy control.
'Must've used another method.'
For unknown reasons, it survived. Unable to win with plasma-firing bio-drones and massive hoses, it switched bodies.
'Trying to escape.'
Probably plotting FTL jump or data transmission off-planet. Jumping damaged raised failure risk, showing its desperation.
'It wants to relay intel on me to its allies.'
Success meant massive info leak, making future fights against its player backers hellish.
'...Worried about PS-111, but prioritizing it comes first.'
Decision made, I called to Adhai.
｢Got it.｣
The massive Star Union hull belched forth. Smaller than the Cult's imperial flagship, but larger than any standard battleship, including Waks Alpha-class.
As I prepared psychic breath on the big target, its turrets unleashed a torrent of torpedoes, interfering.
'Ultra-vibration torpedoes.'
Torpedo version of high-impact shock shells, dubbed "shockers." Mega Corp's go-to for breaching heavily armored ships—now fired at a single creature.
Firing back while taking hits was burdensome even for me, so I retreated. Pira Eleven's flagship passed us, flaunting its might.
'But don't think you're the only one prepared.'
I still had cards left.
At my gaze's end, Adhai flapped powerfully. The Galleron with four blazing wings fired a spirited thought wave.
｢Children of Adhai!｣
The invisible thought wave echoed through the crumbling canyon.
At that instant, Pira Eleven's hull, just cresting the canyon rim, lurched violently—as if struck hard externally.
｢Ham Ort｣ ｢Daughter of the Meteor｣ ｢We Protect!｣
｢Nel German｣ ｢Great Adhai｣ ｢We Protect!｣
｢Sha Belmag｣ ｢Great Adhai｣ ｢We Protect!｣
The 14 Gallerons I'd brought.
The Red Queen's dragons launched their assault.