Chapter 202 - Battleship

*(mood song: "Billy Talent - Rusted From The Rain")

Erik came from under a rusty hatch as Rose waited.

Erik: "I'm impressed"

Rose raised an eyebrow: "Really, with this giant rust bucket?"

Erik: "Yeah really, impressed it's even floating, or moving at all for that matter, the bearings are completely gone, and they directly apply organic oils over the main axle as it constantly scrapes against the fittings, if we go any faster than crawl speed the axle will friction weld itself~"

Rose sighed: "Well we might need Molly to pull this crap after all then ha ha..." A floating metallic ball then landed on her hand as information was instantly transferred.

Erik's eyes lit up: "That would be awesome, so how's the superstructure of the boat, would it hold?"

Rose frowned and soon sighed: "It would... seems like they at least knew how to weld" A 3D map of the boat popped over her hand, layers separating and peeling down "As you can see, it seems the original structure was a giant piece from a spaceship and they added things to that. If it can endure reentry then it should be quite solid, also..." the map expanded "With a proper antenna the nanobots just finished installing, we should be able to communicate remotely without using my neural pathways, and if we launch at least a few dozen satellites too, we should be able to implement a global positioning system"

Erik nodded excitedly: "That's good, finally we could map the entire surface of... you" he then patted the beat-up engines "I can't believe they reconverted these engines from spaceship parts"

Rose shrugged: "I know right? but it's what they had, gas powered jet engines, didn't they use something similar in your world in the past?"

Erik sighed: "Well yeah, not a history expert though but I do remember seeing a floating museum aircraft carrier... buts this... this is just so redundant and stupid..." looking at the gigantic engines made out of electrically spun turbines that then got added a fuel once started to increase propulsion "why not just making fully electric engines...".

Rose shrugged: "Don't know, maybe biomass was easier to get, also the electric engine it has is just a starter, it would overheat and fry with extended use..."

Erik sighed at the task of replacing the entire gigantic propulsion system: "Anyways... we are gonna need more hands and materials to repair it, how long till we reach the manufacturing base?"

Rose scoffed: "At this pace? at least two months, and that with no issues, they could totally catch up to us with how slow we are, the trail of black smoke we leave behind also doesn't help"

Erik pondered: "I will use the fabricators on the submarine, we are gonna need some dozens of giant bearings and proper synthetic lubricant to begin with, that should at least allow us to let this old engines roar"

Rose: "I can do that, a bot will bring them once they are ready" She flicked and data appeared on Erik's bracelet "Meanwhile, check those areas, the scans show there are weak points in the outer structure, i will call you once the parts are ready"

Erik nodded and went for the closest one.

Then his neck beeped as he was leaving, and he tapped a button on it to answer.

Erik: "Yes?"

Timberly: "Erik, I think you should see this"

Erik: "On my way" Rose's drones had already mapped most of the ship so he only had to tap on his wrist to see a map with everyone's locations on the ship, including the lizardmen who were being held at the bridge of the ship by octopeople reinforcements. Their weapons had been taken away, and their systems were hacked by Rose's nanites, so they weren't a threat anymore.

Erik arrived at a huge hangar on the deck, and looked around not seeing Timberly, his then eyes glowed as he dodged to the side.

Timberly materialized as Erik had avoided her kick.

Timberly: "I almost had you~"

Erik smiled: "That was a good ambush indeed, what did you wanna show me?"

Timberly motioned for Erik to follow her: "It's over there, you will like it"

Erik: "Don't you wanna put on some clothes?"

Timberly smiled: "I've gotten used to walking around naked with my ability, does it bother you~ ?"

Erik chuckled as he shook his head with a smile: "it certainly does not"

Timberly smiled as she pointed forward to a huge object covered in sewn leather pelts "This is it" she said as she pulled them off. Below the leather stood what appeared to be a suit of power armor in perfect condition layers of oil glistening on its surface.

Erik examined it closely and it seemed to be missing the power source and panels at the back 

Erik: "How bizarre, its old, extremely old but the exterior has been polished and kept oiled... seems to be a power armor used for maintenance" he pondered as he observed attachment mounts and broken levers on the arms "Maybe Rose could fix it when she has some time or I could give it a try, judging by the atmospheric seal it seems to be designed to be used in space, although it seems to have rotten off, and the glass pieces aren't adequate for holding pressure..." tracing his finger along the edges of the pilot cabin as only a weird resin mix held hand cut glass panels in place, and his nail could go inside the cabin as the cabin didn't close properly "interesting nevertheless".

Timberly: "There are many other things"

Erik could see the room was full of pieces covered in similar leather coverings.

They uncovered them all one by one, a beacon from a spaceship, railguns full of intricate carvings, missiles, lots of recovered spaceship parts, and next to each what appeared to be leather scrolls with inscriptions. He even found emergency beacons torn apart, each piece on its own glass box.

Erik: "Guess they were trying to make sense of the different technologies" he noticed the poor welds combined with rivets "Thought this is a mess..." he then turned around "wanna come along, i was tasked with testing the integrity of areas of the ship"

Timberly shook her head, pointing behind her: "We are keeping the lizards on the bridge, I wanna be nearby in case they try anything stupid"

Erik nodded: "Sounds good, let's all eat dinner together later"

Timberly smiled widely: "Sure thing!"

He then tapped his neck: "Inky are you free"

Inky's voice came on his communicator: *yes and no, I'm watching a movie with our daughters, wanna join?*

Erik sighed: "Maybe once I finish what Rose asked me to check, i feel bad leaving everything to her"

Inky: *What's the problem, she's more intelligent and good at it no?*

Erik shook his head: "what reason would she have to keep us around then, this is a group project, everyone has to do their part"

Inky's voice sounded annoyed: *Is that directed at me? I'm caring for our daughters, and that is way more important to me*

Erik chuckled: "No, I'm talking about myself. I can't read minds like Rose, but what I can do is work hard and help her as a friend, she has suffered enough loneliness already"

Inky calmed down: *...you are right, see you at dinner dear*

Erik smiled: "see you"

He tapped on his wrist bracelet and the new data transferred to his visor, as his position was displayed on a HUD map of the ship as well as markers, making Erik scoff amused: "Just like a videogame minimap"

A voice then sounded in his mind.

Rose: [I can even give you skill points as rewards, friend~]

Erik laughed and went to the nearest point, entering a rusty room with vats full of oils and tinctures.

Erik: "A lubricant storage?" he then noticed an arrow on his HUD pointing to the hull where water could be seen dripping inside "Well that's no good... btw, did you update the interface?"

Rose: [I reused the software you used to make the octopeople able to build complex structures, and augmented reality tips, that way everyone can help, and no one is left out~]

Erik: [I sometimes forget you are always listening, but thanks Rose... for everything]

Rose: [We are friends Erik, though Inky is indeed right on something]

Erik: [In what?]

Rose: [I'm indeed way more intelligent and capable than all of you~]

Erik laughed out loud, surprising nearby patrolling octopeople: [You are completely right, you are amazing Rose, together we will fix this rust bucket in no time~] his left arm emitting an arc of electricity between his fingers as he welded the hull of the ship with it.

Rose: [...you aren't half bad yourself~ (・ω◠)]

Erik tapped his communicator: [wanna hear some music, Rose? I work better with music]

Rose: [sure (✿◠‿◠)]

Erik: "Let me make a small playlist real quick then...*Amaral* it is first, then *Planetas*, and then... *Boikot*, *Platero y Tu*, *David Bisbal*, and to finish *Extremoduro*, that should be enough authors"

Rose: [Sure, you really brought a huge file of songs]

Erik shrugged: [it's good for combating loneliness and remembering home, nothing better for mental health~]

-- Meanwhile on the submarine's lower bay --

Sarah, Jennifer, and Jana stood in front of a huge tank of fluid with a figure floating inside.

Sarah: "The process should be almost complete"

Jennifer nodded: "we finished removing all harmful mutations" She looked at the machine in wonder "This will change everything, with limitless potential for improvement, I might even get legs too if I can revert it any time I want, it gets so tiring to walk out of the water on tentacles"

Jana nodded: "I would like to try too"

Sarah chuckled: "I can ask Erik later, I was gonna help him with mutating later"

Jennifer: "Help with mutation? in what way?"

Sarah: "Well, he collected a lot of armor parasite DNA, he needs someone to administer painkillers and check his vitals, he will do it in the armory, as he doesn't wanna scare his daughters"

Jennifer nodded: "Intense mutation can indeed be very painful and traumatic"

Sarah: "Indeed, I still dread my last mutation, it was worse than even peeling all your skin after a bad sunburn-"

Jana: "Teachers, the machine!"

Sarah turned to see the machine display show a new message.

Sarah: "Process complete... alright then, let's open it and let her out."

The liquid in the container drained as a robotic arm injected a stimulant into Antalya, and another took off sensors and life support systems.

Antalya woke up shortly after a bit disoriented: "wha- where... oh right, the machine... hmm" She noticed her skin seemed way smoother, no longer covered in serrations and pointy scales "Can I have mirror i-" She touched her own face, no snout there anymore as a tear ran down her cheek "wonderful"

Sarah gave her a circular mirror Rose had prepared beforehand.

Antalya then sobbed slightly, her face had returned to her formed ethereal beauty, she no longer had a snout on her face, instead an ethereally beautiful face, she couldn't stop looking at herself in the mirror as tears slipped out of her eyes.

Antalya: "If only our shapers had machines like this in the past... so many would have been saved from exile sigh..."

Jennifer: "Actually Elder-"

Antalya smiled and interrupted her: "Antalya is fine"

Jennifer: "...Antalya, we were wondering if there are any other upgrades or removals you may require?"

Antalya looked her body over: "You left the poisonous tentacle hooks and claws... well that's fine I guess" she then easily pulled herself out of the floating tank and into the central pool, stretching her body "Ahh, that feels nice" She then smiled at the others "come into the pool, let's talk for a while"

Jennifer and Jana excitedly sat at the sides of the pool, but Sarah started turning off the machines and was getting ready to leave.

Antalya: "Are you displeased with my company child?"

Sarah shook her head: "Not at all Antalya, I just had an appointment with Erik"

Antalya: "Is he ill?" she touched the translator collar on her neck, as she feared meaning hadn't been properly conveyed, Erik seemed healthy.

Jennifer: "Allow me to answer, we recently fought against a new kind of monster and Erik absorbed a lot of... flesh"

Antalya nodded seriously: "That can indeed trigger a serious mutation, there's no time to waste then, bring him here"

Sarah: "Why?"

Antalya frowned: "Only I can escort him to the depths, the deeper you start the mutation the stronger you become, has this common knowledge also been lost?"

Jennifer: "Well Erik did make a machine for us back at the main base, but with the pods, there's no real need to push our bodies to such extremes anymore"

Antalya sighed in a whistle: "I see, so that's why you are still so small and weak, as for Erik while he wasn't originally our flesh and blood he has consumed it and become so, so the depth baptism should benefit him too regardless"

Sarah nodded and tapped her neck calling Erik over.

-- Thirty minutes later --

Erik arrived at the submarine bay, first greeting Antalya.

Erik: "Glad to see you so healthy Antalya"

Antalya smiled, displaying her serrated teeth: "Yes, they all did a wonderful job with that machine, never felt healthier~"

Erik smiled and nodded: "I'm glad then" he turned to Sarah "Weren't we going to meet at the armory?"

Sarah pointed to Antalya: "You need to hear her out first"

Antalya smiled tenderly as she patted the border of the pool next to her: "You have saved my race, and I will be eternally grateful to you for it, so I wanted to propose something"

Erik: "What is it?"

Antalya: "I will take you to the Abyss and guard you while you finish your mutation, you will be several times stronger than otherwise"

Erik: "...well, while I'm incredibly grateful for the offer, not only would you need to risk your life, but I also can barely breathe underwater"

Antalya frowned but then grinned: "I owe you too much child, don't worry about my life, I'm not so easy to kill"

Erik sighed: "There's also the problem of the submarine leaving us behind, we are moving forward right now, slowly due to the Aquilon but moving still"

Antalya: "...that is indeed worrying, but a mutation can't be delayed, it not happening yet is already a miracle"

Erik chuckled: "Well, I'm not completely organic so that helps, I can delay it more if I want though, but I would need to either consume it or freeze it soon or it will start degrading"

Antalya's eyes eyed Erik's metallic left arm: "I see... interesting, so you fused with machinery"

Erik: "Well yeah, it's a part of my body now" he then changed the shape of his arm a couple of times before returning it to normal.

Antalya smiled slightly; "that's wonderful, could I get one like that too?"

Erik pondered: "Maybe using the new replicator once it's ready, It is complex enough to materialize food so advanced nanotechnology shouldn't be an issue I believe, the rate of replication might need to be limited though to maintain energy consumption... you would better ask Rose, it won't fit on the submarine but we could add one on the battleship"

Antalya nodded, still not sure what a replicator meant but that it would take time, that she understood.

Antalya pondered in what way could she help when she smiled, having thought of something.

Antalya pushed her hand inside herself and grabbed an egg from inside her egg sack, a purple sphere with an almost metallic sheen to it, and the size of a football. She then offered it to Erik.

Antalya: "Consume it, my DNA should reinforce your octopeople traits greatly, from muscle strength to better water breathing, who knows" She pointed at the machine she had been inside hours earlier "I wouldn't offer this if you didn't have that kind of technology, as my DNA is somewhat scrambled, but I'm sure you will find the way" 

Erik nodded and took it carefully, biting into it and sighing, it was extremely hard and chewy, way harder than the rubber on a tire. Erik ate it though, as it would indeed help him.

Erik: "It was quite tough but thanks Antalya"

Antalya smiled: "No problem, you can have more if you want, though I might be a bit old, I may require some... encouragement to get more out~"

Erik sighed: "...I can make you a machine to help with that, but for now, I believe I will just start the evolution as it is at the armory" motioning to Sarah to follow "See you later everyone"

Antalya was slightly disappointed as she finally didn't feel disgusted by her own appearance anymore, but she smiled once more: "Farewell then, I bid you luck"

As they arrived at the armory, Sarah bound Erik to a table for his own safety and prepared a vial of morphine.

Sarah: "Ready?"

Erik nodded as she injected the morphine, then he took a deep breath, and let all the DNA get absorbed at once. He felt like a fire was expanding all over his body as a strange force was distributing that DNA all over his body and inside his cells, he could clearly feel it, as if a position was chosen for every molecule of DNA and then pushed inside his cells. Even with the high dose of morphine in his system, the pain was still coming through. Then he felt Sarah inject something else into his arm and the world slowly faded around him, darkness covering his eyes and then nothing.

Hours passed and he regained consciousness, though he still felt like he was hallucinating as colors and shapes moved around his vision, the air also felt strange, even his skin felt like he could move it at will.

Rose: [Glad you woke up]

Erik: [Rose? where am I- I was in the armory... where's Sarah?]

Rose: [relax, you are still there, Sarah fell asleep on a chair in the armory. And you can't see well cause your optic nerves have grown thicker, you should be able to see more spectrums of light now, it might take some time for your brain to get used to it, but in some hours you should be able to see properly]

Erik: [okay... anything else?] he then felt a blinding light pass over his body and something taking a sample from his arm.

Rose: [well... seems like you also have a third lung to breathe water too now it's not that big though and your body has high oxygen needs but you should be able to meditate underwater or things like that... the most change has come to your skin, you have developed parasitic tendrils under your skin...]

Erik: [what does... that mean?]

Rose: [It means you can hijack the nervous systems of other creatures you touch if you want, you can even change the shape of your skin slightly... interesting] he felt a cold metal piece poking parts of his body.

Erik calmed down with Rose on watch: [Then I will rest some more]

Rose: [Sure thing! I will administer some saline fluid and nutrition, don't worry about anything and rest ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩]

Erik felt himself drifting again into sleep.

-- On a far away Planet --

A pirate ship came into the orbit of an unknown planet.

 {image on RoyalRoad}

The pirate ship was about to descend from orbit when the pirate captain noticed something.

Captain: "Aye where are those... human lads?"

Crew member: "They are reported to be sick sir"

The Captain snickered: "Well no matter, in me whole life I've never forgotten a grudge, we will sell them on the black market today, the leader to the colosseum, that useless wanker with no wiener, the rest... maybe the meat district or as slaves, they are an exotic new species after all"

Crew member: "Aye, we enjoyed them plenty already jar jar jar-"

*BOOM* 

 {image on RoyalRoad}

The entire spaceship rocketed as alarms flashed all over.

Captain: "Report!"

Crew member: "We are losing altitude fast, the engines have been destroyed and the life support systems are failing!"

Captain: "Those bloody bastards! I'm sure it was the humans!" he took out a remote from his pocket and pressed it, but nothing happened "Why aint the friggin explosive collars working?! I'm gonna chop their bastard's heads off when i find them!" he cursed some more before calming down "Well, no matter, everyone evacuate to the secondary boarding spaceship, it only has chemical engines but it will do"

Crew member: "Captain, someone disconnected the boarding spaceship!"

Captain: "Those bloody bastards, blow them up right-" but he was interrupted, as the reactor of the spaceship blew up"

On the other spaceship, Antonio looked back in satisfaction at the explosion, dropping a lifeless pirate to the ground, the one that was supposed to watch over them.

They had disarmed the collars long ago and hid the explosives near the reactor, the collars had a function to explode if the slaves got away from their owner so they didn't require much modifications for their plan.

Antonio: "Situation report!"

Monico: "Engine working correctly, weapon systems activated, navigation activated"

Elena: "Life support systems active, with my bio recycler and filtering systems we should be good on air and water, and we should have salads to last for some days, but there's a problem"

Antonio: "What is it?"

Elena: "I don't have lab equipment to test for food safety, and we lack the means to cook these vegetables, and since the filtering systems are DIY... I suspect we could suffer from bacterial infections like salmonella"

Antonio nodded: "Hmm, you did the best you could so we'll have to risk it, now we need to focus on surviving"

Monico interrupted them: "We are being contacted, do I answer?"

Antonio pondered and nodded: "Yes, but only connect the audio though, we better wear full body armor when we land"