Getting a Technology System in Modern Day

822  John

“They plan, we plan, and the best planner wins,” John muttered as he sat in his office, going through the large amount of information prepared for him. His focus remained steady as he reviewed each piece, carefully deciding the direction to move forward.

One of the documents contained all the information gathered from the brain data of killed combatants and the ships they had infiltrated. This data was used to assess and grade the currently known civilizations based on their strength and their capability to sustain a long interstellar war against another civilization. The document was the first of its kind to be prepared without factoring in external opinions or speculations, resulting in several civilizations being ranked either a few levels higher or lower than previously thought.

Another document detailed the results of a joint research effort between the military and the Imperial Mana Agency, focusing on the limits of mana oaths. It explored whether these oaths could be exploited or circumvented through indirect means, all while avoiding the retaliation typically triggered by breaking their rules. This involved testing every conceivable loophole and edge case.

Another report analyzed potential strategies the opposing side might employ to hinder the empire without technically violating the mana oath. These included tactics such as turning a blind eye to or directly supporting pirates who attack imperial vessels operating within the Conclave and then purchasing stolen goods at lower-than-market prices. It also covered scenarios like leveraging internal conflicts to establish militarized zones in routes used by imperial ships to reach other civilizations, declaring such zones off-limits, and threatening to attack any trespassers—actions that, while disruptive, would not breach the mana oath.

This specific document also included proposed countermeasures for each potential strategy the opposing side might employ against the empire. These countermeasures were meticulously designed to provide the military with a range of options, allowing them to select the most efficient course of action for each scenario.

These were just a few among the many critical documents John had to review before presenting his findings to the emperor. Each document carried its own significance, contributing to the overall security of the imperial military and the safety of the empire as a whole.

Such documents were currently being prepared either through individual efforts or joint research initiatives and were delivered to the heads of each agency for review. Once reviewed, these documents would be forwarded to the emperor for final decisions to be made. This process had resulted in the imperial government entering a phase of exceptionally heavy workloads.

The empire needed to ensure it was thoroughly prepared for a future where the entire Conclave would be accessible to them. Even the slightest negligence could lead to unexpected outcomes and severe consequences. To mitigate this, they adopted a meticulous approach, having multiple teams independently work on the same issues without communication between them. This ensured that any overlooked details or insights missed by one team could potentially be discovered by another.

“How is the progress on reverse-engineering the captured mecha?” John asked.

{The mechanical aspect is complete. Currently, the research focuses on the software and control interface before integrating all findings into a few final designs,} Athena, the AI overseeing the entire military, responded.

“Looks like we’re going to need more of them than I initially thought,” John said, reflecting on the response. He had been reviewing reports on how the Yrral Coalition utilized their mechas to secure their territories. The psychological impact of mechas on pirates was proving to be significantly higher than that of conventional military ships.

“Despite that, we are still heavily limited in information. It looks like it’s going to take a very long time and constant updates before we have as clear a picture as we want,” John remarked, realizing the document they currently had was still extremely opaque regarding the full workings of the Astral Conclave. Most of the intelligence had been collected from low-ranking soldiers who lacked insight into the deeper mechanics of the Conclave. This gap, however, was going to be Nyx's domain—a task she seemed to be preparing for with great enthusiasm. Finally, an area where the empire didn’t hold complete informational superiority was presenting itself, giving her the opportunity to operate under the imperial military doctrine and gather intelligence as efficiently as possible.

{We take what we have and use it to the maximum of its potential. We can’t always wait for full and perfect information before acting—by then, everything would have already happened,} Athena responded.

“But aren’t we being too conservative in our planning of countermeasures?” John asked, noticing that none of the plans suggested any proactive moves by the empire. Nearly all of them positioned the empire in a reactive stance.

{The emperor specifically asked that active strategies not be included for now. It seems he is working on something independently, and once his plan is finalized, any active measures will be integrated alongside it,} Athena explained. Though John held the highest rank in the military, second only to the emperor, this particular directive had been handled by Athena as she had simply issued a memo to the researchers without bothering John with the details until now.

“Mh, fine,” he responded, slightly irked but ultimately understanding. After completing his review of the final document, he added, “Other than a few of these that need more details to justify their conclusions further, the rest can be delivered to the emperor,” sending the revision requests to the respective folders. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

{Due to the emperor’s current erratic schedule, it’s unclear when your meeting to report these will take place, but it should happen within a week,} Athena relayed, passing on the response she had received from Nova.

“No problem on my side, plus I have dates with my two wives,” John said, initiating the logout procedure as he considered his work for the day complete and no urgent matters left to address.

{I will keep you up to date for any changes,} Athena responded just before the logout process was finalized.