Analyze.
[Flesh Creep]
[Description: Buffs bio-technological-mechanical organism]
[Effect: Move speed +20%, Vitality +20%, Regeneration +45%]
Huh. So that was what it was. It wasn't just decoration afterall.
It made much more sense too. It was probably by design by whoever this proctor guy was. No wonder it felt like the stalkers in the sector were faster than normal. They even floated unnaturally fast when they tried to run away. A buff like this could've made the difference between life and death for it. Too bad for them though, they accidentally met the dark hunter.
Crossing the Core Chamber floor, he entered the external defense hall. The broken cone in the middle was still there, infested by the flesh creep. He pushed forward into the transit hub, keeping a leisurely brisk pace.
Upon entering the transit hub, the train sat exactly as he left it. The silver alloy of the train was unmarred by any of the uncleanliness of the station. Gale boarded through the open doors, dropping into the first seat he found. The cushion let out a soft hiss as he sunk into it. Much better than being smashed into stone or metal. That felt like all he'd been getting lately.
He pulled out his phone and pushed the PTT button. "I'm on the train, Erin."
The train shuddered beneath him before she could reply. The doors slid closed with a hydraulic hiss, and the train lurched forward, quickly picking up speed.
"The vessel shall transport you back to Protection Sector in approximately four hours and seventeen minutes," Erin's voice finally came through the speakerphone.
Gale leaned back in his seat, staring out the window as the train left the Solace sector. Now, he had his much needed alone time again to let his imagination run free.
If he could analyze living beings now… could he try it on himself? He could already just bring up his status screen, but what would be the fun in that? Analyzing himself could show him something different. Maybe even a fun little flavour description.
Analyze.
[Access Denied.]
[The Void's veil prevents you from peering into the subject]
Gale snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well, that was stupid."
So there were limits to his new ability. There were things that could block or prevent someone from analyzing a living thing. It could be an object or protection of some sort. It made sense though. Otherwise, it would be too easy to spy on people. No one would have any sort of privacy.
Or a better reason yet. He just needed to increase his Core Class to break through the blockage.
"Guide, do I just have to increase my core class to analyze living beings that have protection?"
[Affirmative. To analyze current host, minimum requirements would be Origin Resonant.]
"What is Origin Resonant?"
[Dainv Core class hierarchy differs from standard lifeform power class hierarchy, starting at the 5th step. Standard lifeform 5th step equates to Mystic and then Arcane at the 6th step. Dainv Core class at 5th step equates to Origin Awakened and then Origin Resonant at the 6th step.]
"Is there something after 6th step for Dainvs?"
[Affirmative. Host access currently denied. Increase Core class to Resonant to access further details.]
"WELL, your face is stupid and I hope your mom said so too!" Gale shouted, scrunching up his body. Always the Core class limitation with this stupid Guide. Vianne wasn't helpful at all for leaving these things blocked! Then again… he could just ask Erin. But it was a flip of a coin whether she'd actually amuse his question.
What was the point of getting an upgrade if it couldn't even analyze the most important things? Like himself? Or anything that could block it? Or anything that he's super curious about?
Gale sighed loudly, exaggeratedly as if wanting someone to hear his exasperation in the empty train. He stared at his hands, turning them over as if looking for answers written on his palms. Nothing.
There was even no gem that the other Dainvs had on his left hand that he saw in that city. Of course, the easy answer to that would be adaptation to the current environment to 'blend in'. Those words were starting to sound like a curse he no longer wanted to repeat.
He pulled his phone out again and pressed the PTT button. "Erin, quick question. Did you live through the Collapse Era and the conflict?"
There was a long pause before her reply came. "Yes."
Gale scrunched up his body again, pulling his knees to his chest. "Is that all you're going to say?"
"I believed it was a yes or no question," Erin said. "What manner of answer do you seek?"
"Vianne said she didn't live long enough to see the conflict through," Gale said. "So, who exactly are 'the watching stars'? What can you tell me about them?"
"Do not use that awful fairytale name for children to call those traitors," Erin said immediately with a tone much louder than normal, almost a yell. "They were once part of the Dainv race, but betrayed us and now call themselves the Cesnv. They are disgusting, vile, horrendous, terrible, moronic, backstabbing, cowardly, dim-witted, arrogant, self-important, treacherous, disgusting excuses for living beings that separated from the Dainv and now buried their own graves in this mess just because the higher ups did not want to fight back. The higher ups were also idiots that did not see the destruction of the race imminent because of the fools that separated."
Gale blinked a couple of times. She actually said disgusting twice. "Um, Erin? Are you okay?"
"I am fine," she said. Her voice once again turned back to its monotonous state. "What matters is to fight against the tide, for now. Do not relent on the mission. Come back to Protection Sector to rest and the next mission will follow afterwards."
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The line went dead. Gale stared at his phone, then tucked it away. Vianne wasn't kidding about Erin needing to lighten up.
On the other hand, Cev said something like stay hidden until you reach the peak. But what was the peak? It's pretty obvious by the way Vianne speaks of the other Ancients that they too weren't all omniscient or omnipotent. Just cryptic bullshit about reaching the peak when the peak wasn't even defined.
He stared out the window, watching the blur of tunnel walls rush past. Three hours until he'd see Rachel and the others again. Two hours to decide what, if anything, he would tell them.
The train rushed onward through the darkness, carrying its lone passenger back toward the light.
* * *
The train shuddered to a stop at the Protection Sector's transit hub. Gale stood up, stretching his legs. Thinking too much made him fall asleep for the remainder of the ride. He walked through the door as it slid open and stepped out onto the platform.
The bulky thick concrete like exteriors of this sector were completely different from the rest of the sector. It was most likely the panic room sector. Somehow, it was never used. Or as evidence, the people didn't live long enough to actually use it until they became those spider mech things.
He walked through the singular door that led to the defense hall. It opened automatically before he could even touch the rhombus that would provide access. Next was the defense hall, into the Core Chamber and back into the inner defense hall. After arriving at the end of the hall, he found himself at the lobby of the Protection Sector, where they had faced the three spider mechs.
Gale examined the area. There wasn't even so much as grass in the sector. Nothing that would make this a comfortable living space at all. Just metal, alloy, concrete, and lots of panels that would probably open up as turrets.
He walked through the double doors leading to the main lobby. The large main lobby hall opened up before him. A couple of round tables were scattered around, empty, waiting for occupants that would never come except for his own group.
To his left, at one of the consoles along the wall, a familiar grumpy blue-haired figure stood with her back to him, tapping wildly on the touch screen keyboards. Gale walked toward one of the round tables near her and dropped into a chair, letting out a loud exhale.
Erin glanced back at him.
"Your task has been completed satisfactorily. The fragment has been secured." She turned back to her console. "The next mission shall commence in 14 hours. Your companions have encountered complications during their assigned task. They will arrive shortly."
Gale nodded, though she wasn't looking at him anymore. Now seemed as good a time as any to test his new ability on the one and only Erin.
Analyze.
[Erin Weber]
[Race: Dainv]
[Core Class: Origin Resonant]
[Core Integrity: Damaged]
[Essence: 4000/4000 (10,984,629)]
[Description: Hailing from Vianne's bloodline, she has led the research and development of most warfare armaments of the Dainvs. She owns the Weber conglomerate.]
Gale tilted his head at the information. First time he actually tilted his head at something. So she was actually a Dainv, just like him. That wasn't a surprise when he already had a suspicion based on the Dainv Heart Reactor. The surprise was her Core was damaged. The first time he got the Dainv OS was when it told him to extract Origin to repair his damaged Core. Why doesn't she just kill something and fix it?
"Your core is damaged," Gale said before he could stop himself.
Erin's fingers froze, hovering over the console. She slowly turned her face towards him. "It is indeed damaged."
"Are you ever going to fix your core? That can't be good for you. It's not healthy. Just kill something and extract origin."
"The gift of Origin extraction is reserved for the blood of Cev," Erin said, turning back to the console and tapping away. "My core's integrity holds no long term significance. What matters is your growth. That remains my sole purpose as dictated by Vianne."
That sounds like a boring answer that a boring person would give. Kyle and Clyde would've probably provided something funner to think about. Probably even Ollie.
"Don't you ever have any fun?" Gale asked.
"Fun," Erin whispered. "Such frivolity is a luxury ill-afforded in these times."
"Yeah, but…" Gale started, but the lobby doors slid open cutting him off.
Rachel entered the lobby with a face that made Gale sink into his seat. Behind her came Lily, then Ollie. Both their expressions remained as neutral as ever. Lastly was Clyde, supporting Kyle by his shoulder. Kyle's pained grin had a look of something else. His clothes also had a large tear that ran across the front of his armour, revealing a bright red scar underneath that the gun syringe probably couldn't fully heal.
"What happened?" Gale asked, rising from his chair.
"Flesh pounds on the train," Rachel said as Lily and Ollie took a seat. "Kyle decided to play hero."
"Someone had to," Kyle said, wincing as Clyde lowered him into a seat. "That thing was tearing up the control cables and things that shouldn't be torn up. More cables and shit."
"We got the Core," Ollie said, pulling up his storage box and tapping on it. "Harmony Sector is clear."
"Do not take the Core out of the storage box lest you incur the wrath of these guardians," Erin stood up and approached the table.
"Great," Rachel said. "Now maybe you can explain why you thought splitting us up was a good idea?"
Lily nodded, massaging her left arm. "We're not at full strength when we're apart. I think my left arm still needs a while to be fully functional."
"And without Gale, we got one less vanguard to keep the front line," Clyde said.
Gale started, "Erin said-"
"Erin said, Erin said," Kyle mocked. "Grow a spine, kid."
"Hey! That's not fair!" Rachel shouted at Kyle. "None of this is Gale's fault."
"It's nobody's fault," Ollie raised his hands. "Look, Erin's plan makes sense on paper. Divide and conquer. But in practice, our group dynamic is off balance without Gale."
Erin looked at them all with her signature no-emotion face. "I find it remarkable that the absence of a single individual so thoroughly disrupts your combat efficacy. This suggests a critical flaw in your tactical approach. True warriors adapt to changing circumstances."
"We've adapted just fine," Rachel said. "But having to fight against unclassified entities with only 1 front-line isn't going to cut it. Besides, Lily's left arm still isn't at full capacity. We're stretched thin."
"Reminds me of that piece of shit asshole running us dry and thin," Kyle said.
"No shit. This fucking sucks," Clyde added.
"My regen sigil is helping a lot. I think I'll get better by tomorrow, or at least better than what I did today," Lily said.
"The fact remains: missions must be completed regardless of personal discomfort," Erin said flatly.
"Yeah?" Kyle pointed to his chest. "This look like 'discomfort' to you, lady? That thing nearly cut me in half! I can't be up front for shit!"
Clyde put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "What he's saying is we got used to being a six-man squad. Breaking us up now just disrupted that whole dynamic."
"Gale needs to undertake separate missions," Erin said. "His missions carries unique requirements."
"What 'unique requirements'?" Rachel asked. "Why can't you just tell us if it's so 'unique'?"
Erin's face showed no change. Not even a flinch at the question that Gale knew she needed to hide. If even she hid it from them, then maybe… he should for now? He really didn't know which side to be on.
"Some knowledge remains beyond your current need. Gale possesses qualities that make him uniquely suited to their retrieval," Erin said.
"That's convenient," Kyle muttered. "Sounds exactly like a certain asshole would say."
"I don't like this, I accept it, but I have to say," Ollie said. "Your strategies are sound in theory, but they're putting my team at risk. And Gale's going solo, that is a risk itself."
"I handled myself fine…" Gale said.
"Of course you did," Rachel gave him a small smile. "But that doesn't mean you should have to."
"The woman of fire speaks from emotion rather than logic," Erin said. "Consider this: if your group cannot function with the loss of one member, what hope have you against the dangers that lie beyond this sanctuary? The abominations you faced today represent but a fraction of what awaits."
"We're not saying we can't function," Lily said. "We're saying we function safer if we had our whole team."
"And I'm saying we should stick to what works," Rachel said. "Six of us. Together."
"Impossible," Erin said. "The next mission requires a similar division of labour. Gale must retrieve an artifact alone, while you five secure the Knowledge Sector Core."
"And why exactly must he go alone?" Ollie asked.
Erin didn't bother answering.
Not that she couldn't, but she was unwilling. Based on what Vianne said about Erin's stubbornness, there was no way she was going to admit to it. A part of Gale wanted to speak up. Looking at Kyle's nasty scar, what if that was Rachel or Ollie or Lily? He'd probably have a stronger reaction. Probably would even defy Erin's leadership if that were to happen.
No. That wasn't it. He just didn't want to see any of them hurt. The only issue was… what if his choice to go together was wrong and it all blows up on his face? He didn't have enough info to make the right choices. Only the blue haired know-it-all did. This wasn't like Hotel Frankley where their lives were still intact. As Kyle said in the beginning of this rift, a choice could be the difference between surviving or a complete squad wipe.