An Illusion of Will

Chapter 71: Myelian Blue vs A.R.M (A Real Man) - Part one

After departing from the I.P.S. base hidden beneath the northern U.S. East coast, A.R.M. possessed the capability to summon millions of tiny nanomachines with but a single command from its quantum mind. 

Nanotechnology had been one of the primary technological advancements of the I.S.P. However, their overarching mission, revolved around pushing Artificial Intelligence to the point where it surpassed human capabilities. Robert believed that only through such an advancement could they hope to stand a chance against the Rakh-ahtan, effectively entrusting humanity's fate to a creation that had the potential to rebel against its creators.

Luckily Robert had met a young Tonovian named Loh' Polieus who was every single bit his intellectual equal.

The Tonovians' unique diet revolved around the consumption of precious minerals, particularly Quartz, which was abundant in their subterranean kingdom. When Tonovians passed away and were buried, they left behind a fine red sand. By melting and immersing the red powder in water, the Tonovians learned to create Ancestral Essence, a crystallization of a Tonovian's accumulated Will gathered throughout their lifetime. 

This ancient technological breakthrough became the cornerstone of Robert and his team's advancements, coupled with their achievement in quantum computation.

Through a series of fortuitous breakthroughs and successes, they were able to develop a sentient being, its mind housed within an artificial ancestral essence crystal brimming with the collective knowledge of humanity. 

Its body was meticulously crafted from molecularly perfected platinum, a material that had been reverse-engineered from the bio-metal retrieved from the arm of a Rakh-ahtan. Now, their collaborative efforts had taken to the skies for its first time. 

A.R.M., soared through the atmosphere it wasted no time and dispatched nano machines to devour the smog-filled skies, cleansing the air in the process. Within a mere 30 minutes, the skies above old New York City had cleared, allowing the moonlight to gracefully bathe the land below. The next target was the debris on the ground, the remnants of what was now considered the old world.

Once both the sky and land had been purified, A.R.M. continued to levitate hundreds of feet above, running simulations in its quantum mind to determine the precise city it wanted to create. 

After a few moments, a decision was reached. A single wave of its arm initiated a spectacular transformation as the nano machines multiplied exponentially, forming a lake of liquid metal. 

These tiny machines used any available matter to break down and use as raw material, and soon, they resembled a vast, shimmering pool.

A.R.M. then extended its finger toward the moonlit sky, akin to a wizard casting a spell. Skyscrapers began to emerge from the liquid metal lake as the small machines interlocked and replicated genuine steel beams, while others created glass from the surrounding coastal sands. 

By the time the sun began to rise, A.R.M. had successfully completed the construction of what it called New Ark City.

Loh' and Robert, watching everything unfold through a screen, were left in awe and disbelief at the level of control A.R.M. exhibited over the nanotechnology. It was beyond anything they had ever imagined, and they found themselves pleasantly astonished.

When A.R.M. returned to the I.P.S. base, Robert and Loh' greeted it with proud smiles. A.R.M. extended an invitation, "Come Fathers, let me personally introduce you to what I call New Ark City, New Ark." 

A levitating platform materialized for the two men, who joined A.R.M. to soar into the sky. Hours later, they walked through the sprawling city, composed of skyscrapers resembling colossal cylindrical columns that reached thousands of feet into the heavens.