Darthenu regained his balance quickly, and his face split into a large grin. He dashed forward and slammed his hand down on the spike. The level in the tank immediately dropped, but not by much, and Darthenu froze in a painful-looking pose and then collapsed after a few seconds.
“He’s assimilated as many nanites as he can. Get to him quickly, and I can help with guiding them. Potentially.”
Joshua used every bit of his strength to reach Darthenu as quickly as possible and reached him in less than a minute. He put his hand on some skin and felt Claire start working. It took only a few minutes, and she retracted her presence.
“Your turn. You should be able to handle far more nanites than him, though, since you’ve already got your Connection, and I’m solidifying it while improving the nanites' efficiency. Get to it!”
Not hesitating anymore, Joshua put his palm on another tank and watched the level drop drastically before he blacked out. Surprisingly, there was no pain.
***
He was back in that warped space, which he now suspected was the realm of the Great One or at least a representation of it. The ripples weren’t as bad this time, though, for some reason. He still felt like something tried to rip him apart, but it was far more bearable.
He didn’t get much time to contemplate the realm before he felt the same presence as before, except this time, it was far stronger. The eye appeared, like last time, but now he felt like he could see more. Twisting shapes moved through his peripheral, which he realized were tendrils or tentacles, and Joshua felt his mind strain as he tried to figure out the size of the thing. The eye was huge, like last time, and made him feel like an ant. Insequential, small, and barely worth a look to the giant being. Its presence burrowed into his mind, filling it with maddening whispers, and it took all of Joshua’s willpower to shut them out. The whispers stopped as suddenly as they came, leaving him exhausted.
“Hmmm,” a rumbling, resonating voice filled his head with impressions and hidden meanings. “Good!”
There was only a hum and a single word, but it felt like it took hours for the being to say it, and Joshua felt a splitting headache threaten his consciousness just before he was pulled away.
***
Joshua woke up with a groan and saw Darthenu rising to his feet a few meters from him. The black orb or portal still hung in the air, but the pull was completely gone.
“Urgh. That was rough,” Darthenu groaned as he stumbled to his feet. He walked over and reached a hand to help Joshua up. He looked like hell, but he still had a grin on his face.
“Let’s take some distance from the portal, alright?” Joshua said, and they walked to a wall near the other door and sat down.
Joshua looked at Darthenu and saw the change. It was a strange thing that affected all those who were Connected. Their eyes became deep and gained a purple hue. It felt like gazing into the depths of the sea while the eyes of ordinary people looked like the shallows.
“So? How did it go?”
“One second. I’m still processing. It’s a lot, you know? Did you see that… Eye?”
“Yeah, I did, and it is.”
Without waiting any further, Joshua checked on his improvement.
Joshua Reed
Class-1
Strength: 12
Dexterity: 17
Endurance: 11
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 9
Accuracy: 13
Speed: 9
Toughness: 10
Nanite Link: 1
Temporal Edge: 1
Telekinesis: 1
Technomancy: 1
Force Barrier: 1
“High-quality nanites. We got quite a lot from them, though I focused on new abilities rather than increasing your stat limits this time. You’ll be able to take another dose of the nanites, but you’ll have to wait a while. Your body needs to adjust, as does Darthenu’s. You should be fine for another round in a few weeks or a month. Until then, I recommend you get used to your new abilities. The more you train them, the more I can do with the nanites.”
Joshua looked over at Darthenu and saw tears in the man’s eyes and a massive grin. Joshua couldn’t help but smile for him, as Darthenu had desperately searched for this for a long time.
“Claire, what happened in there? I thought you could communicate with me during the process, and we could make some adjustments if needed.”
“Sorry about that. I was slightly overwhelmed when the process started, and the Great One seemed to take some interest in you, and its presence drowned me out.”
“Great. That’s just great. An eldritch horror is interested in me. The cost of greatness, I guess.”
Joshua tried to add some levity, but he knew it sounded forced. None of them mentioned it, but they all knew he was terrified. Who knew what a being like that would want? None of them had ever heard of something like this. As far as they knew, none interacted with the Great One, and even that space wasn’t something people knew about.
Joshua ignored the implications of that for the moment and turned his focus to his new abilities. The last month, and some more, had been productive, and he’d seen improvements in pretty much all stats, but they paled in comparison to his new abilities.
Nanite link was something he, Claire, and Darthenu had discussed. It allowed Claire to communicate with Darthenu and also guide his nanites now that the ability was integrated. He didn’t get that help this time, but the next time he would.
Temporal Edge was where most of the nanites had gone, as it was an utterly broken ability. It was an escape death ability that would trigger if he would take lethal damage. It would significantly increase his reaction speed, and perception, allowing him to make an otherwise impossible dodge. It took a lot of energy and wouldn’t activate often, but it was incredibly powerful still.
Telekinesis allowed him to move objects with his mind, and Force Barrier was a mobile cover he could erect.
Technomancy would allow him to directly control any technology within range, though he needed to understand the piece of tech. He could push his mind into technology to learn, but that wasn’t how he would use it. With Claire, he could have her do that, and she was far better suited to it.
This was an immense boost in power, and Joshua was excited to start practicing. He got to his feet and stretched before he looked at Darthenu.
“Thanks, man. I-I don’t know how to repay you for this. Right up until the end, a part of me figured you just used me to help you get the nanites. Sorry about that,” Darthenu looked genuinely apologetic, but Joshua just reached out a hand and helped him to his feet.
“No worries. I get that; I would be the same. You’re my second, and now you should know I won’t screw you over,” Joshua said with a grin. “Just don’t screw me over, and I’m sure we’re gonna get even more goodies.”
“Hah! I can get behind that. You have my loyalty cap’.”
The two did some simple exercises to adjust to their improved bodies, more so for Darthenu, before they decided to check out the door. They felt it necessary to secure the area before they settled fully. The large door they entered through had closed at some point, and Claire assured them that she’d know if someone tried to open it, so they only had one path left to check.
The door led to a series of rooms surrounding a large living area, which turned out to be the homes of the Lorune researchers. There was nothing living in the rooms, but they found something unprecedented.
The Lorune had been shrouded in mystery since their downfall, and nothing but some holograms and artistic depictions remained. Nobody had even found any bodies before, but a skeleton was lying on the remains of a bed. It was almost identical to how the holograms looked, with the small horns and the segmented tail. The skeleton had fallen apart, but they could put the pieces together.
The bones were incredibly dense, and the horns remained sharp, but other than that, they couldn’t glean anything. The other rooms had nothing of interest, and it was obvious that most had left, or maybe they’d been dragged into the portal. They didn't know why this one had died in bed, and there was no info in any of the consoles. Their running theory was that he’d remained to scrub the most crucial information, which meant whatever Claire got from the terminals wasn’t considered vital.
“That would imply there’s something even more important, though. What could that be?” Darthenu asked as he started doing some simple warm-up exercises.
“Not sure, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s connected to whatever is at the heart of the uncharted regions. This base and the one I found Claire in were close to the distorted area's outer edge. That reminds me. How come nobody else found this base? The signal couldn’t have started just as we arrived, right?”
“Oh! Right. I found the answer to that! We were so distracted by the portal and the nanites it sort of slipped my mind. It was the portal itself. I’m not sure how it worked, as I got the signal through the ship systems, but it was bound to me. It’s what made me think I was made via some similar method. It used whatever connection I have with that realm to ensure only I, or something like me, could find the signal.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“So, basically… Are you saying we were led here? Or, you were, and we came along for the ride?”
“Yes, that’s what this looks like. Before you ask, I have no idea why. I’m as clueless as you. I’ll keep looking through the available data, but don’t get your hopes up.”
With nothing else to do, Joshua and Darthenu started training. They could get a lot out of the nanites and the Connection with exercise, and now that both were Connected, they could spar and push themselves. Darthenu would gain far more than Joshua, but it was in his best interest for his friend to be as strong as he could be.
Nothing of interest happened in the first month, and Claire had gone through the data of all the terminals within a few days. They both received a second dose of the nanites, but none of them got a vision this time. Darthenu got a few more abilities, streamlining his improvements to fit his wishes, while Joshua focused on improving his stat caps. He had apparently reached some kind of limit to how high they could get, and Claire had no idea how to increase them further, so the next dose, another two months later, had him gain a few new abilities. Energy Storage, Energy Transferrence, Energy Extraction, and Tech Savvy were the abilities Claire got for him. It would allow him to draw energy from his surroundings, like batteries, power cells, and even radiation from various sources. The storage would let him store this energy and use it to power his other abilities rather than use his body’s energy, and transference would let him power technology. He could even alter the energy as he transferred it and charge his plasma rifle with it. He would need to make an interface, though, which is where Tech Savvy came in. It was one of the simplest but also most overpowered abilities he had now. It was useless for combat or anything direct like that, but it let him pull information from nowhere by using energy. It was pretty weak at low levels, but if he improved it, he could technically make anything within the bounds of technology.
Darthenu got a similar treatment, but they decided to let each other keep some secrets. Claire had taken the liberty to ensure none of them took abilities that would endanger the other or anything to counter each other. She said they had skills that complemented the other one, which suited them fine. They’d learn about each other’s abilities sooner or later anyway, so there was no need to push it.
They decided to stay on the base for as long as they stood to gain from it, knowing they had a few years' worth of rations and supplies on the ship, and with their improving stats, the trip would become easier and easier.
***
In all, it took a year and two months before they left. According to Clair, they couldn’t take any more of them before they achieved something. She couldn’t say what that something was, but they’d probably find out eventually. They hadn’t received any more visions, but when they took their final doses of nanites, they felt a presence, like they were being watched. They weren’t sure what that was about, but there was nothing they could do, so they ignored it for now.
They discussed bringing the vats of nanites with them but feared they would lose their effectiveness if they did, so they left them behind. Joshua sealed the bulkhead, ensuring anyone who wanted access would have to fight for it, and they made the climb back to the ship a final time.
They were running low on resources, and while they could survive a long time without sustenance, thanks to the improvements to their bodies, it would be far from comfortable. There was also the issue of the lacking social interactions for over a year. The three of them had gotten very familiar with each other, but the humans craved more at this point. It almost felt like they were fraying at the edges, and Joshua felt a proper party was in order. Darthenu also wanted to check in on his little empire. He’d left some lieutenants in charge, but he hadn’t expected to be gone for such a long stretch of time, so he was worried.
Thus, they made their way back to Onerak. Taking the direct route would take just over a month, but they wanted to make it harder to trace their movements back, so they spent an extra month making odd, random jumps.
Eventually, though, the ship was flying down to a landing platform.
Joshua Reed
Class-1
Strength: 19
Dexterity: 21
Endurance: 18
Intelligence: 24
Wisdom: 19
Accuracy: 20
Speed: 15
Toughness: 22
Nanite Link: 7
Temporal Edge: 1
Telekinesis: 14
Technomancy: 12
Force Barrier: 16
Energy Storage: 5
Energy Transferrence: 3
Energy Extraction: 3
Tech Savvy: 8
Polymorph: 7
Regeneration: 2
Progress had been made across the board, but they had both reached a soft cap of sorts. The last month, they hadn’t made any improvements, meaning they couldn’t progress meaningfully while safe or sparring against each other. They concluded that something about dangerous situations stimulated the nanites or the Connection and improved the rate of progress. Temporal Edge wouldn’t improve, likely because it needed him to be in lethal danger for it to activate.
That was a concern for later, as they wanted to check in on Darthenu’s people before thinking about their future plans.
They made their way to the middle reaches of the city, where Darthenu led Joshua to a decent-looking apartment building where he had set up his HQ. They walked through the impeccably clean corridors, and people shied away as they passed until they reached a single door leading off a waiting area.
Darthenu didn’t wait or know and walked through the door, revealing a spacious office with somewhat gaudy decor. Sitting behind the only desk in the room was a slight man. He wore a nice-looking suit and seemed to care greatly about his outward appearance. The man’s eyes widened when he recognized Darthenu and jolted from the chair.
“Boss! You’re back. Haha, we-welcome back. I’ve, uhh, I’ve kept your seat warm for you,” the man seemed nervous, but Darthenu ignored it and sat down. He started looking through the computer before glancing at Joshua.
“You think you can handle this? Just find out what he’s been up to. I’ll take him to another room for a chat.”
Joshua nodded and took Darthenu’s place. He reached out with his technomancy skill and poured through the data. Claire did most of the heavy lifting, and soon enough, they found what they were looking for. Joshua smirked, stood, and joined Darthenu in a side room. Claire remained connected to the computer and fed him information as he walked.
The room was sparse, and Darthenu stood against a wall while the lieutenant sat in the single chair, sweating profusely.
“Seems our friend here has been skimming off the top and slowly selling parts of your turf to competitors. There are also some suspicious payments from certain large corporations. I think he belongs to someone else now and has been chipping away on your empire on his new masters’ behalf.”
“I see. Here I thought I could trust you, Caleb, but you’re just like every other worthless little ant. Selling yourself to the highest bidder, like some whore.”
“Wait! Please! They offered me nanites and so much money. I couldn’t refuse. I was going to double-cross them once I got it. I’m loyal to you. I never betrayed you.”
“Lies,” Darthenu said as an energy blade appeared in his hand, and Caleb’s head hit the floor a second later. “So hard to find good help these days.”
Joshua barked a laugh before he left the room. Darthenu followed and gestured to some people in the halls. They rushed in to clean up the mess, and the two of them returned to the office.
“So, what now?” Joshua asked as he walked over to a cabinet filled with booze. He poured himself a glass of scotch, an immense luxury in this place, and one for Darthenu.
“Well, I need to do some business, but honestly, I’m not sure if I want to deal with this shit anymore. When I started this business, I was trying to gain enough influence and power to get my hands on some nanites, and now that I have them, it all feels so small. Restrictive. I think it might be time to head for greener pastures, and with our combined strength, we could build something huge.”
“Yeah,” Joshua agreed. “There’s also whoever pulled Caleb’s strings to deal with if you want to stay. Might have been better to leave the rat alive, though.”
“Right, nah. I had to send a message. Can’t have people think I’ve gone soft. Alright then, it’s settled, no? We build our own empire of whatever?” Joshua nodded. “Let’s just siphon off a chunk of goodies before we jump ship.”
The next day was spent moving from warehouse to business centers and taking whatever they found useful. They shipped it to the Seeker and almost filled the ship’s storage till bursting before they made a hasty retreat. They learned quickly that people were coming after them, so they wasted no time. The Seeker blasted through the atmosphere and immediately jumped for another system.
There weren’t many unaffiliated worlds, and none were as well off as Onerak, so they decided to head closer to Earth. It was struggling against the influence of the galactic empires around them, but the info they got stated that Earth had, for some reason, broken from its allies. Little was known about why, but what they could find told a story of betrayal and abuse.
Thro’lacet, the closest faction to Earth, was an empire of nearly a hundred systems that had set their eyes on Earth and Sol since they became a spacefaring civilization. The news that trickled out told a tale of kidnapping, ruthless questioning, blockades, and embargos enacted against the earthlings. It meant that Earth was struggling, which might help them get some quick influence if they could provide an alternative.
The trip would take almost a month since Earth was quite a distance away from Onerak, and they had to take a circuitous route since Thro’lacet had many of the hyperlanes covered.
They began making preliminary plans while jumping, but they couldn’t make any definitive plans until they knew the lay of the land. Something was wrong; they knew that much since the empire had treated the earthlings decently before, so something had to have changed. None of the information brokers or news centers knew what, though, and that was one of the first things they needed to find out.
“So, what can you tell me about the Terran Coalition and Earth?” Darthenu asked. They were waiting for clearance, and it would take a while since the security around Earth had increased significantly with the recent troubles. Joshua was using his Polymorph skill since he didn’t have a great track record on Earth and was currently passing as the same race as Darthenu.
“Well, they’re a group of previously separate factions that banded together when they made first contact with the other galactic forces. That’s the only reason the Thro’lacet Empire didn’t immediately swallow them. They don’t have any Connections and have been struggling to find their niche in the political landscape because of that. The Empire has been dangling Connections to make them do what they want, but we tend to be individual and unwilling to follow orders from outsiders. You could say the earthlings are xenophobic, though that’ll likely change over time. It’s less than a century since we became a true spacefaring people, after all.” Joshua took a swig of his bottle before he continued. “Something must have changed the status quo. Either the Empire got tired of waiting, they pushed too far, and Terra pushed back, or… Well, it could be any one or more of countless alternatives.”
“Right, so how are we gonna go about this? It’s not like we can just fly in and take over, right? What’s our play?”
“We need to get the lay of the land first. Some of my old contacts might be willing to work with us, but that’s a long shot. I haven’t been to Earth in over a decade now, but some of the stuff I did is probably still remembered.”
“Oh yeah! About that. What the hell did you do? I remember the Coalition sending out feelers all over the galaxy, looking for you. They wouldn’t do that for something minor.”
“Ahh. Right. Ehm,” Joshua hesitated and scratched his head, looking away, embarrassed. “I stole one of Earth’s prototype vessels and may have killed a high-ranking officer to do it. He was corrupt as hell and had killed a bunch of innocent people. A complete monster, and anyone who mattered, knew about it. Still, the government had to consider the optics of a high-ranking military officer being killed and a precious prototype being stolen. They had to make some effort on the murder part, and they definitely wanted the ship back.
“Haha! Bloody hell, man,” Darthenu laughed. “You didn’t strike me as a stone-cold killer when I met you. Might have been thanks to the gun to your head, though. Hah. What happened to the ship, though?”
“Yeah. It crashed and burned when I broke through the Klaru blockade. I met you a few days later.” Darthenu broke down in laughter, and it took him a minute to recover.
“So. Let me get this straight. You killed some creep, stole a ship, and then crashed it, losing everything, and I almost killed you. After all that, you were left with nothing,” Darthenu asked, wiping tears from his eyes. He always had a sadistic sense of humor.
“Yes, alright! I fucking lost it. Now-” Joshua was interrupted by a message that they were free to pass. Joshua took the chance to stop the conversation and immediately jumped into hyperspace.
***
The final leg of the journey took a few days, but they finally arrived in the Sol system. Joshua remembered the pictures of Earth from long before when it was green, blue, and beautiful. Now most of the planet had been covered in buildings, turning it into something just shy of a city world. The atmosphere was covered in smog, and particulate, making it impossible to see the ground. Only a few skyscrapers had been made to breach the layer of pollution and a few floating habitation platforms for the obscenely wealthy.
They were guided to a public hangar for visitors and further directed to an area of the planet designated for outsiders. Since they weren’t earthlings, they were barred from entering most of the planet, another example of Terran xenophobia. It didn’t bother them much since Joshua could transform himself into a normal human. He’d chosen to go as a Rathian, which is what Darthenu’s people called themselves since it raised fewer questions if they were the same race.