Chapter -54: The Unblinking Eyes Decends

Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery

The final hours before the deep-penetration scan beneath Outpost 7 were a masterclass in controlled tension. Valerius felt it in every subtle shift of the outpost's energy grid, every hushed conversation between Navy technicians, every sweep of his own heightened Spatial Sense. The second scanner unit, a behemoth of advanced Imperial technology, was fully assembled in its shielded hangar bay, humming with latent power, an unblinking eye preparing to turn its gaze downwards.

Investigator Thorne returned from Moon 7C via express shuttle, her expression grim and unreadable. She immediately convened with Lieutenant Commander Jian and the Navy engineering chiefs overseeing the scanner. Valerius, through the System's passive monitoring of secure comms channels he had carefully gained limited access to, learned that the initial deep scan of the Omega Chamber on the moon had confirmed a vast, heavily shielded Precursor containment vault, but the 'Omega-734' signal remained undeciphered, and the nature of what was (or had been) contained was still a mystery. Thorne's priority was now to determine if the resonance-linked anomaly beneath Outpost 7 could shed any light on the moon's secrets.

Valerius retreated to his quarters, the news doing little to ease his apprehension. He ran a final diagnostic on the unstable plasma core's dampening case – still stable, still hidden. He then immersed himself in Wargod energy consolidation, ensuring his own signature was as smooth and unremarkable as possible, projecting only the disciplined energy of a High-Level Warrior. Any fluctuation, any hint of his true power, could be disastrous under the scanner's scrutiny.

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Maintaining distance would be difficult if Jian followed through on his suggestion that Valerius be present during the scan.

His door chimed. It was a Navy orderly. "Lieutenant Valerius, Lieutenant Commander Jian requests your presence in Auxiliary Control Center Bravo in one hour. Investigator Thorne will also be present. Subject: Commencement of Sub-Level Anomaly Scan."

One hour. The summons had come.

Valerius acknowledged, his mind already racing. Auxiliary Control Bravo was adjacent to the primary engineering sections, likely chosen for its direct data feeds from the scanner. He would be in close proximity to Thorne, Jian, and, inevitably, Kaelen, who would undoubtedly be invited to observe the results of the investigation he had so persistently pushed for.

He spent the remaining hour in intense mental preparation, the System running simulations of potential questions, scenarios, and data interpretations. He reviewed every detail of his fabricated explanations for the battle anomalies, ensuring consistency. He practiced projecting an aura of professional curiosity, masking the cold dread that threatened to surface.

Arriving at Auxiliary Control Bravo, Valerius found it already bustling. Navy technicians monitored complex consoles displaying preliminary diagnostic readouts from the scanner, which was now being moved via heavy lifters towards its designated deployment point above Sub-Level 4. Investigator Thorne stood at a central holographic display, her sharp eyes scanning data streams. Lieutenant Commander Jian was beside her, and as Valerius predicted, Lieutenant Kaelen stood slightly apart, his expression a mixture of anticipation and vindication.

"Lieutenant Valerius," Jian greeted him. "Thank you for joining us. The scanner deployment is proceeding on schedule. We anticipate commencing the initial low-power sweep within the next thirty minutes."

Thorne turned, her gaze fixing on Valerius. "Lieutenant, your familiarity with the outpost's lower-level sensor logs, particularly any previously recorded anomalies, may be useful in correlating the scanner's findings. Lieutenant Kaelen has already provided his extensive notes on certain… irregularities."

Kaelen nodded curtly towards Valerius, a faint, almost triumphant gleam in his eyes.

Valerius inclined his head. "I will assist in any way I can, Investigator." He took a position at a peripheral console, giving him a clear view of the main display but keeping him slightly removed from the central group. He activated his Spatial Sense, subtly mapping the room, the energy signatures of those present, the powerful thrum of the nearby scanner unit as it was maneuvered into place.

The main display flickered, then resolved into a schematic of Outpost 7's lower levels. A new icon appeared – Scanner Unit Two, positioned directly above the area where Valerius knew the geothermal vein and the anomaly lay.

"Scanner Unit Two in position," a technician announced. "Initiating power-up sequence for low-intensity geological survey sweep."

Valerius watched, his Wargod energy tightly leashed, his mind a fortress of calm. The unblinking eye of the scanner began to power up, its potent sensors preparing to descend through the rock and ferrocrete, layer by layer, towards the secrets hidden in the darkness below. Towards the anomaly. Towards the geothermal vein he had used. Towards potential exposure. The wait was over. The revelation was about to begin.