Chapter 404: The Architecture Is Familiar 3

If it could be restored, Annex Seven might become a remote command-support node instead of another station they needed to strip apart.

That was more valuable in the long run.

Aurelian looked toward Lysara.

"We recover the station, not just the relic."

She nodded.

"I agree."

Selvarin joined the channel.

"That means the large constructs remain useful."

"If we can change their orders."

"That is preferable to destroying them."

Rhoswen looked betrayed again.

"They attacked first."

"They were following instructions."

"They still attacked."

Astra looked at her.

"So have you."

Rhoswen became quiet.

Aurelian almost smiled.

The drones continued deeper into the strategic chamber.

A terminal activated near the matrix.

No avatar appeared.

No Human voice greeted them.

The surviving strategic intelligence spoke through simple text.

Emergency review ready.

Submit claimant authority.

Aurelian transmitted everything they had already prepared.

Arcturus identity.

Tier III commander status.

Helion continuity authority.

Sanctuary Ardent emergency stewardship.

Current Human Alliance recognition.

The final part was probably meaningless to a Vhaloric system, but Aurelian included it anyway.

The intelligence took its time.

While it processed the records, Eirenne explored the other two strategic systems as far as the restricted access allowed.

The route prediction system was in better condition than expected.

That excited Veylora immediately.

Its old models covered more than one hundred unstable Mournveil paths, including several routes nobody in the Crownward March currently knew existed.

Most would need to be resurveyed.

Some stars had moved.

Some systems had changed.

Storm patterns were completely different.

But the basic gravitational maps remained valuable.

The long-range relay was damaged.

Three of its primary emitters no longer functioned.

One power channel had failed centuries ago.

Still, Eirenne believed Meridian could repair it.

"How useful?" Aurelian asked.

Eirenne looked through the old specifications.

"If fully restored, I could maintain secure high-bandwidth connections between Annex Seven, Helion Bastion Twelve, and relay stations throughout Mournveil without depending on ordinary frontier communication networks."

Aurelian immediately understood.

"That would make Helion easier to connect to Sanctuary Ardent."

"Yes."

"Larkspur too?"

"With another relay."

Neris joined the channel after hearing where the conversation was going.

"That would help logistics."

Aurelian looked at her sleepy projection.

"How much?"

"A lot."

She opened one of her route maps.

Right now, supply ships entering Mournveil often traveled long periods without direct communication.

That forced Neris to prepare wide safety margins because a convoy could change schedule without anyone farther away learning about it quickly.

Better communications would reduce wasted movement.

It would also make emergency response easier.

A ship in trouble could call for help without waiting until it reached another beacon.

"The relay matters," Aurelian said.

Eirenne gave a small nod.

"I was hoping you would say that."

Rhoswen looked between them.

"You already decided you wanted all three systems, didn’t you?"

Eirenne answered calmly.

"Yes."

"At least you admit it."

The station finally completed the review.

New text appeared.

Human continuity claimant validated.

Central Directorate authority unrecoverable.

Emergency strategic stewardship may be transferred.

Aurelian read the last line carefully.

"May be?"

Eirenne looked through the attached conditions.

"There is one final decision."

The station displayed it.

Assume command responsibility for Strategic Coordination Annex Seven?

The wording reminded Aurelian of Sanctuary Ardent.

Not ownership.

Responsibility.

Ancient Human systems seemed very fond of making sure whoever inherited something understood that gaining control also meant inheriting every problem attached to it.

Aurelian almost appreciated that.

Almost.

"What happens if I accept?" he asked.

The strategic intelligence answered through text.

Emergency maintenance orders may be reviewed.

Strategic systems will recognize claimant authority.

Autonomous defense groups will return to command oversight.

Local strategic intelligence will remain active under stewardship restrictions.

Astra looked toward him.

"That is what we need."

"Yes."

Aurelian did not hesitate.

"I accept."

The response came quickly.

Emergency strategic stewardship confirmed.

For several seconds, nothing visible happened.

Then Annex Seven changed.

The pale lights running along its outer hull brightened.

Hidden maintenance sections opened.

The seventeen surviving large constructs emerged again.

Rhoswen leaned forward.

"They’re coming back."

This time, they did not accelerate toward Lysara.

They moved into a wide formation around Annex Seven and stopped.

Weapons powered down.

Shields dropped.

One by one, identification codes appeared above them.

Vhaloric Strategic Maintenance Guard.

Eirenne stared at the list.

"There were originally thirty-two."

"How many survive?" Aurelian asked.

"Seventeen functional. Four recoverable from the battle. Five destroyed beyond repair today. The remaining six were lost before we arrived."

Aurelian frowned slightly.

The machines they had destroyed were ancient assets they might have recovered.

There had been no way to know that at the time.

Regretting it would accomplish nothing.

"Cancel the replacement-material acquisition order."

Eirenne transmitted the command through Annex Seven.

The strategic intelligence processed it.

Emergency acquisition directive terminated.

Salvage activity restricted to authorized wreckage and assigned materials.

That alone might prevent future ships from disappearing around the facility.

"Recall the smaller hostile maintenance units."

Another order went out.

Across the station, hundreds of machine signals changed direction.

Some returned toward repair bays.

Others stopped guarding old corridors.

The improvised machines that had spent centuries attacking anything they considered useful material were finally receiving new instructions.

Lysara watched the movement.

"That was easier than fighting all of them."

Rhoswen looked at her.

"You say that now."

Lysara smiled slightly.

Aurelian turned his attention toward the cognition matrix.

"Now the important question."

Eirenne already knew.

"Whether I can use it."

"Yes."

The strategic intelligence granted her technical inspection access.

This time, Aurelian watched her carefully.

Eirenne was not physically inside Annex Seven.

Her main core remained safe within the Crownward network.

Only a controlled analysis process entered the station systems through the relay.

She spent nearly twenty minutes checking compatibility.

Nobody disturbed her.

When she finally spoke, she sounded almost pleased.

"It will work."

"How well?"

"Better than I expected."

The matrix could not suddenly make Eirenne all-knowing.

It could not magically see information she did not possess.

What it could do was process far more information at once without slowing her normal work.

Fleet movement.

Sensor records.

Supply schedules.

Repair forecasts.

Population growth.

Route changes.

Enemy activity.

Industrial production.

All of it could be compared through the matrix while Eirenne continued handling normal command tasks.