RTS System in the Apocalypse: New World

System notifications flooded Hans’s vision. The first one was larger and longer than the deployment notice.

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[ Structure Name: Tech Center ]

[ Structure Category: Primary Structure — Research and Technology Integration ]

[ Energy Consumption: 400 EU ]

[ Expansion Radius: 1,000 meters ]

[ Structural Systems ]

[ Research Core / Certification Engine ]

Central System research infrastructure responsible for analysis, reconstruction, simulation, research integration and certification.

[ Research Operations Directorate ]

Coordinates research activity, project records, experimental scheduling and research-campus operations.

[ Simulation Cluster ]

Provides high-capacity computational modeling, technical simulation and recovered-data analysis.

[ Secure Intake / Provenance Section ]

Receives recovered data, hardware, samples and technical material.

Maintains source identity and recovery history during assimilation.

[ General Laboratories / Test Bays ]

Provides multidisciplinary laboratory space for technical examination and controlled testing.

[ Precision Prototype Fabrication ]

Produces laboratory-scale components, test articles and precision prototypes.

Large platforms require compatible production or specialized research facilities.

[ Personnel Integration Pods ]

Capacity: 8

Evaluates and registers eligible non-System personnel into the Commander’s System personnel framework.

[ Secure Archive / Data Vault ]

Stores recovered research data, source packages, technical archives and completed research records.

[ Research Campus Interface ]

Supports up to four attached Research Complexes.

[ Safety / Isolation Network ]

Provides compartment isolation, hazardous-work controls and emergency shutdown functions.

[ Emergency Safety / Containment Reserve ]

Maintains containment, archives, access control and essential safe-state functions for up to 24 hours following normal System-grid failure.

[ Research Director ]

Unassigned

[ Core Research Slot ]

Inactive

[ Remarks ]

Welcome to the future, Commander.

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Hans stared at the panel, trying to process what he had just read. Then he scrolled upward, and then downward again.

”That’s... quite a lot.”

The War Factory built vehicles. The Airfield Base handled aircraft. The Barracks trained soldiers.

Even the Command Center, despite everything it did, was still easy to understand once Hans looked through its functions.

The Tech Center seemed to have an entire institution stuffed inside one structure.

Laboratories, simulation systems, prototype fabrication, secure archives and even non-System personnel integration.

And last but not least, whatever the Certification Engine was and what it was supposed to do.

His attention stopped at the Research Campus Interface, where the System listed support for four additional Research Complexes.

Hans looked toward the empty ground surrounding the Tech Center and now fully understood why the Engineers had left so much extra space.

Before Hans could continue reading, several sections of the newly built facility lit up.

The low mechanical hum coming from the Tech Center changed slightly as more internal systems came online.

Another notification appeared.

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[ Tech Center Research Archive initialized. ]

[ Connecting authorized System records... ]

[ Connecting Engineering recovery records... ]

[ Connecting laboratory and technical records... ]

[ Connecting authorized external research data... ]

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More lines followed soon after.

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[ Existing External Research Sources Detected ]

[ Project HELIX ]

Source Records Detected

Recovered Biological / Enhancement Data Detected

Specialist Knowledge Available

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[ Project DAEDALUS ]

Source Records Detected

Recovered Hardware / Technical Data Detected

Multiple Subdomains Detected

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[ Automated Weaponry Program ]

DAEDALUS Program Recognized

Source Records Detected

Recovered System / Security Hardware Detected

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[ Advanced Weaponry Program ]

Parent Program: Automated Weaponry Program

Research Thread Recognized

Source Records Detected

Recovered System / Hardware / Sample / Technical Data Detected

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...

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[ Project VULCAN ]

Source Records Detected

Power-Delivery / Thermal / Containment Data Detected

Directed-Energy Component Records Detected

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[ Additional Technical Sources Detected ]

Materials Research

Structural Engineering Research

Nuclear Fuel Research

Energy Systems Research

Additional source relationships pending analysis.

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Hans’s eyes remained on the VULCAN entry for a moment.

The System seemed to be one level away from omniscience.

As for what each branch actually meant, Hans understood only a fraction of it. That was probably where specialists would become important.

The Tech Center could recover the knowledge. Somebody still had to understand what to do with it.

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[ Source Synchronization Notice ]

Existing authenticated digital records have been indexed into the Tech Center Research Archive. Recovered physical media not yet connected to the Tech Center remain outside the archive.

Eligible external media may be transferred through Secure Intake for:

Data Recovery

Autonomous Decryption

Storage Reconstruction

Format Translation

Source Verification

Provenance Analysis

Archive Assimilation

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Hans immediately thought of Marcus and the countless storage drives, damaged receivers and Directorate modules they had recovered.

Once the drives were opened and everything inside them was integrated, someone still had to explain the ropes to Hans.

”Does this mean Marcus can finally be freed from all of that?”

Another message appeared.

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[ External Archive Recovery ]

The Tech Center may autonomously recover, reconstruct, decrypt, translate and assimilate compatible external digital archives submitted through Secure Intake.

Credential locks and access restrictions are bypassed during archive recovery.

Encrypted archives are autonomously decrypted during assimilation.

Encryption, access-control systems and authentication barriers do not prevent Tech Center archive assimilation once the physical storage medium is available for processing.

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[ Research Knowledge Classification ]

Recovered information is indexed according to source, provenance, technical domain and relationship to existing System knowledge.

Complete technical records may be reconstructed directly into usable research knowledge.

Incomplete records are preserved and cross-referenced for later reconstruction, experimentation and research development.

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[ Specialist Participation ]

Specialists are not required to unlock or decrypt recovered archives.

Specialist knowledge may be required for:

Theory Development

Hypothesis Formation

Experimental Design

Cross-Domain Interpretation

Prototype Development

Scientific Validation

New Invention Beyond Recovered Knowledge

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”You just made that ’Yes’ longer than it should be.”

Hans couldn’t help but smile.

Marcus was finally free from spending who-knew-how-many hours trying to break through passwords and damaged storage systems with whatever equipment they could recover around Grefort.

The Tech Center could handle that part now.

But the structure didn’t make Marcus obsolete.

Once the drives were opened and everything inside them was integrated, someone still had to explain the ropes to Hans.

The System could explain it on its own, but a human was a better interpreter.

Marcus could finally spend more time doing that instead of fighting the lock screen.

Hans shifted his thought toward the Directorate modules. Then the VULCAN storage and remaining DAEDALUS archives underneath the Northern Ashington Nuclear Power Station.

Then all encrypted drives Marcus had been accumulating.

And finally, recovered hardware his troops had sitting inside secure storage.

”You were just built and you’re already about to get busy, aren’t you?”

The Tech Center in the distance kept its low hum.

Hans returned to the main interface. Research was the part he had actually been waiting for.

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[ Tech Center Research Interface ]

[ Research Director ]

Unassigned

[ Core Research Slot ]

Inactive

[ Native System Research ]

Awaiting Research Director Accreditation

[ Recovered Architecture Research ]

Source Packages Recognized

Research Development Available Following Research Director Accreditation

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Hans frowned. The System would usually generate the personnel needed for such tasks.

Or if not, then it would provide him a new Unit to train inside the Barracks such as the case with the ”Commander”, ”Radio Operator”, and even personnel inside the Command Center.

”System, explain this to me. How do I get a Research Director?”

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[ Research Director Appointment ]

Each Tech Center requires one accredited Research Director to operate its Core Research Slot and supervise formal research activity.

The Commander may nominate:

System-Integrated Non-System Personnel

[ Candidate Requirement ]

Candidate must possess established scientific knowledge and demonstrated expertise in at least one recognized research domain.

[ Research Director Qualification Assessment ]

Candidates are evaluated in:

Research Leadership

Hypothesis Development

Experimental Design

Cross-Domain Reasoning

Risk Judgment

Scientific Decision-Making Under Incomplete Information

Scientific Knowledge

[ Qualification Assessment Method ]The System may evaluate qualified non-System scientific personnel through verified research records, demonstrated professional history, recovered project documentation, observed research activity and other validated evidence.

Personnel Integration is not required for qualification assessment.

Successful qualification does not grant System access or Research Director authority.Formal appointment requires successful Personnel Integration.

[ Research Director Authority ]

An accredited Research Director may supervise the Tech Center research program and authorize qualified Project Leads for specialized research.

Accreditation does not provide additional scientific knowledge.

Specialized research may require personnel with appropriate domain expertise.

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Hans read through the requirements.

It needed someone to direct, supervise, and verify research directions.

Someone who could look at incomplete research, strange biological data, experimental technology or any other scientific material dragged into the building, then somehow turn all of it into an actual research program.

”You want a director?” Hans grinned. ”Then I’ve got the perfect candidate for that.”

He switched to his communicator and dialed one of the commanding units inside the nuclear power station.

”Commander, you have called me?”

”Yes. Get the doctor to my position now. Tell him he’s about to have a lab upgrade. If he’s busy or unwilling, then get Kordula instead.”

”Understood. On my way.”