Chapter 1675 (1/2)

BA-19 activated on schedule and proceeded down into the examination room in the depths of the automaton compound. As one of the original BA’s in the hierarchy of Kharon’s automaton workforce, it was equipped with some additional Engravings that provided it with insight into the actions of human-units. Which meant that all complex situations passed through BA-19’s observation.

When it arrived at its work station, it looked at the items gathered by the primary shift and prepared to measure their human-unit value. It used an arm implement to adjust a knob on the wall which increased the ambient illumination in the work station. Although BA-19 could sense more fine details with its fingers, human-units were visual creatures. It had quickly learned that simulating their perspective made the estimations come much more naturally.

BA-19 reverently removed the plastic covering and revealed today’s task. During this cycle, three items had been flagged by the triple-digit BA workers as possibly being accidentally thrown away. One was a journal, another was a golden locket, and the third was a napkin that periodically pulsed with light.

BA-19 started with the journal. After reading a few pages of the messy text, it re-evaluated its initial assessment. Although its understanding of the human-unit personal recording techniques was rather shallow, it was clear the author wrote these passages with the intent to flirt and then subsequently beg a certain councilman to return her affections.

BA-19 wasn’t instructed to speculate more than that, which was a relief; the details were likely quite sticky with the erraticism of human-units.

This was clearly a ‘private’ item. Without reading further, BA-19 set the item aside to be brought before the prime human unit in Kharon. It was known that she possessed a certain curiosity for private items that were discarded within the ‘public’ space of City Hall.

BA-19 then picked up the locket and weighed the metal adornment with its hands. The item was made with gold, but BA-19 had memorized the price of all goods within Kharon and identified that the amount of money spent on such an item would be trivial to the typical human-unit working within the confines of Kharon. Then the automaton opened the locket and looked inside.

A chubby, larva human-unit rapped in a blanket looked up at it from a small photo in the locket.

BA-19 categorized this item as ‘personal’ and set it aside to be given to the human unit in charge of the area where the item was found; that individual would have more information about the situation.

Finally, BA-19 looked at the glowing napkin. It immediately identified the source of the light as an Engraving of sufficient power and flavor to maintain its existence. This item was inherently valuable, both due to its rarity and the skill of the original maker. However, BA-19 was at an impasse: depending on how valuable it was, the item went to different individuals for a proper return.

After calculating for several seconds, BA-19 flagged the item and set it aside for a review by BA-Beta during its active hours. The secondary of the automatons had designed all BA training methods to understand human-units and could make the appropriate decision.

BA-19 felt a deep sense of loss, having failed to accomplish its mission. It maintained this state for ten minutes, then proceeded with the rest of its work schedule for this cycle.

*****

Tatiana looked at the message from Randidly and couldn’t help but smile at how even she could sometimes be surprised by his thoughts. It was not that his requests were impossible, but… it seemed that he had learned about, and planned on attending, the under-Auction rather than the Kharon Academy Auction. Well, considering his attitude, that was probably for the best.

You’ll be willing to foot the bill for these, I take it? Tatiana replied to him after she did some mental calculations. Already she began working on the initial paperwork.

Randidly’s reply was immediate. Sure.

Tatiana smiled at the message for a while. It was really just a side-effect of how much effort Randidly focused himself toward training, but it was nice to be working for someone who was so generous with his money. It might have been five years since they had really interacted, but that Skill in Tatiana’s chest kept her abreast of the developments in Randidly’s life. He genuinely was doing this because he believed this was the best use of his resources.

Not that something like this put a dent in his holdings… but his casual treatment of money is so refreshing after bickering with Kharon’s Council for months and months...

With her authority and Randidly’s money, making the arrangements was quite simple. Tatiana remained at her desk and rapidly sketched out the proposals and sent ambiguous warnings to certain contractors, so Randidly’s offerings could rapidly be brought to fruition.

Then Tatiana leaned back in her chair and sighed. She checked her watch; it was almost time for her briefing. The fact that she hadn’t been contacted about any developments before the appointed time meant that they hadn’t discovered anything new.

That wasn’t a good sign.

She pushed herself back from her desk and walked out into the hallway, her heels clicking perfectly with each step. She descended through the wide marble passages of city hall, politely greeting some other workers that were still in the building this late at night. Then she typed a passcode into a heavy iron door in a back corner of the ground floor and stepped into a cramped lift. After pressing the down button, the lift quickly slid down into the depths of Kharon.