Exhaustion

[a_linear_mind]

[With the events at Aidoneus Island concluded, Strahlend has somehow managed to limp it's way back to Fort Alhambra. Once again the machine came back in critical condition despite this being the first time it had been active in months. To make matters worse, there's now a large hole in the roof over where the machine usually stood, thanks to Willis learning that he could activate the machine remotely no matter where he was and the Unity Group was down another Gespenst. The pilot himself is not doing much better, thanks to his usual complete disregard for his own well-being while in combat. He practically falls out of the cockpit of his machine with the side of his head busted open and one of his arms dangling lifelessly in the air. Bits of metal and crystals were still embedded in him but all of these injuries were of course being taken care of by the nanomachines in his system while his machine began to repair itself as well.]

What a long day...

Comments

[abugslife]

The day has not ended yet, Willis.

...Are you currently in risk of assimilation?
[Hetepheres looks at the crystals piercingly.]

[a_linear_mind]

No, at least not with the Core of those things destroyed.

[To ease her worries Willis has his Core Cells break down the bits still embedded in him.]

[abugslife]

You said that normally, there are people inside the cores of those crystalline abominations.

[a_linear_mind]

...yeah...up until now every single crystal creature I've encountered has used a human core partially assimilated by their Core Cells.

[abugslife]

Why do I only learn about this now? And, more importantly, where did those humans come from?

[a_linear_mind]

...originally they came from an Aegis base...in Antarctica. That's where they first showed up...

[abugslife]

Then all the people who have died there...

[a_linear_mind]

...were assimilated and then made into the Cores of creatures like that...the U.I.I.N system that went out of control and started all of it belonged to my fiancée.

[abugslife]

Then why are you blaming yourself for it? Why does Aegis think it was your fault?

[a_linear_mind]

Because it was my fault, I was the one who made the decision to kill everyone there.

All that the Aegis forces saw when they arrived was a destroyed base with hundreds of people dead, because of me.

[abugslife]

Is there any known way to help a person who is stuck inside the core of a Chimera? Any at all?

[a_linear_mind]

...none to my knowledge...

Attempting to tear them out of the Core, using my own U.I.I.N nanomachines, nothing worked...the only way to stop them was to completely destroy them...

[abugslife]

Have you tried to actually explain this situation to members of Aegis? That might lower the number of them gunning for your life.

[a_linear_mind]

...I tried, they attacked me in response.

[He goes quiet again. It takes him a few seconds to start speaking again.]

It's hard to make a case when their accusations were...true in one way or another, despite the circumstances behind it.

[abugslife]

Not all of them, as it turns out from our most recent encounter.

When you told me what you have done, I was tempted to bring you to justice then and there. But I decided to trust you, and see how the whole situation looked before making my judgement. I am glad to see that was the right decision, Willis.

[a_linear_mind]

If I hadn't told you, would you still have trusted me? I mean...I have been acting pretty weirdly lately.

[abugslife]

Who knows? I do not like to waste too much of my time considering "what if" scenarios. Especially since we have a more pressing question to answer at hand.

[a_linear_mind]

Ha...I guess you're right. Thanks though Heph...for trusting me even though I gave you no reason to.

You're going to have to be a bit more specific, I think there were a lot of questions raised from that last mission and not enough answered.

[abugslife]

I am pretty good at judging people. A skill I had to learn through trial and error.

The most important question is: why were the crystalline Chimaeras we fought devoid of any signs of people inside their cores? Were they completely assimilated? Or were there no people in them in the first place?

[a_linear_mind]

I don't know, maybe something changed in their programming or maybe they've evolved past the point of needing human cores. Then again, that doesn't explain why they were able to pick me out or why they made a beeline for me the moment I surfaced.

It almost felt like they were setting up a trap for me. If Elys hadn't shown up I might have...

[abugslife]

You would have been assimilated. Just like all the people during that incident.

At least we know at this point that it is not your presence that makes them show up. Nor the presence of Strahlend. They simply react to it.

[a_linear_mind]

Yeah...

[He seems to grow silent again but quickly regains his composure.]

I'm not sure about that...I think the Chimaera were attracted to Meteor-3 because of it's similarities to the U.I.I.N System...or I guess it's the other way around based on what Elys said.

Or maybe I just don't want to admit I've been purposely doing less for no good reason.

[abugslife]

Whatever your past reasons were, none of them are valid anymore. You shall pilot Strahlend again on a routine basis, as soon as it is operational at least.

Right?

[a_linear_mind]

Heh, is that an order General?

[abugslife]

I do not have the clearance to order membere of Unity Group around.

Consider it a strongly-worded suggestion.