Hisui drifted toward the shining surface of the moon, or rather the roiling crowd of traveling Augusmin below, as gently as the enchanted feather would have let him back in the Empire. The fall was a little slower than it would have been within the Empire, but it still felt too fast as Jade searched for a gap to aim for.
The small stone wall built around the temporary portal lacked all of the buffers he had helped create to stabilize the permanent portals. The Augusmin that had been crowding against it now veered away from the geyser of wind that had blown him into the air. His friends still huddled along the wall gazing up at him.
Jade was pleased by this display that the wind the portal carried was still shaped by the opening at that height, and that the little wall should successfully protect those traveling around it for the duration. The sky above visibly roiled and it looked like waves of the atmosphere were spilling out across the surface of the sky from the fountainhead above the geyser of wind.
Part of Jade thought that it was a pity thatexpanding new human habitable spaces in the real world couldn't be this easy. Part of him thought that this was ridiculous and that they must be circumventing the "right" way that the quest should have been solved. And part of him wondered whether they should have simply summoned the Dragon herself instead of siphoning the air from one world to another.
His search for a clear landing space grew more intense as he fell far enough to distinguish individuals among the Augusmin. He was afraid of injuring someone as he fell, until he felt the hand of one of the Augusmin clasp Hisui's ankle. The Augusmin had merely bounced a little higher to grab him and now pulled him into place in the traveling crowd.
"Thank you," Jade said swiftly.
It was a bit unnerving as every head swiveled in his direction, even as the crowd continued to do its best to move away from the jet of air behind them.
"You did this, didn't you?" A pale individual asked accusingly.
"I, yes," Jade admitted. Of course he hadn't done it alone, but if his solution had incurred the wrath of the moon's rabbit-like inhabitants, he was willing to claim that he had.
"It's very nice," another Augusmin enthused.
"I think the tree likes it," an older Augusminoffered.
The pale Augusmin tilted their ears for a moment, before agreeing more cheerfully, "I think you're right!"
"It should help fulfill the quest sooner," Jade explained.
"The quest?" one of them asked.
"Our quest for the tree, to raise the height of the sky," Jade explained.
"Our quest to..." another Augusmin repeated a bit incredulously. And then the speculations began to fly.
--
Harmony died.
Jade, the original Jade, mourned her passing.
Jade, her attendant, scanned everything. Cut her apart and scanned everything in pieces. And then took the liquids that circulated within her brain, and broke things down even farther.
Orbital Jade sorted everything that he received from Attendant Jade into Harmony's waiting internal Avatar. Once everything was fairly well aligned, Harmony woke up.
And then finally, her physical death was properly logged with the authorities. Her wishes were carried out. What little family remained were informed, and passed a few minor treasures.But she didn't notify her online communities of her change in status.
Only three days passed before Harmony got herself stuck in an infinite loop for the first time. Jade rebooted her. Only 3 hours passed before she stuck herself into the same infinite loop.
Orbital Jade examined the loop after she recreated it two days later. It was... filled with pleasure, or even happiness, yet it contained nothing. It was perhaps a form of nirvana.
The original Jade reviewed Orbital Jade's findings. All of the Jade's discussed the situation, in between their regular tasks, except for attendant Jade. Attendant Jade didn't argue with the other Jade's, and paid close attention to their findings, but he didn't comment on them.
The original Jade suggested quietly that attendant Jade might as well shut down, and that's when the fight started.
Jade argued Jade, and attendant Jade fought to survive until the Emperor needed his body. Home Jade agreed with attendant Jade for no particular reason that the other Jades could see. But Jade actually trusted Jade quite a lot, and Jade eventually gave in.
It took Jade awhile to realize that Harmony didn't shut herself down into the infinite loop again until the fight ended. But within an hour of that she had retreated to it once more.
Jade, the original, gazed a little sadly at the loop bound "soul" on his server. Orbital Jade threw up his hands and walked "away" from the problem. They gave Harmony space to cycle endlessly, hoping that her pattern could resume. A day passed. And then a week. And then a month.
--
"You okay?" Eric asked Jade a bit gruffly.
Jade wobbled a hand at his friend without giving a verbal answer. He was busy. His orbital self was very nearly full. His orbital self wanted to delete some of Harmony's data.
Jade was resisting.
"Want to talk about it?" Eric asked.
Jade met Eric's gaze, which was calmer than it had been recently, and suddenly he did. He nodded.
Eric waited for a bit.
Jade put several things on hold before speaking. "I miss her," he admitted.
Eric slung an arm over Jade's shoulder and confessed, "Me too."
Jade explained in a rush, "I think I need to fix her! I need her! At least, I promised that it wasn't the end. I don't know what's wrong. I... I don't understand why her simulation keeps falling into that loop? But I'm running out of space."
Eric released Jade slowly and suggested, a little roughly, "A simulation is exactly what it sounds like, it's just an impression. It's not real. It's not like you've got a copy of her soul."
Jade looked at his friend.
Eric avoided his eyes for a moment, and then explained more defensively, "It's not a real copy."
Jade ran his hands through his own hair as he gazed at Eric. "It should be, I copied every memory I could find, and she helped create her copy herself. Even if I assume you're right, if it's not really her, then it's at least our child that thinks it's her."
Eric met Jade's eyes searchingly. "Let me meet her then," he finally suggested.
Jade blinked, and then agreed almost enthusiastically, "Sure!" Eric watched Jade warily for a long moment, until Jade suggested, "In Living Jade Empire?"
Eric blinked, and then nodded. "Tonight then?" he asked.
"Yes!" Jade agreed.
--
Jade rebooted Harmony before logging into Living Jade Empire. His dwarven form Hisui stood as if rooted to the spot, as he gazed at the tree in the distance.
The tree towered into the sky like it never had before, with most of its upper branches covered in leaves that were paler, but otherwise identical to the older leaves on the lower branches. And even the uppermost were covered in buds.
Sky leaned against Hisui when Harmony's character connected, as though they had all the time in the world.
"It looks good, we did well didn't we?" Harmony volunteered after a bit.
"It shouldn't have been enough," Jade protested.
"What shouldn't?" Appella asked as she logged in beside them.
Jade pointed at the tree.
Appella looked at it with confusion, and asked "What about it?"
"My portal shouldn't have conveyed enough air for that much growth!" Jade protested.
Appella patted Hisui's shoulder sympathetically, and explained, "Well, once we showed them how to complete it, everyone obviously joined in. It's been a month in the real world and 3 here, what did you expect?"
Harmony blinked, and asked, "A month?"
