The Oracle Paths

"What do you expect from us, master?" Epsilom asked calmly, his ethereal form and flat voice rendering his emotions inscrutable.

Cekt was about to reply, but was first interrupted by Lucia and Ulfar raising their hands simultaneously. After an exchange of glances, the king of Beskyr gladly gave the honor to his comrade, aware that his question would probably be considered stupid before a master Aetherist.

"Ahem, what exactly is a Magnetic Resonator?" Lucia coughed with a hint of embarrassment as the gaze of the seven disciples converged on her.

For a moment, she wished to vanish beneath the earth, regretting her curiosity, but the expectant gaze of Syrbarun immediately made her feel a little better. Luckily, Cekt passed no judgment and patiently explained,

"A Resonator is one of the two main methods we use along with the Gravitation Oscillator to harvest the energy of a black hole. Our location is roughly the size of a small moon and is in stable orbit around the black hole, mere kilometers from its event horizon. The core component of this structure is a sophisticated device known as a magnetic field disruptor, engineered to manipulate the intense magnetic fields surrounding the black hole. The disruptor generates a massive opposing magnetic field, strategically colliding with the black hole's own magnetic lines. This collision triggers a magnetic reconnection, resulting in a powerful release of energy. You could see this as snapping a rubber band - the tension builds as opposing forces pull against each other, and when the band finally snaps, all the stored energy is suddenly released with such force that the event horizon can even regurgitate what it has swallowed, allowing us to achieve returns exceeding 150% of the initially invested energy."

"The released energy mainly consists of highly energetic particles and intense electromagnetic radiation. These are captured and funneled by a vast array of energy collectors and converters, transforming them into a more usable form of power. In case, Aether. The Aether is then directly injected into the Aether Network, where it will be used to maintain the operation of B842 and the Oracle System."

After hearing this explanation, Lucia's brain was already smoking, struggling to imagine that such a machine could exist. If she hadn't strived to fill her gaps, she might even have been stuck at defining a black hole or a magnetic field.

Fortunately for her, her Oracle AI was briefing her simultaneously to update her as quickly as possible. From the fine bead of sweat trickling down Ulfar's forehead, he was undergoing the same treatment.

"Impressive," Syrbarun exclaimed, his heart pounding. If he got his hands on this technology, his mech suits would make a gigantic leap forward!

"What about the Gravitation Oscillators you mentioned, master?" Lyra asked eagerly.

Cekt suddenly pointed into the void of space, but when they looked in his direction they saw nothing but pitch-black skies. Much like everything else, in fact. If it weren't for their Aether Vision and mental sense, they would all be blind.

"I see nothing," Rigel grumbled without any shame. The Gorgonites were not known for their good vision.

"And that's normal," Cekt comforted him with a small laugh. "These Gravitation Oscillators are at least a few light-years away and emit no light. It would be a miracle if you could see them."

"These colossus contraptions, their girth spanning hundreds of kilometers, are stationed within the close yet safe vicinity of a black hole. Because of its gargantuan mass, we can afford to place them at a considerable distance. The Gravitational Oscillator is comprised of a substantial assembly of superconducting rings, organized in concentric circles, primed to capture gravitational waves generated by the black hole."

"These gravitational waves, tremors within the fabric of spacetime birthed by the black hole's gravity, are ensnared by the Oscillator. As these waves traverse the superconducting rings, they incite oscillations within the structure of the rings. Using principles akin to electromagnetic induction, these oscillations are then into utilizable electrical energy, or in our case, into Aether."

"The method reaps two-fold benefits: first, it offers an unfathomably vast source of energy, and second, it acts as a protective bulwark against the black hole's destructive gravitational tug, courtesy of a meticulously designed repulsive gravitational shield. Contrasting the Magnetic Resonator, the yield of energy is somewhat less, but it is significantly more stable and the peril considerably less. You must comprehend that in the case of the Magnetic Resonator, a slight mishap could derail its orbit and plunge it beyond the event horizon of the black hole, the point of no return where the pull of gravity is so overpowering that nothing can escape. Likewise, the slightest alteration to its structure or shields and it could be obliterated by the very energy eruptions it produces. Therefore, one must proceed with the utmost caution."

Rigel, who aspired to specialize in planet-ship design, quickly built upon his master's explanation with another question.

"If these Gravitational Oscillators are so reliable and less dangerous, why build them so far from the black hole? Does not the produced energy significantly diminish?"

Cekt let out a sigh that was heavy with patience at hearing this remark.

"That is indeed the case. I mentioned earlier that constructing these structures closer to the black hole presents more danger, and not merely because of the hazard of the event horizon. When we speak of a black hole, we refer to highly dense matter, highly dense energy, and thus extreme Aether density. The singularity of a black hole also represents one of the few forms of Aether Cores that can form naturally and its Grade is monstrously high. So high, that spacetime has long since collapsed around it, an area of zero Aether. This should result in the destruction of everything surrounding it and thus the black hole itself, but when an Aether Core of such a high Grade is deprived of its primary energy source, it seeks elsewhere, piercing the fabric of space so profoundly that it ends up tapping into a purer and inexhaustible source of Aether. Consider it akin to digging a well. Once the well is dug, the spacetime around a black hole's singularity regenerates rapidly, since its Aether is no longer being consumed, yet the Aether Core within continues to grow, ironically even boosting the ambient Aether density."

"Have a glance at your Oracle Scans, and you might be in for a surprise."

Jake and the others followed the instruction and indeed noticed that compared to the surface of B842, the Aether density at their location exceeded 2500, instead of the expected 265 and some. He'd already noticed this anomaly with his heightened perception, but it was the distinctive operation of the Aether Core within a black hole that truly fascinated him.

Didn't his Grade 10 Energy Body function similarly? Otherwise, it would have long since drained the surrounding Aether, much like when Quanoth's sun was swallowed.

"We still don't know the danger we face," Syrbarun grumbled under his breath, instantly earning a slap on the back of his head from Siri.

"Fool." The android rolled her eyes in disdain.

Being insulted by a robot was an unforeseen event. Consequently, when Siri rebuked the Vrusug, he was plunged into a deep depression. The others offered no solace this time, each gazing at him as though he were an uncommonly idiotic specimen of Aetherist.

Adding insult to injury, Lucia and Ulfar regarded him with the same dismissive look.

'Fuck! What the hell did I say?'

"Aether... Digestors... Lots of Aether," Jake shrugged nonchalantly, refusing to elaborate further.

Syrbarun's eyes suddenly widened in understanding.

"Ohh..."

"Yeah ohh," Lucia giggled.

"Fool," Siri added relentlessly.

Still, they underestimated the minotaur's thick skin. Resigned to his fate, he raised his hand again and ventured to ask,

"Why not directly exploit the Aether Core at the center of the black hole? If it's so incredible, wouldn't that be better than constructing all these Resonators and Oscillators? I'm sure the Oracle or a top Aetherist could pull off such feats, right?"

The idea excited Lucia, Drakon, Lyra, and a few other disciples, but reality soon dampened their spirits.

"You underestimate the perils of a black hole and overestimate the capabilities of the Oracle and us Aetherists. Crafting a ship capable of crossing the event horizon is feasible. If prepared, I could likely traverse it myself. But you're forgetting the most significant danger tied to a black hole's existence. This danger isn't the event horizon or the Digestors, but the flow of time itself."

"Under the influence of gravity, as you draw closer to a black hole, time slows. Right here where we stand, time crawls so slowly that for every few minutes here, centuries could pass outside. That's why to avoid this, the Magnetic Resonator is enveloped in a high-level Aether Array, synchronizing the flow of time with B842's surface. If for any reason you stray too far from the Resonator, you'll be trapped for a very long time."

Upon hearing this, Jake and the others gulped. Unfortunately for them, the elderly Wendok hadn't finished. He hammered the final nail in the coffin,

"For the same reason, a black hole's singularity and its formidable Aether Core are theoretically unreachable. But what concerns us more are the Digestors spawning near the Magnetic Resonator. To survive in such an environment, most of these Space Digestors have developed extreme capabilities and an unparalleled hunger for Aether and energy. These Space Digestors are unlike any you're familiar with. They're accustomed to encountering high-level Oracle Guardians and Evolvers, and those who endure in environment are either powerful, intelligent, or both. The most dangerous ones can directly affect time and space, posing a threat even to an Aetherist like me, let alone you."

"To them, this Magnetic Resonator and us... we are nothing more than tantalizing prey, glowing like a beacon in the heart of the darkness. Oracle Guardian squads and TX models regularly purge those who spawn upon it, yet as a precaution, the Magnetic Resonator never operates at full capacity to avoid drawing Digestors that we might not be able to repel. For all these reasons, it's impossible to construct more. Between the cost, the Aether array, and the necessity to defend them, we've simply reached our limit." Marking a brief pause, Cetk sternly scrutinized each of his disciples, then declared in an unwavering tone,

"The first stage of your trial will be to seize control of this Magnetic Resonator as swiftly as possible, and upon its full reactivation, defend it while producing as many Aether Cores as you can with its aid. I will assess your performance directly. Those of you whose performance satisfies me will then be informed of the second stage. You're allowed to team up as you see fit."