The following week passed in a blur for Aidan. With more than six hundred people in the camp dedicated to different projects and materials for those projects coming from the gnomes, Camp Plymouth started to take on a radically different appearance.
The first structure they built was a brand new headquarters modeled after the gnomes’ own subterranean towers. It helped that the gnomes had loaned them all of the construction equipment and schematics needed to speed the development. They had even sent over a huge number of builders, engineers, and architects to help develop the camp as thanks for sending their combat teams to purge the kobolds plaguing them.
Although the headquarters were built along the same lines as a gnome tower, its exterior appeared utterly different. Where the gnome buildings had ramshackle appearances festooned with garish colors and haphazard plants, the human headquarters was a smooth gray polycrete and black permalloy structure that stretched four stories above ground and three stories below.
In build order, the lowest basement level held the fusion reactor to power the growing camp. It was surrounded by top-secret labs and engineering spaces that directly contributed to the faction’s military technology. As soon as the level had been constructed, Agano Hiro claimed one of the largest labs and personal replicators for her own use.
The middle basement floor contained a small prison, interrogation rooms, working spaces, and private quarters for the faction’s burgeoning intelligence service. Dr. Smith was moved to the prison and secured with a newly developed localized System jammer that worked within the confines of the prison.
The level also housed the communication terminal retrieved from the progenitor listening station. Its presence jumpstarted Diaz’s creation of a communication network and to keep tabs on any communications flowing in and out of the camp. Gray and Diaz claimed quarters at this level to remain closer to their work.
The top basement layer became the domain of Michael McKay and his logisticians. A giant replicator the size of an entire room was constructed, along with storage rooms for strategic assets. The man had even had them build a large freight elevator just off the replicator room to more easily get equipment to and from his underground storage. In the future, the replicator would be used as a strategic backup replicator, but for now, it pumped out a continuous stream of building materials for the rest of the camp.
The ground floor consisted of a reception area, a clinic, and trading terminals for the visiting gnomes. Lists of materials the camp needed and the associated price the faction was willing to pay were posted within each terminal. The various camp leaders calculated the amounts daily, and they were screened by the Director of Finance and Resource Management before going live. Gnomes were frequently seen entering the building and accepting any contracts that suited them. The actual exchanges were conducted by a member of Aswad’s staff and then stored in the basement until it was time for the materials to be used.
The second floor was a series of scientific and engineering labs, private quarters, and collaboration spaces for the Director of Research and Development and his people. Andre had the Codex moved to this floor, and it was also here where strategic research not related to weapons was housed.
The third floor consisted of all the administration spaces needed to keep the camp running. Kari Ostlund, Amir Aswad, and the newly appointed Director of Strategic Planning, Corecia Cooper, held court here. Cooper turned out to be the best appointment Aidan had made. As soon as she was confirmed, she picked her staff, drafted a development plan, and got the other directors in line. The tower headquarters was her brainchild, and Aidan knew she was just beginning.
The fourth and final floor was dedicated to the command of the camp. Here there was a central meeting room where Aidan received updates from his directors, a dedicated communications room to speak to the gnome council and keep track of important missions, and private quarters for Aidan and his security.
It was from his room that Aidan looked out over the newborn Camp Plymouth. He had a large window that looked out over the rest of the camp, and as the only completed building, central HQ towered over the rest of the base. Around it, other structures were already in the process of being constructed. Aidan watched as human and gnome builders swarmed over the various construction sites. He could see huge engineering bays and scientific labs, dedicated storage facilities for the influx of materials from the gnomes, large multi-family residences, and their newest technology—vertical farms. Everything was being built according to Cooper’s meticulous plans, and it was the farms that Aidan focused on. The first one was already nearing completion because the agricultural facilities were second in priority only to headquarters.
In the last week, the settlement had blown through their extensive food reserves. Apparently, the goods weren’t just popular in Stalakmitzil but throughout the entire gnome civilization. Stalakmitzil became a trading hub between the goods manufactured in Camp Plymouth and the materials siphoned from the larger gnome population. The exchanges were made even easier by the System storage devices produced by humans and used to trade for vast quantities of building materials.
Come on, Aidan, we need to get down to the basement. Astra begged him.
We’ll go down in a second, Aidan assured her. Aren’t you excited to see how far Camp Plymouth has come in such a short time?
Yes, yes, it’s very impressive, Astra allowed, but it isn’t as remarkable as the neural interface and armored bodysuits Agano has ready for you and your team.
Aidan sighed. He knew he was only delaying because he instinctively flinched at the idea of implanting a chip into the back of his skull.
Astra was have sensed his thoughts because she laid into him.
Stop being such a baby, Envoy. You’re the last member of your team to get the interface put in. Everyone else has been fine, and now you’re the only one that can’t talk mind-to-mind or wear the armored bodysuit.
Aidan sighed. Alright! I’m going.
The commander turned from the window and picked up the datapad lying on his new bed. He could already see a blinking message from Agano and Doc that they were waiting for him in the HQ clinic. He quickly typed a reply informing the pair that he was coming and exited his room. Nikita waited on the other side of the door like a vengeful ghost. She was garbed in one of the new midnight black bodysuits underneath a gray camouflage cloak.
The envoy had to admit that the suit was impressive. Agano had truly outdone herself with the biomechanical marvel. The skin suit had been completely redesigned from the ground up with an integrated superconductor layer that interfaced directly with the neural implant.
Layered on top of the skinsuit, the body suit consisted of a polymerized lithium nibocene artificial musculature with permalloy reinforcements. This part of the bodysuit increased the strength, speed, and performance of the warrior within. Atop the musculature, a black titanium nanocomposite layer covered the complicated fusion of circuitry and artificial muscle to serve as ballistic protection and coated to disperse heat from plasma or laser weaponry.
Overall, it was a sleek, intimidating, and very, very lethal piece of equipment that eliminated the need for armored boots or gloves. Instead, outer layers of armor could be attached to the bodysuit to further protect the wearer from harm.
“Finally decided to get the implant?” Nikita quirked an eyebrow as she asked.
“I’ve been swamped,” Aidan tried to defend himself. “Today is the first day I’ve had a moment to breathe.”
His bodyguard rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, Commander.”
Aidan tried maintaining his dignity as he walked to the elevator and took it down to the ground floor. However, he couldn’t shake the impression that Yanovna was escorting him like a recalcitrant toddler on the way to the dentist.
When he reached the ground floor, Aidan passed by the receptionist, who flashed him a smile, and a group of gnomes poring over the trading terminals. Aidan didn’t recognize them, which he considered an excellent change of pace.
He crossed over the central foyer and entered the fully equipped clinic beyond. Inside the sterile white environment, Doc Faraj and Agano were already waiting for him next to a table that looked like a massage table. A bunch of mechanical arms hovered above the table like an artificial spider. The envoy had no idea what each component did, but the number of implements looked straight out of a sci-fi torture machine. He swallowed heavily at the sight of the device.
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He noticed that Faraj wore his armored body suit with a camouflage cloak too. It seemed that every member of his team was loath to take off the body suit once it had been equipped. He figured that was a good indication of the suit’s capabilities and was about to comment on it when the engineer practically pounced on him.
“Finally,” Agano reprimanded. “It’s been two days since I’ve had the implant ready. You’ve been avoiding me this whole time, Commander.”
Suddenly, the slight Japanese-American woman loomed threateningly in Adian’s eyes. This Agano was a far cry from the woman who had asked to join his team. He raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Sorry, Agano. I’ve been pretty busy around camp.” Aidan made an excuse.
The petite woman’s eyes thinned, but she didn’t continue to berate him. “Whatever, get on the table.”
Doc Faraj gently smiled. “It’s alright, Commander. Your natural regeneration is the biggest complication of the procedure. Any time you receive a wound, your body heals it far faster than a normal human.”
“Is it going to hurt?” Aidan asked.
Faraj winced at the question. “Yes, Commander. We haven’t developed any anesthetics yet. The gnomes have a painkiller derived from some of the mushrooms that grow near their homes. However, it has a strong hallucinogenic effect that we’re trying to isolate and remove.”
Agano waved a hand. “The procedure is automated. The entire thing is finished in less than a minute and a half. Five minutes later, your natural regeneration will heal the minor surgical wounds. You really don’t have anything to worry about.”
The small engineering genius walked over to a nearby storage crate and waved her hand over it. A bodysuit appeared on the container, folded neatly and ready for him to wear. “Besides, you can put on this beauty as soon as you’re done.”
Agano clearly felt that wearing the suit outweighed any temporary inconvenience or pain that Aidan would feel.
The commander realized that he couldn’t delay the procedure any longer. He lay down on the surgical table, and Faraj and Agano used restraints to immobilize him. Faraj handed him a knotted piece of leather to bite down on to prevent him from accidentally chewing through his tongue. It would grow back, of course, but the pain would be immeasurable.
With a click of a button, a surgical laser opened up the back of his skull, and Aidan screamed from behind the leather gag. A circular, duralloy port was inserted at the base of his cerebellum, where it met the top of the spinal cord. Aidan passed out as the implant attached itself to the bone but resurfaced a second later as the micron-scale neurothreads unspooled into the gray matter of his brain. Thankfully, there were no pain receptors in the brain, so this part of the procedure went completely unnoticed by the Envoy.
I’m alive! The AI cackled like Frankenstein’s monster. Envoy, this is amazing. I feel like the whole world has been opened up to me! Quickly touch a piece of technology so I can interface with it through your skinsuit.
Aidan groaned and spat out the leather gag as the medical machinery retracted back into the ceiling. After that, Agano and Faraj removed the restraints that had prevented him from flailing about during the procedure. The Doc used a bottle of saline and a rag to clean away the little blood spilled during the implantation. Luckily, the lasers cauterized most wounds and prevented much of the gore that would otherwise have been produced.
The envoy carefully got up from the table and resisted the impulse to scratch the new neural interface. Instead, he walked over to the armored bodysuit and placed a hand on it.
Woah, this is great, Astra told him. I can control every function of the suit. I can even keep you mobile and move you out of danger if you’re incapacitated.
Aidan frowned. So you can control my body?
No, I can control your suit, Astra clarified, and only if you’re not conscious enough to move the equipment on your own. Your consciousness would easily override my own instructions.
The commander nodded, relieved that the number of nightmare scenarios his mind had immediately come up with were dispelled.
Agano and Faraj immediately walked over. “The easiest way to put it on is to store it in your inventory first. After that, you can mentally will it where it needs to be. It’s not meant to be taken on and off without the assistance of an inventory function.”
Aidan looked back at the engineer. “Does that mean there’s a chance it will drop when I die?”
The woman casually nodded, “Yes, but don’t worry. There are sensors inside that detect if you’re the one operating it. Plus, it’s custom-made for your body. Anyone else getting in would have a tough time. Forcing it on is nearly impossible and likely dangerous.”
She casually waved toward the suit as Aidan dropped it into his inventory and equipped it. “Plus, Andre’s teams are working on a localized power source and external armor for the suit. It immediately becomes a large explosive if it drops from your inventory.”
Aidan absentmindedly nodded while he inspected the body suit.
XSM1/BEB Armored Battle Suit (ABS)
The XSM1 ABS is a technologically advanced battle suit designed to vastly improve human combat classes’ strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and durability. This special-purpose equipment features Tier II protection against kinetic, explosive, and laser weaponry.
Attributes:
+10% bonus to Strength, Agility, and Perception when worn.
Warning! The rest of the attributes are locked until a power source is equipped.
Aidan whistled lowly. “Wow, we finally have equipment recognized by the system.”
“I know,” Agano nodded. “My skills shot up during the design and production of the suits. I think I’m the highest-level engineer in the camp in terms of skills.”
The engineer pointed to the storage container. “Your helmet is in there with some other goodies, but we don’t have any new weapons yet. You’ll have to go with your existing weapons.”
Aidan reached into the container and retrieved the helmet and other equipment inside. They weren’t radically different from what he wore before, but they had experimental modifications that gave them a bit of extra utility. He gave each a brief glance before equipping them.
XSM1A1E1/BBA Medium Plate Carrier
This plate carrier has been covered in camouflage synthsilk. The material allows the wearer to change the item’s appearance according to predetermined colors and patterns. This protective equipment feature Tier I protection against Kinetic and Explosive weaponry.
XSM1/AUE Light Utility Holster
This duralloy holster has been coated in camouflage paint. The substance allows the wearer to change the item’s appearance according to predetermined colors and patterns.
XSM1/AUE Light Camouflage Cloak
This cloak is made entirely of camouflage synthsilk. The material allows the wearer to change the item’s appearance according to predetermined colors and patterns.
XSM1/AUE Light Utility Pouch
This pouch is made of camouflage synthsilk and contains a one-slot system inventory. This item has been designed to attach directly to the XSM1 ABS or the XSM1 PAA.
Attributes:
+1 Inventory Slot
Aidan slipped on the plate carrier and attached the holster to his right thigh. He noticed a dedicated receptacle on the ABS that removed the need for straps. The commander clipped the cloak over his shoulders and placed the pouches on his suit. He put two on his left thigh, opposite his pistol, and one more on the side of each calf.
He intended on storing specialized grenades in each pouch since everything else could be placed in his inventory and retrieved in non-emergency situations. He would use the pockets in the middle of combat to quickly retrieve the necessary explosive for the problem at hand.
Finally, he turned to the pièce de résistance of the new equipment—his helmet.
XSM1 Powered Assault Helmet
This duralloy helmet is part of the Power Assault Armor system. The helmet has been coated in camouflage paint. The substance allows the wearer to change the item’s appearance according to predetermined colors and patterns. It plugs directly into the XS1/DEE Neural Interface to connect the wearer to the DSS communication network.
Attributes:
Localized team network for communication and tactical coordination.
Warning! The rest of the attributes are locked until a power source is equipped.
The gray, fully enclosed helmet was imposing. A thin black visor was nestled beneath a protruding brow ridge. Black inserts on the sides of the helmet lent it a skeletal quality that would be sure to strike fear into the hearts of other humans. The helmet had an embedded air filtration system that likely wouldn’t work until power was connected but nonetheless reinforced the skeletal design.
Aidan donned the helmet and was shrouded in darkness until the external cameras turned on and linked to the helmet. Abruptly, the tiny view through the visor opened up until it was like he wasn’t wearing a helmet at all. Evidently, the visor only existed as a failsafe when the external cameras went down.
He looked around and saw that Doc Faraj had donned his brain bucket. His gear flickered before settling into a digital gray and tan camouflage pattern. Aidan practiced changing the appearance of his own equipment. He found that it could shift between matte white, gray, and black before turning into digital snow, sand, forest, and urban patterns. Overall, he was pretty impressed with the new equipment, and any lingering pain over the neural interface was quickly forgotten.
Don’t forget your comms, Envoy. Astra reminded him. You can communicate verbally through the onboard quantum communicator in the helmet or speak mind-to-mind using your neural interface.
“This is Steele, checking in,” Aidan said through his comms system.
He saw a green light blink on his HUD as the other members of his team were added to the network. He heard Sparky’s voice crackle over the speakers.
“We’ve already come up with a call sign for you, Commander.” He joked. “We’ve decided that you’re Crybaby Actual.”
Aidan rolled his eyes. “Does that make us team Crybaby?”
“No, Commander,” Nikita answered over the comms. “With our new equipment, we’ll be more like ghosts.” There was a pause as the shadow trooper thought more. “Well, I’m like a ghost. The rest of you have more work to do.”
“I like that,” Wang commented.
“Nah, I want something more badass,” Agerwal commented. “How about Spectres?”
Aidan thought about the recommendation. There were plenty of precedents in science fiction for a team like his. Hell, with his psionic powers, he was halfway there anyway.
Would you like to change the name of your elite unit from the Diplomatic Security Service to Spectres?
Y/N
Aidan confirmed the selection with a thought, and approval trickled in from his team as they were notified by the System.
“Alright, this is Spectre Actual. Let’s go practice with our new toys.”