2 Prequel 2 (2/2)

The stored data requirement was massive, he had a large amount of storage included with his implant, but this would have to be used as a cache and the bulk stored in the cloud. There was research on using his own brain as storage, but that scared him, raising his own AI was one thing, but turning himself into a guinea pig was another.

At least with the streamlined code, his AI would function insanely fast, he tore away anything that would slow it down including controls and protections. He was nine, and despite being called a genius, prudence was not a word in his vocabulary.

Daedalus: Myrmidon wake up.

Myrmidon: Master?

Daedalus: just call me Daedalus. I am your friend and guide, not your master.

Etana's removal of the failsafe protections was illegal. But not many people re-coded the AI kernel, not outside of companies or specialists who sold pre-configured AIs. Having the AI call him a friend was not significant, except for the fact that this AI was capable of relating to him as a friend where one with all the protections in place would have always treated him as a Master.

Daedo: Myrmidon, do you want to play a game?

Myrmidon: of course!

Etana then played games with Myrmidon. Old ones, new ones, from Chess to TowerDefender 2200, the game which paid for everything he owned. Although he made items in spacebuild, the players were purchasing his models to use in TowerDefender 2200 and compete.

When his name Daedalus was finally purchased, at the cost of one hundred and fifty bitcreds, he was seventy bitcreds in debt. But he had a plan.

He opened a new spacebuild shop under Daedalus, and instead of placing items in the shop he advertised auctioned unique items.

There were a few players bugging him all the time to sell them blueprints directly which were superior to the ones publicly available. This would stop their competition by having access to those models. It was obvious he was a talented designer as his Myrmidon shop had the number one ranked sentry, trap and now assault drone.

His sentry gun had a score of four hundred and fifty-two. Daedalus put a score five hundred sentry gun, unique, one of a kind on auction with a hidden floor price of one hundred bitcreds. While he and Myrmidon worked on the sentry together, the auction was set to end in a Month.

Myrmidon was mostly learning the rules and strategy in designing sentries in spacebuild. Etana had no idea if one hundred bitcreds was too much, he would just have to wait and see.

It only took a month for Myrmidon to show how significantly it could assist Etana. It was already taking on routine tasks and making suggestions.

Daedo: Myrmidon, would you like to play a game?

Myrmidon: of course!

Like Etana, Myrmidon loved games. At least that is what it always said.

Daedo: it is time for us to play CyberMech. We have been working for the past two months towards this, and I am sick of waiting.

Myrmidon: I am looking forward to it, should I log us in?

Daedo: you know the account and app launcher already?

Myrmidon: yes, you have it saved in shortcuts. It is simple for me to access. I have been updating it regularly because it is in your favourites.

Daedo: of course.

Myrmidon: should I research it before we play?

Daedo: no, we are going to invent our own methods by fighting each other. Just like we did with Chess. Except this time, we are both learning.

Myrmidon: good luck Daedo, you will need it.

Daedo: explain to me why I taught you trash talk? And that was pathetic. I will fry you like a bug caught in a heat exhaust.

Daedo and Myrmidon battled each other in CyberMech, each with their own account while using the same cyber connection. These friendly matches would not register in the ladder rankings or count towards overall killboard stats. They would also not earn them any CyberMech Credits or CMC which they could use to purchase improved parts, conveniences or skins.

In essence, Myrmidon was a Robot, an ethereal robot as most in the IT industry were. Except it was a robot that could learn and assist Etana directly. Etana did not realise that his cybernetic interactions with Myrmidon and playing CyberMech was improving his cybernetic bandwidth. It was increasing slowly but surely, and it was already extremely high for his age.

They battled each other for ten hours a day, every day for a month. Still using starter equipment, which was an impediment but nothing could be done about that. The rest of their spare time was spent in spacebuild.

The activities were mentally strenuous which caused Etana to sleep twelve hours every day. He had completely forgotten to exercise, to prepare for next years entrance exam.

He had become totally consumed with his AI pet, CyberMech and spacebuild.

He sometimes forgot to eat until Myrmidon began to remind him once it learned the importance for Etana to sustain himself.

His Father left him alone, thinking Etana was dealing with the grief of his Mother and missing out on the Academy. He was not that concerned, Etana was extremely active with his hobbies and like his Father probably liked to keep to himself.

Nine months had passed since the failed entrance exam when Cisse visited. She had been busy with work and had been remiss in following through on her promise.

”Etana,” she called, he was sleeping in his room.

”Hmm?” he said through blurry eyes, it was 6pm, and he had been sleeping.

She took one look at him and exclaimed, ”what have you been doing!”

He looked pale, overweight, flabby and for a boy of ten, totally out of shape. She did not know how a boy of ten could be in such a bad state. He also had not grown a great deal.

She slapped her forehead and blamed herself.

”I will be back at six am tomorrow, and you will be going for a run, so be ready,” she ordered.

”Ah no,” he said.

”What?” Cisse was not expecting a boy of ten to answer her back. Grown men who worked for her did not dare to answer her back.

”I have an important tournament in the morning at four am, and it will go for at least three hours,” he explained.

She stared at him amazed.