C46 Strength Beyond Limits

I gathered the team in Invictas common area, the table loaded with scanned maps and data streams.

Paul, Julian, Darius, Robert, and Airid who was now moving with a lot more ease sat around the table, each of them looking equally frustrated.

"Alright, let's go over this one more time,"

I said, pacing in front of the holographic display as I gulped down a mouthful of beer.

"We've been down there for days, and we're no closer to understanding what these bloody xeno structures are."

Darius grunted, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his chin.

"They look like some kind of sensor array. But the layout doesn't make any sense. We tried to activate parts of it, but whatever tech was there is long dead."

Paul shook his head, pulling up a scan of one of the massive structures we had explored.

It was an enormous tower-like construct, easily as tall as a skyscraper, with strange, arcane patterns carved into the sides.

Each of these towers was connected by a series of underground tunnels, though they led nowhere.

"At first, I thought they were communications towers, or maybe some kind of defense system,"

Paul said.

"But the readings we got are too weak. If these were meant for any serious purpose, they've lost whatever power they had centuries ago."

Julian leaned forward, his brows furrowed in concentration.

"There's another possibility,"

He said.

"They could've been part of some kind of Xeno amusement park."

Darius snorted, but Julian didn't laugh. He was serious.

"I'm not joking. Look at the layout. There's no real military pattern to any of this, and the size of the structures suggests they were built for something much larger than the species we've encountered so far. Could be some kind of giant playground, or maybe a park for titanic species that lived here before everything went to hell."

Robert chuckled, shaking his head.

"A g*ddamn alien amusement park for giants. That's a new one."

I crossed my arms, staring at the holographic map.

"As ridiculous as it sounds, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Ive seen weirder s*it being posted on the galactic net. But no matter how we look at it, these structures aren't giving us any answers. We're at a dead end."

Airid tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought.

"So, what's the plan then? We can't keep wasting time here. It's a barren rock, and whatever secrets it had are long gone."

I nodded.

"Agreed. We're wrapping this up. Get everything prepped. We'll set course for the system's gravity well and jump back to E*rth. Maybe our employer will have some answers, or maybe they won't. But either way, we're done here, my balls are already blue and I'm f*cking sick off playing a glorified archeologist."

Paul, Julian, Darius, and the others nodded in agreement, getting up from the table to handle the ship's preparations.

While they got to work, I headed back to my room to do what I hated most, write the g*ddamn mission report.

Mission Report - Nihlwing IIIa Investigation

From: Commander Dracula Von Death, TIS Invictus, Terranum Imperium PMC

To: UNOE Mercenary Guild, Citadel Branch

Date: 2201.01.29

Subject: Mission Report – Nihlwing IIIa, Surface Investigation

Overview:

Our objective was to investigate and report on the strange structures found on the surface of Nihlwing IIIa.

We spent a total of 41 days exploring the planet's surface, scanning the xeno structures, and attempting to access any data or information regarding their function.

Findings:

The structures, while massive and covering a significant portion of the planet's surface, appear to serve no discernible purpose.

The layout suggests a non-military application, and we were unable to determine any defensive or offensive capabilities linked to the structures.

Upon closer inspection, we hypothesize that the structures may have been part of a large-scale sensor array or, potentially, a form of entertainment or recreational facility for a titanic species.

The size of the structures and their layout make it highly unlikely they were meant for species similar to humans or other known Xenos.

Technical Analysis:

Structures are completely inactive. No energy signatures were detected. The materials used are highly resistant to decay but show signs of extreme age.

Partial scans indicate the structures may have had advanced technological capabilities, but any functional systems have long since deteriorated beyond recognition, and no valuable resources or salvageable tech were recovered from the surface structures.

Conclusion:

The investigation has reached a dead end. There is no significant information to gather from Nihlwing IIIa, and the structures appear to have been abandoned for millennia.

Further exploration of the planet is unlikely to yield useful data.

Recommendation:

Terminate further investigation of Nihlwing IIIa and reallocate resources to more promising missions. The planet's surface is barren, and the structures are effectively dead.

Commander Dracula Von Death

Terranum Imperium PMC, TIS Invicta

I sat back in my chair, reviewing the report one last time. Satisfied with the summary, I sent it off to the Mercenary Guild along with all of our scans and videos from our helmets.

"Well, that's done."

I muttered, closing the console.

There was no telling what the employer might do with the information we provided. Maybe they'd send another team to poke around, or maybe they'd just write the planet off.

Either way, we were moving on to something more promising. With the credits from the anti-gravity tech safely in my account, it was time to look toward the future.

But for now, the only thing left to do was get back to E*rth and figure out our next move.

As I powered down my console and stood up, a grin tugged at the corner of my lips.

"One job at a time,"

I muttered to myself.

And with that, I headed back to the bridge to oversee our departure from the Nihlwing system. The galaxy was vast, and we still had a long way to go.

...

2201.05.19 105 days later.

The sound of heavy, blood-pumping music blasted through Invictas gym as I lay on the bench, gripping the cold nanocomposite barbell.

The plates clanged together, each side loaded with a total of 700 kilograms, a weight that would crush any normal human.

But after the gene restructuring and augmentations, this was just another part of our routine.

"Come on, Drac! Push it!" 

Paul's voice cut through the music, his towering frame looming over me as he grinned down with eager anticipation.

My battle brothers, now each standing two meters tall, give or take a decimeter, crowded around, their bodies thick with muscle, veins bulging as they cheered me on.

Julian's biceps practically bulged through his shirt, Darius was now built like a tank, and Airid, who no longer limped looked like he could bench-press a shuttle if he put his mind to it.

"Let's see those gains, Drac!" 

Darius shouted, his deep voice booming over the music.

Sweat dripped down my forehead as I took a breath, then pushed the barbell upward with everything I had.

My arms tensed, the muscles straining and growing taut under the pressure, but there was no hesitation, no pain.

The bar moved steadily like I was simply moving a heavy piece of furniture.

The gene restructuring has turned us into something more than just human. Our bodies now operated at twice the peak of human potential, our strength, endurance, and reflexes all dialed up to the max. It felt like we were living weapons, engineered for war.

"That's it!" 

Paul grinned, his arms crossed, thick with muscle.

I locked out the barbell, holding it at arm's length, the weight pressing down but my augmented strength holding firm.

The rush of adrenaline surged through me as I lowered it back down, completing the set.