Chapter 29 : Echo of the Silent Machine
As soon as they arrived, Tian Heng began a meticulous inspection of the massive, ancient Water Purification Unit. He slowly circled around it, his cold eyes scanning the dust-covered, calcified metal frame and examining the corroded pipes that once connected it to the stagnant pool and to an unknown distribution network. He noted the presence of a main control panel buried under a thick layer of grime, blocked ventilation vents, and what appeared to be a tightly sealed energy input port.
Lyra stood watchfully nearby, gripping her bow, her eyes sweeping the damp cavern for any suspicious movement in the shadows or among the fallen rocks. Lilith, as usual, stood silently behind Tian Heng, though there was a palpable aura of focused attention emanating from her as she studied the ancient machine.
Tian Heng retrieved one of his precision tools—similar to a scraper—and carefully began cleaning the main control panel and the adjacent energy port, revealing strange symbols and connectors unlike anything he had seen before.
[Core, can you identify the power requirements and interface type of this unit (water purification, likely Class 6) based on its external design and the uncovered symbols?] he asked through the mental link.
The response came after a brief analysis:
[Analysis… The unit matches the design of Class Six purification systems (closed cycle, aetheric/radiative sterilization). Initial power activation requirement: relatively high (estimated at 12–14% of the central core's capacity as a startup surge, followed by lower continuous consumption). The uncovered interface is a Delta-7 input/calibration port. A specific activation protocol is required for safe startup.]
Twelve to fourteen percent as an initial surge! The core's current energy level barely exceeded eight percent. And the required activation protocol was unknown. Another obstacle—a wall even higher than the last.
Could it be activated locally? He quickly scanned the cavern for any aether crystals, but the area was energy-poor compared to the main crystal cavern. No clear local power source.
He looked to Lilith. "Lilith, your senses—do you feel any residual energy inside this machine? Or any hidden conduits that might lead to a secondary power source?"
Lilith approached the towering machine and, with care, placed her pale hand on its cold, dusty surface. She closed her crimson eyes for a moment, concentrating. Then she said quietly, "Cold... silent... but..." She hesitated. "There's a faint echo, fading in the depths... not pure aether... but the pulse of another machine... sleeping very deeply." Her answer wasn't a direct solution, but it hinted at internal complexity—or perhaps a hidden auxiliary system.
Tian Heng returned to inspecting the unit's structure more thoroughly, searching for anything unusual—an access port, a maintenance panel, any possible key. He noticed a barely visible thin line near the base of the unit—it looked like the edge of a door or small hatch, perfectly blended into the structure and covered in the same layer of calcification and rust.
"Lyra, come here. Bring the lever."
The two worked together cautiously. Tian Heng used a precision tool to scrape away the calcification around the thin line, while Lyra, with elven finesse, used the tip of the metal lever like a pry bar, probing for a weak point. After several minutes of quiet effort, a faint creak signaled movement as a small section of the unit's exterior shifted inward, revealing a narrow, dark access port.
Tian Heng shone his resonator light inside. There wasn't much—just a small cavity containing a few brittle wires that disintegrated on contact, an empty slot the size of the data plates they had found before, and at the bottom, something small faintly glinting.
He carefully reached in and pulled it out. It was a thin metal card, roughly the size of a passkey, etched with faint symbols matching those on the main control panel. An access card?
He returned to the panel he had cleaned earlier. There was a thin slot that matched the size of the card. After a moment of hesitation, he inserted the metallic passkey.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, several symbols on the control panel lit up with a faint white glow, and a low, deep hum issued from within the machine, lasting a few seconds before fading again. The unit hadn't fully activated, but something had responded.
[Core, an access card was inserted. Can you read any diagnostic data or essential activation protocols now?] Tian Heng sent the query swiftly.
This time, the response was more detailed:
[Maintenance Access Card recognized (Level 2). Access granted to basic diagnostics and low-power activation protocol. Displaying data… Unit structurally intact but suffers from internal desiccation of catalytic materials and severe calcification in nanomembrane filters. Low-power startup protocol requires initial input of [0.5 standard units] of high-purity condensed aether via the calibration port to lubricate the primary pumps and enable diagnostics, followed by a major power surge (12–14%) to initiate the full purification cycle.]
Progress. He had the protocol—and now a clearly defined first step. He had brought a small amount of condensed aether collected from the primitive capacitors—about 0.8 standard units. Enough for the first phase.
Using the aetheric resonator as a temporary interface—with a minor modification—Tian Heng carefully directed half a unit of pure, shimmering condensed aether into the calibration port identified by the core. The machine absorbed the aether with a soft suction sound. The low hum returned—this time sustained—and additional symbols on the control panel lit up faintly, displaying basic diagnostic readings of the filter and pump conditions.
He had successfully activated the maintenance mode and lubricated the initial mechanisms. Some life had returned to the silent machine. But the true wall still stood: the need for a massive surge of energy—12 to 14%—to begin full operation.
He looked at the small remaining quantity of condensed aether he had. Nowhere near enough. He needed more—much more. That meant returning to the aether cavern, building more condensers, and waiting patiently for enough to gather… or finding another way to generate or transfer that much power.
"Lyra," he turned to the elven scout. "Begin scouting the way back. Look for any shortcuts or safer zones than the path we came through. We'll need to transport a larger supply of condensed aether soon."