A Path To Omniscience

Thanks to Asher's arachnid construction drones, Kobe actually found himself with free time for once, so he didn't mind showing Asher, Weiss, and Whitley around the site, as long as they kept clear of the real work.

Because of that, all three had the chance to see exactly how Asher's invention fit in with the construction process.

With thirty drones operating at once, you might have expected chaos, but the reality was just the opposite. Much like Asher's SU-Ps, the arachnid drones all ran on a shared network controlled by GAIA. They could communicate and track each other's progress, with or without the CCTS.

Every movement was coordinated.

It was like watching a single, well-oiled machine in action. The drones never got in each other's way or clashed over tasks. As long as they had clear schedules and construction plans, they worked seamlessly alongside human crews—if anything, the workers often struggled to keep up with the drones' relentless pace.

For management, everything operated through a single visor, just like Asher had demonstrated before, with GAIA handling the AI support. One worker stayed on drone control duty at all times. Using the built-in AR tech, they could monitor each drone's location, see how far along every task was, and request real-time updates.

The world looked completely different through those visors. There was even a feature that let you compare a 3D projection of the finished project with the current build in real time. As long as regular checks were done through the drones or visors, the team could follow blueprints down to the last detail.

By the time the tour was over and the group made their way back to the gate, Weiss and Whitley couldn't hide their amazement. It wasn't quite the same reaction Kobe and the construction crew had—this was more of a quiet awe at seeing genuine innovation up close.

New technology. New standards.

There's just something deeply satisfying about witnessing progress firsthand.

After the tour, Kobe meant to chat a bit longer with Asher, but a text came in, pulling him away for a call. When he returned, the phone was on mute, but his smile had turned a bit awkward.

"Sorry about this. Since we're so far ahead of schedule, we've actually started having trouble keeping our supply orders lined up," Kobe explained, looking a little sheepish.

Asher just waved it off, making it clear he didn't mind.

"It's fine. I'd rather you have problems from being too successful than just problems in general."

That caught Kobe off guard for a second, then he broke into a genuine laugh and nodded.

"Can't argue with that! Anyway, if you ever need anything or want an update without coming all the way out here, just reach out to Celeste. You have her number, right?"

Asher nodded.

"She gave it to me the day I met everyone."

Kobe grinned.

"That's just like her." He waved before turning away and unmuting his call. Even though scheduling issues weren't exactly good news, Kobe still handled it with a decent mood—a perk of having the kind of problems that only come from success.

"Well, that was… something," Whitley murmured, eyes still fixed on the construction site, a hint of wonder in his voice.

The look made Asher chuckle.

"Honestly, I was a little surprised myself. I didn't expect the efficiency to be this high. But now that I know everything works the way it should, there's no reason not to ramp up production later."

Weiss blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"You're planning to make even more of them?"

Asher glanced over, as if the answer should be obvious.

"Of course. I only built thirty because my factory's busy with another order from Frostvale Enterprises, and I'm working with a limited budget right now. But as soon as those clear up, and a few payments come in, nothing is stopping me from making more."

He looked back toward the drones.

"Honestly, they're not even meant to work in such small numbers. There'll always be a need for people on site, but I see hundreds—maybe even thousands—of these drones working together. If thirty can do this much, just imagine building entire neighborhoods in a single month. Skyscrapers and megaprojects finished in the same year they started."

It was hard to picture, but all three of them had just witnessed the start of something that could make it possible—a total revolution in construction. Drones like these could bypass challenges that used to slow down projects: extreme cold, low visibility, and even most workplace hazards.

"You really do dream big, don't you?" Whitley remarked, drawing Asher's attention.

Asher shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"What's the point of dreaming if you don't?" That earned a brief look from both Whitley and Weiss, but Asher just smiled, turned, and headed for the gate.

"Anyway, we should get going. Let's grab something to eat and take a look around Mantle before the celebration starts. I want you both to really see what Mantle's like while you're here." Asher was already heading back toward the convoy, leaving Weiss and Whitley to follow behind, stepping through the gate and onto the sidewalk.

Whitley paused for a moment, glancing at Weiss with a playful but sympathetic shake of his head.

"My poor sister. You've fallen for the living definition of 'the sky's the limit.' With all his projects, should I even expect a wedding this century?"

"Oh, very funny," Weiss shot back, rolling her eyes.

Deep down, though, she knew he wasn't completely wrong. As much as she admired Asher, he never struck her as someone who would just settle down. Not that she was thinking about that herself—at least, not yet—but Asher was the sort of person who always seemed ready to carry the future on his back.

She could picture herself spending her life with him, always keeping pace, but she couldn't quite imagine that life including a family. The thought made her fall quiet as she walked beside Whitley.

After a few moments, Weiss shook her head, trying to clear away the idea.

Ugh, what is Whitley putting in my head? We're nowhere near that point. I'm sure things will work out.

=====================================•=====================================

After leaving the construction site, Asher and the siblings spent the next several hours exploring Mantle.

When it came time to eat, Asher didn't take them to any street stalls. Part of it was because he knew they'd hesitate. After all, they'd spent their whole lives being served by top chefs.

Technically, Asher had grown up the same way, but he'd lived through enough hard times in past lives to know what real hunger felt like.

Honestly, if some of the starving people in the crater ever saw what he'd eaten just to survive before, they might have chosen to starve instead.

Besides, street stalls in Mantle didn't exactly have the best health ratings.

So, instead, they went to a local restaurant that was at least decent. Afterward, they got the chance to see much more of the city, to witness how people struggled, but still found ways to keep going. Earlier, the siblings had only caught a glimpse of how things were; now, it was turning into a lesson.

Just before they set off for the celebration, the last place Asher took them was to the edge of the crater. There, he let them see what remained of the old Schnee Dust Company mining operations.

From one of the platforms connected to the walls dividing Mantle and the crater, they could see the entire former mining zone. The landscape was a series of deep, layered scars where Atlas had once broken away from the world and floated up into the sky. In its place was a wasteland: broken factories, abandoned machines, and the skeletons of forgotten infrastructure.

The smog in Mantle came from industry, but the smoke rising from the crater was different—it came from people burning whatever they could just to stay warm. With the fierce winds that swept through Atlas and Mantle, much of that smoke ended up circling right back into the crater.

It wasn't unusual for people to collapse from black lung if they stayed too long in the wrong spot.

"This is… horrible," Weiss whispered, staring down from the top of the wall.

Beside her, Whitley leaned on the railing, hands gripping the metal as he stared out at the same view, his face thoughtful and conflicted.

Asher glanced at both of them.

"I'm planning to buy up parts of the Crater someday, using the profits from my company."

That got an immediate reaction—both siblings turned, confusion clear on their faces.

"What?" Weiss asked, frowning.

Asher went on, "There's actually a lot of development potential here. If you break it down, most of this place could be salvaged for raw materials. And even if the infrastructure is mostly ruined, a lot of it still connects directly to Mantle. My goal is to turn the crater into somewhere people can actually live, instead of a place everyone's trying to escape."

Whitley listened and gave a small, knowing nod.

"So that's why you wanted to test the construction drones."

"Exactly," Asher confirmed.

Just then, a soft beep echoed from his wrist. He glanced down, rolled up his sleeve, and pressed a button on his watch to silence the alert.

"That's our cue. Time to go." The three of them left the wall behind, heading down to the street and back to the convoy, where they climbed into the partially armored truck. Their driver took them through the winding streets of Mantle, following the address Pietro had sent for the event.

It wasn't far—the place was in the southern part of Mantle, and they arrived within the hour.

The convoy stopped a block away, and the truck doors folded open automatically. Asher stepped out first, with Weiss and Whitley right behind.

They looked around, realizing this was just an ordinary street—at least, by Mantle's standards. Deep down, both Weiss and Whitley had pictured something grander when they'd heard the word "celebration," probably because they were used to the venues in Atlas.

Whitley glanced at Asher, a little skeptical. "

The celebration's happening here?"

"That's right. It's a small gathering. Just stick with me," Asher answered, gesturing for them to follow.

He paused for a second, glancing back at the bodyguards, and gave a simple order.

"Try not to draw any attention. Station yourselves around the area."

"Yes, sir," one of the bodyguards responded, giving a respectful nod.

Asher led the way down the street, his bodyguards following at a distance, staying alert but keeping a low profile. At the end of the block stood a small, multi-story building. It looked closed—its windows fenced in and glowing with a faint green tint, the same color forming a medical cross above the door.

"Is this a hospital?" Weiss asked, ignoring the curious looks they were getting from Mantle's residents as they walked by.

Asher shook his head.

"Not exactly. It's more of a clinic."

They stopped in front of the entrance. Like the windows, the door was framed with decorative metal bars and tinted with fading neon green, blocking the view inside. The bars on the door were more for style than security, making the door look sturdier than it actually was.

Asher rapped his knuckles on the door.

A moment later, a cheerful voice called from inside, "Coming!"

There was the sound of quick, surprisingly heavy footsteps, followed by the click of a lock.

The door creaked open, and a familiar ginger head poked out.

"Hey, are we late?" Asher greeted her with a friendly smile.

Penny's eyes widened in surprise, then lit up with excitement.

The door swung open all the way, and she called out, "Asher, you made it!"

In a blur, Penny bounded forward and wrapped him in a hug, one so enthusiastic that Asher let out a small groan as his feet left the ground.

Still grinning despite the pressure, Asher managed, "I told you I'd be here… but if this keeps up, I might pass out from lack of oxygen."

At that, Penny immediately let go, stepping back with a sheepish, worried look.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Are you alright? Father keeps telling me I need to be more careful with my strength."

Asher let out a quiet groan but nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Penny looked relieved, and only then did she notice the two people with Asher.

Whitley watched her with open curiosity, trying to figure out if he recognized her. Weiss, on the other hand, kept her expression guarded, though the way her brows drew together and her eyes narrowed left little doubt about her feelings.

"Ah, introductions," Penny announced, brightening up.

"Hello, my name is Penny Polendina. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Whitley Schnee," he replied smoothly, nodding toward Weiss.

"And the one staring daggers at you is my sister-"

Weiss cut him off, voice crisp. "Weiss Schnee."

Hearing their names, Penny paused for a beat, surprised.

"Oh! Are you two related to Winter?"

The mention of her sister made Weiss's expression soften just a little.

"Right, he did say Winter would be here... How do you know my sister?" Weiss asked.

Penny's face lit up, eager to explain.

"Oh, we work together a lot! Sometimes she even helps get me out of trouble. I really like her—she's always reliable, or at least that's what my father says." Hearing Penny praise Winter brought a small smile to Weiss's face.

She nodded.

"Your father's right. Winter is the best."

"That's all it takes?" Whitley murmured under his breath, earning a sharp glare from Weiss.

Penny didn't notice.

She just beamed and stepped aside.

"Anyway, please come in! Everything for the celebration is almost ready."

They followed Penny inside as she closed and locked the clinic door behind them. The place looked just how you'd expect from the outside—wooden floors, scuffed and worn, with old bookshelves lining the walls and a touch of mess here and there.

Still, it was obvious the clinic was kept clean, and the important parts stood out: holographic hard-light screens hovered near the walls, and the medical bed was surrounded by high-end equipment. It was clear Pietro cared more about the quality of care than the building's appearance.

Now, though, the clinic looked transformed. Streamers draped the walls, and green balloons were everywhere—some tied down, others floating near the ceiling. A banner reading 'In celebration of a successful mission!' stretched above the main room. It looked official, but the cheerful wording was pure Penny.

Music played softly in the background, and folding tables had been set up and topped with all kinds of snacks and treats.

Penny watched their reactions with a hopeful smile. Weiss and Whitley didn't quite know what to make of it. Compared to the grand celebrations they were used to, this was nothing like what they'd ever attended.

But after seeing the realities of Mantle, they knew better than to voice that.

It was Asher who spoke up first.

"This is really charming, Penny. Did you put all this together by yourself?"

Penny nodded.

"Yeah! Father helped me get everything, but he let me set it up. He's out picking up the cake and ice cream. Once he's back, we can start celebrating." At the mention of her father, Whitley jumped at the chance to steer the conversation away from his thoughts on the decorations.

"You keep mentioning your father, and your last name is Polendina. That sounds familiar for some reason."

Weiss agreed, picking up on the distraction.

"And you do look a bit familiar. I think I've seen you before."

"Really?" Penny asked, thinking hard.

That's when Asher stepped in.

"Penny was at the charity event we went to a few months back. She was told to keep to herself, so you probably only saw her in passing."

The reminder helped Penny connect the dots.

"Oh, right! You two were there."

Asher turned to Whitley, explaining, "As for her father, you probably recognize the name because he's Pietro Polendina. He's the reason AI has advanced so far in Atlas. Practically every high-quality Android out there runs on his framework. The man's a genius."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, surprised by Asher's praise.

"I think this is the first time I've heard you introduce someone with so many compliments."

Asher just shrugged.

"He's earned it. His work is worth admiring." He left it at that, though in truth, Asher's perspective went even deeper. Being able to trace Atlas's technological progress through Nexus Space meant he saw every key player, and Pietro's name appeared a lot. Few had made such a difference.

I've been wanting to talk to him directly. Maybe I'll get the chance during the celebration. His research on artificial souls could be invaluable—even Nexus Space doesn't have much on that. It's such a rare field… but the possibilities are endless.