Simon opens his eyes and lets out a tired sigh. Yesterday was chaotic. The twins insisted he rest — in their minds, his body was still that of an ordinary human, and after such a stressful day, he needed recovery time.
They didn't know that he was no longer a regular human.
He didn't argue and decided to accept their suggestion. After giving them instructions, he went to sleep. Now, as he sits on the edge of his bed, he can feel [Inspired Inventor] recharged and [Resource] receive a new shipment. He leans back slightly, thinking about what needs to be done today.
Yesterday's battle was a victory, but a costly one.
The wall still stands, but it's riddled with holes — the western section has an entire chunk missing. During the battle, one of the large walkers fired a beam that destroyed three Hydras, blowing open a crater and cracking the surrounding fortifications.
More than half the sentry guns were destroyed, along with a significant number of drones in that battle. Only one Hydra remains operational. Half the Assault Drones and Hunter Drones are gone — the heaviest loss by far. The machines had targeted the Hydras relentlessly; they were simply too dangerous to ignore. Hawk Sentries are the second most destructive and receive a good beating because of it.
The walls and sentries had proven durable — very durable — but not enough. He knows that all things can be destroyed with enough force, but he wants to make sure they are durable enough for the enemies to be frustrated at.
Simon exhales slowly and focuses. Time to rebuild.
He spends five charges to create {Defense}. Immediately, the familiar rush of knowledge fills his mind. A smile tugs at his lips. This specialization enables him to develop innovative coatings and structures that significantly enhance the durability of his walls, vehicles, and machinery.
Heat Resistance coating? Easy enough to produce. Kinetic Absorber coating? It can be mass-produced. With enough time, he can create very durable vehicles, machinery, and even androids.
But he isn't done.
He channels two more charges into {Material}, and an even greater flood of information pours into his mind. Formulas, atomic structures, theoretical composites — endless possibilities flash before him. He now understands how to create new forms of matter, even some that lightly defy physical law.
At two charges, it's not enough to break physical law — but it's plenty for now.
He already has designs in mind: advanced synthetics for walls, armor plating for Ares, new alloys for drones and turrets. The real potential, though, lies in how it synergizes with his other specializations — {Solarpunk}, {Fortification}, and now {Defense}.
The combination of {Fortification + Solarpunk + Material} lets him build walls that self-repair and grow stronger under sunlight while also having massive resistance to heat and reducing kinetic damage. The possibilities multiply with every overlap of specializations.
After a pause, he considers where to spend his final charges. Then he decides.
Three charges go into {Hard Light}.
The rush of insight hits again — and Simon knows immediately it was the right call. The specialization grants him the ability to create barriers of pure, solid light — transparent from within but impenetrable from without. Thanks to {Fortification}, he can even design hidden hard-light turrets that activate when enemies near them.
It's almost like having access to Vishkar Corporation tech from Overwatch — though teleportation remains out of reach for now. One more charge might change that.
He breathes out slowly, stretching, and finally gets out of bed.
The smell of something delicious drifts in from the kitchen. When he enters, Popola is stirring a pot of stew, the air thick with warmth and something delicious. She turns and greets him with a bright smile.
"Good morning, Simon. Breakfast will be ready in two minutes. Please, have a seat — I'll bring your tea right away."
"Take your time, Popola," he says, smiling faintly.
While she works, Simon opens a holographic display on his right arm — the Omni-Tool expands into a floating workspace. He starts designing blueprints for new materials and structures, syncing them directly to the Helios Supercomputer below his workshop. Drones and fabricators will begin assembly as soon as the data finishes compiling.
When he saves one design, Popola perks up, glancing at her own display.
"Simon, did you just create a new synthetic material?"
He nods. Popola, who has full admin access, can see the update immediately.
"It's called Ferrocrete. A concrete-like mixture — stronger than Bio-stone, especially against kinetic impact. It's also moderately heat resistant."
"But not as much as Bio-stone," she notes.
"True," Simon admits, "but I'll fix that. I plan to create a layered wall — Ferrocrete for outer durability and Bio-stone for inner insulation. Normally, that would be impossible by hand, but with Energy–Matter conversion? It's simple."
Popola nods, impressed — almost reverent. Watching him create feels like witnessing a miracle. She turns off the stove and says, "Do you want me to make a new program for the builder drones?"
"Not yet," Simon replies. "I'll finish developing another material first."
She nods again, sets down a teapot on the table in front of him, and pours a cup of tea. Simon takes a sip — and blinks.
"Wait. Since when do we have sugar?"
"Ah, it's an artificial sweetener, Simon. We can't make real sugar from cane or beets, but your fabricator can synthesize a substitute."
"That's…" Simon pinches the bridge of his nose. "I didn't even think of that."
Popola giggles softly. "Huhuhu~ You were too focused on fortifying the base. From now on, I'll make sure you enjoy the small things, Simon."
Before he can respond, Devola strides into the kitchen.
"Ah! I knew it! You're hogging all the attention again, sister! I want to serve Simon too!"
Their playful argument fills the room. Simon just chuckles and lets them bicker — enjoying, for the first time in days, a quiet morning filled with warmth, tea, and the satisfaction of victory.
==Line Break==
| Lucy |
Lucy scans the latest report with a deep frown. Things at the front lines are deteriorating fast. As one of the Resistance's regional leaders, she's fought Machine Lifeforms for years — but lately, something has changed.
Mass production. Mass movement. Coordination.
Scanners picked up a massive force heading west — nearly fifty kilometers away. Normally, it is not a problem, but the number is large enough to make every Android in her camp nervous. The Machines are building numbers at an unprecedented rate.
Even worse, reports show similar spikes across multiple regions.
Lucy has already requested reinforcements from Anemone, leader of the Desert Resistance, and John, commander of the Coastline Resistance. But their convoys are still hundreds of kilometers away, forced to detour through Machine-held zones. They need time to clear the machines or go around the machine nest.
Time that they don't have.
Even YoRHa can't help — their units are tied up investigating simultaneous anomalies worldwide. Whatever's happening, it's everywhere.
She sighs and studies the tactical map again, processors running hot from stress.
Then her comm network lights up. The sender ID flashes: Devola.
"Devola! Thank goodness you're alive. How are you and Popola?"
"We're fine," Devola replies calmly. "But we received your emergency call. Is the situation really that bad?"
Lucy hesitates, then admits,
"Not yet — but soon. We're detecting massive movement from the north. YoRHa's ground scouts are the only ones who can still get readings — the Machines are jamming the orbital scanners."
"How big?"
"Massive. I've already called in help from the other camps. That's how bad the situation is."
"That is…"
"Severe, yes. That's why I need you two back here. We need every available hand."
Devola goes quiet for a long moment. Then, softly:
"We'll return. But we won't be alone."
"What? What do you mean?" Lucy asks. "You were investigating Machine nests in the southwest region — how could you possibly bring reinforcements? There should be no Android group in that area."
"We found someone," Devola says. "Someone who can bring enough firepower to turn the tide."
Lucy stares at the comm display. Lucy hesitates for a second, but decides to trust her. The twins might be hated for what their android type did in the past, but they never did anything to harm their fellow androids, even when those androids belittled them or tried to harm them.
She trusts them.
"Very well," Lucy says. "I trust you."
"Thank you, Lucy. We'll win this battle."
"I hope you're right, Devola."
The line goes quiet. Lucy exhales and turns back to her maps, recalculating troop formations and fallback lines.
Her people are counting on her. And somewhere out there, help is on the way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simon's Specialization (Day 6):
Solarpunk = 3 Charges
Miniaturization = 2 Charges
Efficiency = 2 Charge
Automation = 2 Charges
Stealth = 2 Charges
Energy – Matter Conversion = 3 Charges
Fabrication = 3 Charges
Surveillance = 2 Charges
Fortification = 2 Charges
Computer = 5 Charges
Hacking = 3 Charges
Cybersecurity = 2 Charges
Android = 8 Charges
Range Weapon = 2 Charges
Vehicles = 4 Charges
Biotech = 3 Charges
Medicine = 2 Charges
Defense = 5 Charges New
Material = 2 Charges New
Hard Light = 3 Charges New