Abyssal Stays Home [KC SI]

[Naron]

Day 1

Captain's log, don't know which year. And this is how far I can take the Star Trek reference because I only watched like three movies. I am not boldly going anywhere either, at least not anytime soon.

How to start? This is my personal log, so I kind of doubt anyone else will ever read it. If you just found this in my corpse, well, I guess congratulations? If you killed me and took it out of my captain's quarters, fuck you.

Anyway, to summarise my current situation: I used to be a human until I woke up on some deserted island for some reason. Do not ask me why, I do not know. All I know is that I am not human anymore. Or a man. Being perfectly honest, the last part bothers me a lot more than the first. Being an Abyssal is not that different, although the dysphoria may just drown it out.

I guess that makes me transgender now. As much power as I wish them, I really did not need to experience their struggles firsthand. I spent the last two weeks trying to come to terms with this, but I still feel wrong in my own body. The tits do not help that when each one is almost the size of my head. I can not ask my crew to take them off, either; for some reason some genius decided that each part of the female form represents an important feature of warships on a shipgirl. Which is what I am now, kind of.

So when I said I am an Abyssal and not human anymore, that is what I meant. Funny how that used to be fictional where I am from, not that I know too much about the setting; I guess I need to learn as I go.

From what I figured out so far, the Abyss calls forth memories and ideas of ships that were meant to be but never lived. On top of that, it answers the calls of those who died unfair or honourless deaths and lets them rise again to take revenge on humanity for abandoning or scuttling them. Most actually existing ships come back on humanity's side, though. So just about as I remember it.

Nobody told me that here, by the by. Abyssals get racial memories or something like that, where you just know something the moment you wonder about it.

What I do not know is what the Abyss is or where it came from. I find it a little suspicious how quiet my instincts are on that; maybe it is self-aware. But there is little I can do about it right now.

Truth be told, I am bored. That is why I make this log to begin with: I have little else to do while my research runs through. The first two weeks I took long walks around the island. Tried to get used to my new center of gravity and being fuck-huge tall. And the dysphoria, but that is a work-in-progress. I still want to deck whoever decided it must be shipgirls instead of shippeople. Damn perverts.

Thinking about it, this should be the last time I bring it up. Reminding myself of it will only be upsetting and I doubt I want to read through my own ravings on it later. So this one's for you, future me.

Back to the matter at hand, there is little to do on this island. It has a nice size and my sensors found ore deposits toward the center, but I have little else. No hidden treasures, no ships, not even interesting animals. No other Abyssals, either. I am alone here with my thoughts; it was nice enough for the first two weeks, but I will probably go insane if I do not keep myself busy. Assuming that is still a thing for Abyssals, of course.

I can not really sally out, though. You see, while shipgirls conform to existing ship types, Abyssals have a thing called Installations. There is a bunch of them but they are all mostly groundbound; they can take to the waves, but it takes a lot of fuel to move them and most can not defend themselves from raiders. Like me. I have no weapons installed.

Then again I think I am happy about that for now. I do not want to go into firefights, so what I got works much better with my preference to bunker down. It is also a cheat skill to end all cheat skills in a world that approaches the non-magical, assuming the Abyssals and shipgirls are the only thing science can not explain.

I am a resource generation platform.

I just wondered if there are others like me, but the Abyss says no. Apparently I am unique, which is probably why humanity still stands. Only I can create resources, any resources, ex nihilo. My stores are gigantic and constantly fill up, even if just by a trickle. They will continue to do so for as long as I live. Steel, gunpowder, rare metals for electronics, fluids and gases. You name it, I have it. The entire periodic table, including stuff like Uranium. Wait.

Apparently my tech-tree does have nukes buried somewhere deep down. I need to go over it more carefully. But yeah, I got that too. It feels a bit like an RTS-game, making factories and improving my techbase while attacking the enemy.

Only there is no enemy around right now and I have a constant influx of resources. So I can follow my favourite strategy: teching everything out before doing anything else. Well, maybe not everything, I may want to do stuff before the next decade or two. Or more. There is a lot more to that tech-tree than I thought. But the point stands, I will hunker down here and build a base. If I am lucky, nobody will find it and I can just keep doing that. It may sound boring, but I like being at home... and I do not have a home right now, so I should probably make one. I am sitting at the beach writing this while some of my initial techs go through. You know, the basic stuff: lesser Abyss spawner blueprint, the first package of research speed enhancement, and enhanced armour plating.

Now that I think about it, this may be what the Abyss wants from me: to improve its techbase and spread this tech around so they can roll over humanity. It definitely gave me the right tools to make me do that, at least. I am just not sure if I want humanity to go extinct. The Internet would be nice to have.

...

Ah. There was the racial memories again. Maybe it is more like a direct line to the Abyss, though? Either way, I felt some odd urge to extinguish humans just now. As if in response to my thinking I would rather have them alive. A little surprising that I noticed it, but those thoughts feel kind of odd. A bit like my calls of the void; you know those moments of intrusive thoughts, like when you stand at a ledge and wonder for split-second if you should jump? Or drive your car into oncoming traffic? Like that.

Thinking about it a little more though, I may not be a shipgirl, but I am an Abyssal. A unique Abyssal that can eventually build nukes among other, more esoteric stuff. If they ever find out, they will stop at nothing to destroy me. Sympathetic or not. That is... honestly a good argument to side with the Abyss.

If you are a human reading this, then sorry about that. I do want to live, too. Guess that makes me your enemy by nature. I will need to think about it some more and try to check this is not the Abyss goading me.

But this should be enough for a first entry. I am stuck like this anyway and there is little else of interest happening right now. Maybe I take a small dip before finding a good spot to dig down.

---

Well... yeah. Those of you familiar with my past projects may notice that this is nothing like my usual fare. I do not write, read, or even look at SIs normally, much as I do with basically anything written in first person. When talking with friends on Discord about it, I could trace that back to my very first pieces of creative writing from over a decade ago. They were bad. Really bad. So bad I still cringe today when thinking back at them.

Then someone jokingly suggested I should write one of these as a way to 'work through the trauma'. Somehow that stuck with me and I figured I might as well. If nothing else, it will serve as a decent writing exercise. I am not deep in Kantai Collection, so expect some freestyling with what lore or metaphysics there may be.

 

[Naron]

Day 2

I thought about the other thing. Fighting humans and all that. At this point I am pretty sure that it was my own reasoning and not the Abyss manipulating me. I am not actually sure if it can do that to begin with, to be honest. On the other hand, weird soul voodoo is already going on, so I can not rule it out, either. What I know is that humans and their shipgirls will be scared of me or hate me on sight.

I am not throwing shade, by the way. This is just how it is when my side, or, well, 'my' side is trying to genocide the species.

I had to take a minute off writing to let that sink in. Having been German before waking up like this, the irony is not lost on me. I am also preemptively locking up all research branches that lead to poison gas. We will not go there.

With that settled, back to the subject at hand. I am stuck like this until further notice, but also like two metres tall and deathly pale; trying to blend into human society is straight out, even if I got off this island without some fleet or scout spotting me. I am absolutely staying right here. Preemptively attacking anyone does not appeal, either.

I went around to explore some more after writing that entry yesterday; there are a number of laboratories in my rigging, enough to finish the basic techs. My crew is sizable at around five thousand, considering I recall that Bismarck had about two thousand. Most of mine are builders and scientists, though. I have two hundred guards and a complement of soldiers, but yeah. Either the Abyss lucked out when giving me this setup, or it knows exactly the couch potato I am. Now if only it gave me a couch, we would be golden.

Anyway, my builders set to do their thing; however Fairies the size of my hand could start and finish a house-sized factory overnight. Soul voodoo magic, I am not going to ask. I also question the Abyss's design choices, considering how that thing is all black steel, spikes, and a bunch of discoloured tentacles swaying in the breeze.

Now in any RTS, you would start building low-tier units to protect yourself and scout around. Or you are me and do not do that; I built this factory for mining drones, not combat drones. The first one is walking out as I write this; looks a little below half my size, more like an octopus. It walks on four pseudopods and has sturdy-looking maws on the rest. Here is to hoping the Abyss knows what it is doing.


Day 3

Well, mining works. Somehow. The drones just eat into the rock until they are full; all the stone is spit out as some weird goo, the other resources get digested and refined in their bodies before their half dozen Fairies carry it to me. Still weird that these things can just walk in and out of my rigging, even if it looks something like a cross between battleship and oil platform.

One upside of this approach is that the goo my drones create as a byproduct works something like mortar. I fast-tracked some extra processing power for them so they can comprehend the order, then sent them to dig proper rooms. All that goo evens out holes and dulls sharp edges; once it dries it is pretty solid to walk on. Step one of my new underground base is complete. Of course the rooms are not perfectly cubic in shape, but I can get used to having them be ellipsoid. The drones do not like biting off tiny pieces only.

I do not really need light in there, either. Ordinarily I would, but I found another tech option near the top: night vision.

You know how Abyssals have glowing eyes? Yes? No? I do not even know if this is canonical or made up, but my Abyss here tells me it is a thing. That is the night vision, a basic Abyssal property to find their way in the depths. I do not have it by default for some reason; now I may just be humanising the Abyss with this, but I thought it seemed confused that I did not have it. If that is true, then I guess something went wrong when I arrived. Maybe it was an unintended tradeoff for my resource generation power. Nothing else is missing, ignoring combat strength I did not want in the first place.

I was mulling it over for a bit, but night vision is just one of the first steps on an entire sub-branch on my tech tree. It is all about self-improvement in the literal sense. Considering that the resources I am mining will be exhausted eventually, I will spend them all on improving my own capabilities. There are upgrades to resource generation speed deeper down and I want them.

I also started talking to my drones a little more. They are a bit like dogs, if less excitable or playful. They work most of the time and follow simple orders. That may not be a good sign for my mental health, though.

I do have blueprints for proper Abyssal spawners in reach, maybe that would be a good investment right now. But making more Abyssals, the sort that can think and talk, eats a ton of resources. Or rather tons, actual tons. Those are resources I can not use on research!

I need to think it over some more, but for now I will take a walk around the island. Little else to do, really.


Day 4

I am starting to find a rhythm with these entries now. That always works for the best. As of right now, they will be made in the evening before I go to sleep. That way I can actually go through the entire day.

Speaking of sleep, one thing my conversion to an Abyssal fixed is that I no longer lie awake in bed for an hour after turning in. Somehow I can consistently fall asleep in a few minutes at most despite not having a bed. Or anything beyond some sand or rock. Also, do not sleep on sand; getting that everywhere sucks even for an Abyssal.

At least my body is hardy enough not to mind the ground. I really did not want to invest resources in creature comforts just yet. I am still on the fence about making other Abyssals, too. The Abyss itself tries to nudge me that way, but I disagree; it left me my free will, so it will have to accept what I decide.

Huh. I felt some flash of acceptance the moment I finished that thought. I guess the Abyss agrees? That little nudging is gone, too. Nice, a hurrah for competent superiors!

Which brings me back to wondering what the Abyss actually is. It does not say, even though it seems to take a decent amount of interest in me. It accepts my wishes and lets me do as I want. Maybe this is a test for now, to see how well I can do when working on my own? I do not really know the state of the world either, so maybe I am a last-ditch effort after the Abyssals were effectively routed. It does not tell me about others, either.

A lot of boundless speculation will not really help me right now, though. I just have to keep on going and see where I end up. Today was calm, much like the last few days; that ore vein we found is about exhausted, though. I still have a bunch saved up because the first few technologies are fairly cheap. Not to mention the two weeks I was indisposed for reasons I am still salty about, but whatever. I will need every bit of these resources later. Curiousity got the better of me and I made the mistake to look at tech prices. Some of the highest level stuff eats enough resources to build an invasion fleet with.

Then again, it is stuff like lasers and point-defense cannons that can shoot down supersonic projectiles. Anything outside actual space travel is in there somewhere.

Now I have to decide how to build my base. An island is technically just an outcropping of rock through the entire ocean, meaning I could constantly dig down. But I did not study the right subjects to know if that actually keeps the whole thing stable. Then again, I can probably reinforce such a tunnel with stone goo and Abyss steel. Do I want to risk that? Not right now.

Come to think of it, I have no idea where I am. It is kind of chilly here, mostly from the ocean winds. There are no maps on this island and I found no trace of human presence. No lost tools, no bones, nothing. For all I know no one ever set foot in this place.

On second thought, it does not actually matter. Being somewhere in the middle of nowhere is actually better than somewhere well known. That way I can stay hidden for longer, maybe even indefinitely. My luck is pretty decent, or at least it was before this little adventure here.


Day 5

Slow day today. I had the drones dig a little further down before spreading out. Research continues apace, too. I mix stuff like improved armour plating and gunpowder mixtures together with general improvements like blueprint generation or oil refinement.

The longer I work on this, the more I realise I really am an entire industry in the form of a person. I may have to relocate underground just to get enough space for all the stuff I need to build later. Good thing the ocean floor is past what most warships can reach. If I could find the Mariana Trench, I would set up shop down there.

On second thought, I saw pictures of the stuff crawling around down there. Not sure I actually want that.

Being efficient is harder than I thought it would be. I like the surface too much, it is what I am used to. But I will be found sooner or later if I stay up here. On the other hand, I always liked the concept of underground dungeons. Blame Dungeon Keeper on that one, assuming the game exists here.

This gets me back to something else I thought about: do I, or do I not create other Abyssals? I still do not want to because I like hyperfocussing on research, but I feel I probably should make one. Specifically one and only after I looked into stealth techs. It, she will be a scout to find more resources and maybe a larger place to dig my facility into. This island is okay for a start, but I will need more room eventually. An archipelago would be good, an actual mountain the best. Nobody will expect the Abyss to hide so far out from the sea!

I just imagined the expression some lone hiker would make after being confronted with Abyssals in the mountains. Nobody would ever believe them. I can not stop grinning.

But yes, I need to mull over some more. These log entries help sort my thoughts, writing always did that for me. I have a lot of them, but putting them into tangible words unfurls whatever twists and turns they take in my head.

In other news, I start to grow tired of not having food. I do not actually need any because all my needs are met with steel and fuel, what little I need of that on land, but I still remember food and want some. It has been about three weeks and all I can find are a number of small critters that I am not going to kill myself. There would be little meat on them anyway. A few wild fruits and such were around too, but those are really bitter. Probably poisonous too, but I am an Abyssal now. I even tried eating some of the plants out of curiousity, but they just taste bland. It sucks.

I really need to stay disciplined, else I may just research how to make sweets instead of investing resources into something worthwhile.

Plans for tomorrow are up in the air, but I will probably build that spawn pool for my scout. Having that does not mean I have to grow anything in it, after all.


Day 6

I built the spawn pool. Well, 'built'. I have no idea why that takes up resources when I am technically just leaking black sludge out of my entire rigging until it fills the basin. That stuff is pure Abyss. I could bathe in it if I want to, though. Other things, erm, not so much. I tested with a piece of wood because trees can not run away. Dissolved in seconds. The dead fish I found ashore on my walk went the same way.

Should I feel disgusted by the sizzling and dissolving matter? No idea, the slimy fish was more upsetting because I had to touch it. At least I could wash off that gunk easily in the spawn pool. From what the Abyss lets me know, I just throw resources in there until it reaches critical mass for the ship type I want. It seemed confused when I thought about just throwing stuff in there to see what happens.

Then I threw stuff in there to see what happens. Mostly wood, stone, and sand. I had a bunch of the excess from digging thrown in there as well. The pool definitely swelled up some, but it does not feel like reaching critical mass yet. I have some sort of instinct for that, a gut feeling. I do not really want to deforest the entire island to make up the difference, though. Considering that I have so much steel at hand, I will probably dump some of my reserves in there tomorrow.

Fingers crossed it is not a chimera. I really do not need an "Eeeeedward" moment.

Moving on.

I saw a plane pass by in the afternoon. Far too slow to be a combat jet, more like a passenger plane. The Abyss nudged me to shoot it down the moment I saw it, too. Means that there are definitely humans around. They also found a way to travel by air without being shot down. It may be that the Abyssals are actually being pushed back or on the brink of defeat. From what shreds of canon I recall, they were winning there.

I guess it does not really matter in the end. I am not planning to wage this war myself, at most I will act as an arms dealer except with technology. Maybe I can link myself into the Internet if I find one of the cables going through the ocean? In fact, if it still exists I could hold the Internet hostage to get some leverage!

But I guess those are thoughts for later. I have yet to meet any humans to begin with. Does it count as being scared if I know that will not go well regardless of circumstance? Maybe I am just paranoid, but in this case I rather take too many precautions than too few.

I also need to figure out when to start producing actual combat units. It has to be someday, preferably when there is no outside pressure. On the other hand, I still like just researching. Maybe if I can improve my resource economy to the point I can divert some stuff without slowing tech speed. But I need to claim new ground for that.

The ocean floor would have the most unclaimed resources. The Abyss agrees. All signs point to going lower. I think I mentioned this earlier, but I like the surface. Maybe it is because I used to be human, but I do not want to live below.

But in the name of efficiency, I guess I will at least try some sort of exposure therapy. Dunk my head under water to get used to breathing in there or something like that. People can get used to a lot after all.

Or I send someone else to grab resources from the depths. Let them set up a second base to supply me. Are Abyssals I make loyal to me? Abyss says no, only the mindless ones like my drones are.

And there we are once again at the old question: do I trust someone not myself with a vital part of my plans? The answer is no, not really. Even if I created that person, I like having control of my work in all parts. That way I can set my own pace and all issues are on me. Less frustration that way.

But the idea still has merit. For now I am good on resources for the most part, so I can shelve the topic until it becomes relevant. Maybe if whatever sapient Abyssals I make later turn out trustworthy.

On that note, I think I am starting to pack-bond with my drones. It may be because there is no other living being around, but they start to become kind of cute. I started talking to them, though I am not yet at the stage where I give them names.


Day 7

It is a chimera.

 

[Naron]

Day 8

Okay, so. I did not really have the energy to write anything yesterday. Maybe I jinxed it the day before or something.

Either way, good news and bad news.

The bad news is that I got a chimera out of the pool. She is hard to describe in a few words. Think a fish that grew teeth and legs as well as a dozen tentacles across her back. Quadrupedal, with scales of stone and wood. I think her teeth are stone, too. The tentacles looked and felt more like roots from up close, completely dry instead of slimy like one would expect.

The good news is that she behaves. The Abyss went 'wtf' at me and still has no idea what to make of her, but so far she was a good girl. She can not speak, but she understands me at least to an extent. I do not think she is sapient? So far her responses made me think of a reasonably smart dog, really. A scaly, two and a half metres tall, six metres long dog. Yes.

Maybe there is room for growth in her head, but only time will tell on that end. She is docile and follows orders. So at least I do not need to train her or anything, I have no idea how I would go about that. Silver linings. She is also pretty good at fishing; those root-tacles can sharpen into speartips and elongate at will. I have no idea how to actually prepare fish though, so I just fed them all to her. I tried baiting one of the drones with food too, but it was not interested.

Curiously, she, I named her Hydra after the lovecraftian deity, seems to act as some sort of focal point for the drones. They make room for her whenever she passes by, she always has the right of way, and all the stuff they excavate is delivered to her instead of me now. She brings the collected resources to me afterward.

I may have accidentally created a super drone or something like that. Hydra does not really act like a queen or even just a superior to them, though. I saw her try to play with one of them, only to get disappointed when it just kept working.

Considering it like this, maybe I should try throwing only drones into the pool next to figure out what I get from them?

On the other hand, I kind of like the batch I have now. I need to make more and order them in there. But that would be a drain on resources. Do I actually need some sort of improved drone?

What happens if I throw a shipgirl in there?

Abyss says I get a full Abyssal for free. Neat, but not helpful; neither do I have any shipgirls, nor do I have the capacities to sink one and survive. Even if I put aside the pragmatic concerns, I do not like being the aggressor. I will leave them alone as long as they leave me alone. Now if only I could communicate that and be actually believed, I would be golden.

Enough useless wishes now. Hydra seems fine doing her own thing, mostly exploring the island, swimming below the surface, or lying by my feet like she does right now. I meant it when I said she reminds me of a dog. I just need to be careful not to turn into some sort of squealing dog parent constantly calling her a good girl.

Everything turned out better than expected, but now I am back at the drawing board in terms of my actual goal. Do I make my scout, or not?


Day 9

I looked through blueprints for hours today. There are a number of different improvements, but Stealth is in the cards if I give it another two days. The Abyss says it takes a few hours for new Abyssals to gestate, the proper ones I mean. Mindless stuff like those drones can be built in droves, but sapience takes time to do right. Makes sense to me, the human mind is a complicated mess after all.

Now I wonder how Abyssal minds are structured. Are they like humans or is there some significant difference? What do they use as a base? The Abyss itself is silent on it.

Anyway, I fast-tracked some research to push me toward the better stealth package. Improved speed lies on the way too, so I know what my little scout's specialty will be.

I also noticed that Hydra has some spacious compartments, though little weapons in terms of cannons. It would be funny to mount some huge fuck-off gun on her back, at least if I had one of those. It will be a while until then. But she will be fine unless she runs into shipgirls exactly, her armour belt is hardier than any regular sealife can pierce. And she does have two guns; I have no idea about calibres and do not really care to know, but those should be good enough in a pinch.

Maybe I should learn about naval weaponry, considering how important it is. Not like I have much else to do. But it is boring, so maybe later.

Anyway, the beginnings of a plan are forming: with Hydra being able to transport resources and my drones to excavate them, I really only need that scout to find more deposits. With just a little luck she will pay for herself in a matter of days. I will only make the one, though; Hydra reminded me that every unit requires upkeep in terms of steel and oil to keep them running.

But... maybe that super drone would be useful here, too?


Day 11

Did not write a log yesterday. At first I thought about it, but nothing really interesting happened. I will probably keep skipping these slow days in the future.

Hydra continues to do her thing; I did not notice her getting smarter yet, either. Stealth is getting close and I dumped a bunch of newly fabricated drones into the pool until it was filled to capacity. The Abyss churns and seems more intrigued than appalled this time, at least from what little I get in terms of impressions.

The plan is to test if I can get a better drone out of this and prepare my scout tomorrow. Thinking about it, I should stop talking about a drone when she will probably be intelligent; Hydra is no drone either, a

Oh boy, she came out just now! I had to stop writing for a bit because I got the ping! By the time I finished jogging over to the spawn pool (no more running until I stop stumbling because the tits unbalance me), she was already out and looking around. A bit chubby, perhaps more like stocky, and clad in midnight black. I checked, she does not have an ounce of fat on her; it is all pure muscle. Her skin is the same deathly pale tone as mine, though she is more than two heads smaller.

She looked at me the moment I walked in, too. It was a little eerie, really. At least until she started talking in one of these high-pitched, cutesy anime girl voices.

I am still not sure what to make of her first few words. They told me a lot yet so little at all.

"Mi-Class Drone Commander at your service, Princess."

Anyone who knows the reality I was dropped into will know how important that last word is. Abyssal Princesses are the big movers and shakers. Why the Abyss decided not to tell me I am one is up in the air; that new girl immediately called me one, though. I asked for confirmation just to make sure.

That aside, she is exactly what I hoped she would be, a commander type for my drones; excavation and mining are her expertise, but she also has a mind for logistics. Meaning that I can leave directing the drones for maximum efficiency to her.

It was a tiny bit weird talking to her at first. She seems a little too demure for my liking; I double-checked with the Abyss that it does not impact free will and that she has it. Maybe her being made out of those mining drones is the reason, or it is just a coincidence. Whatever the case, she mostly just went along with whatever I said.

Also, I checked: there was no Mi-Class before this one emerged. The 'Mi' stands for Mining and now declares a type of Abyssal focussed on excavation. It seems the Abyss somehow never thought about giving the non-fighting types much in the form of sapience before. This taught me that it still evolves; perhaps my purpose is actually to help the Abyss advance further than it could on its own?

Whatever, it is getting late now and speculation is for later. My new commander wanted to get right to work; she is full of energy, what with being newly born. I considered sending her to bed, but decided to let her do as she wants. I did tell her not to overdo it, though.

Tomorrow I need to pick a name for her. Really should have thought that through beforehand.


Day 12

Now that I think about it, I doubt 'making friends' is supposed to be this literal. Not that there is much choice in the matter here.

Do underlings count as friends? Whatever, some stuff happened.

First of all, I barely stopped myself from naming the Mi-Class something silly; she is now called Orion for no particular reason. I just like the name.

Secondly, Orion was up all night and doubled drone efficiency. I was directing them on my own before, but I am not purpose-built to understand how to use them best. I was also doing like ten other things in-between, so that makes sense. Unfortunately, there is not much use for the drones right now; we mostly finished excavating below this island, at least as far as I wanted to go. Orion mostly went through the entire complex and improved the masonry.

She also got to meet Hydra once I woke up. That was... kind of disappointing. I guess I hoped that my adopted eldritch horror would make her panic, but she just beamed and complimented me on making such a formidable creature. Hydra preened throughout.

I am not entirely sure how to feel about the fact she almost started devouring the fish Hydra caught raw. Orion seemed so happy about it, the food that is. As if she never... ah. Newborn, now that makes sense. I need to be careful there. How much does the Abyss actually give its own in terms of racial memories?

Orion knows her job, she can speak and walk and do all the things a human learns growing up. I need to see tomorrow what else she knows.

But that is for tomorrow. After that exciting morning, I forced myself to finally commit and throw all those juicy resources into a Ka-Class submarine. Like I said, I want a scout. Specifically one that can find me things on the ocean floor. She came out in the evening, peering at me from the sludge without really surfacing at first.

Where Orion was matter-of-fact and calm, this one seemed to vibrate with energy. "Ka-Class ready for duty," she said. "What's my job? Who do I stalk?"

I tried to coax her out of the spawn pool first, but she was hesitant. Maybe submarines do not like the surface? If so, I should probably add some sort of bay; assuming I can add a floodgate so I do not accidentally submerge everything.

Bays are a good thought, actually. They have repair baths for shipgirls, do I need something like that? The Abyss says yes, but only once someone gets damaged. Just great, another thing I need to divert resources into; and I probably want this one sooner rather than later.

Still, she eventually came out of the pool and let me look at her. Smaller than Orion and lithe, not to mention as pale as the rest of us. I can probably leave that out from now on; all Abyssals look like corpses, skin-wise. This time I thought of a name beforehand, but figured it did not really fit this little bundle of energy. After some scrambling, she is now Sapphire. Not very creative, but I did not want to leave her hanging too long.

I just realised I am pack-bonding again. At least this time the lot actually makes a social group and not just a herd of drones.

Once named, Sapphire came along on a tour without much fuss. She was definitely more timid on land, though. Maybe I should submerge some of the lower areas? Not like I have trouble breathing underwater, I just do not like it. My self-imposed practice helped with that, but I stopped doing it a few days ago.

Which brings me to another thing to consider: how much of my human self and sensibilities should I try to keep? I can definitely get used to this, even if I will never enjoy it; especially the body, but we already had that covered before. But the change in diet, being underwater, being opposed to humanity? Where is the line?

Sapphire actually asked me something that brought me to this. Maybe the one question I was not prepared for: "What's your name, Princess?"

Orion was too business-like to ask about that. Or maybe she just did not care. Hydra probably never even considered the question, even if she could speak. Sapphire wanted to know, though. And I had no answer for her. My old name does not really work here, does it? But do I want to give it up? How far can I push this before I start forgetting who I am. More importantly, do I want to hold onto being someone I used to be? Should I embrace who I become now instead?

Why can these things not be easy?

I told Sapphire that I will get back to her once she completes her first mission; that is to map out the area surrounding our base. I told her explicitly that this is a scouting mission and to not attack anyone, even if she gets the opportunity. I also told her to watch out specifically for ore of any kind, or oil, whatever resources she could find.

She seemed happy enough about the task. Orion was across the island, restless because she had no real work to do. I really hope Sapphire will find something.

Now to think about who and what I want to remain or become.


Day 15

Some slow days. Orion took to riding around on Hydra's back because she is bored. I had to wrack my brain for children's games to teach her, but most of them were not much fun. Tag or hide and seek do not really work with two people, and Hydra is not smart enough to play either. Orion got a little interested in hopscotch, though. She took to it with an innocent curiousity you would not expect.

Thankfully, Sapphire returned today with a well-filled map of our surroundings. She found some nice resource deposits, too. I topped off her fuel and gave her some extra fish as a reward for a job well done, then I sent Orion out with all but one of our drones to start excavating.

The good thing is that I had enough time to think. Sapphire was only the first to ask for my name, but keeping the old one in this form feels kind of weird. I am different now than I was then, there is no changing that ever. So I might as well take a different name now, if nothing else to signify it. The Abyss is not forcing me, I made doubly sure of that. It seems indifferent to whatever I decide in that regard.

So once we settled at the beach, with Sapphire relaxing submerged up to her head, I told her.

"Dagon. That's my name. Tech Administrator Princess Dagon."

Her response almost had me laugh, had it not been so earnest and peppy: "It sounds kind of weird, but okay. I'm at your service, Princess Dagon!"

I think I like how easygoing she is. It sets a nice juxtaposition with Orion's down-to-earth behaviour. And yes, I went back to Lovecraft for my own name; Dagon was the first of his pantheon I ever read about and somehow stayed in my mind the easiest. It feels kind of fitting to name myself after another terror of the depths.

The 'Tech Administrator Princess' stuff is bogus I made up, too. The Abyss had nothing to do with it beside telling me that all princesses have some sort of title. I tried to hit what I do without immediately giving everything away. Also no mention of my resource generation ability, that would immediately turn me into public enemy number one if any humans heard it.

Either way, I delivered my first headpat that afternoon. Sapphire was pretty confused about the gesture, but I think she liked it. Then she went swimming with Hydra; I have the feeling those two get along better than either of them with Orion. Then again, I guess I make the second taciturn person on the island, so she should be fine.

Things are pretty relaxed right now and I can expect an influx of resources soon. Immediate shortages are no longer a concern in any way, shape, or form. Now I need to get a better idea of the area, tech into stealth for Sapphire's safety, and maybe research that doom cannon for Hydra.

Here is to hoping everything stays calm until I can find a better location for my main base.

 

[Naron]

Day 16

Today I found out I made a mistake, but it hopefully did not ruin anything.

Specifically, I did not consider that the drones and Orion have little transport capacities. So I woke up to a steady stream of drones delivering resources to the main depot.

As one can imagine, that is not really something I want when obscurity is the name of the game. So I woke Sapphire and sent her over to tell Orion to stop harvesting ore while I figure out a solution. Hydra has decent capacities, but I am not sure if she will actually listen to orders not to attack anyone. In addition, I do not think she is meant to be a transport ship.

Which brings me to the issue at hand: do I shell out for another ship? Or do I try to bootleg something cheaper?

One advantage of writing these log entries is that I actually have to think things through, instead of just going with the flow as I often do. Bootlegging is a short-term solution, getting a proper transport up and running helps more in the long term. At the same time, the more ships I build, the more upkeep I need to pay. Sure, I just upgraded my resource generation ability, but that is not going to ever carry an entire fleet.

Good thing I played Factorio, that game teaches you how jumpstarting an economy is nowhere near easy. Especially with hostile locals potentially everywhere you want to expand to.

Anyway, I am going to lump the materials for a transport into the pool in a moment. She should be ready tomorrow morning. Then I am going to call Orion back so she can install a floodgate into the island, hidden beneath the waves. That should help hiding my movements if anyone comes by.


Day 17

Well, would you look at that. My Wa-class transport woke up about the same time I did this morning. She is kind of chubby and her rigging is an actual metal ball that only her upper half reaches out of. Somewhere in the middle between outgoing and taciturn, I guess. I called her Ionia, once again for no real reason beyond it being a name I thought of. I really hope I can keep everyone's names straight if I ever start building more than one of each type.

If nothing else, she was as ready to start working as the others. Her voice is on the deeper end, though I did not hear much of it before I sent her off to support the others.

The rest of the day was me trying to figure out how a floodgate works in practice while Sapphire watched. This gets especially fun if you do not know how far exactly the wall reaches. I still have not started giving orders, but at least the stream of drones delivering stuff stopped. I am keeping a few of them here for this project.

In retrospect, I should probably build the first gate further inside, then just make a room until I hit the outside.


Day 18

Hey, guess who is an idiot?

If you guessed me, you are absolutely right!

Only I would be dumb enough to stay in the room my drones are excavating, despite knowing the sea is on the other side. I had them build the floodgate into a hallway going nowhere and made doubly sure every nook and cranny is reinforced with that fun goo. Then I made doubly sure the schematics I researched actually work as intended. Sure enough, the thing opens and closes perfectly fine. It is, however, not automatic yet. Elbow grease is a requirement, not that any Abyssal lacks that.

Anyway, back to me being dumb. Even though I have not been human for about a month, I guess I still have the old instincts in there. The moment one drone hit the isle's wall, water broke in and filled the entire room. It went so fast I thought I was drowning for a few seconds. Until I remembered I could breathe just fine, that is.

After that little scare and while still miffed at myself and the world, I ordered the drones to widen the gap and smooth out all edges. Then I had them build the second floodgate. And then I swam outside to see how deep I actually set this thing. Fifty metres below surface level ought to be enough.

Something else I learned: if I do not put on my rigging, I do not need even a fraction of the fuel to move. Otherwise I would have chugged a lot of oil just moving around in the depths. The downside is that I can not use my engines, so I was basically swimming. And another hooray for soul voodoo nonsense; it stops me from either sinking or ascending to the surface unless I want to do either.

Thinking about it some more, I should probably build another one of these floodgates, opening to the other side of the island. But right now that would be only in case someone finds me, finds that entrance, and specifically tries to lay siege to me instead of just bombing everything to oblivion or forcing their way in. So yeah, no. I could live without these twinges of paranoia.


Day 19

Sapphire seems happy with the new installation, though I am far less so. Then again, that is on me. I should have considered what to do with the water beforehand. Right now each use of the lower gate floods some more of my base. The lowest layer is already full and was immediately claimed by my scout. She can have it as her domain, I do not really mind.

But yes, I need to install a drain of some sort, and quick. At least I am more than good on resources after Ionia made her first delivery. She handed everything over without a word, then topped up her reserves and loaded some extra for Orion's team. And then she swam back out.

While I had my own drones dig out another chamber, I got to thinking. I need water for a bunch of stuff anyway, right? And sea water has a lot of salt. Salt is a resource. Also, still water grows stale over time; I do not think I want Sapphire's grotto to just sit there for long.

So I went to the drawing board to make this a bigger thing. I have manpower, or rather dronepower, aplenty. It barely costs any resources to install pumps, but the heating grid is a little bit more fiddly. At least the Abyss threw me a bone there and told me there is a way to transform the soul voodoo nonsense into other forms of energy. Read, I do not need to build a conventional generator for electricity.

The plan is to pump all the water from the floodgate room into a holding tank. From there it goes either into processing, the grotto, or a spacious bath. The last two I want to pump back out on the regular, mostly because I do not know what else could be added into it that I do not want in processing. And in there I will heat the water until it turns to steam. That can be used elsewhere or dissipate to the surface, but also leaves the salt behind.

It does sound ambitious, but I think I can do it. With the power of the Abyss and a mental tech base on my side, at least.


Day 22

It took a while, but I did it. Sapphire was not happy when I first pumped the water out of her grotto, but she did not make a fuss even before I explained. She did not really get the appeal of a bath, either; I think she was thinking of a repair bath instead of a regular one. Then again, the Abyss tells me there is little difference between the two unless someone is damaged. And I am not supposed to 'waste' the healing effect on lesser Abyssals like my drones.

I am not sure how to feel about that. On one hand I kind of get the idea; making a new drone after cannibalising the damaged one is probably cheaper than repairing it. But I do not really want to? Probably the pack-bonding again.

But yes, we have a proper secret entrance now. More than that, it also feeds into a bath and salt production, which means I now have seasoning... for food I do not have. That is the next step on the agenda. One of these days I have to try convincing the Abyss to let me use soul voodoo nonsense for synthesizing food. I already have all the chemical elements, food is just specific combinations of them. I think.

Which reminds me that I hit something neat today: my personal improvements contain a module that lets me convert any material into any other, even if the rate is inefficient at base. Fun how I get stuff for free that any chemist would kill to obtain. I turned some steel into several kilos of gold and had my drones chew it up, then bling out the entire base. I also had them make bracelets for Orion, Sapphire, and Ionia. And a golden collar for Hydra, that took some work to fit between her tentacles.

Again, the girls were confused. But if I am already going to be stuck here, I will do it in style. Mind, just gold looks a little bland, but Sapphire already got interested in carving after I tried and failed at it; for some reason she was a little skittish when asking about it, but now I find her adding details to the gold fillings around the base whenever she is not on a mission.

Maybe I will add some silver and bronze soon to mix it up? Then again, gold is the colour of winners. And I plan to be a winner.

Excavation below the sea goes well ahead of schedule, or so I would say if I had drawn up any schedules. Orion has more than paid for herself already. Same for Sapphire. And here is where the counting people as resources falls flat because I do not know if Ionia had any effect in that regard. Nobody reported sighting humans so far.

Then again, there was one time last week when Hydra got upset at another plane and tried to spear it with her tentacles. She did not even get close to reaching it, but that did not stop her from trying until the plane was long gone; then she remained aggressive for hours.


Day 23

Guess I jinxed it.

The bad news is that shipgirls came by near here. The good news is that I finished the stealth-upgrade for Sapphire earlier than that. She spotted them, but they did not spot her.

Further bad news is the conversation we had afterward. She was jittery upon return and reported her findings; a convoy passing by, at least ten transports guarded by twice as many fighting class ships. And despite being just one submarine, Sapphire insisted she be allowed to ambush them. I told her no, of course. That I am not risking her or the base for a cheap shot.

"Then build more ships!" she all but shouted back. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. She was too, covering her mouth and all. That was the first time any of my girls tried to tell me what to do, none of them even tried for advice before.

I am a little upset that she took that tone with me, but not angry. One of my better traits seems to have remained: I do not stay mad for long outside of very special cases. Thinking back on our conversation, I believe there is more to this. It may fit in with these other snippets of odd behaviours I noticed, but I need to think about it some more.

Regardless, I explained my reasoning to her then; full frontal assaults are not what I prefer doing. I rather stay hidden and build up my technological advantage as much as possible; any ship I build will take resources and chug up even more to be maintained. If I open fire and a single message makes it out, my presence will become known. If no one makes it out, that still makes the area suspicious.

"So we're just doing nothing?" she asked back. That is what my explanations boils down to, even if it is oversimplified. Sapphire was still not happy. "But we have to destroy them all, Princess!"

Now that, as you may imagine, confused me. I only realised what was so odd about it after the fact, though. Sapphire stalked away in a huff and kept moping in her underground grotto for the rest of the day. I tried to coax her out with some soft stones to practice carving, but she is giving me the silent treatment.

While I mull that entire thing over, I need to figure out what to do next. I still do not know where in the world I am. Is there any sort of mountain in the area I can get to undetected? Should I even try to make landfall anywhere?


Day 24

Ionia came to me during her break; as busy a bee as she is in ferrying resources, she seems to appreciate taking a little time to just walk around the island or relax leaning against Hydra. Today she accompanied me on my own walk. We did not really talk, but it was nice enough to have her around.

The one time she spoke up, she relayed a request from Orion; my drone commander was asking for permission to automate resource excavation and build a minor base with depots and everything. She wants to either return, or excavate another deposit Sapphire found on her scouting runs.

I had to mull that over, but the presence of shipgirls made me realise that backup plans are never a bad idea. So I had Ionia carry back the message to go ahead; I took some time to draw up a plan of what I wanted, but left the details and layout to Orion. Maybe that gets her to do her own thing; less micromanaging for me can not be bad. I will let her build a dry base below the ocean floor, complete with floodgate and everything. She will do the same thing at every other deposit. Those will serve as my emergency shelter in case this main base is found.

Not that I have much stuff here yet. Maybe I should build some more factories or research labs? Yes, that sounds more like it. Maybe a refinery later, once we are getting raw oil?

Or maybe I should do the opposite? Keep resource refinement decentralised in case of an attack, making this more of a summer home sort of deal. I am definitely not separating all my factories from where the stuff they need is stored, even I can tell that is dumb. But it may be good to create a number of dedicated facilities, maybe by ship type? And then I make one or two based on research.

Okay, I think I have this figured out. I just need to pass the news to Orion once Ionia gets back. Sapphire is still moping in her grotto, so I am just leaving her be until she comes out. I feel a little bad to effectively ignore her, but I do not want to stick my head underwater for any longer than I must. We already established that Abyssals have free will, so she might as well decide to sink me if I force the issue and upset her too much.

Thinking about it, now that is a slippery slope if I ever saw one. I must be careful not to grow paranoid of my own forces. It is true I do not like saying no, but giving in to everything does not a good leader make. And it just occurred to me, but I technically fill a role akin to a parent for them all, do I not?

Well. I remember my parents telling me that ignoring it worked best when I threw tantrums as a child. But can what Sapphire does be qualified as a tantrum at this point?

Whatever. I will give her another day to come out on her own, otherwise I pump the water from her hidey hole and talk to her myself. In the meantime, I need to better understand her point so I can address it; Sapphire is a submarine, so in traditional fantasy terms that makes her the rogue of the team. She sneaks around and backstabs her enemies from nowhere. But despite that, she is still a fighter. I am not.

Maybe that is the disconnect between us. She sees enemies to be destroyed, I see issues to be avoided.

But how do I get my point into her head without trampling over hers?

On top of that, I just realised the irony of my situation. Shipgirls were sighted and posed no problem whatsoever because they never spotted us. No, the only real danger I am currently dealing with is... does it count as teenage angst when she is only a week old but looks like a teen?

Perhaps I can actually get somewhere if I find the girl some hobbies to keep her busy? She did like carving stuff from what I saw. But what can I have her do beside patrolling on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere?

Somehow, I get the feeling I am not going to reach any sort of satisfying conclusion tonight. Better get some sleep and hope for inspiration to strike when I am busy doing something else; it has a habit of doing that. I also need to look over my tech tree for anything I could keep her busy with. If only my brain would stop considering to bribe her with sugar, we would be golden.

 

[Naron]

Day 25

Sapphire came to me this morning. I am not entirely sure, but I think she expected some sort of punishment for hiding away two days long. At least I could subvert expectations that way, considering that I just shrugged it off.

"Walk with me," I told her. Ionia got back earlier too, so I had her come along as well. There were questions I needed answered.

Like this one: "Why is it so important that we kill all humans and shipgirls?"

There was silence afterward. Neither knew quite what to say; when I looked back to them, they were staring at each other as if trying to silently discuss it. Sapphire opened her mouth several times, but faltered before a single noise came out. Ionia was just confused.

The answer Sapphire finally gave me was unsatisfying and really telling: "Because we gotta. Don't you feel it?"

And there was indeed that little nudge from the Abyss. No stronger than before. I only realised hours later what I missed in that regard. Maybe it took talking to the girls to figure it out, too.

"Not really. Truth be told, I could not care less about destroying humanity."

Somehow, it felt blasphemous to say out loud; both girls with me gasped in surprise, Sapphire even threw a hand over her mouth in shock. To say I was unimpressed is an understatement, but I thought about what to say to them for hours. "My first priority is to stay alive and enjoy that life. This includes the lot of you, too. You are not dying anytime soon."

Which is really the crux of the matter. I feel responsible for them and that means I will not just use them up like resources. Unless I must, I guess. But considering that Sapphire's answer boils down to 'But we're made to destroy them, nothing else matters!', I have the feeling she would happily throw herself into death for me.

I kept quiet for a while after that, but ultimately shook my head. "At my current level of power and advancement, we do not stand a chance if they send any notable force our way. Building more ships is not enough; if I already go into a fight, I want a flawless victory. We can talk about fighting them again in the future, but right now we will keep hidden."

That had her grumble, but she acquiesced in the end. Ionia was quietly listening with a soft frown. "I think I understand your reasoning," was her comment. "My duty is to transport materials. If there is no place left to deliver them to, I am bereft of a duty and adrift. But Sapphire's duty is to sink ships, Princess. What is she to do when you do not allow her to fulfill it?"

I admit I had no real answer to that. I also underestimated how thoughtful Ionia actually is. All I could do in that situation was to tell them I will think about it, and that I had new orders. At least being out and about will help them pass the time.

Ionia is delivering my new orders to set up a proper drone factory in Orion's current position on top of the depot, but not create anything yet. I really need to tech up on communications soon. Sapphire is still out on patrol. I reasoned with her that her duty under me is to be my eyes below the waves; to scout my domain and keep me informed of every intruder or oddity she can spot. She was not entirely convinced, but also not opposed to the idea.

Which brings me to the issue I spied: these nudges the Abyss gives me? They are a lot stronger with the girls. I do not think it is on purpose, I just have decades' worth of memories and learned behaviours in my head. These girls are brand new, basically newborns with adult minds and bodies. But even if they are mature, they do not have any memories beyond what the Abyss gave them and their experiences here. So what is just a little nudge to me is a burning desire for them.

The Abyss is equally interested in my thoughts on this, but I do not think it can or wants to change anything about it. Eradicating humanity is what it wants after all.

Time and experience may give my girls the opportunity to put this urge aside. For now I need to hope we do not meet any more shipgirls. Maybe it was an error not to consider these racial memories and nudges before; it neatly explains why Abyssals are so hostile to humans, though. Not to mention that I now know for certain there is no way to get peace. This war only ends if one side eradicates the other. Humans are spiteful if nothing else, they will not forget the many lives lost.

Well, I guess I could try becoming king of the Abyss and broker for peace then. Chances of that working are miniscule. If what I heard about the setting before is any indication, Abyssal on Abyssal violence is a thing as well. And the Abyss just confirmed that. Princesses generally get along well enough while negotiating, but differences in opinion have led to firefights before when things got heated. That would not go well with me being unarmed.

Besides, conquering the Abyss poses the same problem as destroying all humans: I do not want to. This sounds like way too much work and will make me a ton of enemies on top. No, thank you.


Day 27

I got over myself and took a proper bath today. There was no incentive before, considering Abyssals have no real body odour. At this point I was curious, though.

My verdict: it is nice enough. I also talked to Sapphire when she joined me partway through. She ended up brightening a bit over her scouting mission, maybe that talk about duty helped her more than I thought. Here is to hoping this holds, I think I prefer her peppy over pouty. She went back to carving, too.

In other news, Orion finished setting up our first offshoot base. She moved on to another deposit with her group of drones, safely hidden in the depths. I do not get much in terms of resources right now, but I am still good for a while with what I have. Ionia's deliveries are spaced out more, so she spends more time with Orion until enough extra was mined to fully load her.

Next on the agenda is nothing, really. I have no idea what to do next. At the same time, I do not want to just wait for things to happen to me. Anything that could happen has the potential to be bad or worse.

So my next techs will go into weapons research. I was musing over putting a big cannon on Hydra's back. That is the plan for now, but I will also drive up my resource generation as far as I can. The more I get for free in a day, the better. My Fairies work around the clock, much more efficient than any human crew could ever be. I still do not know if they are actually aware or just constructs. The Abyss does not quite know, either.

Either way, I am doing well. My tech base will be fairly solid before long.


Day 35

It has been almost two months now. I think I got more used to being an Abyssal. Somehow I doubt it will ever be actually comfortable, but I will live.

Nothing really happened the last week, though. I mostly just went through the motions. Still no convoys or shipgirl patrols, but no other Abyssals either. The Abyss at least coughed up that there are others out there. Either I really am somewhere in the middle of nowhere, or they try to stay hidden just as much as I.

This is the opposite of a complaint, by the way. I am perfectly happy not having any neighbours to be mindful of. Sapphire keeps scouting under her again improved stealth capacities, Orion builds factory after factory. I authorised another batch of drones for her entourage after she requested that, so her building speed has risen further.

In retrospect, letting her do what she wants was the best thing I could have done. Orion builds these outposts and puts drones inside to keep mining whatever is in reach, then moves on. It is tempting to make another ship just to keep an eye on resource extraction, but I refrained for now. Upkeep and all that.

For now I have Ionia tour the depots and went harder on my tech base; first item on my bucket list is getting my generators to their maximum output. I am already a good way along, enough to have a B-team of scientist Fairies study Hydra's big cannon. Still no sign of growing intelligence with her, so she is probably stuck at "smart dog". In that case I might as well make her a very scary one.

Resource-wise, a number of lighter cannons would be easier to research and build. In this case I decided I want the heavier one. Sure, it falls flat against a bunch of stuff, but I am not building a fleet anytime soon; I want to have at least one huge gun to scare people with. Hydra and Sapphire together should be enough to deal with singular intruders. Anything else will just roll over us anyway.

Besides, this is a precaution; my plan in case of enemy contact is to evacuate and vanish into the sea. As much as I do not want to be underwater, I will use it to hide if I must.


Day 40

I got done installing Hydra's huge gun. She seems oddly happy with it, prowling around and playing at being an apex predator. It covers the entirety of her back and is adjusted with the tentacles that were just hanging around otherwise. I let her shoot it once just to test that it works; the result was impressive enough. The water splashed at least a hundred metres high and Sapphire heard it from deep underground.

Here is to hoping nobody was in the area.

All that aside, communications are done as well. I make sure to call Orion once a day to get progress reports and just talk to her; we may not be human, but I think she should get some more exposure to people as well. At least Sapphire seems to have grown more mellow recently; I can not test how that plays with her instincts without any shipgirls around, but I am hopeful.

Speaking of Orion, she has been a busy bee; I have factories ready for about half the existing Abyssal ship types, as well as my own Mi-class. They lie dormant while Ionia keeps emptying their steadily replenishing stocks of resources; all of those are funnelled into my own labs and the extras I had built into the island base.

Come to think of it, maybe I should give this place a name. Just calling it 'this island' gets stale. It does not need to be fancy or unique, but I do not want to be silly and call it 'Home' or something like that.

Ah. Haven. That sounds fitting but not dumb, at least to me.

Anyway, Haven is continuing to grow. Sapphire carved lines and patterns into most of the gold I laid into the inside, so I gave her some silver to add to it. She seems happy spending her free time carving or playing with Hydra, but we are starting to hit the limits of her capacity; the area scouted and mapped is getting big, more than a single submarine can patrol within a few days.

Either I finish expanding the area under my control, as far as one can call it that, or I build more ships. Improving Sapphire's specs was a stopgap to that end, but it can no longer keep up.

I am good on resources for the moment, though. So there is no real reason to make another sub. Definitely not for any other type of ship, considering my focus on stealth.


Day 42

We are close to the two months mark. Time sure flies.

And of course it is today of all days, the answer to everything, that Sapphire made contact. Thankfully no hostiles, but maybe I would have preferred that. She was so excited to meet that other submarine at the edge of our territory, she talked about it through our entire bath. Ionia seemed just as stumped as I while Hydra kept vying for pets. That was weirdly domestic in retrospect.

So yes, another group of Abyssals is entering this area. I had Sapphire exchange map data with the other sub; curious thing was that the other side do not seem to have improved communications. She had to rush back to her Princess to report. At least there were no attempts to encroach on our marked territory yet; I do not think I could bluff with what little I have.

Then again, I have Hydra. That might work.

Right now I am a little anxious about meeting this new faction.


Day 47

Everything went better than expected. The other Princess, Frostbite, requested parley via that sub Sapphire already knew. The poor girl had to swim halfway here before stumbling over Ionia on a supply run. I think the fact Ionia could radio it in tipped her off to our comms tech, but nobody said if she asked.

Anyway, I understand it is customary to meet at the border between one's territories. Considering how much fuel my engines chug, I decided to invite Frosbite to Haven instead. I also told that sub in person why, with Hydra being my backrest when I met her. And just in case that would be taken the wrong way, I offered to cover the fuel Frostbite needs to come here and back to her own territory.

Maybe that display was a little overkill. She was definitely intimidated by my pet eldritch horror. Or maybe because she saw my specs; I displace more weight than Bismarck. If you do not know that is all research space and resource storage, you would be very worried about the amount of firepower I have. I guess bluffing is a possibility after all.

Communicating all this back and forth took a little while, but Frostbite accepted and came over with a small escort of destroyers.

Sapphire led them to my quickly built throne room over land, partway through that blinged out main base. I told her not to reveal our underwater entrance, partly for safety and partly for the image. Abyssals do not respect each other as a matter of course; a weak Princess is worthless, so I displayed strength as best I could.

But really, I always wanted to sit on a throne. My verdict is that I need some pillows.

I had Hydra dozing nearby, too. She upset the gaggle of petite destroyers following their Princess by her mere presence; even Frostbite gave her a long, discerning look. Or maybe it was the huge gun on her back.

Anyway, things ended well despite me bullshitting my way to victory there. I got up once they had time to take in the sight and met Frostbite halfway. Shaking hands with an Abyssal was an experience, even if I am one myself; her grip was tough as steel for obvious reasons.

"Be welcome," I started. "I am Dagon, the Tech Administrator Princess."

She already knew that, but this was the first time we met face to face. I think my voice wavered a bit, but she did not react to it. There was no subservience or anything from her, though; just a nod and a faint twitch of the lips.

"Thank you for having us. I am Frostbite, Battleship Princess."

In retrospect, the way she said it makes me think there are several Battleship Princesses. And the Abyss just told me this is correct; some titles are unique like mine, but most are not. It does not really matter in the end, though; I invited Frostbite to a separate room for a proper conversation, the only one I spent time furnishing with wood. Good thing I can generate that, too. Sapphire showed her destroyers to the baths for a rest and I sent Hydra to play outside.

Frostbite went straight to business once we sat down. No chit chat, no nothing. I appreciate that a lot. We were in there for no more than an hour, talking over how we expected to interact with the other. I told her I am mostly just consolidating my current holdings and gathering resources, she revealed that she is still establishing herself nearby. Turns out her previous base was bombed to hell, but she and her escorts fought themselves out. They repurposed a destroyed human airbase not too far away as their lair.

I told her to expand in the opposite direction of my holdings then, not like there is a premium on territory here. She agreed readily enough; I am glad arrogance is less of an issue with Abyssals, or at least those I met so far. She could have easily taken offense. Or maybe that is because I am also a Princess?

Either way, she seems perfectly fine coexisting without bothering the other. The one thing we had to argue about was technology; they noticed my improved comms, just like I thought. It makes sense she wants to get her hands on that. I needed a while to mull it over, at least until she said to name a price. Then things got easier.

I have not agreed to anything yet, but I am considering the matter. I could try to get a ton of resources out of this, at least as much as I paid to research communications to begin with. But asking for too much will probably upset her. I could easily gift this one to her too, but that may make me appear weak.

But honestly, I am not cut out to be a businessman. I rather be nice. If it ends up biting me in the ass, so be it.

 

[Naron]

Day 48

I thought it over after closing the log yesterday, and this morning as well; paranoia is really the only reason to try charging Frostbite tons of resources. As I said, I would not make a good businessman.

Frosbite stayed the night because we both figured there were additional talks needed. Her own sub went back to tell her fleet about the delay. The destroyers relaxed some as time passed with nothing bad happening. I did not really have rooms prepared for anyone, though; it has been two months and I still sleep on the ground or in the baths. Suffice it to say this has been rectified after researching carpentry techs.

Mind, I doubt this was necessary; Frostbite seemed perfectly fine sleeping on the beach with her escorts because Abyssals are just built different. But I have other sensibilities. And now that I can lie in a proper bed myself, I realise how much I missed this. Another hooray for cheat skills that let me make foam mattresses and pillows from my own abundance of materials.

Anyway, I had my Fairies prepare an information package and gave that to Frostbite this morning. To say she was surprised is an understatement.

"I'm the Tech Admnistrator Princess," I told her with a little grin. "And I have no reason to screw you over. So the first one's free, we can keep in contact and negotiate over anything else you might want."

Really, it was the pragmatic choice as well. We spent a week passing messages back and forth just to set up a proper meeting. This will cut down on the hassle tremendously. Frostbite took it with grace, only to immediately ask what else I could offer. I admit I expected her to at least think it over first.

Looking at my current tech, there were a few things I could give her. The usual stuff like fuel efficiency and engine improvements, sure, but I decided to also offer her the Mi-class blueprint and a general upgrade to mining efficiency. I had to mull over prices while she suffered from decision paralysis, though; in the end I went for two thirds of their research costs while generously rounding up to get nicer numbers.

Then she asked about Hydra. Almost flippantly, at that. "What about this one? Why are its blueprints a secret?"

I could only shrug. There technically is a blueprint for Hydra, but it has no name beyond a number of question marks. Not to mention that it requires a bunch of regular living matter and I do not know if one can substitute Abyssals for that. And if I already thought about throwing humans into the spawn pool for a little while, then others will absolutely get the same idea.

"Sorry," I told her in the end. "Hydra was an experiment. I'm still not sure if I want to see more of her kind. She isn't actually sapient."

I then had to explain the difference between sentience and sapience to Frostbite, who soaked up the new knowledge like a sponge. Just another reminder that Abyssals do not have an education or any real life experiences; nothing beyond the waves, their kin, and the battles against humanity.

An idea just presented itself to me. I do not know how feasible it is, but if I can find any cables nearby, then maybe it can be done. On the other hand, would Abyssals even want to learn about human stuff? Outside of how to use it to their advantage, that is?

On second thought, do I care? I want the Internet back, too.

Regardless, Frostbite ended up taking the Mi-class. I had to improvise a price for the blueprint because it was effectively free through experimentation. She also took mining efficiency on my recommendation; doubling up on resource throughput gives her more tools to work with, after all.

We parted around noon with another handshake. I gave them some more fuel to make it back and saw them off from the shore. It was a pleasant meeting, all in all.

The rest of the day was quiet beyond the buzzsaws in my factories.


Day 50

There was one little snag in the communications plan: what I researched so far is enough to cover my own territory, but not to reach as far as Frostbite's. So I researched these nifty relay stations and had Sapphire take some drones to install one. Then I also built a comms station below Haven, complete with comfy chair to sit in while I talk to people. It is voice-only for now because nobody else actually has a proper setup, they just answer comms with their rigging.

But now that I have the basics set, I am good to go. There are enough resources in my chosen territory to last me a good while. More will come in from trading with Frostbite; it does not really matter if each purchase is a one-time thing, either. The influx just covers technology my resource generation can not pay on its own.

Knowing that, I went and had Orion build a number of scanners that we then installed at the edges of my budding realm. They are so far beneath the sea that nobody can find them, they only react to shipgirls and Abyssals, and they will immediately inform me if someone or something enters their reach. I tested that with Sapphire to make sure. Then I adjusted her patrol routes to prevent constant pings.

My little squad is still busy setting up the remaining scanners; I do have quite a bit of territory under my name by now. Maybe now would be the time to build some more ships, but I still do not like the prospect of them. I definitely have the factories by now, Orion keeps working hard. Two dozen small bases spread out across the ocean floor speak of that. No sign of internet cables yet, though.

I asked her if she wanted something as a reward for her constant work, but she was more puzzled than anything. "Isn't having so much work reward enough?" is what came back over the comms. My once-German heart approves, but I still think she earned herself something.

Unfortunately, I do not actually know what Abyssals might like. We do not need to eat by necessity, though we like to consume resources in a manner similar to food. The first time I had to slurp up oil was weird, let me tell you.

Anyway, I went to ask Frostbite what she does to reward good work; she was also confused, so no help from that end. I did try to explain how rewards can work as incentives to continue hard work and to behave. She seemed thoughtful when I cut the connection, but that does not have to mean anything. Honestly, talking to Abyssals is pretty easy once you figure out that they do not think in terms of common decency or kindness. Efficiency and progress toward the war always work in getting the point across. Their norms and values are different, but not something I can not work with. I just need to make sure I do not actually tell them about any of the war crimes they could commit with my tech.

Looking at the poison gas research there; it is still sealed and will stay that way until the end of time.

Anyway, I am going to mull over potential rewards for now.


Day 51

Today was calm, but I had a thought upon re-reading some earlier entries to refresh my memories.

I made up the title "Tech Administrator Princess" last month, but Frostbite accepted it without issue. When interacting with the Abyss about it, even the Abyss acted like that had always been an Abyssal title. Thinking more about it, I realise that it incorporated the thing wholesale about as soon as I chose it. The Abyss just runs with whatever I came up with.

I am not entirely sure how to feel about that. Is this the reason I am here? To improve the Abyssal tech-base so they can win their war?

If nothing else, this would be an interesting solution to solve a standstill or something. I still can not get anything on how the Abyssals fare globally; need to call Frostbite about that, maybe she knows something.

Either way, I guess this is fine; my improvements are mostly economical and I am definitely not giving anyone the blueprints to my laboratories. Although a war does run on its economy, I will not just stop doing what I do. Reminder for myself, future me, and whomever else may come to read this: by all accounts, humans will want me dead on sight. In fact, I will be public enemy number one if my capabilities become known.

So yeah, I do not have much attachment anyway; or maybe I am just apathetic. Looks like the Abyss did well in picking its target, too; assuming this was targeted and not just a coincidence. Maybe it just grabbed whoever roughly fit the specifications. Or maybe this was not the Abyss at all and I am attributing a degree of power I should not; if it could drag people into alternate universes, then the Abyss could also have accessed a timeline where the Abyss wins and copy its strategy. At which point the Abyss wins anyway and forever, so yeah.

I should not waste too much time thinking about it. The facts are that improvements I make or research become generally accepted by the Abyss, though it does not share them in my stead. Or at least not yet. And it just told me that trading tech is my main draw as an ally, which will make me research more; should I die, the Abyss will release everything suitable I researched to the other Abyssals.

Okay, one: this is smart.

Two: this is worrying.

The Abyss has not lied to me yet, but it did just tell me that my death will be the catalyst for global Abyssal upgrades. So it could make other Abyssals kill me once my research reaches critical mass. It says it will not, but maybe I should be a little more careful.

Then again, trying to threaten the Abyss will not work. We have a good thing going and get along, as much as you can get along with random surges of information and nudges toward specific behaviour. The Abyss is not a person in the conventional sense, more of a higher being or a hivemind. I am not working against it, even if I do not exactly do the thing it wants the most.

In the end, I can only trust that it keeps its word as long as I play nice, too.


Day 53

I finally figured out the thing with rewards. It may be basic, maybe clichéd, but whatever: sweets. I can make sugar just fine, same as all the other things I need. I fast-tracked some research to get myself a proper kitchen, much to Ionia's confusion. Sapphire is still out.

I am not a baker by trade, but I do like baking on occasion. I need to get eggs and milk from somewhere for cookies and cake, though. For now I practiced making caramel; not my favourite, but a start. I really need to get my hands on proper recipes to work with the other things I have.

And there is one advantage of human civilisation: they got all the goods. Mind, I doubt anyone would actually deliver to Haven even if I could order things, but they got them.

Ionia was my guinea pig for the caramel, seeing that I had her here; she was blown away and ate the whole lot. Which tells me that Abyssals seem to have similar reactions to sugar as humans. Good to know. I also praised her for working so hard, then sent her on her way; she may be more on the taciturn side, but today Ionia was positively glowing.

I put some more caramel on and wrote down the recipe just in case, then went to call Frostbite; I remembered to ask about the war effort, too. She was a little surprised I did not know anything, but accepted my being new and in the middle of nowhere well enough.

"It is a standstill, last I heard," was how she summarised it. "The Abyss rules the waves and many coasts, but they claim dominion over land and sky." Or something like that, I forget how exactly she worded it. Point is, Abyssals on land are very much like fish out of water. They have trouble fighting on solid ground without extensive training. That makes sense in a way: they are beings of the sea and based on ships.

Frostbite also told me she was happy with the new Mi-class template; she made three and her economic strength is skyrocketing. She also asked me to look into technology or blueprints that let the Abyss advance on land; I could not make any promises, but told her I will look through my options. I actually did that and found precious little; the Abyss has no idea how to do that. Unless I make up my own stuff again, Abyssals will have to make do otherwise. There was a number of airplane upgrades I might want to look into. Higher altitude, fuel efficiency, load capacity. All the fun stuff that would let them hit further inland from the sea.

But that is still not my priority at the moment.

On that note, I was thinking: I still do not like the idea of making a giant fleet, no matter how prudent it is to protect myself. But the Abyss gave me a nudge toward something different; there are elite types. Special classes that act as something like Hero Units. Ungodly expensive to build, but with the power to match their price tags. They are called Demons and, if I got this right, having even just one in your forces is a sign of prestige among the Abyss.

The difference between Demons and Princesses is a bit odd, though. They seem to be on the same level of power. Some can lead fleets without a Princess. Actually, it seems the Demons act as natural second-in-commands. They can even take over if their Princess is slain before them.

The Abyss added a little more for me to know: Demons and Princesses are interconnected; a Princess that loses her fleet becomes a Demon and a Demon that leads a fleet long enough becomes a Princess. However, only Demons can be called forth from a spawn pool, Princesses are sent by the Abyss itself.

Good to know.

Also, I put in an order for two Demons. Quality instead of quantity.

They take a week or so to complete, but I am fine with that. A Battleship Demon and an Aircraft Carrier Demon, the hammer in the face to Sapphire's knife in the back. Which reminds me that I need to check if I can retroactively upgrade a girl to Demon status. She deserves it, not to mention it will keep her alive if a fight does happen.

Just not right now; I am not out of resources, but any more would start cutting hard into my science budget. And as we all know, the march of science is unstoppable.


Day 54

Made proper caramel candies and let Sapphire have a whole plate. She was over the moon.


Day 55

I thought about it some more: what stops me from selling these candies to other Abyssals? They have no idea about recreational stuff, so this might get them to mellow out.

Or how about I do not do that? There is a lot I can give them in terms of food knowledge, not that much of it is possible while sea-locked. But the candies, I could keep for my own faction. A reward for my girls, a treat offered during meetings, and a gift given to allies. It may not make me immune to any attempts on my life, but having something they want may give me some extra leeway.

There is a joke there about offering free candy to a bunch of girls.

Anyway, with how Sapphire almost gives bedroom eyes to the bag of caramels I carry around, I figure other Abyssals will enjoy the stuff as well. Now I just need to figure out how to get some to Orion without the delivery girl eating them all.


Day 56

I sent Ionia out to deliver a bag of caramels to Orion among the other things she wanted. Sapphire went on patrol with gusto, too. Maybe I was onto something when I figured out the candies; she now has a reason beside 'doing her duty' to work hard. If this is a pattern, the Abyssals may mellow out some if I get enough into rotation. That or other sweet stuff.

I do not know enough about sociology to make any judgements about the sort of society the Abyssals are, but it really does not feel healthy for them to be so focussed on war. Even if they were born for it, as the Abyss just reminded me. That may just be my human sensibilities speaking, but there is so much more in the world than battle.

I just need to figure out how to give them something akin to a culture without putting a torpedo into the big plan. Assuming I can do that last one, the Abyss will not be happy if I do it. And really, it has been a lot nicer than I would have expected going into this. Ignoring the 'turn me into a woman' thing, but that was out of its hand. So I have no real reason to bite the hand that feeds me.

As an aside, my original point was that only a third of a bag of caramels made it to Orion. Ionia lost candy-privileges for the next two weeks and I sent Sapphire to bring another bag over. I am unsure if seeing what happened to Ionia or pure discipline stayed her hand, but she did not snack on it. Probably a mixture of both.


Day 57

She found cables! We found the Internet!

 

[Naron]

Day 59

Okay, no real entries the last few days. I was scrambling to get this sorted and did not want to half-ass the full thing. Also too giddy to actually sit down and write things; I rarely have that.

The short of it is that Sapphire found an internet cable near the edge of my territory. I gave her explicit orders not to damage it in any way, then told Orion to get there and build an outpost. This took priority over everything else.

I imagine my girls were confused by the frantic pace I set. Internet research was given priority so I can interact with the cable properly, too; I know a good bit about software, but hardware is more of a weak point. Thankfully, Abyssal soul voodoo provides once more. My scientist Fairies reverse-engineered the cables from Orion's scans, then we built an extension and an intersection. It is not actually done yet, we still need to connect the stuff, but that is fine. I already have basic computer setups in my comms center, so they should be able to build one from there.

Come to think of it, what do I do for an operating system? I doubt they ship Windows here. Though this goes to show again how ridiculous technology really is. We really stand on the shoulders of giants in every discipline. Or is it 'they' now, considering I am not human anymore?

I guess it does not matter in the end.

I am already preparing more treats for Sapphire; Orion seemed partial to the caramel, but that could just be her being taciturn. Reading her is harder than Sapphire. Ionia remains somewhere in the middle.

At least Hydra is simple to understand, though I do not give her any sweets for safety purposes. Do not feed your dog chocolate, do not give your pet eldritch monster sugar. I may be worried for nothing, but there is no reason not to be careful. Hydra does not seem to care for the caramels either way.

Tomorrow will see our cable-extensions being installed while my scientists put together a proper computer setup and a basic OS. I just need enough to interface with the internet and download another one... probably Linux in some form; that one is freeware after all, even if I have less experience with it.


Day 60

Well, the connection stands. I have a computer. The OS will still take more time. Abyssal Fairies were not meant to delve into the abyss that is software engineering. I could give them some pointers to the concepts I recall from lectures, but that is all the help I was.

Sapphire returned as well and got her reward; another full bag of caramels. I figure I should be sparing with big ones like that, but finding the Internet deserves one. It probably helped drive home to Ionia what she did wrong, too; she still has her candy-privileges revoked after all.

This is going slower than I like, but maybe I should temper my expectations. My scientists create outright miracles with how fast they research new technologies. I am still giddy, but it started to normalise by now.

Also, I tried a caramel of my own after all. Still not my cup of tea, even in a new body. Too sweet.


Day 61

While I have nothing new on the internet situation, my Demons finished gestating today. They came out at the same time, as if the first waited for the second.

Let me tell you, Demons are different from normal shipgirls. Not only are they taller, they also have a palpable aura of strength. It is a little similar to when I talked with Frostbite, though the Abyss denies doing it on purpose. It seems to be a side-effect of the dense soul-voodoo used in their creation. And yes, I will keep calling it that for lack of a better term; it perfectly describes what goes on here.

The battleship looks similar to me, though she has an actual hourglass figure. I think. Never quite understood how that looks like, but I can see the general shape. She is a bit shorter, too. More like 180 centimetres instead of my two metres. Her sister is slender instead, but no less tall. They made quite the pair, even freshly born.

The carrier took a knee about as soon as they waded from the pools; the battleship bent at the waist to bow. It felt a little odd, none of my other ships acted so reverent to me when we first met.

"We have arrived, Princess," was what the carrier said first. "Aircraft Carrier Demon and Battleship Demon at your service; whom are we to destroy?"

She kept her eyes on the ground until I told them both to rise. The battleship's mouth remained shut, though she wore a faint smile of some sort. I do not think she said more than ten words this whole day today. Shy, perhaps? Or introverted? She is definitely not mute.

"We don't have anyone to fight right now," I told them. "You two are the guardians of my territory, that's your job. Anyone who tries to take it or attack us, you destroy them."

A twin response of "Understood" was all they gave me in return, though. They are both quite serious. At least I learned that Ariel's voice is pretty soft.

Ah, right. Names. I had to think a bit; there was a shortlist of names I made in preparation, but these two were different than what I imagined my Demons to be like. The battleship I thought would be more like Frostbite, queenly and proud. Perhaps boisterous. She is none of that, at least not so in my face. She likes to stay quiet and in the background but keeps having some sort of serene air about her. Thinking of demons also made me think of angels, so I named her Ariel.

The carrier was a bit more difficult. She seems to like her knightly spiel, taking a knee to greet me every time; Ariel stopped bowing after I told her she does not need to, but her sister keeps doing it. I thought about grabbing a name from the arthurian myth but decided against it, that feels a bit too cheap. Her name is Jeanne now. No points for anyone who can guess how I got there from King Arthur via pop culture associations, that is too easy.

In retrospect, I realise it is slowly becoming a habit to meet my new ships as they come out. That is fine, though. It gives all of them something more personal. I am also pack-bonding again, I guess.

Either way, I got twins just like I wanted; they look quite alike outside of their body types, both with the same pitch black hair and piercing red eyes. Even the horns on their head are the same, winding around the sides to almost meet in the back like crowns. I am incredibly glad about not having any of those, it would be horrible to maneuver my head around.

They somehow fill the cliché of the active and the timid twin; Jeanne is the former, Ariel the latter. Maybe they distributed extrovert and introvert energy exclusively instead of sharing evenly. Jeanne took an interest in the kitchen and my baking supplies, Ariel in the laboratories. I guess it is good for them to find hobbies early? After all, I do not expect to be attacked often.

The rest of the day was spent introducing the twins to Haven and the crew. Ionia was reverent upon meeting them, Sapphire exuberant. In fact, Sapphire gets along well with Jeanne so far.


Day 62

It was a little weird to have Ariel watch me cook; I bore with her attention for a bit before waving her over and teaching her some basics. She really does not talk much, but is an attentive audience. And knowing that there are people out there who can mess up even simple dishes, I made sure to point out that shortcuts are not a thing in the kitchen. You do not put something in the oven at double temperature for half the time and it comes out well; it will be burnt. If you have no experience with a dish, get a recipee and adhere to it.

Speaking of getting stuff, that fledgling OS is working. I used it to access the internet today, but that took several hours and was frustrating; at least my Fairies learn a lot faster than any human would, so they could fix issues in good time. My playing around with the machine definitely attracted attention, too; first I only had Ariel watching but, over time Jeanne, Sapphire, and Ionia all joined in. They asked me what exactly I was doing and I told them they will see. Then Jeanne and Sapphire were quietly chattering among each other.

We finally managed to get access and download all the files we need. My teams are examining them over night and adjusting the hardware to prevent issues.


Day 63

Guess who has the Internet under his fingertips?

Indeed, it is I!

It took some more fiddling today, but we finished setting up a fully operational computer that directly connects to the Internet. I set up a few things while four Abyssals and the Abyss were looking over my shoulder. Web browser and a proper directory were first, though I do not know what to do with this yet. I admit I had a bit of decision paralysis.

In the end the first thing I really introduced them to was Wikipedia. An incredible amount of human knowledge, all easily accessible. I am not entirely sure, but I do not think they really knew what to make of this. They were definitely not as enthused as I expected them to be.

But no matter. I got the setup done and checked on other stuff.

Apparently, Frostbite skirmished with shipgirl forces in her own territory; some girls made it out, meaning that her position will be known soon. She bought upgrades for fuel efficiency and armour from me, focussed on stretching her stockpiles as far as possible and keeping her veterans alive.

I wished her good luck and to call if she needs anything else.


Day 64

The Internet was a mistake.

On the upside, Ariel had enough initiative to approach the computer on her own; she was already browsing when I got up. On the downside, she looked up Abyssals and found porn. That was a conversation I do not want to repeat. At least, thankfully, sexuality does not seem to be something Abyssals have; thank the Abyss for small mercies.

It turns out Ariel and I are rather similar in that she thinks a lot, though. When I asked what she was looking for, she told me it is about getting an idea of how humans work; so that she can understand our enemies better. She started with biology and moved on to pop culture. I am faintly worried she will get absorbed, but at the same time I have no reason to deny her. If my Battleship Demon turns out to be a nerd, so be it. Although Jeanne may tease her mercilessly about it.

I also just got a message from my science team; maybe the Internet was not a mistake after all. Their access to so much human scientific knowledge cut down time and cost for a lot of my tech trees. Turns out you do not need to reinvent the wheel if you can steal it from elsewhere. Although, is it stealing if the data is freely accessible? I do not think so.

Then again, they probably do not expect Abyssals to browse around here.

While Ariel was busy filling her head with knowledge, Jeanne explored the island with Sapphire and Hydra. My little submarine showed her new friend all the interesting spots she found before.

I also talked to Frostbite, who is about done with her preparations for battle and just waiting for the enemies to come her way. Which also reminds me of something she said; it was just a mention of her weather interfering with comms because she actively makes the storm worse. That reminded me of the other thing I knew but forgot about Abyssals: Princesses control the weather. Yet I have clear skies here and had them since the day I woke up.

The Abyss says weather control is instinctual and does not limit to storms or rain. It is actually in one of my self-improvement tech trees, though the base form was already unlocked by default. Never really noticed, or maybe I just skimmed over it because there was so much to look at.

That bears investigating.


Day 65

We had rain today. The first one I saw in almost three months. I just needed to will it into being, though saying that does not really do it justice. It is easier and harder than that, more like a muscle you never realise is there until you try to use it on purpose.

I spent most of today perched in a little hole in the wall my drones dug, practicing. First I made soft rain, then transitioned to a downpour and back. I could probably have transitioned quickly, but kept the changes slow in case this actually did something harmful to the atmosphere. Abyss says it does not, though the Abyss also does not know everything.

My girls were watching me at first. Everyone except Ionia vanished once it became clear I was not doing anything interesting. Ionia herself stayed to watch the rain with me, though. Another beloved pastime of mine that I could finally indulge in again.

I probably could have walked through the rain as I was without risking illness, but this was enough for now. I think Ionia enjoyed it too; she only left once it was time to head out for another job. I made certain to disperse the clouds in the evening, though.

Truth be told, some part of me aches a bit from the exertion. I need to repeat this practice to get good at it. Maybe the constant changes to the weather are what made this harder; either way, I once again confirmed that I have all the powers of an Abyssal Princess. I just never realised I unconciously kept the weather stable by not telling it to move.

Saying it like that makes me appreciate a little more how powerful an ability this is. Demons have a more localised form of it too, but they can not override a Princess.

Thinking about the matter a little more, this is actually an incredibly useful tool; from what I recall, Abyssal Princesses always have a heavy storm around their strongholds. Me not having one means nobody will suspect me here. Maybe that is why the previous shipgirl convoys did not notice me? But on the flipside, not deploying a storm means regular human fighter planes can aim for Haven if they do find me. It is a bit of a tightrope I am walking.

The plan is to keep upgrading for now; I have to wait for how Frostbite's battle goes either way. Honestly, I am not sure which result I prefer. If she wins, shipgirls will keep operating in the area; if she loses, they will think the local Abyss destroyed and move on. But I like Frostbite; she is a nice neighbour to have, down-to-earth and no-nonsense. Also willing to build combat forces where I rather stockpile my resources for tech. And she is a customer, too.

Analysing costs and benefits does not really help me here, I know that. Maybe if we never met, but I talk to her basically every day of late.


Day 66

I thought of something right before falling asleep. Maybe it was a bad idea to do, but it sounded good to me at the time: handing out more tech upgrades for free to help Frostbite would send a torpedo into my own business position. You can not 'lend' a technology unless it is in a specific device.

But what I can lend are troops.

So I called her up and asked if she has the resources to support two more. There was silence for a time until she said she would appreciate whatever I could spare. In retrospect, me not saying who I was going to send probably made her think I was being cheap there. I definitely surprised her when she asked me to name a price, though: "Nothing beyond whatever the twins need, fuel, ammunition, and any potential repairs. I won't complain if they get damaged, but you better not let them sink."

Yep, I just sent her my Demons for free. What Frostbite does not know is that I have effectively infinite resources, so I can easily give her a freebie like this. She got more interested when I told her they are a battleship and a carrier, if young.

All Abyssals know how to fight, though experience makes them better; that is how I even got the idea. If those two are supposed to be my guards, I want them to be as good as possible. They both took their deployment with grace, too. A simple nod from Ariel and a fanged grin from Jeanne. I also told them to get along with Frostbite, but not tell her anything vital about our troops, or lack of them as it were.

Sapphire was... not happy when I refused to let her go as well. I told her that I specifically do not want to risk her life because she is so much easier to kill than those two. She barely did not throw a tantrum, I think... just clenched her fists and ran off.

Jeanne had watched and shook her head at me after the whole scene. "Just remember, Princess," she told me before sallying away. "We are of the Abyss. Giving our lives to help kill them all is our purpose. To advance the plan, to protect the Princess. I appreciate that you want us to survive the ordeal, but denying our purpose to wage war wholesale is impossible."

Those words still repeat in my head even now. What do I do about this?

 

[Naron]

Day 67

Sapphire was back to brooding this morning. I probably should have expected that, but I actually need her in the field. Just in case any scouts come our way.

I wanted to talk to her about fighting and my stance on it, but Jeanne's words are still echoing in my ears. It is true I think differently from them; I do not think my perspective is wrong or bad, but that can easily be bias. This subject is so difficult because war is not a good thing. I forgot who it was attributed to, but I like the quote about it being a continuation of negotiations in a different form. In the end though, that does not change what it does to people. Or humans, rather.

Maybe that is the crux of it? How close or far from the human mentality are shipgirls? How far do Abyssals deviate from that? War changes humans with few exceptions. But Abyssals are born for war. The Abyss concurs with that if nothing else; they have the mental fortitude and mindset to walk through what humans would call hell and shrug it off.

Perhaps my plan to make domestic Abyssals was doomed from the start. Or it just takes more time than I have at the moment. I need to gather my thoughts and have a few words with Sapphire. Ionia and Orion are fine as per usual because they are 'civilian' models without direct combat applications. I guess I can not quite relate to them being born with a purpose in mind; humans only have the purpose they make for themselves after all.

It still feels wrong to even consider allowing anyone into battle. I already worry about Jeanne and Ariel.

Speaking of those two, Frostbite called earlier and called me insane for sending her two Demons as support; after apologising for doubting me when I said I would only send two ships, she called me insane again for making both together. I gather that this is overkill by the fact Frostbite only ever had one Demon, once, who fell when she was chased out of her previous stronghold. But as we all know: there is no kill like overkill.

I am sorely tempted to make more Demons right now, but I need to watch my resources. I absolutely will have my scientists look into upgrading regular Abyssals to Demon status, though. The Abyss itself seems curious about my rationale, but I feel it is a solid idea; if I build a normal Abyssal who ends up surviving a number of engagements and becomes a veteran, making them a Demon is prudent to make them stronger. Or if I want Demons but do not have the resources at a given moment. That one goes more for people not me with the resource cheat, though.

Either way, tomorrow I need to talk to Sapphire.


Day 68

It seems the Abyss was cooking up something as well. I woke up to a new line of tech, starting with Abyssal Conversion. Reading up on it, this branch of the tree covers converting an existing Abyssal into a Demon; upgrades lower resource expenditure and time spent, the base amount is the same seven days as a regular Demon.

That gave me food for thought as well. I needed a few minutes to consider the implications, but then I made up my mind. As much as I dislike it, I can not always keep my girls from danger; this conflict does not allow it. What I can not afford is going down the slippery slope to try and end it faster; the road to hell is paved with good intentions after all.

So I pumped the water out of Sapphire's favourite grotto and walked down there. She was sitting in a corner, decidedly not looking at me. She did not move when I asked her to come along, so I ordered her. As rebellious and upset as she may be, she did not refuse an order from her Princess.

I took her outside to the beach where we could look onto the sea. The endless cresting of waves has something calming to me. What I told her feels kind of cheesy in retrospect, so I am a little reluctant to relay it word for word. But what it boils down to is that I care more about her safety than any gains made in battle. That I hate the prospect of losing any of my girls.

She raised a good point with the twins, I admit. Maybe it was hasty, but Frosbite is among the people I want to keep around. I also told her that I made Demons specifically because they are that much hardier. That their roles were supposed to be the hammer to Sapphire's dagger. That I figured they could do with actual combat experience because they are the most likely to fight later. I also apologised for not considering her feelings.

It took me a while to actually say that; I do not apologise often.

It almost hurt to see that fledgling hope on her face. "So can I sally too?" she asked me then. Maybe I really underestimated how much she wanted it. I am normally someone who just goes along with others, but this time I stayed strong and told her no.

"Not for this engagement. We need to do some preparations first. Also, some ground rules that I really should have thought of before sending the twins out."

Her disappointment was immeasurable, but a reminder that this was no longer a complete no kept her attentive. So I laid down the law, which was basically just two rules.

First, do not die. Come hell or high water, do not die. Even if it means you can not destroy an enemy or you need to retreat, your own survival has the highest priority. No amount of defeated enemies is worth your own life. I think I grew more animated than normal when I talked about this to her, more fervent even. Perhaps that finally got through to her why I am so careful.

Second, protect your allies and work with them. No running solo where it can be prevented, no using each other as dispensable fodder. Demon or no Demon, this does not fly. I did not say it then, but if I actually catch any of my girls doing this, I will remove their battle privileges. I do not care if the regular Abyssals can be built on a factory line, I do not condone treating lives as numbers. This is a situation where I give them enough rope to hang themselves with; consequences are not stated beforehand because I want to see what they do without such a threat looming over them.

One could argue that an exception can be made for mindless Abyssals like drones, but sacrificing those just sounds like a gateway step toward becoming an asshole.

"Do you understand?" I asked Sapphire once I was done talking. She had a bit of an odd look and nodded quickly. Whether she actually understood is unclear, but I will see in time.

"Good. Then we will now convert you into a Submarine Demon."

That was when the severity of the situation started to slip. Sapphire sputtered in surprise, eyes wide and a little blush on her cheeks. She certainly did not expect that. I grinned at her little display.

"I already decided I won't go for legions of ships. Quality is the name of the game here. The only ones I produce from here on will be Demons, and you will join them, now that I have the resources to afford it."

She snapped to her feet and stood at attention. I would not have been surprised by a salute. "Yes, Princess! Thank you!"

She only came down from her high when we were at the spawn pool; Sapphire swam inside, only her head visible while I merrily dumped steel and other metals in. She was almost timid when speaking up again: "Actually, I had no idea this is even possible. Aren't Demons born as Demons?"

"It wasn't possible until this morning," I told her with some cheer, mainly about her dumbfounded look. "And technically, what you said is still true. From what the Abyss tells me, it's not a refit but rather a rebirth. You will still be you coming out, with all your memories and character intact." And if not, I will tear the Abyss a new one for lying to me.

That was when I finished with the rare metals and the pool began bubbling. "Now duck under, I'll see you in a week."

In retrospect, I am not sure to be flattered or worried about the blind trust she had in me and a thus far untested process. Maybe a bit of both. Sapphire vanished underneath and dissolved; it is a bit like turning from caterpillar into a butterfly.

I just realised I put my only scout out of commission for a week while my neighbour expects hostiles any day now. I am such a genius.


Day 69

Ey, nice!

Not much to say outside of that, though. I remembered to call the twins and tell them the rules as well; they took it with grace, but Ariel had an important question for me: how do their allies count into these? Should they flee a losing battle even if it throws Frostbite under the bus?

I had to think about that one for a bit. Like I wrote before, I like Frostbite. But I can not order her to follow the same rules as my girls. It is a special case, but an important one. When I called back, I told them in basically these words: "If it comes to this and Frostbite insists on making a stand, which I doubt, you drag her away kicking and screaming."

I really do doubt she would make such a choice, too. Frostbite survived a previous wipe by fleeing with her small core of veteran escorts. If she were the type to fight to the last, we would have never met. But at the same time, something may make her choose to face certain death if in a similar situation; expecting logic to prevail in highly emotional situations is an exercise in futility.


Day 71

I made certain to count the days until Ionia gets her candy privileges back. Almost forgot to tell her with tension running high. Then again, being presented with a piece of caramel once she returned got me that sweet little smile of hers; she seems to like the stuff a lot more than I anticipated. Just realising she can have it again made her all but glow.

Come to think of it, she also said she was craving sweets more as the days wore on. I researched this a bit today and now I have to worry. Sugar is not supposed to be addictive like tobacco or alcohol, but does that hold for Abyssals? If what I perceive as a little nudge to kill humans is a nearly unignorable desire for the others, would the effect of food they have no frame of reference for not be amplified as well?

I tried synthesizing meat based on what formulas I could find, but it just did not taste right after cooking. The only other sources I have on this island are fish and some tiny critters I do not want to hunt. And Abyssals, I guess. But I will unseal the poison gas research before I resort to cannibalism.

Maybe I can sell the concept of an infiltration unit to the Abyss, so I can get someone capable of going ashore to buy groceries. But that is such an incredible risk I am not sure I even want to try. At least the Abyss is interested in the idea.

Either way, I need to cut back on handing out candy until I can reliably make other foodstuffs to balance my girls' diets. At least nutrients or lack thereof are a non-issue because we are all Abyssals. Accidentally becoming a drug lord was not on my bucket list, no matter how well it would work to keep people dependent on me.

Maybe I am being paranoid and the girls just react more strongly because they never had sugar before, but I refuse to take risks here. Say no to drugs, folks!

Addendum: I just got a message that fire was opened in Frostbite's territory. I think I can faintly here the echoes outside, too. How nice that they have to show up overnight when I am trying to sleep.


Day 72

Today may have been the weirdest day yet. I have been an Abyssal for close to three months, but this was new.

First I was wide awake with worry for half the night, waiting for word from Ariel and Jeanne. Then the relief upon hearing they were fine, though Ariel took a few shells to her armour belt. Nothing penetrated and her escorts kept the enemy bombers away, thankfully. From how they told it, Frostbite's doctrine consists of grouping battleships in clusters of three with one designated leader, then surrounding them with escorts. Jeanne was her only carrier, but the sheer amount of planes she sent kept the opposing carriers busy enough.

They sunk several cruisers and destroyers, but their opponents fell back upon realising they were evenly matched. What they sent would have been a lot harder to fight without my two Demons in the mix; Frostbite still lost a number of her own girls. The escorts dutifully threw themselves in front of any torpedos that would have hit her battleships.

It was a dry recounting from Jeanne. Even now I have to appreciate that determination the Abyssals possess. I am not sure I have that myself. But then, neither am I 'expendable' nor am I devoid of personal experiences. Abyssals have not naturally evolved, maybe they just do not have innate self-preservation instincts? Or theirs are less pronounced. Princesses definitely have one if Frostbite is any indication.

The Abyss just tells me these instincts are optional; some Abyssals have them, some do not. It just becomes more likely as their power increases. So I was basically right.

None of this was the weird part, though; that came in the morning.

I woke up around my usual time despite going to bed at like four. Perks of being Abyssal, I guess. I even felt pretty rested, knowing Jeanne and Ariel were fine. So I went on my morning walk as always.

Guess what I found at the beach?

I can not describe the feelings I felt when I saw a small form curled up in the sand, just far enough to not be caught by the tide. First I thought it was one of Frostbite's who swam for safety, but I felt the truth about as soon as I registered her torn clothes and bruised body. That was a shipgirl.

It could have been a minute or ten that I just stood there, trying to figure out how this could happen. The constant nudges to dismantle the girl while she slept did not really help there; I kept losing my train of thought because of them. She was injured, but very much alive.

In retrospect, bringing Hydra to kill her at once would have been the prudent thing to do. Letting her live is inefficient, not to mention dangerous. Her presence will constantly rile up my girls. If she returns to her home base, humans will learn about me.

But looking down at her small form in the sand, I could not do it. Maybe part of it was spite at the Abyss telling me what to do. Either way, I picked her up and carried her inside instead. She was even smaller than I thought at first, not tiny like a submarine but definitely petite. Maybe she could have gone as a light cruiser, but I pegged her as a destroyer. I was right on that, by the way.

My mind was awhirl at the time. I did not even think about the possible repercussions when I put her in the repair bath. She must have been exhausted, not waking from either being jostled around or the warm water. The strips of cloth that were left of her rigging faded as well.

The reality of my situation hit me at that point. I sat with my feet dipped in the water for at least an hour, trying to decide what to actually do with this girl. I have no holding cells here, I do not really want to keep any prisoners, and letting her go back sends a torpedo into my operational security. Killing her was not an option either, even if I thought long and hard whether maybe it should be.

Then she woke up. After groaning and sinking deeper into the bath, she muttered something in Japanese; that was my first sign it would get even more difficult: I do not speak Japanese. Just German, English, and Abyssal via racial memories. Moreover, this girl started to look familiar.

It was a weird moment, really. When she opened her eyes to figure out who found and recovered her, we just stared at each other for a few long seconds. Then she rubbed her eyes, blinked, looked around, then stared hard at the water as if trying to solve the world's greatest mystery.

Then she screamed. It was high-pitched, with some screeching involved as well. After that it was scrambling around the room and as far away from me as possible, spreading water on the smooth floor in the process. I am not sure what she thought to achieve hiding in the corner opposite to the door, but panic makes everyone do stupid things.

She babbled questions in Japanese, I got that much from her tone. The few things I picked up through pop culture were nowhere near enough to figure them out, especially not in real-time. I had to scrounge together this knowledge to talk to her; at least she paid attention when I cleared my throat. And what I said at least cut through her panic, even if it was basically "I no Japanese".

Maybe it was the giant Abyssal talking to her in badly accented Japanese; I sounded mighty stupid there. Stupid enough to replace her panic with confusion.

We did not get much talking done after that, beyond that she speaks English and that her name is Akatsuki. At which point I realised why I knew her in particular; her hair is more black than the purple I recall and the sailour outfit was already in tatters then.

She is understandably paranoid, but also still weak. With my Demons staying with Frostbite in case of a second attack, I tabled the issue. There is still a lot to figure out and I need sleep, so I will continue this in tomorrow's log. Good night.

 

[Naron]

Day 73

Okay, I turned in a little earlier so I can write down my thoughts about this entire clusterfuck. And that is what this was, no way around it.

First off, Akatsuki is physically similar, but not quite like the one I vaguely remember from game art. Makes sense, I doubt any of this fully aligns with what they put into a game.

Secondly, her English is thankfully good. We could at least talk to each other, not that there was much talking at first. Most of it was scared questions about who I am and where she is; I am not sure if me being quiet was reassuring or scaring her, back there in the bath. Yesterday is less fresh in my memory now. I told her that I found her on the beach and tried to get her back into the bath. She did not want to.

Suffice it to say, I only had a vague idea how to act around a clearly terrified girl. I did not want to scare her, but she would not really calm down, either.

In the end I told her to breathe. Maybe that helped a little. Then I think I offered to answer her questions if she comes back into the bath. She complied then, even if she stayed skittish and sat down as far away from me as she could. I wonder if that fear is a normal reaction or Akatsuki is just more prone to it. Maybe the absence of her fleet added to the initial panic.

Either way, that was when I learned her name. I offered mine first, if just to get her to open up. Then she asked her questions again, one after the other.

I tried to answer as best I could, though I could only shrug when she asked what would happen to her now. I really did not think that far and still do not know what to do; hence this log, I need to sort my thoughts.

"But you're an Abyssal?" is what she said when I told her to finish repairs first. "Why do you help me?"

That hurts a bit in retrospect, but I just took it without much reaction. "Is it wrong?" I asked her back. "Wanting to help?"

She did not really have anything else to say to that. Then we had an awkward silence that lasted several minutes. You know those that get worse the longer no one says anything? I went through dozens of things we could talk about and disregarded them all. Asking where she is from could have been taken as trying to squeeze information out of her, and so on. Most subjects could have been taken that way.

I eventually asked her to stay here while I attended some other duties, which worked for an hour or two. I already made calls to Frostbite and my girls, then went to the kitchen to make a snack. I was halfway done when I heard Akatsuki shriek, followed by a gurgling bellow.

I think I wrote yesterday that this was surreal. Imagine my face when I step out into the hallway, only to have a damp and naked shipgirl slam face-first into my tits. Said shipgirl is being pursued by a four-legged pseudo-shark with a dozen squirming root-tentacles. You could not make this up if you tried.

I caught her in my arms and barked at Hydra to stay down; that at least got the latter to grind to a halt, but Akatsuki was trying to fight me off. I needed to take a half hour in the bath myself after; the only reason she gave me no more than bruises is that she was still so damaged.

When she stopped struggling and fell limp, I held her at arm's length. Hydra growled until I threw her a sharp look. After setting down the destroyer, I told my first ship to go outside and patrol. Then I shuffled Akatsuki into the kitchen to chew her out; there was a good reason I told her to stay in the bath. I can not stop Hydra from roaming around.

She was so shaken that she even mumbled an apology. I only realise right now that she was probably trying to escape what appeared like captivity. Well, so much for that.

So after taking my new batch of candies off the heat, I stuffed one in the surprised destroyer's mouth and marched her back to the baths. When I told her again to stay in there, she complied.

That was most of what happened yesterday, really. Repair baths take a good, long while to repair even a small ship. Akatsuki stayed in the bath all day while I bustled around, trying to figure out what to do.

I still do not know, by the way.

Jeanne and Ariel are slated to return sometime tomorrow. My time is running out; I can order my scaly, barky fish-dog down, but not them. Their instincts are the same.

At least today was calmer than yesterday. I visited Akatsuki three times in the bath, partly to check she is still there and partly to check on her. She is nowhere near fully repaired, but the worst of it is gone. From what I coaxed out of her, she got hammered by Frostbite while protecting her own flagship. We did not talk much about the nearby battle; she refused to part with anything about her fleet, I wisely said nothing about my own contributions.

Sometime today, I got this insane idea to solve my food issues through her; try to set up some sort of trade where I pay her resources to go and buy groceries. But the logistics of that alone are a nightmare. Not to mention what her superiors would do if they found out; or worse really, if she tells them. There is an argument to be made for betting on greed, to just give her several bars of gold to hand her superiors and hope I can buy them. But I do not want to keep buying them either.

Like I thought yesterday, killing her immediately would have been the best choice. But seeing her slumped over in the tub just tugs at my heartstrings. I can suspend these things if I do not see anyone, I do not feel much of anything for whoever Frostbite sank or lost two nights ago. But this girl right in front of me is a different matter entirely.

She asked me again why I am doing this, but I still had no real answer. I could go and throw her into my second spawn pool, the Abyss tells me that would yield results; but it would also destroy the girl.

Can I go back to hiding from my enemies instead of accidentally sheltering them? That was nicer. I do not like sitting between a rock and a hard place like this.

Hydra took to prowling around my base. I do not know how much Akatsuki saw of it yesterday, but she definitely will not see any more. At least it is clean and looks nice, what with the gold and silver ornaments I have everywhere.

There was one odd moment where I had Ionia standing in the door, telling me that there was an enemy in the baths. She must have come back without me realising, so I told her not to worry about it; I put the girl there. I also asked her to keep this to herself, which earned me a simple nod. It is hard to tell what Ionia thinks. At least she does not have the same urge to kill, due to being a transport ship.

I still do not know what to do.


Day 74

I let her go.

Maybe it was not the correct choice, but I feel it was the right one. I could find enough reasons to justify myself, but none of them are true. Chances are good I will be dead if anyone but me reads this, anyway.

Something I firmly believe in is that the moments that define us do not depend on others. What says the most about us is what we do when there is no reward to be found, when nobody is there to witness or judge our actions. I doubt I will ever be all that good about doing the right thing, but at least this once I wanted to.

So I woke Akatsuki and gave her some simple cloth I synthesized, then led her out to the beach. Hydra was told to stay back inside, just in case she tries using her cannon. I gave Akatsuki a full tank of fuel and told her to go.

She was so utterly confused, it would have been funny if I had not felt like I was making a grave mistake the whole time. "You just let me go?" is what she asked, standing there forlornly. I know I am plenty tall now, but she felt even smaller there.

"Just go. It would be nice if you didn't tell anyone, but I'm not dumb enough to believe you won't." There was some morbid humour in my voice. Maybe I should have killed her, but that window of opportunity has long passed. "I don't want to be involved in this war any more than I have to. Now go."

It still took her a few seconds to get moving. She applied her rigging before her feet hit the water, standing evenly upon the waves; it was mostly just patched over, but it will definitely hold. She looked back several times, probably not quite believing what happened. I just stood there at the beach, feeling weird until she left my sight.

Afterward, I lay down in the sand to think. The dread has faded by now, though I still feel I made a mistake. Hard choices are named like that for a reason. But I guess it makes sense with my general philosophy of not being first to strike. I will give Akatsuki and her commanders enough rope to hang themselves with; if nothing comes of this, great. If Haven is being carpet-bombed in two weeks, I may have to reevaluate a few things.

Ariel and Jeanne returned a few hours later, both perfectly healthy and brimming with energy. Well, Jeanne at least. Ariel excused herself after a short debriefing; I caught her on the computer later. A budding nerd after my own heart.

Jeanne was the one who asked me about my days here, though. "Have you considered what I told you in regard to Sapphire?" was one of her questions as well. Maybe I underestimated how much thought she put into that particular subject.

Either way, I took her to the bubbling spawn pool and told her she had a point, but that I still hate the prospect of losing anyone. Hence why Sapphire is currently undergoing metamorphosis to become a Submarine Demon. Suffice it to say, Jeanne was just as confused as Sapphire herself about that one until I explained.

While I had her there, we also discussed turning Ionia into a Demon or some equivalent. Jeanne was unsure if that made sense, same as I; we asked our transport's opinion on the matter later, but she simply shrugged. Seems she does not care too much.


Day 75

Today was nice for several reasons. The first is that Sapphire came back to us new and improved. The other is that Orion finished assembling all the bases I asked her to. It has been two months since she was back at Haven, but now she is finally home.

That was actually the first thing happening today; Orion already announced that she completed the mission last night. She returned around noon, upon which I introduced her to the Demons she had yet to meet in person. Jeanne seemed amused by her curt greeting; Ariel returned it softly before thanking Orion for her hard work.

The moment introductions were over, my little workaholic asked me what to do next. So I put her to work learning interior decorating on the Internet; I want my base properly furbished, and anything I can offload onto someone else is good. She took to it without issue, though a rotation on the computer had to be figured out; Ariel likes using it. I will need to make a few more in the near future.

Then Sapphire emerged from the spawn pool with a whoop; this time it was not just me, but also the Demons there to greet her back. She was not the least bit intimidated of them anymore, cheerfully splashing Abyss goop as she waded out. "Submarine Demon ready to roam! I return to your side, Princess!"

She seemed so enthusiastic, like how she was at the start. Getting this upgrade must have meant more to her than I thought; at the time, I was a little worried she lost something during the metamorphosis. Some probing told me that she still remembered her name and the past months, though.

Honestly, the other surprising change was her body. Sapphire shot up something like twenty centimetres and her eyes gleam aquamarine now. Also, where she was lithe before, she is now stacked. What does a submarine need engines that big for?

Well, not my problem. Though I do envy that she seamlessly adapted to her new center of gravity after stumbling exactly once. Jeanne and Ariel greeted her as their sister and Sapphire was over the moon. Then she spent a while squeezing details about their deployment under Frostbite out of the twins.

I left them to that and did what I lacked the focus to do the past few days: consider new techs on the tree. I am starting to finish the generic stuff and my pet projects; comms got another upgrade to become more stable through bad weather, too. Now I need to pick a direction to develop into; a little preparation will not be amiss with my cover probably broken.

With that in mind, I started working on stealth upgrades for Sapphire and cost reductions to various ship types. There are a number of redundant systems that can be optimised away, various little corners the designs are improved in as my R&D teams pour over their blueprints.

I still do not like the prospect, but I know myself. If they do attack me, I will fight back.


Day 80

All was calm the past few days. I made more computers and Sapphire is back to scouting the area; her speed improved a lot, I notice. And more than that, she says merely becoming a Demon has bumped up her stealth a good bit. Her hull did not, though. I do not like to rely on her ability to stay hidden as the sole defense she has, but so be it. I make her the sneakiest girl in the world, just like I keep improving Ariel's hull and Jeanne's aircraft.

Maybe it would be a good idea to give my ships some more firepower, too. I can see laser weapons toward the end of the tech tree, but it will take actual years to get there. Most of the early stuff went quick and cheap, but things take longer and longer to research now. Even with the upgrades that lower research time pushed close to the highest level. The one upside is that I have more time to generate the resources this will guzzle up like nobody's business.

Outside of that, I had a face-to-face meeting with Frostbite today. She was a little surprised that I offered roasted fish; not some sort of delicacy by any means, but Abyssals do not even cook with fire. They do not cook at all. So it certainly impressed my fellow Princess, even if it was just fish with some of my salt sprinkled on.

I have to admit that I underestimated how sharp Frostbite actually is, though. The moment she saw Sapphire and had to be re-introduced, she asked for the tech to evolve Abyssals into Demons. No surprise beyond a moment of shock, no hesitation, no confusion. She up and went for the prize. From the 'negotiations', I gathered that having Jeanne and Ariel there reminded her how much of a game-changer Demons are. Her Mi-Class excavators also amassed enough resources to consider making some for herself. The main point Frostbite considers is that her forces are just about at capacity for her holdings; any more and she can not field them all without destroying her stockpiles.

"Refitting my veterans into Demons will neatly sidestep the problem," was how she summarised. I had to agree, too. Demons are mainly expensive in their creation, but they do not take up much more on fuel or ammunition than other ships.

Either way, once I got her reasoning, I decided that is a tech I can not charge for. The Abyss just handed the method to me after all. Frostbite was clearly befuddled when I told her that; turns out I am the only one who knows how to use it yet. The Abyss can impart knowledge selectively. She also seems to consider me 'blessed' in some form, seeing that I get preferential treatment. And I kind of get it?

Thankfully, me wanting her to have the knowledge had the Abyss pass it onto her. Frostbite blinked at me and nodded thoughtfully. "Not a refit, but a rebirth," she muttered, then asked me if the process left the original ship's personality intact. I did not realise just then, but I think she relaxed once I confirmed that. Was she worried about her own girls not staying the same?

Abyssals may take more after humans than they themselves suspect. Even with different instincts and morals, they still band together and care for each other. I asked Frostbite straight up earlier: "You seem to care for your girls, yet you will send them to war without hesitation."

Her response was illuminating. I need to think hard to get it back together properly.

"War is what we were born for, Dagon. From the smallest to the largest, the slowest to the fastest. Submarine, destroyer, cruiser, carrier, and battleship. Everyone does their part, everyone is appreciated. Those closest to us are missed, should they fall. But we will not fear death, for it will only deliver us back into the Abyss's embrace. I see now you think differently from me and I accept that. I will not criticise you for as long as you do likewise."

That was a fair point all around. Maybe that is the difference between a civilian and a soldier. When I asked her what will happen once there are no more humans left to fight, Frostbite got thoughtful. "I do not know" was her answer. Then she changed the subject and went back to talking trade for other tech.

I guess we both have stuff to think about tonight.

 

[Naron]

Day 81

Thinking about what Frostbite told me took a while. I did not get as much sleep as I would have liked, so I will keep today's entry short.

Quite frankly, this is culture clash; maybe more than that because I am still human in mind if not in body. The Abyss has refrained from remaking me as an Abyssal. I imagine it defeats the purpose of this exercise.

At least I finally start to understand why I am still me. It is the same reason Abyssals still resemble humans and shipgirls, instead of being fully monstrous. The Abyss was born of human cruelty and callousness; or rather, its hivemind was. It continues to be human-adjacent and adapts human concepts for its own use. Abyssal shipgirls conform to similar types than human ones. Only the barely sapient or fully mindless creatures are completely inhuman.

My role in this is to be the Tech Administrator. I remember I picked the title myself, but it definitely fits what I am supposed to do. The Abyss gave me everything I could ever ask for and more to industrialise its adapting nature. Through me, it pulls upon more and more of humanity's technology, adapting it for itself step by step. Ingenious, as well as incredibly dangerous.

I am the linchpin of a war that is on the cusp of turning bad. Not sure if that is flattering, though. The moment I die, everything I researched will go to every other Abyssal. The longer I live, the more I can research. I am a living, self-compounding bomb of knowledge.

I am also surprisingly calm about this. Then again, do I necessarily have to care? Humanity has no idea of my significance and neither has the rest of the Abyss. I will be fine unless I let something slip.

There is still some worry about some sort of self-destruct to set off the spread of tech, but what was true before still is: thus far the Abyss was really good to me. I am not going to start distrusting it out of paranoia. We both know it can earn even more tech in the long run by letting me do my thing, too. I will need at least decades to complete everything, let alone whatever new things may be added over time.


Day 84

I had a few calm days to interact with my little fleet and talk to Frostbite. We shared bits about our respective philosophies; I can tell Frostbite does not agree with me, but she is respectful of my stance as long as I offer her the same courtesy.

I decided to talk to my five ships as well after some thinking; their input was interesting if nothing else. The warships each have little qualms in regard to battle or killing. They listened to me, but respectfully disagreed for the most part. Mind, I already knew any moral argument would not work, so I followed up with practical concerns. Stealth is more relevant than victory until our cover is broken. Even then, we are still better served researching further because I am the only one in this faction who can do that.

Yes, I know. I just talked about not letting anything slip in the last log entry, but my ships are my ships. I told them to keep this secret with their lives and they readily agreed. Then I explained my intended role, sans my originally being human. I am happy that they believed me regardless of how wild it sounded, but I have to remember not to start bullshitting them. I also left out that everyone else will get my techbase if I die, just in case.

In addition, Ionia gave me a knowing look the whole time I talked about staying hidden. I guess I deserved that. At least the girls are more amenable to my preference for stealth now; Sapphire apologised too, for pressuring me away from 'my duty' as she called it. I told her it was fine, but she took an actual hug to calm down.

This also reminded me that I can hug any of them whenever I want now; I still feel awkward and like I am bothering them, but still. Progress.

Otherwise, I traded more tech with Frostbite. She told me that some of her scouts found another human convoy dodging around her territory, but aiming straight for mine. I turned down her offer of striking their flank after Sapphire spotted them earlier today.

Because quite frankly: this is not just a convoy. Half a dozen battleships and assorted escorts, two aircraft carriers keeping fighter screens up the whole time. I worried a little that they would wheel around to invade Frostbite's domain. I also kept Sapphire ready, in case they came for me. But they just passed through.

There was one weird thing, though. Some of those airplanes were cruising over Haven when the convoy passed by. I told everyone to bunker down and stay out of sight, glad the original factories were already relocated inside. The scouts found only an empty island.

I can not tell if this was just a routine check for potential harassers or if Akatsuki talked. They are leaving the area as I write this, though; if nothing else, I should be fine for now.


Day 90

Nothing much to say. There was another attempt to root out Frostbite, but she has her own Demons now. Two of them plus my three made for a nasty surprise. Sapphire gushed about how she snuck around below enemy lines without ever being spotted. She definitely made me proud, even if she ran out of torpedoes in her enthusiasm and had to retreat. Double-tapping each of her marks was just sensible as far as I am concerned.

I feel compelled to make these small entries after a few days, but life is good and nice lately. The girls are each starting to pick up hobbies. Orion got interested in interior decorating and from there sewing. Jeanne likes to cook. She started trying to make meals out of the small selection I figured out how to synthesize by now. Although I also noticed her planes scouring the area for ingredients and fish.

Jeanne in particular seems curious about my tech powers as well; I caught her studying physics on the Internet yesterday.

Meanwhile, Ariel is just rooted to the computer; she got upset that it did not do everything she wanted and began learning how to code. So I pointed her at some tutorials, with a warning that she will need math for that. She did not mind and generally seems to love absorbing aspects of human life. She also got into playing games recently. My battleship is a nerd, now confirmed.

Sapphire is still happy carving with whatever materials I can give her. Between her and Orion, my home base looks more like a castle than a cave. She recently got interested in painting as well, but even more so in working with Jeanne in the kitchen. Only that Sapphire is more about baking than cooking.

Ionia is the least interested in picking up hobbies like these. I still think we are somewhat similar, so I had my Fairies build her something like an e-book reader; an integrated one she can take along while ferrying resources. She seemed content with that, but I am still waiting to hear anything concrete from her.

I am mostly just glad the girls all picked up a hobby or two. I know they get a little stir-crazy with nothing to do, same as me. Something else they share with humans. Having something to pass the time helps alleviate that.


Day 99

Frostbite complained at me.

The week before last, Sapphire visited her submarines again; she does not mind the visits, but it turns out that the talk of hobbies spread. Sapphire thankfully did not say anything about us having the Internet, but a number of Frostbite's girls were interested in all these ways to pass the time. Now they are badgering their Princess as much as they dare to let them come play with Sapphire.

Suffice it to say, she is less willing to spend so much fuel on playdates; I only have to supply one or two after all, she has a good bit more. She calls me generous to let my girls come over whenever they want, still unaware I am literally cheating.

At the same time, even Frostbite herself seemed interested in all the things I know but she does not. She is no fan of idle time, either. The Abyss never even realised that it can improve stability by providing anything in regard to entertainment over our racial memories. Though I get the impression that some Abyssals came up with simple games to play elsewhere; most of them were just sunk before these things could spread. They constantly reinvent the wheel.

Well, I guess I know what I am doing the next little while. Some preparations need to be made, then I will pay a first visit to my fellow Princess's domain. That will hurt my reserves, but if I make like Prometheus and bring them games they were since denied, I figure I should do it in person. And after writing this I have to hope I did not jinx myself to a similar fate; I would prefer not to have a bird eating my liver every day for the rest of eternity.


Day 109

It took a while to prepare everything. I mostly looked up rulings and put the pair of Sapphire and Orion onto the detailwork; making boards and cards, preparing figures and tokens. I carefully printed rulesets on waterproof paper and ink. And over it all, my scientists kept studying a particular tech I spotted and immediately grabbed.

If I go to see Frostbite, then I will take as much worth out of it as I can.

That said, teleportation completed yesterday.

It is called Abyss Transference, but effectively is what I said first. I need a station to send and one to receive, each of which is damned expensive; the maximum range is limited, but far enough to reach Frostbite. I can increase it later with more research. More to the point, a single teleportation chamber can target any other in range. There is an upgrade to use them as relays, meaning I need only a single teleport to reach any destination.

Like I said though, a single station is incredibly expensive. I have enough stockpiled to build two, but only barely so. Orion already set her drones to build my station here. On second thought, maybe I should send her and Ionia on their own to save fuel? I could not use Frostbite's station to get back anyway, unless I stay for three days or so.

Also, yes, I am planning to gift Frostbite an expensive teleportation device. All in the name of spreading some humanity among her troops. It will help us if we can just send envoys and convoys through there, too. Transfer is free after the thing was built.

I am definitely going to build another at some hidden spot, just in case. But that is for later.


Day 110

Much to my surprise, she did look that gift horse in the mouth. When I asked her permission to send Orion over to build something, she wanted to know details. Once she had the details, well. At first Frostbite was blown away by the concept; she only calmed down after a discussion about its limitations and reach. Her strategic planning never stopped, though.

She also refused to let me foot the bill.

"After hearing of such a thing existing, I want to trade for it either way. As kind as it is of you to gift this many materials, I will provide my own. Send your ships and name your price."

That was that, I guess. It is nice to have a good neighbour like her. The cost for that particular set of blueprints was steep, but Frostbite hardly even hesitated; I have not gouged her on prices yet, after all. We agreed to send the payment over the teleporter while Orion personally hands over the blueprints. This also allows Frostbite's own Mi-Class girls and drones to help out, reducing construction time from three days to one.

Maybe I should have more builders. But I keep thinking that when I build something big every once in a blue moon.

I am sending Orion out tomorrow morning.


Day 111

I am incredibly happy that Ariel reminded me to send an escort with Orion. She ran into another convoy soon into Frostbite's territory; were it not for Sapphire sinking their transports from within their midst and sending them scrambling, they would have sunk Orion. As in, she came so close to being destroyed that Frostbite estimated two months until she is fully repaired.

That was too close for comfort; I think I was near a panic attack when Sapphire radio'd in that they were under attack. She dragged Orion all the way to Frostbite's main base for the other Princess to check her over.

I did not talk much with Orion, but neither of us is one for many words. I appreciate her presence, not to mention that she was the first shipgirl I built. Losing her would have been bad. I do not think I even care that Sapphire sunk several shipgirls and will probably bring heat in our direction. I am just glad Orion will recover.

One downside of this is that she can not build in her state; Frostbite was sparse with details, so I do not even want to imagine how Orion looks right now. With the most experienced drone commander unavailable, we are back to an expected two days of construction time.

I sent Ionia and Ariel to pillage those sunk transports. Whoever went after my girl will pay back the damages in their resources.


Day 112

Okay, first off: it was Americans.

How I know this? Ionia did me one better and recovered not just the contents of their loading bays, no. This insane girl used her improved engines to tow back every single sunk ship, one by one. I saw the flags on what was left of their rigging. Did not even really register that human shipgirls can be transports before seeing them.

Then again, the sight was not pretty; Sapphire did precise work slicing right through their achilles heels and lower backs. That was my first time seeing actual corpses, too. The memory of how still and plain odd they were makes me shiver a little.

At the very least I now know roughly where I am. Japanese ships come from one side, Americans from the other. We are somewhere in the Pacific ocean, hopefully not near Pearl Harbour. I have no idea what the place looks like, or if it is still under human control, but that would be a bit high-profile for me to be comfortable around.

I have the wrecks in storage right now; their payload was a number of various things including foodstuffs, which immediately went into the freezer. I can synthesize a decent number of things, but my science teams should be able to do it better with the actual materials at hand to test on. Yes, I am still on the hunt for good food. My diet consisted mostly of nothing for over four months now; I never liked fish much and caramel was always too sweet for my tastes, too. So any progress on that end is great progress.

In other news, Orion continues being a workaholic. Instead of taking it easy in the baths, she abused radio to start instructing Frostbite's construction crew remotely. My fellow princess commended her spirit, completely collected despite coming so close to death. I just felt exasperated when I heard about that.

At least this cuts down construction a bit; not as much as if Orion was there in person, but it shaves off a few hours.


Day 113

They will complete the gate tonight. I already agreed with Frostbite that we will run a test with drones tomorrow, just to make sure it works as intended. Then I will pay her holdings a visit, introduce all the things I prepared to her fleet, receive the payment for Frostbite's new tech, and take Orion back with me when I return. Frostbite did offer to see to her recovery, but it just does not feel right to keep Orion away from home. My repair bath is just as suitable for her to stay.

This brings me to another matter I was thinking about. Thus far I ignored any techs to improve the spiritual power of our repair baths. There was no reason to when not expecting any battle, but that skirmish reminded me how times have changed.

I am not entirely sure how to feel just yet, either. I should be angry about almost losing Orion, but at the end of the day she will recover. My emotions have already mellowed out, as they usually do. I still do not want to jump into the war just like that; any chance to get along, no matter how miniscule, goes out the window if I turn around and start attacking. This was clearly an attack of opportunity, not them targeting me in particular.

It has been one and a half months since Akatsuki left Haven. I do not know exactly how long naval expeditions need to prepare, but at this point I feel somewhat certain it will be fine. Either she said nothing, or they decided to at least wait and see.

On another note, I decided to use the sunk transports as a resource base for Ionia's rebirth. She told me she does not need to be a Demon, but I asked her to undergo the process anyway. If nothing else, it will make her more durable. Orion will get the same once I am done figuring out if doing this while injured will affect her. So far the Abyss says no. With the resources I saved on not funding that second portal, I can afford ascending her as well.

I put Ionia into the pool just an hour ago. She did not say much beyond "Good night" while the half dozen dead transports dissolved around her, then ducked under the surface.

A few small things need to be prepared tomorrow morning, like cooking fresh food, but then I will leave Haven for the first time since becoming an Abyssal. I am a little excited, to be honest.

 

[Naron]

Day 114

Today was interesting; I visited Frostbite just as planned, my three Demons following right behind. I left Hydra behind though, to hold down the fort just in case. Not that I am so sure she even understood much of where we went. Still about on par with a smart dog, if less clingy.

Frostbite herself was not much of a hostess, but that applies human standards again. She waited for me when I came through at eight like we agreed on, flanked by her own Demons. She has three of them now, too; her surviving escorts from the original domain, two destroyers and a light cruiser. All three are veterans.

We exchanged greetings and everything, then she showed me around. I could definitely see the remains of a human airbase in some spots; Frostbite kept the foundations and built her own stuff on them, although the important structures are dug into the earth. I admit it took me a while to spot any of that, though; the constant cover of clouds and light drizzle distracted me a bit.

Being in another Princess's domain was educating, too. I could actually feel my own power over the weather for once, though more in the sense that I did not have any control here. There was no reason to try fighting Frostbite for it, but I could feel some sort of presence all around me. Is that how all Abyssals feel near a Princess? The Abyss says yes, though the effect is lessened to regular ships. Demons have a weaker aura of the same sort as well and can apparently exercise some limited control, but only if they are outside of a Princess's domain or get permission.

I asked some questions along the way, but Frostbite's base is pretty utilitarian; I do not want to call it spartan, mainly because I doubt the lack of furnishings and such is by choice. It will be if she keeps to it now, but that is up to time.

We met a number of Frostbite's ships as well, which was just weird. As in, I did not expect a whole flottilla of semi-recent destroyers to take a knee. Same for the two battleships that curtsied, or the one that bowed respectfully. That may have been the first time I actually felt prince-ly and not just like the one in charge. At least nobody was offended or confused when I told them they do not need to do that.

"Your actions are no secret," was what Frostbite told me about that after it happened a few times. I guess she noticed my discomfort? "My fleet knows well where the improvements that keep them alive stem from. Your Demons have saved a number of them by their presence also."

I did not really consider it from this angle before, but it does make sense. Then again, I also do not quite agree that I am to thank for what the girls do. Although I would take the blame for any misdemeanour, so maybe that is a fallacy? I need to mull this over some other time.

What I do know I am responsible for, at the least, is today's events. I already saw some hints of Sapphire's influence on the tour; some girls were skipping stones and better at it than I ever was. Others had squares drawn in the sand to play hopscotch. It was often half-hearted, but the interest and light sense of competition were there. I guess that it makes sense in retrospect; Abyssals do not have that same drive to win over each other, they have other priorities in their nature.

After looking around and meeting some of Frostbite's girls, I went and started playing Santa. It is a few months too early for Christmas, but whatever. I gave them chalk and tools, introduced the faster card games, and spread around a boatload of sandwiches. Not exactly in that order, the food came first. And it was a little funny, too. At first there were only a handful girls once I got to work, but within a few minutes the entire fleet showed up. Even Frostbite was surprised and then stumped by the food.

It is still sad that Abyssals normally do not get to enjoy any of these things. I held back on the sweets here just in case. Even accidental drug dealing is a big no-no for my sensibilities. Not that I really needed it, even just some basic sandwiches with synthesized butter and pillaged ham had them eat out of my hand. Metaphorically speaking, that is.

It took a while to convince Frostbite that I am still working on that 'technology'. Thinking back to that, I could swear she was pouting at least once. Maybe the adage is still true even for Abyssals; the fastest way to a woman's heart is through her stomach.

When I shared that one with Jeanne, she got confused and asked why I do not aim for the chest instead. Then I had to explain what that actually means to prevent any actual misunderstandings. I am not sure I like the thoughtful look she had afterward.

My own ships are well-respected here, too. Being Demons and supporters probably helps with that. I noticed that destroyers have a habit of gravitating toward battleships and carriers; submarines mainly stay among each other. Capital ships are more free in who they approach, though they seem to feel more comfortable with some escorts around.

I asked Jeanne and Ariel right before writing this entry if they want a proper escort as well; they told me yes. Which means I will make a Destroyer Demon after ascending the rest of my little fleet. But I digress.

I only had enough time to share some of the games I prepared; the playing cards already circulate among Frostbite's fleet, though. We agreed to meet up again tomorrow to continue; even the Princess herself took interest in playing UNO. I think I will definitely take a chessboard tomorrow. My reserves contain a solid mix of different games, some of which I shamelessly copied from the Internet. No Monopoly, though. We do not need an Abyssal civil war.

One other curious thing I just noticed: Ariel is on the computer again. It is pretty late already, but she has this faint smile on her face. Which reminds me she is the most introverted of my lot. I had a little conversation about her social battery and it turns out my hunch was right; she did get exhausted about interacting with others sometime around noon.

My own social battery is better than hers, but I definitely should have noticed earlier. So I told her in no unclear words that she is free to leave if she starts getting tired of being around people. Unless there is combat to be had, I will not scold her for wanting alone time. Then I gave her a little hug and left her be.

Speaking of hugs, Orion got one of those too; as big as I could make it without aggravating her injuries. Then I all but carried her back to Haven; she is now hanging around the local repair bath.


Day 115

Ariel approached me this morning and asked if she could stay behind. I let her, so it was only Jeanne and Sapphire coming with me to Frostbite's domain again.

Today I spread board games, introduced a few more card games, and tried to sell them on some more dishes. It is pretty hard to make something to feed a fleet without the majority of portions going cold. Maybe I should tech into those stasis fields to keep cooked food fresh. No matter how much the Abyss insists that is not what they are for.

Human ingenuity means using things in a way they were not designed for, after all. Most of the time it is dumb, but sometimes you get something entirely new and useful.

The second day of bringing enlightenment to the Abyssals convinced Frostbite some more, too. She seems more drawn to the complicated games, planning strategies and approaches ahead of time. Card games are nice enough to kill some time, but nothing for her to really sink her teeth into.

She actually thanked me today, for giving her and her fleet so much without asking for any recompense.

Sapphire and Jeanne were having a blast, too; it seems they easily integrated with some of the groups and played the various games.

Which brings me to another observation: Abyssals form social groups. It is the continuation of the thing with destroyers liking to crowd around capital ships; most of it seems to be instinctual, but some is also personal reasons. I did spot a couple of escorts and submarines staying on their lonesome. For tomorrow, I am printing them some books to read.

Likewise, most battleships seem to enjoy having destroyers and cruisers around. Ariel is a clear exception, but even Frostbite has a soft spot for the escorts. Light and heavy cruisers all like their own class the most, though they get along just as well with transport ships. The Mi-Class I introduced is integrating into this social setting, most comfortable with the transports but fine interacting with anyone. They seem more matter-of-fact than the other ship types as a rule, though. Then again, I have four of them in total to base that observation on. It can just be a coincidence.

I am happy with today's progress either way. Frostbite's fleet does not defer to me, but they accept me just like their Princess. I am not sure if they could reject me at all, come to think of it. After all this, they definitely seem to like me though.


Day 116

And there was the other shoe. I really should have known better.

Ariel stayed back home again, as did Hydra. I finished explaining games and fed a bunch of hungry mouths, nothing bad happened there. If anything, the loners were surprised when I approached them; Frostbite was also intrigued by the concept of books, but thankfully all Abyssals come out with the ability to read. It would have been a nightmare to teach them that.

The bad stuff started around noon. Actually a bit earlier, but I only found out when Ariel radio'd in that Haven was under attack. From my reconstruction, she never checked the scanners and forgot she could use radio due to surprise.

First a group of regular bombers laid waste to the island. My base was sturdy enough not to collapse from that, but the upper layer got caved in by the following bombardment. Ariel stayed inside, but Hydra was outside on the island.

By the time she reached out to me, the battle was already raging for a few minutes. Frostbite immediately stopped me from charging in and told her own fleet to ready for sortie. Sapphire and Jeanne were held back all the same, but they only stayed because Ariel kept sending updates. I know for a fact they would have run right through the teleporter if an SOS had come.

It was harrowing. Maybe if I ignored Frostbite and went right through, things could have been different.

When we did emerge at the back of two entire destroyer screens and a full complement of battleships, I could have cried. Even the lowest layer of my base had rubble everywhere. The highest layer collapsed outright, leaving only ruins of the few factories I had there. A handful of drones survived because they hunkered down inside.

My heart was beating heavier the longer it took to find Ariel. The sound of gunfire and screams at least told us she was still alive, calmly sending that she held the line when pinged. And that she did.

The repair bay and active spawn pool are halfway down my base, but some of the more delicate rooms are toward the top. Ariel guarded the only entrance with blazing guns, fighting off a group of landbound shipgirls and human strike teams; from what she explained later, the latter came first and the former followed when they realised there was an Abyssal inside.

I still almost had a heart attack when I saw her. If anything, Ariel looked worse than Orion; she took fire from everything attacking Haven, half her face and body melted to slag. She held the line anyway and started up a storm to stop the bombers from coming back. I took over from her once Frostbite told me to, meanwhile her forces streamed outside to take the fight. Jeanne's flight decks belched out more planes than I expected her to have, contesting the airspace with technological superiority.

The battle raged back and forth for the better part of an hour. Then Sapphire and her submarine friends finished sneaking through the floodgate entrance and behind the enemy. The flotilla was spotted once and had to retreat, but Sapphire remained undetected until she sank all three enemy carriers in rapid succession. Then she beat a hasty retreat, only to double back when the attackers' attention was rapidly taken by the other submarines nibbling at their trio of battleships. It was a duo soon after, then only one sounding the retreat once Frostbite and her Demons hammered into them.

We did not get all of them, but many. The rest of the day was spent taking stock of the damages.

The good news is that Ariel survived. She defended not just our home base from intrusion, she also saved her two defenseless sisters' lives. I stuffed her into the bath as soon as the guns fell silent, but the hug and thanks she got is nowhere near enough.

Hydra is gone, though. A couple of destroyers dragged her corpse back from where they found her, armour belt ruptured and ammunition cooked off. Going by the injuries on the corpses, my girl went down swinging; one of the sunk battleships and half a dozen escorts, both cruisers and destroyers, were torn apart by that super gun. With no other target in sight however, they just hammered past Hydra's defenses with brute force.

I was in a bit of a haze after the adrenaline wore off, or whatever equivalent Abyssals have. Frostbite helped me take stock. Her girls found all the wrecks and corpses, then helped my few surviving drones drag them back. I needed a while to get away from Hydra.

She tried to talk me into 'shaking it off' and things like that. Easy to say for an Abyssal who does not care for her subordinates. I told her to shut up... which may have been a little harsher than I wanted it to be. I am not going to apologise.

I had my drones dig a pit for the human corpses. After taking everything of interest, including their guns and whatever other paraphernalia they had on them, I poured gasoline over the mound of corpses and burned them all. Even if biological matter can be used to make something, I still do not want to go there.

The other thing is that I recognise some of these shipgirls. Even without the soldiers being Asians and Americans, I could recognise the battleship Kongou. One of the destroyers was Hibiki, too. Akatsuki was not among the dead, but I have no idea if she was just not here or retreated with the few ships that made it out.

I may still be in shock a little bit. At least I do not feel actually angry, just sad. Orion and Ionia almost died, Ariel almost died, and Hydra is gone.

All the remaining hulls are in storage for now; being what they are, it will take some time for them to even start decomposing. I need to decide on that soon, though. Frostbite left one of her Mi-Class girls here to help clean up; I think her name is Shallows, but I did not pay too much attention. My being bad with names does not really help there.

I think I start feeling that urge to wage war again. But right now it is hard to tell if that is me or the Abyss. Maybe both for once.

I told Akatsuki that I want to be left alone. A targeted attack on this island, with regular soldiers no less, means they knew without a shadow of doubt I was here. I cursed her earlier in my head, but I know it was not her fault; she did not make the decision to attack me. It just gets increasingly harder to separate the people who gave the order from those who followed it.

I need sleep.


Day 117

An idea came to me earlier today. I directed some of the drones myself and kept busy; Sapphire was out on patrol to spot whomever may come close. I also started animating the weather into a proper storm; with my cover broken, I may as well announce my presence. A third of the shipgirl corpses went to Frostbite as thanks for helping me without hesitation. She tried to reject them, but I insisted.

Which was around the time I had that idea.

"I'm probably going to keep relying on you to bring the firepower," is what I told her. "So making sure you're well-supplied is just good practice."

We had a bit of an argument then; Frostbite was not wrong that continuing to refuse building a fleet would get me killed. I still do not want to do that, though. Like I said, I had an idea; she was skeptical when I told her about it, or rather that I want to try something else first. Especially when I asked her to send girls around all nearby islands to grab whatever lizards they can find. Haven is devastated, so I will not find much in terms of flora or fauna here anymore.

She agreed, though. Which means I can return to my German roots, trying to drive the point home with shock and awe.

Once I have those lizards, I will make Godzilla.

 

[Naron]

Day 119

Is this an efficient use of resources? No.

Is it a good idea? Probably also no.

Will it send a message? Absolutely.

It has been two days since the attack; I have trouble putting into words just how Hydra's absence feels, but it is definitely felt. My girls seem to feel similar; Jeanne and Sapphire were more subdued, spending quite a bit of time with Ariel and Orion in the baths. Mostly to keep them company, at least until Ariel asked them to give her some space.

Outside of that, I set up Orion's ascension to Demon yesterday. I sold Frostbite as much tech as she can afford to fund my next big project, so I had enough resources to spare. The shipgirl wrecks were broken down and converted into an additional influx of materials.

The new stasis fields work decently well, too; Frostbite got a few samples to make sure she can catch the lizards I want and keep them fresh. I also tested them on Sapphire with her permission, but anything with a heavier metaphysical weight than some tiny animal is able to resist. So no flash-freezing any attackers, at least not on this level of the technology; maybe one of the expensive upgrades will allow that, but I have other priorities right now.

In addition to the other preparations, I had my drones dig a deeper spawn pool beneath the sea. The ones I use for my shipgirls are a few metres in diameter, this one is more like fifty metres.

I also spent time with my girls; having only three of them present gave me a bit of an idea. So myself, Jeanne, and Sapphire spent a decent amount of time in the kitchen. My synthetic food continues to improve, so we looked up a few recipes and went to work. Jeanne was in charge of the cooking, Sapphire took care of the desert, and I helped each of them where they needed me. That includes cleaning up and measuring ingredients so they could do the fun parts. I do not mind the busywork, and I like my kitchen clean.

Then we surprised Ariel with a meal fit for a queen. A battleship she may be, but she earned it after going above and beyond to protect Haven. I also started to look into waterproofing a computer somehow, so that she can go online from the bath.

Even still, there was this air of trepidation around us.


Day 120

Today was the day Ionia finished her metamorphosis. I am not sure I should use that word again because it reminded me of reading Kafka in school. Then again, I did not hate the book. Ionia is prettier than any sort of insect, too.

We welcomed her back together, Jeanne even propped up Ariel and led her over. They were just in time for an even chubbier Ionia to break through the churning darkness.

"Container Ship Demon, at your command," is what she greeted me with. Her smile was genuine, although it did not last beyond spotting Ariel. "Did something happen while I was out?"

I guess we were waiting for these words, or at least something like them. Sapphire got teary-eyed and I had trouble actually saying it; Jeanne was the one to fill Ionia in, still steadying Ariel. She probably blew her twin's not-quite last stand out of proportion, but I maintain that she deserves all the praise we heap on her. Ionia seemed to agree, considering that she thanked her as well. Word of Hydra's death did not affect her as much as the rest of us, excepting maybe Orion. Or she just kept it to herself.

After that, it was my turn to explain our next steps; come to think of it, that may have been the first time I actually spelled out the plan. Only Frostbite heard some of the broad strokes.

Suffice it to say, the girls seemed happy that we are hitting back. They were also confused about my unorthodox method to do so.

"This is not about destroying them," was how I explained it to them there. "This is about sending a message what happens if they mess with me. I have no idea how well it will work, but if the rest of the Abyss couldn't roll over them with superior firepower, we may as well try something new."

Honestly, it was a much better reasoning than I thought at the time. It is true, too; the Abyssals are still losing ground across the globe. The main stalemate stems from one side being landbound while the other is at home in the deep sea. If there was not this violent conflict going on, we might even be able to coexist well enough. Abyssals live where humans can not, humans live where Abyssals do not want to dwell.

Alas, we are at war and at least one side will not stop until the other is dead.

Funny how now should be the moment I realise I could try for forcing coexistence; unify the Abyssals under my banner and see about ending the war peacefully. Maybe I even have a shot, considering the Abyss itself is in my corner. Mind, it does not like the concept of peace with humanity at all. I like it more than war, but going out and finding all the Abyssal nests feels like too much work. I rather stay here and take care of my own business.

Not to mention I already tried being nice. Now Hydra is dead and Ariel out of commission for almost three months. Frostbite lost a pair of escorts in the defense of Haven, too.

So I sent Ionia out to get back to work; she is still bringing back resources from the various autonomous bases Orion set up. This week-long pause made the stuff pile up there. Sapphire escorts her everywhere, forcing a miniature storm to obscure their movements whenever they leave my zone of influence.

Speaking of, I need to invest into upgrading weather control. Keeping Haven and the surrounding waters obscured is a boon, but it could be bigger.


Day 125

The last few days were calm despite my constant storms. Orion returned as a Drone Commander Demon, good as new if not even better. She grew taller just like Sapphire, yet stayed as stocky as before. That should mean she has even more muscle packed away in her body.

The first thing she did upon emerging was to take back control of the drones; I had them clean up the upper layer of our home and started on building a citadel to get a new roof. And I will bling it out even more, just out of spite. Every lightning strike will have its shine refracted by ten thousand specks of gold, silver and various crystals. Spikes of obsidian will reach into the sky.

What is more, I steadily converted some of my unused materials into Uranium and other radioactive things. There was already a decent stockpile, but now I have a lot of it. I also went into researching biological weapons; that is, natural weapons. Not viruses. My labs focus on breath attacks, for hopefully obvious reasons.

Frostbite sent in a number of caught lizards as well, some of them alive. I am waiting for a second load that should come in tomorrow, then we will begin Operation Kingmaker. I felt something of such gravitas should have a proper name; this one is fitting enough, quite literal, and does not actually give away its purpose unless one already knows.

Business mostly returned to normal by now. It still hurts to think of Hydra, especially with her body yet remaining in stasis. I decided to make her remains the base of this new chimera as a final tribute.


Day 126

Orion approached me today. It was a bit of a surprise when she asked me to mount guns on her and her drones. Being caught off-guard like she did apparently annoyed her, or so she said. Now she wants to have an emergency measure to protect herself, she even went to draw up blueprints herself in one of the external labs.

Outside of that, well, Kingmaker is go. I placed first Hydra's body into the large spawn pool, then dumped several tons of uranium, a large number of dead and living-but-drowned lizards, and ungodly amounts of steel on top. This was followed by tungsten, once again out of spite. Even just a single ton of that stuff was brutally expensive to produce, but I gladly do it for the miniscule chance that my new creation's scales will be similarly durable.

Frostbite is still skeptical, especially because I am now more or less broke. So is she, though. She did not have to buy so much tech to deplete all her stockpiles, but did it anyway. Her support was invaluable to get this done. I also have some of her girls dropping by every once in a while. Some come to play games, others just want to poke the gestating king or throw more lizards into the pool.

On that note, there is a complementary creation growing as I write this. Well, not to the nascent king, but to my ships. The other reason I am pretty much broke is the Destroyer Demon currently gestating. I set her up right after finishing with the king. Throwing a kaiju at idiots is one thing, but Sapphire is not a dedicated escort. Ionia needs protection, as do Jeanne and Ariel in the field. Perhaps I should have made more than one, but I ran out of resources.

That aside, I also feel that I do not want to make too many ships. Upkeep aside, I want to know them, and I want them to know me; there will be too little time to interact with everyone if I make them in bulk. Maybe my stance will change later, but right now I do not want to risk becoming callous with the lives I create. I will not even consider sacrificing them as long as I know them well.

I just hope this new Demon will get along with the others.


Day 130

All is going as I hoped. Well, almost all; the king needs a while to gestate, which I probably should have expected. If that particular song is to be believed, Bismarck displaces around 50,000 tons of steel. I dumped many times that into my pet project.

Food for thought: ships are always treated as female due to superstition. Abyssals are also all female, physically. No, the body dysmorphia has not faded. I just got better at ignoring it. But I digress; if Kingmaker follows Abyssal conventions, would I get not a king but a queen?

I may be too bored if that is what goes through my mind at times like these. My Destroyer Demon will arrive in three days' time, far before whatever monster comes out of the other pool.


Day 133

She is here and I named her Hannah. No particular reason, the name just came to mind.

As became the habit recently, everyone stopped by to welcome her to our fleet. She came out with a little smile, slim and with squishy cheeks. It is a little odd how she looks the softest out of all my combat ships, but I guess someone had to take that honour off of Ariel.

Either way, there is little else of note happening. Hannah is more on the soft-spoken side, but seems to like being around one of the capital ships the most. Meaning myself, Ariel, or Jeanne. She kept our battleship company in the baths for a while, then appointed herself assistant to whatever we were doing. It was kind of cute how attentively she watched us.


Day 136

Hannah continues to be a sweetheart. She started carrying food and small amounts of sweets to Frostbite's base, to share with the girls there. She is also big on cuddles and goes for them whenever she can.

That makes my first physically affectionate ship. The others give or take a headpat or a hug on occasion, but Hannah is different. She does not like sleeping alone and rotates around to wherever someone else is, nestling into them. Tonight I have her here with me while writing this. It takes some getting used to.

Frostbite tells me this is more or less normal for destroyers, just like their penchant to being around capital ships. Hannah spends less time with Sapphire, though the two of them do not seem to hate each other or anything.

Despite that different behaviour, Hannah is a professional in the field. I sent her out escorting Ionia twice so far, but her conduct was exemplary. Ionia notes she feels perfectly safe with Hannah around. Good thing too, now Sapphire can go back to patrolling my territory.


Day 138

We had another raid today, but it went far different than the first. I was around to notice the scanners pinging me, for one. Sapphire also spotted the fleet coming our way half an hour out to sea. More than enough time to alert Frostbite and bring her entire fleet into my harbour. We welcomed them with overwhelming firepower while Jeanne and my storm won the battle for air superiority. The few bombers that made it through her fighter screen were shot down by Hannah and the other escort Demons.

They turned tail and fled the moment I had Sapphire backstab them again. And I let them go without further harassment; perhaps I am hoping in vain that they will eventually understand I only defend my home from attack.

Either way, our superior force sunk a few of their ships. Frostbite and I split them evenly between us for resources. They never spotted the spawn pool beneath their feet.

Now I just need to figure out what to do if they send more ships. This fleet was smaller than the last one. What if they join forces with the Americans? The Abyss does not have stationary gun emplacements, so all I can do is hope Frostbite's forces are enough of a deterrent. They do not know we can teleport between our bases, which is an effective trump card. It will be less effective if they get the idea to lay siege to both of us simultaneously.


Day 142

Nothing new on the front, at least not really. I talked a bit with Hannah, which taught me something curious. When I asked her why she keeps mingling with Frostbite's fleet, she told me this: "They're our allies by your will, Princess. So I want to get along with them. Not to mention that it is harder to betray someone you like."

My cute Destroyer Demon may be more devious than I gave her credit for.

Tabling that thought, I also decided that if I am already at war with humanity, I may as well pirate some movies. Not like I have money to buy them. I guess I could make some, but counterfeiting is a worse offense than piracy. I am also a being of the sea, so a pirate fits better; not to mention that merely existing is probably a greater crime under human law than either of the others. For an Abyssal, I mean.

Long story short, I watched some Godzilla movies with my fleet. We set up a little cinema room, except I can control the volume; all the upsides, none of the downsides like noisy randos or hurting ears. I also got across what I am hoping to spawn much better with this; some of the 'newest' movies do not exist, maybe not yet, but the franchise is older than the first Abyssals.

This had an unintentional side effect as well: I created a lot more interest in human commodities and pop culture. Especially Jeanne and Hannah were intrigued by the concept and wanted to watch more. So I got them into Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Another joy of being in this alternate timeline is that only six Star Wars movies exist. And that we are unlikely to ever see more.

Science Fiction seems to garner a lot of interest, too. I heard quiet discussion whether Abyssals could go to space; they asked me as well, but I could only shrug. A number of high-end techs are still hidden from me on the tech tree. Not that it stopped the discussion. Even Ariel joined in from the little bath container I installed for her; I thought she might like watching remote more, but this seems easier on her social battery.

I am not only filling their heads with information here, but I also make them accept that not all human things are bad. Which reminds me that seeing humans on the screen does not trigger the aggression like seeing them in person does. Silver linings and all that.

Maybe I should feel a little concerned that they cheered every time Darth Vader and the Nazgul came on screen, though.

Either way, I have a rabbit hole to drag my fleet into.


Day 169

Nothing of real note happened recently, but the funny number is back.

Kingmaker still bubbles along merrily and there were no further attacks. I spent the last few weeks putting on movie after movie, then switching to anime as well for visual media. Then I went back to books for the girls who would rather read.

Somehow, word spread to Frostbite as well; she was less enthused by the reruns for her fleet, but saying she was not interested at all would be a lie. Her girls loved the spectacle as much as mine did.

At least none of them called me out for trying to make something that exists in human media. Maybe it never occurred to them, or they were too distracted by the new experience.

Come to think of it, there was that one conversation I had with Ionia; her being the only one beside me who knew Akatsuki was here, she asked me if sparing the girl was worth it. I did not like how I had no good answer to that. It was not worth it, but I would probably do the exact same thing again. I just do not have it in me to be cruel when the person is in front of me. Hence Godzilla.

Now here is to hoping the king will hatch soon.


Day 180

Long live the king!

Today was hectic, I will get to the details in tomorrow's entry.