It felt like seconds later when I opened my eyes, blue light filtering in through the ice casing above me. I sat up from the dirt, my back cracking where I had lain on some sort of barb the night before.
"Good! You're finally awake! I was beginning to worry if you were dead," Aurora said cheerfully for the first time in a while. "You must locate the Leviathan Seed while the planet still has time, Rundas. If not, we may never find it!"
I stood and placed my hand on the makeshift igloo, absorbing the ice I had already manipulated. Soon the shelter was gone, and I stood, waiting for Aurora's orders.
"Well? Go on! Get going!" She called, and I started walking forward.
About twenty minutes later, I asked Aurora, "This Leviathan Seed should be easy to find, right? Aren't they huge?"
"I agree that Leviathan Seeds are large in stature and mass, and are very noticeable. But, you must know where to look, first." Aurora replied as I walked past a pool of yellow glowing goo.
"What is this stuff?" I said to myself as I scanned it.
"That is Fuel Gel," Unit 242 said before my scans were complete. "It is commonly used in modern starships in the cosmos. It is extremely rare, though worlds that produce it tend to be quiet prosperous. The exception to this is planet Bryyo, a Federation protectorate--and the largest supplier of Fuel Gel. Proceeds from Bryyonian gel sales go directly to the Federation military forces protecting that sector of space. The sheer value of Fuel Gel is very attractive, and has led to an uprise in piracy over the last twenty years. Today, raids on gel transport convoys are common, especially in frontier regions of space. The Galactic Federation has increased anti-piracy operations, and planets with Fuel Gel resources are protected by Federation fleets and ground forces."
"Interesting..." I muttered, reading the file from my screening. The Aurora Unit had recited it word for word, and I wondered if she had been on Bryyo before.
There was a soft beep. "My scans indicate that the Leviathan Seed is protected by a barrier shield."
"What does that mean?" I asked, stepping over a pool of Fuel Gel.
"It means that you cannot access or destroy the Seed while the barrier still stands. If you could somehow find a way to bring it down, then you could do some damage to it."
I stopped. "I'll have to worry about that later," I stared around the large room I was in as maroon colored creatures I hadn't studied before hopped into the perimeter. "these things don't look too happy to have me here."
I immediately began scanning one of them, the monsters prowling and glaring at me like I was prey. I shuffled around, making sure I could see each one of them. There were three fragile looking creatures, with four skinny legs that enabled their strange movement.
Scans were complete.
'Alpha Hoppers are characterized by their unique color and durable hide. They are highly territorial and will attack any creature who wanders too close to their nests. When hunting in packs, they will often keep their distance while others move in to attack at close range. Like all Hoppers, their legs end in sharp talons and can be used to shred through any prey that gets close enough.'
I read the entry, knowing that my powers would have a great advantage against these beasts.
I started hurling ice at the Alpha Hoppers. Two of them were instantly frozen, while another that was slightly bigger anticipated my attack. It leaped and tackled me, sending us both tumbling on the floor.
The Hopper was scratching up my helmet. I struggled to shake it off, yet it held me in its claws tightly. "Augh! Get off me!" I screamed, frantically kicking it as hard as I could.
This caused the Alpha Hopper to wildly slash at my PED Suit, metallic screeches resonating from my body. I twisted and writhed, but it continued its violent act.
"Enough!" I cried, and activated the Phazon Enhancement Device. I grinned at the familiar pinch in my spine, the small rush of air, and the chill that was running through my veins. My vision warped once again, everything but the Alpha Hopper on top of me becoming black and white. I experienced an adrenaline rush.
Energy Tank Injected
I yelled and manipulated ice onto my hand sharply, the end glittering in the blinding sunshine. I forced it up through the Alpha Hopper's body, slimy blood dripping onto my chest and down my arm. The creature fell limp, its breathing immediately ending.
I stood up and flung the corpse into a pool of Fuel Gel, steam rising up from the burning cadaver as it sank into the depths. I turned to the other Hoppers, who were breaking free of their ice casing. They shrieked when I shot giant chunks of ice mixed with Phazon at them.
The projectiles impacted, explosions of bright blue Phaazoid eating away the anatomies with fizzing sounds. The Alpha Hoppers cried again in pain, the sounds abruptly cutting off as they quickly died. I stomped to the center of the room, throwing up my arms and shooting Phazon in all directions as I spun around.
I hysterically laughed, my crazed voice echoing off the walls of the chamber. "None can defeat me!" I roared, feeling all powerful after easily destroying three tough Alpha Hoppers.
After a few moments of hearing my screams die away, I lowered my arms and stood quietly. My heart was slowing down from beating quickly out of pure excitement, and my breathing came in audible gasps. I had no idea why I suddenly went berserk. I stared downward at my feet, where the blue, acidic remains of the two Alpha Hoppers sat. What had I done?
"Rundas? Are you there? Is everything all right?" Aurora Unit 242 panicked inside my helmet, her friendly voice seemed unfamiliar. Like I'd never heard it before.
"Y-yeah. I'm still here." I stuttered, only loud enough for the machine to hear, but it sounded as if I were shouting.
"I lost our communication connection. Are you sure you're fine?"
I nodded, feeling as though I had been exposed, unseen eyes watching my every move. "Yes. Nothing went wrong." I twisted around the perimeter to see if anybody was observing me, a shiver running up and down my spine as I thought I glimpsed some dark colored movement.
"Then we shall resume the search for the Leviathan Seed. I suggest you proceed North, to Bryyo's Cliffside." Aurora said, the coordinates on a map of Bryyo appearing on the screen in my helmet. With one last search around the area, I climbed a stairway and opened a door, traveling down a narrow hallway.