A Path To Omniscience

The next hour or so was mostly spent with Asher showing Liv around and explaining a bit more about the androids. He figured there was no harm in getting her legal perspective, especially when it came to something this new.

The sharp click of Liv's heels echoed along the freshly finished floor as they walked through the skywalk that connected the central reception building to what used to be the main laboratory. After the renovations, even the skywalk looked completely different.

Before, it had just been a plain concrete corridor with windows, nothing special—just a way to get from one building to another. Now, though, aside from the floor, the walls and ceiling were all made of glass with a slight green tint. Like the rest of the building, it completely did away with that closed-in, boxed-up feeling you got from stone walls.

If you looked up, you could see the sky and the city of Atlas far off in the distance. Glancing to the side, the rest of the property stretched out below.

"So your plan is to have the androids take care of all the routine stuff that doesn't really need a human touch? Honestly, I think that's great." There was a real hint of relief in Liv's voice, the kind you get when someone talks about work.

Did she actually enjoy being a lawyer?

Well, sort of.

Did she enjoy all the changes she could make and the good she could do because she was a lawyer?

Definitely.

But did she like the endless paperwork or the calls from clients asking the same questions over and over?

Absolutely not.

She'd even thought about hiring a paralegal or an assistant, but for a lot of reasons, that was easier said than done.

Asher walked beside her and nodded.

"Manual labor has always held people back. We went from farming by hand to using tools and animals, and then to machines. But somewhere along the line, even with all our technology, 'work' started to mean that even the smallest, most pointless jobs still needed a person to do them."

Atlas and Mantle were perfect examples. Androids made up a huge part of the Atlas Military, letting them deal with Grimm quickly, without risking the lives of soldiers who were needed for more important things. Yet for some reason, office workers still had to enter data into systems by hand?

To Asher, that was just ridiculous—a sign that things had stopped moving forward.

He glanced at Liv and said, "Stagnation like that is a breeding ground for corruption, too. When people are bored or stuck, they start looking for shortcuts, finding loopholes, because it's easier—and sometimes more profitable—than doing things the right way. So, why not give people jobs that are more complex and actually meaningful?"

He paused, then added, "If every job is a cog in the machine, at least make your people special cogs. Let the androids take care of the soulless tasks."

Liv let out a short laugh.

"Wow, you almost sounded like a saint for a second there… right up until you compared everyone to cogs in a machine." She still nodded, though. She could see his point. It wasn't a perfect fix, but it was definitely better than the way things worked now.

That's what progress was supposed to be, anyway—not perfect, but always trying to get better.

Asher just smiled a little at her comment.

"Well, I have to be at least a little realistic."

The rest of the tour didn't take long.

The company building, in the end, only had four main sections. There was the reception building, where Liv and Asher were now. The second floor was just as open as the first—you could look down through the open center, and it had the lounge and break rooms, which all blended into a huge indoor space.

What used to be the main laboratory had been converted into an office building.

Even though the former lab had three separate floors, it still would have been way too small for a real company. Asher's company would need hundreds of employees to start with. That might have been possible if he were hiring with normal standards, but with the strict requirements he had for mindset and mentality, that just wasn't an option.

But Karatheon wasn't a normal company.

Thanks to their central network link with GAIA, every android at Karatheon had high-level administrative clearance. That meant there was no wasted time hunting down information, printing papers, waiting for approvals, or dealing with miscommunication. Digitally, the androids were dozens, maybe even hundreds, of times more efficient than regular employees.

Physically, Asher had designed them to be about as strong and coordinated as the average person. The difference was that androids didn't need sleep or breaks—they could work around the clock, only stopping for recharging or maintenance, which happened in the basement below the reception building.

If you wanted to put a number on it, each android was at least three times as productive as a human working an eight-hour shift.

All of this meant Asher didn't need nearly as many androids as he would need human workers to do the same job. And for anything that really did require a human touch, that's where the people Liv was recruiting would come in. Asher basically already had a full workforce.

This setup also saved a lot of space.

Androids didn't need computers—everything they needed was built in. So instead of packing the office with cubicles and desks, there was room to open things up.

It just made sense: people did better work when they weren't trapped in a cramped space.

That's why Asher had designed the building to feel so open in the first place.

On the different floors of the former laboratory, there were now plenty of both private and shared spaces. Some areas had large, open desks that Asher had modified himself. Each desk could seat two people, one on either side, with a divider that could be raised up or lowered if needed.

It might have seemed like a waste of space, but there was more than enough room to go around.

The computers were entirely holographic, using hard-light tech to make them fully interactive.

Screens could be moved wherever the worker wanted—floating directly above the desk or off to the side—and you could project several screens at once. The same went for the keyboard. All of the systems were programmed by Asher himself to work together smoothly, so there was no need to fuss with third-party apps or constant updates.

There was perfect natural lighting, with bright but non-distracting colors throughout. Asher had carefully planned every part of the layout and design, making it as "perfect" as he could using the Nexus Space. And in the future, as people got used to the environment, the Nexus Space could adjust itself, letting him improve things even further.

Liv couldn't see every detail that went into it just by looking, but she could definitely imagine what working there would be like.

She let out a sigh.

"Maybe this tour wasn't such a great idea. I don't think I'll want to go back to my own office after seeing all this."

Asher chuckled.

"Oh? Well, we do have plenty of positions open. If you're interested, I could set up an interview." He was teasing, but the offer was genuine.

Liv laughed, but slowly shook her head.

"No, I think I'll pass—at least for now. I've already got my hands full as your attorney, and since the pay is so good, I've had more time to take on cases down in Mantle. If I picked up another job on top of those, I'd have to give something up."

"I see. Well, the option's always there," Asher replied with an easy smile.

"And I'll probably have to take you up on it one day. Just… once Mantle's in a better place than it is now," she said.

"Oh, by the way, what's in the other two buildings?" Liv asked.

"Well, the one across from this building is the testing facility and prototype lab. This is technically a tech company, after all. Even though I'll be handling most of the main products myself, there's no reason not to give our engineers and designers the resources to create their own inventions."

Besides, Asher saw it as the perfect opportunity to start spreading some of the Nexus Space's knowledge. Keeping it all to himself would just cause things to stagnate. But by making the Nexus Space's information more common, it would push the Nexus Space to simulate even further into the future.

I do wonder, though... if I ever reach the point where sharing the Nexus Space's knowledge could be automated, would it just create an endless cycle? Civilization uses the knowledge I release, and that leads to their technological limit being higher in the future, which I can then simulate using the Nexus Space. It's like a snake eating its own tail.

If that ever happened, they'd be constantly pulling future achievements into the present.

There are risks, though. If I release too much, too quickly, people might just copy it without really understanding how it works. That would hold everyone back and could even weaken the Nexus Space. If people in the future are still struggling to grasp what I gave them years earlier, then progress would stall—and so would the Nexus Space's abilities.

Still, as long as I'm careful, it should be fine.

Pushing aside thoughts about the future, Asher kept talking to Liv.

"As for the last building, it's probably better if I just show you." With a gesture, he and Liv started walking through the company grounds toward the fourth and final building. It was also the tallest, standing five stories high—tall enough that it had its own elevator.

In the original building, the lower floors had served as one of the main monitoring hubs for the crater, while the upper floors were for management. Asher hadn't changed much about that. The lower floors would still be used for communications in the future—just one node in a network that might one day cover all of Solitas, or maybe even all of Remnant.

He and Liv took the elevator up to the top floor. When the doors slid open, Liv saw three hallways: one to the left, one to the right, and one straight ahead. Asher led the way, and she noticed most of the top floor was made up of offices and meeting rooms for upper management.

Right now, though, the place was empty except for a few androids, which Liv was still getting used to seeing around. It was strange—how closely they looked and moved like humans, but knowing they weren't. Just like Asher had said, androids would be handling most of the repetitive work.

They even handled janitorial duties and could do basic technician work.

"Asher, I've been meaning to ask—why did you make them look so... human? None of the Atlas Military's androids are anything like these." The question had been sitting in her mind for a while, especially since the androids were so uncanny.

Asher kept walking as he answered.

"Well, with Atlas, it's mostly about cost. If there were some tactical advantage, I'm sure they'd make more human-like androids. But right now, AI isn't advanced enough for androids—no matter how realistic-to blend in with people completely, so there's no point in using them as spies with synthetic skin or the like."

He paused for a moment before going on.

"As for the reason I made them look human? It's to avoid apathy. People find it easier to treat machines with indifference if they don't seem to have any individuality. Give them a human shape—even basic personalities—and it's easier to build familiarity and trust. Not enough to get in the way of work or cause problems, just enough to make people more comfortable around them."

In Mantle, especially, people already had a strong dislike for androids, since they were often seen as a symbol of Atlas Military control. That relationship was strained, to say the least.

Asher wanted his androids to be different. He didn't care if workers liked them or not, as long as everyone stayed civil and any biases didn't become a problem.

"So, it's psychological manipulation, huh?" Liv said, raising an eyebrow, but now genuinely curious.

"Is there anything you haven't hidden some secret intent behind?"

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be much of a secret, would it?" Asher replied with a grin. By then, they'd reached what Liv guessed was Asher's office.

He pushed open the double doors, revealing a large office, about fifty square meters in size.

Unlike the smooth white, polished floors they'd walked on before, this room had a darker gray, almost granite-like flooring, with patterns in the stone that formed different geometric symbols.

The lighting was hidden in the ceiling, and with the way it was arranged, looking up almost felt like staring at the stars. If the lights were off and the windows covered, the ceiling would probably look just like the night sky.

Asher noticed where Liv was looking and brought it up.

"I'm a fan of constellations—space in general, really. My parents started the interest when they designed my room, so the lights looked like stars. Since Dust doesn't work outside of Remnant's atmosphere, space has always been a far-off frontier, but it's also always fascinated me. Sadly, that also means there hasn't been much progress in astronomy."

He walked over to a desk made of tempered glass with a dark alloy frame, positioned in front of a large window that stretched across the back wall. The office walls were made of seamless matte panels. Built into the right wall, there was a full-length shelf, and below it, handles for drawers that slid out from the wall itself.

The left wall had the same kind of seamless panels, but they were cut a bit differently—still symmetrical and matching the other side, but with some extra features, almost like part of the wall was hiding a mechanism.

Taking in the space, Liv asked, "So, is outer space on your bucket list someday?"

"Maybe." Asher's answer was short, his hand gliding across the surface of the glass desk. Suddenly, the desk came alive—images appeared inside it like a screen.

At the same time, the window in front of him began to darken.

This desk wasn't like the ones Asher had shown Liv earlier. Suddenly, the images inside the glass lifted, floating above the desk as holographic screens. With another gesture, the screens spread out across the room, each one growing larger. Liv realized they were all different news outlets, displaying stories from Atlas and Mantle.

She almost stumbled back when one of the screens passed straight through her. She stood there, dumbfounded, trying to find the right words.

Eventually, she just asked, "How?"

"Projections," Asher said, pointing up at the star-dotted ceiling.

"The easiest way to hide them is inside the lights."

"Every light up there is a projector. Each one can create a piece of a hologram. When they all work together, I can make pretty much anything I want. They're not solid—it'd take way too much hard-light Dust for that—but it lets me work from anywhere in the office."

Liv wasn't sure if that answer really explained it, but she nodded anyway. Looking at the floating articles around her, she realized they were all familiar: crime reports, incidents in Mantle, scandals in Atlas.

None of them were old, either. Everything was recent.

The office had grown darker as the window tint deepened and the overhead lights dimmed, making the projections stand out even more.

"You've been doing research?" She asked, her eyes landing on Asher, who was now leaning against the front of his desk.

"That's right," he replied.

"Well, you've got your company, you've got androids. Money clearly isn't a problem, you've got the Atlas Military on your side, and even your own division. So… what's next?" Listing it all out like that, even Liv had to admit that Asher had accomplished more in less than a year than she'd thought possible.

But there was always more to do.

"Next? This is what comes next," Asher said, gesturing to the screens floating around Liv.

"Clean up. Exposing the Maron Family was a big step, but just one step. Atlas, Mantle—everywhere—still has its problems. There are still bloodsuckers and poison in the system. You can't just cut away the infection and throw a shirt over it. You need to stitch it up right, check for other infected areas, and then bandage it. And honestly, we're not even done cutting yet."

Asher stood up straight and snapped his fingers. Instantly, all the floating screens collapsed into a single image, transforming into a three-dimensional map of Mantle that filled the space between them.

"December," he said, and Liv glanced at him, a little confused.

He explained, "That's how long I gave Indigo and the others to recover after the crater assignment. Since the start of the year, they've been back in training. Now it's time to put the Insurgency to work—to let them do what they were meant to do."

As she listened, Liv remembered something Asher had told her before: Fixing them would require precision, using a scalpel instead of a hammer. And that's exactly what I plan for my division to do.

"So, it's scalpel time?" She asked.

Asher's reaction told her he remembered that conversation just as well as she did.

"That's right. And you were right, too. Now I have the connections, the funding, and the authority to act. Nothing's holding me back anymore—everything's in place. As for new hires, I'm sure I can win over the people you bring in." At that moment, Asher held out his hand, and the three-dimensional map of Mantle shrank down until it fit right in his palm—the whole city resting in his hand.

"We kept the Insurgency out of the news before because we needed to move fast and avoid tipping off whoever was backing the White Fang. Not even the social elites really know what happened in the crater. But now, the Maron Family can barely operate in Solitas, let alone Mantle. There's no reason to keep hiding my Insurgents anymore. I'm going to unleash them on this city."

Asher's voice sharpened as he spoke, his eyes narrowing, a raw emotion burning just beneath the surface.

"You can't rule by fear, but if you aim it at the right targets, it keeps people in line. I've done my homework—crime bosses, illegal businesses, corrupt officials. All the people we've had more than enough evidence to take down, but never did—because the system was too slow, or someone was paid off, or nobody cared. That ends now. Every single one of them is getting erased, and I'll do it in a way that everyone hears about."

He pressed his fingers into the side of the projection, making it flicker and glitch in his hands.

"I'll be watching them. This disease has been festering for too long—these people have only fed it, letting everything else rot. From now on, I want them second-guessing every move they make." His eyes met Liv's, and she could see the fierce determination there.

"Change, Liv. That's what's next. It's time to do what should have been done years ago."

With that, Asher's hand closed around the projection, crushing it. The image shattered, breaking apart in a violent, glitched burst.

"No more waiting."