"There is no greater intelligence then Kindness and Empathy." Bryant McGill.
"I'm not smart, but I like to observe. Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why."
William Hazlitt
Galvan Prime after chapter "Galvins Life"
Azmuth's, Grey and Paradox were 'Time Stepped' to Galvan Prime into Azmuth Tower.
"Seriously how is that not teleportaion?" Lesser Azmuth asked.
"Because it is Time Travel. I simply hitched a ride a few weeks from now and traveled back in time to now so you 3 didn't have to waste the time waiting for a ship." Paradox said.
"But the bootstrap Paradox." Lesser Azmuth said "By time traveling we don't have to take a ship!"
"Actually there will most likely be a point of having to ship along with someone." Grey said.
"That still..." The older Galvan chuckled at a younger version of himself trying to out think a mind that has been around since the Galvan race had first gained Sentience.
Paradox was the scariest kind of immortal. The one that wasn't lazy.
"There are things I do that if I didn't it would deforest the Omniverse." Paradox told Azmuth when asked why he didn't use any of his experience to add technology into the universe "And who says I haven't."
"Will you tell me exactly what you did?" Azmuth asked.
"Na." Paradox said chewing on a gumball.
The group walked through the facility. 8 years the place hasn't changed much. The tower was built to last and would function as one of the many Evacuation Labs when they had to move to the new Galvan Prime. Less resources just moving his building.
The building was mostly used for the few projects he started 8 years ago. When the research teams finished they would have left and found success in other buildings.
[A tower that big and how small Galvans are its basically a freaking city.]
When Lesser Azmuth sighed as he saw his tower mainly empty and only the occasional drone floating.
So...Empty...this was where Zennith's gift to him was.
"And not one will care at last when it is done." Grey said
"Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, If mankind perished utterly." Paradox continued.
"And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn Would scarcely know that we were gone." Grey said seeing how big and how empty the place was.
Both Azmuth's looked at the two.
"It's a short story written by a human author." Paradox said.
"Really? What is it about?" Lesser Azmuth asked.
"About a completely automated house still running with the skeletons of a nuclear bombed family." Grey says smiling.
"I remember when that was written. Man that was before I even became immortal." Paradox said smiling.
Lesser Azmuth squinted at the two talking about a book made in earths Time-Unit of year 1950.
"So Grey since you are going to be learning under both of us I should warn you you will need a few things before we really start." Azmuth Prime said.
"Yes G-Script." Lesser Azmuth said "The foundation of Galvan's coding software."
"And G-Alpha Coding. You will need to know the backbone of all the Matrix systems." Azmuth Prime said.
"Oh I already learned to read it so were ahead of schedule." Grey said.
"Really? When did you do that?" Azmuth Prime asked
"Ben learned to read it in a week when he was stuck as XLR8." Grey said "I still want to learn but at least I can actually read it."
"Ben learned to read it?" Azmuth Prime asked.
"Yeah." Grey said "He had the big brain move to start learning it so he can run a Defrag without Smoothbraining it."
Lesser Azmuth had gone white and Azmuth Prime had started thinking what this meant.
"You did gave him the Master Access code." Lesser Azmuth said.
"No. I didn't." Azmuth said.
"Ben may not be as gigabrain as you but he knows losing an absolute Stacy." Grey said grinning.
Both Azmuth's groaned realizing exactly how much Ben could read both of them enough to step past so many securities.
"Humans are social creatures." Paradox said "We have 1 child at a time and it takes a whole village to raise them right. The Galvans lay 10-40 and that's under years of coordinated systems to maximize their lives."
Lesser Azmuth squinted and said "I've interacted with humans before but their lumbering size and subpar coordination and low intelligence never put any question of my safety... until yesterday. "
"And I watched you nearly piss yourself when Ben had met you with the same cold, calculated, emotionless we give our underlings." Azmuth Prime said "That was the man Max Tennyson once was and forge on further then him."
"That was a Plumber." Grey said "Nothing more nothing less."
"When I read everything I could have said written in the galvan language in black and white..." Lesser Azmuth actually shuttered.
"He had actually asked Albedo to check his Grammer on that too!" Grey laughed.
Later
Grey was brought to a large room. "Your quarters and lab for work." Lesser Azmuth said.
"Sweet." Grey said looking around "Ok what's the protocol for ordering materials?"
"The one in-charge of materials I will introduce you." Azmuth said "They will be given a limit on what your aloud to order for personal projects."
Grey looked around and started marking the room.
"What exactly are you doing?" Lesser Azmuth asked.
"Division of Space." Grey said "I guess I can turn that closet into a bedroom."
"And why exactly do you need that?" Azmuth Prime asked.
"Plumber code for handling Isolation. Divide area into 4ths and designate each." Grey said "I'm gonna need a sheet of polyurethane foam about 12 inches long."
"You are aware the Galvans body requires only 1.7 hours of uninterrupted sleep to function, correct?" Azmuth Prime said.
"And I intend to optimize that." Grey said scratching the back of his head "My first project is getting my Augs back."
"We don't do that here." Azmuth Prime said holding out a hand.
"You must understand that the risks every cyborg takes for the change takes the risk of a surplus of negatives that far outstretch the positives." Lesser Azmuth said.
Grey blinked "Uh excuse me? Outstretch the positives? Really? You've seen the difference between Ben with and without the Heads Up Display? He hasn't mistransformed once since he installed it. The ability to access that much data with a thought is invaluable to any work especially coding."
"The Galvan body doesn't handle those kinda things well." Azmuth said putting a hand on Grey's shoulder "I'm sure eventually you could-"
"Give me something to write with." Grey said as Paradox handed him an Expo marker.
Grey started drawing on the wall.
"There." Grey said gesturing to the diagram.
The Azmuth's squinted as they studied it. "This...This isn't Personal Hover Pack?"
"Intigrated Neural Network Relay?"
"Machine Direct Connect Touch Interface?"
"All of it is available with existing technology." Grey said pointing a knife hand at the diagram.
"This...this is too big a leap in technology." Lesser Azmuth said.
Grey scratched his arms. "Alright well can we start with the Neural Implant and-"
"Grey where did you get this?" Azmuth asked "I am not angry or criticizing just curious."
"Uh remember that Evolved Galvan?" Grey said "Well ALL its blueprints were written in its DNA, literally. The simulations had the gigabrain move to just write the info how to Replicate or repair it in the Gene Code. Ben read the blueprints and now they are in any version of Graymatter or whatever smart aliens Ben has to start replicating them from memory."
"I knew that Evolution Feature was just begging for trouble." Azmuth said.
"Well here's a mind blower for ya." Grey says "Trouble finds Ben just as much. There is always something and the Evolution Feature has proven its value."
The Galvans just stood in silence realizing what exactly was in Ben's head.
"Gentlemen we should move on to get the files to the Council." Paradox said.
Later
The announcement of Azmuth arriving had the council assemble rapidly.
"First Thinker..." One of the 7 said as they all bowed.
"is this a time travel experiment? We will refrain from interfering."
"No I'm him from an alternative timeline." Azmuth Prime said "My schedule is cleared for the next 6 months to get him back to his duties."
"We welcome you Alternative Azmuth."
"A new planet for the next Galvan Prime has been chosen." Lesser Azmuth said holding up a data chip.
"We shall review the data immediately." The council said.
"So is that normal or is it years of practice?" Grey asked hands in his pockets.
"Years of practice." One said getting smacked upside the head.
"Identify yourself youngling." One said.
"He's the next Second Thinker." Azmuth said "The sooner I train this one the better."
The council looked to Grey then Azmuth then Azmuth then back to Grey. "Are you certain? You remember the previous one."
"Yes. I can count on one hand the people even worth the thought of the position." Azmuth Prime said.
The council turned to each other and discussed it. "Speak your name Second Thinker."
"Greyson Tennyson." Grey said "Grey will be fine."
More whispering.
Grey had kept his composure as he was looked down on like an amoeba in a petrie dish.
"The Council Sees your position as Second Thinker but rules have changed since the previous." The council said "Council requires oversight to ensure any further Second Thinkers are watched for...Less then Savory work."
"Gonna need a definition of 'Less then Savory'." Grey said "Seems pretty Smoothbrained to hinder my work on the whims of whoever it is with the rulebook."
The council had actually gawked at that.
"I shall inform our friend." a voice said.
"I shall watch over this young mind." Professor Zeno said walking in.
"Zeno. Crawl out of your kitchen and finally pursue a useful goal?" The council asked.
"Actually quite the opposite. A young mind like Grey is the perfect second perspective to assist in my research." Professor Zeno smiled.
"Sounds like a riot of a time." Grey said.
"A check in will be done within a week. Have something by then." The council said.
"I'm still moving in." Grey said holding his arms out.
"2 weeks." The council says.
Later
The 4 Galvans headed off.
"I need to eat." Grey said. It wasn't 'I'm hungry' or 'Can we get food'.
"Over there." Azmuth pointed to what looked like a water fountain vending machine hybrid.
A gray brick and a bottle of fluid were dispersed.
Grey looked at it. "What am I looking at?"
"That is a nutrient bar." Zeno said "They are synthesized protein and everything a galvans body requires to live. The bottle is an Electrolyte water."
"And it's just free?" Grey asked looking around.
"Yes sir." Zeno said "World hunger ended since 20,056."
Grey ate it and he stared at it. "This tastes like Nothing. Like my spit has more flavor in it....this is the definition of the phrase 'It's food.'."
"Yes it dissolves in saliva and digests perfectly in the stomach to maximize-" Azmuth Prime explained and Grey was just looking at it.
"Please tell me you have actual food on this planet." Grey said.
"Galvan Prime gives it's people the means to Exist. If you desire Living you earn it." Lesser Azmuth said "Every Galvan gets the right to a full stomach but they aren't entitled to anything higher."
Grey took a deep breath "What is the closest thing to a smoothie around here?"
Next day
Grey was going over coding training when the notification of a Primus link.
"It appears to be a new species." Lesser Azmuth said.
"Near identical to Homosapian..." Professor Zeno joined in the examination of what just got added.
"Hold on let me-"
*moan*
Grey had snickered when it was shown Ben's perspective of being ontop of a naked woman with white hair.
"Charmcaster?! My man!" Grey shouted.
"Well." Zeno said raising an eyebrow "That is unexpected."
Lesser Azmuth turned off the thing and turned to Grey "Who was that woman and what in the hell was she?"
"That was Gwendolyn's Arch-Enemy in the Prime Timeline." Grey said bagging up "Oh my god, Ben's dickin down a damn witch."
"Her Genetic make-up shows its a one-to-one human yet is registering as a new species."
"There is a saying humans have. 'If we don't find aliens just wait.'." Grey said "The human Genome mutates so fast in 3 generations on other planets were different speices."
"Plumber files show humans based off planet permanently have show children altered drastically but it should be because of crossbreeding." Azmuth Prime said.
They had decided to take advantage of the connection to just run through the software in the Ultimatrix since Ben locked the remote access when not connected.
"Why is that a feature?!" Lesser Azmuth shouted.
"Privacy. Exhibit A." Grey says gesturing to the screen.
Running through the code found a pathetic attempt at a firewall that the Galvans hadn't touched when Grey said it was Ben's Aux-Brain.
"Speaking of that-" Grey said.
"We already got to parts." Azmuth Prime said "The new core incorporates Solid Data Clusters so if it is starved of power the Nanomachines that make up the remains of the Ultimatrix won't reset Ben's mind."
"Ok will it incorporate the Polymorphic Crystal?" Grey asked.
"Unneeded the Core is efficient enough to run off Ben's own Nerves." Azmuth said.
"Solid but what about-" Grey was cut off.
"You still need to present an invention to the Council. We will complete the Core you need to study and build." Lesser Azmuth said.
Grey knew the feeling in his gut. They needed him and Ben was not gonna be happy if they left out parts he knew they didn't want.
A hand on his shoulder interrupted his inner thought process "Don't worry I'll make sure they know." Professor Zeno said "Come we need to get you ready to begin."
One week later [just before "Draining Work"]
Grey was under his desk connecting a few wires. He wanted so badly to slam the dial on his back and turn into his true form but he was here to learn how to use his 'Primal Form'.
"Grey, my boy." Professor Zeno said "It appears your father is calling."
"Screen 1." Grey says.
Nothing.
"Screen 1!" He shouted.
Nothing.
Grey let out a frustrated exhale as he walked to the screen and turned on his 'Laptop'. "It's actually called-"
"Does it do everything a computer does on your lap?" "Well yes but-"
Grey had ordered a Techadon build one in addition to the galvan one he was given.
"Grey?" Ben asked seeming just as iritated looking as Grey was.
"What's good?" Grey asked.
"Just looking in. Azmuth brushed me off when I wanted to talk about the core so I asked about the evac and said everything was going fine." Ben said.
"I'm fine...I'm not fine!" Grey said "I miss my HUD! I hate the Hoverpads. You want legs and to Hover? Pick a fucking lane!"
"They have no idea about..." Ben didn't need to say it.
"Day 8 no one suspects it." Grey said "What's been going on with you?"
"Vreedle." Ben said "Double shifts and I've used Decagon more then I'd like to but the results are worth it."
The two talked and Ben's Eyes flashed "Gotta get some shut eye. I'm picking up the brothers tonight for a trip to get Morningstar."
"Rest your meat brain." Grey said "Shing ding bloopy."
When Ben hung up Grey groaned.
1 week after
Grey and Zeno were playing Jenga on Gray's holo-table.
"Oh they are gonna be impressed with this." Zeno said.
Grey looked at it and took a deep breath. This was just a presentation it wasn't a finished project. 'It's just the prototype. It's just the prototype.'
They walked to the door and Azmuth Prime was there. "Is it ready?"
Azmuth had stayed back not even knowing exactly what it was.
Grey reached for what looked like a pen.
"Prepare yourself...for cube!" Grey said.
A hologram of a cube appeared and Azmuth gave a look.
"Well." Zeno gestured for Azmuth to touch it.
His hand met a solid object. "Touch holograms? Yes this should be enough to please the council."
"It's not just a touch hologram." Zeno said.
"Pick it up." Grey said.
Azmuth looked.
The cube had weight to it. It was a solid object. He dropped it back on the table and it gave a thud. Grey hit a button and a ball formed. Azmuth dropped it and it bounced.
"Hardlight." Grey said.
Azmuth's eyes widened.
Sorry this chapter is weird