Amassing a war chest for taking down the titans was a...rather painstaking affair. See, to help with fighting the titans, you could build mecha (called Meks, because a more interesting name really wasn't important here) with swords, guns, rockets, and so on. Problem was, getting those required a high level and lots of rare resources beyond element. We'd had to go out and find gacha (sloth creatures that, like the gachapon machines they were named after, randomly dropped out valuable materials after being fed things) in the hope of expediting the process - somehow, it worked. Of course, then we had to get people trained on how to use those meks, and build tech fabricators to properly assemble those mecha. ARGH!

Don't get me started on how we got enough food for the gacha - especially since they preferred to eat giant owl pellets. WHY?! Why did they prefer to eat things that were literally bird barf? Just...why?

There were a lot of other interesting things we did - collect more survivors, battle the corrupted, collect more tames - but I think by this point you got the drill. We came, we saw, we tamed, befriend, killed, or conquered. IT was getting repetitive. And I knew that I had brought this on myself to relieve boredom, but boredom was still boredom.

So, idly, I turned my attention elsewhere - being partially made of software had its perks.

XXXXX

Most of the new arrivals from that portal storm incident were now safely accounted for across the hub. I'd gotten to work setting up some interim housing for them, but dealing with them in the long term was going to be an issue. Not because I didn't want to do so, but rather because I wasn't sure if I'd be able to send home those who wanted to go wherever home was. Be it For Honor Earth, a galaxy far, far away, or Barsoom, I didn't exactly have an address book for their homes. As is, I would need to consider settling them in the hub until such a time where I could send them back to where they originated from, assuming they didn't decide that staying here was better.

Speaking of which, I was already drafting up plans for who to settle where once I wrapped up operations in the ARK universe. I'd already set aside some desert accomodations for those I'd acquired in Scorched Earth, but I'd also put consideration into where the Vortigaunts might stay - I'd accessed the ARKs' computer network via Fide and found that the system had acquired a few additional critters from Xen, alongside some plants. Given that I had access to floatstone, I'd probably be able to create an artificial Xen area somewhere on the hub in due time. If nothing else, I'd make it because the look was cool.

Fun fact about examining the ARK network - looking through it all, I discovered a ton of beings from other universes who were either already here or awaiting to be summoned if the system felt their intervention to be necessary. Just a few of those targets had caught my attention: holon pilots for the gen:Lock program. Simulation Troopers for Project Freelancer. Humans who lived inside of walls on an island called Paradis. Humans htat could turn into weapons that ate souls that grew stronger when working with another human. Workers strugglning to maintain a generator on a frozen Earth. Twenty four teenagers sent to battle in an arena for the glory of a city full of hte rich and powerful. Those who remained on Earths that were ravaged by zombies. This system looked long into the future. It even had links to YorHa androids, to my immense surprise. Were androids event compatible with the ARK implants?

Oh, and it turned out that the warnings I'd received from the Underseer had been underselling things - the element outbreak had hit multiple other universes. So far there was just the one where the dominant power in America was called Panem and the one the Holon pilots originated from, but there were research reports indicating that there were other worlds that the element could easily spread to, which was not exactly a good thing.

Now, what else could I do?

XXXXX

From her position nearby the commander, M4 observed for threats - she was not willing to allow her de-facto commander to be harmed by anyone within the confines of camp. None had dared to attack so far, but the strange looks the Sangvis Ferri ringleaders were giving him was putting M4 on edge, especially since they were the entire reason she was on guard right now.

M4 only slightly relaxed her guard when the SF dolls finally decided to speak.

"What's he doing?" Asked the one known as Architect.

"Thinking," was the Griffin Doll's reply. "And communicating with his Allie's and subordinates."

Gager raised an eyebrow. "How can a human do that? He has no radios or other means of communications."

"Maybe he's psychic?"

M4 actually smirked at that. "He is, but that's not how he communicates."

"Really/What?!"

M4 would treasure the memory of the flustered ringleaders for all time. "It's a long story. I have some footage that will help with that."

XXXXX

A few minutes later...

"...Oh. I see."

If that was the best retort that Sangvis Ferri could come up with, then it really was a mystery how they were keeping Griffin at bay.

"So your Commander - for lack of better term - is a cyborg who rules an empire of multiple planets in another universe?" questioned Gager.

"Yes. And it seems that at the moment, you are his allies of convenience. And are still below the alien monsters in the hierarchy of this tribe."

Gager would've tried to blast M4 for that smart remark, but her gun had run out of battery power. A pity, especially since there were quite a few more foes to vanquish.

"So it would seem. But once this alliance ends-"

"Do you think it will end soon?"

That caught both Sangvis Dolls off guard. Turing their gazes toward M4, Destroyer and Gager both gestured for her to continue.

"The Commander has no way to send us back home. And I'm not sure Agent would respond kindly to learning that you worked with an enemy and a human to survive. So as it, not only does it seem that our alliance will last longer than you are expecting, but I don't think it's in your best interests to break it."

Gager quirked an eyebrow. "Are you implying that you'd miss us?"

"Not at all. Merely giving you some advice on your options."

XXXXX

AN: Gonna try and finish this arc up before October ends. If you have any thoughts on this chapter that aren't flames, they would be appreciated. Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!