Life aboard the Imperial Warship was a very odd experience for Ice. Everyone around him looked like they came out of a Lovecraftian novel. However, he found out if he wasn't extremely careful, he would injure them like they were made of paper mache.
He never allowed a member of the crew to help him sit up again. Instead, he politely requested a handle be installed on the wall for him to pull on. The crew were nothing if not polite to him and without fail would bring him news about their trip.
Then came the final day of the journey . The Sergeant he had met only in the interrogation room came down to see him. Ice was given a floating-type wheelchair. . He was cautious as the human-looking Sergeant assisted him into the chair. At one point he started to slip and reflexively grabbed the Sergeant's shoulder and he felt the man flinch and grunt lightly in pain. Ice immediately let go and dropped half-out of the chair apologizing profusely as he struggled to pull himself comfortably in a seated position . It took a few minutes but he managed to get comfortably situated on his own. When Ice was finally seated, the Sergeant nodded and pulled out a set of handcuffs which he used to bind Ice's good arm to a shackle on the wheel chair.
The Sergeant, then, wheeled him out of the room with two guards followed them to the bridge. The Captain was waiting for them. "For what it's worth, I believe you. Also, the last communication I received from Central Station requested you to present yourself combat ready. We will be taking you to your ship and reactivating your nanotechnology. While you are on this ship, you will remain under guard. One of them will have a pulse grenade which will disable the bonds between nanites should you disobey. With the level of integration into your body, this will kill you, System User or not."
Ice nodded and the Captain reached out and pressed a switch on a console next to him and suddenly Ice could feel and move his prosthetics. "Raven? Are you ok?" He asked the air as the crew around him looked at him like he was insane.
"Yes. Ice, please don't let them do that again it was…… unpleasant."
"I'll do my best."
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Emperor paced back and forth, decked out in exquisite armor clicking and whirring with every step. He had decided on the shoulder mounted plasma cannon and his hammer. Both of which he had lovingly polished until they gleamed. The hammer leaned against one wall of the docking bay. While the cannon continuously rotated towards the ES barrier. He would allow the ship's crew to disembark. Then the combat automatons hidden around the bay would attack.
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Emperor nodded to himself as he went over his plan again and again in his head. He chided Francis for the faint spark of guilt he felt. If they wanted protection from the Theriope the least they could do was become a few meals. In the distance he saw the ship's running lights become separated, each one distinct along its one kilometer bulk. He chuckled lightly as his stomach growled loudly through the heavy metal that had replaced his torso.
A few minutes passed and the ship started to enter the docking bay. It would be able to land easily inside the expansive nearly empty bay.. Once the ship was inside, Emperor gestured so the large blast doors began to seal slowly shut.
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Ice arrived on the Nano Forge with enough time to take a shower. He had a spring in his step, just happy his prosthetics had been turned back on.
After he showered, he moved to the armory with the two guards following him closely; one holding onto the pulse grenade. Once he arrived he checked the diagnostics readout on his dronesuit and, finding it acceptable, began to strip. He glanced at the guards out of the corner of one eye only to find them looking at his ass and not even attempting to hide it. As he approached the armor, the back panel opened and the nano undersuit slowly covered his body when he stepped into it, slowly closing around him. The HUD came up briefly showing the suit fully armed with even the internal matter converter fully stocked. He reached up and pressed the button on the side of the suit causing the helmet to recede. He now towered over the guards, thanks to the extra height and bulk of the armor.
"Well, let's get going, I think the Captain wanted us by the main airlock before we landed." Ice gestured to the guards to lead the way.
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Captain Drake checked his dress uniform again making sure every inch of it was adjusted to perfection. He then proceeded to the cabinet holding his personal weapons and pulled out a nano steel sword that his grandfather had given to him the day he was made Captain. After inspecting the blade and sheath carefully for even a speck of dust; he belted it in place across his back. Just above the spot the Saber had rested was the light bolt pistol his father bestowed upon him the same day. The pistol was a marine issue N217 Light Boltor and the sword was a nonstandard armament. However, both fell within dress regulation of the current Imperial Navy and he would wear both of them with pride.
Once he was outfitted and armed, he proceeded to the main airlock where the strange human would, hopefully, be waiting.
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Ducky slowly reformed once Ice and the marines had left the ship once more. He had a feeling that not all was as it seemed. If the clone of Clockwork had survived then why had it never returned for Francis? The possibilities worried Ducky endlessly. Without the emotional suppression of the AIs, the long life the System Users enjoyed would turn from a gift to a nightmare. Very few beings could stay sane for 500 years much less the 1,000 that had passed. He checked the enzyme bunker and found it nearly depleted. He quacked to himself, annoyed. They would have to use the emergency fuel cell to fire the guns if it came down to it, but he would only get a few shots. It might not be enough to shoot through the armor of the battleship if they needed to escape.