HE CAME INTO CAMP some time past midnight. The stars gleamed overhead, twinkling with a cosmic aura he knew even the gods couldn't control. Crossing the perimeter, he was happy to see few people recognized him at this hour and quality of moonlight. He was too tired to make pleasantries.

  Going immediately into the command center's war-room, he did not want to waste any time.

  Simulacrum greeted him first. "Welcome back, Zan! Of course, I knew you were coming, as I see everything you see, but formalities are important. As grandmaster-in-training, you will need to learn the ins and outs of formality, especially when addressing dignitaries and fellow grandmasters."

  "Sure, sure," he said, not wanting to get into an off-point discussion about just how much politicking he was expected to do. "Now, what is -- wait, what's that?"

  He was late in noticing but in the middle of the room, on one of the support pillars, was an array of new monitor screens.

  "This is what we needed to discuss with you in person," Sigma-Prime said.

  "Great. You have my attention. What is it?"

  "This is the Spirit-Core Processer. It will take spiritual energy and convert it into usable matter... along as some junk matter is also thrown in as a base." They explained. "This column of monitors is merely the read-out gauge for use by the Screen Master and me. The real engine is in the basement. Follow me."

  Following her into the basement, one of the six doors not taken up by the White Chamber's teleportation properties was now taken up by a room Sigma called 'Spiritual Processing,' or the "Spirit core room for short."

  He entered and saw a room whose space was taken up by a large machine. Obviously, the spirit core processer, whatever that is...

  "Give me the lowdown, then. Why is this thing so impressive you needed to recall me when my team and I were making good headway on the bunker?" he asked.

  "We recalled you because as important as your work is in Guygale, it is possibly more important for you to understand how this machine functions. 'Why?' You are about to ask. Because this machine can create for us the weapons and tools, we need to make, in order to defeat the invasion."

  "That's quite the claim," he told Sigma-Prime.

  "And it is the truth," she replied. "Not all at once, of course. A machine like this will take a lot of enhancements and fine-tuning. It has the potential, however, to generate an immense number of items. Or powerful items which would otherwise take a collection of experts to forge. It is one of the several inventions our Order as busy working on before the downfall."

  "Downfall... you don't speak too much about what happened before. Isn't this something I should know as a grandmaster-in-training?" he said.

  "It is something you should know, yes. Unfortunately, neither myself nor the Screen Master have data on what happened or how long ago it happened."

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "Really? That's a bummer," he replied. "On the bright side, I guess with this machine's invention it means the command center is truly well repaired?"

  "Yes. Some minor repair works need to be done. Maintenance, of course, slows everything down, but it is what it is. Our limited resources prevent too much happening too quickly. Until now, we have been getting by with donations from the people the camp protects, and from the low-output spiritual and matter regenerators built into the command center. This spirit-core processor, however, is nothing like the small spiritual panels which are infused into parts of the command center structure. The processor before you is an industrial grade engine capable of creating a wide range of products, materials, and even energies, if given the correct input," she explained.

  "It sounds like quite the machine," he replied as he looked over the machine. It had many rumbling tubes even while off which shook with a strange noise not unlike nature, such as the washing waves of the sea. "What does this mean for us? Can it make for us super-weapons? An army of our own golems to fight the automotrons?"

  "Wonderful ideas, all!" Sigma-Prime exclaimed. "Unfortunately, the machine is only barely operable. It will work but it needs a lot of enhancements to do anything more than the basics. Ultimately, yes. It could, theoretically speaking, create for us our own golem 'army,' as you say. Though our army is unlikely to be as mighty as the force employed by the Expanse!"

  "Nah. I know what you mean. What can it do now?" he asked, curious.

  "What would you like it to do?" she asked back.

  He thought about it for a moment. "I supposed it should be helped to advance the community. Or our offensive and defensive capabilities..."

  Continuing to think, he asked Sigma-Prime what she thought they should do, since he came up with nothing.

  Alas, she did not take the bait. Instead, she said, "It is okay to feel overwhelmed by new technology. This technology is here to help us, however. How about this: you go into your community and ask what people need. Then, we will create for them what they need?"

  "I like that notion. What has the community been needing lately and -- never mind. I guess I will find out and ask."

  He went out into the community. He talked with those few still up, which was merely an insomniac here and there. Invariably, they all said, "It would be nice to have some sleep dust or something..."

  Returning to the Spirit Room, he told Sigma, "Some dudes want sleep dust to help them sleep."

  Sigma-Prime looked at him like he was crazy. That is the impression he got, anyway. She was silent for a moment and then said, "Yes! Easy to do! Allow me to demonstrate."

  She placed some junk matter already in the room into the machine. "This scrap was collected outside of the defensive perimeter. It used to be enemy automotrons. Although most of the spiritual essence has since evaporated, elementary residue remains and is capable of being harvested by our machine." Sigma-Prime went on to explain how among the Ranger-Core Order, there were two types of technology: technology which maintained the base and technology such as this Spirit Processor, which allowed for the expansion of the center's facilities.

  Helping Sigma with the dumping of scrap soldiers into the machine, the wood the golems had been made from now smelled awful. He didn't know if the odor was due to the type of wood the soldiers were made from or the magics used in the creation of the soldiers, but they smelled awful, of decomposition and death; although he was young, he was no naive boy -- as a township male of a certain age, Zan was expected to hunt with the rest of the men when it came to his time in the rotation. During the hunts, he was sometimes tasked with killing and skinning animals. He knew what death smelled like and he knew what it was like when the hunter group had killed beyond their means and carcasses went to waste. These golems smelled exactly like that. Dropping several into the machine, he couldn't but help wonder the process, and why wooden battle machines would smell like decay. He knew better than to delve too deeply into 'why,' though, as he knew the answer was probably beyond his comprehension. Or to be so horrific he wanted it to be beyond his comprehension.

  Done with hauling the automotrons into the machine, Sigma-Prime pulled a lever. The machine shook and tumbled as though it were a bear tumbling through the bush.

  "Uh, is it supposed to be doing that?" he asked, seeing black smoke vomit from its oscillating components.

  "No..." was all she said.