Technomancer: Birth of a Goddess

Chapter 6 – The Clockwork of Time

After a few minutes of basking in excitement and redrawing the gem’s core pathways between focal points, Emily decides to amend her notes.

Why did the (lightning?) retain the shape of the gem once it was destroyed?

Why did the (lightning?) only go towards the (junctions?) of cracks, not the other gaps?

- Focal points

Why did I only feel the explosion on my head?

Why did that metal start floating?!

What affects the number of focal points? Size? Strength of (lightning?)?

Can focal points be used to extract (lightning?) without breaking the gem?

With a few new queries in mind, she decides her order of business.

If I want to test metal movement, I need to focus on the last point first, getting “lightning” out of the gem.

Emily grabs assorted small shards of metals and wood from her scrap bins, dumping them onto her workbench. Moving back to the cracked gem, she begins placing the materials against the visible focal point, watching the lightning’s reaction through her loupe and making notes.

The findings of her experiment exceed her expectations. The different types of wood cause little to no reaction in the gem, other than the acacia to which a few tiny threads reach out, but the lightning remains within the gem.

Steel and iron give a minimal reaction, and a small amount of lightning does leave the gem, which she sees arcing when she moves the metal away. Bronze elicits no response whatsoever, and neither does raw tin. Raw copper, on the other hand, causes the same amount of reaction as iron and steel.

Finally, Emily decides to test the black metal the gems were encased in. When she places a large piece of the unknown metal against the gem, she sees a slight reaction within, and a small arc follows it as it’s pulled away.

Hmmm, how come the gems weren’t releasing “lightning” constantly when encased in this metal? Does the size of the contact point make a difference?

Adding that question to her notes too, she cuts off a tiny sliver of the metal and tests again, this time seeing a torrent of lightning flow out of the gem in a solid crackling beam. She tests the shard against other points on the gem and finds that while a few sparks leave from the rest of the gem, only the focal points allow a large flow of lightning.

The “lightning” seems to struggle to leave through the body of the gem, like it’s resisting the flow other than to the focal points.

Emily adds more scribbles to her notes and slowly gets lost in her work.

***

Two weeks later, Emily finishes summarising her notes excitedly while stealing glances at her newest creation. She places her pen down while reading the note a final time to confirm it covers everything.

Each lightning gem has several focal points along the pathways with the least resistance.

“Lightning” follows the path of least resistance. Thin metal has higher resistance than thick.

The number of focal points varies based on size and the total amount of (lightning?) stored/generated. A bigger gem means more (lightning?) and therefore usually more focal points.

Metals have different (lightning?) pull and conductivity, pull draws the (lightning?) out of the gem and conductivity transfers it. Black iron has strong pull and good conductivity. Acacia wood has low pull and no conductivity.

Certain metals, iron not copper, can be moved by letting (lightning?) flow around it.

One of her original queries remains unanswered, but Emily has answered enough of them to build what she believes to be a functioning machine containing a lightning gem.

On the workbench in front of her, sits a delicate black pocket watch. Its body is intricately lined with thin engravings of lightning streaking across it, its face traced by bronze metallic veins behind a clear glass window. It has three protrusions above it: in the centre a curved link of bronze, connected to a thin chain; to the left is a small, serrated knob; and to the right a small domed button.

Emily picks it up, and presses the link on top, twisting it clockwise. There is a small click and the side of the watch pops open to reveal a jagged socket split in half, with eleven bronze dots distributed throughout the walls.

She places the largest lightning gem into the socket, its form perfectly joining with the sharp angles as she closes the two halves together and rotates the link back into place with another click.

Emily rotates the serrated knob counterclockwise till the hands sit at the current time of 7:45 pm, followed by ten full rotations clockwise to wind the internal mechanisms up. She hears the watch tick to life.

Step one accomplished, make a working pocket watch. I would be incredibly embarrassed if I failed at that step.

She watches the clock tick by for five minutes, slowly growing in anticipation to test the mechanism that required the lightning gem to be installed in the watch. Turning it back.

Her newest invention, if done right, should be the first pocket watch that never needs to be rewound again.

With her intense gaze locked on the watch’s face and her heartbeat loud in her ears, Emily holds down the button on top.

Tick!

One second passes and the seconds hand moves once.

Tick!

Two more seconds pass and the seconds hand moves once as Emily frowns.

Damn, does it mess with the timings while rewinding?

Tick!

Three more seconds pass and Emily feels pressure constrict her whole body. She begins to panic.

Tick!

Four more seconds pass and Emily’s breath gets stuck in her lungs, her breathing stops, suffocated by the pressure.

Tick!

The seconds hand stops, and the whispers begin.

Unable to move due to the strange pressure enveloping her, Emily is subjected to a chorus of voices in her head. Each voice seems to speak at a different pitch and volume, creating a cacophony etched into her mind.

The haunting sound is joined by a piercing jolt of pain in the back of her head as if someone has jammed a knife between her skull and her brain.

After what feels to Emily like an eternity and an instant all at the same time, the voices stop as abruptly as they began. She is left with only the physical pain in her head and a set of words engraved into her brain.

Congratulations Emily Coldstone.

We have recognised your ingenuity in mixing your primitive knowledge of technology with magic.

For this, we grant you a reward and ask of you a request.

For your reward, we name you a Technomancer and give you the Technomancer System to aid in your pursuit of duality.

For our request, we beseech you to use your ingenuity to reach the peak of power and save us from our inevitable death.

Good luck, [User].

As Emily tries to process the words, the pain subsides, and a strange glowing blue window appears before her eyes.

¯¯¯¯¯

Welcome User {Emily Coldstone}

Technomancer system initialisation commenced

[Scanning host]

_____

She reads the words that appear on the screen, watching them fade out of existence when she’s finished.

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Talent detected: Mechanical Genius

[Error balance needed]

Talent granted: Magical Genius

[System initialisation bonus]

Intrinsic talent granted: Magical Engineer

_____

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Skills detected: Parkour (passive), Basic Machine Construction (passive), Basic Melee Combat (passive)

[System initialisation bonus]

Skill granted: Basic Spellweave (active)

_____

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Knowledge detected: Basic Clockwork, Basic Steampower

[System initialisation bonus]

Knowledge granted: Basic Electrical Theory, Basic Mana Formation

_____

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[System initialisation bonus]

Intrinsic equipment created: Clockwork of Time (Ex)

_____

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[Initialisation complete]

[Begin awakening]

_____

Emily suddenly feels an ethereal flow around her in the stopped time. A vague buzzing of power just beyond her reach.

The flow of the energy slowly bends, entering her mouth and cycling in place of the breath that was stopped. She feels the energy spread through her veins and gather at her heart and brain.

In her heart forms a vortex of energy, building up heat and gradually condensing throughout its rotations. In her head the energy fades, changing into cold lightning that causes a splitting pain as Emily’s brain is moulded and compressed. The remain space is filled with new growth as her brain becomes denser.

After a few minutes, the flow of energy around Emily stills, as a burst of power emanates from her.

¯¯¯¯¯

Congratulations!

First Circle [Magic Circle] formed

[Mana stat created]

First Stage [Machina Cortex] formed

[Machina stat created]

_____

The construct around Emily’s heart starts to pump mana through her body, the burning wave of power carving new channels and pathways into her flesh. Meanwhile, her cortex releases a flow of machina into her nerves, sending a shiver down Emily’s spine as her awareness of her own body slowly increases.

¯¯¯¯¯

Skill created: Magic Circuit (passive)

Skill created: Neuro Net (passive)

[Compatible skills detected]

[Merging skills]

_____

The hot and cold energies collide, swirling together and forming a balanced equilibrium as a wave of comfort and pleasure spreads through Emily’s body.

¯¯¯¯¯

Intrinsic skill created: Magic Network (passive)

[Awakening complete]

Please call [Status] in your mind to open the system in the future

_____

As the last words fade from Emily’s gaze along with the blue window, the seconds hand on the pocket watch held in front of her ticks backwards.

Tick!

Four seconds pass and space around Emily begins to constrict.

Tick!

Three seconds pass and Emily’s breath is sucked from her lungs.

Tick!

Two seconds pass and the flow of mana and machina in Emily’s body resists the external pressure, holding her together.

Tick!

One second passes and Emily’s perception is ripped to pieces as lights and sounds stretch around and through her.

Tick! Tick! Tick!

The clock rushes backwards, tearing through temporal tides and pulling along its unwilling passenger.

Tick!

The watch stops at 7:45 pm as a wave of force bursts out of Emily, sending all the loose papers on her desk flying as a loud crash of thunder rings out from her, spreading throughout the whole city.

She sits in a daze, her perception back to normal and the pressure gone, but her mind struggles to process the rush of events that just occurred.

Hurried footsteps grow increasingly louder before the door bursts open and Herber enters, quickly looking at Emily and taking in the state of the room.

“What in Goddess’ name happened here? Are you okay?”

“Um, yeah. I’m fine, a gust of wind just messed up my notes. Did you hear that thunder? Think it’s gonna rain?” Emily quickly tries to deflect Herber’s worry.

“Really? It sounded like it came from in here to me,” Herber questions before muttering under his breath. “Not quite sure what it could be though, I don’t see any large explosion sites in here.”

“Yeah, it’s not my fault for once. I thought the skies looked clear earlier.” Emily relaxes into her lie and shrugs off Herber’s concern. Standing up from her desk, she begins to gather the scattered papers while dismissing him.

“I didn’t do anything, go back to cooking and stop looking at me like I’m about to blow up the house.”

Herber glares at Emily, trying to spot the crack in her façade. Unable to call her bluff, he leaves with his suspicions unresolved.

With Herber gone, Emily sighs and drops back down on her chair, dropping her notes onto the desk unsorted. She brings a hand to her forehead and starts massaging her brow as she tries to understand what just happened to her.

What were those strange voices? Who am I meant to save and why should that be my problem? Did it say magic? Magic’s real?! What was it I was meant to say to see that system again? Status?

The familiar blue window popped into Emily’s view again, this time containing a concise list of information.

¯¯¯¯¯

[Name:] Emily Coldstone

[Race:] Human

[Age:] 15

[Magic Circle:] First Circle

[Machina Cortex:] First Stage

[Attributes:] Strength 7, Dexterity 15, Agility 12, Vitality 8, Intelligence 22

[Health:] 115/115

[Stamina:] 175/175

[Mana:] 330/330

[Machina:] 330/330

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Talents:

[Intrinsic] Magical Engineer

-Mechanical Genius

-Magical Genius

Skills:

[Intrinsic] Magic Network (passive)

-Parkour (passive)

-Basic Machine Construction (passive)

-Basic Melee Combat (passive)

-Basic Spellweave (active)

Knowledge:

-Basic Clockwork

-Basic Steampower

-Basic Electrical Theory

-Basic Mana Formation

Equipment:

[Intrinsic] Clockwork of Time (Ex)

_____

Reaching the bottom of the window, Emily’s focus lingers on the Clockwork of Time, and the window suddenly changes.

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[Clockwork of Time]

[Rank:] Exclusive (bound)

[Description:] The first marvel of technology and magic created by the Technomancer Emily Coldstone and blessed by the will of the universe upon inception.

[Effect:] Upon activation, rewind time by up to twenty-four hours

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…

…

…

Did I just time travel?!