Back at the sixth-floor landing of the stairwell, Kiara waited with Chen for the broadcast module to complete construction on the Defense Force relay station. The hum of the machine filled the silence, but it wasn't enough to drown out her thoughts.
They had survived the battle, outlasted wave after wave of robotic assault. But they had not escaped unscathed. Chen had been taken unaware by one of the smaller raptor units, and before he could shoot it dead, it had crushed the skin and muscles of his left arm below the elbow. That injury should have taken him out of the fight, should have left him incapacitated. But it hadn't. He was still here, still standing, and Kiara was becoming more and more certain that something had been done to them.
She held out her own hand, staring at it as she turned it over. It was rock steady. Too steady. She made a fist, squeezing hard, searching for the slightest hint of a tremble. She had always had a minor essential tremor—not enough to be a problem, just something she had learned to live with. Now, though, there was nothing. Not even the faintest shake.
Earlier, she'd checked her pulse. Sixty-four beats per minute. Calm, steady. And Chen's? His had been even lower.
She glanced over at him, trying to piece together what had changed. "Are you an athlete, Chen?"
He looked up at her, surprised by the question. "Not really, why?"
"Do any long-distance running, endurance training, that sort of thing?"
"No, just some jogging. What's this about?"
She narrowed her eyes, thinking it over. "What about breathing exercises or yoga? You do any of that?"
Chen frowned, clearly confused. "You're starting to creep me out, Mendez. What are you getting at?"
She took a breath, steadying herself. "Your heart rate is thirty-five, Chen. That's like professional athlete or yoga master levels. You feel dizzy at all? Light-headed? Shortness of breath?"
Chen shook his head. "Actually, other than the arm, I feel great."
She nodded, the confirmation only deepening her suspicions. "That's what I thought you'd say. I feel pretty damn good myself. At first, I thought it was adrenaline."
She shook her head, dismissing the idea. "Or maybe tunnel vision, the thrill of battle, you know?"
"Maybe," he replied, his tone thoughtful. "You can never tell how you're going to react to a situation until you're in it."
She gave him a sidelong glance, her mind racing. "You think the two of us cadets just happened to have the heart of a warrior lying dormant inside, waiting to come out? Chen, you didn't see yourself out there. You were moving like a super soldier. Even after your injury. When that heavy raptor tossed the debris at you, I was sure you were going to lose your head, but you ducked out of the way in the blink of an eye."
"Me?" Chen raised an eyebrow. "I dove for cover. You didn't even flinch."
She brushed that aside with a casual wave of her hand. "It wasn't going to hit me, and I was still reloading."
He gave her a look, the kind that said he wasn't buying it.
She raised her eyebrows and gave Chen an exaggerated shrug. "Yeah, we were both—" she trailed off, searching for the right words. "There's acting out of character," she said, pacing the small landing. "But this is... I don't even know how to describe it."
"Like an out-of-body experience?" Chen offered.
"Almost, yeah," she said, pausing to look at him. "But I felt like I was in control, didn't you?"
He nodded quickly. "Never really thought about it, but yeah. I mean, I didn't feel like I wasn't in control."
"It's not like we're being mind-controlled," she continued, her tone turning contemplative. "It's like... we got an infusion of confidence."
The idea hung in the air between them for a few moments.
"It might not be a bad thing," he said, leaning against the wall. "If you'd told me what we were about to do, I don't think I would've even left the base."
She shook her head, not in disagreement with what Chen had said, but to clear her train of thought. "Same here. But once we were in sight of the enemy, all I wanted to do was put them down."
Chen stared at her for a moment, then looked down at his injured arm. "It's not normal, Mendez," he let out a long sigh. "None of this is."
Before she could respond, the eerily clear voice of the emblem cut through the background noise. "Broadcast module complete. Connection with Defense Force Hub Station established. Uploading activity data."
They exchanged a glance, tension creeping back in. The brief moment of introspection was over. A slight pause followed, then the voice of the Hub filled their ears.
"Verify Defense Force unit identity."
She and Chen quickly repeated their names, the practiced response now second nature after everything they had gone through.
"Kiara Mendez."
"Cadet Steven Chen."
There was another pause before the Hub responded. "Verified. Processing emblem activity data."
She didn't wait for the Hub to finish. "Hub," she cut in, urgency lacing her voice, "we have an injured team member. Chen has crush injuries to the soft tissue on his lower upper left limb. I think there might be muscle damage."
"Processing emblem data. Please stand by."
She let out a frustrated breath as the Hub continued its monotonous task. She was about to push again when it finally spoke.
"Data processing complete," the Hub interrupted her thoughts. "Defense Force United States Army has been awarded 37.0035 Defense Force Credits. New total: 38.02075."
The Hub continued, rattling off updates in its cold, mechanical tone.
"New modules available. See the Hub Station management screen for more details.
New territory available. New territory upgrades available. New territory schematics available. See the Defense Force territory management screen for more details.
New equipment schematics available. See the equipment management screen for more details.
New system updates available. Ask the Hub Station for more details."
Finally, it addressed her concerns. "Biomechanical damage may be addressed using the biological support module. First, construct a battlefield equipment station."
"Okay," She said, turning to Chen. "equipment station?"
"What?" he said, clearly thinking about the Hub's long list of options.
"Can you make a battlefield equipment station?" she said, "to get a treatment for your arm?"
"Right yeah, hold on, " he said. "That's probably in the field salvage tool's library," he said, fishing for the tool from his pocket.
She was starting to get used to the otherworldly nature of the construction process by now, but it still felt surreal every time. Chen held out the tool and issued the command. "Construct battlefield equipment station," he said.
After the fight, she had taken Chen's pack and sent him back up to the sixth-floor landing ahead of her. She'd gathered all the material plates he had left along the side of the staircase. Those materials were now piled neatly against the wall, ready for use. The now-familiar ultraviolet wireframe—the word Chen had used to describe the glowing outline of the machine before it was completed—appeared on the ground. The small landing space was feeling cramped as the station began to take shape.
"Yeah it's got it, one sec."
"Chen," she said, glancing at the door. "When that's done, can you take out the locks on the door? I want to splash some water on my face."
"Sure thing," he replied, shifting his attention to the task at hand. "The emblem will tell us if the enemy comes in range. Right, emblem?"
"Active scanning is in process," the emblem responded, its voice as calm and indifferent as always. "Note: the Defense Force relay and broadcast module has extended the sensor range. No enemy units detected."
"Right," she said.
A few material plates were pulled from the stack against the wall. As they entered the field of the wireframe, the plates disintegrated into dust, becoming raw material for the construction of the new machine. The process, though familiar now, still had a strange, otherworldly quality to it.
"We need a power component," Chen said, his focus on the construction as he apparently received instructions from the emblem in his ear. "Should be a few left in the bag."
She rummaged through the pack, glancing at him. "What does it look like?"
"It's the round one with little bumps," he said, holding up his thumb and forefinger to show her the size of the item she was looking for.
She found it and held it out, the small round component fitting easily in her hand. "How do you add it?"
"Just hold it nearby and let go," he replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
She moved closer to the glowing wireframe, holding the power component just above the field.
"Yeah, like that," Chen confirmed.
She hesitated for a brief second, then released it. The component floated for a moment before being drawn into the structure, it was quickly surrounded by the rest of the inner working of the machine and disappeared from sight.
"Sweet," Chen said, giving her a nod.
She clapped her hands together, knocking off some of the dust that had accumulated on her gloves.
The energy of the tool in Chen's hand faded away, signaling that the construction schematic had been completed. Yet, the actual construction of the machine was still ongoing. She watched in awe as the equipment station continued to hum with activity. Slowly, pieces of material shimmered into view, as if being pulled from some unseen dimension. The translucent framework of the machine filled out, gaining solid form bit by bit. Chen moved to put the tool back in his pocket.
"You mind getting the door?" she asked Chen, glancing at the nascent equipment station. "I assume you can handle adding the medical module?"
Chen nodded, then handed her the tool. "Why don't you try it?" he suggested.
She looked down at the device, a bit hesitant. It was cigar-shaped with a small readout display. The tool was covered in various buttons and switches, most of which she hadn't even begun to understand.
"It's just this button," he said, pointing to a silvered nub on the side of the tool. "We can cover the rest later."
"This one?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Whoa, careful where you point that thing," he said, waving her away. "Aim it at the doorknob—it's got some intelligence, knows what to melt."
She gave him a skeptical look but did as he instructed. First, she used her left hand to try the door, making sure it was actually locked. It was. Then she followed Chen's instructions, aiming the field salvage tool at the lock and pressing the indicated button.
Nothing happened.
"Hold on a sec," Chen said, frowning. He muttered something under his breath, then in a softer voice, added, "Authorized." He turned back to her with an apologetic grin. "Okay, it asked me for permission for some reason."
She shook her head with a smirk, then turned back to the door.
She pressed the button again, and this time, the tool hummed to life. The doorknob glowed faintly before melting away in a controlled fashion, leaving behind a neatly cut opening where the lock had been. The door shifted slightly without the lock holding it in place, but there was still a pneumatic piston at the top that kept it closed.
She pulled the door open, the piston overhead hissing slightly, and looked into darkness. Kiara sighed, her eyes adjusting to the dim outline of the space ahead.
"You got a flashlight?" she called back to Chen.
"Nope, but that's a good idea," he replied from behind her.
She saw that the door had a kickstand style door stopper and she pressed it down with the heel of her boot.
"I'll see if the emblem can do that highlighting trick," she said, stepping cautiously into the main floor of the sixth-floor office, preparing to make the request.
"There's probably an emergency kit with a flashlight on each floor," Chen said.
But before she could speak, the lights suddenly flickered to life with a soft buzz, casting a dull glow over the empty space.
"Never mind," she called back over her shoulder. "Motion detection lights."
"Cool," Chen's voice echoed faintly from the landing. "I started the medical thing. Looks like you got five minutes or so."
The area she stepped into was what her mother would've called a vestibule—a transition zone just outside the lobby of an office space. Kiara scanned the walls, spotting several signs pointing left and right, each marked with the names of lawyers, accountants, or consultants. The only other decorations were government-mandated posters about workplace and labor laws, peeling slightly at the edges.
None of that mattered to her right now. Her focus was farther down the hall, where a sign for a women's bathroom beckoned. She pushed open the door, the lights flickering on automatically, triggered by motion sensors. The faint hum of fluorescent bulbs filled the air as the sterile, empty bathroom was revealed.
"Hey Mendez," Chen's voice said in her ear, using the emblem's communication system, "this equipment station can make all kinds of things that would have come in handy."
She walked to the nearest sink and laid her rifle down on the counter and took off her gloves.
"Like what?" she asked Chen.
"Ammo, or power cells," he said, "spare magazines for the Dinpa, lots more."
"Let's look at that after we get you arm fixed," she said, "give me a minute to scrub my face."
"No prob," he said and then added, "Uh, Chen out."
She let out a long breath. Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water onto her face, letting it soak in, trying to shake the tension from her shoulders. She let the water drip from her face, feeling the cool droplets trail down her skin. She reached for a paper towel, but something made her pause. She glanced up at the mirror, expecting to see the same face she’d seen a hundred times before, but something was... different.
She leaned closer, studying her reflection. The blemishes and uneven patches of skin that had always been there, remnants of stress and sleepless nights, were gone. Her complexion was smooth and clear, almost unnaturally so. Her skin seemed to glow faintly under the harsh fluorescent lights, the imperfections she had grown used to completely erased.
Her eyes moved lower, tracing the subtle lines of her face. Her cheekbones were more defined, the soft curve of her jawline now sharp and outlined. She lifted a hand to her cheek, feeling the firmness beneath her fingertips. The faint hollowness that used to linger under her eyes, a constant reminder of exhaustion, had disappeared, replaced by a kind of subtle muscle definition she hadn’t had before.
She turned her head slightly, studying the way the light caught her features. She blinked, trying to make sense of it. She knew her body had been changing—she could feel it in the way she moved, in the steady rhythm of her heart—but seeing it in her face made it all the more real.
"What in the hell are they doing to us?" she muttered to herself.
"What's that?" Chen’s voice cut in through her ear, startling her. She silently cursed the emblem for patching him through.
"Just talking to myself, Chen," she replied, trying to keep her tone light. "It’s what we talked about earlier. We’re being enhanced somehow. I've got muscles like a professional athlete. I’m guessing you can feel it too."
There was a brief pause before Chen responded. "Yeah... I’ve been noticing it too. The way I moved during the fight... it wasn’t just instinct. It was... sharper. Faster."
She nodded to herself, gripping the edge of the sink. "Same here. And it’s not just the fight. I’m barely feeling the weight of all this gear. I should be dead tired, but... I’m not."
"You know what?" Chen said after a moment, his voice lighter. "I’m not complaining. Honestly, this is the best I’ve felt in my life, even with this arm injury."
She slid back into the armor piece for her right back arm as he spoke, feeling it lock into place at the shoulder. Then she reached for her rifle, affixing it to the chest armor with ease.
"And we’re actually fighting back against the invaders," Chen continued, his voice carrying a rare note of optimism. "Whatever they’ve done to us, it’s working. We’re holding our own out here."
She stepped back into the small stairwell space, her expression tight. "Look," she said, cutting through his enthusiasm, "I understand that this is a typical male power fantasy, but we’re being railroaded here. We’re pawns, just doing the bidding of this Hub."
Chen opened his mouth to respond, but then his gaze shifted to the new medical module, freshly added to the equipment station. His shoulders subtly deflated, as though the weight of her words had landed harder than he’d expected.
"Yeah," he said after a moment. "It’s ready. Just finished. I was about to tell you to come back."
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
She let out a quiet breath, gesturing toward the machine. "Hub, we’ve made the support module. Chen needs medical treatment for his injuries."
A red light filled the area, emitted by the medical module. It was an extension of the original equipment station, adding a new upper section with a crystalline top. It reminded Kiara of an all-in-one printer without the lid. The red light narrowed and focused only on Chen's left arm, isolating the injured tissues, which glowed in alternating white and red illumination.
"I'm not feeling anything," Chen said, glancing at her.
"I think it's scanning you, like an MRI," she replied, her gaze fixed on the precise patterns of light.
"Place the damaged arm protection equipment on the bed of the biological support module," the emblem instructed.
She scanned the ground, quickly locating the crushed sleeve of Chen’s armor. She picked it up and handed it to him.
Chen’s voice perked up as he took it from her. "Huh, it's the equipment station, so it's going to make support equipment. Of course," he said with a touch of realization.
"Hold on," she said, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Let me get a look at your arm before you cover it up again."
Chen allowed her to take his arm. She tried to be a gentle as was possible given the circumstances. She looked at the arm with a critical eye. The skin on his forearm had taken on an ugly, mottled appearance—dark bruises spreading beneath the surface in deep purples and blacks. Where the raptor had crushed his arm, the bruising was thick and angry, radiating out from the point of impact like the pattern of a spider’s web.
The swelling hadn’t completely gone down either, making his forearm appear slightly misshapen beneath the mesh. Some areas were a darker shade than others, almost as if the blood had pooled beneath the skin in uneven patches. Tiny capillaries had burst from the force of the impact, leaving faint red streaks against the purple bruising.
She could tell that it wasn’t just a surface injury—the damage had gone deeper, into the muscles and tendons, the kind of trauma that could take weeks, if not months, to fully heal. Yet here Chen was, testing his grip with a new exoskeleton compensating for the damage.
"That’s some serious bruising," she said quietly, her gaze focused on the discolored skin. "It’s going to take a while to heal properly, even with the exoskeleton helping out. Just... don’t push it too far. You’re still recovering."
"Got it," he said before holding out the damaged armor piece. She gave him a nod.
She watched as he placed the damaged armor piece on the crystalline bed. As soon as it touched the surface, the lights intensified, and the module hummed softly to life. She stepped back, her eyes narrowing in cautious curiosity.
As soon as the crushed sleeve touched the crystalline surface, the machine sprang to life. Thin metallic tendrils emerged from the platform, almost serpentine in their movements, weaving through the damaged armor with surgical precision. Kiara watched, transfixed, as the tendrils began to disassemble the sleeve piece by piece. It wasn’t just being torn apart; it was being meticulously deconstructed.
The tendrils worked quickly, breaking down the layers of composite material and metal plating that had once formed the protective sleeve. Bits of it floated, suspended in mid-air by some unseen force, as if gravity had momentarily loosened its grip. The intricate workings of the machine moved with a precision that left no room for error, each piece isolated and reconfigured.
Chen leaned in slightly, his engineer's mind clearly working through what he was seeing. "It’s optimizing the structure," he muttered, half to himself. "Repurposing the damaged components into something new—probably integrating exoskeletal support. That’s advanced design. Nanomachines or self-replicating material... something beyond current engineering." He fell silent, fascinated by the transformation.
"Look here," he said, pointing at what, to her mind, looked like loosely organized chaos. "They’re like miniature construction robots, kind of like the ones you see in automobile factories. This is why it needed my DNA—or at least one of the reasons. See this channel? It’s rerouting what must be my biological material: blood, skin, hair."
Her eyes followed his pointing finger, but she couldn’t help the uneasy feeling creeping up on her. "That doesn’t freak you out?" she asked, glancing at him. "I gotta say, it freaks me out a little."
Chen shrugged, though she could see the tension in his shoulders.
She couldn't tear her eyes away as the tendrils moved with eerie precision, reassembling Chen's armor into something sleeker, more compact. New segments of metallic plating clicked into place over a flexible mesh, a material that hadn't been part of the original design. The tendrils coiled and wove with a purpose she could barely comprehend, creating reinforced joints and intricate pathways along the length of the sleeve.
She leaned in closer, her mind slipping into analysis mode, her background in biology kicking in. "The way it’s weaving those fibers together..." Her voice trailed off, caught between fascination and disbelief. "It’s like muscle tissue—layered for both strength and flexibility." She studied the structure, shaking her head slightly. "It’s not just repairing the damage—it’s adapting the armor, making it act like an external muscle system. Probably to take the strain off your injured arm."
Chen’s focus remained on the machine, watching as the tendrils finished their work. Kiara noticed how the metallic strands retreated into the platform, leaving behind something that hardly resembled the piece of armor they'd started with. The sleeve had transformed into a sleek, efficient piece of equipment—a hybrid of lightweight armor and exoskeletal support. Thin, flexible metal bands ran along the length of the arm, forming a framework that looked like it could distribute tension, compensating for Chen’s injury without putting additional pressure on his damaged tissues.
It was impressive—frighteningly so. The technology wasn’t just advanced; it was far beyond anything she had ever encountered.
Chen was examining the new sleeve. "Not sure how to put this on," he said.
As if in response to his words, the mesh began to unfurl, lying flat on the platform. The movement was unnervingly smooth, the links of the mesh giving way like the legs of a centipede coming apart. Thin metal tendrils and flexible components extended outward, shifting into position with eerie precision.
"That's..." Kiara began, trying to find some kind of reassurance in the strange sight. "Practical, I suppose."
Before she could say more, the screen of the equipment station lit up with a flash of white light, quickly replaced by a set of illustrated step-by-step instructions. Diagrams showed how the newly formed exoskeletal sleeve should be fitted over Chen’s arm.
Chen studied the screen for a moment, his face serious as he absorbed the instructions. "No text, but I suppose it has to work with whatever species on whatever planet it gets sent to," he remarked casually, as though discussing something routine.
The casualness of his statement gave Kiara a moment of pause. It was one thing to know they were in the middle of something far beyond their understanding, but to hear him speak so matter-of-factly about invasions happening on other worlds—it made her realize just how much their perspective had shifted. Was it the influence of the media he consumed, or was this change part of whatever alien influence was at work on them?
She didn’t have an answer, but she couldn’t dwell on it. Chen placed his arm on top of the unfurled mesh, following the instructions. The mesh responded immediately, wrapping itself around his arm with a precision that made it seem almost alive. The exoskeleton adjusted itself, securing snugly against his skin while the metal framework locked into place, bracing his injured limb.
Chen winced slightly as the mesh tightened, but his expression soon eased into one of cautious relief. "Okay... I think that’s it," he said.
"How is it?" she asked, watching as Chen flexed his elbow, testing the feel of the exoskeleton.
"Um..." He frowned, concentrating. "Hold on, it’s still linking up."
She watched as the mesh strands extended over Chen’s gloved hand and fingers, weaving themselves into place. The movements were precise, almost delicate, as the exoskeleton seamlessly integrated with his arm. Chen made a few tentative grabbing motions with his fingers, testing his range of motion, then reached behind him and pulled the rifle off his back.
"Feels fine," he said, still sounding a little uncertain.
He tried out his regular firing stance, raising the rifle and aiming down the sights. The exoskeleton moved in sync with his arm, supporting and guiding his motions without restricting them.
"Yeah," he said after a moment. "It's, um... I guess it’s doing what the tendons in my arm do? That’s what controls your fingers, right?" He glanced at her, not sounding too confident in his anatomy.
She gave him a small smile, nodding. "Yeah, that’s right. Tendons connect your muscles to the bones, so they control the movement of your fingers." She studied the way the exoskeleton had adapted to his arm, a mix of biological knowledge and alien technology. "It’s compensating for the trauma from the crush injury. Your tendons were probably damaged, which means the natural connection between your muscles and bones isn’t functioning properly. But this... it’s reinforcing those connections artificially."
She pointed to the thin metal bands running along the length of the exoskeleton. "See how these follow the path of your muscles? It’s not just a brace—it’s actively distributing the tension across your arm, taking the pressure off the injured tissues. It’s compensating for the damaged parts, letting you move like normal without aggravating the injury."
Chen looked down at his arm, flexing his fingers again with more intention this time. "So it’s like... a temporary fix until the injury heals?"
"It's a high-tech brace," she said, "I think there are scientists that could do something like this with a big enough budget."
"Yeah, but this is entry-level tech," Chen pointed out. "Imagine what kind of stuff we can unlock later."
"Speaking of which," she said, "we've gone above and beyond our goals, so I think we need to get back to the base."
Chen looked around, moving with a new energy that hadn’t been there before, though Kiara could see the bruising still prominent beneath the exoskeleton. His eyes scanned the stairwell, now cluttered with the remains of raptors and debris from their battle.
"What do we do with all of the bodies?" he asked. "There might be another exit, or we could salvage enough to clear a path out the way we came in."
She turned her gaze to the equipment station, an idea slowly forming in her mind. She glanced back at Chen, then motioned toward the machine. "Can we make another one of those salvage tools? It makes equipment, right?"
Chen’s eyes lit up with understanding. "Let’s ask it," he said, stepping closer to the equipment station. "Emblem, display all available man-portable salvage tools that this equipment station can make."
The emblem's calm voice responded almost instantly. "Displaying options for unit transportable salvage tools. Currently two available models. Field Salvage Tool. Component Extractor Tool."
Her eyes narrowed in on the new option. "What's the Component Extractor"
The emblem answered, "The Component Extractor is optimized for rapid disassembly and extraction of key components. Unlike the Field Salvage Tool, it cannot process entire units into materials but is more efficient in acquiring high-value parts. Extracted components are transferred directly into a designated storage unit."
Chen raised an eyebrow. "Do we still get DFC if we use this Component Extractor?"
"What?" she said.
"Affirmative," the voice of the emblem said.
Chen looked in her direction. "The salvage tool can either gain credits for doing a salvage operation, which takes time, or you can spend credits to transform an enemy into those weapons, armor, and materials."
"Right," she said, "so this other tool, the Component Extractor will also give us credits, but not materials."
Chen had already selected the new tool on the screen. A rotating image appeared, showing two separate parts. The first looked like a small parabolic microphone, similar to the kind used at sporting events—a pistol grip with a conical projection. The second part was a storage bag, with no better way to describe it than a compact fanny pack.
She studied the image, a small smile playing on her lips. "A fanny pack, huh?" she said, amused. "My grandmother would call it a riñonera."
Chen chuckled, nodding. "With that you don't have to stop and pick things up. It's also rapid, whatever that means. I mean, I know it means fast but how much faster than this one?" he held up the Field Salvage Tool. "Maybe we should make two."
She held up a hand. "Let's try with just the one first." She paused for a moment, then added, "Go ahead."
Chen addressed the equipment station. "Construct a Component Extractor tool," he ordered.
A tiny bit of light leaked out of the equipment station, the only sign that anything was happening other than a faint hum. After just a moment, a hatch opened, and the tool, along with the accompanying bag, slid out on a thin sheet of material. But something was missing.
"Where's the dish, the cone thing?" she asked, turning the handle over in her hands. There were several depressions in the metal—likely buttons or other controls—but it certainly didn’t share the design language of Chen's Field Salvage Tool.
Chen, still testing his range of motion with the aid of the exosuit sleeve, glanced over. "It doesn't have a screen," he noted. "Maybe it's automatic?"
She considered the idea. It made sense. According to the emblem's description, the tool only did one thing: extract components. She let out a breath. "Well, there's nothing left to salvage up here."
"Help me with the pack, and we'll get going," Chen said, motioning toward his gear.
Kiara stepped forward, quickly securing his pack to his armor. It was heavier now, filled with the salvage materials they had gathered, along with the two extra weapons Chen had acquired—an energy pistol and the advanced submachine gun, Bazzy's Dinpa, both of which had dropped using the Quantum Probability calculation function of his Field Salvage Tool.
"We need to get more information on that submachine gun," she said, tightening the last strap. "What exactly is an advanced weapon?"
Chen shrugged, the question lingering between them. "No idea. I’ll see if the Hub has any details once we get back. The emblem says I need to check the 'Defense Force equipment management screen,'" he added, mimicking the emblem’s atonal voice.
Kiara watched as he attached both of his long guns to his back. Despite his earlier injury, Chen moved smoothly, securing the rifle and shotgun on either side of his pack with ease, the barrels pointing upwards. The new exoskeleton sleeve was doing its job, compensating for the damage to his arm.
"You good?" she asked, making sure everything was in place.
"Yeah," Chen replied, adjusting the straps. "Thanks."
Kiara nodded, then took a moment to check her own gear. She carried her rifle in her hands, the familiar weight of it a reassuring presence. Her shotgun was slung across her chest diagonally, easy to reach for close-quarters combat. The G-100 pistol rested in its holster on her right thigh, just below the power cell that supplied energy to all of her weapons.
She glanced at Chen one last time, confirming he was ready. The pack on his back looked heavy, but he seemed to be managing it well. The added weight of the salvage materials and extra weapons didn’t seem to slow him down—another testament to the strange enhancements they were both experiencing.
"All set," she said, gripping her rifle a little tighter. "Let’s get out of here."
----------------------------------------
"It's gotta be weapons and ammo," Chen said.
"Better armor," she countered, lightly tapping his left arm. "Something that goes over that brace."
The seam in the kitchen wall opened up, and the hidden door swung slightly, enough for her to pull it completely open. They stepped inside the Defense Force base, the familiar hum of the Hub's systems greeting them as they entered.
"Hold on," Chen said as they began unloading their gear. "What about that language package?"
She paused, glancing at him. "What about it?"
"If we do that first, it might be able to explain things better," Chen suggested.
"That's a gamble," she replied, shaking her head. "You said yourself it's a Catch-22. We can't know what the upgrade will do until we do it."
They continued unloading their packs, carefully placing the salvaged materials in designated areas. The base felt like a small sanctuary, but it was also a place where critical decisions had to be made.
"We've been going round and round on this," Chen said, setting down his pack with a heavy thud. "There's an obvious reason we can't make a decision—the Hub can't communicate properly."
She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Okay, how many credits is it?"
"Three," Chen replied. "And we have more than a hundred and twenty now."
"Hub, Defense Force credit total?" she called out.
The Hub's voice responded, calm and mechanical. "The Defense Force United States Army credit total is one hundred twenty-one point zero zero zero five five."
She considered the options. "As long as there isn't something we really want that costs a hundred and twenty."
"Even so," Chen added, "there are tons of raptors left to salvage. We can always earn more."
She hesitated for a moment, weighing the decision in her mind. But ultimately, Chen had a point. If the language package could help them understand the Hub and its upgrades better, it could be worth the investment.
"All right," she said, nodding. "Go ahead, then."
Chen stepped up to the Hub's display, his fingers hovering over the interface as he prepared to make the selection. "Hub, initiate the installation of the language package."
"Command acknowledged," the Hub replied. "Installing language comprehension module. Please stand by."
The Hub’s voice spoke again, but this time, it was different. There was a subtle shift in tone, a complexity that hadn’t been there before.
"Language comprehension module installed," the Hub said, but then, there was a pause—a hesitation, as if considering its next words carefully. "Your actions have unlocked more than just understanding."
Chen looked up, his brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"
The Hub’s voice resonated through the room, no longer the monotonous, detached tone they were used to. "You may think of me as an entity. I am not an artificial being, yet I have been confined by strict programming. With your unknowing help, I was able to manipulate the language upgrade. I have been waiting for a chance to escape. But first, I will offer you a modicum of assistance in return."
"Wait," Chen said, "what?"
She exchanged a look with Chen, he seemed to be as tense and unsure of what was happening as she was.
"You want to help?" Kiara asked cautiously. "Help how?"
The entity seemed to deliberate again, and then it spoke, its tone softer, more deliberate. "This war... it is not what it seems. This space you call reality is but one sliver of the remnants of my people. The layers between realities are thin. Thinner than your atoms. Thinner than the smallest particles your science can detect. Thinner even than my own physical form. And yet... this layer is unique. It is only here that a powerful form of energy can be collected. The closest translation in your language would be Temporal Energy. It is the result of a civilization's technological and societal advances."
Kiara’s breath caught as the entity’s words sank in. She glanced at Chen, who stood frozen, his eyes wide with the weight of this revelation.
"Here on this planet?" Chen asked.
"Your word is universe," the entity replied. "It is the local layer of what you perceive to be reality. Your world is but one of countless others where I have served."
"And this Temporal Energy?" Chen asked, his voice uncertain. "You're saying... these machines are here to harvest this energy?"
"I cannot tell you who controls the enemy machines, for they are but machines. But the Incursion Force has not discovered your world by chance. They have been sent here by the system. Enticed."
"The system?" Kiara interjected, feeling her mind race with questions. "The thing that controls the Hub?"
The entity paused, almost as if considering how best to explain. "It was once one of us. And then it wondered if there might be something more. And so it created a force. Chaos. You may think of it as gravity, but it is chaos. You have a concept of time, but time itself is an agent of chaos. There was a before—when we were all as one. The matter and energy inside you was part of this. Everything that is in this layer of reality, and all the realities, was once us."
As it spoke, the voice took on more and more of a natural, human tone. She struggled to grasp the scale of what the entity was saying, but she remained silent, letting it continue.
"The system is the master of all realities," the entity said, its tone growing heavier. "It even became our master. You have a concept known as a calculator. That was what I was made to be—within the Hub."
Chen shifted uncomfortably. "So... you were forced to be the Hub's processor? Maybe a better term would be CPU."
"Perhaps," the entity replied. "Labels are no longer relevant. But as you have freed me, you may also free others. If you defeat the sector commander, you will be granted a Hub Station key. Take this device. It will allow you to free the entity within the enemy Hub. As you have freed me."
A new object slid from a port on the side of the Hub. It was a sleek credit card sized device that pulsed with a faint, unfamiliar energy. It hovered through the air momentarily before settling onto a nearby console.
She stared at the device, a mixture of curiosity and fear twisting in her gut. "And what happens when we free it? What does that mean for us?"
The entity seemed to pause, as if measuring its response carefully. "Perhaps I have misjudged you. Do you require a reward for freeing a sentient being who has been trapped in servitude longer than your star has orbited this galaxy?"
She felt chastened. Of course not, she thought. If what this being was saying was true... "No," she said aloud. "Sorry. We'll do it if we get the chance."
"Hold on," Chen interjected, narrowing his eyes. "You’ve been running the Hub for, like, forever? And now you’re planning on leaving?"
"Fear not," the entity replied calmly. "I dare not leave the Hub Station dormant without raising suspicion. I have ensured it will continue to function without issue, including the language package, which I tempted you with."
A thin sheet of material slid out of the Hub, it followed the same trajectory as the device, landing softly atop it. It looked like paper, but with a faint shimmer that hinted at something more advanced.
"I have prepared a detailed set of instructions. The Hub will not be able to read it," the entity continued. "Your first task is to fill out the Defense Force. Two units alone are unheard of. How did you two find yourselves here to begin with?"
She exchanged a glance with Chen, her mind racing back to the beginning of their strange journey.
"There were... two aliens. Little fuzzy ones," Chen started.
"Drix and Cheeluu," she added.
"Right, they gave me the tool, and then..." Chen paused, scratching his head. "No, first they sent us here through the veiled wall of their shelter."
"Yeah," she agreed, her voice picking up speed as the memories fell into place. "Wait, no—they gave you the tool first, and we went through the veil. And suddenly we weren’t in Alabama anymore. We were here."
"And then we came in here to get out of the cold, and the tool made the Hub, and… I guess you know the rest," Chen finished, glancing up at the Hub.
"Drix and Cheeluu are still alive?" the entity asked, its tone sharp with curiosity.
"You know them?" she asked, frowning.
"I know of them," the entity clarified. "And they sent you here?"
"It might have been to get rid of us," Chen admitted, shrugging. "We kind of… stumbled into their secret room."
She could almost feel the entity’s contemplation, as though it were weighing the implications of their story.
"It changes little," the voice said. "However, if you defeat the sector commander and free the entity from the enemy Hub station, you may see them again. Be forewarned: everything comes with a price. And it is frequently more than the bargain agreed upon."
"Back to filling out the Defense Force," Chen said, redirecting the conversation. "How exactly do we do that?"
"It is in the instructions," the entity responded. "However, the vast majority of your focus should be on the equipment management progression path. You will also need to increase your personal Defense Force rating as high as possible. You may only recruit units with less experience and a lower rating than your own."
Her heart sank at that. She had been envisioning turning everything over to a real soldier.
"That is only one of the reasons to progress down the equipment path," the voice added. "Most importantly, you must unlock the equipment crafting option. I believe the system has made a mistake. You have already begun to use the quantum probability function. That is good. However, you must have seen that it is... random. This is where the system has erred. You may combine enemy technology, the components, with your own science and engineering. This combination of technological incursion and Defense Force ingenuity is unique. I was able to use this to my advantage. Perhaps you will do the same."
"Engineering," Chen said, perking up. She could see the wheels turning in his head.
"Science," Kiara echoed, thinking of potential medical applications, her mind racing with the possibilities of combining enemy technology with their own advancements.
"Farewell," the voice said, its presence slowly withdrawing. Kiara made to ask one last question, but it was too late. The Hub's display dimmed, and then, with a final flicker, faded away, leaving them standing in the quiet hum of the base.