project phoenix 1

Such matters were not for public ears.

Is it any wonder then that Amelia would be approached by Marcel for something like this away from the rest? When she gets a visit from the Captain, there's a sealed tomb with something impossibly hot inside - so much so that she could feel it even from the distance.

It glows with red and yellow- hovering above the ground thanks to the gravitational runes, with all of its power contained within; a construction that was pre-emptively made from where they extracted this.

Even from the distance, she could see a writing on it.


[Warning, heat levels within the tomb are 100^10x higher than peak magitech temperature. Instant eradication detected upon opening. Proceed with EXTREME caution - do NOT open.]


"Hello, Amelia."

He speaks leisurely, despite bringing the otherworldly power sealed in the tomb- the power that was enough to fuel so much more..

The power of the sun in his hands.

"I'm back."

"And I think it's time we begin our work."
(Marcel Delisle)

The sauntering approach of the Captain bearing the oddest of machines, built to withstand and hold a core of power. One would expect fear from such a sight, but not the Aertas.

If anything, she felt nostalgia.

The lingering memories of the Tyrium vault that once held the piece of Achlys' might. A dangerous holding, one that she expected to be the same with this one.

"...er, hello." One of the oddest things to greet her, but cordiality comes first.

She glances over it, intrigued. "I am going to assume this is what it is... yes?" The very essence of a sun within the gravitational hands of Marcel.

A success, so clearly in view.

"Well then, stellar work, Captain." She comments, nodding with an unbridled congratulatory aura. "Yes, we may commence with this. Do explain the plan to me on the way over to your work station."
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)

"Yes. It is quite stellar."

After all, it was his own work for the good of the Empire- something that very few could match, especially considering the circumstances. Truth be told, he'd expect it to be much lighter, but.. now that he remembers the expedition, he was close to dying on it.

He was lucky to even return.

"We should not waste time. Come."

Where he leads them both is no secret- the workshop of Delisle at the more remote locations of the city, enough to work undisturbed and away from the masses that might come to question them.

The hovering tomb is brought about, its power emanating with the potency unseen before, and yet there's potential to it that is still to be realized. Nonetheless...

"Here's the plan." He pauses, soon displaying her a schematic- it seems to resemble what one could call a dyson sphere, with appropriate calculations already done.

"Are you familiar with how spheres work for the energy sources?"

"I intended to construct a sphere around the tomb. And.." Soon, he shows her the Ifraheim-attuned Spire Shard that once served as the core alongside with the weapon that carried the power of the sun.

"Have this serve as a processing core - along with the power coming from the energy source itself."

It would be a large project, one that'd require a lot of work from them.

"There's no way we can do it all at once."

"I propose we would construct the sphere first - created out of orchilacum and nyeshk; orchilacum to soak up the energy processing, and nyeshk to withstand the extreme heat."

"With arcanium around the core, since that's where the greatest heat will come from - and we cannot settle for less to withstand that heat, lest the construction just collapses."

Another pause, soon to which he adds.

"Up to the task, Amelia?"
(Marcel Delisle)

Wasting time was the one thing the Aertas was keen on failing. After all, she was always one of the most efficient hands within Achyon, even despite her growing age.

As the plan was swiftly appended and summarized, the doctor-artificer would keep her ears peeled. An analytical glance down leave much of her surroundings muted, heavily focusing more upon the Delisle's explanations.

"I see. How astronomical this is," she comments, passing a glance over to the odd attuned shard. There it was again, another Spire Shard.

Though this one seemed much much more empowered that what was previously observed.

"So the first steps begin the shell, the holding chambers." A soft patter in her diminutive tone as if to clarify their actions for this moment. "This can be achieved. Yes."

And with a snap of her fingers andthe faint glow of a rune upon her palm, a soft knock upon the door of the Delisle household would echo before the vicinity. When opened? A looming array of synthetic familiars all swarm in.

An army of workers, all tireless and efficient, ready to work.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)

Such plan would be difficult to execute.

But nothing that the two of them can't do. The synthetic familiars were welcomed into this home, and already the Captain began carrying out the various resources that they would need to perform this operation.

An abundance of orchilacum, nyeshk and even arcanium - the rarest metal of all. Thankfully, due to impressive wealth that he amassed, getting even such things was not a difficult feat at all.

It's just as some said..
Money makes the world go around.

And in this scenario, the money makes the progress of humanity go further; one to work the forge, and begin smelting various metals into the necessary shape.

First would be the nyeshk base, linen with the receptive orchilacum metal.

"We'll need to begin with the groundwork."

"I will begin constructing various details - the baseline, the arcs, the ring, etcetera. Your synthetic workers can put the details together and act as field workers."

"You can direct them."

A sound plan, is it not? Marcel would make the base for such construction, and her workers would put it together - like assembling something, akin to a construct. Though, already his work begins..

Through the mana-infused forge, Nyeshk is exposed to the hottest flames along with orchilacum being placed in a second forge nearby- a process that would soon ensure that the Nyeshk is smelted into what resembles the particles of the base for such sphere...

One after another, they're constantly given out, alongside with the arcs that could make for the groundwork.

Arcs would be next.
(Marcel Delisle)

Such a large machine will need the brutish strength of busybodies to get things into place. Thus, the machines she's built was more than enough to fill in that slot of work.

As the plates are made to the side by the Captain, the produced pieces are slowly built upon a growing skeleton of the soon-to-be-machine.

Powerful blasts of lightning weld and melt the provided pieces in place. Others bear screws that would further reinforce the very shell of the sphere.

All the while by the ground floor of the workstation, the doctor-artificer shifts and moves her fingers as if to command each and every drone into proper formation and action.

Like a virtuoso leading an entire orchestra, each being worked in utter harmony. Like cogs to a machine. The ideal army for one so imbedded into Achyon's mindset.

"Tell me, where do you propose this machine be left once it is complete?" She idly questions, imposing the future of the plans once it is in its completion. "If we are to bring the city to the skies, this must find a safe location to be in. I have spoken with Lucy prior and was humbly suggested we bear a second power source other than ADAM in-case one or the other finds themselves to cease for any known reason."
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)

Little by little,
piece by piece.

The groundwork was not an easy feat to accomplish, but thanks to assistance of Amelia as well as the synthetic familiars that she has, it was made much easier than it would otherwise be- a process that no doubt takes time and patience..

Constructing every single piece of the metal, smelting it accordingly and bending it into shape.

Yet, the arcs come next; the necessary part of construction that would essentially compose the Sphere itself- here, it would find itself having the Arcanium smelted and formed around the Spire Shard within - yet it was not an entirely closed off construction.

Gaps and various holes are purposefully made. Why, one could ask? According to the schematic of such sphere, the remnants of the power must be distributed accordingly across all of the layers - both inner and outer.

Should either layer be overwhelmed, then it'll just destroy itself. By leaving such gaps, the heat escapes onto outer layer - and is further processed into the rest.

Such arcs and the pieces of the central core construction are given over to the synthetic familiars- the arcs necessary to support the construction, and the central sphere to remain in the center. Though..

"I'd suggest castle, in the sealed vaults."

"While I wanted to use this to power up the magitech devices that turn one impervious to harm, these would essentially be batteries - requiring a re-charge every five years or so."

"Not only it lessens the load on the Sphere by large margin, but should anyone go rogue while possessing our magitech device, it will soon run out of power - and they'll be unable to get any recharge."

Even now, he thinks about potential betrayals in the future. Cunning.

"And yes."

"I expect our enemies to find out eventually. They might seek to disable ADAM, should they siege the city."

"This could become back-up energy source."
(Marcel Delisle)

Much more would the idle glyphs of runecasting allow work to be efficiently done. What flesh would have taken months, metal has taken hours. A shining exemplar of her grandfather's matra.

Steel above flesh.

"The castle is a good choice. Perhaps far low in the deepest bowels of its underside if I may suggest." Likely one of the safer locations, highly protected by a larger bulk of the army itself. "ADAM resides far above the palace, he finds my laboratory as a home. However my own army of synthetic creatures, on top of the army, is hopefully enough of a defense... among other things."

A haunty explanation, likely to precede enough of a tell on how the layout would be if the city were to rise. One source far beneath the building, the other at its far zenith.

If attackers dared defy Achyon and target these? They would have to go through the entirety of the palace if they so wish to properly disable the power source.

"The re-charge is a good check for uncertainties," she comments. "I assume this will run through the powering of a separate device attached to the sphere itself."

Soon, the shard and the arcanium find presence as the inner plating is prepared. Much more care and caution is enacted with this, assuring absolutely nothing is going to waste.

And as her drones swiftly work on the innards, the councilwoman would merely glance over the growing presence of the sphere. It had its shape, it had its form. All that was left was the meat of it.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)

It would be the good means of ensuring that such sphere is clearly protected.

And ensure that it would not be suddenly disabled by any rogue magi, or perhaps even invading force- especially given the fact that they're fighting against quite literally entire world, such mistakes could not be afforded.

"Mhm. That sounds good."

"And yes- another device will be attached to any who would desire to wear it, or rather... those who would actually deserve to wear it."

Such technology wouldn't be given quite literally for everyone.

"Do tell, though.."

"How goes the project progress with our dear home becoming essentially a battleship?"

He couldn't quite come up with any different word for it, but that's only reasonable, given the description that Amelia has given to him. Nonetheless, even despite such talks, his work continues..

With enough arcs being produced in such manner, what remains is essentially the rest of the construction for the innards of the Sphere itself- the reflecting panels, as well as the necessary surface for the outer layer.

All to ensure that it could distribute such power correctly.

"Hm.."

"Only the ring left now."

A pause- the ready inner parts of the Sphere, its outer layer and additional construction details were handed over to the synthetic familiars as well.

"Have them place these for now."
(Marcel Delisle)

"I have much accomplished with my synthetic assistants in the preparation of ADAM's chambers. As for the city itself, I will be proposing a city-wide action in the upcoming council meeting. Assuming I do not drown myself in work to miss it..." Unapologetic in keeping herself busy, the Aertas would be swift to change topic.

Sights are set before the blueprints for the outer ring of the sphere. In all honesty, it was beginning to take the aspects of a miniature plant. Perhaps it would be more theatric if they were to prime this as the creation of such?

"Very well," she announced as the resounding hand motions allow her synthetic familiars to pull forth and begin setting the ring in-place.

Without much effort on both of their ends, the ring is held up in the air to surround the giant sphere. And needed adjustments and preparations are embedded as the piece remains stagnant inthe air.

The gravitational runes upon the drones were numerous enough to keep the part afloat. Truly a marvel beyond any other.
(Amelia Locke pyr Aertas)

A wonder for the Empire.

If they are to break out from being a mere colony on Esshar, then they must achieve more and find the means to suppress their enemies before they could become far too strong- while the entire world already wages war against them, it doesn't mean they'd have to give up.

It only means they'd have to push harder.

Any additional pieces of the metal required for the ring is readily constructed, up until the point that he's more than certain that no more would be needed. For this time, they'd have to construct the Sphere for the time being..

And only then construct the rest.

"Hrm.."

His gaze sizes up the marvel once he walks on over- already steadily observed any runework made. Only some minor adjustments are in place- not to correct, as much as to ensure that it all holds up fast, whether it's welding the metal together with lightning or correcting certain runework pieces.

It seemed good.

"This shall do."

"The next up we have is connecting runework to these magitech devices I mentioned that'd be charged. We'll have to ensure the runework is also done correctly over the Sphere."

What they did now is mere basics to ensure that it holds together.

"But the first stage is complete."

"Thank you for assistance, Amelia."
(Marcel Delisle)