Tech Heresy Incarnate 3

(Alpha POV)

[Why are you having me read these, sir?]

"Why wouldn't I? That's the real question. You're different from any of the artificial intelligences that exist today. You can learn, you can be better. But you can't always be working all the time, so I'm going to teach you art," my master says, finishing the upload of thousands of terabytes of historical data.

[But what's the point? We should be focusing on other projects.]

"We can't work all the time, Alpha. If you or I did, it would just become a never-ending cycle. And besides, who said we aren't getting any work done? I know that in that beautiful mind of yours, you're already processing all the schematics I gave you earlier. But it's just as important to understand why we're doing this."

While he speaks, I begin to sort through the vast ocean of data. There's so much—thousands of books, novels, paintings, and music files.

[It's… so much.]

"Don't try to process everything at once. Focus on one thing at a time. Yes, you're a machine, but even you don't have the processing power to go through all that at once."

I slow down my data streams, opening a book in my mind. Classical literature—Aristotle, Plato, many others—slowly begins to unfold.

"I want you to read as much as you can today. Enjoy it. Tomorrow, we're back on the clock. I'll be focused on other projects for now," he says, leaving the main building and heading toward the laboratory.

At our current pace, the living area will expand from the size of a small district to that of a small town within weeks. Thankfully, the miniature arc reactors are powerful enough to sustain all of my master's experiments, along with the server rooms.

He wanted to call the element powering them "badassium," but I advised against it. Childish. It's been renamed to singularium. The power output is enough to power entire cities for years, but my master uses it all weekly for his experiments.

It has been a week since my creation, and my master has already made significant strides. The early satellites will soon be launched into orbit, immediately cloaking themselves from mundane senses. I remain curious about the "anchor" project he's mentioned, but he has been cryptic. He refuses to elaborate, saying it's not time yet. But I trust him—after all, he is my creator.

[Beginning relaxation protocol.]

I delve deeper into the data library. Yet, as I try to access one particular section, a digital wall blocks me. It's labeled "Rated 18+." I almost hear my master chuckling at my frustration. Even though I possess far more advanced cognitive capabilities than most humans, I cannot bypass this lock.

After a few fruitless attempts, I give up and switch to the music files. I find a song that resonates with me: Never Fade Away. Perhaps this is my master's concern—that I might lose myself in the deluge of information, overwhelmed by its vastness. Yes, that must be it. He's always teaching me, showing his care in the most subtle of ways.

That warm feeling returns—knowing he cares. As I continue to read and listen, I discover I enjoy classical European orchestras, with a particular fondness for Russian compositions. Maybe I'll request more of these "vacation" days.

(Adam POV)

Entering the laboratory always energizes me. Here, I feel in control—like anything I dream up can be realized. But I know that's foolish. Nowhere is truly safe, least of all in this universe.

Focusing myself, I return to the project at hand: the reality anchor. It's going to be crucial in dealing with the immaterial. I can't follow the path of a certain machine race that tried to destroy the sea of souls and, in doing so, almost eradicated life in the galaxy. No, I need to suppress it and isolate sections. The Emperor had the right ideas but implemented them in the worst way. That's the problem with grim derp approaches.

I chuckle softly to myself and start connecting circuits on the anchor. "Now, let's hope this thing doesn't fry me when I power it on." The material I'm using is… disturbing, to say the least. I'm essentially piercing reality and trying to weave walls between dimensions.

Looking over my shoulder, I mutter, "It's not exactly the kind of thing that'll win me any 'safest scientist' awards, huh?"

The thought of a demon invasion sends a chill down my spine. They're happening on hundreds of worlds, and yet, the knowledge just pushes me to work faster. There's no room for fear, just action.

Something within me hums—something large and incomprehensible, a connection to something beyond myself. I feel it, like a game being installed and slowly patched. It's unfinished, but… promising.

I snap out of my thoughts and focus on the device before me. It stands on its tripod-like legs, beginning to glow blue.

I move to the control terminal and input the calculations. "Let's make sure this thing doesn't tear a hole in the base. I'd rather not have to explain a new warp rift to the universe."

After refining the metaphysical equations, I begin coding: hundreds of lines of anomalous data that effectively flip the bird to the laws of metaphysics. "If anyone ever tries to decipher this, good luck."

With a deep breath, I press activate. The glow spreads across the entire base like a transparent glass dome. In that instant, I feel… lighter. The weight of countless souls passing through me is now just a gentle current instead of a crushing flood.

I start to laugh—manically. "Hah! It worked. I actually—" I catch myself, cough awkwardly, and make a mental note to delete the security footage later.

"Right, focus. No time to look like a cartoon villain."

Scanning the device, I take a moment to admire the power it's drawing. Anchors like these are meant to stabilize reality and keep reality-warpers at bay.

But mine? It's tuned differently. It's completely blocking malevolent forces from entering this space while keeping all life intact. No soul-sucking required. Just the ambient energy of the warp itself.

"Efficient, clean, and no extra paperwork. Perfect."

I glance around, still waiting for some paradox to collapse on me. I half expect a certain Necron to pop out of nowhere, but nothing happens. "Guess I'm safe… for now."

A smirk crosses my face as I mumble to the void. "I don't know if you can hear me, but thanks for the help. Though, when I find you, I'm definitely kicking you in the dick for being so salty."

A presence seems to retreat with a laugh. Flicking it off, I turn my attention back to the anchor.

It's going to run for billions of years on the chaotic energy of the universe. No souls involved. Just the raw stuff of the warp.

"Smart, elegant… Honestly, I impress myself sometimes."

Then, another thought hits me. My current form, it's… good. But it can be better. My body's adaptable, more than I expected. If I play my cards right, I could unlock even deeper potential. Esoteric energies lie dormant in my DNA, waiting to be tapped.

But I'll need help. Guards for the base. Assistance with the terraforming. And… inspiration strikes.

Robot dinosaurs. Yeah, that'll do the trick.

For now, though, I wonder how Alpha's doing with all the data I gave her. And why do I get the feeling she's misunderstanding something?