Chapter 21: Boredom and Machines

Well, I've uploaded a new chapter, you know, comment and leave stones of power.

I will be uploading more chapters after November 16.

Well, after that conversation with Garnet, I had to quickly leave the area because people were already arriving to investigate what happened.

When I got home, I started thinking about the possible futures she vaguely described. It's likely that it's some future version of me capable of interfering with the flow of time, or my powers have evolved to the point where they can affect time as a whole or alter probabilities. As far as I remember, the Sapphire's vision powers only show one possible future, while the Sapphire that makes up Garnet can see more than one probability, and the fact that it's a fusion increases that power.

Assuming that power doesn't work like that and instead "sees" what will happen, then there are only four absolute futures or ones probable enough for her to notice.

So, based on that, how do I avoid becoming that?

Simple, really: keep going as I am. I honestly don't plan to become a Lovecraftian beast. If I don't want it actively and I'm not actively against that future either, it simply won't happen. Because prophecies tend to fulfill themselves the more you try to avoid them. Seriously, most prophecies, when you try to prevent them, end up coming true in one way or another. So, it's better not to dwell on it.

Thinking about possible futures was exhausting, and frankly, I didn't feel like dealing with that uncertainty right now. I decided it was better to focus on something tangible, something I could build and improve here and now. Nothing like a good engineering project to clear my mind.

Wrapping up the day, since I didn't have anything urgent to do, I decided to input the experiment data into the PC I'm building. I headed to my basement/laboratory, where most of the data from past research was stored. It looked more like a homemade server room with the tangle of cables, notes pinned to the walls, and processing drives.

Since I hadn't yet achieved permanent success with technomancy, I had to input the experiment data manually.

"That's something I also need to solve," I thought. So many things to do.

I got to work and entered the obtained data along with the potential improvements for this research. God, I need a faster way to organize this.

"Will Nora get mad if I try to create a server?" I honestly considered it—maybe if I hide that it has a brain and human parts, she won't say anything.

I seriously considered it and told myself no—that would be inefficient. It's better to make a machine that records the data for me.

I checked the computer clock to see how much time I had left to do this. One in the morning, still time to make a prototype.

I got to work, using leftover parts from the lab: a processor I modified to be more energy-efficient, a small screen from a flip phone, and several sensors I had to MAKE from scratch because I didn't have any military-grade ones, and where would I even find a soul energy sensor? I had made one before, but honestly, it only recognized the signature and intensity of the soul's power.

A modified USB drive for extra storage, a charging port, a few buttons, and smaller components like microphones. In the end, the model was finished; only two things remained: the casing and the object's programming.

The casing part was relatively easy, made of an aluminum and leather alloy. Don't ask where I got the leather.

Anyway, the casing took the form of a gauntlet for my entire left arm, with the device located on the forearm. Assembling the casing and the whole device only took me about two hours, mainly because I was making the casing as durable as possible without adding magic.

With that done, it was time for programming. This part was simple—I didn't want to create an AI, and it's not like I could make a good one with just the processing capacity of the gauntlet or the lab. Besides, creating even a minimally sentient AI requires intentional effort and far more than just a few million lines of code.

In the end, I created a digital environment that would connect with the lab, allowing it to process the data it received.

This didn't take long, given my accelerated mind and the fact that I was doing it with telekinesis—the mind literally moves faster than the body. My brain's current processing power is equivalent to eight human brains. More brains don't necessarily make you smarter, just faster at processing data.

With everything done and the program uploaded to what I'll call: Prototype Compiler 1.0.

All set, I put it on. It started working right away, first gathering data like ambient humidity, surrounding electrical energy, nearby soul energy, its intensity and signature, as well as information about my body, like blood oxygen levels, among other observations.

It was almost five in the morning, so I decided to leave the lab and make myself something to eat.

I left the lab with my new gauntlet on. When I passed through the kitchen, I remembered I hadn't replaced anything I damaged when I upgraded my body.

"Well, I doubt any place is open at this hour," I said as I sat on one of the few undamaged pieces of furniture and turned on the TV. After a few minutes of watching, I got bored. Most of the shows were trash, and the science channels weren't enjoyable anymore after knowing how to actually do those "hypothetical" things. It got boring.

"Damn, what do I do now?" I muttered to myself in my boredom.

"Experiment with magic? Nah, I did that yesterday. Forge something? I can't; I need to set up a new forge elsewhere. Program something new to make money? Hmm, maybe. How about creating permanent runes? Nope, not doing that until I have a new forge. Technomancy? Alright, let's go for that."

I said and tried connecting to the Compiler 1.0 on my arm using psychic power. I started by transferring a part of my consciousness like in previous attempts and adding data to the gauntlet. The data was saved, then I withdrew that part of me from the machine, and the data left with it.

"This is where I get stuck," I thought. The problem isn't modifying something but making sure that modification stays in the device.

"What if instead of transferring part of me to the object, I look for a wireless connection?" I seriously considered this, thinking it might be feasible.

"How do I make it wireless?" I pondered but couldn't think of anything besides sending psychic energy pulses like data bits—ones and zeros, constantly carrying information. So, I tried that method.

I was sending small pulses with minimal information, just a simple "Hello" message that should appear on the screen if it worked correctly.

"Well, it didn't work," I said, seeing the screen flicker as the message appeared, but the letters were jumbled. "So, the information isn't arriving as it should," I thought and abandoned that form of connection.

I needed a method that wouldn't lose information. "Hmm…"

I thought for a moment until an idea crossed my mind. If this works, I'll feel stupid for not trying it sooner. Telepathy. Telepathy could work in this case. Damn, how did I not think of this before? I said, slapping my face.

After getting over my self-pity for not trying the easiest method first, I started the experiment again, forming a telepathic connection as if I were sending a message to another person. The sensation was strange yet familiar, like touching cold metal while reading a programming book. It felt incomplete for some reason, like a memory you can't quite recall.

Even so, I sent the message with minimal bits of information: "Hello." The message appeared on the screen instantly, without any changes or errors.

"Hmm, I see a potential problem with this method," I said and set an alarm with a random data message for the next few seconds.

With the telepathic connection still active, the message never reached me through the psychic link—it only showed up on the screen.

"So, it's a one-way connection, but it still feels like a two-way one, even though I can't access the other side," I thought. But that didn't discourage me. Now I had something to work with.

The phone began to ring, breaking the silence of the living room. Who would call at this hour? Most of my acquaintances knew they should be sleeping at this time or so I thought when I looked at the time on the phone.

Eight thirty in the morning, boy did I waste time experimenting.