In Space With a Junkyard Ship chapter 176

POV: Remi

The haze that had been enveloping my mind for months has cleared. Lola was still next to , happy that I had figured sothing out, but obviously confused about what it ant. Kinda wish I knew more than I do.

We learned about what everyone refers to as the truth after my visit with the Baron of Entertainnt. I have t a few more like him, who have titles, and apparently, those titles are given because soone has an understanding of the truth.

Quickly going through the information given by the Baron of Entertainnt, I stopped to contemplate a specific line: as you pursue the truth, the truth in turn empowers you. I honestly believed it was a bunch of nonsense. But killing monsters and getting stronger also seed nonsense, but that’s now my life.

“FH, do you believe that the truth everyone talks about is different for everyone? Otherwise, this doesn’t make sense?”

“As monitoring important individuals is a high priority, I have noticed that people with the sa title seem to be focusing on different aspects of that aning.”

She sent a couple of files that I looked through. She had multiple files on multiple differently titled individuals, but only three of them shared the sa title. The first Baron of Entertainnt we t seed to be collecting as much entertainnt as possible—they all did that, but not to the sa extent—and then releasing it, but they did it differently.

The one that I t on the battle moon was only interested in everything to do with fighting, so he must have been more focused. He also didn’t spread it so widely. FH continued to go through her database, sending and Lola more data, as she also wanted to know.

While I didn’t know for certain, I could certainly guess that the truth ant sothing that resonated with you personally, and if you pursued that, it would strengthen you. But what was my truth? It was obviously sothing to do with my crew.

Sensing the souls around , it was easy to see the flas that were my crew mbers. FH was particularly bright and large. All of their flas danced like mine, mimicking it perfectly. Was that it? Was that the answer? Or was it a fake truth? If anyone shared their soul like that would then those individuals get stronger when the shards of your soul increase in strength.

My sixth sense flared for a mont. It was faint, but I knew that there was sothing wrong with my last thought. Sense Aura was a difficult skill to control. It muted so much, and right now, that made realise that all of the other AI cores were lit up for so reason.

Previously, I believed they appeared because they were connected to FH, but I looked at my own bonded items—my revolver and others—but they didn’t light up like that.

Standing up, I moved closer to the wall, bringing as close as possible to one of the turrets that was on the other side of the wall. The white light wasn’t exactly like an LED light, it was more alive than that.

The more I focused, the more strain I felt. It made realise that I wasn’t looking at the core itself that housed the AI, but sothing in the shape of a small rock that was glowing white.

“Captain, what did you find?” Lola asked in a soft voice, just a few steps behind .

“Sothing curious.” As I turned around to look at her, my eyes settled on the mana detection device. It was difficult to see before, as it was an inert shape in the middle of this device. It wasn’t giving off any light, but it was so similar to the one inside the turret.

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Once again, there was the feeling of haze that wanted to surround my mind. This ti it was easy to detect, and instead of letting it control , I took control of it. It was similar to my sixth sense, as it gave hints of what I needed to do.

The hints were quite simple. It wanted to finish what I started. The last component was ready. Lola had been completely right; it was unnecessary, yet it felt like it was needed.

It took two minutes to properly install it, with Lola watching over , worried, but I gave her a smile showing that I was in control this ti. She relaxed, but when I finished installing this component, my attention was pulled to the centre of this device. The stone seed to change a bit, compressing and getting even more solid.

“Running diagnostics,” I said out of habit as I turned it on. The power surged through the device. It was wonderful to see, in so many different ways, how machines worked that were previously not possible.

Focusing on my Sense Aura once again, a different view greeted . The stone had turned black, but at the edges it seed to start to glow. It took a bit longer, but eventually it looked so similar to a burning coal. It was getting brighter and brighter, and then I felt it, an understanding snapping between and it. Not a bond, sothing else, but similar enough that it felt familiar.

Lovingly, I touched the corners of the device and felt how it responded. It seed eager to do its job, unsatisfied that it wasn’t properly hooked up so it could share what it found and be used in the right manner.

“Don’t worry, little one. We’ll get you sorted out soon enough.” My words were soft, and it was almost like it purred back at , satisfied with my promise of fixing its complaints.

The diagnostics finished, and I could feel the shock FH was under as she finished processing it. The numbers didn’t make sense, as everything seed to be working well above spec—unnaturally so.

“FH, cycle the device down so we can safely install it.” She did so almost imdiately, and I watched the device power down, with the burning coal at the centre dimming but never going fully out, even when the device was fully off. It was like it was resting, but not dead.

“Captain, what is it? What did you find?”

“A mont, Lola, I need to check sothing.”

My feet started to move, heading upstairs towards Lola’s workshop. She followed , and as soon as we made it there, she panicked a bit, as it seed she had left her 3D printers without oversight for a bit too long. Perhaps there is a need for to make her a few assistants. I wonder if she would accept that.

Using soul sense once again, this ti I focused on the shield generator. Almost imdiately, I saw the black coal-like centre, but this one wasn’t lit up at all, even though we had tested it.

“Why are you different?”

It took a bit to figure that one out. This one was designed to be controlled by an AI. To test it out, I had one of the turrets cycle down, and when it was fully powered off, its coal was also dark.

I can figure out the differences later. Right now, I wanted to figure out what was going on.

“Hey, Captain, why does this new mana detection device feel like it’s alive?” Bob, out of nowhere, asked . It appeared that he had co to check up on . He asked it over the pond network so everyone heard.

“It’s because, apparently, it is alive, at least to a certain extent.”

“Does that an it also has affinities and skill slots?” Sam almost imdiately cut in, because of course he would be interested in that.

“No, it doesn’t have a soul like us. It’s more like a spirit, sothing that’s more instinctual than anything else.”

More questions ca in, but I held up my hand for them to stop, which apparently I could do inside the bond network. That was a fun discovery.

“Later, I need to ditate.” After saying that, I headed to my ditation room and settled in.

As I focused, it was easier to see how everything around was not just connected to through bonds, but sothing deeper. It was now easy to see the distinction, thanks to the mana detection device that was only connected to by this deeper connection.

There was also sothing flowing from them to . It was faint, but I’m guessing it is a lot stronger now than it was before everyone got their souls or spirits.

Everything clicked into place, and my truth revealed itself to , almost eager for to finally have noticed it. This understanding shocked .

It was also a lot more complicated than just a single word in a title could explain, but the basis of it was that my very being allowed to bring alive machinery, and they in return would empower .

The euphoria I felt when I realised that was sothing I’ve never experienced before, or even gotten anywhere close to. What I make, what is made in my presence, and what is made by sothing already brought to life by could also be blessed by the touch of life.

That realisation scared a bit, as the responsibility felt so heavy for a mont. It also made realise it would be easy enough to increase my strength. I just needed to keep building, which I was going to do anyway. A shiver ran through because, as I got stronger, it would be easier to bring life to machinery.

It seems that my path is now revealed. It’s probably also sothing I need to keep hidden for as long as possible. For a mont, I thought of revealing this to soone I didn’t know, and I almost got my head split by how loudly my sixth sense scread how bad of an idea that was.

“I get it,” I said to the skill itself. Ti to figure out so of the nuances of this innate power of mine. It was also quite clear that my affinities are reflections of this deeper power of mine. It seems that affinities were actually a breakdown of your truth.

But will my crew mbers be able to pursue their truth? I got a sense that they would not have that. It seems that there were so limitations to this power of mine, but even then, it was damn scary.