CHapter Three Ford doesn't fuck around

It's June First today; it's been three days since my experiments with the shrooms. A slight shiver runs down my spine, and I misplace the glue I was using to create the monopod, or as stan had dubbed it, the thigh Clops.

I can safely say it's a success. But I've also learnt a lesson, NEVER do sciences in just my boxers again. It's too powerful.

On the bright side, Dipper just returned from hanging up signs in the woods. Bless him; he tried to hide it, but he's not stealthy, and the book is big against his tiny frame. This morning, I thought Grunkle stan might send me out to hang up the signs, but we were excused as Soos and I were fixing the radiator together.

It's been three days since the shrooms. The state of euphoria had faded; what had stayed where the modifications I had forced my body through. I'm not going into it, but it's safe to say my incredibly high IQ is now a permanent feature of this body.

Another sigh; it's just after lunch, and I can hear Dipper and Mable talking in the living room about the book. Over the last few days, I've had time to think and do some safer experiments.

Unfortunately, I'm still broke as fuck right now, or at least I don't have enough capital to put my intellect to use, so I have resorted to borrowing some small items from around town.

Over the last few days, I comprehensively went through Book three. Unfortunately, Ford didn't get very far into the book; only 40 ish pages were full of nearly 200 pages. Which implied much more information was to be found in the other books.

Regarding the other books, the problem is two-fold, I can't remember the code for the elevator to get downstairs, and I don't know when Gideon is getting into town. So I'm thinking of just trying to guide events naturally and have to wait for Mable to take the amulet away from the little psycho.

However, Book three did have some gems. IT marks the location of the alien spacecraft that I planned to explore tonight and the grown and shrink crystals. I haven't been idle the last few days.

A scream comes from the living room; I couldn't quite make out what was said, but before I could ask, Mable sprints past me.

Using the crystals and a few gun scope lenses, which I acquired 'legally', I put together the GnS Pen. I've already used it to make remarkably small parts. An added cutting feature comes from the shrink side. I can cut through very tough materials.

Just the GnS pen has enabled me to make some unique tools. A backpack left in the mystery shack contained the rest of my babies or nightmares from my mad naked saree. Was I prepared to take on the spacecraft tonight? Absolutely. (this turned out to be blind confidence)

Brief-time skip

Jagged dark metal juts from the earth, looking like it just tore its way out. This is the breach in the hull on the north side of the crash; light from my headlamp dances off the surface in an eerie dark blue.

The ground begins to slope as I approach the entrance earth spills down into the spacecraft. Only a thick layer of moss stands testament to decades past.

CRUNCH

Snaping underfoot grabs my attention. I bend slowly to rip up the moss. Under it lay shards of half-buried bones. The crunch came from a collapsing ribcage.

I raise my head back up, gun held tightly to the shoulder. I slink into a slight crouch, readying to react, hackles raised. The ACC honey badger feels very heavy in my hands. I had chambered it in .300 armour penetrator rounds. A small test earlier proved they could sink into metal, even the ship's hull, though not far.

The sounds of the bones snapping underfoot grew more unsettling as I moved further into the ship.

ZZZZZ CLICK.

My hyper-focus had my body moving before a millisecond had passed. I swilled towards the sound as I dropped towards the ground. A slight glow could be seen coming from the far wall. A flash and a bolt of energy passed just over my shoulder. The decision was immediate; I sighted, a twitch of my finger sent the first bullet straight down the glowing cylinder, the recoil lifted my gun just enough to send the shot towards the source of the sound.

The sparks and smoke dissipated as the echo of the two-shot spread out into the forest. The silence made itself known after the echo faded.

Nothing moved, nothing breathed as I waited. The forest had gone unnaturally quiet, tension causing the constantly active songbirds to freeze up.

A breath I didn't know I was holding came out. It was long and smooth, releasing a small part of my tension. I back peddled, only using my imprint in the moss to return to the entrance. A pregnant pause later and no action, I made my way back inside.

I tentatively approached the device.

The bulk of the sentury was the same alien metal that made up the ship in its construction. Unfortunately, my bullet had punched a hole in the firing mechanism putting it out of commission. My other shot found its mark in the movement system just above the barrel. It was not made out of blue metal. The design looked human.

Pulling the GnS pen from my pocket and pointing it towards the mountings, a tiny beam flashed; I used it to draw lines across the support. Metal groaned as it glowed hot under compress forces; after the line had passed, the metal would warp as it cooled. Then, SKREEEE, the metal shattered, showering me with metal splinters.

I brought my find to the entrance as I began to pull it apart, my bullets making the procedure arduous. Adjusting the pen so I could make more precise cuts and started to dismantle it.

As I was dismantling, my brain came to a worrying conclusion; Ford had left some defence mechanism for one of his most prized anomalies. I sigh; I hope that isn't becoming a habit.

Having looked over the firing mechanism, I was fairly confident in repeating the same dodge. And while I was confident that didn't mean I was stupid, my footsteps were slow and methodical as I made my way inside.

I discovered that ford had all the senteries on a network, with a simple facial recognition responsible for aiming and firing at anything that wasn't registered. So my plan as I fired bullets into the turrets was to find an open port into the system and take over the OS.

The Senturies didn't stand out as I made my way through the ship, and I felt myself relying more on my hearing and lighting fast reaction to prevent myself from getting shot. The last turrets had just stopped steaming as I made my way around a corner.

ZZZZZ CLICK

ZZZZZ CLICK

SHIT. I was in motion. My rifle was raised as the first sentury went down before it could even fire. The glow lit up to the left of my aim, and my swift response failed to remove me from the line of fire as the supper heated plasma shot towards my leg. Another double-tap on the trigger had the gun recoiling up as the last two bullets found their mark.

My legs were knocked out from under me; panic tried to overwhelm me as I dropped to the ground. My brain worked a million miles an hour to fix the situation. The searing heat of the shot helps me focus. I kept my gaze stayed up as my plummet slowed.

Palms touched the ground; I shoved hard, my other leg kicking off the wall caused my body to rise back into the air. The metal shards on the floor cut deep into my palms. A glow appeared in my vision, but my momentum had shifted my body out of the line of fire. The terror empowered my body to kick, sending me back down the stairway. The shot passed harmlessly over my shoulder as I fell into the dark stairwell.

THUNK

THUNK THUNK

I crashed onto the ground, finally coming to a stop.

My breath was ragged. I had been too confident, not even realising I was dancing on the edge of death against fords turrets. The darkness clung to my skin as my breath accelerated.

If those turrets had fired a second faster, my bullet would have melted before it could have stopped the gun send molten metal through my head; if the second gun were aimed at my hands or head instead of the leg, I would have died. The first would have prevented me from firing off a shot before it executed me.

It took several minutes to call down and ten before I could move again.

Luckily my preparation didn't only include offence as I checked the crude plating I had sewn into my ski trousers.

The slab of granite I had shrunk down had absorbed the impact and heated phenomenally well, leaving my skin slightly raw. In addition, the increased density absorbed the heat and force.

Breathing steadily again allowed my brain to think constructively. Finally, I decided I would not be the first thing rounding corners anymore; I used some scrap of the ship and theGnS pen to make a manikin.

But even with Wilson, my pace slowed to a crawl, my caution not allowing my super reflexes and confidence to sideline it.

I held Wilson just round the corner as a familiar sound echoed through the hallway.

ZZZZZ CLICK

ZZZZZ CLICK

ZZZZZ CLICK

My focus was brought to the milliseconds again; as time slowed, I saw three orange blurred punch holes through the manikin molten slag being dragged through the exit wound.

D "WILSON NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Wilson was ripped from my grip. As he fell, I was able to make out the holes. The first tore a hole through his head, the second, coming from the same direction, tore through the heart, and the last ripped a bloody gash across his throat.

Slowing my breathing, I had to use my head. I knew where they were, I could overcome this. A long breath settled my nerves. These would not be the actions of someone overconfident.

I took the breastplate I had made out and readied myself.

I exploded into speed as I rounded the corner gun primed, bullets instantly sunk into the first turret. Two streaks flew towards me, but just as they were about to hit. A slab of rock blocked my vision.

I had thrown it before rounding the corner. It took the first shot and flew over my head. I found my mark as I ran. Bullets tore into another turret.

The last fired another shot, but I had already crossed the corridor, and the shot only sunk harmlessly into the blue metal of the wall.

The mountings stan had made where to ridged, and it couldn't turn enough to fire on me again. In executioner fashion, I walked up behind the sentry. My actions were slow and very deliberate as I levelled the gun at it. I was tempted to ask it for last words but decided against it.

D "hasta la vista baby."

It looked like the gun started to sweat for a second before the bullets turned it into scrap.

Okay, that was just melodrama, but it felt good. Honestly, I needed a laugh, and the tension had gotten to me. And the sentry definable would want to go out with a bang. I was relaxing or uncoiling, as just behind the other sentries was a panel that I could use to access Ford's system.

My mind was still pumped full of adrenalin, and I found my hands shaking as I tried to plug my phone in. I had had three days to mess with the phone, and while it wasn't a supercomputer of the 2020s, it was leagues above anything they had back in 1983. and while ford was a genius, his area of genius did not extend to firewall software.

My phone's customised OS tore through the defences, and I was able to see the deathtrap ford had turned this place into.

Turnes out he hadn't incorporated as much of the alien tech into his gear as I would have thought. Instead, he had almost a complete focus on the warp driving and dimensional face shifter that function of the ship's engines and mode of transportation.

Ford didn't store information on the other devices within the ship, so I went deeper inside to find out more. I had told Soos and Abulita that I would move into tomorrow, so I had all night to tinker in here. I stood in front of the aline serves and data banks with a stupid grin.

D "it's time to tear this place a new one."