Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery
The next cycle brought a shift in focus. While the main Scorpion fleet remained stubbornly inert in Grid 11, and the 7th Battle Group maintained its vigilant blockade, all eyes – both literal and sensor-based – turned towards Moon 7C. The Navy Investigation Team, led by the sharp-eyed Investigator Thorne, deployed via heavily shielded shuttle from the cruiser Vigilant. Their mission: sift through the wreckage of the destroyed subsurface facility in Crater EC-117 and uncover the secrets of Project Chimera.
Valerius watched the NIT shuttle's departure on the command center displays, a complex mix of anticipation and apprehension swirling within him. He desperately wanted to know what the Scorpions were doing, what Chimera was, and if it connected to the anomaly beneath Outpost 7. Yet, he also worried about what Thorne's team might find – residual energy signatures, exotic materials, anything that might contradict the official narrative or, worse, draw attention to unusual energy types similar to his own System-augmented power or the anomaly below.
He retreated to his quarters, using the time while the NIT team was en route and setting up on the moon for more Wargod practice. His Spatial Sense continued to improve; he could now hold a stable 'map' of the entire officer's wing, discerning individual energy signatures with growing accuracy, though interpreting their intent remained beyond him. He practiced the environmental manipulations, achieving longer durations and finer control over temperature and pressure variations in small, contained areas.
<
No easy alternatives for energy. The System's scan of outpost inventories and records hadn't turned up any overlooked caches of high-density power cells or forgotten cultivation aids accessible without high-level clearance or significant risk. His advancement remained bottlenecked by energy input.
Hours passed. The NIT team landed successfully in Crater EC-117, establishing a secure perimeter and deploying sophisticated sensor equipment around the site of the subsurface collapse. Initial reports relayed back to Lieutenant Commander Jian in the outpost command center were sparse – confirming massive structural damage consistent with deliberate implosion, detecting residual energy signatures from conventional explosives mixed with exotic particle traces of unknown origin.
Valerius monitored the NIT reports passively via the System's access to the secure network. The mention of 'exotic particle traces' sent a warning signal through him. Were they related to the anomaly? Or the Scorpions' own tech?
He was reviewing the NIT's preliminary atmospheric analysis when his door chimed. Expecting a routine query, he opened it to find Lieutenant Kaelen standing there, holding a standard-issue datapad.
"Lieutenant Valerius," Kaelen said, his tone carefully neutral. "I was reviewing the final damage assessment logs for Battery Complex Gamma, cross-referencing with sensor ghosts recorded during the engagement."
Valerius kept his expression impassive, suppressing his Wargod energy. "Is there a discrepancy, Lieutenant?"
"Not a discrepancy, precisely," Kaelen replied, tapping his datapad. "But the 'unidentified sensor ghost' logged near Vent 7G during the time Frigate Two was disabled… its energy decay signature doesn't perfectly match standard weapon discharge feedback or shield harmonics. It has faint residual elements more consistent with… well, certain high-yield kinetic pulse emitters, albeit heavily distorted."
Valerius felt a chill. Kaelen hadn't just flagged the anomaly; he'd analyzed its signature remnants and found inconsistencies. The System's masking hadn't been perfect.
'System, assess Kaelen's current certainty level based on statement and energy signature.'
<
"Sensor ghosts during heavy combat are notoriously unreliable, Lieutenant," Valerius countered smoothly, projecting calm confidence. "Shield collapses, secondary explosions, ECM interference… they can all create distorted or anomalous readings. Unless the engineers have flagged it as indicative of a specific system malfunction related to the battery complex, I'd hesitate to draw conclusions from distorted background noise."
Kaelen held his gaze, searching. "Perhaps. But the timing coincides precisely with the frigate's sudden destabilization. A remarkable coincidence."
"War is full of remarkable coincidences, Lieutenant," Valerius said coolly. "Often tragic, sometimes fortunate." He gestured towards his console. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to monitor the NIT findings from Moon 7C."
Kaelen lingered for another second, then gave a stiff nod. "Of course. Keep us informed." He turned and left.
Valerius closed the door, his jaw tight. Kaelen was closer than he'd thought, analyzing the actual energy signature, not just the logs. The corrupted emitter data might not be enough to deter him for long if he kept digging into the sensor ghost itself. The margin for error was shrinking.
A priority alert flashed from the System – an update from the NIT team on Moon 7C, relayed through Jian.
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Void Stone? Spatial warping? And a new, unidentified signal deep beneath the Scorpion facility? Moon 7C wasn't just a hidden base; it was potentially linked to technologies or phenomena far beyond standard understanding, possibly even connected to the anomaly beneath Outpost 7 itself. The echoes from the crater were growing louder, hinting at secrets far more complex and dangerous than simple piracy.