Like all good things, the relative peace of the night came to an end. When the sun rose, the civilian population began rousing from their tents. Armed warriors quickly ushered them to a mustering ground outside the walls of Camp Plymouth.
Aidan had asked for someone to construct a wooden shoulder-height platform for him to be seen and heard by the arriving researchers, scientists, and engineers. He waited for more than an hour as all six hundred and change people were gathered around him in a circle. The only person not in attendance was Dr. Smith herself. The envoy didn't think it prudent to force her to attend. Her presence would likely be disruptive, and he didn't want an already tense situation to worsen.
He felt strangely vulnerable as he stood on the platform and looked out along the assembled camp. All these people knew about him was that he was their new leader, and they were now subject to a military dictatorship. It wasn't a position that Aidan was used to holding. Nor did the mantle sit right on his shoulders. America had always been a place that eschewed the idea of a military dictatorship, and their minds had an ingrained distaste for such leadership.
When everyone was gathered, Aidan decided to address that fact first.
"Thank you for being here. I realize we didn't give you a choice, and I sincerely apologize. Unfortunately, it's a sign of the trouble our camp is in that brings you before me this morning."
Aidan paused to look out over the crowd and feel their emotions through his psychic powers. There was confusion, annoyance, and a slight tinge of fear in their thoughts. He projected a calm confidence with his abilities and watched as it settled over the men and women in front of him like a soothing blanket. The spikes of fear weren't so pronounced, the confusion and annoyance were soothed away, and Aidan was left with a cautiously optimistic crowd.
Psionics increased to level 24! You have earned 120 experience.
"The change in leadership is due to two factors. First, our camp has minted a trade relationship with a sapient species known as gnomes. They have technology and materials for our replicators that we can't produce ourselves. This new partnership will go a long way to speeding the development of Camp Plymouth and allow each of you to progress your class and skills."
Aidan paused as a murmur of approval broke out in the camp. Aidan could feel a sense of hope and happiness rising in the psychic background of the crowd. Learning from his last manipulation, the envoy used his powers to stoke the emotions even further. He wanted the civilians to be invested in his leadership and the progress that was sure to come. It was far easier to enhance feelings already there than to create new ones out of whole cloth.
Psionics increased to level 25! You have earned 125 experience.
Authority increased to level 22! You have earned 110 experience.
Leadership increased to level 12! You have earned 60 experience.
"The second factor isn't as positive." The new commander sadly stated. "It has come to my attention that a spy has been communicating with people outside our camp. That person has revealed secrets to our adversaries in China. Our experts believe that they've been sharing our progress with the Codex and taking advantage of all the work you've put in to develop and understand the new technology within the System."
The hopefulness in the crowd shifted to anger. Aidan once again used his powers to guide that anger. He turned it toward the spy, to the Chinese, and to the very idea of an 'outsider.' He was making it an "us vs. them" situation in the minds of his followers. He wanted them to associate positive feelings with his leadership and, by extension, the military while associating negative feelings with potential spies and traitors. He wasn't sure what he was doing was strictly moral, but he would reflect on his actions when the crisis was over.
Psionics increased to level 26! You have earned 130 experience.
Authority increased to level 23! You have earned 115 experience.
Leadership increased to level 13! You have earned 65 experience.
The envoy's skills rapidly rose, and Aidan even received a level-up notification. He was starting to see the power of a psionic leader. Envoys clearly excelled when put into places of leadership. It was no wonder people wanted to steal the class benefits for themselves. He continued his speech.
"In the interest of bringing this spy to justice, I've gathered you here to ask a large favor." He paused to give the crowd time to consider his words. He felt nothing but expectant approval in his words.
"Last night, I personally inspected the inventory and stashes of every military member. I also went through all the general stores and searched for communication equipment. I humbly ask that you allow the military to do the same. Please show them your inventory and guide them to your tent."
Hesitation began to color the minds of the crowd. Aidan flexed his psionic powers and once again projected a calm certainty.
Psionics increased to level 27! You have earned 135 experience.
"I can promise that we will respect your autonomy and privacy. Nothing will be taken from your inventory, you will not be searched or detained, and you won't be treated like a criminal. We have no interest in your personal business or your secrets. Nothing found in your personal items will be communicated back to Earth. We're all in this together. We all want to find the spy. We all want to get back to business as usual and put this dark stain on the camp's history behind us."
Adian's last words paid off, and he was rewarded with another series of notifications.
Psionics increased to level 28! You have earned 140 experience.
Authority increased to level 24! You have earned 120 experience.
Leadership increased to level 14! You have earned 70 experience.
"Thank you for your patience and understanding. When we're finished, I have a big surprise waiting for you! Our combat classes have brought back new engrams to radically change our progress within the System! Please follow the military's instructions so we can get back to work!"
Aidan continued to couch his terms in ways the civilians would resonate with. Yes, this was an annoyance and an interruption to their work. However, once it was done, they would be able to work on exciting new projects, and they would be safer while doing so. His speech appeared to have the desired effect, but Aidan wasn't leaving anything to chance.
As the military entered the crowd and started organizing everyone into neat lines. Aidan held his place so the civilians would see that everything was still okay. He projected confidence and calm through his posture and psychic powers.
Psionics increased to level 29! You have earned 145 experience.
Aidan didn't have much to do as the military slowly worked through the civilian population. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, aided by Gray and Yanovna, so he decided to check his character sheet and apply the level-up he had received while delivering his speech.
Commander Aidan Steele. Human. United States of America.
Level-6 Envoy
Attributes:
Strength 47 | Constitution 48 | Dexterity 48 | Intelligence 46 | Perception 46
Parameters:
Health 480 (2.40%/min.) | Stamina 480 (2.40%/min.) | Mana 460 (2.30%/min.)
Social:
Notoriety 10 | Authority 24
Skills:
Stealth 1 | Athletics 5 | Discipline 10 | Targeting 10 | Medium Armor 12 | Small Arms 14 | Light Weapons 1 | Melee Weapons 1 | Psionics 29 | Telekinesis 20 | Diplomacy 7 | Leadership 14 | AI Operations 16 | Linguistics 20
Aidan was taken aback. He hadn't checked his attributes since he had gained leadership over the camp. It appeared that his attribute gains were retroactive. It practically doubled his overall strength, and the envoy hadn't noticed. Likely because he was logged out when the change happened. He shuddered to think about what kind of effect the huge increase would've had on his conscious mind and body. The only thing he did was place his two free attributes into intelligence and perception.
Before, he had dumped his stats there because he wasn't sure in which direction he wanted to optimize his attributes. Now, he quickly realized how much he needed intelligence and perception to continue using his psionic abilities. He wanted to keep increasing his overall strength because he could easily recognize how effective it would make him. This was especially true if he took the opportunity to continue leveling with his team. Now that he earned group experience rather than sole experience, he would rapidly catch up and surpass them.
He was realistic enough to believe that he likely wouldn't hold overall command of the camp forever. However, he could exploit the position as long as possible to quickly level. After that, it would be up to the political establishment to decide how things would turn out. Until then, he wanted to focus on increasing his level and his underpowered combat skills. His psionic abilities and social skills led the way to his development. The envoy knew that if he didn't explicitly focus on strengthening those weaknesses, he would slowly become less and less valuable on the battlefield. At that point, he might really become relegated to a mere diplomat. In the warrior's eyes, that was an unacceptable outcome.
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He closed his character sheet and observed the progress of the screening. Everything was moving smoothly, and one after the other, civilians were being cleared to return to duty. Aidan detected a few ruffled feathers with his abilities, but every time one of the civilians flared up, the envoy focused his psionic powers on them, and they quickly calmed down.
It took most of the day, but finally, the last person had been screened, and Aidan was informed that the mission had been completed. When the last person entered the camp, the envoy jumped off his perch and walked toward the command tent. His personal guard followed him as he stormed into the tent and took his customary seat.
Gray walked into the tent as the commander sat down. Aidan noticed the man had an exhausted expression on his face and frowned. Clearly, the inquisitor's skills took as much of a toll as Aidan's psionic ones. He glanced over a Yavovna posted in a shadowed corner and playing with a fixed-blade knife and saw the same tiredness reflected on her features too.
"So, we didn't turn anything up?" Aidan confirmed.
"Yes, Commander," Gray answered. "We checked every inventory and personal stash in the camp. I also used my powers to briefly interrogate the civilians. I couldn't detect any lies or obfuscation in their answers."
"I can attest to that, Commander." Nikita supplied. "I randomly inspected a sample of civilians and shadowed anyone who appeared even slightly suspicious."
"Was it possible they realized they were being followed?" Aidan just wanted to cover all the bases.
"Not a chance," Yanovna flatly answered.
Aidan sighed and laced his fingers behind his head before looking up at the tent ceiling. He thought aloud. "So we're missing something. Could someone have a hidden stash outside the camp? Possible, but that wouldn't be easy to use when the camp is locked down at night."
If I get the list of screened civilians, I can help, Astra offered.
"Gray, can I get the list of screened scientists?" Aidan asked.
"Sure, Commander." The man answered before crossing the table. He filled a stack of parchment off a nearby table and offered them to the Envoy.
Aidan picked them up and began to glance through them.
Do you need me to do anything in particular, Astra?
No, Envoy. Just glancing at them is enough for me to build a profile and compare it to the complete personnel roster.
Aidan quickly flipped through the files, barely glancing at any names. He knew Astra had a far better memory than he would ever have as a biological being. When he was finished parsing the records, he returned the stack to Gray.
Alright, what have we got? He asked his companion.
The only person not named in the documents is Dr. Smith. Was she checked?
Aidan startled upright. "Gray, did someone look into Dr. Smith's things?"
Gray stiffened, and his eyes widened. He flipped through his own documents looking for the former leader's name. After a few minutes, he put the entire list on the table.
"I don't think we did," he said hesitatingly.
Aidan jumped to his feet and gestured at his team. "It looks like we have one last stop today."
His team drew their weapons and followed Aidan into the camp. Aidan made a beeline toward where he knew the doctor's tent was. It was close by because the doctor couldn't stand to be too far away from her precious Codex. When they reached her test, easily double the size of anyone else's, Aidan quizzed the two soldiers standing guard.
"Has she been allowed to leave her quarters?"
"No, Commander. She's been relatively quiet the entire time." One man answered.
"Well, she’s been acting weird." The other commented.
"Weird, how?" Aidan's tone was intense, and the two guards noticed his interest. The soldier who had made a comment quickly clarified.
"Well, she's been whispering to herself almost all day. We checked in on her every time we heard something, but she seemed to be on the verge of tears each time. By the third or fourth time, she screamed at us to get out.”
“Did you?”
“No, Commander. We also didn’t find anything worth reporting. She just sounds unhinged and considering the circumstances…”
The man trailed off, but the commander didn’t blame him. From the few unpleasant interactions Aidan had with the doctor, he knew there was a lot of crazy packed into a small body. However, he hoped that her talking to herself was merely just that. If she was the spy and still communicating with China, he would be in serious trouble.
He didn’t put that on the two troopers. Instead, he thanked the men. "Understood. Thank you for doing your duty."
He glanced around at his assembled people. "Faraj and Wang, can you drag her out?"
He looked over at Gray and Yanovna. "You two, be ready."
Wang and Faraj ducked into the tent, and Aidan could hear conflict on the other side of the fabric. The good doctor wasn't coming easily. He heard kicking and punching from inside and Wang mumbling a curse. They struggled with the doctor and brought her to face their new commander. She was struggling and fighting to escape the grasp of the two men. Aidan thought she resembled a cat being brought before a bath.
"What's the meaning of this?!" Smith hissed at Aidan.
Aidan ignored her and glanced at Wang. "You alright?"
"Caught a lucky kick to the groin. She was stowing something in her inventory when we went in" the large trooper ground out.
The men around him winced in sympathy, but the doctor didn't show a shred of apology.
"He's lucky he didn't get more!"
Aidan tried not to engage with the irritated doctor. "Would you mind showing us your inventory, Dr. Smith?"
In a flash, the angry former leader shifted to cold and calculating. "I will not, and you can't search my inventory without my permission. It's protected by the System you value so much."
Aidan frowned. The doctor sounded like she was repeating words she had heard from someone else. He didn't bother replying. Instead, he looked over at Gray and Yanovna. Gray walked over to stand in front of the detained woman while Nikita ghosted around the assembled men. Dr. Smith was focused entirely on the unassuming inquisitor.
"What do you think you're doing?" She icily asked the man.
"I'll ask the questions," Gray replied. "Have you been in contact with foreign powers other than the United States?"
"No," Dr. Smith answered with an arrogant sneer.
Aidan was so focused on Gray and Dr. Smith that he missed the moment when Yanovna appeared behind Dr. Smith and placed a hand on the other woman's back. The doctor was just as distracted by Gray that she didn't notice the light touch.
"Do you have any communication equipment on your person or in your personal stash?" Gray's tone was calm and stately. If Aidan didn't know better, the man might as well have been ordering something to eat from the local drive-through.
"Why would I have communication equipment?" The doctor protested. "We haven't developed that kind of technology in the camp yet."
"Please, just answer yes or no." Gray didn't bother replying to her questions.
The doctor frowned. "No," she finally said.
When Aidan looked back at Dr. Smith, he realized that Yanovna had disappeared again and returned to her previous spot. When his eyes caught hers, she gave him a slight nod and revealed a small gray metal object in the palm of her hand. Aidan couldn't check the equipment from his position, but it didn't look like something native to the camp.
At that moment, Gray looked back at his commander. "She's lying."
"I know," Aidan said simply. "Thank you for distracting her while Nikita retrieved the communicator."
The commander held a palm out, and the shadow trooper placed the device in his hands. A dawning horror replaced the anger on Dr. Smith's face. Aidan watched the woman connect the dots to when the communicator had been removed from her inventory.
Aidan didn't bother adding insult to injury. Instead, he glanced at the communicator.
Type-22 Handheld Communicator
This two-way encrypted communicator is designed to be used at large distances. The zero-point energy produced in a System inventory recharges its carbon nanotube battery.
Aidan was shocked at the technology packed into such a small device. He realized that this was his first instance of seeing details other than the name.
Astra, why can I see the details of this device?
For two reasons, Envoy. First, this is the first piece of human technology advanced enough to be recognized by the System. However, it's not advanced enough for the manufacturer to hide its description from the System. Astra's answer gave Aidan more questions than answers, but she wasn't finished.
Second, your AI Operations skill has advanced to the degree where I can see the details of unprotected equipment.
Aidan nodded at his companion's explanation. It appeared that this whole time he had either looked at technology not advanced enough to have a description or equipment so advanced that his level wasn't high enough to see their details. Thankfully, this communicator had fallen into the sweet spot between the two limitations.
Immediate concerns addressed, he looked back at Dr. Smith, who slumped in the arms of the two men holding her upright.
"Tamira Smith," Aidan's voice was ice cold. "You have been found guilty of espionage. Under my wartime authority as the Acting Commander of Camp Plymouth, I hereby confine you to your quarters under penalty of death until such time I am relieved of command or a higher authority passes judgment on your actions."
MISSION: Find and neutralize the spy in Camp Plymouth, passed!
REWARD: Engram for localized System jammer
Aidan dismissed the notification for now. He needed to focus on the situation at hand, and apparently, his judgment jarred Smith from her shocked silence. "I'm not a spy! I was talking to my old partners in the think tank I was hired from. We were working on the Codex together! We're scientists. We only want to develop technology for the good of humanity. If I hadn't worked with them, we never would have progressed as far as we have!"
Aidan frowned at her explanation. "Were you aware that the think tank is based in China?"
Smith appeared confused. "No, it's not. My think tank is based out of Taiwan. They're an American ally. I had no idea they were talking to the Chinese!"
"She's lying," Gray commented.
Aidan nodded at the man. "Regardless of whether you knew, that's up to the government to decide." The commander gestured at the woman and then to her tent.
"Please remain in your quarters until I get further orders from our world. Until then, please do not tempt me. I'm stating plainly for everyone to hear. If you attempt to leave your tent or escape, I authorize your guards to shoot you. You've already died once. The next death will reduce your level by half, and the next will result in permanent destruction in this world and the other."
Authority increased to level 25! You have earned 125 experience.
Leadership increased to level 15! You have earned 75 experience.
Clearly, Aidan's words had their intended effect. The two troopers assigned to the doctor nodded, and Smith herself looked defeated. Seeing that she had nothing to say, Wang and Faraj returned her to her quarters, and then the team returned to the command tent.
When Aidan sat in his chair, he still had the communicator. He was turning it around and inspecting it from every angle. It was a blocky piece of metal with a touchpad and what appeared to be a hologram emitter. He was afraid of activating the device and revealing its seizure, but he was excited at the technological progress they would be able to make from such a device.
The device represented a terrifying fact. In some ways, the Chinese were more advanced than their own faction. Camp Plymouth was only now approaching the level of understanding to build something similar.
Even then, he had no idea what zero-point energy was. That was a leap in progress that put everything else to shame. He could already imagine a world where his troop's magazines were charged merely by sitting in their inventories. It would be a powerful boon to his combat power. Finally, he sighed and looked up at his waiting team.
"Gray and Yanovna, you two are best positioned to know the highest-value civilians in the camp. Bring whatever leaders there are here."
He looked at Wang, already considering the heavy trooper as Guzman's second in command. "Gather the lieutenants as well. We need to assign roles and set the expectations going forward."
Finally, he issued his command to Guzman. "I know we're a little early, but log out and inform Marsh about Dr. Smith's betrayal. If he can't see you immediately, hang out for a day before returning. I'd like some direction regarding Smith, but if he can't give it right away, we need to focus on our activities in the System."
The specified people nodded and took off to complete their respective missions. Aidan continued to study the communicator in his palm while waiting for everyone to arrive.