What does an Iterator require to survive? The concept of a life outside of our enormous bodies is a dream, told in the broadcasts of the despairing. Entire groups were created to research ways to reduce our scope to something mobile without upsetting the taboos indoctrinated in our code. I read of concepts of mobile platforms and designs that outmatched the drones Whisper and I use in many ways. Efforts were made to copy our very consciousness into a new body. Efforts that only led to more despair and desperation as they realized the futility of their doing. 

We are not meant to roam in the lands beyond. What lies beyond our Retaining Walls is not of our interest. But what if the solution to the problem we all strive to solve is out there? Outside our grasp, with us forced to research a question with no solution.

My excavating drones were my first effort in researching abandoned parts of the world. But efforts like these require time and luck. They have to survive against the many dangers of the world that has outgrown its neutered purposed state the Ancients left it to us in. What once was a ridable predator of the sky is now the dreaded King Vulture. Armed with harpoons, that dismembered many of my minions. Do I want to know my dear Shifting Gales to go out there?

I have no choice. The other option is too vile to even consider. I won’t let her succumb to the cruelties of the Ancients. They are gone, and their grasping bandaged hands from beyond the Void should not take any one of us with them. Even if that, supposedly, is the ultimate goal.

Sliver’s followers would lick their fingers at that life subject to research the effect of void-infused acid on an Iterator. It sickens me just how much they crave personal ascension. Their desire made any group projects in the past five major decacycles a pain to organize.

What we do goes against their beliefs. Well, the beliefs of those, who are way too much gone, grasping that single straw Sliver of Straw did provide.

Our goal is in a different direction. Now, what does Gales need to survive? What do we have here?

Whisper was waiting patiently while Lives ordered the updated blueprints of their solution on the big holographic screen. Their initial idea of a walking stick evolved over the past 150 cycles into a beautiful work of art, Lives noticed. Given its use, neither of them were surprised by how much effort they both put into perfecting the proof of concept.

Lives spread out the details of version 18.99 on the screen. If the four-eyed Iterator could smile, she would. To simulate that emotion, she allowed her smaller set of eyes to glow up brighter as she let out a deeply satisfied sigh.

“Version 19 will be the first fully functional iteration of Project SG-MI. I think we can be proud of ourselves, don’t you think, Far Whisper?”

“Indeed we can, Lives. While Versions 1-10 were aimed at providing the bare necessities of what an Iterator requires, Versions 15 onwards are now actually feasible to be used without severely crippling Gales’ abilities. Now, what does it take from me to convince you to implement my latest changes to the Microstructure?”

Lives inspected the subtle changes Whisper made in their shared design space. She felt a sting in her pride as a designer when focusing on the main change. How could she have missed such a great opportunity for further functionalities?

As Whisper’s purposed Neuron Brain emitted a strong glow when in active use, the path to utilizing said glow was as straightforward as it was simple. What did an Iterator need in the outside world? A light source was among the things that would be the most crucial in the cold darkness beyond their protective shells.

“So, you suggest replacing the blinds of the cage, containing the Neuron Brain, with security glass? I get the intention to utilize the light emitted by the Brain to turn our walking stick into a walking lantern, but are you not concerned about the security risks of such an endeavour? 

Point 1: The staff will act as a beacon, rendering Shifting Gales an easy target for predators to take notice of. Especially those dreaded Scavengers will be drawn to the light like hungry Noodleflies.“ 

“Solution: I will add layers of different materials to the design. The inner layer will be made of security glass, and the outer layer will be the remains of our current blinds. They can be slid in front of the glass, providing it with protection as well as the necessary ability to extinguish the light, to shield Gales from unwanted attention.

Anything else, Lives?”

“Point 2: Afraid you were too fast for me, Whisper. Already addressed the structure weakness issues of that concept.

Yes, I like it. Like that, we can squeeze one more useful ability out of our Microstructure Staff. A lantern, how quaint. That addition boosts the estimated survival rate of the design’s user above 10%.

…

I dislike the fact that we can’t protect Gales’ puppet with our solution. And that connection is yet another huge vulnerability factor, which will render us to lose her for good in the first major cycle.”

“I know, Lives, but that aspect of the design is sadly set in stone by how Gales’ puppet works. With her support arm being at the same time her umbilical cord, all we are left with to connect her to an external construct are the loose cables she has.

I forwarded that idea to Approaching Sky, who also has four of these connection cables, and he confirmed to me that they in fact can be used to connect the puppet to foreign objects.”

“But they are such an obvious weakness. One cut and she is a goner!”

Lives didn’t even realize that she got louder in her growing frustration, screaming the last word at the drone-representation of Far Whisper. She felt her Superstructure audibly complaining about her outburst, which caused Lives to jerk back and force a calming algorithm into her system to soothe her strained personality core. She, of all, was required to keep a levelled head in this project. For the sake of all she cared about.

“I mean … I do not want to be responsible for dooming her even further than I already did. You, of all, should know why I feel that way.” 

“Looks to the Moon’s collapse is not your fault, Lives. Never was. Stop beating yourself up over it. All you have to account for is that you supported her local group in minimizing the catastrophe by severing the Precipice. You did as much as you were able to, with your drones present. Nobody knew that your drones could- no!

You saw how serious Gales' issue is, even a battalion of your best drones couldn’t undo the collapse of her filtration system before it would be too late.” 

“… You’re right. I-I apologize. I will try to accept it.”

Whisper’s drone hovered closer, and the pink Iterator wrapped her partially metallic, partially holographic arm around Lives and hugged her close. At that point, Lives was beyond grateful for the chance she had to build Whisper directly connected to her. She needed that closeness to sort her conflicted thoughts.

They remained in that posture for a few moments, and Lives slowly calmed down, thanks to the gentle embrace. Eventually, she raised her hand and signalled Whisper that she felt alright once more. The bug-like drone-iterator hologram hovered back to her position and resumed their analysis of the latest model to save Gales.

“We at least have to add a redundant factor to the connection. The chance that one cable gets unplugged as a result of an unpleasant encounter is too drastic to ignore. The connection should be potent enough that one cable suffices to keep Gales active.

I am, however, against securing the cables, to prevent them from ripping out. If she roams around in our perimeters, we can order one of our drones to reattach her, but that only works as long as her cables can connect. 

Do you agree with me, Five Lives Unbound?”

“Affirmative. Any action that harms her puppet is a wrong action. … If we place the connective box close to the height of her hand, we can minimize the path the cables have to remain exposed. You said something about how her cables can expand and get longer if necessary?”

“Yes, but there is a limit on how short they can be. We can’t fully prevent exposure, I am afraid.

Relocating the connection box is the best action we can do.

Anything else? I, for myself, am quite satisfied with the abilities we were able to cram into the Microstructure. Your Mini–Rarefaction Cell, repurposed from your excavation drones, will even allow Gales to maintain some of our abilities. Like a temporary state of low gravity, access to electricity manipulation, which allows her to read out pearls and documents, and enough juice for the occasional mind blast to keep the worst dangers at bay.”

What does an Iterator need to survive? What does Gales require to persist? I think my local group did a good job in answering that question, with today’s changes buffing out the last remaining dents of the design. We can’t guarantee our dear friend a seamless change from her old body to her new staff-like body, but … that is not entirely true.

I don’t know under which severe restrictions Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos was put on when designing her for the House of Forgiveness, but one thing is for certain, as much as it pains me to admit. Our Microstructure might … be more powerful than her Superstructure ever was.

Will it be a second awakening? A real chance for our dear friend?

“No … nothing else. This is the maximum we can squeeze out of the design without expanding the scope and size, turning it from a handheld device to my original plan of a backpack. And I know how much you resented that idea balancing-wise.

Version 19 will be the final major iteration. I want to run a few more stress tests, and then we can compress the building plans on a pearl for Irradiant to deliver.

By the way, have you seen the images Sky shared with the group upon Suns’ request?” 

“Yess~. Isn’t she an adorable fluffball? And so tiny in comparison to Suns’ messenger. She has barely grown since they started their training over one hundred cycles ago. Right after the image of her acid-giving mother.”

“Don’t let Gales hear that, that you called her tiny. Do that in person when she visits you … I am sure she will, given how many projects you worked on in the past. Speaking of. How far did you go with the Neuron Brain? I remember that you stated that you wanted her to more freely experience emotions.”

With child-like excitement, Whisper’s drone hovered up to the hologram and pressed on the depicted Neuron Brain in the blueprint, expanding it. She began pointing at all kinds of locations, and Lives could swear that her drone was on the verge of overheating due to sheer excitement.

“Ohh! I went above and beyond in that regard! It always bothered me how the House of Forgiveness installed an unnecessary amount of profanity filters in her core personality. While I literally can’t create a way for the transfer process to eliminate all taboos, most significantly the self-destruction and self-modification taboos, I was able to develop a filter, not much unlike the acid filters, to cleanse her personality from the Ancients’ influence. Don’t get me started on how long THAT took to figure out. I jumped through so many hoops that I lost count.

BUT! The algorithm, which uploads and sorts her personality into the Neuron Brain, was programmed to purposefully ignore the contaminated data streams. Yes, Gales will lose a bit of what made her, well, her, but that is a sacrifice she is more than willing to make for mental freedom.

I asked Suns to get me her opinion on that. She sounded very annoyed by the recent happenings and how these filters prevented her from living out her frustrations. She wants them gone.

Furthermore: The brain even amplifies her core boons that way. She was always the most empathetic and social of our group, and, with that in mind, I provided the Brain with an entire section dedicated to her core emotions. Way more than she ever had before! I can’t wait to see her evolution. I know I am based in my appearance on a bug, but she will be our beautiful Iterator, who broke out of her restrictive cocoon the House of Forgiveness put her in.

Finally, she can be as free as you surely wanted her to be, Eyes. You were forced to create her that way, maybe this will give your soul the rest it deserves. … I miss you.”

“We miss him both, Whisper. May his regrets have not dragged him down too much to end as an echo. Allow us to finally set straight your final regret.”

Lives observed how Whisper’s projection subconsciously grabbed the big pearl pendant, which held up her cape, only to retreat her hand in mild pain, beeping shrill in light pain. Right, she told her about that. Eyes’ secret message to his House’s Iterator is hidden behind multiple barriers, which prevent Whisper from reading it out to this very day. Many locks have been lifted in the 160 major cycles since Mass Ascension, with one having been the full departure of the race of the Ancients, yet the barrier was still too much for Far Whisper to pass.

Whatever Eyes wanted Whisper to have, she was not supposed to receive it until the moment when it would matter.

“…And maybe uncover what you wanted me to have. Ouch.”

“The occasion will come; we only don’t know when. Eyes wouldn’t have given you a useless gift if it was, and still is, that heavily guarded.

Come, Far Whisper. Let us update the version number to 19.00 and call it a night. We still have the other project from our friend in front of us, now that we cleared out the priority 0 project.

I will send the plans to construct the Neuron Brain, as well as the instructions for Gales to manufacture the staff, to Approaching Sky, once I am satisfied with the upcoming test runs.” 

Whisper’s drone floated closer to Lives and sat down next to her, the holographic legs now residing in a crossed position, and the thrusters keeping her stable.

“You mean the theory she typed to Suns for you to investigate? I am honestly astonished that she managed to fathom enough strength to ask you, even if only indirectly. You are kind of a hero to my sweet Gales.~”

If Lives had been able to blush, she would have. It was not the first time, that Whisper mentioned the huge degree of respect and admiration the Guardian of Solitude had in regard to the Coordinator that was her. Their existences were made polar opposites, and yet their fascination for each other was present since the first cycle.

“Oh shush you.~

Quantum Entanglement Communication. I remember the many discussions I had with representatives of the House of Letters. They tried to sell that technology to me as the next evolution of our subpar chat 1.0 system. Didn’t hold up in my test runs. The system was too bothersome for us, Iterators, to ever rely on. The effort necessary for maintaining the entangled charge was way too complicated to ever be useful for static entities like us.

Having to relink devices once per cycle at set coordinates while timing the process to a fraction of a second … is no task we can offload to purposed lifeforms. I opted for the broadcast network, and so did the other Coordinators. The QEC was therefore only used by the Ancients themselves, due to their otherwise quite fascinating qualities.” 

Whisper listened closely, but tilted her head when Lives explained the shortcomings of that technology. Something changed in her expression, her antennas twitching and glowing as she grew more and more curious with every word spoken.

“Never heard of that before. Say, Lives, can you send me the documents of your initial review of that technology? The details are curious. Allow me to run some simulations. To view it through the lens of the representative of Void Fluid Chemistry. Me! Much has changed since the House sent its last letter. Maybe the useless can be turned into something enlightening.”

Direct Message – Chat System 1.0 – 1694.865

Seven Red Suns, Shifting Gales

SRS: I am honoured to announce that Lives and Whisper have reachedtheir final version of what they call your ‘Microstructure’.

SRS: I had the chance to take a look at the blueprints. Lives was so kind to share a few images.

SRS: Imagine a hybrid out of a street lantern and the most advanced walking stick you can fathom.

SG: Street lantern? That is new. Elaborate.

SRS: The newest version contains a two-layered grid of resilient plating and a clear-glass layer.

SRS: If you retract the plating, your future Neuron Brain will illuminate your path.

SG: Together with all the other abilities you described before … wow!!!

SG: They really went all out with useful tools for my new life. I feel spoiled.~

SG: I especially look forward to the filters you mentioned. You can’t imagine how many redactions I had to endure lately.

SRS: I don’t need to imagine. But you are blessed with a local group, who went above and beyond on their desire to help you.

SRS: … I am glad you accepted their love and help. I really am.

SRS: EVEN Approaching Sky jumped over his shadow. You know of his reputation.

SG: Better than anybody else. What was it this time?~

SRS: Spears went online a few cycles ago and caught Sky in the corner, petting Irradiant.

SRS: You didn’t have this from me. Just enjoy the mental image.

SRS: THE Approaching Sky, discovering passion and sympathy.

SRS: I am THIS tempted to break my silence and tell NSH about that.

SRS: But I don’t desire to break the growing trust between Sky and me. Oddly enough, I do enjoy working with him. Much unlike NSH, apparently.

SG: I am happy to hear that. Sky doesn’t deserve gossip.

SG: You should talk to No Significant Harassment regardless, Suns.

SG: He is your friend, after all. He does deserve some signs of life, doesn’t he?

SRS: Obsidian Tower has informed him in my name already. But you are right, of course.

SRS: Now that your fate is no longer uncertain, I can allow myself to reach out again.

SRS: I hope he can forgive me for having ignored him.

SG: He will. Especially now, that you used the time to get over your mood.

SG: Don’t deny it. Even over text - only I could read you like an unlocked pearl.

SG: You got this! And if you don’t, you have me to encourage you! ^^

SRS: Thank you. I appreciate it.

SRS: Before I forget! How are things with your scavenger cult, oh primal goddess?

SG: It has been a delight. Breaker visited me a few cycles ago together with a few Scavengers, who converted to this person cult.

SG: My throat vents are still smoking slightly from the sheer stress of conversing in their language. But I managed to further solidify Breaker’s preaches.

SG: They also had another *package* with them. The issues that bothered me have now been taken care of. At last!

SRS: A demolition group. It is interesting that you managed to utilize them as mechanics … an odd group of medics. But it works.

SRS: As long as it does expand the time we have left to train Irradiant.

SG: I wouldn’t want her to get on her journey post haste and experience the bleak reality of the cycle for my sake.

SG: Do not worry about me. I am willing to go that far, and further, even!

SG: I won’t succumb to the [REDACTED] fate my makers put me up to!