Selvaria (POV)

Rin. “We are out of recyclable scrap metal for the 3D printers, even though it has only been five days since D-Day.”

Rin spoke Japanese, but the translator pendant around her neck translated into English for everyone to hear. Selvaria had created it for Rin to make it easier to be part of group discussions. She planned on implanting a translator chip into Rin's head when they returned to Vector as the pendant was too primitive and inefficient.

Rin is providing an inventory update to Selvaria while she is working on an artillery blueprint on a 3D hologram interface. Several types of designs were compared with each other until one was approved. The rest were quickly sent into a digital trash bin with one flick of her finger. Selvaria drops the winning blueprint into a folder called ‘Favourites’ and then powers down the interface with a snap of her fingers.

The unobstructed view through the glass wall of the VIP lounge catches her attention. This was her favorite spot since she could work on her designs and still observe the stadium whenever she took a break.

Where there was a football field, it has been transformed into a lush forest of trees. Three-foot-tall robots that look like Goblins are running about collecting edibles from the vegetation. The robots sort out their harvest by dropping them into a dozen wooden containers labeled for what they contain.

Tamers in Monster Fusion forms built for muscle carry these containers to the food processing site, where Tamers in equipment transformation use their weapons to slice or pound the food. Once the food has been processed, it is distributed to the refugees standing in line for lunch.

Sitting in the VIP lounge sofas are Bison, Albert, Miles, and Tyson. In their hands are plates of fresh fruits, roasted mushrooms, nuts, and vegetables grown by a Tamer named ‘Robert Wagner’ whose monster skills boosted plant growth, soil fertility, and ripening. The entire football field grounds had been transformed by his Brachiasoaur into a lush forest full of edible plants and medicinal herbs.

The three food printers salvaged on the first day were abandoned because the Ice-Bugs around the stadium devoured almost every cartridge the food printers needed to pump out meals for thousands three times a day. It was far easier to grow the food with Robert’s monster skills and then cook them.

No one complained since it tasted far better than what one would get from a Food printer. Usually, rich people were the only ones who could afford to use fresh ingredients to make meals. It also didn’t hurt that all the products made by Robert’s monster skills were more nutritious than those created in the mega-farms.

All Robert needed were the seeds or a few saplings for his monster to create more on her own through the dozens of yellow spore sacs attached to her long neck. Similarly, a Tamer called Aurum Turtur has a Hippo-sized Turtle that ate a sample of any kind of metal, then it could make it grow the same on its shell in large quantities.

These were mined by the same Goblin-shaped Robots from the fields. They melted and fed the liquid metal into the 3D printers to make more robots for the labor force. Their number stood at thirty, half in the field s and the other half on mining duty.

Rin poured a cup of apple juice from a jug on the counter while she waited for Selvaria to respond. She had gotten used to Selvaria keeping track of what everyone was saying even if she didn’t look like she cared.

Selvaria. “Then I am glad we have Aurum and his Turtle.”

Tyson. “Told ya that my boy has mad skills. Knew all those years working in the mines would make his monster special like mine. Shame that he gave it a weird ass name.”

Miles. “Terra Nova is Italian for New Land. He is also living proof that we are what we eat.”

Tyson. “You like rubbing your fancy education in my face?”

Miles. “Is it my fault you dropped out of school?”

Bison. “You boys seal those mouths of your now. The ladies are trying to have a discussion.”

Rin. “Aurum’s Turtle produces a hundred kilograms an hour and one type in each. The output is adequate, but-”

Selvaria. “I would say it is more than adequate for my needs.”

Rin. “Right, but we are stuck at creating ten Gob-Bots a day since we only salvaged two Industrial 3D printers. At this rate, it will take weeks to build an army out of them unless we find more printers.”

Selvaria paused her design work and took a moment to think of a solution.

Selvaria. “Why search for more printers when we have the resources to build more? High Command!”

[Yes?]

Selvaria. “What is the current workload of the Gob-Bots?”

[Food Harvesting and Rare Metal Mining]

Selvaria. “How many Non-Tamers are there?”

[3710]

Selvaria. “How many are helping the Gob-Bots and our Tamers?”

[Only 10% of the Non-Tamers are contributing to the workforce]

Selvaria. “Order all the Gob-Bots to hand over their work to the free-loading Non-Tamers. Then have the Gob-Bots focus on building several more Industrial 3D printers with the excess metal in stock. That should help us create more bots faster, right?”

[It certainly will, but I must bring to your attention the new stadium’s defenses need immediate resupply of ammunition]

Selvaria. “The turrets are out of ammo already? Get some Tamers to supply them as soon as possible."

Rin. "Is it necessary to attack them when the defenses are enough to hold them back?"

Selvaria. "I am killing those bugs for Albert to turn into his zombie bug army. The turrets also keep the Ice-bugs from damaging the stadium's defenses."

Rin. "Then why are you building a cannon?"

Selvaria. "This is a Rail gun and not a simple cannon. It won't need any special kind of ammo like the conventional turrets, it only needs electricity to power it. But all I am missing is a powerful generator. What is the status of that project?"

Rin. “The Lightning and Earth Tamers are still working on it based on the designs and principles you gave them, but it is like jumping from elementary school to a Ph.D. thesis.”

Selvaria. “Maybe they need more brain cells to break it down. Send all the highly educated Non-Tamers to assist them. At least they will be good for something if they manage to speed up a breakthrough.”

Mason. “Why can’t you use your Nanites to build it on your own?”

[Direct transfer of Vector’s Energy Production Technology to Earth that is grade A or above is illegal]

Mason. “Can’t she give them Grade B?”

Selvaria. “Contrary to popular belief, advanced tech requires very few moving parts. Vector’s scientists made do with the bare minimum available that they brought with them. If they could do it, so can these Tamers as long as they have access to the fundamentals.”

Mason. “So you want them to figure it out with a little guidance. That's a… indirect way of transferring technology, I guess. But is it a good idea to give it to them?”

Selvaria. “How long do you think this stadium will be able to run on reserve power?”

Mason. “A few weeks… ah, I see.”

Bison. “If you don’t mind me saying. I don’t think the ones you called Non-Tamers will work in the fields or mines if we force them into it.”

Selvaria. “I am sure they won’t, but we need the manpower, and the manual labor jobs are pretty easy to learn.”

Bison. “Afraid it's not about the difficulty. They will see the work as demeaning… or akin to slave labor. Plus, it's a bit harsh to refer to them as freeloaders.”

Selvaria. “On Vector, we don’t tolerate those who do not participate in the workforce. The airlock or the chemical recycling plant awaits those who refuse to work.”

Bison. “This ain’t vector! We don’t kill people who aren’t willing to work.”

Selvaria. “The least they could do is try to hatch their Monster Eggs to become Tamers. But, all they seem to be doing is whining, mopping, and sleeping all day.”

Albert. “Most of them might have seen their family and friends get eaten by the Ice-Bugs. Plus, they are still coping with being refugees after losing everything they worked their whole lives for. It will take some time to get into the right mindset to raise a monster.”

Tyson. “Till they feel like it, the rest of us have to take care of them? Sounds like a bad deal to me.”

Miles. “Tyson, I know your body can’t feel pain but have some empathy for them.”

Tyson. “Folks who don’t contribute shouldn’t get special treatment. That’s all I’m trying to say.”

Miles. “Well, you do make a good point. They should do something productive before they get used to the sin of procrastination.”

Tyson and Miles were almost opposites in many ways. But they could agree on matters that concern what's fair and not. Since the two had helped Selvaria to gather the printers, they had become a part of her inner circle along with Bison. Though they hadn’t sworn loyalty to her yet.

Selvaria aimed to recruit them all, but she knew they had to do so willingly. They were eager to work with her for now since she offered a plan to survive and escape this nightmare. But will they still cooperate once they reach safety?

After Selvaria’s first night of making observations with her AI’s aid, she noticed that the refugees looked to Bison for hope and teamwork. They looked to Miles for spiritual peace and salvation. Tyson provided a reality check and a stubborn will to kill all the Ice-Bugs. These three and their abilities were the ideal type of subordinates that were lacking on her Fleet’s flagship.

Selvaria. “How about we find a way to take them off our hands?”

Bison. “Don’t suggest killing them all again.”

Selvaria. “Contact the Union Armed Forces. Tell them we have a large group of refugees behind enemy lines. Have them launch a rescue mission and take us to a place far away from the Ice-Bugs.”

Bison. “You think we haven’t tried that since the first night?”

Selvaria. “Then why haven’t they shown up?”

Bison. “Our armed forces are all scattered and weakened from the battles on D-Day. Losing both comms and command dealt a blow to our coordination and hierarchy. Since they have lost over fifty percent of their combat power so far, none of the Generals I got in touch with were willing to send their remaining troops on a rescue attempt with low chances of success.”

Tyson. “They lost their balls because no one had given them a whooping like this before. So they are all hiding in their secret military bunkers in South America.”

Rin. “Why South America?”

Miles. “Since all the Pink Pillars fell in the North. It’s natural for the Union to regroup in the South. Plus, Ice-Bugs don’t seem interested in moving south of Huston.”

Mason. “They don’t like the weather down there?”

Miles. “They seem to be doing everything they can to make Texas hospitable. Building some kind of Terraforming tower in Huston to make it snow. So it is highly likely the temperature is an important factor for Ice-Bugs.”

Mason. “Guess they got lucky by invading in winter. What about the other Great Powers? Are their monsters sticking to certain spots?”

Albert. “From what I have observed from the video reports, the amphibians stick close to water bodies, the Beastmen avoid the deserts, and the Saurians prefer the heat and avoid the cold. But the Birdmen just fly everywhere regardless of the environment.”

Miles. “Sounds very similar to how our animals behave.”

Rin. “Are there any Union soldiers left in the North?”

Tyson. “There are a few left behind, but they are all regrouping in Alaska.”

Bison. “Makes sense. There are military bunkers full of weapons hidden there after the last war. Seward would be the ideal spot to regroup though it's a bit of a trip for them to come all the way down to Texas.”

Albert. “The odd thing is that the Federation is also going there to meet the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet. They might be signing an official military alliance.”

Bison. “An alliance? Well, that would be the logical thing to do right now. But how does that help us?”

Mason. “If they do shake on an alliance, they need a joint mission that could catch everyone’s attention and solidify the relationship for the history books.”

Bison. “Ah, I see where you are going with this. Sounds good to me.”

Selvaria. “That should get us on their radar at the least. But we need to offer something that they can’t skip over.”

Mason. “Can’t you offer them Gen 1 combat mechs like those you gave to ORB?”

Selvaria. “Even with the designs, ORB would have taken years to build a Mech factory. Now with the state of the world, they would be lucky to build one in a few decades. Unless I personally build the factory, it will be the same delay for the Union.”

Mason. “Why not offer to build a Mech factory instead?”

Selvaria. “The price for a Mech factory is far greater than a design for a Mech. Saving free-loading refugees isn’t that high on things I want as payment or a reward. It’s just an annoyance I have to deal with. We have to offer something else.”

Albert. “What about information about an Ice-Bug Queen?”

Tyson. “They have a Queen?”

Albert. “When I revive Ice-Bug corpses with my abilities. I get to see images of their lives before they died. Through their memories, I saw a fifteen-foot-tall monster laying eggs deep inside their nest.”

Selvaria. “Where do you think she is?”

Albert. “The corpses can hear her commands coming from the nest in Huston. They can ignore it since their souls are tied to mine.”

Miles. “Those Ice-Bugs have souls in them?”

Albert. “Every bug has a soul, Miles. Including Ice-bugs!”

Albert seemed offended since his monster pet is a Moth. He didn't mind when people found them creepy, but he didn’t like it when they treated them as soul-less pests.

Miles. “They have destroyed our world, and you want to humanize them?”

Albert. “Having a soul doesn’t make you Human! We all share a life force that leaves the vessel at some point. I pull them back into whatever is left of their vessel with my mana and bind them to my will until I cancel the Mana supply or it runs out.”

Miles. “Does that mean you would do it to a Human corpse?”

Albert. “No… I mean, it's possible. I haven’t considered trying it. It’s easier for me to use that ability on non-humans as they seem happy to be in the living world again.”

Miles. “So you believe that a human soul might rebel against you because they are more complex than a bug’s soul.”

Albert. “I don’t have to justify what I use my ability on. I am just offering the intel I gathered from their memories.”

Selvaria. “Just share a little bit of what you know for now. Don’t offer anything else to the Union or the federation. They will have to get us to Alaska before you share the rest of the info.”

Bison. “As long as there is an incentive, I doubt they will ignore it. But it wouldn’t hurt to talk to their leaders directly and offer whatever tech you can as a bonus.”

Selvaria. “Fine… but if they decide to screw around with me or ask for more, then the deal is off.”

Bison. “But we don’t have other options.”

Selvaria. “Who said we don’t? Once we get my fleet’s attention, they will come down here to pick me up.”

Tyson. “Thought you said they all went to Mars for some shit.”

Mason. “There might be a few left behind, searching for her.”

Tyson. “What’s stopping them from coming down and fighting the Ice-Bugs? Everyone says Vector’s fleets have enough firepower to wipe out our armies. So couldn’t you get them to join the war against the monsters on Earth?”

Selvaria. “It’s complicated, but we have reasons to stay out of the war.”

Bison. “Can’t think of a bigger threat to us all than this.”

Selvaria recollected the video clips of Vector shock troops eviscerated by the Martian Bugs. The entire planet of Mars was their hive. If they aren’t wiped out there, then there would be a day they invade Earth. Those Bugs don't have access to space flight yet, but how long will that be the case?

Right now, their alien weapons are very rudimentary, but they are slowly evolving to the point that they were able to overrun Vector’s Martian colony bases. They are already capable of firing projectiles into space that took out a ship. If their evolution isn’t stopped, then there is no telling how powerful they will become.

Mason. “Anyways, how do we get in touch with the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet?”

Albert. “There is a Tamer called Zao from the Federation. He is the one who is organizing the alliance talks in Seward.”

Tyson. “The Bee Paladin with the twin Drill Lances?”

Everyone turned to Tyson in surprise.

Tyson. “What? There aren’t any streaming services, so I keep myself entertained by watching the best Tamer battles on the APP. That guy can take on a whole swarm on his own and come out on top. He is my kind of warrior.”

Albert. “That Tamer is issuing open invitations to the military leaders of the Great Powers to join them at Seward. Since Selvaria is a military commander from Vector, he might hear her out and reply.”

Mason. “Is it a good idea for Earth’s Great Powers to know that an Admiral from Vector was on Earth before D-Day?”

Selvaria. “Let’s see if they are willing to overlook it or not. If they can’t, then we wait for my fleet. Does anyone have an objection to that?”

No one said a word, and a few shrugged their shoulders.

Selvaria. “High Command, let’s record a video message for Zao.”

An hour later…

[Zao has sent you a reply]

Selvaria. “Share it on the main holo-screen.”

Zao’s pale face appeared on the holo screen. He looked young for a thirty-year-old, and his raven black hair was tied back into a short ponytail. He is wearing the Federation uniform meant for special events.

There is an Indian and Russian standing on either side. Both wore similar attire and looked uncomfortable.

[Greetings, Admiral Selvaria of Vector’s 5th Fleet!]