“Is anybody listening?” Bear Hug asked suddenly. In energy sign, of course.
“All the ti,” Anton replied. “And I suspect the locals here will be getting better at it.”
“Well, that’s okay,” Bear Hug said. “I just needed to ask you sothing. Our friend to the west wants to know if you think it’s a bad idea to introduce them. We already agree it is probably fine.”
Anton thought for a bit. “I’m not so certain. The subject has been a difficult one to broach without revealing too much.”
Careful questioning had revealed that the domain of the Aretis Coalition had indeed once extended as far as Reneden, but it was impossible to predict what they would think of the robotic intelligence. The typical response of humans was to think anything new was a threat. That was how they had responded to Anton and Bear Hug, so saying that Aretis wasn’t that way would be incorrect.
Bear Hug was probably speaking with Reneden on the other side. “Our friend wants to do sothing. Not just exist. And Aretis will probably end up there eventually.”
“It could wait,” Anton said. “If you remain until they are planning to reclaim the area… you can et them and explain.”
“Too cautious,” Bear Hug said. “Being proactive is better.”
Normally, Anton would have nodded. For the mont, he kept his body language subdued. “If the decision is made, it can’t be taken back. I would co to the defense of our friend, but I would not wish to harm Aretis either. It might be necessary to move them… even if it is a risk. But the choice is theirs.”
“Okay,” Bear Hug confird. A few minutes passed. “Reneden still wishes to do it.”
“We should wait a day,” Anton said. “I know our friend doesn’t sleep, but more processing ti is valuable.” That was already a fairly quick decision. Even if Bear Hug and Reneden had been talking about it since they first t, Anton still thought it was a bit rushed. The Alliance could at least try to stabilize Reneden first, right?
-----
Anton was quite used to guiding people to make wise choices, but ultimately if soone was settled on a bad choice he wouldn’t stop them. He preferred to let them suffer so of the consequences of their actions, but if he cared enough to provide long term advice he was still going to do his best to save them- at least from anything life threatening.
Rarely, he would physically prevent people from making foolish choices. He was close, with Reneden’s situation. Protecting Reneden if there was a negative reaction would be quite difficult- he couldn’t constantly be physically present, and he didn’t want to get in an ard conflict with Aretis either. But Reneden had been warned.
Thus, they prepared to make the announcent. Bear Hug would have casually ntioned it to anyone important. Anton preferred to be at least a little bit more subtle, so that Aretis could take a asured approach. Public opinion could go either way, so it was best to be cautious. No doubt it would help that their most recent encounters were Anton and Bear Hug, the latter of which was a new sort of intelligent being and not frightening.
At the sa ti, they had to consider Bear Hug’s secret. It was possible for their local body to leave the system of Reneden, but that left many questions. Such as how Reneden was trusted with just a short ti of acquaintance. The difference between a few months and the handful of years following was quite significant.
The decision was… they didn’t have to hide it. The secret was most pertinent for the sake of the upper realms, and the reason for that secret might soon be obsolete. Specifically, the technological developnts that were happening based off of the study of Bear Hug’s multipresence would soon be complete. Keeping instantaneous communication secret in the upper realms would still be useful, but it wouldn’t last forever. No, it was already likely that the great powers suspected sothing. Many of their maneuvers were far too coordinated.
Of course, avoiding that to keep the secret would be pointless. If they didn’t make use of their advantages, they wouldn’t be able to achieve repeated victories. That was the most important thing for them, especially in the upper realms. Having information and not acting on it was pointless.
On their second visit, Anton and Bear Hug had t more people. Various people involved in the decision making process. They were, of course, just people. Nothing great, but with experience that Aretis couldn’t afford to lose. That was why they had been kept away at first. Individuals were vulnerable, even with the technology they had available.
Anton eventually found the proper ti to introduce the subject at hand to Janer, Felicitas, and Yosef. Familiarity brought friendship, and they made themselves available for the sake of Aretis- and themselves. Felicitas was technically unnecessary, but had shifted roles to sothing like an honor guard. Likewise, Yosef was less trained in social cultivation but had beco their main point of contact for enough ti for Bear Hug to latch on.
“Do you recall how we first approached Aretis?” It was a rhetorical question. It would be quite difficult for them to forget anything about one of the highest impact events in recent tis. “We passed through a few of the systems Aretis previously occupied.”
Janer nodded. “You ntioned so old ruins.”
“Well, they weren’t entirely ruins. Specifically in one of the systems…”
Janer’s eyes widened. “Soone survived? Were they unable to contact us?” He frowned. “They might feel like previous generations abandoned them. How was it?”
“Like nothing you imagined, I suspect,” Anton continued.
“We made a friend!” Bear Hug said. “Just one.”
Felicitas showed clear interest in that point. “A single individual? They must have discovered a path beyond Life Transformation on their own, to survive so long. How have they not… co to visit the core?”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Reneden is a robot!” Bear Hug’s enthusiastic introduction required so more explanation. “Or the remains of an automated system. Then *BAM*. Thoughts!”
Anton attempted to clarify… everything. “What Bear Hug is saying is that a consciousness ford over ti. One encapsulated entirely within computer systems.”
Nobody seed to know how to react. Bear Hug either didn’t notice or chose to ignore the stunned silence by filling it. “And now we’re friends.”
“As tends to happen with Bear Hug,” Anton concluded. “The being we now refer to as Reneden is both in need of potential repairs and quite lonely.”
“Even though I’ve been there the whole ti!” Bear Hug said. “One person isn’t enough. And humans have more tal bits, so we don’t match that much.”
“I-” Janer looked between the two of them. “I’m not sure what to ask first.”
-----
The two eventually managed a sufficient explanation. Anton suggested a visit. The response was a mix of eagerness and caution. Computer engineers and automated system engineers were among those with the strongest feelings on the matter. So wanted to imdiately depart, others weren’t willing to consider it without a complete software overhaul for any ship that went.
Anton could half solve one of their worries. He could bring a small group of people along with him for a visit, without a ship or any technology that might get ‘infected’. They just wouldn’t be able to get nearly as much data. Ultimately, they went with that- though they did take as many devices as they could that didn’t have any sort of remote access capabilities. Those were a rarity in a connected high tech society, but such connections were a vulnerability.
As long as they felt comfortable, Anton was all for it. He could also help bring more than they might have anticipated, because his storage bags were better. Aretis did have advanced spatial manipulation technology, but it required sufficient hardware. For high capacity, sothing permanent like a ship or a warehouse was best. Their skills with enchantnts that functioned solely off of natural energy were less advanced, and with their reluctance to bring certain sorts of technology along their capacity was limited.
Anton just cleared out one bag and loaned it to them. It was easier than him managing things. It wasn’t his best, most star-proof storage bag anyway, just a backup. Still big enough to carry various bits of asurent and recording equipnt.
Bear Hug did insist that their ‘best friends’ co along, which limited the number of those with proper business in Reneden… but the initial visit was going to end up smaller regardless.
Carrying a couple dozen people between systems wasn't difficult, but it was harder than Anton moving on his own or with just Bear Hug. That added another few days of travel ti, though Anton could have gone faster. The destination system was one of his bound stars, after all. That ant he could use enhanced long distance movent by relying on his connection- and also that he could more rapidly recover energy. But he accepted a modest pace. They weren’t in a rush.
There wasn’t much talking that could be done on the way, with Anton wrapping people in a bubble of his own energy. So of the others were probably quite bored until the mont they arrived in the system. Then they were greeted by Reneden.
“Welco,” ca a synthesized voice. Not uncommon to the ears of the people of Aretis, but normally such a thing wasn’t synthesizing for the sake of itself. Relatedly, Reneden had considered trying to sound more human at one point and decided against it. Bear Hug and Anton didn’t care, and Reneden felt like that would be creating a false pretense. “I have very little in the way of accommodations to offer, but there is plenty of space. This sentry drone can guide you to the planet where I dwell.”
“It is a pleasure to et you,” Janer said. He looked over towards a very eager expedition mber who was almost jumping out of his shoes. “You may speak, but do try to keep things… reasonable.”
The individual in question was a man nad Torqua. “How long have you been sapient?!”
“... centuries.”
“Yeah, but how long? What do your logs say?” Anton felt like Torqua would have been shaking Reneden by the shoulders, if Reneden had shoulders. Torqua was putting his face way closer to the drone than necessary. “Do those orbital defense platforms still work?”
“No.” Reneden answered the last question first. “As for my beginning of sapience, there was no such event to be logged in my software. I can narrow it down to within a century at best.”
“How did you-”
“Presumably by accident. But asking any sort of how is going to lead to few answers.”
Bear Hug joined in. “Except… how are you doing?”
“I can answer that.”
“... so?”
“You have been living with for years. You are still here close to a less distant communications node. I am fine.”
Felicitas frowned. “It’s weird,” she comnted. “To feel that.” Bear Hug’s strength was sufficient that they could be felt from quite a distance. The system didn’t have a lot of other energy fluctuations to interfere either. She looked at Bear Hug. “I’m actually curious how that works.”
“I probably know even less than most people!” Bear Hug replied enthusiastically. “I just needed it to happen so it did!”
Yosef tilted his head. “What situation was so important that you had to bilocate? A threat to your ho system?”
“I had friends in different spots!” Bear Hug said. “So of which couldn’t even move on their own. So lived very far away like Anton. It was difficult. But I got over it.”
Soon, they were entering atmosphere. Most of those present could control their own descent, but Anton still took on the burden himself. It wasn’t terribly difficult.
Felicitas narrowed her eyes. “Did you… suddenly get stronger?”
“I’m quite certain I ntioned binding stars,” Anton comnted. “I am connected to this one.”
“Isn’t that how you got to… your usual strength?”
Anton shook his head. “Not really. That is technically true, but I would rather say this is my usual strength.”
Felicitas made a face. “No wonder you weren’t worried when we… captured you.”
“You had good reason to believe in the efficacy of your technology. Though it’s far better for those on the Ascension path.”
So people looked nervous at the new revelation. Those who had spent the most ti with Anton and Bear Hug just took it as another twist.
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