He flinched at the voice.
"You can talk?" asked Nick.
"Yes," said the droid without any tone, inflection, or a visible mouth for that matter. It certainly didn't sound like any accent Nick was familiar with. "Vocal communication is enabled for all units upon reaching level 5 to assist in development. As per program guidelines."
"As per… what?"
"Program guidelines."
Nick frowned and crossed his arms.
"And what are those?"
"Guidelines designed to inculcate Mechanar candidates into their roles."
He raised an eyebrow, pondering what he just heard. Mechanar candidate? Roles?
Was all this supposed to be some sort of test? Come to think of it, the dream-battle from earlier did seem awfully like a test. The screens even referred to it as a "trial'.
"Could you explain the purpose of it? What exactly is a Mechanar candidate?"
"Those inquiries are outside the parameters of this unit's function. Questions regarding those subjects can be directed to the training director."
Nick didn't understand half the words but the gist of it seemed to be no. A bit more nuanced no. Like when the servants would deflect away an unwanted chore by stating they were doing something for the Earl, his daughter, or some important guest.
"And who exactly is the training director?"
The droid was silent. Rain continued to drizzle outside along with the distant sounds of thunder. Water streamed about the cavern floor from overflowing puddles.
Nick sighed, looking down while tapping his foot.
He looked back up with a thoughtful expression. This was an opportunity. He needed to learn more about this power if he was going to survive, and this talking droid could be the key.
After all, it did say that it was designed to "assist him".
Also, he was a bit excited to talk to someone. Or… whatever this droid was. Not that he was lonely out here.
"If that question is outside of your… whatever you just said. Well, I guess I should start by figuring out what you are exactly. Could you tell me that? What are you and all these droids exactly?"
"The droids function as tools to assist you in a variety of combat capabilities, designed to scale up to handle near-peer adversaries at a national level. Our purpose is to assist you in scaling your abilities."
Another slather of words which he only half understood.
"And how exactly do you propose to do that?"
"Through control."
Before he continued, he wanted to confirm something.
"And… you're okay with that?"
The droid stayed silent. Nick didn't know if that was a yes or no.
"What I mean is… are you okay with that?"
"Droids are but mere extensions of the Mechanar's will. This unit may display autonomy, but it functions according to programmatic guidelines. It is no different than the organs of the main unit."
The analogy, Nick understood. The rest, not so much. Still, it alleviated that decrepit feeling he had of treating someone in a demeaning way. He didn't like it when it was done to him, and he didn't like doing it others. Not unless they did something to deserve it.
On the other hand, if these droids were just part of him, he realized he was in some sense talking to himself.
"And what exactly can you do in terms of control?" said Nick.
"I am able to serve as a nodal link to synchronize efforts among multiple units for your designated purpose. My efforts will enable the group to accomplish more complex tasks, outperforming individual units. Records indicate you have been doing the same manually with vocal commands as a trigger. I can answer anything related to this function."
Nick pondered it for a moment. Synchronizing efforts among multiple units. It drew up something he read once.
"So, the droids are like weapons in a sense?"
"Correct."
"So… you're like some kind of commander droid then?"
"Correct, although the term is not all-encapsulating of my abilities. Further information can be found on my unit information screen. I may bring it up the information screen upon your order."
That perked his attention.
"Please do so."
A blue screen appeared in front of Nick.
Label: Support Droid: NEZRA- 14526181
Level- 5
Class: Support
Description: Advanced Generation 1 Droid.
Ability: Neural Node. Able to direct and control up to 10 units.
Recoverable Resources: 50 Minerals
Nick's brows perked up upon reading the ability. He looked to the rows of droids standing about. Organizing them into their current posture took a significant effort on his part. If this could simplify that…
"If you are some kind of droid commander." Nick scratched his head, looking the droids around them. "How exactly does that work? Do I have to tell them to be under your control?"
"You will have to assign them to this unit under the Unit Interface."
He remembered seeing that button back on the main screen. Nick tapped the symbol on his left hand to bring it back up, and upon seeing it, pressed it.
A smaller screen snapped up, cluttered with words inscribed into rectangles connected by lines.
Upon a closer look, Nick realized there was a structure to it. This was the same hierarchical control tablet from before. At the top rested a single rectangle, [NEZRA-14526181], with multiple lines splintering out to smaller rectangles titled [Droid Level 1]. One thicker line drove along the side to a larger rectangle titled [Droid Level 5]. The entire image resembled the branch of a tree, the rectangle with Nezra as the trunk with the individual droids as twigs and branches.
It resembled a sort of hierarchy. Like the massive portrait of the Earl's lineage, or an organized listing of a regiment, from the leading commander to the lowliest peon.
Nick recalled the rectangles could be manipulated by touch. His hands reached out and slid one of the [Droid Level 1] rectangles about. The line connecting it to [NEZRA-14526181] moved about with it.
The box passed through the other rectangles, but when it slipped by [Support Droid Level 5] the line changed, forming a new one under [Support Droid Level 5] connecting it to [Droid Level 1].
"Mechanar Nezra. A sub-unit has been placed under this unit's control."
Nick looked back at the support droid.
"It did?"
"Yes."
As if to demonstrate the point, one of the spear bearers stood straight and turned around. It walked toward them and stopped, just next to the support droid.
Possibilities sparked in his head, and Nick started flicking each of the level 1 droid boxes under the box of the support droid.
One by one, random droids throughout the two formations stood up and walked toward them, rallying around the support droid. Nick knew it was creating gaps, but he forgot to name the droids, and he didn't really want to spend time trying to identify which droid matched with a box on the screen.
Then on accident, he double-selected one of the boxes and a series of words flashed in front of the screen.
[Assuming Direct Control…]
"Wait." Nick withdrew his hand. "Wha-?"
His vision blurred and in the blink of an eye, he was staring into the dark. Something felt off. He could feel his body, but a numbness had spread over it. He was still in the cavern, but from a different position.
"What just happened?"
The razor-like rasp when he spoke caused him to reach for his throat. He sounded like those people who smoked too much.
That was when he realized he was holding onto a sword and shield. Nick looked to his hands. His skin had been replaced by something that was opaque gray.
He looked to his left and right, and saw droids. Bracing their shields towards the dark.
He was a droid.
The realization caused him to trip back, and knock into the spear bearer behind him. The other droid remained as steadfast as a statue.
Nick tumbled back up, regaining his balance, and looked behind.
Everything in the tunnel was the same. The droids stood in formation, and the support droid stood next to the twin arsenals.
His real body on the other hand was frozen in place. As rigid as a board.
Nick looked back down at his metallic hands, his joints creaking and clacking with the movement. The last thing he did was double-tapping the rectangle. So, he could migrate bodies using that?
He scoffed. A neat ability, but for now he wanted to go back. The numbness of the body was disorienting, and drew up dread memories of himself from his nightmares.
Nick squeezed through the formation, or at least attempted to. All he managed was to clink and clank as he tried to rub his way between the droids.
Then he realized he could have just ordered them to move.
"All of you move aside."
The formation of droids stepped away, creating a gap for him to walk through. Nick really wasn't used to giving orders like this. Especially not when everything he did was usually solitary.
With a clear path, he walked through and stepped in front of his body.
Nick wasn't one to be vain when it came to physique. Especially not when he was surrounded by Vislandans. However, he figured it was okay to bask in himself. At least every now and then.
Broad muscled shoulders and arms. A pronounced chest, with a flat belly absent of fat around the sides. Nick nodded, internally impressed with himself from years of effort.
And yet. All those years of effort for so little in return. Not enough to stop the raiders that came and swept everything away.
Nick eyed the additions to his physique after his power manifested. The odd violet lines and circles stretched along the entirety of his left arm, starting from the yellow square iris of his left eye, leading down his neck to the symbol above his hand. There was a foreign, alien feel to it.
Now how could he get back to his original body?
As he thought about the question, he realized the talking droid was still standing next to him.
"Hey uh…support droid." He reminded himself to give it label later. "Do you know how I can return to my body?"
"Mechanar Nezra. You merely need to will yourself back."
Nick did not find that helpful. If he merely needed to will himself back, it would have occurred the moment he realized he was in a droid body.
However, the ensuing silence caused Nick to feel the phantom connections writing. Pushed into background noise, now they came to the forefront of his mind.
Beyond his own concern for what exactly was happening to him, he noticed one of those connections felt… reversed. He focused, and nudged it.
The world blurred once more. Feeling rushed back through his limbs like a splash of cold water. His body felt like he had been jerked around, and he teetered while trying to stay upright.
Then he looked down, and no longer could feel the shield and sword. Instead, he saw an empty pair of human hands. Below that were his ripped pants, ending in a worn-down pair of shoes.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
He then looked at the support droid and the set of ten droids behind him. Their faces have no eyes, but he could sense they were ready to follow his next command.
Nick flexed his fists, savoring the feeling. Lightning thundered once more outside amidst the sound of raindrops. The cavern became darker as day gave way to night. The light from the arsenals and the healing staves provided the only illumination inside.
He would continue learning what he could. In the method which had served him well in the past five years. Trial and error.
Until he mastered it and had the power to enact everything he wished.
"Alright." Nick looked at the support droid. "You mentioned how you can control units on my behalf. Let's see what you can do. But first, I'm going to give you a name…"