Dusk Chapter 4; Mechanica's Factorial City

Shortly after learning her first spells with her Manna, Shinritha wanted to go and test out the effects on the Mechanica she just inherited, since she now commanded all of the Mechanica and ran the production operation. She figured that it wouldn't hurt to simply try a few new commands and set the Mechanica to their own free will and see how they performed the codes that she placed. Doing this with one, she could also program the hive mind of Mechanica in the area to follow, and thus cause all of the other Mechanica to test, as well.

In doing this, Shinritha had triggered a chain reaction of the Mechanica that were now testing her code, and would continue to do so of their own volition.

"DAUGHTER!!" boomed a magnanimous voice from beyond, accompanied by a sudden radiance from nowhere, "What Are You Doing? Do Not Prematurely Tamper With The Duties Of The Mechanica! We Are Still Setting Up Everything, And They Must Not Be Disturbed Until Everything Is Firmly Established!" It was the voice of Ophiuchus, otherwise known as Shinrona, the King of the Veritas. "Go And Let The Mechanica Do As They Will And Return Later When It Is Time. Then, You Will Be Free To Have Dominion Over Them. But Not Before They Finish Their Duty."

A great deal of time had passed since the time that Shinritha had first sought to tamper with the Mechanica that she was appointed. Whilst they had indeed completed their previous task, it seemed like there was still more to be done, and that was not the wholeness of their purpose or mission that was issued them as per her father. Whatever he was doing was important, and she knew this, but she also wanted to prove to him that she was capable of commanding the Mechanica and running the business, and that he could rest.

So again, Shinritha returned to the Factorium that was located in the Dusk, which produced Biomechanica, and she would start to program code into them. Instead of using her previously newly learned Manna spells, which were Mechanica based, she would use the actual Argus Card System that they were attributed to naturally following. She realized eventually that this was why her father was so upset with her, and nothing else she did was wrong except for her not using the proper code to command the Mechanica.

She was so foolish.

Honestly, she'd been upset with him for a long while, but she'd never do anything to harm her dear father. She loved him more than anyone. She was his firstborn, and she held certain responsibilities that the others didn't, because they were born after her. So Shinritha decided to step up here.

She hijacked one of the Mechanica sneakily, then she would talk to it, trying to pry information from the hive mind from it.

As it turned out, the Master Control of Mechanica would intervene when she tried to pry the information, but it did not seem like the nature of the message was negative. "Ah, I See That You're Still Eager To Handle The Mechanica On Your Own. Well, My Dear Queen Archdeath, You Are In Luck. We've Got A Special Order That Requires The Services Of Tsukuyomi Yin; The Archreaper, And Queen Archdeath; The Rozen Goddess. Fortune Has Smiled Upon You; This Is The Chance To Prove Yourself. Take This Data I Am Sending To You And Get The Mechanica Prepared. I Will Be There Shortly."

Though Shinritha was cross with herself, fortune still found her, and without a shadow of doubt, her Sixth Restriction form -- Kurogami Tabitha -- was already getting her fingerprints on the matter. The Living Shadow would extend from behind Shinritha, arching over her and wrapping its hands around hers, taking control over them. Then, the Kurogami would rest her shadowy head atop Shinritha's, and their minds would link, and they would know each others' thoughts, as was customary amongst one and their own Restrictions when aligned. Being the Sixth, the Living Shadow had greater command than the Fifth, who was Shinritha. Thus, Tabitha could at any moment do as she pleased with her beloved toy.

Now was the time to play 'Shadow Puppets' with her 'Shadow Hands'.

Despite how the Mechanica Spirit -- which belonged to the previous Mechanica -- had to obey Tear, Tabitha, whose Third Restriction was the Mechanica Flesh, and therefore independent of the Mechanica Spirit when she occupied a Mechanica with her own, could take possession of any Mechanica she wished at any given time and have independent sentience and her own personal control. So, while she couldn't override all of the Mechanica AI, she could exist as a sentient independent Mechanica that did not follow the hive-mind or function to the same limitations or protocols as any other Mechanica. She could spread herself, yes, but it would never erase Mechanica's AI nor Tear's Master Control -- it only allowed her access with them in their respective places, since she was granted Mechanica as her Third Restriction form.

That said, Tabitha would take possession of the Mechanica that Shinritha still had and showed her face, so that she'd know it was her. "Okay, Look, What Tear's Doing Is A Cool Story Too, But There's Something That We Gotta Do Right Now. Just Do Both; Trust Me. I'm Going To Leave This Unit To Our Second Restriction, And You Get Her To Her Own Custom Unit -- Get It?" These were the words of Kurogami Tabitha through her Mechanica.

When the Sixth Restriction Kurogami Tabitha relinquished her Spirit into the Mechanica, the image of her face in the Mechanica would shift from black hair to white, signifying that she was a Second Restriction being. This was Tabi, the Spirit of Tabitha -- her Second Restriction. She looked exactly like Chroma, when she was first born, even sporting the white hair. But she seemed also to carry wraith-like properties, and all the essence of her soul back on the Lost World. "... Okay, So, You May Be Slow On The Update, But That's Why We're Filling You In: We Got A Vessel Ready For Me Already, But The Trick Is Transporting Me There. We're All Busy, And It's Getting Critical, But This Is The Only Chance We've Got To Make This Move. And Like Father, You Know We've Gotta Take The Shot."

Tabi had been hiding deep within the darkness for a very long time, waiting to make an appearance. She was Tabitha's innocence, and a prime connection to Chroma, her past life -- hence why she looked exactly like Chroma when Tabitha was just Chroma. "Do What Tear's Doing, Because That'll Take You Right Where We Need To Go. Then, When We Get There, We Can Make The Dropoff And Go About Our Business." It sounded like she put a lot of thought into it, despite just now suddenly springing this. "Ready Anytime."

Queen Archdeath, otherwise known as Shinritha Tensei, the Fifth Restriction of Tabitha, was the only one that was not like the rest of her Restrictions, save Mechanica. That is to say, they were artificial, though Shinritha was also organic. Hence why Tabitha called her a toy. She was a flesh that was created after all of the other versions of Tabitha... Yet, like each person and their Thirteen Restrictions, she still was Tabitha, and being part of her meant that she still did get information from the other Restrictions. Now, the eldest of them were guiding her, those being the Spirit and the Flesh. So, Shinritha, being updated by her Living Shadow as events occurred, was filled into what was necessary so she could continue her royal duties.

"Very Good," Queen Archdeath commanded in a regal tone, immediately bucking up, "We'll See It Through, Then. No Time To Dawdle." Straightening up, she teamed up with herself in her time of solemnity, recognizing also that this also must have been what the message from Tear was, because he hadn't said anything else. Perhaps that clever bastard already knew that this was going to happen. He did have a habit of that, and it was terrifying to even she who ruled the darkness and the shadows. He was surely a light that would find her in that darkness if he ever had to, and she never wanted him to.

He was the light at the end when you die.

She didn't want to give response to Tear's obvious violation of privacy, but he was also something like a messenger sometimes, so she couldn't hold it against him. "... Well, Tear. I've Gotten The Info." Though none of it was stated forthright, during that entire process, Shinritha was also gaining information from Tear about what needed to be done with the Mechanica... Through the Mechanica, of course. She input the information into her Atlas, which would begin the calculation and mapping process of the best route.

"Ah, Wonderful! I Suppose You Don't Need Further Instruction, Then!" Queen Archdeath was surely correct about Tear's prior knowledge and his invasion of privacy by reading the wavelengths, but all of it was necessary, and nothing noteworthy, especially to the situation at hand. "I'll Be Waiting To Rendezvous. And Tabitha, Do Try To Bond With Your Second Restriction Along The Way. You Know I Am A Second Restriction Being, Myself, Who Also Traverses The Mechanica The Same Way You Do." Tear giggled lightly. "You've Come Far, Darling, But I'm Still Your Father, And There Is Much You Have Yet To Learn From Me, Dearest Heart!" Tear laughed somewhat jovially to himself. "Now Then, Dearest, Be On Your Way! Archreaper Out."

"Oh, Father!" the Spirit Daughter, Baby Archdeath Tabi, cried out, once again flustered. "You're Always So Far Ahead Of Me! Grrr, But I Will Get There! You Know I Will, Right, Daddy~?" As Tabi was of the Second Restriction, and Tear was her father's Second Restriction form, it made Tear Tabi's father by default. Fortunately, Spiritually, that is how those things function -- damn all to any physical or linear property. Using her own authority over Mechanica, Tabi would influence them with her Possession and then begin to manipulate a brigade of Mechanica to cover her and Queen Archdeath as they proceeded to jumpstart Mechanica's Factorial City across the entire Veritas -- which Queen Archdeath was put in charge of by Grimlock and Grimnyzmal, who ran the industry initially.

As per command by Tabi, backed by both Queen Archdeath and also Kurogami Tabitha, the nearest Mechanica would be taken possession of by the spirit and function in unity with her will as Royal Servants. They were variable in their types, but all useful nonetheless, and quite the selection. From there, the Mechanica would auto-correct and adjust based on how the mass as a unit moved, submitting to its motility so that they could actually settle properly into place in conjunction without any tension or overlap.

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Giggling softly, Chroma would chiefly give order to the Mechanica to begin their part in the operation, and for the Phantoms to fan out in their respective activities. "Let My Operatives Handle This One. You Go On Ahead And I'll Meetcha Later. This Is Your Battle, Isn't It, Little Sister~?" Chroma couldn't care less either way; she was just doing her job and having a bit of fun... As well as accomplishing her own goals, which was the real ulterior motive behind all she did.

Corresponding with the command to 'Mobilize Mechanica', after the Mechanica were done auto-correcting what was necessary down in the Dusk, they would take off to appropriate anything else in their way, triggering each other in their hive-mind collective to take proper procedural protocol to handle the operation using each and every Mechanica that the Veritas had to offer, all until reaching the actual Mechanica herself, in the flesh, on the Ninth Moon -- as the Ninth Moon.

Thus was how Mechanica's Factorial City started itself up again... For the final time. Now, Mechanica's dreams could become reality, as she always envisioned from the moment she started mass-producing her children. This was her way of giving life -- this was her destiny. So, all the descendants of the original Mechanica were hardwired to operate and rejuvenate the Factorial City that was their mother no matter what. That way, when Mechanica was again in command over all her children, they would serve her doing exactly as they did before fully raising her again -- as per design when she created them using everything she had. Now she'd get to see the day she would be with her children, and not fighting for their lives. Happy day.