“Err… please tell us what you are to put an end to the confusion.” Gudo pleaded.
“Alright. My name is Ardi and I am a Homo Provectus female.” She puffed her chest, raised her nose and spoke with pride.
“Looks like the borg is full of itself. Anyway, move it to the holding cell and dispose of the others-“
“Wait, Lieutenant Tsuro! Can’t I fight it just once?” Gudo whined but Tsuro shook her head.
“No. The Boss most likely wants it in as good a condition as possible.”
“We can just say it got damaged in transit!” Gudo pouted but Tsuro remained unmoved.
“No.”
“Haa… alright. Don’t really wanna piss him off, I guess. Anyway, you heard the lady! Kill the meat bags and send… her… to…”
Time slowed to a crawl again as Ardi weighed her options.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that she was thinking so quickly, her perception of time was divided into nanoseconds at a time.
She didn’t want to leave Meredith and her men to die.
They were the ones who woke her up and, while they had their feelings about her, she enjoyed their company. They were certainly more preferable to the Archons who had tried to kill her and the ones who were currently trying to abduct her.
The Condor Unit was also a part of her budding grand plan.
Allying with the Dead Stars was an open option but they had way more firepower than she could realistically handle, as strong as she was.
She also wouldn’t have much leverage in any negotiations with them unlike with the small rebel force who desperately needed an ace up their sleeve.
Ardi had already made up her mind at this point and so she glanced at Tsuro and Gudo.
She had the element of surprise when it came to Epsilon and his crooks but Gudo looked like he was itching for a fight.
He was also processing information just as quickly as she was so it was all a matter of who could gather as much information on their opponent as possible before engaging in real-time combat.
Ardi decided to consult her systems and remembered that she had 3 unspent skill points so she mentally pulled up the display which showed her potential upgrades.
First were possible upgrades to her components.
[A. "Combined Quantum Neural Network"
1. "(CQNN) Mark I" (current)
- Description: Standard model with basic quantum neural integration, allowing near-instant data processing.
2. "(CQNN) Mark II"
- Description: Improved version with advanced quantum entanglement Nano-Sensors for instantaneous data transfer and processing.
* Upgrades: Increased cognitive capabilities, enhanced processing speed, and reduced lag in neural responses.
---
1. "Carbon Composite Skeleton"
2. "(CCE) Mark I" (current)
- Description: Standard carbon nanotube and graphene composite exoskeleton providing strong structural support and durability.
- Upgrades: Basic resistance to physical damage and enhanced performance in extreme conditions.
2. "(CCE) Mark II"
- Description: Enhanced version with improved material strength and additional shock-absorbing layers.
* Upgrades: Increased resilience to high-impact forces.
---
1. "Electroactive Myofiber Matrix"
2. "(EMM) Mark I" (Current)
- Description: Standard synthetic muscle fibres providing enhanced strength and agility with basic self-repair capabilities.
2. "(EMM) Mark II"
- Description: Upgraded version with improved electroactive polymers for faster muscle response and enhanced strength.
* Upgrades: Superior agility, quicker muscle regeneration, and greater overall physical performance. (Multiplies maximum force output and top speed by 1.5)
---
1. "Aetherium Core and Nano-Tube Network"
2. "(ACNT) Mark I" (current)
- Description: Standard model with basic energy and fluid management capabilities.
2. "(ACNT) Mark II"
- Description: Enhanced core with improved energy efficiency and advanced fluid management.
* Upgrades: Increased operational efficiency, longer endurance, and enhanced adaptability to environmental changes. (Reduces energy costs of all skills by 25%)
---
1. "Advanced Optic Lattice"
2. "(AOL) Mark I" (current)
Description: Standard optical lattice with basic spectrum analysis and augmented reality capabilities.
2. "(AOL) Mark II"
- Description: Upgraded lattice with improved lens sensitivity and broader visual spectrum.
* Upgrades: Enhanced detail recognition, expanded visual range, and improved environmental interaction.
---
1. "Nanite Fluid Matrix"
2. "(NFM) Mark I" (current)
- Description: Standard Nanite-infused blood with basic repair and energy management functions.
2. "(NFM) Mark II"
Description: Enhanced matrix with improved Nanite coordination and advanced repair capabilities.
Upgrades: Faster cellular repair, increased adaptability, and improved interaction with external technology.
---
1. "PolyFlex Dermis"
2. "(PFD) Mark I" (current)
- Description: Standard synthetic skin with basic defensive capabilities and tactile feedback.
2. "(PFD) Mark II"
Description: Enhanced dermis with better damage resistance.
Stolen novel; please report.
Upgrades: Enhanced durability and improved sensory feedback.]
Ardi droned internally.
While good, these upgrades were very general and while there was an additional version of each component named Mark III, she wanted a definite step forward and so consulted her skill tree, focusing only on the skills she could acquire which were those with a minimum level requirement of 1 and a E-Soul cost equal or smaller than 3.
Of all her available skills, three seemed absolutely essential:
[2. Defensive Branch: Fortification and Protection
- Level 1: Basic Defense
* Skill: [Reactive Armor]
* Description: Instantly reinforces armour in response to damage.
Effect: Any damage taken is absorbed by the PolyFlex Dermis up until it's depleted.
Energy Cost: 50J
Required Level: 1
Required ES (E-Souls): 1]
[ 3. Mobility Branch: Speed and Agility
- Level 1: Basic Mobility
- Skill: [Speed Boost]
* Description: Enhances maximum speed for a short duration.
Effect: +40% speed for 10 seconds.
Energy Cost: 80J
Required Level: 1
Required ES: 1]
[4. Utility Branch: Versatility and Adaptation
- Level 1: Basic Utility
- Skill: [Scan]
* Description: Scans the environment for important information.
Effect: Reveals target positions, target information and hidden objects within a 10m radius.
Energy Cost: 5J
Required Level: 1
Required ES: 1]
These were all Level 1 skills meaning she could get all 3 and they seemed incredibly useful.
[Acquire [Scan], [Speed Boost] and [Reactive Armor]? Y/N]
Yes!
It would take a moment before her Nanites began working to enable her new abilities so all she needed to do was stall for time.
So she returned her perception of time to normal and turned to Gudo but before she could enact her plan, Tsuro crossed her arms.
“You know we can see that your Nanites are up to something, right?”
Ardi froze.
“My deepest apologies… I was just shocked to hear that you were going to harm my companions so my systems are on high alert.” Ardi’s eyes narrowed.
“How compassionate. And here I thought borgs were no better than lobotomites. Anyway, someone detain the borg but keep an eye out for any funny business! I’m detecting increased actively all throughout its frame.”
Five of Captain Gudo’s men rushed to Ardi’s side but, at this point, [Scan] was ready and so she used it.
A faint pulse shot out from somewhere in her forehead.
The signal of the pulse was at the Quantum level meaning if it wasn’t for the addition her Nanites had made to her CQNN, she wouldn’t have sensed it.
What followed were icons that appeared above everyone’s head. Next to these icons, little white points was their information.
[Name: Captain Gudo
Type: Archon
Threat Level: S
Energy Signal: Inferno (660J)
Height: 2.0 meters
Weight: 350 kg
Composition: Carbon Composite Skeleton, Aetherium Core, Self Energizing Nanite Fluid Reserves, advanced sensors, and E-Soul.
Abilities: Enhanced strength, speed, durability, moderate regenerative abilities and information processing.
Weaknesses: Aetherium Core and E-Soul.
Affiliation: Unknown]
[Name: Tsuro
Type: Archon
Threat Level: S
Energy Signal: Inferno (500J)
Height: 1.7 meters
Weight: 250 kg
Composition: Carbon Composite Skeleton, Aetherium Core, Self Energizing Nanite Fluid Reserves, advanced sensors, and E-Soul.
Abilities: Enhanced strength, speed, durability, moderate regenerative abilities and information processing.
Weaknesses: Aetherium Core and E-Soul.
Affiliation: Captain Gudo]
[Name: Armed Guard
Type: Human
Threat Level: D
Energy Signal: Cinder (45J)
Physical Attributes:
Height: 1.9 meters
Weight: 65 kg
Composition: Organic cells and tissues protected by moderate pieces of armour.
Abilities: None.
Weaknesses: Brain, Heart, Lungs, Neck, Legs, Arms, abdominal organs, eyes, etc.
Affiliation: Captain Gudo]
These details may have been simple but what made the scan feature a must-have was that Ardi could now see beneath her target’s skin and armour.
Tsuro and Gudo, as Archons, also had Aetherium Cores and Carbon Composite Skeletons although, Surprisingly, it looked like the rest of their frames were full of Nanites which were responsible for their movement and energy circulation as opposed to having dedicated organs.
An advantage of this was that, unlike Ardi, they had fewer weak points that could be targeted but Ardi could reinforce her systems if need be to give her the edge.
[Speed Boost] and [Reactive Armor] were available at this point and, just as the guards reached out to grab her, Ardi activated both skills.
Gudo probably felt the surge of energy that was being sent into her Myofibers and so he dashed forward to punch Ardi in the head.
Ardi wanted to dodge but it was here that she realized that her base top speed was already incredibly high and since [Speed Boost] was already active, she dashed much further than she expected and ended up ten meters away.
This was bad.
Now she was too far away to protect Condor Unit.
She prepared to dash back into position but Tsuro suddenly pointed at her and yelled.
"Kill it! The boss will have to make do with its corpse!"
The guards all opened fire and, knowing she wouldn’t be able to dodge all of the incoming plasma beams, she crossed her arms in front of her face.
Several hot impacts then struck her skin and her body flinched with each shot but, as her scan had indicated, these were only marginally threatening.
Each beam lowered her Dermis Integrity by %0.5 but she was also being hit by tens of beams at a time so she had to act fast.
However, just as she tried dashing towards the cover of some nearby metal crates, Gudo dashed after her.
It looked like, in order to match her speed, he had sent a significant amount of his total energy to his legs and just as he reached her, he transferred that power to his arms and punched Ardi’s crossed arms with enough force to reduce her DI to %25.
Ardi glanced at her stats as she was sent crashing into the wall even as pain radiated throughout her body.
[Name: Ardi
Level: 4
Remaining Upgrade Points: 0
HP: 800/800
EN: 665/800J
STR: 24000N
SPD: 22m/s (+9)
DI: 25%]
Ardi thanked her [Reactive Armour] Skill for saving her health pool and glanced at Gudo who was fast approaching her all while his men struggled to keep up with what was happening.
That was how far removed they were from the realm of the Archons.
A handful of them surrounded Condor Unit and it looked like they were going to use them as hostages.
Ardi couldn’t allow that and so, after activating [Speed Boost] again, she bolted across the landing bay.
This act generated a ton of heat in her body and any heat her Nanites couldn’t absorb was released via her Dermis and her hair which acquired a dull red glow.
Ardi used her momentum to punch the heads of the men surrounding Condor Unit and since their heads were much softer than those of Archons, they broke open with little additional effort.
Gudo eventually caught up with Ardi but it’s at this point that his limitations became clear. Since his body was essentially a bottle of constantly rearranging Nanites, they had no designated paths to deal with the heat his movements were generating and while Nanites would usually absorb heat and use it for energy, that process had a limit and they were starting to pop, something which could be seen by the burning effect on the surface of Gudo’s skin.
He tried kicking Ardi this time and, after seeing that taking the hit head-on would seriously injure her, Ardi shifted her body to the side, allowing Gudo’s left leg to pass harmlessly a few centimetres in front of her belly.
She then grabbed the leg and slammed his left kneecap in, shattering his joint and the surrounding bone but Gudo was determined to go down with her so he wrapped his long arms around Ardi’s neck and squeezed with so much force that her DI instantly dropped to 0% and her HP was falling at a rate of 10 per second.