As the last portal closed, I sighed. My exit from the Gal Civ universe was complete. The last of my extra forces had either retreated or been scrapped, barring those guarding the few territories I had colonized. The majority of my assets had been sold off, barring the few I was keeping as a set of nest eggs for the future. If I returned to this universe, I might as well have some way to start influencing it without my Commander. Always keep you options varied.

Already, I'd finished integrating my new acquisitions into my tech-base, once again increasing my already overpowered units forces into an even deadlier force. At this point, I would be surprised if anyone could give me a halfway decent fight. The way things were going, I'd be practically invincible soon enough. I say practically because saying you are invincible is just asking the universe to prove you wrong.

Idly, I wondered what Melissa was doing. Probably something crazy, though I wouldn't be surprised if she was doing something incredibly banal. She seemed to be the kind of person who wouldn't mind doing either.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Achoo. Did someone just think about me?"

Confused by her sudden sneeze, the ROB failed to notice the grenades approaching her.

"..Huh-FUUUUU-"

BOOM!

Instantly, gobblers flew around, messily smearing the corridor with blood and viscera.

Meanwhile, Melissa could only scowl as her screen turned toward her killer, who was busy pulling up his crotch armor to show the paper smily face taped there.

"CURSE YPU, P1rate! You will pay for that!"

"Stow it and get back on the Payload!" Shouted one of her teammates. "We're almost at the end!"

"...Fine."

XXXXXXXXX

Eh, probably nothing I needed to worry about.

That being said, before I visited my next universe, I decided that I would take one more look at the memories hidden aboard my Commander. At this point, I just wanted to know more about Melissa. If it somehow provided me insight as to what the artifacts were showing me, all the better.

So, once more, I pulled up the videos hidden in my Commander, selected the next one in the sequence, and hit play.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The screen initially started out blank, before switching into a room filled with computers: monitors, wires, cables, etc. I wasn't sure whether I should call it a cyber café or a computer lab. Sitting at one of the terminals was Celm, of all people.

THe sound of an automated door registered to my sensors just before Melissa entered my view, staring at her superior, who stopped his work on the computer and examined his guest.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

"I've finished reading up on our chosen subject. NOt really got much to say about him, other than that he looks kinda thin."

"He's still on the healthy weight range for his age."

"Barely. Otherwise, though, he is an excellent candidate. Do we really have to go with someone so young, though?"

"Why? Would you have preferred someone older?"

"Yes. As for why, well, I know young people are more open minded, but shouldn't we choose someone whose had time to deal with life and hardships? I mean, someone his age might not be prepared for the horror they could encounter on this mission."

"True, but someone who is older may also be too jaded and cynical for them to function here. Commanders do best when they are chosen from those who are young and idealistic, but not too much so. True, this journey could break him, but it could also make him stronger."

"Not sure why that matters. No offense meant, it's just that you make it sound like this will benefit him should he go back to his ordinary life, but this journey is a one way trip - once he's on it, he can never go back home. Well, he could, but he'll be too changed to fit in."

"Indeed. Still, these Commanders have helped out so much of creation. It would be foolish of us to not help others."

"That's just a secondary goal to your aims, though, right? I know you want him to help you find Progenitor technology across the multiverse."

"I do, but this is a nice bonus."

"Fair enough, but can I still mess with him?"

"If it does not compromise his ability to carry out the primary objective of this project, do what you wish. Though please, I implore you to finish this conversation - I still have information left to input on our new subject."

"Don't worry, I won't break him. No fun if I do. Honestly, my interference might actually be beneficial - maybe he'll get prepared to face the hurdles that will inevitably show up."

"Perhaps it may..."

"...Well, goodbye sir."

"Farewell."

With that, Melissa left the room. Celm returned to his work, but oddly, he now seemed rather somber, much to my surprise.

"...Though even with your help, those hurdles may prove too high to overcome."

With that, he finished entering whatever he was working on, saved, and signed out.

The video ended their, but to my surprise, as it finished, it pulled up more data on itself, including views of the computer Celm was working on. Curious, I examined the one that showed Celm's monitor, then magnified it so the text on the screen was legible.

Most of it appeared to be about me. Unsurprising, given his reasoning for asking Melissa to leave. What was surprising, though, was that all that data was saved under a file named Flameal15k...and above it were six other files, named, in order, N3ptun3, 5trata, Aur0ra, Pla2ma, Mar4uder, and Ste77ar. That instantly picked up my attention: what were those for? I thought I was the only one with a Commander for these ROBs. Were they victims of other Random Omnipotent Bastards? Perhaps they were other potential subjects who had been considered before me? WHAT WERE THEY!?

Instantly, I knew I had to know what these names referred to. Of course, that proved to be a problem - how was I supposed to access those files? I didn't even know where to look-OHGODAPORTALOPENEDRIGHTNEXTTOME!

A moment later, a parcel floated through. I reflexively shot it with Soulfire, before mentally berating myself for using an attack only effective against organics on an object that was most definitely not alive. recovering my mental faculties, I quickly scanned the object, and when the results came back as harmless, I quickly opened up the parcel, revealing its contents to be a piece of paper, of all things. On it were what appeared to be a set of directions. Confused, I started reading from the top:

Just happened to see you watching those videos. I know what you're looking for, so follow these directions. I have some...issues with Celempheros, so I assure you that you can trust me here.

….OK...Part of me wanted to just bunr the paper, but ultimately, curiosity (and a coin toss) conviced me to follow the directions which were:

1. Build a human sized floating fabrication drone.

Done.

2. Send the drone through the portal.

Okay.

3. Go down the Aquarium hallway. Do not get too close too the walls - the crabsnakes can't break the glass, but the noise of them trying may attract unwanted attention.

So Celm had visited the Subnautica Universe? Cool.

Also, good advice.

4. You'll reach a room filled with wires. This is the junction for the main server room in this facility. Before you ask, it's Celm's personal base. There should be a terminal on one of the walls. Access it, and enter the following:

Username: N45tyG1rl

Password: Ap0calyps3%

Well, that was easy. Also, who goes by the username 'Nasty Girl'?

5. You'll see the normal desktop open up. Select Projects, then go under 'Progenitor Reclamation Initiative'.

Doing that. Also, now I had a name for Celm's overall goal with me.

6. You'll need to do some searching around here to find your target information. Sorry I can't help. Look at step 7 once you find what you are looking for.

To be honest, help wasn't needed here - I could remember what I had seen in the video, and I knew what word to look under to find those names. Granted, it wasn't a word in any alphabet I had ever seen.

AN: Not posting the word anytime soon, still not sure what it should be, but it is in an alien alphabet

One click later, and I found what I was looking for.

7. Right Click the first name, then select bring to main data.

….okay, I'll do that-OHGODTHEDRONEJUSTGOTTELEPORTEDSOMEWHERENEW!

For a moment I hyperventilated, before quickly calming down. Taking in a moment to examine my surroundings, I found myself in a dark room that resembled an art gallery of sorts, or maybe a museum. Only problem was that I couldn't see or determine what the exhibits were, except that they were, well, big - the room actually had a monorail to travel between the exhibits, of which there were six.

8. You're in a room that looks like an art gallery. There should be terminals in front of each 'exhibit'. Examine them - they aren't protected by any security.

Wow, this list really knew what I was thinking. Anyway, I did what it said and accessed the first terminal.

SUBJECT: N3ptun3

Real Name: CLASSIFIED

Age: Classified

Gender: Female

Viable Candidate for Initiative: Yes

Successful in completing mission objectives: No

Status: Deceased.

Hold on, deceased? How had they died? Was Celm responsible?

Maybe the next screen would provide more information?

Quickly, I gloated the drone over to that one (no need to use the monorial when I could fly silently) and activated it.

SUBJECT: 5trata

Real Name: CLASSIFIED

Age: Classified

Gender: Male

Viable Candidate for Initiative: Yes

Successful in completing mission objectives: No

Status: Deceased.

He's also deceased? What gives? Who killed them?!

I was starting to get worried. Was Celm far less benevolent than I believed?

I swiftly moved onto the third display and activated it.

SUBJECT: Aur0ra

Real Name: CLASSIFIED

Age: Classified

Gender: Female

Viable Candidate for Initiative: Yes

Successful in completing mission objectives: No

Status: Deceased.

At this point, I had gone from worry to panic. I fast as possible without being too loud, I examined the rest of the displays, only to find that the results were the same. Apparently, all of these candidates were dead.

Less horrifyingly, they were evenly split on the gender ratio.

Why were they dead, though? Celm clearly had no reason to off them, and I doubt he would just casually murder people for fun - it didn't match up with what I had seen so far. Had some of his subordinates merely grown bloodthirsty? Was their a new conspiracy brewing back home? Just what was going on?

Searching for answers, I found myself looking back at the list I had been provided.

9. There's one more terminal at the back of the room. If you need more answers, use that.

Indeed, there was one more terminal, this one close to what I realized was the only mundane entrance to this exhibit. Acitvating it, I found that if offered three different options:

SHOW PICTURES

LIST LOCATIONS OF DEATH

TURN ON LIGHTS

Making a mental note to scan the area before using the last option, I selected the first one. Instantly, pictures of the subjects appeared on each of the six terminals I had already visited. Aside from some impossible hair colors, they were nothing out of the ordinary.

That should have been clue number one.

Still confused, I selected option two. Once again, a new tidbit of information appeared on each display, this one listing the location of the candidate's demise. The one I bothered to read said 'Universe B2A4'.

That one started throwing off alarm bells in my head, but unfortunately, it still did not offer a satisfactory explanation for my question.

Sighing in the safety of my hubworld, I did a scan encompassing a sphere with a mile radius from my drone's location, and, finding nothing dangerous, selected option three.

One by one, the lights came back on, and slowly, I saw each of the six exhibits. As each appeared, I felt my heart sink, for I recognized their forms.

After all, as a fan of Planetary Annihilation, its pretty hard not to recognize six different commanders, even if they are clearly dead.

I could only stare on at them in horror for a few moments, before some force managed to pull me away from my gawking and look at my list where, surprisingly, their was one last instruction.

10. Turn Around.

My drone did just that. Instantly, my heart skipped a few beats, to the point an automated health drone moved into my room in case I entered Cardiac Arrest.

In the Hall of Dead Commanders, my drone now stared at a woman. One who I had recognized.

She had been at Melissa's birthday, and she had not strayed too far from Celm.

So, with nicety percent certainty, it appeared that mine drone had been caught snooping around Celm's base by his wife.

...I was so screwed...

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!