"Expand [Status] fully," he demanded, having set it to only show his name and designation number years back.

It was common practice to share your [Status] report with others as a way of confirming identities, but if you didn't restrict the information shown you'd be baring yourself to any who read, heard, or saw the report.

[Status Report]

[Kellin Finnel, Gypsy]

[Threat Level: 0]

[Race: Marine]

[Designation #: Progenitor]

[Current Title: Unselected]

[Class: Unselected]

[Profession: Unselected]

[Unspent Credits: 5]

[Spent Credits: 1]

[Body Status:

Condition: Normal

Health: 50/50, 0/0

Integrity: 0/0, 50/50

Stamina: 50/50, 0/0

Energy: 0/0, 50/50

Mana: 0/0, 0/0]

[Stats*:

Strength: 5/5: 10

Dexterity: 5/5: 10

Armor: 0/3: 3

Constitution: 3/0: 3

Density: 0/5: 5

Endurance: 5/0: 5

Battery: 0/5: 5

Cardio: 5/N/A: 5

Efficiency: 0/5: 5

Intelligence: 5/10: 15

Wisdom: 6/2: 8

Perception: 5/0: 5

Sensors: 0/5: 5]

[Skills: N/A]

[Evolutions: N/A]

[Equipment:

Cannister Rifle:

Damage: 5

Ammo: 0

Durability: N/A

Upgrades: N/A]

[*Stats unable to be adjusted before first Evolution]

Kellin read through his [Status] page several times before asking the [System] to close it. His head fell into his metal gauntlets where he sat as he tried to make sense of it all, bile rising in the back of his throat. Ironically, this helped him calm down and control himself. Every Combat Suit Marine that has been through any harrowing experience has an instinct that kicks in whenever feeling the need to throw up, so long as they aren't in danger.

"Open suit," he cried out, standing up quickly and wanting to step out to handle the incoming mess.

He'd only ever thrown up inside a Combat Suit once in his life and usually, every man or woman only did throw up inside their suit once. They always ended up needing a new one after that. The smell could never really be washed out, even if bleach or other compounds were used. The suits got very warm sometimes.

When his suit didn't open though, his mouth began watering even more.

"Gypsy, open-"

"Unable to carry out order. Unsure why," she responded quickly. "Combat Suit has been sealed by [System]."

"WHAT!?" he screamed out, turning and bracing himself on the tree he'd been sat against.

"Suit has... Function allowing exit has been removed," she eventually responded as his breaths came deeper again.

Moments after that, his head set itself perpendicular to the ground as rainbows began to spill out of Kellin's mouth and onto the pine needles he'd been sitting on seconds prior. The color terrified him, the silvery ichor and black slosh of water mixed with something else splashed near his metal boots in much higher volumes than he thought possible. When it finally stopped, he wisely remained hunched over, bracing himself on the tree in front of him for a second round that quickly gripped his body.

After a few more seconds of dry heaves, he felt his stomach begin to settle. He lifted his head and stared down the light downward slope on the other side of the fallen tree, taking in deep, calming breaths. The area was still savaged by the fight from before; the ground and trees torn up and ripped into in a circle centering on where he'd woken up. In fact, there was really only one difference in scenery, besides the sunlight, from his memory of the scene prior to him passing out the previous night.

The Swarmling bodies were gone.

A third round gripped him as his head swung back downward.

Five minutes later, Kellin kneeled on the other side of the stream, panting as he washed his mouth out with water from the refilled pool. Taking a small break, he stared down into the image reflected, cold, steely blue eyes meeting his gaze. His face was a mess, water dripping from his unkempt beard and lips, a man desperately lapping and murky liquid while looking terrified.

He broke his eyes away from the foreign stare, feeling disgusted in himself as he reached back into the pool for another sip.

Luckily, his gauntlet wasn't absorbing the water this time and he was able to finish up relatively quickly. Lifting his head for what was probably the twentieth time since he'd knelt down, Kellin once again confirmed the bodies were gone from the other side of his tree. The area was still ravaged, dirt and plant matter thrown about and soaked in blood, yet the two bodies with massive holes blown through them were nowhere to be seen.

Something had removed them while he was out.

Eventually, he sat back down and opened up his [Status] page again.

[Status Report]

[Kellin Finnel, Gypsy]

[Threat Level: 0]

[Race: Marine]

[Designation #: Progenitor]

[Current Title: Unselected]

[Class: Unselected]

[Profession: Unselected]

[Unspent Credits: 5]

[Spent Credits: 1]

[Body Status:

Condition: Abnormal

Health: 45/50, 0/0

Integrity: 0/0, 50/50

Stamina: 38/40(50), 0/0

Energy: 0/0, 50/50

Mana: 0/0, 0/0]

[Stats*:

Strength: 4(5)/5: 9

Dexterity: 5/5: 10

Armor: 0/3: 3

Constitution: 2(3)/0: 2

Density: 0/5: 5

Endurance: 4(5)/0: 4

Battery: 0/5: 5

Cardio: 5/N/A: 5

Efficiency: 0/5: 5

Intelligence: 5/10: 15

Wisdom: 6/2: 8

Perception: 4(5)/0: 4

Sensors: 0/5: 5]

[Skills: N/A]

[Evolutions: N/A]

[Equipment:

Cannister Rifle:

Damage: 5

Ammo: 0

Durability: N/A

Upgrades: N/A]

[*Stats unable to be adjusted before first Evolution]

Again, he closed it. Steeling himself, he finally addressed his AI.

"You can see it as well, can't you?" he asked.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"That is correct," came the monotone response.

Fear gripped his chest for a moment before he spoke again.

"Then, read out exactly what you see."

"Status Report Gypsy, Kellin Finnel. Threat level, 0. Race: Marine. Designation..."

Her words came and went as Kellin half-listened, mimicking exactly what he'd seen every time he'd opened his [Status] page, with only two major differences. Every [Stat] was flipped around, and her name was first. The AI reported everything in the same monotone voice it always had, yet for some reason, the pacing of her words were not what he'd grown used to. Some sections increased in speed while others were slown down, almost as if reacting to the information being presented.

As a Human would.

The realization increased his unease and when she finished, Kellin remained silent. His mind bounced back and forth from the edge of panic to calming down and once again trying to consider his situation. Minutes passed in that manner, Kellin's heart rate and breaths slowly increasing on average, until a voice broke through his musings.

"Individual Kellin reacting to provided information in abnormal manner compared to past iterations of stress," Gypsy reported, monotone voice even more blocky sounding than her usual statements.

Latching onto the distraction, Kellin responded with a sigh.

"Of course I am. This is nothing like any other situation I have ever been in in my life. I can't even begin to tackle this problem while sitting around out here, knowing I could die at any moment. I need shelter."

"Panic'd status condition known to reduce stats by-"

"As if I can just choose not to panic," he interrupted with a snap. "Be quiet."

Gypsy remained quiet after that, giving Kellin a small reprieve from dealing with her situation once again. Before he began to settle any of these new happenings, he needed to prioritize shelter and food, and the AI was not helping. Every time it spoke without being addressed simply reminded him that things were wrong. He needed to clear his mind and find a way to get right.

Just as he was beginning to stand and move uphill, away from the blood stained area, Gypsy spoke again to his irritation.

"Prior history of individual Kel-"

"Enough," he shouted, stopping his movement. "Stop addressing me. I need silence. Do not speak unless-"

"No,'' came the icy response, louder inside his mind and the inside of the suit than he thought even possible for the speakers installed.

The voice sounded almost angry. As irritated as he felt, in fact.

"You will listen. [Expedition Captain] Kellin Finnel Designation #642 could choose not to panic in worse situations than this if he so desired. What causes-" is as far as she got before Kellin began a shouting match with who anyone watching in the immediate area would call himself.

"Worse than this?! My own AI is running rampant, I am stuck on a god-forsaken random world with NONE of my previous abilities or strengths, unsure of if I am even HUMAN anymore, and YEARS away from my daughter and home! WHAT situation, pray tell, has ever been more confounding than this?!" he finished, head faced toward the sky in lieu of someone to shout at.

"You watched each of your men lay down their lives for you as the Savul on planet Redmond's surface slaughtered them," came the instant response, causing Kellin's body to freeze up as a cold sweat began across his body again. "Sacrificial pawns in a game of chess to have you executed. State of body, mind, and stressors, through information provided by blood pressure, heart rate, and brainwave activity scanners, at this point in time do not come close to levels experienced nine days ago. Why does this opportunity drive you into a corner when that did not? You are not dead. #642 would use this. Is it not a chance to see Annabelle again?"

His mouth opened to snap back, but no words came out. Not because he had nothing to say; his mind was raging against the fact that she had even spoken again, let alone brought up Anni, but something else caught his attention in a more profound way.

She was absolutely right. This was not him.

When thinking about the nightmare he'd gone through back then, this hadn't even began to touch the same level of insanity. Each man and woman that he'd kept alive for weeks planet-side and in a death-zone, sacrificing themselves for him right in front of his eyes in that canyon a mere hour from an evacuation hub. Even thinking that this was more painful or difficult of an experience caused tears, bile, and hatred towards himself to rise up inside him.

So then why did thinking about going through those 999+ notifications he saw blaring in the upper right corner of his vision terrify him to no end.

"You're... What changed," he mumbled, leaning himself against a nearby tree as confusion and realization provided his foggy mind a small amount of clarity.

Eventually, he brought up his [Status] page once again, scrolling down until he saw his body's personal [Stats].

[Status Report]

[Kellin Finnel, Gypsy]

[Threat Level: 0]

[Race: Marine]

[Designation #: Progenitor]

[Current Title: Unselected]

[Class: Unselected]

[Profession: Unselected]

[Unspent Credits: 5]

[Spent Credits: 1]

[Body Status:

Condition: Abnormal

Health: 46/50, 0/0

Integrity: 0/0, 50/50

Stamina: 30/30(50), 0/0

Mana: 0/0, 0/0

Energy: 0/0, 49/50]

[Stats*:

Strength: 6(5)/5: 11

Dexterity: 2(5)/5: 7

Armor: 0/3: 3

Constitution: 3/0: 3

Density: 0/5: 5

Endurance: 3(5)/0: 3

Battery: 0/5: 5

Cardio: 5/N/A: 5

Efficiency: 0/5: 5

Intelligence: 4(5)/10: 14

Wisdom: 4(6)/2: 6

Perception: 3(5)/0: 3

Sensors: 0/5: 5]

[Skills: N/A]

[Evolutions: N/A]

[Equipment:

Cannister Rifle:

Damage: 5

Ammo: 0

Durability: N/A

Upgrades: N/A]

[*Stats unable to be adjusted before first Evolution]

Everything clicked, the clarity in his mind expanded rapidly like he'd just doused himself in ice water after a night of drinking. Not only was his entire state being altered by his confusion and anger, but he'd even lost more of his stamina after the bout of throwing up.

However, that wasn't what he was focused on.

"My [Stats] are... effecting me mentally," he spoke aloud, to himself as much as to his AI. "This... you are right, Gyps. This should not drive me to this state, yet I feel sluggish... scared, even," he admitted.

Gypsy didn't respond as he sat down again.

"This outcome should be fine. Good, even. I was to be executed, but I am alive. Why am I afraid of this? Avoiding it?" he mumbled.

"Increases in [Strength], [Intelligence], [Wisdom], and [Constitution] are known to have some side effects on one's mind. In this instance, [Strength] seems to be effecting you most out of the bunch," Gypsy responded to his rhetorical question.

He nodded in response. It was definitely one of the [Stats] that had dropped the most for him in this short time. Strength of mind was something all Humans knew came from their own innate personality, but also their [Stats] as they grew and spent [Credits].

"My [Stats] all fell over twenty points each, at least," he pointed out.

"Then your mind is just weak," she replied, monotone voice delivering the statement as matter-of-fact as possible.

Kellin could only nod slowly in response. As a leader, he had always had a calm, rational way about him, but now even the thought of addressing his new situation caused him fear? What had happened to his years of experience? Thinking on the spot? Commanding troops while simultaneously tearing through hundreds of the Savul and Demons alike?

"Yes, it is," he agreed.

"Then you are expected to be sub-optimal until further advancement," Gypsy replied, her nonchalant statement at his revelation bringing him a small amount of anger.

Why should that be expected after all he had given?

He shook his head.

"It is weak, but I am not a child. As Humans age, their [Stats] increase. Not by much, but it is not unheard of for them to near ten in any one [Stat] before fully grown. The strength of one's mind is a culmination of many [Stats] combined and experience. This is not something I paid for with [Credits], but something I earned," he spoke out, voice growling slightly in anger. "I bled and nearly died, years under that man's thumb to become who I was before, unbroken. I have my memories of all of that! And now, now I can't even read my [Status] page or see a few bodies missing without pissing myself?!"

"Your heartrate-"

"No," he stated as if confirming a fact to himself as much as speaking to Gypsy. "The [System] may have stripped me of all I was before, but I still have my mind, and I am no weak babe. I may have... We may have been remade, but I am still all that made 642."

Standing tall away from the tree, Kellin's icy blue eyes laced with anger swept the area as he truly began to see his dangerous, terrifying, and unknown surroundings for what they were.

An opportunity.

"I am sorry," he spoke aloud to his AI after a few moments, voice becoming level. "Thank you for keeping me alive until now."

Silence resounded for a few moments until a meek voice, so quiet he almost hadn't heard it, resounded throughout his suit.

"We are both who are stuck on this god-forsaken random world."

Kellin nodded slightly, immediately crushing the palpable fear that entered his mind at her strange tone and words. A ding resounded in his mind as a familiar calm entered his body.

"You were right Gyps, this is an opportunity," he responded. "Now let's use it."

[Congratulations Kellin Finnel Designation #Progenitor, on unlocking the hidden Stat: Willpower (20)]