Allonian Seed (formerly Steembots) is a game and toy line that I am creating with the help of my sons 
The day was warm, mid summer, and sticky. The cicadas were in full chorus this year, and the sky was filled with large puffy clouds that gathered in the distance promising a late evening thunderstorm. Lenard walked slowly down the game trail that ran along side the main walking path, where he could imagine being lost in some deep thicket long ago. In reality, he was in a park just on the outskirts of town. The park had recently been built by the cities new "Get Into Nature" initiative, and was seldom used by anyone other than a few families. Going hiking was always the highlight of the week for Lenard. Not only because he got to explore and feel like he was anywhere but the city, but because his parents usually took him out to eat that evening. These meals were sometimes the only chance they got to be a family during the week, and Lenard longed for those moments. "No mom, I don't think so....Yeah I've tried." Lenard could hear his dad on the phone in the distance, and from the sound of it he wasn't enjoying the call. "I'm sorry I have to ask, but do you think you could help us again this month?" his dad said. Lenard didn't hear the rest of the conversation because just then, out of the corner of his eye he saw it. A ROCK! Leaving the game trail and down into a small gully Lenard knelt down to inspect the treasure. Oh it was a treasure indeed! It was shiny, but not like glass or metal, and warm to the touch. Excavating the earth from around the object he picked it up to give it a closer inspection. It definitely looked like a rock. Smooth and slightly larger on one end. It reminded him of the rocks you find in a river. It was heavy, like flint, and also like flint the stone reflected light off in unexpected angles giving away its crystalline interior. However, the reflections didn't follow the light as Lenard thought it would, glinting in odd ways even when held completely still. The more he watched the more Lenard believed that the light was coming from inside the stone. He tilted it from left to right in his hand watching the light play along the veins within. There was something else. Something deep within the stone, something that didn't glint like the rest of the mineral. It seemed frozen --- locked in place --- and regardless to how the boy turned the stone he could never see the back of it. That is to say that the shape seemed to flip over when the rock was flipped. "Lenard!" His dad yelled, "Time to go!, We need to catch up with your mother, and then get ready to go eat." Lenard pocketed his find and emerged from the brush. As he did he noticed a sadness to his father's face, but knew better than to ask.
After the short drive back to their apartment Lenard's dad headed to the study to "check emails and to respond to anything that may be important". Lenard followed, excited about his discovery he wanted to check the various field guides to see what it was. "Lenard?, do you need something buddy?" His dad said after noticing that he was being followed. "Yeah, I found a rock and wanted to see what kind it was.", Lenard said grabbing the "Field Guide to Rock and Minerals" that the family had gotten from a second hand book store last year. Nothing seemed to match! It wasn't flint, or quartz, or any other common mineral that's for sure. Nor was it anything fancy like sapphire or diamond,or opal for that matter. After a few frustrating minutes of looking he sighed and looked over at his dad, "Um, dad can you help me?" His dad looked sad again, but a smile quickly formed at the request for help. "Sure, whatcha got?" Lenard reluctantly handed the rock to his dad which transferred a shock between them. They both winced, but before his dad could inspect the stone they were beckoned by his mother to get their rain coats and get a "move on". Without looking at the stone Lenard's dad placed it on top of his computer and shrugged. "We'll have to look at it when we get back" said his dad as he ushered Lenard out of the room turning off the lights as they left.
The lights were off in the apartment, and all was still and quiet. In the study the power light on the computer pulsed rhythmically reminding the room that it was sleeping. Its last tasks suspended in ram, and on disk, waiting. Put there by the Operating System for quick retrieval on the chance to spring back into action. Most nights this would have been the state the computer found it self in till morning, but this was not most nights.
The stone sat motionless in the dark room. Its strange light dancing across its surface. The only reminder that it was there. Then, as if it knew it was alone, the stone began to vibrate. As a low hum filled the air every vein within the rock began to luminesce creating rivers of light from deep within. Tendril like trails began to extend beyond the shape of the stone, flowing like water or lava, over the case and entering the computer at every port and seam. The trails of light traveled over circuits over cables, splitting again and again --- a mycelial network of electricity connecting to every component of the machine. For several minutes this continued, a dance of light draining from one vessel to the next, and then the stone fell silent. No light remained in the room except the periodic flash from the computer --- still asleep through all that transpired.
Soon after the stone finished the family returned home, and just in time as the storm had started raining in earnest right as they made it to the apartments mostly uncovered parking lot. "Oh my! I am soaked, Lenard you need to get off those wet clothes and get ready for bed." Lenard mother said the moment they made it through the door. It wasn't an order per-say, but he knew better than to question her when she was wet an cold. So he went straight to it. He parents went on to their room as well, and before long you could hear the sound of a hot shower running. Lenard didn't feel like a shower and enjoyed the smell of the rain on his skin. Using a basically clean towel he quickly dried off, and put on his usual night clothes of sweat pants and a t-shirt before slipping into the study. The rock looked different....and felt different as well. It didn't buzz when he touched it, and it was the same temperature as the room. He could see cracks deep within the rock but it looked some how empty. He couldn't have imagined the dancing lights or the shape in it center...could he? Maybe it just needed sunlight, he thought sadly, and took it from the room.
Lenard laid in bed for a long time turning the rock around in his hand. The shape of the stone hardly visible in the darkness. He could hear his parents moving around the house talking about their days and boring grown-up stuff. He could hear the sadness in his dad's voice again as he heard. "I got another thanks but no thanks letter today. That makes five." Lenard could imagine where his father was sitting, in the old chair where he always sat. He could imagine his mom's face frowning slightly, but not unloving. "I'm sorry John, how many more applications do you have out?" John shrugged "Maybe three...or, yeah three." he smiled and beckoned his wife over to him. "At least we still have you." Lenard's mom sat gently on John's lap and hugged him, "You'll find a job soon I'm sure," she said, "its just a matter of time."
"Yeah Maybe, come on you have work tomorrow and you look tense." John guided his wife off his lap and they headed off to their bedroom together, Hand in hand.
All was quiet again, and in the empty study the light on the computer stopped blinking. Shining bright the computer had been awakened from its slumber from unseen input. Sensing the change in the computer the monitor came on. Then the wireless printer snapped to life and fell back asleep. The webcam's recording light came on for the briefest of moments then went off again, Then the 3D printer, whose power was manually control, hummed to life. The strange light that had come from the rock began to flow from the computer, down the cable, spreading over the control boards within the 3D printer entangling its self there. Then it curled up the cabling that powered the extruder, imbibing every part of the machine. Then the printer began to move. First it was slow, as if it was relearning how to operate. Then it descended to the build plate getting ready to go to work. A more intense light gathered at the tip of the printer as it started laying down layers of filament. As the polymer past through the light it was changing. Metals, rubbers, and plastics were being created as needed and at a speed that was impossible for the printer until now. Layer upon impossibly thin layer stacked up. Impossibly small gaps separating the components that moved with those that did not.. Hours past until finally a small robot, about 4 inches tall stood in the center of the build plate. At first, it looked like a toy, but then a pale blue green light came on behind its eyes. It blinked, or rather its eyes flashed, a few times. Then it shook, breaking free from little pieces of filament that aided in its creation. It slowly looked left, then right. Took one step, and toppled right into the waste bin nearly four feet straight down off the desk.
It sat there for a moment unsure of what to do, but it knew one thing. It had to get out! Using its lower body it began to move around violently shifting its weight back and forth until finally the can tipped over and spilled its contents, including the new bot, onto the floor. Without hesitating it slowly wandered around the room moving as quietly as its new parts allowed. It was surrounded by amazing things! Towering ceilings. Enormous angular shapes that held other objects some organic, others in-organic, and sometimes both. Then, from somewhere in the apartment an alarm started to sound. How the bot knew it was an alarm it did not know but it knew it had to hide. Moving a fast as it could it hid in a pile of boxes in the corner of the room. The noise repeated it self several times then abruptly stopped. The bot waited, and waited, and just as he was about to move another alarm sounded! This one was cheerier than the last but still it repeated its tune once, twice, three no not three times because it too ended abruptly. The bot hadn't triggered this alarm...maybe he didn't trigger the first either. Still he didn't want to chance it, so he stayed put. The alarms went off three more times each that hour before it detected any other movement. Sure of its safety it sat and watched the room as lights began to turn on throughout the apartment.
To be continued....
Allonian Seed is (or will be) a Monster Rancher inspired bot building game built around the STEEM blockchain and ecosystem. If you want to find out more about the project or how you can help check out our fundition page here. We are looking to fund it on a monthly basis and even just a dollar a month will go a long way to making the game a reality.
