Chapter 7.1 - Two Headed Snake

It seemed that there was both a gift and a curse to the GWA's new methods for gaining experience. The summer heat was in full as the GWA's containment policy mixed with their cultural requirement for recently plated to complete a 'rite of passage' meant that Haven had no small number of people attempting to kill its citizens.

This was a gift, as there were still quite a few changelings that had not tasted humans. However that only went so far, and soon enough there were POWs awaiting process. Serin did not want it to seem that they were killing the Humans one-sidedly. Sienna offered to take in a few, but the process of killing a consciousness was not something she wanted her people to find acceptable, so any who did so would only be caretakers and would therefore never be able to reproduce. Those that have tasted for Snapping, or consciousness killing, should not pass it onto the next generation.

Although There were quite a few killed and eaten by changelings, and four additional humans assigned caretaker duty, there was still a growing number of POWs Serin had to figure out how to handle. At first there were a few, then a dozen. Then there were over 30. It seemed that Dana had underestimated her plan with the GWA, as now they had dozens of low leveled humans to process. And just like the randomness of the problem, so was the solution random in nature.

Jan, one of the Lancer Gole who had been assisting Sienna with her transitions had developed a solution. And he requested the entire lot of POWs for his experimentation. As they had violated Haven's law, and been given a death sentence, Serin nodded. Their final act can be one of forced selflessness, and they can give towards the common good.

So one brisk summer evening, with Dozens of humans in chains, and with Serin and Darius to oversee the process, Jan and three other Lancer Gole went to work.

***

It was something Serin was not expecting. Serin knew a lot of magics, but this was less a spell and more of a ritual of spells. On the ground was a ring of sigils. Intricate designs layered over each other and cast into the stone ground using gold, platinum, and palladium. Serin knew that Jan must have fought tooth and nail to get those metals form the dungeon as Jorvik Brai, the Gole Mechanist who was in charge of Homunculi development, had an increased demand for the materials.

Serin saw surrounding the arcane chamber were dead animals with cracked and functional crystals next to them all of various sizes. When Jan explained that he could create magic crystals from the life force of living monsters and animals; crystals that were larger than the magic crystals residing inside of them, Serin was impressed. Magical crystals were usually rechargeable, but the smaller they were the higher chance they were to crack when depleted instead of slowly recharging.

Being able to increase the average size of a crystal of a slain creature was tantamount to increasing its harvest by exponential degrees.

Serin then asked, "Humans don't have crystals." Jan smiled, "But they do have a plate, which i think has the same sort of power. We have tried it on a Content purchased from Ston and it produces a Magic Stone. So we want to see what would happen if it wasn't a Content but was a Plated Human."

Serin was a bit terrified of the concept, but he had to know. Jan approved of Serin's gaze, reading his surface thoughts.

The spell [Soulpull] was highly complex, and required a few parts to be successful. After the first human was moved in, they were put to sleep. The gole quickly got to work laying them in the circle. One Lancer floated a large crystal above them. It was similar to the crystals etched and used as a crystal lattice for programming homunculi, only no etchings appeared, and it was dull as it had no power.

Afterwards two additional lancers pushed mana into Jan, and Jan performed the [Soulpull] spell.

Three things happened, only one of which was expected.

The expected thing was the dying screams of a human having his plate, his identity and soul, forcibly ripped from his body.

Unexpectedly two things happened.

First, the body continued to breath, as the eyes glassed over to the well recognized gaze of a Content cursed human. This development would in itself be shocking, but the other unexpected thing was stranger.

The expected production was a high powered mana crystal. Instead, the crystal did glow with energy, but it swirled with the etchings that looked similar to the programming of homunculi, only swirling, changing, and re-writing. Serin didn't know what to do with it, as it looked like an impossibly complex crystal lattice for a homunculi.

The Content stood up, and looked at Serin. Then looked at Jan. then stood still, awaiting instruction. Jan looked at him "You will wait in the corner and return for processing when you are called" Jan said. Serin shook his head. Darius was horrified, "You just put him there and tell him to wait to die?"

Jan nodded, "He is Content. He is not legally alive. The stone we will pull from his remaining lifeforce is easily enough to power a small airship."

Darius had to remember. As Content could not gestate and made terribly slow slaves, they were usually just murdered upon developing where he came from. It was also a great way to ensure people didn't turn into Content, since it was a literal death sentence. Content were not the preferred state of Humans, and Darius had to not look at it as murder, but as recycling. Content aren't people.

Jan continued, "Normally they would be dinner for changelings, but this way we can process them into a more efficient material."

Darius nodded, "Nothing here has violated Haven Law. I will sign off on this. However I can't watch that again. I can still hear his screams."

Jan and Serin understood. However right now they were more interested in the crystal produced by the plated human. Serin commented, "Do you have the mana to do 29 more?"

Jan smiled, "If you let me have some of yours Lord Serin, easily."

***

Jan and Serin had a chest with their swirling crystal lattices. They stood with Shurik, and the Gole who most understood Homunculi, Jorvik Brai. Although technically the leader of the Foundry region on paper, Jorvik had delegated all responsibility tot he region to Shurik, with sole exception for his lab. He wished not to be bothered by the movements and musings of people. 'People were messy' was just Jorvik's stance. So he was left to develop, change, and create homunculi of all types, his lab being semi autonomous at this point. It was rare for Jorvik to take interest in anything that was brought in from outside his lab. However this day, Jorvik was enraptured by the sight of these lattices.

"The coding, it is self mutating! This is beyond anything that can be possible for me, and I am the most powerful Homunculi programmer in the Nation. Go back to wherever you found these and buy all of these off the market. Find whoever made these and bring them to our country. Willingly or not. Or Kill them and bring their body. Then we can question them."

Jorvik had let a bit of his psychopathy slip as he marveled at the designs swirling in it. Serin was a bit worried. "Jorvik, we normally don't disturb you in your lab, as per our longstanding agreement. What are these to warrant such serious consequences."

Jorvik smiled, "You can't read?! It's written right here! In the code!"

Serin was sure Jorvik had broken. "Well rest assured these were made through a secretive process using a biological reagent. They were not etched by hand."

That made Jorvik stop. "That makes sense. Well, either way. The good news is that memory data, both temporal and physical, had to be wiped for the data to be accepted by the lattice, but there is quite a bit of space for memory. In fact, there is only one memory that survived the process, and that is that this one should respond to 'Rico'."

Serin was confused. "What do you mean by 'this one."

Jorvik, uninterested in the idiot comments of the uninformed and not wanting to explain himself any further, went over to a very special Homunculi frame. This one was designed of the finest metals and had better limbs, joints, and fingers. It was built to be as effective at any task a humanoid would be. It had a large powersource and there was a pile of cracked lattices next to it. Jorvik picked up the Crystal and slotted it into the specialized homunculi.

"You are glad I had this guy lying around. Otherwise it would be like putting a Titan class Magic stone in one of those new two seater autocarts." Jorvik laughed to himself.

Serin and Jan didn't get the joke. Jorvik just shook his head. "He should wake up soon."

Serin then eyed Jorvik, "What do you mean 'he'."

Jorvik looked a bit annoyed, "I told you already his name was Rico."

The homunculus came to life. It was not the calibrative motions of the most advanced homunculi that threw off Serin and had him put a hand on his slung rifle. It was the next thing Serin heard spoken.

"Hello! My name is Rico. Who are you?"

***

Serin reviewed the data he saw. This crystal was pulled from a level 14 human. When viewing Rico's plate, Serin saw it was a "Level 1 Forged". And it was indeed a plated being. It therefore was a protected species that he, Jan, and Jorvik had brought into the world.

Serin saw its racial traits. Just like all other races than humans, the Forged had traits that were assigned at 'birth'

Disassociated Soul: The Forged' identity is stored within its crystal lattice. As long as this survives, the Forged survives.

Reform: The Forged skill level directly influences the intricacy and size of the body it can inhabit

Unique Coding: A Forged cannot reproduce other Forged

Standby: A Forged is fueled by the mana crystals it has on its back, which must be routinely refilled with mana. A forged can choose to go to Standby and hibernate its consciousness to slowly repower its mana crystals naturally. A Forged who runs out of Mana automatically enters Standby.

Serin listened as Jorvik and Rico spoke. Rico was kind, polite, and curious about the world around it.

Rico looked at Serin, "Are there others like me?"

Serin nodded, "There are 29 more that need a body. But yes, you are not alone. Your body will be given to you, but you will need to work to pay for a body for your brothers."

Rico asked, "How much does it take to get a body for one of my brothers." Serin knew this homunculi needed a special body to withstand the coding. He looked at Jorvik, "How much does this body cost?"

Jorvik, "Materials or labor?"

Serin crossed his arms, and Jan laughed as he heard Serin's thoughts. 'I know you are chomping at the bit to build more of these.'

Jorvik nodded understandingly. "This one is about 300 thousand credits of materials. I can offer my labor for free, but our new friend here will need to work to help cover the cost of materials."

Rico nodded, "I can work! But will there be more of us in the future? 30 of my kind seems so small a number."

Jan laughed. "Rico, I like you. When you get a bit stronger, I will trade you your rights to a POW for bringing one of your brothers to life."

Serin looked shocked at Jan while Jan smiled, "Our laws are very strict when it comes to slavery, however if the intent of a POW is to be executed without being forced into labor, this doesn't violate it by changing hands. No different than when we sell or give the rights to kill a POW to a changeling, which you yourself have done."

Serin nodded his head.

He knew when this got out it would cause a few ruffled feathers.

***