Rise of Glie Chapter 53
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FHD Remix: The Rise of Glie
Chapter 53: Pretty Brave
"So, what's up?" Fushoku says after replacing and reactivating the air conditioning, he snaps the old, intact filters over his knees.
"We sabotaged Hell Knight Forge's computer," the crow explains, "We know they've returned it, and we know they've replaced it with a clamshell. We've been doing our own research on the progression of delta vector outside the wall, and we know a lot more about it than Number."
"I take it you're interested in my APXS analysis of those transistors," Fushoku signs.
"Not really," the crow says, "Those were damaged in a live operation, not controlled experimental circumstances. We want you to slip us some naked dies so we can do controlled experiments. Test failures will do just fine for what we have in mind."
Fushoku thinks about it for a moment, "Good," he replies, "Because we keep too good a track of the good ones to slip any out in secret."
"We'll need good ones later," the crow explains, "Based on how the machine we busted up behaved in its final moments, we think that we can extend the life of your circuitry using voltage control," he switches feet and knocks on the air conditioner's frame for emphasis, "but we need experimental results to verify it, and so we can come up with modelling equations and a specification for dose sensor transistors to run the circuitry."
"What's he saying?" Taka asks.
"None of your business," Fushoku whispers, "And it's all technical so you wouldn't understand anyway."
"They can go outside the wall," he whispers, "maybe you can get him to test your computer chips out there."
The crow starts pacing back and forth on the frame rail like an irritated parrot.
"He's laughing his tail off," Fushoku explains quietly, "We were discussing the technical details of doing exactly that."
Taka smiles.
Fushoku signs to the crow, "You need to tell Number your plans for the good ones. We had already worked out the details for a ten micrometre Mark Six series of tests inside the wall. Appropriations for those can cover for your experiments. Say, have her get some Mark Fives for you. I'll play along."
"You know who Number is?" the crow asks.
Fushoku extends his right wing, a gesture Taka recognizes as "Yes," but continues in the incomprehensible sign language, "I find myself wondering what you were going to tell me."
"Why?" the crow wonders.
"Because if I were in your position," Fushoku explains, "I'd tell me she was Tiindare, and never to bring it up with the Communicator."
The crow seems rather impressed.
"What's your name?" Fushoku says.
"One you'd recognize," the crow says, "so I can't tell you. I haven't told anyone my real name. They call me King." The crow momentarily pauses, puffs up his breast feathers, but realizes that it's unlikely that even Wally would recognize his Elvis impersonation. "You know," the crow continues, "historically, the first four bit microprocessor is under the moderation limit in area, and was made at ten micrometres." [That's the Intel 4004 he's referring to.]
Fushoku scoffs, signing, "Four bit. You think the Hell Knights would buy that?"
"They would if it were diamond," the crow says, waiting for Fushoku to ask. After a few seconds, he continues, "You were there when they stoned the traitor. He was leaking your circuit plans from the Toga camp to Hell Knight Forge to use in diamond-based nMOS. But," the crow switches feet, "Now they're trying for that four bit thing in pMOS. Hopefully they don't go VAX, because emitter coupled bipolar junction is the way to go with diamond."
Fushoku's finally overwhelmed by the crow's semiconductor expertise and just shrugs.
"Did you know Hell Knight Forge is trying to make diamond circuits, totally immune to delta radiation effects?" the crow asks.
"Yes," Fushoku signs, "But you won't believe who told me."
"Oh?" the crow asks.
Fushoku points at the boy next to him.
"Whoa," Taka gasps, "Fushoku, what are you telling him about me?"
Fushoku resorts to Japanese, speaking to King, "Haibane Taka has been getting dreams about life outside the wall. They are dead-on-balls accurate, as near as I can tell."
Turning to Taka, he says, "He was telling me about a place called Hell Knight Forge. Outside the wall, those creatures, like the one you drew for me, are trying to make computers. You know that, don't you?"
Taka nods.
"Recognize him?" Fushoku pulls the drawing out of his bag and shows the crow.
Astonished, the crow signs, "He's a good artist. That is Saboath, the manager of Hell Knight Forge."
"Ever heard the name Saboath?" Fushoku asks.
Taka's eyes and pupils widen, and he shrinks from Fushoku, looking almost like he's about to run in terror while soiling his pants, "How do you know that? Saviour told me never to utter the names."
"He flies outside the wall," Fushoku says, "Remember? The places you dream of outside there, that Saviour explains to you. He's been there in person."
Astonished, the boy squeaks, "Then you're very brave, little crow."
The crow bows with humble gratitude, "Tell him he's pretty brave too, spying on us like he was," King signs, "A crow pulling a stunt like that would be summarily executed. Don't worry, we crows police only our own kind, except under far more exceptional circumstances than this."
"It's exceptional enough for a haibane to know this much about you guys," Fushoku says, "and I've already seen how you can police others."
Turning to Taka, he translates, "He says you're pretty brave too..."
[Note: The author actually has no clue what the ideal diamond microchip would look like because no one in real-life has ever tried to make one. What I do know is that MOS is made easy because silicon dioxide is solid, and the diamond equivalent, carbon dioxide, is a gas, and have speculated on that basis, that, like it is with germanium, MOSFETs are almost impossible to fashion on diamonds for that reason. If you, my wonderful reader, happen to be a candidate precursor for this crow (I know there is one named Garland, who works for Intel and wrote the book I relied on for almost all of my electronic fabrication knowledge), feel free to sign up on Haibaniki and edit his dialogue so it makes more sense.]
[Saboath inhabits Sargeant Kelly in Doom 3, and his name is slightly out of canon, since you need to open the cheat/debug console in Doom 3 in order to see it. The other demons Taka has seen in his dreams are named Maledict, Lilith, and Erebus. Maledict is another name from the Doom 3 console, he inhabits Dr. Malcolm Betruger. Lilith and Erebus were the names given by the author of FHD Remix, and, respectively, inhabit the Guardian and Cyberdemon of Doom 3. I'm putting this here just in case you are reading Rise of Glie before Three Worlds In One.]
Next: Rise of Glie Chapter 54: Little Rascals
