The scavengers stood in the center of the outpost as the selection process began.
The four Exo-Suits were a marvel to behold from up close now that Aurelio had gotten a good long look at them.
What made the prospect of being a scavenger so enticing within Dying Ignition was the chance of piloting a modular armor. Just above the fantasy of wearing metal in a nondescript English countryside while just below the tech fantasy of piloting a proper mechanical robot.
There was something about the gritty in-between of the Exo-Suit that made Aurelio’s mind swim in dozens of piloting fantasies. Granted those fantasies were never at risk of death, always abstracting the cool bits of the world from the grim atmosphere surrounding it.
“I’m not letting you go along with him without me coming with you.” Elena crossed her arms, her [Carbon Cleaver] stabbed into the earth by her side.
Kalani raised an eyebrow, “I’m beginning to grate at the insubordinate language, Elena. I suggested that lots should be drawn to see who’ll be left behind.”
Phineas sighed, indulging in theatrics as he stepped forward, “Oh no. Oh woe is me, that I cannot proceed through the dangerous fucking swamp with its mad metal sludge.”
She rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Step back in line, Phin. You’re not getting out of work that easily.”
Aurelio raised a hand, “I think Phineas has a point.”
She turned around, “He does?”
“I do?”
He nodded, “I think it’d be fine for Phineas to sit this one out if he doesn’t want to partake in the adventure. He’s crafty and capable if the outpost were to be attacked.” Moreover, with the way that the scans shook out, they’d need Cantwell’s Engineer Role to recover lost pieces of armor and survive the fight with their monster.
Phineas puffed out his chest, “See? There’s a reason why I liked this guy. He understands what a crafty and capable crewmate I am.”
Elena rolled her eyes.
“But you were telling me earlier that-” Cantwell wasn’t allowed to finish his statement as Phineas jumped up to the giant and shut his mouth with his fingers.
“Don’t you go tellin’ the others what I give to you in confidence, you big oaf!” Phineas removed his fingers from his friend's lips and recomposed himself to fit his perception of a cool and collected individual.
He turned back to see that Kalani was trying to crush him with a severe glare.
“Your input is noted, Aurelio, but I am the commander of this crew. Not you. I would like to know, however, why you’ve suddenly shifted from the lot drawing you suggested earlier?” Kalani asked with an inquisitive stare.
Aurelio shifted uncomfortably with the sudden spotlight, “Well commander, you see, I realized that due to the swamps having an active sludge this solar cycle that having someone like Cantwell to repair our equipment would be beneficial. Elena doesn’t want to leave you alone while I’m in the group and you won’t leave me behind because I’m the… stones chosen. Phineas is also begging to stay behind.”
“I’m not begging, kid. I’m merely suggesting-” Phineas shut up when Kalani raised his hand at him.
“How is Cantwell meant to repair our equipment? He’s an engineer, not a miracle worker.”
He bit his lip. He didn’t know how the roles system would manifest in the others, if it would manifest at all. This unknown would make or break his plans going forward.
He decided to take a chance.
“I’m under the assumption that the stone has outfitted us with abilities to complement our skill sets. I do not know how they’ll manifest in the field, but I can assure you that they will prove to be essential boons for our fights with everything on this planet.”
Kalani chewed on his statement before relenting, “Phineas. You’re staying watch. Cantwell, Elena, you’re on rear. Aurelio, you’re behind me. I’ll lead the charge.”
The crew went to their respective Exo-Suits, with Aurelio borrowing his off Phineas. His heart was racing.
---
The ingenuity of the Exo-Suit was in its modular design and its form fitting frame. Despite Aurelio having a few solid inches over Phineas, the Exo-Suit scanned his body and adjusted its interior skeleton and metal plating's to accommodate the size and height increase.
He took a deep breath and entered the suit. The metal plates began to lock into place as they closed around his arms and torso, down to his waist and legs. Metal shifted to come up and wrap his face in the helmet.
At once, he was encased in darkness.
Aurelio took another deep breath and waited for the visor on his face to light up with a confirmation that everything was in order before a cascade of notifications and HUD elements flooded his senses.
He felt his chest seize and watched the suit acknowledge the presence of an unknown power source before the cryptic runes from the station crept up and around his visor. He looked down to his hands and noticed that the metal had shifted to include a physical manifestation of the ignition gauge. The meter was at 0 right now and would quickly rise up to 10 if they were overeager in employing their abilities.
Aurelio stiffly moved his armored hand towards the core on his chest and summoned the diagnostics screen.
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[Piloting] - Scrap Suit
[Piloting Proficiency] - 0
[Innate Weapon] - F.K.S.B. (2+ Spd |10+ Acc | 0+ Str)
[Current Weapon] - Metal Spike (2+ Spd | 8+ Acc | 2+ Str)
[Passive Gear: 0/5] -
[Active Gear: 0/5] -
[Trinket: 0/1] -
[Equipped Core] - Faulty Core
[Thresholds] - Warm Up (1) | Danger (5) | Critical (7) | Meltdown (10)
Beyond the diagnostics screen was the tiny silhouette of a human body. Each limb denoted an armor value similar to the tabletop game. The fact that his [Metal Spike] registered with its attacking values and accuracy requirements felt out of place to him.
The idea of entering into turn-based combat with the Vessel in real time felt ludicrous to him but the prompt earlier at the radar station made him question if he should even immediately dismiss such a notion.
“Gods, why am I involved in all of this?” He muttered. Aurelio inspected everything else on his person as he waited for his crew to suit up and mentally prepare themselves. If he was having a rough time of it with the limited prescient knowledge in the back of his skull, they were having it worse being this in the dark.
He swung his [Metal Spike] around a couple of times to get a good feeling for its heft and range. It was considered an improvised weapon by the game so keeping it would mean gaining proficiency in that weapon type if he locked the specialty in. It was the smart thing to do if he was attempting to be efficient with his runs and gain experience to weapon paths at least a Solar Cycle early, but the specialty didn’t suit his skill set or personality.
He was heartbroken to be one salvage short in buying the damn [Scrap Blaster] or running around with the [Mine Cutter] but getting upset over such things wouldn’t help him now.
Inspecting the weapon further, he found its point to be sharp enough to pierce through loose sheet metal and its jagged splinters was sure to rend whatever he swung it at. What was peculiar was that the same cryptic script he’d seen elsewhere had etched a couple of runes around the tip of the weapon.
This must have been what gave the weapon its miraculous effect.
“Hmmm…” Aurelio wondered.
“You having a good time over there beatin’ the shit out of innocent pieces of metal?” Phineas emerged from the shadows with a piece of jerky in his mouth.
Aurelio nodded, “These sheets had it coming. If someone was gonna teach them a lesson, why not me?”
Phineas chuckled and stood silently for a moment, “You’re gonna bring the rest of ‘em back, yeah?”
He sighed, “That’s my intention. I’ll throw myself in harm's way to keep them safe, but I can’t protect them from all the world's dangers.”
“Why put yourself in harm's way like this? Considering you’re that pebbles chosen or whatever, you’ve got the best reason to sit back and let us mooks handle the heavy lifting. Never been ‘round a brainiac who didn’t want to expend a couple of Scavengers to avoid some personal responsibility.”
“Because it’s the right thing to do. If I’ve got all this knowledge, that means I can make sure that everyone gets out of here safe. That’s what matters.”
Phineas stared at him for what felt like forever before sighing, “Fuck me sideways, we’re being led by a bleeding heart.”
Aurelio laughed from the pit of his gut.
“What’s the stranger laughing at?” Elena appeared at Aurelio’s side, [Carbon Cleaver] lifted over her shoulder like one would hold a baseball bat at rest.
“He’s coming around for me, El. One of the few people on this damn crew that laughs at my jokes.” Phineas replied.
“A jokes gotta be funny to be worth laughing at.” Elena quipped back. He grabbed his heart and dramatically pulled away from the both of them as he pantomimed dying.
“You’ve wounded me to the very depths of my being! Take heed, young rookie. Beware the words of that dreaded ice queen, lest you follow me to your final resting place.” He threw his body to the ground and held his breath.
Elena was an ice queen in some ways. That, Aurelio could agree with.
“Nice performance, Phin.” Cantwell clapped his hands together as Phineas pulled himself off the ground and bowed to his imaginary audience. Aurelio couldn’t help but notice the [Metal Spike] in his hands and how small it was in comparison to the rest of his body.
“I’m glad to see that spirits are high at least.” Kalani was last to arrive at the edge of the outpost. “Are we ready to make our trek north?”
Aurelio nodded, “Just about, yeah. I’ve just gotta ask Phineas to do something for us while we’re gone. With your permission, of course.” He quickly added the last bit, trying to avoid stepping on her toes as an authority figure.
“So long as you do it in front of me, I’ve got no qualms about it.” Kalani answered.
“Phineas, this is very important,” he waited for the man to take his words seriously before continuing, “There are two things that I need you to do before we come back. The first is to find a mess hall of some sort. The second is to locate a passage or entrance within the outpost that’s blocked off by two large obsidian doors.”
“Do you want me to open these doors or-”
“No! No, do not open those doors until we’re back.”
Kalani placed her hand on Aurelio’s shoulder, “What’s behind those doors that he can’t look behind them?”
“One of the other biomes of this place. It’ll be easier to explain once the stones' messages clear up in my mind.”
The second task was a necessity of his if he was considering exploring the Catacombs so early in their campaign. The first task was a personal curiosity of his that Phineas would be able to answer through a thorough exploration of the place.
Phineas shrugged, “Don’t exactly have much else to do in this fucking place til you guys come back. Just remember that you owe me one for this, newbie. Just because the glowing pebble’s taken you under its wing doesn’t mean I haven’t completely stopped keeping my sights on ya.”
Aurelio nodded, “Just stay safe.”
The man waved them off, heading back towards the center of the outpost now seeing his job done.
Kalani looked at the rest of her crew and Aurelio, “Let's go out there and show this planet what we’re made of.”
He smiled.
"And while we're at it, we can have our guide here explain what the gauge on our arms are." She gave Aurelio a toothy smile.
It was going to be a long march.