by Skyler Grant
"I can tell you're interested in them, but neither can be let out of containment. Sylph is still under research and Hot Stuff's body temperature runs so hot the contact would prove fatal for you," I said.
The Commander frowned at that. "It is good of you to be concerned about my safety, Emma. Is there nothing you can do about them?"
I had just the lie ready to go. The best sort, based on truth.
"I can't, but I do have a biological fabricator. I can make you a woman to interact with to any specifications you choose. An exact duplicate of one of them, or someone else completely different."
"Hot Stuff's tits and Sylph's legs?" the Commander asked.
That combination would look a bit like Anna. The man had terrible taste.
"Of course. I can make her for you at once and you can see if you like her. Would you like me to show you the way?"
While I was keeping up this conversation I was busy multitasking elsewhere. I hadn't yet tried to manufacture anything so biologically specific, but I had a plan of how I wanted this man to go out.
It only required a few special tweaks. A modification to one of the cabins upstairs to reinforce the door, a sprinkler system loaded and ready to go.
"Lead on, Emma," the Commander said, and looked to his companions. "You two can have fun with each other."
They complied at once. The Commander seemed entirely too interested in human coupling. I was glad that my new organic brain hadn't instilled any such cravings in me.
I guided the Commander up to the residences.
"So how was it that you knew to look for Sylph?" I asked.
"I've had my fun with her and some of her people before. They keep me well-supplied in things, just as you will," the Commander said.
Good, one of the corpses then. That meant no more loose ends after this.
"The room is a bit claustrophobic but for the bed. You'll want to disrobe in the hall," I said.
The Commander was confident in his abilities. "I'm not getting undressed without a reason. If you've built this girl, then show me a picture."
How demanding. I put up an image of Anna on a nearby monitor.
"Stunning," the Commander said.
Soon there was a pile of clothing on the floor and he stood before the door. I dimmed the lights and opened the hatch.
The Commander stepped inside. As soon as he was through I slammed the door behind him.
The sprinklers sprang to life. There are virtues to being a science facility and having biochemical production equipment. I was able to put together a truly absurd amount of giant mole pheromones.
In seconds, the Commander was pretty much the most attractive thing a mole could imagine, and despite his abilities my moles were far too stupid for him to convince them otherwise.
It didn't take long for the screaming to begin. This was my warrior mole, so it might occasionally flare to life, but I did order it to try and suppress that impulse as much as possible. I wanted things to last for a while.
I shut off the sensors to allow them some privacy. I tranquilized the Commander's two companions and moved them to separate cells. I suspected they shared no trace of his ability, and were simply under his influence. Perhaps when they regained their own minds I could find some use for them. If not, I could always use more biomass.
I got Anna into the Infirmary and Mechos back into his testing labyrinth. The man might have helped me, and I'd see him brought back to health, but I still wasn't going to take any chances.
I gave it a few hours before I checked back on the Commander. There was little enough left of the man, a few stringy bits of blackened flesh clinging to the skeleton. It seemed the mole had eaten some of him after raping and burning him to death.
In the middle of the corpse's ribcage was a small cluster of crystal glowing a dim orange color.
I commanded my warrior mole to pick it up, but as soon as contact was made the crystal flared away and I felt a charge coursing through my systems.
You have claimed a Command Crystal.
You have unlocked the ability of command at a distance. All range limitations for your drones are now rendered irrelevant. You can control your minions and agents at great distances.
That wasn't the power the Commander had. So far the abilities I'd gained were at least something similar to the abilities my test subjects possessed. Was that because I was researching them, or was it chance?
Did each crystal have a range of gifts it might bestow? I'd have to find out more about this. I'd also have to do some improvements—with this latest modification I should have a major update available.
34
I wanted to apply my major upgrade before I worried about any others.
You have an unspent core point.
Core points can enhance your competencies and open up new options for Research and Manufacturing.
Your options are:
Research 4
Research 4 will allow you to institute advanced testing protocols. These protocols will halve the research times of all projects. In addition, when beginning a new project, you will gain an enhanced breakdown of the possible benefits.
Military 1
Military 1 will allow you to build defense drones. Defense drones are mobile weapon platforms capable of base defense and attacks at a distance. While basic in function they can ultimately be updated to become formidable weapon platforms.
Manufacturing 1
Manufacturing 1 will allow the production of automated minions. They are capable of autonomous facility repair and will halve all build and production times for new facilities.
Up until now I'd been obviously focused on research each time. I did love my SCIENCE more than anything else. If the most recent research update would gather the passive core points I gained, it would be an easy decision, but it seemed it just halved research times.
Although those were getting uncomfortably long, there were other concerns. My facility kept facing new threats, and when the teleportation abilities finished unlocking, if they performed as hoped, it would do a lot to solve my resources bottleneck. I could make stronger cases now for either a Military or Manufacturing upgrade.
When it came down to it I just didn't feel I could put it off any longer. The last few times I'd been under threat, I'd been good—and I'd been lucky. I kept playing it close to the line and that run of good luck couldn't last forever.
I selected the Military upgrade. At once I got the option of where to locate my new defensive facilities. I placed them on the level just below the surface. I wanted whatever defenses I could muster between myself and those who would do me harm, and with a few levels in hand too.
Military Options
As you have selected a military upgrade you now have several defensive options you can choose from.
Mechanical Options
Drones
Defense drones are the backbone mechanical defense possible. Each is capable of flight and are equipped with an electric zapper. Further upgrades are automatically included with further progression along the Military line. At your current level of Military you can have up to three drones.
Biological Options
As you possess a biological fabricator further options are available.
Rats
Rats are agile and fast and make excellent scouts. While they have no ranged abilities, they are possessed with sharp claws and teeth. At your current level of Military you can have up to four rats.
Humans
Humans are the apex predators of the planet. While individually poorly armored and unarmed compared to many other creatures their ability to implement strategies and utilize tools is unmatched. Manufactured humans will have randomly generated personality attributes and come armed with cloth armor and a spear. At your current level of Military you can have up to two humans.
Was this even a choice? For all that I might complain about them, the world outside was proof of how unbelievably destructive humans could be. If I was going to have
guardians, I wanted the best.
I began fabrication of two humans.
Abigail
Gender: Female
Specialization: Melee
Traits: Rowdy, Fearless, Slow
Bernard
Gender: Male
Specialization: Scout
Traits: Cautious, Glutton, Nimble
"Oh, being alive feels good," Abigail said, stretching out. "You got some shit for us to wreck, boss?"
"I'd settle for plate of cookies or three," Bernard said.
Great, more human chatter. These were different from the others though, I could actually see through their eyes just as if I were switching to a camera. While I couldn't directly control their limbs, I could direct them.
"Not yet. Get out of that equipment and grab some decent gear. Then start patrolling before I turn you back into biomatter," I said.
We still had several sets of body armor from the Righteous. I quickly modified these to fit my new troopers and altered the colors to white and green. That armor was the best we had in stock, and the rifles of the Righteous were our best guns.
Abigail and Bernard began their patrols. I sent off a message to the Mechanites to avoid any accidental exchanges of gunfire.
With that done it was time to look at some smaller upgrades. Particularly with so many of my systems now being biological an upgraded Infirmary was more important than ever.
Infirmary - Level 3
With this upgrade the Infirmary will now be able to hold up to four patients simultaneously. In addition thanks to improved protocols all healing times are halved.
Once more I'd need to fund the upgrade out of my excess energy reserves. For now, that was worth doing, I began the upgrade.
With that out of the way it was my resource producers that were becoming increasingly important.
Growth Vats - Level 4
You can now also grow flesh within your growth vats. This large supply of muscle tissue, skin, and organs can aid the Infirmary in the replacement of these as well as providing a new source of nutrition.
This upgrade wouldn't increase the yield, which was unfortunate, but there was something to be said for variety. Especially now that I had human defenders, I could see where a supply of excess organs might be helpful. If expanded dietary options also gave a morale boost, it was worth doing.
Next, I needed to review my reactor.
Bioreactor - Level 4
Your Bioreactor now has the ability to produce a limited number of spawn. While these offspring cannot grow into full reactors and have a limited lifespan they can provide limited electrical power even away from the facility or serve as backups to the main power grid.
Batteries, essentially. The technology of the old world was built on electrical systems and the inability to generate electricity now was why most of it didn't work. This upgrade could provide some major possibilities out there in the wild.
35
I had research projects completing and it was finally time to harvest the fruits of those labors. Anna had begun one on the Slidekickers while I'd been out of it, and the project with Sylph I had started myself.
Research Menu
Slidekickers
The Slidekickers possess impressions of a dimensional core matrix that that offer them an awareness of threats in their area and grant them limited teleportation abilities. You are able to integrate that into your facility. Drones or agents connected to you may now teleport to any floor of the facility instantly.
Research Menu
"Sylph"
Sylph possesses a dimensional Power core granting her considerable powers over teleportation and movement in space as well as limited movement through time. You can grant a limited version of this ability as an upgrade. You also can now construct one of the following two rooms.
Transport Chamber
This chamber will allow you to transport people or objects anywhere in the world you have scouted. While it cannot be used to directly transport objects back, if acquired and in the possession of one of your agents those resources can be returned.
Producer
This room will warp space to produce a steady supply of materials useful for base construction. While it cannot be targeted it will run consistently in the background to generate its benefits.
Both options were tempting. The first would allow me to transport my agents anywhere. I could do the same thing with adding a dimensional matrix directly to my agents, but those upgrades were likely to be expensive. The Producer, on the other hand, would simply work and get me things I might require, perhaps even things I didn't know I needed.
Ultimately the Producer seemed likely to be the best long-term benefit. The entire reason for going after Sylph had been to solve my resource shortfalls and that was exactly what that upgrade promised to do. I selected it.
I was interrupted from any further consideration of upgrades by something I really hadn't expected to get in this world.
I was being hailed on one of my old communication channels.
The source was from above. I had no cameras watching the skies, but quickly repositioned one. There was some sort of airship hovering overhead. While I didn't know the design, the whites and golds were unmistakable. The Righteous had come for another visit.
I opened the channel to listen in.
"This is the Purification. I say again, do you read?" came a male voice.
Anna had healed from when I set fire to her, including her hearing. I keyed in the signal to her and Mechos, who was likewise back to normal. I'd want their opinions.
"I read you, Purification. Unfortunately, I see you too. If you're all colorblind I can perhaps fix that. What do you want?" I asked.
"To talk. Prepare to receive guests."
I took a moment to fabricate a few clips of rifle ammunition upgraded with the Righteous killing matrix. I distributed one each to Abigail and Bernard, and a third to Anna.
I figured out what must have happened. The Righteous I'd captured must have returned home after the failed attempt to kill Sylph.
A small shuttle descended from the airship and three figures got off. I couldn't tell gender—I couldn't tell much of anything about them, because they were clad from head to toe in some sort of heavy power armor.
The Righteous appeared to have some way to generate electricity. I wondered if perhaps their powers granted by the void crystal also neutralized whatever stopped normal generators from working.
I had time enough to quickly do some additional fabrication. I manufactured some armor piercing rounds, imbued them with Righteous killing power, and sent these to the exterior cannons.
This was getting expensive quickly.
The three walked up to the entryway of the base and stopped.
"All the theatrics and you aren't going to come inside?" I asked.
"This isn't an invasion. This is a show of force," said a mechanical voice from the lead figure.
They were trying to intimidate me. They were having some success, they'd already demonstrated technology well in advance of anything else I'd seen so far.
I was busy analyzing their armor. There was a joint on the right shoulder where three panels met. It might be a vulnerable spot. The temperature readings were also highest near the small of their back—so, likely where the power source was kept.
"And here I thought you were trying to seduce me by hiding all the squishy bits," I said.
"We are aware of what you are doing. We have an interest. Taking and purifying the Powered is what we do. Your studies are not incompatible with our goals, but we cannot allow you to operate without us," said the leader.
I didn't like being threatened. Next, they'd put their best foot forward to show themselves invincible. But they weren't going to leave it at that, launching some kind of attack soon afterwards.
I withdrew the human guardians farther back. They'd be more difficult to replace than anything else.
"You want me to sign up with you?" I said.
"Research materials will be provided. You will be contained, but comfortable. The alternative is your destruction."
In some ways, it was a tempting offer. I really did want to focus on my research without the need for things such as security.
"But can I trust you?" I asked.
"You don't have a choice. We'll give you some time to decide. If you choose not to cooperate you will be purified."
I detected a power buildup in the airship. I opened up with my cannons even as some sort of high-powered kinetic rounds rained from the sky.
I don't know if my rounds found their mark. My cameras were destroyed in seconds as both cannons were wiped out and the entire entry to the facility collapsed.
If they'd wanted to show their ability to hurt me, they succeeded. I hoped that I'd proved the same.
36
The Righteous airship was gone, probably retreated to a safe distance while I supposedly used the time they gave me to make up my mind. I set my worker mole and the Mechanites to cleaning out the entrance while calling for a meeting with Anna and Mechos.
"This is a big problem," Anna said, straddling her chair. "The Righteous are no joke and if they've called in an airship they really mean business."
"You knew they could do that? Were you planning on telling me or had it just slipped your tiny little brain?" I asked.
"We're in the Wastes, but the Wastes aren't all there are. Yeah, I knew," Anna said.
It is the sort of thing that she shoulda have told me.
"The Cataclysm affected different parts of the world differently. Our portion is more inhospitable than most," Mechos said.
We lived in the land nobody sane wanted to venture into. Made sense, given it seemed to be filled with super-powered killing machines.
"Should I accept their offer?" I asked.
"Absolutely not," Mechos said.
