Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery
The hours ticked by, each one bringing the 7th Battle Group closer and Outpost 7 nearer to the end of its isolated ordeal. Valerius split his time between his quarters, diligently practicing his Wargod abilities, and the analysis room, monitoring the trickle of data from the Navy Investigation Team on Moon 7C.
His Spatial Sense now reliably mapped the nearby corridors and rooms, identifying personnel and active systems. He could hold the environmental manipulations for longer, with greater stability. Yet, the 18% progress towards Mid-Level Wargod felt like an insurmountable wall without a significant energy source. The System's ongoing scan for alternatives within the outpost remained stubbornly fruitless regarding low-risk options.
The NIT team, led by Investigator Thorne, continued their painstaking work amidst the wreckage in Crater EC-117. Their reports, filtered through Lieutenant Commander Jian, spoke of meticulous destruction – power cores overloaded, data systems physically shattered, structural supports precisely imploded. The Scorpions hadn't just abandoned the facility; they had systematically erased it.
Then came the update Valerius had been waiting for, delivered via secure comms from Jian.
"Lieutenant Valerius," Jian's voice was clipped, professional, but carried an undercurrent of excitement. "Investigator Thorne's team has isolated the unknown signal source beneath the primary collapse zone on Moon 7C."
Valerius focused intently. "Can they identify it?"
"Negative," Jian replied. "The signal is extremely faint, heavily shielded, and uses a transmission protocol unlike anything in our databases – Imperial, Syndicate, or known Xenos. It pulses intermittently, seemingly at random. However, analysis of the exotic particle traces found throughout the wreckage yielded something concrete. They are confirmed remnants consistent with the decay signature of artificially stabilized Void Stone."
Void Stone. The name sent a jolt through Valerius. He accessed the System's knowledge database instantly.
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Precursor-level tech. Spatial warping. This elevated Project Chimera far beyond mere Syndicate activity. Were the Scorpions somehow utilizing Void Stone? Had they found a stable source or a Precursor device on Moon 7C?
"Furthermore," Jian continued, his voice dropping slightly, "analysis of the facility's structural remnants suggests construction methods and materials inconsistent with standard Scorpion or even known advanced Syndicate engineering. Some elements appear… significantly older."
Older. Precursor? Valerius felt the pieces clicking into place, forming a disturbing picture. A hidden facility, possibly ancient, containing or utilizing Void Stone technology, accessed by the Red Scorpions for 'Project Chimera', then deliberately destroyed, leaving behind a faint, unknown signal. And the energy released during the destruction shared characteristics with the anomaly deep beneath Outpost 7.
"Investigator Thorne theorizes the Scorpions may have stumbled upon and repurposed a pre-existing, possibly Precursor-era, installation on Moon 7C," Jian concluded. "The purpose, and the nature of 'Project Chimera', remains unknown. The repeating signal is now the primary focus of their investigation."
"Understood, Lieutenant Commander," Valerius acknowledged, his mind racing. "Please keep me apprised of any developments."
He cut the connection, leaning back, the implications washing over him. If the Scorpions had access to Void Stone tech, even repurposed, it explained their boldness, the cruiser's heavy armament, and potentially the advanced camouflage of the shuttle. It also hinted at powers far beyond conventional understanding. And the connection to the anomaly below… was it another Precursor site? Did the Scorpions know about it?
His thoughts were interrupted by a proximity alert from his Spatial Sense. Lieutenant Kaelen was approaching his quarters. Valerius quickly smoothed his energy signature, composing his features.
The door chimed. Valerius opened it. Kaelen stood there, datapad in hand as usual, but his expression was less accusatory, more thoughtful, almost troubled.
"Valerius," Kaelen began, dropping the formal 'Lieutenant' for the first time since the battle. "I owe you… perhaps an apology. Or at least, an explanation."
Valerius raised an eyebrow, wary. "Regarding?"
"The sensor ghost. The energy signature near Vent 7G," Kaelen said, looking him directly in the eye. "I couldn't let it go. The decay signature was wrong. I ran deep spectral analysis, comparing it against every known weapon discharge, shield harmonic, and system overload profile in the Imperial database."
Valerius tensed internally. Had Kaelen found something definitive?
"I found no match," Kaelen continued. "However, purely by chance, I cross-referenced it against theoretical models… specifically, models related to localized spatial distortion effects. The residual harmonics showed a faint, almost negligible correlation." He shook his head. "It makes no sense, of course. Generating that kind of effect requires technology or energy levels far beyond anything this outpost possesses. It's likely just sensor noise mimicking a theoretical pattern. But…" He hesitated. "Given the NIT findings about Void Stone on the moon… it's a disturbing coincidence."
Valerius felt a surge of alarm, masked by outward calm. Kaelen hadn't proven anything, but he had stumbled dangerously close to the truth, connecting the energy signature to spatial effects, the very domain Void Stone influenced.
'System! Assess Kaelen's suspicion level now!'
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"Theoretical physics is hardly my area of expertise, Kaelen," Valerius replied carefully. "Sensor ghosts during intense combat can produce bizarre readings. Attributing it to spatial distortion seems… speculative."
"I know," Kaelen admitted, running a hand through his hair. "It is speculative. But something isn't right. The Scorpions, the moon facility, maybe even that emitter incident… it feels connected somehow." He looked genuinely troubled, the rivalry seemingly overshadowed by a deeper unease. "Just… be careful, Valerius. There are things happening in this sector that don't fit the official reports."
With that cryptic warning, Kaelen nodded and walked away, leaving Valerius staring after him. Kaelen wasn't just suspicious of him anymore; he suspected a larger, stranger picture involving forces beyond standard understanding. Ironically, Kaelen's intuition was bringing him closer to the truth than his analysis of Valerius alone ever could.
Valerius closed the door, the conversation unsettling him more than Kaelen's previous accusations. The net of secrets and dangers was tightening. The Void Stone, the anomaly, the unknown signal, Kaelen's dawning awareness… the arrival of the 7th Battle Group hadn't simplified things; it had only raised the stakes and deepened the shadows.