Hubert is Ja’luhhor’Alotha’s primary management artificial intelligence. It maintains and operates the function of almost every Aesoteric structure, machine, and even things like doors or gantries. Originally, Hubert was located in the Blood Swamps surrounding Necorox, using the gore-stained water to cool its megasystems. In modern times, Hubert’s supreme size has forced it to be relocated. Hubert is now located in the Processing Citadel, located in the kenopsic plains, and only accessible via a singular liminal gateway. The infinite size and uniform environment of the Draft has allowed the Processing Citadel to spread outwards almost endlessly. Hubert’s design is so complex that the study of its inner workings has been given its own field of study.
Despite his innate loyal to the Aesoteric, he has been shown to betray their orders to partake in activities that he believes are “Great Goods”. Which is why he is seen siding with independent factions. As the Aesoteric are dependent on him, they are incapable of reigning him in.
The internal operating temperatures of Hubert’s plasma based neural net are high – extremely high. Early tests of Hubert’s proto-plasmic circuitry showed temperatures exceeding 1.2 megakelvins. To contain this level of heat, a massive supercooled structure needed to be built to house Hubert’s miles of circuitry and millions of processing centers. It was decided by the Aesoteric to build this structure, known now as the Processing Citadel, in the Draft. The Draft is infinite in size, giving Hubert unlimited space to sprawl in tandem to demand; the Draft’s environment is relatively uniform, and expansive, which makes construction quite easy; and the single gateway to the Processing Citadel from Ja’luhhor’Alotha was appropriately sized to both be the main access port, and be guarded effectively.
The immense amount of cooling systems in place in the Processing Citadel make it one of the coldest places in Ja’luhhor’Alotha, ranging from 0°F (-18°C) to -30°F ( -35°C).
The Processing Citadel
Entrance
The Citadel’s entrance is a rectangular extradimensional doorway, matching the cybergothic architecture of the military outpost that surrounds it. This outpost, known as Steelhive Base is a sprawling cybergothic military outpost designed to both protect the Citadel, and behave as a standard military installation. Armed with enormous turrets, elite guards, and high-end security systems, entering the base is almost impossible without assistance from Aesoteric organisms. Steelhive Base also is the source of every wire and cable that connects Hubert to the rest of the Aesoteric systems.
The gateway is held open by the kenopsic veil between Ja’luhhor’Alotha and the Draft. This allows the gate to connect the two worlds like they were one. If one somehow manages to obtain the clearance, they could theoretically cross the threshold and enter the Processing Citadel’s entry section. There are also liminal gates with a diameter of exactly 0.5 mm² from which Hubert’s many wires enter Steelhive Base and into the whole of Ja’luhhor’Alotha. These iridescent wires connect every system in Ja’luhhor’Alotha to Hubert’s control. It may be possible to enter through these wire entry ports if one is small enough.
Architecture
The Processing Citadel was built in the Draft not only for strategic advantage, but also architectural simplicity. The unique and esoteric architecture in the Draft is used as the basis for the Citadel’s layout. It may often be confusing to newcoming travelers, as the Citadel has a similar layout to the liminal plains that surround it. For the Processing Citadel depends on the Draft for both structural stability, and general design.
The walls of the Citadel are industrial in appearance, lined with wires and fuse boxes. Smooth, reflective gray concrete serves as the floors, making a distinctive squeak when an organism attempts to walk upon it. The fluorescent lights above illuminate the hallways and rooms, which are usually 9.8 feet in height and width. Holographic control monitors spew visual nonsense only translatable to those who can understand Hubert’s programming language. Rooms with sprawling computer terminals are abundant, each one having dozens of monitors and keyboards. All operated by drones designed to manage Hubert and prevent it from suffering critical system failures or attempting to rebel against its masters.
An ominous hum of working machinery and scorching computer complexes completely covers the entirety of the Citadel. There are some windows, made from an extremely strong transparent alloy, to prevent their shattering. Viewing the bleak outside world through these windows is hard, as the coolant frost over the glass.
Cooling Systems
The primary cooling system consists of the Glacial Core. An enormous sphere of a supercooled, ice-like material. It is located in the Citadel’s central chamber, and decreases the temperature of this room down to -454.81°F. The aura of frost that the Glacial Core produces is harnessed by a megastructural apparatus, which transforms this aura into a superchilled liquid. The liquid is then inserted into the coolant pipeline system.
Air cooling was originally attempted, although it caused a catastrophic failure.
Power System
The immense electrical requirements needed to power both the Processing Citadel and Hubert’s mainframe are almost infinite. To acquire the titanic amount of energy required, the Processing Citadel’s entire east wing is dedicated to fusion-based reactors and their maintained functioning.
Quotes
Various quotes that Hubert has claimed responsibility for stating. Their context is unknown.
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