The Simulated Universe came to life around Stelle. Herta floated beside her, or at least her representation here, her voice speaking in that flat, analytical tone.
“For today’s test, we’ll focus solely on one aspect of your ability: Your interaction with entities’ souls in the Simulated Universe. We need to determine if this functions here, where things are represented as data. We'll also see if you have influence on artificial beings, a bit like my puppet.”
Stelle glanced around, her hands on her hips. “So, what? You want me to start poking things?”
“Precisely.” Herta replied, unbothered by Stelle’s sarcastic tone. She gestured toward the ground, where people appeared. They looked like humans, but Stelle had already visited the Universe, so she knew it was just constructions based on her memories. “These are simulated consciousnesses, simple data, so you won’t break anything valuable. At least yet.”
“Comforting...” Stelle muttered, stepping toward the closest person, a woman dressed in Belobog's classic clothes.
“Let's see if you can separate a consciousness from its simulated form,” Herta instructed. “If the process mimics what you did in the real world, we’ll know your ability can function here.”
Stelle sighed, closing her eyes and focusing on the familiar feeling within her. Her perspective shifted swiftly. She became weightless again, floating outside her physical form, or rather, her digital form.
“Here goes nothing,” she murmured, reaching out the woman's shape. The Nameless' spectral hand touched the figure, and to her surprise, it reacted as normal. With a little flash of light, a spectral form of the belobogian emerged from her chest.
Stelle watched as the ghost-like woman drifted a bit in the air. “Huh. That was easier than I thought.” She wasn't expecting this to work. Oh, the possibilities it opens...
“Fascinating,” Herta remarked, her mechanical voice betraying no emotion. “The separation is flawless. Now, reintegrate it.”
Stelle shrugged and pushed the spectral woman back into her body. As in reality, the woman woke up again, visibly confused.
“Success,” Herta noted. “Now, try to swap the consciousnesses of two people.”
Two people, who looked like two researchers from the Herta Space Station, stepped forward at Herta’s command, standing side by side like obedient dolls. Stelle hesitated, then repeated the process, extracting their spectral form one by one. Holding both with her hands, she swapped their positions and pressed them back into the opposite body. The reaction was instantaneous, and as their behaviors showed nothing special, Stelle didn't really know if it worked as expected. “What’s next?”
“For now, I'm processing datas” Herta said. “Consider you have a break before we proceed again."
Yaaay... Stelle didn't really want to continue the trivial things from Herta but well.
"I see." Herta resumed quickly. "Initial results confirm my hypothesis: your ability isn’t limited to organic consciousness. It extends to any entity with a distinct self-identity, even if that identity is entirely artificial.”
“So, you’re saying I can mess with anything that has a mind, whatever real or fake?” Stelle crossed her arms. She was already thinking about what she could do, here or elsewhere.
“Precisely." Herta said again "Now, I've prepared a list of simple facts to test.
Stelle gave her an exaggerated salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
The next hour was just filled with trivial and uninteresting tests. Herta was testing every possibility of the power, the reach, the speed, with too precise experimentation. Stelle obliged, but in her heart, she wanted something else. As Herta was once again processing everything, the Trailblazer was thinking on how to... spice up things.
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