Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery
The revelation of Void Stone sent ripples of unease through the outpost command structure, even amidst the relief brought by the approaching 7th Battle Group. Valerius felt it in the hushed conversations between Navy officers, the intensified scrutiny of sensor logs, and the grim determination radiating from Lieutenant Commander Jian and Investigator Thorne's team as they analyzed the data flowing back from Moon 7C.
Valerius spent hours processing the implications. Void Stone. Precursor technology. A destroyed facility. An unknown signal. And a potential link to the anomaly beneath his feet. It was a puzzle with too many missing pieces, hinting at forces operating on scales far beyond the Red Scorpions' typical reach. His ambition burned brighter – mastering such forces, or at least understanding them, was essential for anyone seeking true galactic dominion. But first, he needed power.
His Wargod energy, though stable, felt insufficient. The System's scan for alternative energy sources finally yielded a potential, albeit risky, lead.
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An unstable plasma core from a destroyed pirate ship, locked away in low security. Hazardous, yes, but potentially accessible. It was a gamble – accessing it without authorization carried risks, and tapping an unstable core could be dangerous – but it was the only viable option the System had found to accelerate his progress before the fleet's full contingent, including potentially higher-level cultivators and more sensitive sensors, arrived and locked down the outpost completely. He filed the information, planning meticulously for a potential acquisition attempt.
Meanwhile, Investigator Thorne's team continued their work on Moon 7C. Updates trickled back: they confirmed the presence of materials far older than any known Syndicate construction, lending weight to the repurposed Precursor facility theory. They also managed a partial decryption of the faint, repeating signal from beneath the rubble.
Lieutenant Commander Jian summoned Valerius to review the findings. "We've isolated fragments of the signal, Lieutenant," Jian explained, displaying complex waveforms on the console. "It's not language as we understand it, more like… complex data packets, heavily layered. We believe it might be an automated distress beacon or a status signal from whatever Precursor technology remains active down there."
"Can you determine its purpose?" Valerius asked, studying the patterns, while the System simultaneously analyzed the raw data feed he accessed.
"Not yet," Jian admitted. "But we did isolate one recurring element – a complex identifier code embedded within the signal bursts. It doesn't match any known Imperial or Syndicate registry." He keyed in the designation: 'Codex Designation: Omega-734'.
'System, cross-reference 'Omega-734' against all accessible databases, including restricted Precursor archives accessed via nanite interface.'
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Valerius felt a jolt stronger than any energy pulse. A containment marker? For a high-threat biological or psionic entity? Buried deep beneath the facility the Scorpions were using? Was that Project Chimera? Releasing or controlling whatever was contained? The implications were terrifying.
"Any insights, Lieutenant?" Jian asked, noticing Valerius's intense focus.
"No, Lieutenant Commander," Valerius replied, carefully schooling his features. "The designation means nothing to me. Just… complex." He couldn't reveal the System's findings; knowledge of Precursor containment protocols was likely classified far above his paygrade and would invite impossible questions.
"Indeed," Jian sighed. "Another layer to the mystery. Thorne's team is attempting to pinpoint the signal's exact location and depth, but the destruction makes it difficult."
Valerius left the briefing deeply unsettled. A high-threat entity potentially contained beneath Moon 7C, linked to Void Stone and Precursor tech, investigated by ruthless pirates… this situation was spiraling far beyond a simple military engagement.
His unease was compounded later when he detected Kaelen accessing outpost personnel deployment records, specifically looking for individuals assigned to maintenance or inspection duties near Waste Reclamation Chute 14 around the time of Valerius's last descent. Kaelen hadn't found proof of the energy signature's origin, so now he was trying to place Valerius physically near a potential access point to the lower levels during times of unusual energy readings. He was methodical, persistent, and getting warmer.
The Sector Command fleet was now only hours away. Valerius felt caught between multiple closing walls: the approaching fleet's scrutiny, Kaelen's relentless investigation, the dangerous mystery of Project Chimera and the Omega marker, and his own desperate need for power hampered by the lack of safe energy sources. The unstable plasma core in storage seemed increasingly like a necessary risk. He needed to get stronger, not just for his ambition, but potentially for survival against threats he was only beginning to comprehend.