Chapter-6 Shadows and Threshold
Delta Sector Outpost 7, Imperial , periphery
The sterile glow of holographic displays reflected in Valerius's eyes. He sat alone in the secondary analysis room, the outpost quiet around him during the deep hours of the third cycle. Data streams from the stealth drones near Grid 11, outpost perimeter sensors, and intercepted background chatter flowed across the screens, but his primary focus was internal. The System Interface overlaid his vision, displaying the relentless countdown.
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Thirty-seven days at this rate. Too slow. The Red Scorpions wouldn't wait that long, and the Sector Command fleet was still days away. Every instinct, amplified by the System's cold logic, told him the confrontation was imminent. Reaching the Wargod stage before the Scorpions made their main move wasn't just desirable; it could be the difference between survival and oblivion, between seizing glory and becoming another casualty statistic on a forgotten frontier world.
He needed another infusion from the geothermal vein in Sub-Level 4. But the outpost was on high alert. Security patrols were more frequent, sensor sweeps more rigorous. The risk had escalated significantly since his last excursion.
'System, analyze optimal ingress window for Sub-Level 4, Tunnel 7C, factoring in current security posture and operational tempo.'
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Elevated risk. A narrow twenty-five-minute window. It was tight, dangerous, but necessary. The potential reward – reaching Wargod – outweighed the peril.
At 02:25, Valerius slipped out of the analysis room, clad again in his light combat armor, helmet sealed. He moved through the corridors with practiced silence, his path guided by the System's real-time updates on patrol movements. He reached Maintenance Shaft 33-Delta undetected, bypassed the lock, and descended into the darkness.
Sub-Level 3 felt different tonight. The air hummed with a barely suppressed tension. He heard the distant tramp of boots – an unscheduled patrol? The System confirmed it: a roving security detail, deviating slightly from their standard route.
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Valerius melted into the designated alcove, a dark recess filled with dusty conduits, just as two M1-ranked guards rounded the corner, pulse rifles held ready. They swept their helmet lights down the corridor, the beams passing inches from his hiding spot. They paused, listening, then continued on their way. Valerius waited until their footsteps faded completely before emerging, his heart rate steady despite the close call. The nanites kept his physiological responses tightly controlled.
He reached the condemned access panel to Sub-Level 4, bypassed the lock again, and slipped through. The descent into the derelict level felt heavier this time, the silence more profound, the darkness more complete. He navigated the debris-strewn corridors, his multi-spectrum visor cutting through the gloom.
Reaching the partially blocked entrance to Tunnel 7C, he noted the debris seemed undisturbed. He squeezed through the opening he'd made previously and entered the tunnel leading to the geothermal cavern. The eerie green glow pulsed ahead, stronger than he remembered, the air thick with energized particles.
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He approached the fissure cautiously. Had the geothermal activity increased? Or was it simply natural fluctuation? He couldn't afford to linger regardless.
'System, initiate maximum energy absorption. Prioritize Wargod Threshold.'
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The influx of power was immediate, intense. A torrent compared to the river of the previous session. He felt his cells singing, soaking up the refined energy, the threshold to Wargod rushing closer with every second. The System overlay showed the progress bar filling rapidly.
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He gritted his teeth against the sheer intensity of the energy flow. This was addictive, this raw power. Suddenly, a new alert flashed.
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Something else down here? Deeper than the condemned levels? Another ancient remnant? A hidden outpost facility? Or something… else? He didn't have time to investigate now. The priority was the energy, the threshold.
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He pushed the absorption for another precious minute, the radiation warnings intensifying, before reluctantly cutting the main siphon field. Nineteen cycles. Less than three standard weeks. He could potentially reach Wargod before the Sector Command fleet even arrived.
He retreated swiftly, squeezing back through the debris, his movements urgent but controlled. He navigated the dark corridors of Sub-Level 4, the anomalous energy signature logged but ignored for now. He ascended Shaft 33-Delta, sealed the panel, and retraced his steps through Sub-Level 3, encountering no further patrols.
Back in his quarters at 02:53, just within the window, he stripped off the armor, feeling the potent energy thrumming beneath his skin. He had taken a significant risk, but the reward was immense. The Wargod stage, once a distant aspiration, was now within tangible reach.
As he initiated a low-level refinement cycle to stabilize the absorbed energy, his official datapad chimed. An urgent, encrypted update from Commander Vorlag, forwarded from the stealth drones near Grid 11.
Valerius read the message, his expression hardening. The Scorpions were making their move. The feint was beginning. Soon, the outpost's defenses, and his tactical plans, would be tested. And soon, very soon, he might just have the power of a Wargod to bring to the fight. The shadows were stirring, both within the outpost and within himself.