Chapter 28: The Birth of the Sisters and the Commander’s Unease

“Commander Ma’am. Five humanoid machine communicators equipped with the first-generation brain units have completed their rollout. Final adjustments are underway in the calibration tanks.”

“Oh… It’s already that time, isn’t it? Do they require initial imprinting?”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. We strongly recommend it. While chemical regulation within their neural networks is near-perfect, external stimuli during adjustment can significantly enhance their stability.”

Ringo’s voice interrupted the Commander as she worked on designing a charged particle cannon for the warships. The long-awaited brain units had finally reached the stabilization phase, allowing for a deep merge with the humanoid machine communicators. These androids would now begin working within The Tree Fortress while developing their sense of self. It was said that having a superior present during activation could stabilize the brain units’ stress gauges. This information came from the library, so its effectiveness would only be confirmed through experience.

“Well, I’ve hit a wall with this design anyway. I’ll think about it more tomorrow.”

Unable to resolve the energy supply issue for the charged particle cannon, she set the blueprints aside. The ship’s 300-meter frame couldn’t accommodate a reactor with sufficient output. Moreover, particle speed would decay in the atmosphere, making effective range a significant challenge.

“Are we activating them now?” she asked.

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. They are currently in a dormant state but can be activated upon your arrival.”

“Alright, let’s go,” she said, standing up.

The humanoid androids to be activated—all registered with her as their superior—had completed their initial learning phases, treating her as their parent. Still, this was their first attempt at such a process, and there was no guarantee of success. To ensure stability, they would proceed with the brain units’ built-in initial imprinting protocols.

“So this will be my first interaction with an intelligent entity other than Ringo…” she mused aloud.

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. To avoid irregularities, we recommend interacting with them one at a time.”

“What exactly am I supposed to talk about?” she wondered.

The instructions for initial imprinting were vague: avoid hostility and show affection. Beyond that, there were no clear guidelines. With no better ideas, she eventually arrived at the calibration room, having chosen to walk for some exercise.

“Commander Ma’am, I’ll remain outside to avoid providing unnecessary information,” Ringo said.

“Understood,” she replied.

As Ringo exited, the doors slid open, and a bed carrying the first humanoid machine android was brought forward.

The calibration room was a newly constructed facility designed for producing humanoid machine communicators. It consisted of cultivation tanks for body assembly and calibration tanks for neural software adjustments. The only difference between the humanoid machine communicators and the humanoid androids was the inclusion of the brain unit, allowing both to be produced in the same facility.

‘Commander Ma’am, if there are no issues, I’ll proceed with activating Unit One.’

“Go ahead.”

She hadn’t planned what to say but decided to press forward. Moving closer to the android’s bed, she gave the green light.

‘Activating Unit One. Ignition.’

With Ringo’s voice as a cue, the android’s eyes snapped open.

“...Do you recognize me?” she asked tentatively.

The girl blinked slowly before turning her head to face the Commander.

“Yes, Ma’am. Registered designation: Kitsunesky.”

“Oh no, forget that!” she exclaimed, panicking. She had completely forgotten that her in-game username in World of Space was a hastily chosen and ridiculous moniker. Since Ringo always referred to her as “Commander Ma’am,” and there was no one else to address her, the name had slipped her mind.

“My name will be decided later, alright?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the android replied.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she felt a small sense of relief. The girl’s expressionless face gave nothing away, but the Commander decided to press on.

“First of all, congratulations on your birth. From now on, you’ll be living here in The Tree Fortress. Initially, you’ll operate under Ringo’s supervision while entering the primary education phase.”

“Yes, Ma’am. Thank you.”

Pleased by the obedient response, she nodded.

“Your name is Akane. Full name: Akane The Tree. I’ll refer to you by name from now on.”

“Yes, my name is Akane,” the android replied.

Naming a brain unit marked the beginning of its self-awareness. This process improved computational efficiency and enhanced decision-making related to individuality. However, it also introduced resistance to integration and cooperation with other units. While this inefficiency could be mitigated over time, it was a non-issue for androids, as their purpose prioritized individuality.

After naming Akane and completing a preliminary check, the Commander escorted her to the hallway to wait. Four more androids awaited activation.

“You will be Ichigo. Full name: Ichigo The Tree.”

“Your name is Utsugi. Utsugi The Tree.”

“Your name is Erika.”

“And yours is Olive.”

The names for the five androids—Akane, Ichigo, Utsugi, Erika, and Olive—were all derived from flowers. The Commander planned to maintain a unified theme for naming future units, opting for simple, feminine names to reflect their appearance.

These five individuals would form the backbone of the brain unit network within The Tree Fortress. All future brain units would use one of these five as their base model.

“Now then…”

With the initial imprinting seemingly successful, the next step was introducing the androids to the fortress. Although Ringo’s internal network provided most of the necessary guidance, the Commander wanted to put in the effort herself. According to the literature, manually engaging with independent brain units significantly improved their growth potential.

Perhaps Ringo’s initiative stemmed from a desire to give the Commander something to do.

“This is the medical floor. All medical equipment is centralized here, so you’ll likely visit often.”

“Below this is the workshop floor. It’s large, so I’ll give you a proper tour tomorrow.”

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

“This is the residential area. Right now, only one room is in use, but if more of you are created, we might expand the entire floor.”

“I had planned for free time after dinner and before sleep, but…”

Turning back to the group, she saw Akane, Ichigo, Utsugi, Erika, and Olive following her in a single file, like ducklings after their mother. They waited silently for her next words.

“You’re quieter than I expected,” she remarked.

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. We haven’t been provided with enough knowledge to form questions,” Ringo explained.

“I see… Well, I suppose we should continue then.”

After showing them her own quarters, she paused.

“Hmm… Do they even need the concept of sleep?”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. While not to the extent of humans, the brain units require rest and optimization defragmentation.”

“I see… Well, I suppose we’ll stay together for a while.”

Having roughly settled on a plan, the Commander turned to her newly born sisters. While genetically identical, it was more fitting to view them as siblings than children.

“Alright, does anyone have any questions? Anything at all?”

“Ma’am,” Akane spoke up.

“Oh! What is it?” she asked eagerly, delighted by the response.

“Ma’am, you haven’t told us your name.”

Her face froze.

She hadn’t gotten away with it after all.