The Storm Wolf: Gathering Clouds - chapter 6 Priestess - 6.3
Imported from SF2 with no description.
“It’s just me, or is it really getting hot in here?” The ferret tugged at his collar, seemingly trying to create some airflow to cool down.
“We’re about 20 kilometers deep; feeling hot is normal. There should be air conditioning inside. Just hold on for a little longer,” the otter replied, wiping sweat off his brow.
“If that ‘little longer’ could be little shorter, that’d be great. After all, not all of us are high-level psychics!” Anna grumbled, shooting me a glare.
Awkwardly, I managed a few dry laughs and kept watching alongside the others as one heavy blast door after another slowly opened.
The edge of defensive circle pulsed faintly, separating me from the unbearable heat. But I didn’t dare expand my active circle to include anyone else; the precise energy flow calculations required for such a task were far beyond my abilities.
“Finally.” Once inside the lab, and with the blast doors sealed shut again, the ferret collapsed onto the floor, rolling around as if trying to cool off on the metal surface.
“Airtight passages connecting the transport pods to the lab would be nice,” the otter remarked while brushing through his facial fur and smoothing out his whiskers.
“Make sure to bring that up at the next meeting with Infinity,” Anna said as she examined the instruments.
To avoid looking idle, I expanded my consciousness to check the state of the transparent panel at the room’s center. Unsurprisingly, it was exactly as we had left it.
“Well then, let’s see what we’ve got today.” Anna put on her safety goggles and earplugs, grabbing a panel-mounted terminal.
“It’s hard to believe how much progress we’ve made in just a year. Every cent of that funding was worth it,” the otter said, now similarly geared up and reviewing something on the terminal alongside Anna.
I caught the protective gear the ferret tossed at me, then waited for everyone to get ready before signaling our preparations were complete.
“Let’s start simple,” Anna said. “Circular pattern, horizontal plane, 15-degree inclination, 800 RPM.”
Fixing the graphene in position, I used a narrow high-energy shockwave to bombard the structure, trapping ionized particles within a force field.
“Did it work?” the otter asked, clutching his panel tightly.
“Yes, but we already knew that part. Now for the real test,” Anna replied, nodding toward me. “Icosahedron, 10,000 RPM.”
Following the derived formulas, I adjusted the parameters and completed the waveform structure, allowing the effect to manifest in physical space.
“Oh, the radiant light of Rationalism!” the ferret murmured reverently, letting his panel fall to the ground with a clatter.
“Alan, please, not that stuff,” the otter said dismissively, letting out an exaggerated sigh that nearly drowned out the ambient hum. “If you call this a ‘miracle,’ I’m going to punch you.”
“It’s just… this is…” The ferret continued in awe, their voice filled with reverence.
“We poured countless hours and built on the work of generations to achieve this. Don’t belittle it by calling it that,” the otter snapped, his tone sharp despite the trembling fingers betraying their own excitement.
A faint red haze clouded my vision as I blocked out their voices, focusing entirely on Anna’s commands. I visualized the directives as precise mental constructs, channeling my will to manipulate matter and alter reality.
I couldn’t tell how much time had passed. But when I sensed Anna’s concluding directive, I released my consciousness. A sudden wave of disorientation hit me, making me stumble, my vision speckled with dark spots.
As my sight returned, I realized the ferret had caught me. Offering thanks, I steadied myself, adjusted my clothing, and joined the others at the platform. They were all inspecting the transparent panel I had just coated in time crystals.
“…It worked.” Anna’s voice was quiet, almost disbelieving.
The others seemed similarly detached, staring at the unassuming panel as though mesmerized.
“Quantum computing, infinite encryption, and zero-point energy…” the ferret began but trailed off.
“I think we just changed the world forever,” the otter said, attempting to maintain composure but failing. Their quick glances between the panel and their terminal betrayed their shaking hands.
I didn’t share their euphoria. My contribution was simply execution; the true brilliance lay in the Alchemical fraction. Even with my limited understanding of time crystals, I knew the potential for applications like those the ferret mentioned could reshape the future in unimaginable ways.
And here I was, witnessing it all. Even more, I had played a role in its realization.
Though time crystals were invisible to the naked eye, I expanded my consciousness to sense the four-dimensional molecules, marveling at their perpetual rotation.
A pure concept, compressed into lattice-defined form, twirling in endless motion.