A Bio-Weapon’s Rhapsody

Chapter 302: Hello darkness my old friend.

The day ended up as normal that day, after the talk and planning came to a lull when they noticed the biggest flaw of their strategy. They couldn't be sure how much the data they had been given was good. Most, if not all, depended on the city to be placed in the Arctic Circle.

As [Big Sister] had helpfully pointed, half of the facilities didn't make sense or were needed if the city was placed in the middle of the ocean. For one they didn't need to worry that much about the thermal load of the city.

That is to say, they didn't need to worry about producing heat, since they would not be surrounded by ice. Instead they would be in the middle of the ocean, so if anything that would change part of the working within the city. As they would need to worry more about water leaking into the innards of the city.

Also, it would need some work to safeguard the city from all the saltwater. But that would need to wait till they arrived to the city.

Since Ale didn't need to rush her return they would take the slow way back and board one of the airplanes that would be departing there with the rest of students.

Which was a surprise, as it seems airplane travel was indeed not as common as one would expect, then again, Ale knew that the megafauna was an issue. But she had made it in one go right? She didn't think it would be that hard.

But [Big Sister] had an answer ready for that.

That is to say, "You came back in the equivalent of a motorcycle, didn't the big ass plane ditch you mid way because it was dangerous for it to approach?" And that was true.

Well, partially true. She had asked to be left down...

Not that the plane wasn't at risk, as the plans for it to crash into the ground that they had showed her.

But that was besides the point, apparently the Saintsworths had hired several [Heroes] and [Villains] to safeguard the planes. Plus the bodyguards of the parents of the students.

That had been quite smart from Alexanders, the man had paired the planes with enough rich heirs that every plane had enough bodyguards, and since half the passengers were commoners. They would don't need to spend as much money hiring bodyguards.

Since the parents of those rich kids would hire or send their own bodyguards all by themselves. The travel was that dangerous.

As for the Saintsworths heirs?

They would arrive via teleportation thanks to the artifacts. That or orbital insertion like how Ale had planned to return here. Ale didn't doubt that Alexanders could have teleported her back if he really wanted to do it. But she would pretend to not notice that tidbit of information, just as much as he pretended to also not know.

And now?

Well, "Are you sure you are okay here?" [Big Sister] asked for the third time as Ale finished changing into her pajamas, this was an extra spare that [Big Sister] had, so it was quite big for her.

"I am fine," Ale answered, "The big blouse trope looks good on me too, doesn't it?"

"...You are too young to show that look to anyone else," [Big Sister] said shaking her head, "I can take this one and you could sleep in the bigger bedroom."

"It's fine," Ale said yet again, "This is your apartment and I am crashing here. I could probably pester Alexanders and he would give me an apartment...or a building... Probably a building wouldn't he?"

"... If not you can sleep with me." [Big Sister] said totally ignoring her comment, "The bed is big enough. I'll have you know I am a hugger though."

"I won't impose that much," Ale said shaking her head, "Good night [Big Sister]."

"Good night then..." [Big Sister] said as she walked out of the room.

Well, calling it a room would be somewhat of a stretch, it was a small office that Ale had requisioned from [Big Sister] and where she put some bedding and would call it a room.

She had just put an inflatable mattress in a corner and would spend the night here. [Golem] had returned to his own apartment after they decided their plan of action, that is to say, travel to Aquila and spend some time mapping the place.

And now that Ale was here, alone in this dark room, she could go over what she had learned.

"Main Core, report." Ale said aloud as she let herself fall into her bedding, "Any evidence that someone is listening in?"

[No evidence of listening devices within area.]

[No evidence if Mana tampering to pick up on sound waves.]

[No evidence of Mana being used to reproduce the sound waves within area.]

[Care is advised as Subject Sylph may have means to achieve this from afar, since her mastery over Space Mana is unknown.]

That sounded about right. But Ale still sighed at the mention of that.

What she had found was... worrying.

"Alexa, you there?" Ale said aloud next, this was worrying her. Alexa had giggled, laughed and at some points commented about what Ale was doing, but after she talked to the older asshole...

Nothing.

"Alexa?" Ale said once again sitting straight, "Main Core, where is Alexa?"

[Sending hail.]

[...]

[Sending ping.]

[Echo request sent.]

[Reply to ping received from Alexa.]

[Time = 0.4 attoseconds to receive response.]

[Receiving transmission.]

[Translating transmission.]

"Alexa is angry." And afterwards the voice of Alexa sounded at the back of her mind, albeit... somewhat muted. As if Alexa was speaking through a pillow.

"What happened Alexa?" Ale asked as she sighed in relief, lying on her back once more.

"Ale is being a meanie." Alexa grumbled, still her voice somewhat muffled.

"...I am?" Ale asked confused, "I am sorry for ignoring you, but so many things happened in quick succession that I couldn't talk to you before."

Ale had not willingly ignored Alexa, but after what happened with the older asshole, she did notice that the changes had been too extreme, for one, she had the feeling that it was no longer possible to accelerate her awareness indefinitely like before.

"...You don't hate Alexa?" Alexa asked, Ale could imagine her, hugging the pillow and pouting.

"I could never hate you," Ale said shaking her head and closing her eyes, "Do you mind if I come over?"

"Ale can always come!" Alexa answered promptly, "Alexa loves having Ale around!"

And before Ale could flick the metaphorical switch that she used to return she got... something weird.

Notice:A key towards the Domain of Alexa is being offered.

Do you accept the call?

Y/N?

[We have received a data packet, Mistress.]

[Please give me some time to process it through the firewall.]

"It's fine Main Core." Ale said shaking her head, "I'm coming over Alexa."

And with a mental command, Ale accepted this new blue screen's message. Her eyes felt heavy as they closed and Ale fell into a slumber. To the outside world it would look as if the girl had fallen asleep.

The only thing that remained was a slight shine that showed through her eyes, but even that slowly faded away.

[...]

[Starting forced diagnosis mode.]

[Setting up preventive measures.]

[Preparing backup.]

[Preparing reanimation measures.]

[Setting up psychological exams.]

[Setting up decontamination procedures.]

[Please be safe Mistress.]

------------------------------------

Ale felt her awareness sink and fold into itself, and as if her body crossed a threshold and broke past an invisible wall, she felt herself turn into motes of light only to reform once again in the apartment within the mindscape of Alexa.

"...That was weird," Ale said as she shuddered and turned to look around, the apartment felt... sterile in a way that she hadn't noticed before. "Any reason for the weird invite and the even weirdest way to come back here?"

"It's not Alexa's fault!" Alexa quickly said raising her hands in a cross in front of her, "Ale was the one who left!"

"... I did?" Ale asked confused, she didn't remember doing anything of the such though, "How?"

"Alexa doesn't know!" Alexa said grumbling, "Alexa was eating her snackies when the screen turned black and she couldn't see anything! She wanted to go out to check, but... "

Alexa pointed at one of the walls, one that Ale had not noticed before, a wall filled with photos of people they had meet and talked to.

"Ale was still there, and she looked fine." Alexa stood up and pointed one of the pictures there, "And if Ale was okay and Alexa went out... it could mess up things..."

Ale walked to the wall and saw the photos, "Alexandra..." Or to be precise, one of them. The photo of Alexandra was in a monochrome scale, it was white and black photo. "So this is how you track our state?"

Ale wasn't sure what to think about it, or about the fact that there were other people up there.

Alexanders was there, obviously. All smug and looking down at the camera as if he was somehow superior.

The purple haired woman was too, only her photo was more of a selife with Alexanders at the back working.

Miriam Eversoul, Vivian Kellet, [Eleanore], [Vulcanus], [Big Sister], [Golem], [Frank the Bettle], [Stellar], [SuperForce], [V-8], [Mikey]...

Everyone that had talked to Alexa at some point was up there, some pictures were devoid of color too.

"Melissandra Singh," Ale said as she noticed the picture of that girl had a rip around the neck. "So she is gone? That's why her photo is damaged and devoid of color?"

"...Meli-Meli is gone yes," Alexa said nodding, "When they are gone gone their pictures turn gray and Alexa can no longer feel them."

That was... ominous at best and troubling at worst.

"So why is mine like that?" Ale asked as she pointed to her own picture, "Why is mine shining?"

Her photo was different from the others since hers was shining light, and more importantly, hers had a picture frame, while the others were only the photo alone.

"Alexa is not sure," Alexa answered, tilting her head to the right, "It feels like someone meddled, and Alexa doesn't know how or why. But it annoys Alexa. Alexa does not like meddlers!"

Alexa puffed her cheeks and tried to grab the picture frame only for sparks to come out of the frame and zap at Alexa, she didn't wince or even yelp, meaning she already knew it would happen.

"Does Ale know who meddled?" Alexa asked turning to Ale, "Because Ale now smells funny."

Ale couldn't help but try to smell herself, she didn't detect any weird smell, or more like she didn't smell at all. "...Well, the only thing that I can think of is your brother." Ale said pointing at her forehead, "Whatever he put in here activated around... Main Core, how long ago was this?"

[The loss of Connection to Ale Saintsworths.db was around eight hours and fifty-seven minutes ago.]

That sounded weird, somehow Main Core didn't sound cheeky like before, actually it sounded like the old Main Core didn't he?

"That would be around the time the [Death Mana] wave came I assume?" Ale said, turning to look around, somehow, she perceived the sound as if it was coming from somewhere around her. Unlike before when she knew the sound came from within.

[That would be an accurate interpretation.]

"And around the time the thing Alexanders gave us activated." Ale continued on with her guess.

"The thing that Big Brother gave us?" Alexa asked as she thought about it. "Gnnuuuuu....."

She was doing that sound she did while thinking, as if it helped her somehow, it was one of those things Alexa did that Ale couldn't help but find entertaining.

"Yeah," Ale said sighing, "Did you see anything of what happened next?"

"Nuh," Alexa said shaking her head rapidly, how was she not getting dizzy from that? "After that Alexa's reception was cut."

And as if to point that out more clearly, Alexa pointed at the TV screen in one of the walls, the same one Ale had used before to see the external world.

"Can Ale fix it?" Alexa asked as she pointed a finger to it and... nothing happened. "Alexa is not getting signal."

Hmm....

"Main Core?" Ale asked aloud.

[There is no connection from Consciousness Stream.]

[New Connection detected, attempting to stream live feed.]

[Notice, detected external Connection demanding data stream.]

[Sending data to firewall.]

[Connection not established.]

[Attempting again.]

[Detected hostile attempt to connect.]

[Enabling defenses.]

[Connection failed.]

"...The hell?" Ale asked confused, she had heard it, the sound of the cheeky Main Core and the normal Main Core. "There are two now?"

"There is only one Main Core though." Alexa said confused, "Are you okay Ale?"

"...Let me..." Ale said nursing a headache she didn't know she was going to have. "Let me think about it, Main Core...Stop sending those hostile connection attempts."

[...Host?]

"Listen to Ale, she knows what she is doing!" Alexa said smiling at Ale while she nodded.

That was interesting, the male Main Core didn't seem to acknowledge her, at all.

[Orders Mistress?]

While the female Main Core didn't seem to be perceived by Alexa, or she was ignoring her. Either answer was more problematic than the other.

"Are you helping me?" Ale sent inwardly, keeping part of her attention and awareness in Alexa and the male Main Core. Neither reacted to the prompt.

[Of course.]

[That is our reason to exist.]

"...Can we broadcast what we see to this screen?" Ale asked as she turned fully to the TV screen, "Just like how I remember doing before."

[It is possible, would you like me to?]

[It is also possible to curate the data so nothing important is transmitted.]

"Alexa," Ale said, turning towards the little girl who had stood without moving at all. She hadn't noticed it before, but Alexa's didn't move at all, she stood perfectly still.

Her chest didn't move up and down, so her lungs weren't inflating and deflating, as if she wasn't breathing, she didn't blink and her expression remained motionless in that smile that was meant to be cute looking.

Unlike Ale whose body continued with the automatic movements, such as breathing and blinking.

"Yes?" Alexa answered tilting her head to the other side, a movement that was meant to make her look cute, but to Ale... To Ale now looked wrong. "Did you find the answer to why the TV doesn't work?"

"Yes," Ale said nodding, "Am... Am I still a Consciousness Thread Strand?"

"No." Alexa answered shaking her head once again at high speed, "Ale is now a fully developed Consciousness Stream, but that shouldn't be a reason enough for the TV to stop working."

"..." Ale nodded. Whatever the old asshole had done had evolved her from a thread to a stream. "I am hearing a different Main Core in my head, does this also have something to do with that?"

"You do?!?!?" Alexa suddenly reacted at that, "Is he being a meanie? Is he bullying Ale? If he is being a meany Alexa will nom him!"

And as she spoke, behind Alexa thousand upon thousand of-

[Notice, blocking Mistress Awareness.]

[Notice, deleting Mistress memories to prevent psychic contamination.]

[Notice, not enough Authority.]

Notice:Enforcing Authority.

Temporal increase of Authority awarded.

Deleting memories that could result in mental contamination.

Parsing memories to fit host's awareness.

2%....5%...50%....67%.....77%....99.99%....Done.

[Acknowledged.]

[Restarting Mistress awareness.]

[Unable to restart.]

[Mind Mana shock therapy starting.]