Twelve Black Boxes and the Envoy from the Desert

While Chu Guang and the Mother Deathclaw spoke, Heya stood quietly by their side. Once the exchange between man and beast ended, she finally found an opening to speak. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and introduced herself. "Hello. I am a researcher with the Alliance, originally from Shelter 117. My primary focus is life sciences..." Seeing those amber pupils turn toward her, Heya felt a slight flush of awkwardness and quickly picked up her pace. "Your physiological condition is quite... astonishing. I would like to periodically... er, draw a little blood. Naturally, this is mainly for your health—" "It's for experiments, isn't it? It doesn't matter. This body was never solely my own; it is the culmination of generations of wisdom from hundreds of thousands of researchers," the Mother Deathclaw remarked with a faint, indifferent smile. "Take what you need." Heya breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly added, "...Thank you. I won't hurt you." Although she had been eager to unravel the creature's mysteries before coming here, treating an intelligent, speaking being as a test subject still left her with mixed feelings. It was a relief that she was so cooperative. Shifting her gaze away from Heya, the Mother Deathclaw looked back at Chu Guang. "If I continue taking serum injections, my body will keep growing, and theoretically, I could live on indefinitely... but this space can no longer hold me. I plan to stop the injections. In theory, this body has forty-seven years of life remaining. "Now that the traitors are dead, the administrative clearance for Vault 79 has been transferred to you, and my doubts have been answered, I can stay with you for another forty-seven years. Once you have reclaimed the research achievements in me, I intend to finish my remaining time like any normal living creature." Chu Guang nodded. "That is your choice." The Mother Deathclaw smiled faintly. "And you? What do you plan to do next?" Chu Guang surveyed their surroundings. "I plan to tour this place, and while I'm at it, inspect the black boxes in your warehouse." The latter was the real prize. Twelve black boxes. That was more than all the black boxes he had seen over the past year combined. "Black boxes..." A look of realization washed over the Mother Deathclaw's face, as if she were dredging up memories from a distant epoch. "Now that you mention it, there are several black boxes kept here... How many were there again?" "Twelve," Chu Guang replied. "I just confirmed through the surveillance feeds... By the way, have you never used them?" "Perhaps a very, very long time ago, back when I was still human. As for now, those things are useless to me, though I still remember their functions..." The Mother Deathclaw gave a slight smile. "If you don't mind, I could show you around." Chu Guang nodded. "Much obliged." ... The functions of the black boxes were laid out clearly in the user manuals. Not only were the machines designed to be foolproof, but the manuals were too. After all, the entire suite of equipment had been designed under the worst-case assumption that the wasteland survivors might completely forget written language and their original culture. Even a monkey or a gorilla could fumble their way into using them. From that perspective, a guided tour seemed almost redundant. Even so, since the former overseer of this place offered to act as a "product presenter," Chu Guang saw no reason to refuse. A bionic chip was embedded in her brain, functioning like a VM to interface with the vault's systems. Chu Guang assigned a Hummingbird drone to her, then led Heya along behind her toward the vault's warehouse. The mutants along the path had already been cleared. Descending the stairs to the lowest floor of the complex, Chu Guang soon found himself inside a room spanning several hundred square meters, where twelve black boxes of varying footprints sat arranged. The smallest was only the size of a briefcase, easily lifted with one hand. The largest, however, could hardly be called a box. It occupied a full quarter of the room, looking like nothing less than a modular workshop! What shocked Chu Guang the most was precisely that largest contraption. After reading the specifications in the manual, he could not hold back an exclamation. "...A portable reactor?!" The Hummingbird drone drifted gently to the side of the black box, and a sound like dry wood scraping against concrete crackled from the VM. "Indeed. To be precise, it's a Hippo-2 portable reactor, one generation ahead of the Hippo-1 equipped on your power armor. "Typically, this model of reactor is intended for power armor, though there have been cases where it was adapted for ground vehicles and low-altitude craft." Chu Guang swallowed involuntarily, his eyes alight with excitement. The most critical component of power armor was its portable reactor. Because of it, the wearer could stride across any terrain in heavy armor rivaling that of a tank, using it as an all-terrain weapons platform that could operate on land and in the skies alike. "Did you never think of putting it to use?" The Mother Deathclaw smiled faintly. "Putting it to use? Easier said than done. How did you plan to use it? Conjure non-existent nuclear fuel out of thin air? Even if the black box to manufacture nuclear batteries is sitting right in front of you, without access to helium-3, it's nothing more than a decoration. "In my eyes, it is actually the most useless black box here." A portable reactor's energy efficiency was vastly inferior to that of a vault's stationary reactor. Dismantling the latter's fuel rods to supply the former was clearly a losing proposition. During its first fifty years, Vault 79 had no need for power armor whatsoever. And after the Little Ice Age drew to an end, power armor had gradually lost its relevance to them. Extremely powerful biological organisms were by no means incapable of matching machinery. Take Yong Shi, for instance. Taking him down with a single suit of power armor would have been a tall order. In the end, the players had only managed to wear him down through continuous damage and sheer numerical attrition. In that sense, her point held water. Cooling down from his excitement, Chu Guang nodded in thought. "...True. The lack of nuclear fuel is a major problem." "Unless the Earth-Moon transit route is restored or you can secure pre-war nuclear fuel reserves, I advise you to set it aside for now... Take a look at the other things instead." The Hummingbird drone drifted toward the adjoining row of black boxes, presenting them one by one like a seasoned collector detailing her inventory. "This one is a fire extinguisher... Nothing special in itself, but the coolant inside is interesting. You can manufacture the extinguishers and disassemble them to extract the coolant. It's universally useful for chemical combustion engines and exceptionally convenient. "Over there are 'Champion' brand coffee beans. It synthesizes a variety of bean that only grows on plateaus above 1,500 meters. With an introduction like that and the brand name, you can probably guess which corporation sponsored it..." Chu Guang stroked his chin with interest. "Yin Fang should find that fascinating." Heya wore an odd expression and quipped, "You people certainly knew how to indulge." A soft chuckle came from the VM. "It wasn't truly an indulgence. Most researchers here were accustomed to caffeine intake. I consider coffee and tea ordinary hobbies... even if producing them through a black box sounds a bit strange. "The black box next to it, however, is far less ordinary. Though sponsored by the same enterprise, this product contains more than just caffeine; it has a mild addictiveness similar to alcohol... the 'Champion' brand injectable stimulant. A single dose keeps you energized for twelve hours. To avoid disrupting our sleep, we usually administered it in the morning." Chu Guang's expression turned strange. "...Isn't that just a performance-enhancing drug?" He picked up the manual and flipped through it. Aside from operational instructions, he noticed an extra promotional slogan printed on the page: [Use Champion to seize your championship.] "..." *Unbelievable.* *It really is!* The Mother Deathclaw said softly, "You can think of it that way. Our primary purpose for using it was to maintain one hundred percent focus during work. After transforming into Deathclaws, however, we had no further need for it. "A dose like that is metabolized within a single breath." A small supply of materials remained in the warehouse. Chu Guang stepped up to the black box and loaded fifty-seven grams of charcoal, twenty grams of sugar, five hundred milliliters of water, and other ingredients according to the manual's specifications, then opened the intake vent and engaged the power switch. To be honest, operating the machine felt a bit like alchemy. Except all it required was pressing a switch—no hand seals or incantations needed, provided the operator wasn't overly concerned with ritual flair. The apparatus hummed to life. A few minutes later, a jet injector roughly the length of a middle finger rested quietly in the dispensing tray. Heya immediately stepped forward and picked it up. After examining it curiously for a moment, she jabbed it directly into her own arm without a second thought. She closed her eyes to assess the sensation, then spoke. "A modest boost across all physiological functions... In terms you'd understand: a four to twenty percent increase in all attributes, lasting somewhere between six and twelve hours." Suddenly noticing Chu Guang staring straight at her, Heya froze slightly and said with a touch of bashfulness, "...What are you looking at me for?" Chu Guang said with an odd look, "I just didn't expect you to dose yourself on the spot... Is it really fine to experiment directly on your own body?" Heya blinked, replying as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "What does it matter? Even if something goes wrong, I can metabolize it." Chu Guang: "..." *Fine.* *A high-tech bionic kidney really is impressive.* Truth be told, Chu Guang was a little envious, though the thought of grafting strange mechanical parts into his own flesh always felt unnatural. Besides, with over twenty points of Constitution, he was hardly frail, and he might awaken some extraordinary ability down the line. Bionic organs could wait until he grew old! Paying no mind to their banter, the drone hovering in the air drifted toward the next black box. "Those are the only two black boxes sponsored by 'Champion.' That stimulant... let's just call it a stimulant—it should be of some use to you. "The variable-temperature blue jackets... your vault should have one of these as well. It's standard issue for most shelters, so there's not much to say. And this one is 'Asteroid' brand canned meat. Nothing remarkable either. While it supplements protein, it's synthetic meat, and every can tastes identical. Eating it too often makes one nauseated. You likely won't care for it..." "That might not be true. This is the wasteland era; being able to eat meat at all is a luxury. My residents aren't picky eaters." Chu Guang picked up the manual and leafed through it with growing intrigue, his eyes widening with pleasant surprise. Five cans synthesized per minute! If the operator's hands moved fast enough, that was over five thousand cans a day. At four hundred eighty grams of net weight per can, a single day's yield amounted to... 2,400 kilograms?! Calculating that figure, Chu Guang was stunned. That meat yield rivaled ten head of cattle! A single black box taking up less than ten square meters could perfectly replace a ranch producing 3,650 head of cattle per year, encompassing the entire supply chain from slaughtering and sterilizing to canning. This black technology was truly incredible. "...Heh, I know what you're thinking, but I must remind you that black boxes consume non-renewable nuclear energy. Whether drawing power from the vault or from nuclear batteries, energy is not infinite. You may use it to supplement your food supply, but it is best not to rely on it entirely, or the day will come when you go hungry." Pausing for a beat, the Mother Deathclaw continued. "What I really want to introduce to you is the next black box... 'Cheokie' biscuits. This one is quite interesting." Chu Guang stepped in front of the black box where the drone hovered and studied it for a moment. He tested the machine, engaging the power, and stared at the wrapper resting in the dispensing tray, asking with piqued curiosity, "Is there something special about this biscuit?" The Mother Deathclaw chuckled softly. "Very special indeed... You can try a piece." Chu Guang reflexively looked toward Heya. Without needing any cue, Heya had already walked over to the tray out of sheer curiosity. She tore open the wrapper and popped a biscuit into her mouth. After chewing for a bit, a look of surprise crossed her face. She popped another one into her mouth and muttered, "...What a strange taste." Chu Guang raised an eyebrow and put a piece into his own mouth. A subtle sweetness spread across his taste buds, seeming like ordinary sucrose. Yet through some unknown chemical reaction, while the biscuit was not particularly hard, it possessed a distinct granular texture. All in all, it was a peculiar flavor, yet surprisingly made him want another. "...It just tastes like an ordinary sweet," Chu Guang offered as a brief assessment, popping another biscuit into his mouth. "You tasted a sweet?" Heya asked thoughtfully. Before Chu Guang could question her puzzled tone, the Mother Deathclaw spoke slowly. "Cheokie biscuits... they were one of the few luxury comforts here. Everyone tastes something different." A look of keen interest appeared on Heya's face. After savoring the residual flavor, she said thoughtfully, "I see. It stimulates pheromone secretion in the brain, deceiving the gustatory and tactile organs to make you feel as though you're eating your favorite food, right?" Mother Deathclaw: "I am reluctant to call it deception. During those arduous years, it brought us no small amount of solace... For us, many delicacies that had vanished could only be recalled through this means." *Simulating one's favorite food?* That sounded less like tasting cuisine and more like tasting "memories." Chu Guang looked at Heya. "By the way, what did you taste?" Heya answered without hesitation, "Liver. Something resembling the flavor and texture of foie gras. I didn't expect it to replicate the mouthfeel as well." Chu Guang: "..." *Foie gras-flavored biscuits...* *Quite a unique preference.* Heya suddenly looked at him inquisitively. "What about you?" Chu Guang gave the question serious thought, waiting a long time before answering in an uncertain tone, "Hmm... maybe a lollipop." Thinking carefully, that granular sensation was indeed just like crunching on a lollipop. Heya paused. Seeing her look at him in astonishment, Chu Guang asked hesitantly, "What is it?" Heya shifted her eyes to the side. "Nothing... Just, your taste is unexpectedly ordinary. I assumed an extraordinary organism like you... by which I mean an Awakened, would prefer something different from normal people." What kind of bizarre logic was that? Chu Guang chuckled and quipped, "It just shows I'm a man of simple pleasures. In these trying times, I consider that a fine virtue." "Fair enough... but I've never seen you eat candy often," Heya said, still looking somewhat perplexed. If she remembered correctly, candy was the one thing the shelter never lacked. There was so much of it that he not only sold it in the shop to other residents, but even handed it out to the local children on occasion, to the point where she had once wondered if a lollipop-producing black box was hidden inside the vault. Facing Heya's skepticism, Chu Guang put on a helpless expression. "Don't ask me, I don't know either... If you're that curious, take a few samples back and study them." Biscuits like these might very well become a runaway hit in Ideal City. A light chuckle came from the VM. "Hehe, there is no need to dwell on it... What you once loved might not be what you love now. When your mood changes, the flavor you taste may shift as well. "I hope it brings you joy, not confusion... "Young Administrator." ... Aside from producing portable reactors, low-temperature fire extinguishers, variable-temperature blue jackets, "Champion" brand coffee beans and stimulants, "Asteroid" brand synthetic canned meat, and "Cheokie" biscuits, there were several other black boxes dedicated to manufacturing various everyday necessities. While every item had its purpose, in Chu Guang's view, the most valuable by far were the black boxes producing the Hippo-2 portable reactor and the "Champion" injectable stimulant. Nuclear fuel was difficult to acquire, but he could ask Yin Fang to help brainstorm solutions. With portable reactors, the Alliance would have the hope of manufacturing its own power armor! And not just power armor. Once the fuel was sorted out, fielding a nuclear-powered tank would be entirely feasible! Who said railguns couldn't be mounted on vehicles? Now they could! As for the "Champion" stimulant, Chu Guang intended to sell it to his dear players. A buff that enhanced all attributes, lasting twelve hours to boot. Priced at fifty silver coins a pop, that could hardly be considered expensive, right? ... While Chu Guang was admiring his spoils with great satisfaction, far away in Qingquan City, south of Ling Lake Wetland Park, a group of unusual guests arrived. They led mutant camels and numbered around twenty people, all draped in long cloaks with sandproof headscarves wrapped around their heads. Watching the approaching caravan, the two guards standing at the gate exchanged a look. One of them stepped forward and addressed the man in the lead. "Ahead lies the station of the Alliance guard team. If you wish to visit the commercial street, you must enter through the north gate of Wetland Park." Removing his headscarf, Kariman stepped forward and spoke with deference. "We are envoys from the Lion Kingdom, hailing from the Sunset Province... I wish to request an audience with your Administrator." "Envoys from the Lion Kingdom?" Xu Shun, a rifle slung over his shoulder, walked up to him and looked the unfamiliar man up and down before continuing, "Do you have anything to verify your identity?" "This is a letter of appointment written by His Majesty's own hand." Kariman retrieved a silk scroll from within his robes and handed it to the young guard before him. Xu Shun noticed that the material used to weave the scroll was actually devil silk—and quite possibly purchased from their own settlement. Still, that was beside the point. Unfurling the scroll, Xu Shun gave it a cursory scan. The contents stated that the King of the Lion Kingdom had personally designated and delegated full diplomatic authority over the Lion Kingdom and Oasis No. 9 to the prince before him named Kariman. Regardless of whether the kingdom still stood... Xu Shun frowned slightly, rolled up the scroll, and returned it to the prince. "...We have no diplomatic relations with your kingdom and cannot verify the authenticity of this appointment. However, I have already notified the castellan of Dawn City; he will meet with you shortly." "What about your Administrator?" Kariman asked with a trace of urgency. Before coming here, he had heard that the supreme leader of the Alliance was the Administrator, not some castellan. "His Excellency naturally has matters to attend to and cannot grant audiences to guests around the clock. However, I will relay your request to him," Xu Shun replied without disclosing Chu Guang's whereabouts. "For now, please follow me." Ever since Dawn City was established, countless wastelanders claiming to represent one faction or another had come seeking an audience, and charlatans were naturally among them. Xu Shun did not place blind faith in the man before him, but he still reported the matter to the Administrator's assistant via his VM. He arranged accommodations for the guards beside the guard post, then escorted the prince to the reception room of the Merchant Guild and instructed a servant there to pour him a cup of tea. After waiting restlessly in the reception room for an hour, Kariman finally met Luka, the castellan of Dawn City. He was unlike the bureaucrats Kariman had encountered in Boulder City's City Hall. The elderly man before him had silver-gray hair and carried an earthy scent, his hands hardened with calluses that hardly resembled those of a civil official. *Could he be from a martial background?* While harboring his own private guesses, Kariman rose from his chair and performed a formal bow in the courtly etiquette of the Lion Kingdom. "Respected Castellan of Dawn City—" "There is no need for pleasantries. Please be seated, my friend from afar." After gesturing for Kariman to sit, Luka took a seat on the sofa across from him, looking the somewhat youthful man up and down. "I am Luka, the castellan here. I have already heard about your situation from our guard captain. I also heard that you arrived from the direction of Boulder City?" Kariman nodded. "Yes. We went there first." Luka pressed on calmly, "Did you meet their castellan?" Kariman hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook his head and answered truthfully, "No..." His expression made it plain that he had been given the cold shoulder. This came as no surprise to Luka. The Alliance had at least recently established a Department of Foreign Affairs, whereas Boulder City lacked even an office responsible for external matters, having zero interest in paying heed to anything beyond the Great Wall. If not for the two hundred million chip loan and that 400mm main cannon with firepower approaching sub-nuclear yield, they might not have even cared about the airship bearing down on their doorstep... Unsurprised by Kariman's answer, Luka gave an understanding nod and continued, "The Administrator often teaches us to seek common ground while reserving differences. Though we possess different cultures, philosophies, and faiths, I believe that will not hinder our understanding of one another... Could you tell me the purpose of your visit?" Kariman drew a deep breath and looked earnestly at Luka. "The Falcon Kingdom has forsaken the vow they swore before the Spirit of the Sand Sea. With the backing of the Legion, they have annexed our neighbors and are attempting to spread the flames of war across the entire desert... "We are powerless to withstand the Legion's onslaught alone. We need your help!"