Looking around, there didn't seem to be anything else that would help me.
"Cortana, what is the status of the power generators?"
"The power generators seem to be non-functioning. From the information I can gather, the normal generators are at 10% capacity. The emergency solar generators still seem to be mostly functional. However, the automatic systems meant to engage the panels have failed. Manual intervention is required to deploy them."
I nodded, trying to absorb the information. "So, we need to get those solar generators working to stabilize our power supply?"
"Correct," Cortana replied. "Stabilizing the power supply is crucial for maintaining our systems and ensuring our survival. The solar generators are our best bet. We need to find the solar arrays."
An intense pain shot through my head. I doubled over, clutching my temples as a searing light flashed before my eyes.
"Cortana... what's happening?" I managed to gasp out, my voice barely more than a whisper.
Before she could respond, the pain intensified, and I felt a strange, almost electric surge coursing through my body. Images and fragments of memories began flooding my mind, blending with the here and now.
Scenes of the cosmos flew past my eyes. A sense of familiarity resonated. I'd seen this before. The stars flew past me, slowly at first, then gaining speed until they were just streaks of light. The lights slowly congregated, meshing until suddenly there was stillness.
In the midst of this cosmic vision, a platform emerged below me. Echoes of a conversation filtered through my ears, faint but growing clearer.
Voices intertwined, their words blending into a symphony of purpose and destiny. I strained to catch every word, feeling the gravity of their message. The platform solidified beneath my feet, and I found myself standing in a place that seemed both alien and strangely familiar.
A brilliant, glowing figure appeared before me, radiating an aura of immense power. The Forge Master. It didn't speak in words, but I understood this was what I saw before waking up. Fragments of our conversation began to return. He had asked me questions, like I was filling out a questionnaire.
"What would you do if you had the power to create anything?"
"What would you create?"
"How would your creations affect the world?"
These were some of the questions I could remember. There was one last question, one that I used to ask my friends: "If you could go to any fictional world, what would it be?"
The memory of that question hit me like a punch to the gut. In the haze of my answers, I had chosen. The Forge Master had nodded, a silent agreement forming between us, and then the vision had faded.
I lay on the cold floor of the facility as the reality of my situation began to crystallize. The pain started to subside, replaced by a sense of calm. A part of me realized that something hidden in the recesses of my mind had been revealed. Closing my eyes, I focused inward. Stars blossomed around me, forming constellations. I knew that each constellation represented a branch in the creation process, but not the specifics.
The celestial map was both beautiful and overwhelming. I could sense the potential within each constellation, a network of possibilities waiting to be unlocked. This was the power granted to me by the Celestial Forge, a gift to aid me on this journey.
Two small motes of light orbited around me. I knew that these two motes of light were charges that would connect me to the constellations around me. I had a sense that they were used before, but they couldn't connect to anything. A new memory surfaced, and I remembered being told that Cortana was being gifted to me, but with restrictions. I had to build a proper housing unit for her, otherwise, most of her capabilities would remain locked.
"Cortana," I whispered, "your full capabilities are restricted, aren't they?"
"Yes," Cortana confirmed. "Without a proper housing unit, I am operating at minimal capacity."
The two motes of light continued to orbit around me, waiting for the next opportunity. Although they couldn't connect to any constellations right now, I knew that the potential was there. I just needed to keep moving forward and be ready for when the next roll came.
When I opened my eyes, the cold floor seemed less daunting. I pushed myself up, feeling a determination to make the most of the gifts that I would be granted.
"Let's find those solar arrays, Cortana. We have work to do."
With renewed vigor and a clearer sense of purpose, we set out, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
The hallway outside the orientation room was dimly lit, with flickering lights casting eerie shadows on the cracked walls. Debris littered the floor, and strange plant growths crept through the crevices, adding to the sense of abandonment and decay.
"Cortana, can you map out a route to the solar arrays?" I asked, keeping my voice low as I moved cautiously through the corridor.
"I can access a partial map of the facility," Cortana replied. "However, due to the extensive damage, some sections might be impassable. We'll need to navigate carefully."
We moved cautiously, avoiding sections that seemed unstable. In some areas, I had to carefully climb over rubble or duck under exposed pipes. The journey was slow and tense, but with Cortana's guidance, we made steady progress.
At one point, we came across a shattered control panel, its wires hanging loosely. I paused, inspecting it for any clues about the facility's condition.
"This panel might still have some functional components," Cortana noted. "You could try to salvage the components they may become useful later on."
"Any suggestions?" I asked, glancing at the flickering screen.
I nodded and began to carefully dismantle the control panel, prying open the casing with the multi-tool I found earlier. Inside, I spotted several circuit boards that seemed mostly intact, along with a few lengths of usable wiring.
"These should do," I muttered, gently extracting the components and tucking them into my backpack. "Anything else we can use here?"
"That should be sufficient for now. We need to keep moving," Cortana advised. "The structural integrity of this area is questionable at best."
After what felt like hours, we reached a section that appeared more stable. The corridor was less cluttered, and the air felt slightly fresher.
"Cortana, can you verify our current location?" I asked, taking a moment to catch my breath.
"We're nearing the main elevator shaft. It appears to be heavily damaged, but there should be a maintenance ladder nearby that leads to the upper levels."
Upon reaching the elevator shaft, the doors were closed. Looking around, I searched for anything that could be used as a pry bar to open them up. Finally, I spotted some pipes above me. I figured I could try to break one loose and use it to pry the doors open.
I scanned the corridor, trying to find anything that could help raise me up to the ceiling. My eyes landed on a stack of old, rusted crates and a few pieces of debris that looked sturdy enough to support my weight.
I began stacking the crates carefully, making sure each one was stable before adding the next. Once I had a good base, I started placing the debris pieces on top, creating a makeshift ladder to the ceiling. Testing each step cautiously, I made my way up to the pipes.
Reaching the top, I grabbed onto one of the pipes and started working it loose. Suddenly, a new mote of light blossomed into existence, throwing off my concentration and causing my makeshift ladder to start shaking. My balance wavered dangerously, and I almost fell to the ground. Quickly, I tightened my grip on the pipe and focused on stabilizing myself. Sense the three motes of light flare I refocused on the task at hand.
using my multi-tool to help break the connections. After a few tense moments, the pipe came free with a loud creak. I carefully climbed back down, clutching the pipe tightly.
"Got it," I said, landing back on the floor with a thud.
A spike of pain flashed through my head, bringing with it new information. Memories surged before my eyes, revealing a life I had once lived. I had been an academic, deeply engrossed in research on antimatter. I remembered meticulously studying it and understanding why it had been banned: it involved the extensive manipulation of chaos itself.
In those memories, I learned that antimatter could be controlled using AMP. The degree of control was limited, allowing me to stop time for only five seconds. However, the drawback was severe; it wasn't just energy that was drained—my movements were significantly reduced afterward. I recalled trying this experiment two more times in quick succession, leaving myself completely drained of all energy. The experiment showed me that with significant support from an ancient AMP, antimatter could be managed. But it was also clear why it was banned: the potential for evolution into something far more powerful and dangerous was immense.
I shook my head, trying to clear the remnants of the vision. The new knowledge was both a blessing and a curse. Being able to stop time, even if limited, would be a great help, but without access to ancient AMP, this new knowledge seemed useless.
Looking inward, I noticed that two motes of light had now disappeared. The constellation to my right, which had given me this new knowledge, became clearer. It revealed itself as one pertaining to Skills, specifically Magitech.
Focusing back on the task at hand, I positioned the pipe between the elevator doors and started to pry them open. The metal groaned in protest, but slowly, the doors began to give way.
With one final push, the doors slid open, revealing the dark, empty elevator shaft beyond. I peered inside, the shaft stretching up into darkness and down into an abyss.
"The maintenance ladder should be on the right side," Cortana said. "Be careful."
I carefully swung myself into the shaft, my hands finding the cold, metal rungs of the maintenance ladder. The chill of the metal sent a shiver up my spine as I tightened my grip and began the ascent. Each step felt deliberate and heavy, the reality of the situation weighing on me. The darkness of the shaft seemed to swallow me, the faint light from the corridor barely penetrating the void.
The ladder creaked under my weight, and I moved slowly, testing each rung before trusting it fully. My muscles strained with each pull, my breath echoing slightly in the confined space.
"Cortana, keep an eye out for any structural weaknesses as we go up," I said, my voice a whisper against the oppressive silence.
"Understood," she replied. "I'll monitor our progress and alert you to any issues."
As I climbed, the air grew colder and slightly fresher, a sign that we were getting closer to the surface. The metal rungs were slick with condensation, making each step precarious. The faint, musty smell of the shaft mixed with a distant, salty tang, like the scent of the ocean, urging me onward.
The climb was grueling, each rung feeling like an immense effort. I paused occasionally to catch my breath, the exertion and tension taking their toll. The silence was punctuated only by the occasional creak of the ladder and the distant groans of the facility's structure.
A few times, loose debris dislodged from above, falling past me into the abyss below. Each time, my heart skipped a beat, the echoes of the falling rubble a stark reminder of the height and danger.
"Cortana, any signs of instability?" I asked during one of my brief rests.
"Nothing immediate," she replied. "But proceed with caution. The shaft appears structurally sound for now."
The scent of the ocean grew stronger as I climbed higher, the salty air a stark contrast to the stale atmosphere inside the facility. It was a small comfort, a reminder that the outside world still existed beyond this crumbling structure.
After what felt like an eternity, I reached a hatch above me. With a final surge of effort, I pushed it open, a rush of fresher air mixed with the unmistakable scent of the sea hitting my face. I climbed through the opening and collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.
"We're getting close," Cortana said. "The solar arrays should be just ahead."