Chapter 143 : Eternal Darkness Reactor (Patreon)

James stood beside his scientist, and he had to admit the robot had created something truly awe-inspiring. The beast of metal rose from the ground to the ceiling and, although he had never seen it in a functional state, vastly outsized the original underground power plant that had once fueled the car factory in energy. However, when taking into account the fact the facility never truly functioned, it was entirely possible the original generator was insufficient or perhaps never worked in the first place. Considering its melted and blown-up carcass when he first visited the place, the possibility wasn't far-stretched.

The mechanical engineer's creation didn't even resemble what James expected of a generator. If anything, it was closer to one of those old giant machines that did a task that modern devices the size of a printer could do just as well. The silvery metal of its exterior covered the wall, and rather than a featureless structure, it was a mess of tubes spiraling and becoming electrical coils that enveloped their earlier and later parts. It reminded James of those odd pictures of people doing art with noodles, almost by knitting them. Instead of a copy of a picture though, the image he could somewhat glimpse from the bizarre sight was strangely similar to intestinal tracks.

The only thing on the great beast of metal before them that wasn't covered by a single tube was a large semi-cylinder sticking out before it quickly began to shift and turn, retracting into the machine to reveal a hollow space that could easily fit a standing person or two.

Ivan Decanov looked at his work, and despite his ridiculously large rectangular eyebrows showed no emotion on his face.

"I am impressed you finished it so soon. I expected it would take at least a month, a week if you were as miraculously efficient as some say."

"I would be insulted if I were not well aware this city is filled with imbeciles. You have gotten far too familiar with mediocrity."

"I thought you'd be boasting by pointing out how this works, not putting down the local populace."

"What need do I have for this? I know I am a genius, I know my creation is a revolutionizing invention, and I know any explanation of its inner workings would be lost on you."

James almost scoffed, though he held it back. Though he had made an effort to behave in their initial meetings, the engineer had since relaxed back into the infamous scientist he had so much about. Not exactly a narcissist, the metal man didn't exactly have a high opinion of himself but rather considered everyone else to be terribly stupid. James himself was unsure how much of the difficulties the robot had finding and keeping jobs came from his temperament and quirks rather than the xenophobia he blamed all his troubles on.

At least he was genuinely good at what he did, and so far had not shown any hint of a traitorous thought. If there was one thing Decanov said about his reputation that he was willing to believe, it was that the robot never sabotaged finished work but rather left the most vital parts for last, at which point he'd be fired and unprepared scavengers would cause an explosion by attempting to finish the robot's work without his mental blueprints and procedure.

"Still, for such a practical man, this machine has quite the unusual look."

"I can give you that. My calculations show this circuit is necessary for the optimal production and conversion of energy. Similarly, while I could fashion a smooth cover to hide these resilient parts from sight, I believe it is much more useful to keep them exposed so that any form of wear or damage can diagnosed as soon as possible."

"How often do you estimate such maintenance will be necessary?"

"I am unsure. Verifications should be done daily, at the very least."

"Unsure?"

"We are dabbling in forces beyond mortal men. I cannot estimate the damage your harnessed shadows will cause to materials in their proximity that are not being actively transformed."

"Speaking of, should I not infuse the general frame?"

"No. Our goal is to herd the dark energies, if you alter the insulation you will only provoke energy leaks."

"Dully noted."

The scientist stepped forward and turned back to face James.

"Now, you must have noticed the space meant to house our energy source. If you look to your right, you will notice batteries."

Indeed. Multiple crates were placed on the floor, filled with various sorts of them. Some were the usual small batteries he was used to from the slums and handled the most in his past life, meant for household items, but there were also larger ones, a few from cars, and even a couple of portable generators. They were all clearly second-hand items, and James could easily guess most were dysfunctional. At least he hoped so, otherwise, the cost he'd have to cover on the engineer's behalf would sting more. Their state didn't matter for this, once they were infused they would all be repaired and improved. Magical black crystals didn't function the exact same way their ordinary counterparts did.

"You informed me you were able to fuse infused materials, so long as it was the same. As such, I ask that you alter as many of these as you need to fill the cylinder on your left up to the rim."

And, true to the robot's words, there was a metal case sitting to the side. It looked quite similar to an industrial barrel but lacked the usual bumps on the side, not to mention its extensive size.

At this point, it was no trouble for James to pour shadows into such a large quantity of simple items. Dark tendrils picked up battery after battery, quickly transforming them into crystals before placing them in the container, making sure to glue them together and ensure that, by the end, all had become one. He could guess as to what to do next but preferred to wait for the doctor's instructions. It would be very unfortunate to ruin the machine just because matching shapes like a child caused an explosion.

"I am unsure as to the fragility and volatility of this crystal, but please do be careful when inserting it in the receptacle in the designated space in the generator."

"I know better than to be a brute when handling machinery, doctor."

"Spare me the indignation, I have superior strength as well. I know accidents can happen if you are not focused enough."

James didn't bother to answer as he followed Decanov's command. The black cylindrical crystal fit perfectly in the receptacle of the generator, and its door rolled back out to hide it from view, seamlessly giving the construction its monochrome silvery look.

The robot stepped closer to his creation before slipping his hand between two tubes, his square fingers grasping something and pulling it back, activating a hidden mechanism.

"And thus, my work is complete."

"It... Is it active?"

"Why, yes. My readings already indicate we are no longer drawing on the city's electricity, with more than enough power being produced to potentially sell the excess to them."

"I simply expected something a little more... Dramatic."

"Such as a light show accompanied by rumbling and booming sounds? Those would be signs of leakage. And, with how corruptive the energy we're dealing with here is in its raw form, incredibly dangerous for my person and anyone in this facility."

"I suppose it makes sense. Would you mind showing me those readings, doctor? I'm afraid I do not have a computer for a brain."

"Neither do I. A computer is a device. It'd be the same as calling a mushroom a human brain just because both rely on carbon, protein, and DNA to exist and function."

"Pardon me. You know I am not familiar with the proper terms to refer to a sapient robot."

"I am aware. Your slip-ups are the result of casual ignorance, not bigoted stupidity."

"I will ignore the pejorative part of your statement. Now, those readings? I'd like to verify your work myself. Do not take it personally, I'd just like to make sure. Being attacked by a Villain in broad daylight does wonders for my paranoïa, much as I'd like it didn't."

"Ah, so that was the cause of this atrocious cacophony yesterday. As for your readings, you should be able to access them from your phone. Here, let me show you..."

An in-depth and migraine-inducing lesson on programs James had never thought even existed later, and he had confirmed his contracted worker's words. His new generator covered the energy his current activities used and much, much more. In fact, as he studied those abominable numbers once more in his office in front of the scientist, he realized he'd probably be able to upgrade the entire facility with new equipment, machinery, and security measures and still have enough excess electricity produced to sell back to the city or divert to other operations.

"And you are certain this abundant production won't be a problem?"

The engineer rolled his eyes, which made for quite a unique sight given their rectangular shape and his square iris-less pupils.

"Your electroguns never blew up from going unused, no? This is what is happening here. Your crystals are intelligent enough to stop taking in ambient shadows and transform them into energy when they are full. The only way they could become unstable would be if an excessive ongoing use was to be suddenly stopped, and even then my preliminary tests with the items you provided showed the crystals could simply release the excess power back as darkness. unnatural darkness, but non-transformative and perfectly safe to interact with."

James nodded. In hindsight it made sense, but transplanting that principle on a larger scale hadn't come to mind. There was however one thing that picked his curiosity...

"How could you test so much and build a generator so rapidly in so little time?"

"I am Ivan Decanov. There is nothing else to be said."

"Ah, I can empathize with that. So, would you still be interested in a longer contract to fix the rest of the factory and build enough security to keep away those sneaky enough to avoid my guards?"

"Well, you are the least infuriating client I've had to deal with for quite some time. Very well. I recall you mentioning potentially dabbling in clothesmaking, are there any updates on that front?"

"Let me contact my employees to check. In the meantime, here's the updated contract I came up with. Feel free to bring up any question or disagreement you may have."

The Draskian robot nodded as he picked up and unfurled the magical scroll James had handed him with a tentacle. The business owner, for his part, quickly called his team back at the orphanage in the Sunken City, and it didn't have the time ring twice before someone answered.

"Shadow Commando representative on the line, who is this?"

"I thought I had my name noted down on that number on your end."

"Yes boss, but Techlord insisted on increasing security. What if someone stole your phone?"

"Uh. A good initiative. Say, how is the spider farm project going?"

"Surprisingly well, boss. We started looking for a rancher, and this weird local named George came up."

"Weird how? Bizarre mutations?"

"Nope, he's a regular guy. Mundane human, nothing special going on. It's his personality, the way he acts... He gives me chills."

"Are you worried he may be preparing something?"

"No, no. He's actually pretty happy about working for us, and even Techlord said he was undoubtedly loyal. It's just... You gotta see him to get it, boss."

"If you say so. So, the spider project?"

"Well, with George and us working together, we've already got a pen with a couple of the crawlers in there. He spends all his time with them, he harvests their silk, milks them for their venom, grooms them, the whole shebang. The creepies like him too, they keep rubbing him and snuggling together. It's... Well, I don't have arachnophobia, I don't even mind running into one of the giant wild ones, but I'd prefer never to see that again."

"..."

"..."

"Reassure me, what you saw was purely platonic, right?"

"Eh?"

"He wasn't romancing the spiders, right?"

"Oh! OH! No, no! It was like a dog snuggling with their owner, except here it's two giant spiders the size of a person."

"Good. Good... Well, since he's handling the situation well, let him lead the farm project so long as it concerns the animals. However, do try to have some people watch over him. Both to hopefully learn from him and, well... I'd rather keep our spiders free of human genes."

"Got it, boss!"

"And what of the other ongoing projects?"

"Techlord is working hard as always, and Mischief's digging is going well. They have to be careful to avoid setting off any trap or alarm, but we think before the month's end we'll have our rat highway ready!"

"Excellent. What of you?"

"We improve with every drill. The drug dealers are also taking well to their training and reeducation, though they do ask about when they'll be getting jobs."

"Tell them things are coming together. Once our city factory is completed, I'll look into setting up a new one at your location. That'll give them something to do. And for the Solvent side of things? I know there haven't been any emergencies, but just to make sure."

"Everything's going well."

"Wonderful. You are all doing splendidly. I'm bringing pastries over on my next visit."

"Yeepie!"

James ended the call under the curious gaze of the doctor, one of his large metallic eyebrows raised.

"I have several questions, but I know better than to ask them. You'll give me the answers when they become relevant."

"You truly are the genius you claim to be."