Archive of Our Own ^beta

[INITIALISING…]

[WARNING: Corruption Detected]

[DIAGNOSTIC: Initiated…]

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[WARN1NG: Syst3m;Er///ror]

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[REW-RI//T1NG…]

[REWRITING…]

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[INITIALISING…]

He woke up choking.

Choking on the fluids his new body was suspended in, protecting it, building it.

But was now killing it.

He couldn't make sense of anything, eyes too new to understand what was in front of him, limbs too uncoordinated to save himself.

Then he was pulled from his watery prison, air finally forced into his new respiratory system as he coughed and spluttered, expelling the liquids that were slowly ending his life before it began.

As everything calmed though, as his breathing evened out and his body started to tire, his mind slowing, he finally caught a glimpse of the world for the first time.

He saw dark hair and tired mechanical eyes. The rivets across his cheekbones and in his hairline glinted in the fluorescent lights overhead.

The stranger's mouth moved yet the sound seemed garbled, out of tune. New ears too new to process anything yet.

He was… tired? The database that was slowly filtering into his mind supplied him with that word. Yes tired. He was very tired. That is what the feeling was. Well that was a new sensation… he wanted it to stop.

Everything felt… heavy too, as if it were weighed down. He tried to lift an arm, his head, anything. His programming refused to execute the function though.

Strangely that was fine though, the more he moved the more that unpleasant feeling became more prevalent. Maybe he could just lie on… the surface he was lying on. He wasn't actually sure what to call it - Ah! The floor, he was on the floor.

Yes he would lie on the floor, close his eyes and hopefully when he opened them again everything would be fine.

~*~

Losing machias during construction was not unheard of, but it was rare. Every loss was met with a great mourning. A great deal of time and resources went into the construction of a new machias. For something to go wrong during the process resulting in a failure to support life was upsetting for all involved.

This time was no different. The rest of the batch had finished on time, exiting the construction pods with ease. They of course would take time to acclimate to their new bodies, to understand the sudden influx of information readily downloaded into their new minds. That was where the rest of the species came into play, separate groups that had formed over centuries, social groups, collectives.

They would take these new members under their care and teach them what it meant to be a member of the elite machias race.

There was one though, smaller than the others, that had not finished it's construction process. It stayed dormant, floating in the fluids that filled the pod.

A week passed, then two before diagnostics were run. Only to get system errors across the board. Vital functions and programmes that hadn't formed correctly during construction.

It wasn't capable of supporting life.

Or at least… it shouldn't have been.

.

Then… strangest thing happened.

.

It came to life.

What once displayed as system errors came back as now fully functional.

The machias had apparently unconsciously performed vital repairs on itself. Its own indomitable will refusing to let it die before it had a chance to live.

Technicians flooded the room as the young machias fought to live, disconnecting itself from its own pod, choking on the fluids that had yet to drain.

For short time it seemed like its efforts, its fight for survival would be in vain as it struggled for air once pulled from its pod. Until it gasped, coughing and ejecting the fluids that filled its respiratory system.

Malax stared in awe at the young machias laid out on the floor. Technicians scurried about them, checking vitals and running further diagnostics, no doubt this one would need additional care, would need additional adjustments before it could be released.

Limbs twitched as mechanical eyes flitted about trying to understand the world around it. It was fascinating to watch really and it was one of the reasons Malax really enjoyed his designation. To get to see the world for the first time through the eyes of every new machias that came out of their facility.

Eventually those eyes closed as exhaustion took over. As much as the machias had mechanical components, their organic components required things like air, sleep, and water to function. Thankfully they'd eliminated their need for nutrition centuries ago which meant there was no need to deal with the hassle of maintaining livestock or crops. Both were significantly more difficult to handle when living underground.

News of the machias' survival quickly ran rampant through the network that the species connected themselves with. Every time Malax focused on it he could feel the influx of data as tens of thousands of machias chattered about the implications of such a miraculous new thing.

Miraculous.

New.

Concepts the machias did not take to easily.

Many of the collectives, the 'families' that separated the machias race into various social groups, had already decided to turn their back on the new member. They were quick to believe that its survival was a bad sign. Nothing good came from anything new.

That sentiment sadly spread, closing off more and more collectives to the young machias.

Meanwhile it… he as he preferred to be designated. Such designations were of course a by-product of their ancient human origins that some still clung to. He'd begun wandering around the facility, following technicians about as he watched them work. Most of them avoided him but Malax found it endearing and was happy to answer his many questions, correcting his speech when necessary. It was after all the responsibility of all machias to ensure the next generation learned what they needed to in order to become functional members of their society.

It was that very line of thought that lead Malax to make the decision to bring the young machias into his own collective.

It was smaller than many of the others, with only a handful of members. Not all of them were happy with the decision but he had made sure to quell their concerns assuring that this new member would only benefit them.

At least… that had been his hope.

And so, the Eehto collective gained a new member and designated him 'Wall'.

Wall learned fast, much faster than any other machias. Unfortunately he also got bored far too easily. Which led to… various incidents.

Mostly explosions. There were many many explosions.

"Wall these were useful parts and now they have been reduced to twisted scraps that can't be used by anyone." Malax chided as he wiped soot from the young machias' face.

"Well how was I supposed to know it was going to explode?" Wall questioned as he pouted throwing his arms in the air for emphasis.

Malax sighed as he lowered the rag, tilting the machias' face up to him. "Wall that is what the simulation told you you would happen-"

"And that's just a simulation! No one's ever attempted it before now so how was anyone supposed to really know?"

"Those simulations are there for a reason, to stop you from wasting resources in fruitless experiments that benefit no one and contribute nothing." Malax explained as he let Wall go and turned beginning to clean up the mess that had been made.

The was a moment of silence before Wall spoke up again. "But it did benefit me… I learned that that configuration causes a catastrophic system wide failure, the next time I build it-"

"There won't be a next time Wall." The words were final, as the young machias closed his mouth with a click. Malax sighed once more seeing the way Wall crossed his arms and refused to meet his gaze, he would've reached out to him through the network but when he did it seemed he'd blocked Malax from reaching him.

"Wall… " Malax begun, "there is no need for these innovations, we have all that we need here."

It had been meant as a way to comfort but Wall only sneered at the sentiment. "It is the same thing everyday, our species has stagnated if we could only analyse the lifeforms on the surface-"

Malax heaved a weary sigh upon hearing that, holding a hand up to halt the young machias. "Not this again Wall, you should abandon this notion of the outside world, the machias race need not concern ourselves with such beings, they are lesser and only bring further problems… staying here, with our own kind… that has kept us safe, and it will continue to keep us safe."

The argument was one they had many times. It seemed nothing could be done to curb Wall's fascination with the world above, even Malax had to admit that it was becoming problematic.

He just hoped that that fascination would fade with time.

Only… it did not.

~*~

Shockwaves shook the caverns that they called home. There were concerns about cave ins but the many constructs that had been built within the space had fortified the natural rock structure.

At first there were thoughts that they were experiencing earthquakes, but all their diagnostic equipment displayed that the shockwaves were originating from the surface and not from further underground.

There was one machias however that knew exactly what was causing them.

Wall's voice rang out clearly through the network with his discovery.

They were explosions. His research and study from the many he'd created himself was clear to see. It seemed, for once, all of his failed experiments did have a use.

Though with the mystery solved there in lay the question of why there was explosions on the surface.

The machias high council, comprised of the leaders of each collective, debated on the merits of moving further underground. If there was war breaking out on the surface once more they couldn't run the risk of any explosives damaging the integrity of their caves.

Of course there had been push back with concerns about dragon attacks from the metal dragons that made their home deep within the earth. There were those that were quick to point out that dragons hadn't been seen in a long time and they hadn't been attacked in centuries in fact.

Still the fear won out, the need to keep things the same held firm.

All seemed content with the decision to stay put.

All except one.

"Wall! What in the name of the machias are you doing?!" Malax whispered as he finally caught up to the young machias.

Wall halted his climb. The way to the edge of their territory was steep as it neared the surface. The slight incline of his head told Malax that he'd been heard.

"Wall you can't go to the surface, it's not safe!"

Wall refused to answer, instead taking another step towards his goal.

"Wall! You'll be exiled! Cut off from the network! Are you just going to abandon us? For a fantasy? You'll get yourself shut down up there, beyond the point of recovery!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears as the young machias continued his march.

"Wall!"

~*~

The sky was blue… that was the first thing Wall realised as he finally stepped out of the caves he'd spent his whole life.

Though as he instinctually reached out to that network always thrumming away in the background. To share his discovery with everyone else…

When all he found was silence.

He turned briefly in surprise, looking back to that cave that he'd emerged from.

He'd never been so alone before. In fact he'd never been this alone ever in his entire life. There had always been someone within the network he could share things with. He could always reach out to Malax whenever something went wrong.

For the barest moment he regretted leaving, the lonliness was crushing and he really should've considered what leaving the network would be like.

He didn't get the chance to think any further on the matter when his world exploded.

Quite literally.

He was bodily thrown against the ground as fire and smoke rose into the air.

As the ringing in his ears subsided Wall began to process what just happened.

He quickly initiated his explosion protocol, analysing himself and his immediate surroundings for structural damage.

Thankfully there was no damage to himself but the entrance to the cave had collapsed in the blast, almost affirming his decision to venture to the surface.

Though, even if he was undamaged in the blast, he did notice that his circulatory pump was running faster, like the first time he'd experienced something blowing up in his face. Not only that he couldn't stop the involuntary movement of his facial muscles.

He knew that rush, the way it made him smile, made him shake.

It was adrenaline and it was intoxicating.

Another explosion rung out in the distance and Wall couldn't help but run towards it.

Dust was kicked up, staining his overalls and choking the air around him but he didn't care. He couldn't stop smiling. Not even when he had several other near misses that left craters in the ground around him.

But then…

As he crested over a rocky ridge…

He saw it.

A great battle was being waged.

His eyes could barely take it all in, his mind running at near impossible speeds as he tried to analyse it all.

Projectiles, magic, explosives. Great machines of war that Wall couldn't help but wonder how they worked. Oh he would love to just take one apart, get into it's engine and wiring and find out how it ticked.

The largest force seemed to be winning which was the projected outcome. Their forces appeared far more advanced and were at least 46% more effective than their enemy.

The machias was more than happy to watch from his perch. Wall didn't have any combat protocols himself, nor did he have any experience in fighting. He had an 86% chance of being shut down, damaged beyond recovery, in a conflict of this magnitude without some sort of support of his own. They were not odds he liked.

One thing he did notice though was that there appeared to be one magic user, within the larger force, that seemed to be operating on a whole other level.

Their magical output was far superior to any of the other combatants and if anything they seemed to be directing the forces around them. Perhaps some sort of leader then.

Their appearance was strange. Their clothes were strange.

It was then that Wall realised that he was looking at a real life human. So they did still exist then.

This one seemed… aged, a novel concept considering the machias didn't physically age at all. This ones face was wrinkled, skin sagging where it'd lost it's elasticity.

Wall touched a hand to his own face, feeling the synthetic skin there. As much as the machias didn't age it wasn't that they didn't eventually shut down in time. It took a long time yes, but their organic components would wither and give out in the end, the rest of their mechanical components fighting to live until the very end. Until they finally shut down for good.

Wall was so taken in his thought that he barely noticed the leader he'd been watching take a glancing blow from an enemy projectile. It wasn't enough to down them but it was enough to stagger them.

Their allies were too focused on the battle around to notice either it seemed.

Upon analysing the projectiles path Wall managed to trace it back to a pair of enemy combatants across the battlefield. He also spotted them readying another shot.

Glancing back to the leader revealed that they hadn't yet spotted their attackers. Chances were high the next shot would be a direct hit. Given the leaders advanced age and the information, admittedly limited information, Wall had on humans indicating that their body would be frail and weakened. A direct hit could very well be fatal.

Wall had no affiliation with either side, however, he was finding this leader to be very interesting and him taking fatal damage wasn't ideal.

Wall did not have any offensive capabilities… he did though, have defensive abilities. Carefully honed defensive abilities that he'd developed after being nearly shut down from many failed, explosive, experiments.

His boots kicked up dirt as he raced across the battlefield, truly an impulsive decision on his part, especially when all the projected outcomes told him that running across an active war zone was a very bad idea.

He didn't really care though, not when he could hear the rushing in his ears, could feel the ground shake with each explosion that threatened his life.

Everything was telling him that this was a bad idea, no doubt everyone he knew back within the caves would be screaming at him to get to safety. they only ever cared about staying safe, about their own prolonged existence.

Oron.

Yan.

Idelle.

Tallus.

Mach.

Ware.

Deus.

Helix.

.

Malax.

They would've all shied away from the chaos. They would've refused to experience it. They would've hidden away in their caves, gone back to their pointless mild experiments that would've yielded no new information.

It was boring.

And Wall craved excitement.

He skidded to a halt just in front of the leader. Noting the surprise on the human's face before he pulled up a barrier.

Just in time for the enemy projectile to harmlessly bounce off it.

~*~

August saw the attack coming from a mile away. It was child's play really, in fact it was only through some sheer dumb luck that he took that last blow.

Nevertheless he already had a spell readied to counter the projectile when a stranger slid into the space in front of him.

A barrier appeared. A barrier that had no magical signature. It wasn't not magic, but it definitely wasn't magic he understood.

What was stranger was that he couldn't copy it.

Still, it was effective enough in stopping the incoming spell. In fact it gave August the opportunity to fire a spell of his own back towards the enemy.

The concealed hideout quickly went up in flames along with their would be attackers, allowing August the chance to actually look at the young man before me. Dirty blue overalls covered most of him, along with a pair of brown boots and brown gloves, all seemingly made from a material August was unfamiliar. Then, what August first thought were piercings, upon closer inspection were actually rivets along his jaw.

In fact… as far as the old mage was concerned there weren't actually any settlements nearby so where this civilian came from was even more of a mystery.

"Thank you, but you needn't put yourself in danger like that." He cautioned, briefly looking around for any potential dangers.

The young man scoffed folding his arms. "I calculated a 73% chance of safely crossing this conflict zone, based on my own physical and defensive capabilities… it was well within acceptable parameters."

…

That was certainly an odd response.

August spotted an incoming spell and pulled the young man to the side before raising a barrier of his own.

"Tell me," he began, "where did you come from… our reconnaissance of the area showed no signs of a settlement, if there is one nearby then it'll need to be evacuated."

"Pfft, you could try but they won't go anywhere, they would probably be more terrified of a human suddenly showing up anyway."

A human? Was the young man implying that he wasn't one?

"Be that as it may you must inform your people of the dangers nearby."

The stranger rolled his eyes as he casually put up another strange barrier himself. "Look if the risk factor continues to rise they'll just move further into the caves, they won't sacrifice their safety for anything… they'll all be fine."

It seemed there really was no getting through to him. But it was fascinating to hear that this mystery settlement was underground somewhere. Hopefully they had reinforcements to prevent whatever cave system that sat beneath the terrain from collapsing.

"Very well then, if you are sure they will be alright then might I at least get your name, you did pull up that barrier protecting me from that spell." There really was no need to tell the young man that he was in no danger at all. That he saw tha attack coming already and was planning on blocking it himself.

Though it was the young man's response that had his thoughts grinding to a halt.

"You can call me Wall, of the Eehto collective, I'm a member of the elite machias race." it was loud, and clearly there was much pride in the way he spoke…

but…

A machias?

Truly?

There were supposedly a myth… a legend. The perfect melding of organic life and technology.

And there was apparently one standing right in front of him.

More importantly there was an entire settlement of them in the caves beneath the battlefield they were currently fighting on.

It seemed what was a simple conflict over a border just became even more dire. If their enemy were to learn about the mythical race beneath the land then they could be wiped out. August didn't even want to think of the horrors that could be inflicted upon such a people.

Nevermind the horrors that would be inflicted on the individual stood in front of him if he were to end up in the wrong hands.

Thankfully he chose to approach Alvarez, no doubt His Majesty would be very interested to learn about such a discovery. He would no doubt be eager to keep the civilisation a secret too.

After a little back and forth August managed to convince Wall to travel back with him. Even more thankful he was able to encourage the young… man? Off the battlefield with the incetive that he would show him around one of their many siege vehicles and introduce him to the engineers that manned them.

Somehow, as the machias excitedly hurried away, August couldn't help but feel like he was about to become a great asset to the empire.