Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Shortly after inheriting the position of Chief Administrator, Vahn found himself in yet another vast, seemingly infinite, space. Unlike before, the sky in his new location devoid of everything but a hazy mist that radiated pale white light. Below, what appeared to be an emerald green sea stretched out far beyond the horizon, yet, in spite of its apparent liquid state, Vahn was able to walk on its surface without as if it were solid ground.

Dotting the ’landscape’, countless pillars floated at various depths, while, at the center of everything, a massive cube, comprised of several digitized cubes, could be seen suspended in space. In a way, it looked like a three-dimensional object that hadn’t completely rendered, many of the vertices giving way to reveal a golden sphere, surrounded by ’source code’, within.

Though it felt like he was only a few hundred meters away from the golden sphere, Vahn had the impression he was actually an infinite distance from its location. The various layers of code on the inside made his brain feel fuzzy just looking at them, and, though several orders of magnitude less advanced, he felt as if the cuboid structure before him was similar to the Root System itself.

Since he had begun to bleed from both nostrils after observing the data stream for several seconds, Vahn manipulated his blood to form a tiny bead before turning to the silent automaton and asking, "What authority do I have as Chief Administrator? Explain your assigned purpose and the functions of the Moon Cell."

Without any delay in its response, the purple automaton replied in its characteristic synthetic voice, stating, "Command Acknowledged. Answering the first query. As Chief Administrator, you have the authority to: assign secondary objectives, initiate root protocols, suspend non-vital systems, and alter the permissions of other designates. Answering the secondary query. The existence you know as the Moon Cell has three primary objectives, seventeen-thousand-four-hundred-and-ninety secondary objectives, two primary functions, and seven secondary functions, and nineteen tertiary functions."

Fearing the automaton would begin listing all of its functions, Vahn interrupted its explanation, a wry smile on his face as he said, "Just tell me your primary objective and the primary functions available to me as the Chief Administrator."

Following Vahn’s interruption, the automaton briefly paused before answering, "Amendment to the previous inquiries has been acknowledged. Updating response to amendment. Answering amended inquiry. Primary objectives include the observation of SS-C3PB: GAIA, monitoring the development of life upon its surface, and creating a backup of all information accumulated prior to its destruction. Answering the second amended inquiry. As Chief Administrator, you are allowed direct access to all non-vital systems for the purpose of observation and data collection. Primary functions include the ability to move freely within the Photonic Abyss and initiate procedures to establish contact with the Root System."

Hearing the automaton’s response, Vahn fell into silent contemplation, as, going by its explanation, he didn’t actually have the authority to expel Archimedes and his entourage. Thus, after sorting his thoughts, he asked, "Can I assign or transfer authority to other people?", followed by the automaton replying, "Answering inquiry. Only if they are on the list of authorized personnel compiled within the Primary Terminal. Administrative rights cannot be given to entities classified as a threat to primary objectives."

Since his own authority seemed rather limited, even as Chief Administrator, Vahn wasn’t surprised by the automaton’s response. Just like Alaya, it was compelled to fulfill its primary function, and, though he had some liberty to influence it, arbitrarily introducing change was difficult. Thus, he shelved the idea of immediately transferring authority to Da Vinci, instead, saying, "Transfer me to the Primary Terminal, or, any area where I can monitor everything else within the Moon Cell. Also, if such a thing exists, make an exception for Artoria Aldrnari Pendragon. I want her transferred to the same location as me."

Though Vahn could use his Unit Management to summon Artoria to his side, he wanted to see if the Moon Cell could transfer others. He had asked her to be patient and wait for him outside, but, with the passage of time, she would undoubtedly become increasingly stressed out. After all, they were supposed to be invading the Moon Cell together, not waiting for him to figure things out and make sure it was ’safe’ for her to venture inside.

Unfortunately, in response to Vahn’s command, the automaton immediately stated, "It is impossible to transfer anyone without the requisite permissions. Access to vital systems can only be achieved in the event that contact with the Root System has been established. An existing request for access to the Root System already exists. Would you like to supersede the existing request and forcibly initiate the procedure to establish contact?"

Feeling the Flow of Fate around him suddenly surge, Vahn peered into the near-future to find that an even similar to the Holy Grail War would be initiated if he replied in the affirmative. Instead, he didn’t hesitate to shake his head, stating, "No, do not initiate proceedings. Also, cancel the existing request and restrict further access to any external functions that have no been directly approved by me."

Vahn didn’t have to inquire in order to understand that Archimedes had been the one to initiate the previous request. He likely intended to use the Moon Cell in a manner similar to the Greater Grail, using its connection to the Root System in order to have his ’wish’ granted. As such an event would bring far too much trouble, he decided to nip it in the bud. After all, while the Flow of Fate showed that he would undoubtedly win the event, there were many troublesome scenes depicted within the same current.

In response to Vahn’s order, the automaton flashed its light a few times before saying, "Command has been executed. Do you wish to continue transfer to the Primary Terminal?"

With the visage of Archimedes flashing across his mind, Vahn smiled knowingly in response to the automaton’s question, answering, "Proceed." in a curt tone. In the next moment, he found himself in an extremely clean room that reminded him of the control room for CHALDEAS. There, on the verge of pulling his hair out in frustration, Archimedes could be seen hunched over, his fingers typing away with such intensity their movement was hard to follow.

Unfortunately for Archimedes, every inquiry and command he typed into the terminal was answered with a massive ’Access Denied’ notification. Though he seemed to be trying to circumvent this block, typing a series of runic coding into what appeared to be a command prompt, he hadn’t been able to make much progress. After all, the Moon Cell was one of, if not the, most advanced pieces of tech in the entire Sol System. If it could be so easily hacked, at least in any meaningful way, that would be a farce in and of itself.

Since Archimedes apparently hadn’t noticed him, Vahn walked up behind the man, placing his palm on the former’s shoulder rather roughly. In response, Archimedes turned statuesque, his rampant typing coming to an instantaneous halt as his heavy breathing sounded throughout the otherwise empty chamber. Then, after swallowing hard, he slowly turned his head, finding Vahn standing there with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes...

Before Archimedes could say anything, Vahn interrupted him, stating in a tone that left no room for argument, "Sit down and remain silent. You will speak when I have given you permission. Do not test my patience, Archimedes. The moment you try anything, anything at all, expect to die..."

Without waiting for a response, Vahn forced Archimedes to take a seat before navigating through his Unit Management and transferring Artoria. If he kept her waiting much longer, things would become increasingly complicated.

The moment Artoria appeared within the Primary Terminal, the lighting within shifted to red, but, as he had already ’seen’ this, Vahn plainly stated, "She has my permission to be here. Worry not, as she has no intention of damaging the Moon Cell and its systems. If she tries, I will personally intervene to protect the station."

Though it gave off the impression that it wanted to argue, the purple automaton ultimately issued a synthetic, "Acknowledged." before the lights immediately shifted back to a neutral blue.

Seeing how easily Vahn ’convinced’ the Moon Cell of his intentions, Archimedes tried to give voice to his incredulity, but, the moment his mouth began to open, he found a startling hot blade tip resting against his tongue, followed by Vahn stating in a venomous tone, "I did not give you permission to speak..."

Archimedes felt more indignant in the last few minutes than he had over the last fifty years, causing his expression to turn exceptionally dour. He didn’t really care that his tongue was being scaled by the ambient heat of Vahn’s [Lævateinn]. What really bothered him was the fact that he was being looked down on by a man who, at least in his mind, lacked the qualifications to do so. Vahn was the embodiment of everything he hated in humans: petulant, emotional, and overbearing when it came to anything that contradicted their beliefs.

Unaware of the hypocritical thoughts swirling through Archimedes’ mind, Vahn returned [Lævateinn] to his Inventory while making a mental note to clean it properly later on. Then, after pulling out two more chairs, one for himself and the other for Artoria, he sat down in front of the glowering man, his smile gradually fading away as he stated, "Though I can understand your reasoning behind trying to lay low, the methods you’ve been incorporating over the past few months seem specifically designed to annoy me. Had I not spent a fair amount of time thinking things through, the start of the meeting would have marked the end of your life..."

Though he was doing his best to control his emotions, images of Scathach briefly flashed through Vahn’s mind. At the same time, his skin gradually shifted from a healthy tan to a progressive fairer complexion, followed by golden scales slowly growing from the enlarged ’pores’ on his arms, legs, and face. More noticeable, however, was the ever-increasing pressure within the room, so potent it even caused Artoria to grimace slightly...

If not for Artoria’s presence, Vahn imagined he would have just crushed Archimedes, bringing an end to everything then and there. It would take very little effort, as, despite believing Archimedes had the means to protect himself, the reality of the situation proved otherwise. It was all but guaranteed such countermeasures existed, but, having never expected the spontaneous seizure of the Moon Cell, all of his plans had been undermined before they could be implemented.

Taking solace in the fact he had near-absolute control over the current situation, Vahn took several deep breaths to calm himself before pulling out a vial of murky white liquid, saying, "This is a high-quality recovery potion. Apply it to your tongue...we have much to discuss."

Having few options other than acquiescence, Archimedes stared at the vial in Vahn’s hand before ultimately removing the cork and downing its contents. This caused the blisters on his tongue to quickly heal, restoring his taste buds and allowing him to taste the mellow, honey-like, fluid as it coated his throat and spread warmth through his body.

Without waiting for Archimedes to completely recover, Vahn’s eyes gradually shifted from gold to a ghostly blue as he said, "I will give you one opportunity to explain your actual reasons for coming to the past. Feel free to twist your story and embellish it as much as you’d like...just know I am able to see through falsehoods to peer at the truth. The greater your lie, the harsher your punishment...know this, not as a promise, but an incontestable truth..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Rotton potatoes are OP’,’Vahn be like, "Hello there..."’,’One final chance for transparency...’)