Habitat 7 and the Nexus
Hey there folks, hope you all are having a good day and hope you're ready for another chapter. But first, I want to let you all know I started working a couple weeks ago (started writing, June 21 2023) so I don't know if it will slow things down or speed them up. It definitely depends on certain things. Anyway let's get straight into this.
Codex:
Normal: Hello
Thoughts 'hello'
Turian and Biju: hello
Communicator call/AI: Hello
Intercoms: "This, is KJNS"
Naruto looked up as they arrived at the hall leading to the bridge. The hall leading to it was massive with two smaller ones on both sides. There was a smaller door in the center that Naruto assumed was the bridge. The walls were lined with large amounts of holo-art of previous leaders and landscapes from around the world. "Wow, pretty extravagant." He said as he walked out with everyone. "Yeah, it's pretty impressive. Though you should have seen some of the other spots on Earth." Vidara told him, remembering her time in Italy.
They exited the tram lift and walked towards the bridge. "Just a quick heads up, the Pathfinder can be… a little strict." Sarah warns Naruto before they get to the bridge. Opening the door, they saw multiple people hurrying around trying to get things back online. They go to the front where two people are arguing. The first was a man of Asian descent in a black and red version of the clothes they were currently wearing. (Asian Alec Ryder) "Good, you're here. It's good to see you're up and around. I look forward to seeing what you can do when we get down there. Welcome to habitat 7, also supposedly supposed to be called "new earth"." Alec said before pointing at a planet below them.
Naruto and Sarah looked at said planet and were astonished, though for two separate reasons. Naruto was astonished because he was looking at another planet. A concept foreign to him as most never thought about it back in his day. Sarah was astonished because the planet was different from initial scans. "Somethings wrong, it's not how it's supposed to be. Those storms seem to be destroying the planet's surface and ecosystem." Sarah said, pulling up the scans from before they left. The contrast was stark in comparison, as the planet was green and lush with large patches of oceans.
Naruto frowned upon seeing this before trying to feel the planet's Chakra, only to recoil in disgust. "Ugh, yeah definitely not a good idea." Naruto muttered to himself, shaking his head to rid his mind of the horrible feeling. Vidara noticed all this and decided to ask the question on her mind. "Something wrong Naruto? It seemed like you tried something, then it looked as if you tasted or smelled something horrible." She asked, getting the attention of the others. Naruto nodded, a frown on his face. "Yeah, you could say that. My people had the ability to feel and manipulate the energies of the environment around us. We called it Chakra. Over time people learned to sense it and use it for incredible feats of power. It was as natural to use as breathing in some cases, while others needed to work hard to harness it. I just tried to get a feel of the planet's Chakra just now, and it felt disgusting. Like wading through sludge, waist deep in a sewer." He explained, shivering at the memory and turning a little green.
Most blanched at that, finding the analogy rather disgusting. "In other words, shit hit the fan sometime between the original scan and our arrival. So much so that the planet's energies and environment were corrupted and thrown completely out of balance." Alec said, getting a nod from Naruto, signaling he had summed it up perfectly. "Anything else you could tell us about how it feels? From the reports I was able to read before departure, this Chakra stuff had elements. Though I thought, and still do to an extent, that this was some crazy mumbo jumbo to entertain kids and spook would be criminals." he asked, wanting to know what kind of shit show he was getting his team into.
Naruto thought for a moment about how to describe it. "It's like trying to touch metal after it's been hit by a lightning jutsu. As if magnetized but even more dangerous. Like if it was toxic and too heavy to be near or touched. Then there is the air chakra, ugh, definitely toxic as hell." Naruto said, shaking his head. "Overall I'd say we're walking into a shit storm. I'd recommend you employ whatever safety protocols you have to avoid casualties, And I recommend an attack on sight for anything living on that planet. I can sense nothing but hostility on the planet. Like whoever is living here wants nothing but to purge anything or anyone not like them." He told Alec with seriousness in his voice.
Alec and the others were shocked but deep in thought. This wasn't going to be an easy trip to the planet's surface if what Naruto was saying is true. "Harper, Ryder, change of protocol. I want the ships ready for magnetic damage and potential wildcard events. And bring heavy firepower with the hostile planet protocol marking. I want everyone to come home as healthy as possible. I've never been one to take unnecessary chances when available Intel is far and few between like this, And I'm not about to start now. Oh, and Sarah, get Mr. Uzumaki suited up with Scott's armor since he won't be able to use it right now." Alec ordered, breaking them from their thoughts. Sarah and Cora lead Naruto to the tram which would take them to the armory. Alec then turned his attention to Vidara who was looking back and watching Naruto leave. "Miss Kija, please have Cryo prepare for the dethawing processes of Mr. Uzumaki's comrades. I want to know everything about that day that created Antarctica." He said, getting a nod from the Turian who also left. Alec stood there for a moment more before leaving to get ready himself.
30 minutes later, Hyperion Armory
Sarah closed the locker door as she finished putting her armor on and helping Naruto with his. Though she had a slight blush on her face. This was because, apparently, the crotch portion of the armor didn't 'fit' him properly. 'So that's why they fit us before armor commissions are done like that. Though I didn't want to know that fact about my own brother, especially not because someone else has a bigger one than him.' Sarah thought to herself before heading to the weapon's rack to grab a standard-issue M-3 predator. While not the most powerful or the fastest to fire, it was more reliable in differing climates and was more resistant to temperature change. She also grabbed something for Naruto, an M-23 Katana with a barrel choke on it.
She tossed the inactive gun to him, which he caught with complete ease. He put his hand on the grip and it unfolded to reveal its active form. "That's an M-23 Katana, I figured since you don't have any practice with shooting a gun, that this would be a reasonable choice to help get you started. Better to guarantee a hit, than to miss every shot." She told him before placing the pistol on her hip, causing it to fold up on itself. Naruto did the same thing and watched with amazement as his gun did the same.
Cora nodded at Sarah's logic, as it made sense to her. "A smart decision Ryder. Though I don't like that we have to do it, a shotgun tends to be a Rookie shooter's best friend in bad situations. Uzumaki, the best advice I can give you right now is this. Keep the part with the barrel pointed at hostiles and watch the blowback. While they don't have the kickback that higher caliber ones have, it's still got some. So keep a good grip on it and don't point it at yourself or nearby allies and you'll get it in no time." She said before heading to the door towards the docking bay. "Grab your helmets and don't forget to visit the Pathfinder's good luck rock." Cora told them before continuing her path.
Naruto looked at Sarah before shaking his head. "Might as well, knowing my luck with missions, we'll need all the luck we can get." Naruto sighed, getting Sarah to giggle a bit. "Oh, how bad could it be?" Sarah asked, causing the rest of the room to listen in.
Naruto deadpanned at this before turning to her. "Remember me and the doctor's conversation earlier, I could tell you were listening. That mission went from something as simple as escorting a bridge builder home and guarding him from bandits to fucking fubar with a high-rank shinobi and his psychotic boss of the day with rape and betrayal on said boss's mind. Trust me, my luck is as twisted as a pretzel when it comes to making simple missions go to Fubar." Naruto said before walking over to the helmet rack and grabbing two helmets, one in his size and one that had Sarah's name etched into it.
Everyone paused what they were doing for a moment before heading for the good luck rock. A common thought going through everyone's mind. 'I don't want to end up on that level of fucked on this mission.'
while everyone was doing this, Naruto sealed another helmet in a storage seal on his right palm. 'Better safe than sorry.' he thought to herself. He then turns and hands Sarah her helmet, to which she thanks him for. "So who are you three?" he asked the three men who were in the locker room with them when they arrived.
All three men wore black and blue armored bodysuits with similar armor to his. Though one had his in a snow camouflage print. The one with a ball cap was the first to speak. "Names David Fisher, co-pilot for shuttle two. More specifically, the one nearly everyone in here will be on. These two knuckleheads are Kirkland and Greer, my co-pilot and our backup. Nice to see the good doctor's popsicle is joining us on the first expedition to our supposed golden world." Fisher introduced himself and his colleagues, while also playfully poking fun at how Naruto had been frozen longer than the rest of them.
Naruto gave an evil smirk, already having a comeback for this. "We're all popsicles, Fisher-san. Sure, some of us have been in the freezer longer than others. But in the end, only a few of us have frostbite on our asses, and it isn't me." He said, causing Fisher to go silent and the others to snicker.
Just then the voice of SAM sounded off in their comms. "As funny as it may be for some to hear Mr. Fisher get his just dessert on his teasing. The Pathfinder wants everyone on the flight deck to help get everything done before takeoff." The AI announced, causing everyone but Naruto and Sarah to hustle out into the shuttle bay.
Sarah looked at Naruto with a bit of concern but gave a slightly false smile. "Don't let Fisher or anyone else get you down. While it was a bit insensitive for what he said, well, ok very insensitive, to bring that up. He doesn't mean any harm by it, unfortunately, the old soldier hazing culture is alive and well with him. So I do apologize in advance for anything else he might say." Sarah said, bowing in respect to Naruto and apologizing for Fisher's actions.
Naruto waved it off however. "It's fine Sarah, this isn't the first time something similar to this has happened. Hazing has been around long before me and probably will stay around long after everyone on this thing is dead and in the ground. Though I suppose dead and in space is an option now too, I guess." He said with a thoughtful look before heading out of the room. 'Besides, I can get him back later if I wanted to anyway. Hmm, hey Kokuō, what would it take to cool water from Futton jutsu?' Naruto asked the Five Tails with curiosity.
Kokuō yawned, the voice sounding like it belonged to a rather feminine affluent noblewoman. "You need to add wind and more water chakra to cool it halfway through. That way it is partly cooled once in a proper container." The horse dolphin hybrid told him before going back to sleep. A few thousand years of cycling chakra takes its toll on one, even if they had help from nine other individuals.
Naruto subtly nodded before allowing himself to take in the sight of the hangar bay. It had a few of the shuttles he had heard about. It was slightly interesting to him, but he did wish that it, along with just about everything else, wasn't a typical 'the future is now' white. 'Something tells me someone was lacking in the painting details department. That or they were completely color blind and were spiteful of those who can see colors.' Naruto thought to himself as he saw the white vehicle.
Fisher turned after placing a crate of sensory equipment in one of the shuttles. "Naruto, meet the UT-47 Kodiak Drop Shuttle. Affectionately called the cockroach by the alliance. It's tough and damn near indestructible in certain situations." He said, patting the hull of the shuttle with a proud smile.
Sarah, who had been behind Naruto, groaned at hearing this. But before she could say something, her father beat her to it. "Don't underestimate the environment here, Fisher. For all we know, it could have things here that will pop these things open like a can opener. Besides, they said the Titanic was unsinkable, that Iceberg then proved them wrong." Ailec said before gathering everyone for a speech.
(Same speech from Andromeda aside from First contact protocol being held back. I'm not writing this thing to make it essentially the same as the game for a reason.)
Naruto and Sarah looked at each other and knew that the other was thinking the same thing. That Alec was right but was also hiding something, besides the obvious truth about what Naruto had said on the flight deck. They decided not to mention it for now and focused on preparation.
Not long after, everyone got in their respective shuttles, some with a little more help than others due to height. And were now flying through the void of space. Naruto stared into the vast expanse with wonder.
A dark-skinned man with black hair and brown eyes smiled at the look on Naruto's face. "The first time out is usually the most exciting. It tends to lose its wonder after a while. Liam Jocasta, Crisis response, it's nice to officially meet you Uzumaki. Same to you Ryder, our meeting was brief before going into hibernation." The now-named Liam introduced himself. He had on the same general white armor as mostly everyone else, the only major difference being that he had some blue whereas others had gray.
Naruto turned from the window and smiled slightly. "Nice to meet you too Liam. Here's hoping things go well for us. From my perspective, things have been going from bad to fubar recently, so having something go our way for a change would certainly be welcome." He told him before looking at the floating storm of dark matter. "Though, those clouds feel like a bad omen of what is to come." Naruto said, feeling the turbulence of entering the planet's atmosphere.
The scene before them when the entry heat and flames cleared was astonishing. Giant boulders with what looked like lightning holding them high in the sky alongside mountains for miles to see. "Scans suggest high levels of magnetic metals in the floating rocks and electrical storms in this area. It is advised to stay out of clouds and away from the rocks." Sam chimed in over the comms as they got closer to a cloud bank.
David nodded in acknowledgment and decided to avoid the cloud bank. Not knowing that he had just saved a life by doing so, as the cloud suddenly released a bolt of lightning. "SHIT! That may have well been us in that cloud when that went off! SAM, see if you can find a good place for us to land with coverage from these storms. I don't want to be in the sky while this shit is going on." Fisher said before getting a bit closer to the Pathfinder shuttle. Not noticing they had dodged a few small plasma rounds. Though Naruto did catch the quick flash from said rounds, confusing him.
It took a moment before SAM said something. "I'm detecting an offline base of unknown origins different from the monoliths we are seeing around the area. It seems to have lightning rods around it and gives decent coverage of all entrances. Please note that I'm also detecting multiple life forms via the scanners in the sonar under the shuttles. Lethal force has been authorized by the Pathfinder and captain of the Hyperion after one of the locals shot at your shuttle unnoticed by you." The AI told them, causing them to go on edge and Naruto to whip his head towards the pilots. "I wondered what that was! I thought it was just another lightning flash until you said something SAM. Sarah, Liam, Greer, let's be careful as we get out of this thing. We don't know how fast these guys can travel, nor what they're packing as far as weaponry and natural abilities." Naruto told them, not wanting to start losing people just after waking up from a few thousand-year ice nap.
Everyone nodded, while SAM told the rest of the team what Naruto said, an order which Alec echoed. "You heard him, watch your asses as you exit the shuttles, we're going into this blind as bats and don't need to be hulling corpses off planet. Good call Uzumaki, I know sound advice when I hear it, and that is sound advice. You're right, we don't know what hardware these guys are using or their capabilities. For all we know we might have just found some invasion force of a nearby galaxy hiding in the cluster. Be vigilant and be safe." He told everyone as the shuttles descended next to the platform with the lightning rod in the center.
Sarah and Greer were the first ones out of their shuttle while Cora and Alec were the first out of theirs. Naruto and Liam jumped out next and headed under the cover of a building built into the mountainside. "Look for a door, an opening like this should have one, it should mean it's an entrance to something." Liam said as he turned on the lights on his armor. He then went to look on the upper floor to look for a door, using his jump jets to do so.
Naruto nodded before doing the same thing with the lights on his armor. It didn't take long before finding what he was looking for, though the door didn't have any knob or handle to turn. Remembering the communication device in his helmet, he decided to use it. "I found a door, but I don't see a way to open it short of forcing it open with my hands. Sarah, Liam, see if you can find a way to open this thing before I brute force it." Naruto said, knowing that if the door was unlocked, he didn't have the knob. It was then that Moxi's words came back to him. 'I'm basically walking around without a doorknob in a galaxy of knobless doors.' He thought to himself in exasperation before letting out a sigh.
Sarah and Liam approached, with Sarah having a look of understanding at hearing his sigh. "I know it's a pain. But you won't have to deal with it for long." She told him before using her Omni-tool to run an opening sequence with the hope it would work. Luckily it did and the door opened. "Door is open, everyone inside but a couple. We need eyes out here just in case the original owners want this place back." Sarah told everyone as they rushed in except for Cora, Greer and Fisher. The rest were carrying inside supplies so they could set up a temporary base of operations.
The base was dark with very little light to it. The only light was coming from a small room on the other side of a window. "Sarah, you check the door to the right with Uzumaki, Jocasta, you're with me we're checking out the room with the light in it. With luck, we'll be able to turn the lights on. Everyone else, start opening these crates, I want to know what they were keeping in here and what they wanted. SAM, I want you to see if there are tools that we can use to give Uzumaki an Omni-tool. I don't want him being locked out of anything while we're on a mission." Alec gave his orders to everyone before going to see about the power issue.
Everyone got to work on their assigned tasks, though Naruto and Sarah had to wait for the power to be restored before they could complete their task. Once Alec got the power restored, Sarah was able to open the door. On the other side was a small lit-up cavern with what looked like tables near the door. All kinds of weird containers littered the tables along with a single data pad at the end of the farthest table. Some containers obviously belonged to the aliens that originally owned the base, while others looked completely different. Instead of the usual round orange and green theme, they were a mix of blues and black and had more edges.
Naruto then noticed the body of a strange-looking figure next to a strange robot. "Sarah, body up front a few yards. Looks dead but watch the robot, it might have just been turned off and has an automatic on switch should we get too close. SAM, see if you're able to do something about that thing like taking control of it." Naruto requested while grabbing the folded gun off his hip. He held it like he had seen the others, with Sarah correcting him where it was needed.
It took a moment but SAM finally got the foothold it needed. "I have been able to take temporary control of the android, though it seems to have an AI in its systems that is attempting to fight back for control. This android seems to be made to assemble small robots and micro-bots. I have taken the liberty of downloading a few designs to it's processing algorithms to distract it and capture it's interest. So far it has been done with little success. Though it seems to have taken interest in the Omni-tool design and has become putting some of it's processing power into improving it. Given time, it might actually give me the ability to create it out of curiosity of if it will work." SAM told them while focusing on keeping control of the inactive robot.
Naruto nodded before slowly and consciously approached the body before pulling it away from its previous spot closer to Sarah. He found a strange pistol on its hip. "This was definitely an armed outpost. Everyone keep your eyes out for weapons cashets around here, they're bound to have missed a few. I don't want to be fucked over because we were out gunned." Sarah said over the comms, getting various responses from everyone else.
SAM then chimed in at a sudden development. "Sarah, Naruto, Pathfinder, it seems like the AI in the android has decided to allow for a creation of a newly designed Omni-tool, after running it by a main computer currently manned by the last remaining student of it's creator. But it has a condition, that it be allowed to be like me and learn from human experience in order to understand our intentions here. Keep in mind that this new design would eliminate the requirement of surgery to add it to Mr. Uzumaki's arm." SAM told them, delivering some good news for them. Getting various reactions from the three people mentioned.
Naruto sighed while mumbling something about how many voices he would have in his head by the end of his life. Sarah was surprised by this, as it certainly was a weird request. Alec himself was curious about the offer and wondered who this mysterious student was. After a moment Alec came to a decision. "Let it know it has a deal, but be careful. An AI learning our language that fast, making this new design, and contacting someone, from who knows how far away, while battling you for control of it's robotic body has a massive amount of processing power." Alec said, not really liking the fact that they really don't have much of an option right now for getting Naruto an Omni-tool.
The robot sprung to life before standing up and turning around. It looked at them for a moment before going over to one of the tables in the room that had some space on it. It then seemed to spit out a disc that landed on said table before the robot started falling over. While this happened, thousands of small particles came to life and came together to form a gauntlet of sorts. It had the same coloration as the boxes in the room that didn't look like they belonged in the base, with the exception that it had a type of chrome mixed in with it.
Naruto walked over to the strange device, careful to step over the robot, before grabbing it and holding it up. "SAM, how does this thing work and how do I use it?" He asked while turning it in his hands while looking through the hole, seeing what looked like small barbs inside.
"The gauntlet in your hands is merely a deployment device with the Omni-tool in the top center. Placing you dominant arm inside will start the installation process. The small barbs inside the top center are how it will attach to the arm in the beginning process. A fast acting pain reliever will be injected through them while the installation is in progress. This process will only take a few minutes to completely finish. To start this process, pull up your sleeve and place the gauntlet to where the front end is snuggly on you wrist before pressing the red button." SAM informed him, getting Naruto to understand and do as instructed.
Naruto flinched slightly in pain after the barbs inserted themselves into the skin of his right arm when he pressed said button. It quickly subsided after the pain medications kicked in and the installation of his new Omni-tool began. He let out a breath at the pain relief before giving Sarah a thumbs up before looking down at the empty husk at his feet. He decided to seal it in the storage seal on his other arm, which startled Sarah. "It's alright, I simply sealed it in a storage seal I keep on my arms in case I need to transport something heavy or to carry emergency supplies. You never know when you'll need bandages and a tourniquet out in the field." Naruto explained, standing up and leading the way back into the other room.
Harry burst into laughter while taking a seat on a nearby crate. "Do you realize how many times I've had to tell someone that and got laughed at? Ah, I love this kid already! Hey Alec, mind if we keep him on the Pathfinder team? We need more people like the kid to keep some of the really stupid in check depending on who we get from the Nexus on the team." Harry said, laughing like a hyena at hearing that someone actually listened to his advice without even hearing it.
Naruto gave the man a flat look before starting him dead in the face. "You try having a medic as your village leader with the strength to crush a mountain with her bare hands, and try not to carry them around. I guarantee you she will plant your ass in the ground, pull out everything in your bag that is in her eyes, useless, and add in said medical supplies in the bag before crushing the quote 'Useless junk' in your bag. I'd rather avoid such humiliation in the first place. Thank you very much." Naruto said in a calm and flat tone. Scaring the shit out of nearly everyone but also gaining him some respect from them for dealing with such a person.
SAM decided to chime in at this. "You must be referring to your last leader Tsunade Senju. If my data is right, she must have been fairly strong considering she could due such feats of strength and not break bones. Though it also says she had a large drinking problem." The AI said, confirming Naruto's tale of his old leader and garnering a bit more respect for the kid than before.
Naruto smiled slightly before letting out a sad sigh. "Yeah, though no one blamed her. You try watching as your family is hunted to extinction, before having your brother and lover die in your arms while you try to save them. You'll be drinking like a fish in no time flat." He said lifting the pistol he snagged from the corps in its folded form. "She even gained a fear of blood from that last one. The only reason she finally got over it was because I was fatally injured on my mission to bring her back to the village. After all, what doctor worth their weight in salt would leave their last remaining relative to die because of some stupid fear?" Naruto asked, giving Harry something to think about. It was then that the top center of the device on his arm clicked before the top sank in quickly and a field was put in its place.
Naruto looked at the two Ryders for answers before SAM spoke. "The gauntlet has entered the final stage of installation. It is using a laser to cauterize and seal the wound on your arm to make it skin tight like most Omni-tools. All that will be left is a small scar and a tattoo to show you where it is. The tool itself still has the primary functions of advanced Omni-tools like a scanner, wallet, doorknob, and interface with shield and armor systems like your jumpjets. Please note that certain functions take getting used to for some people. The AI will explain other functions as even I don't truly understand some of them. They are specifically something used for the remaining technology of it's creator'a species. Doctor Carlyle, if you would please place the small round device on the bottom of the Gauntlet in the same place as the implants." SAM asked the doctor through the comms before going silent.
Harry nodded before getting up and looking for the device mentioned. Once he found it, he sighed. "Kid, I'm going to need you to hold your breath and take your helmet off. The air here is toxic as hell and, unfortunately, I need to put this towards the base of your skull. It's the closest point to your nervous system and will allow you to have a similar relationship with the AI as SAM and the Pathfinder." Harry explained to Naruto before getting behind him and preparing to do what he was instructed.
Naruto took a deep inhale of air before pulling his helmet off. Harry quickly got to work and placed what Naruto assumed was a redesign implant if what SAM said earlier was true, and the AI made it's own improvements to it. He soon felt the same sting from earlier before carefully putting his helmet back on at Harry's command. "Fuck that stings!" Naruto said loudly before feeling it beginning to numb. "I swear this is some kind of weird universal justice for me avoiding hospitals early in my life." He said in exasperation before he felt slight pressure where the implant was placed. "SAM, am I supposed to be feeling some pressure where the doc put this thing?" Naruto asked, wanting to know that this was normal.
Instead of SAM, Sarah was the one to answer. "Yes, it's typical for the implants my mom made to have that happen in the beginning. Though to be fair, they were designed to slowly and as painlessly as possible burrow under the skin. Though it's possible the process was sped up by whatever possible improvements this AI made." She explained, remembering some of the things her mother had explained to her before her death.
It was then that a new feminine voice spoke on the comms and in Naruto's head. "That is correct, the pressure will subside in a moment as I integrate with your nervous system more thoroughly. Greetings humans of earth, I am unit 216-96, but the name my creator gave me translates in your language to Penny. Unfortunately Nervanous, or Habitat 7 as you call it was damaged by the dark energy cloud you saw touching the atmosphereic repair system. A part of a planetary repair system my creator's species created to carry out an experiment when they were here. It's main computer has also been damaged beyond repair until a remote replacement systems code is sent from the hidden grand computer. Though even I have no clue where said grand computer is at." The robotic voice said, causing everyone to jump slightly. It had a slight southern accent, but not something so thick that it could be from a general place.
Alec let out a breath before clearing his throat. "Welcome aboard Penny. I am Pathfinder Alec Ryder of the Andromeda Initiative and the human Pathfinder. We came to this planet because our Arc ran aground against the dark energy cloud and were hoping to find a way to help fix it or possibly thin out the energy cloud. Would it be possible to reset the atmosphere repair system you mentioned was being touched, to possibly do this while also clearing the lightning storms that are likely to keep us here?" Alec asked the AI, hoping for a good answer.
Penny thought for a few moments before answering. "While possible, it would potentially trigger a type of immune response. These systems are designed to work like medicine inside a body along with a immune system. So once you do so, I'd recommend you run as fast as you can out of the direct interface chamber lest you wish to literally be blown out of the room or worse." The AI explained before a click was heard from inside Naruto's helmet. "Implantation of Cordial neuralink established. Hmm, the energy flowing through you is intriguing Mr. Uzumaki. I had no idea there were any true Elementians left in the universe. Last reports of your species came in after the demise of the nation over four thousand, six hundred and thirty-three galactic rotations ago." The AI said with intrigue in her voice, it made it wonder how someone like him was currently alive.
Before Naruto could ask how the AI knew this, Cora called in on the comms. "Bogeys incoming from the north. Looks like a couple drop ships of similar make of this place. Going to need some back up here folks." She said, worry lacing her voice as the ships got closer.
Naruto got up to help as a beeping was heard, signaling the end of the installation process of his new Omni-tool. Pulling off the gauntlet, a tattoo in the same shape of an assembler sat on his arm with strange writing above it. The gun in his hand suddenly unfolded into a pistol with a round barrel and a round magazine that popped out; similar magazines were in a nearby crate which he quickly grabbed a few to use. "I say we go welcome back the old base owners with lead and a few of their own weapons." Naruto said, getting nods from the others.
Penny then said something that shocked Naruto slightly. 'Should you get in melee combat, this Omni-tool is equipped with a cryo gauntlet that can temporarily freeze an opponent. Further weapons need to be researched and developed yourselves. I shall improve the designs of such weapons as needed. Know that all materials needed for these can be found in this galaxy cluster.' She informed him on their private channel. Wanting to keep this information to just him for now. Naruto nodded before walking out the door with all the combat members of the team.
True to Cora's words, when they got outside there were multiple drop ships that were rounded out and green in color were speeding towards them. "I'll give them this, they chose a theme and stuck with it. Let's even up the odds shall we?" Naruto said jokingly before a serious look overtook his face and performed multiple hand signs. "Yōton: Dai funka!" He shouted before running out and jumping off the platform, slamming his fists into the earthen ground on impact.
The ground beneath their feet shook before an eruption of lava spewed out from just in front of drop ships. Only one of the ships survived mildly unharmed from the sudden geyser of lava spewing from the ground, the rest perished in the eruption as it was too late to avoid it. Each one flying out as a melted pile of slag before hitting the ground. This left mostly everyone absolutely speechless and scared them slightly that Naruto could do such a thing. "Compared to that of normal humans without technology, Elementians were, and still are, the pinnacle of humankind's evolution. The strongest individuals held the potential to permanently transform the land after a single battle between each other." Penney said before the remaining drop ship slowed to a stop. More of the bone covered aliens with green armor came out of it while the pilot landed the aircraft to join the flight.
Naruto saw this before grabbing his pistol and raised it as it unfolded. It fires a fast volley of small plasma bullets at the aliens. This knocked the rest of the team out of their stuper before also firing at the hostile aliens. Several of the aliens died fairly quickly without proper cover to hide behind. A few actually got a few shots off before dying, but said shots hit nothing but the base, the cover the Pathfinder team set up, or the rock walls next to it.
The battle was quick, thanks in part to Naruto eliminating most of the ships before they could drop off their troops. Naruto snuck into the back line, trying to find the commander. Using his speed and stealth, he quickly found the commander and disarmed him before pulling him away from his troops. The discarded gun flew by and hit the pilot in the head, knocking him unconscious.
Soon, all that were left were the unconscious pilot and the disarmed commander, who was currently pinned by his neck by said Shinobi. "Penny, see if you can hack their communications. I don't want them saying anything to their leaders or calling in backup. Even if my little demonstration might have alerted them to our presence." Naruto said, knocking out the hulking alien by smashing the back of its head into the wall behind it.
Thirty minutes and a false all-clear transmission later, everyone was inside, avoiding an electrical storm passing overhead. "This place definitely isn't suitable for permanent habitation. The clones Naruto sent out after the battle returned before the storm. They found the main base in this region, surrounding our target. Entry could be easier under the cover of these lightning storms. Not to mention, it would reduce the number of aliens, as they'd be too busy fixing their lightning rods." Alec said as the team discussed their next move.
Naruto leaned in, placing his elbows on his knees. "There is also the matter of the tree and that bug they found. Granted, according to Penny, they bear fruit that is normally toxic to us, but they could be used for food for those who can eat the protein that makes it toxic to us. Of what little I was able to read, I think Turians are able to eat it, right?" Naruto asks, looking at their resident doctor who was examining the massive fruit his clones brought back with them.
Harry nodded before looking at everyone present at the meeting. "That would be correct. With a little digging and Penny's help, once we can give her the relevant information, we might be able to collect food we can eat. If nothing else, we will be able to take this sample back and have saplings planted at the Nexus to help hydroponics create air and get the Turians an emergency food source." He explained before going back to his work in trying to figure out how to get the seeds out.
Before anything else could be said, a groan was heard. Everyone turned to the open door of the emptied out storage room. Bound to two upward positioned operating tables were the alien pilot and commander. The pilot was the one waking up, but something seemed different. A difference Naruto immediately took notice of. He activated his scanner and gave the pilot a once over, mentally asking Penny to run deep diagnostics and mental scannings for irregularities and mind influencing drugs.
The pilot let out another groan before speaking in a language that was different from the one they had heard the commander speak. Though this time, it actually got translated somewhat and the voice seemed more, feminine, if that was even possible for what looked like a very much male alien. "Stars, what happened to my head? All I remember is that those Kett stripped me and threw me in that Mekaleshto pod." The pilot said before finally opening 'her' eyes. And saw Naruto scanning her. "Who are you?! Where have I been taken?! Are you the Mekaleshto damn puppet masters of the Kett?! Answer me!" She shouted, panic and anger in her, (It's?) voice. Her eyes darted around the room trying to see what was going on. Though when she (again It?) saw a knocked out Kett commander next to her, it confused her greatly.
Naruto, knowing the position the alien was in, wasn't bothered by the demanding questions. "In reverse order. No, a place we call habitat 7 in an abandoned Kett base apparently used for research, and Naruto Uzumaki of the Andromeda Initiative. Now hold still, I don't know what sort of mental programming these guys put you through or what drugs they pumped you full of to turn you into one of them. And, quite frankly, I don't want you relapsing into the mental state they had you in that had you following big and nasty's orders and flying their ships." Naruto explained, somewhat knowing what he was doing. Helping Anko with some things at the TNI building before the war certainly helped him recognize the signs of indoctrination and mind altering drugs in this kind of situation.
The alien gained a look of confusion before looking down at herself. A look of horror spread across her face before a guy rendering, blood curtailing scream tore out of her mouth. Thousands of questions raced through her mind, all while trying to process how this was possible, how it was happening!?
Everyone in the building racing in to see what was going on. Alec looked around and saw Naruto was scanning one of their prisoners. "What's going on Naruto? Status report, I want to know why one of our prisoners is screaming bloody murder." Alec ordered, needing information from the Elementian.
The alien was practically having a full blown panic attack. Her mind was reeling, how the hell had she become the thing she swore to destroy!? "Please, whatever you have to do, fix me! I don't care if you have to reverse engineer the thing they used to make me into this, just make it so I'm not some Kett spawn!" She said, desperate to not be this, THING that she hated with all her heart.
Penny finished everything quickly and came to several conclusions, conclusions she then shared with the team. "This life form is made up of several genetic templates including one that belongs to part of the experiment my creator helped with. While I can't turn her back to how she was, I can use her old genetic code as a template for a possible 'quick fix' of sorts that could change her enough to where she won't be a Kett anymore. Warning, while she will keep her sentience, I can not calculate what she will turn into under the effects of the final product. Also of note, it will take some time to synthesize this compound, so she will have to deal with it for a little while. In the meantime, I have something that can fix the genetic failure of these Kett that makes all those they do this to male, even females. It will also purge her system of any drugs and should help possible relapsing. Just insert the needle into the carotid artery and press the plunger, the genetic correction will begin after that." Penny explained, before a device appeared on Naruto's wrist. It looked like an injector of some king with the needle covered by a retractable cover.
Naruto took the device off the top of his Omni-tool before handing it to Harry. "My AI made up a slight fix that will correct and remove part of the transformation. But will need time to complete a new one that will actually change into something that isn't a Kett as you call the aliens that did this to you. But I can't guarantee anything about what you will be turned into after that. For all we know, you might be turned into a completely new species of alien." Naruto explained to the pilot, not wanting to get her hopes up. He wasn't one to give false hope if there wasn't a possibility that he might be able to help someone. At least, not anymore he wasn't. Thousands of years in ice gives one a lot of time to think after all.
The alien seemed to calm down enough for Harry to do what needed to be done. The pilot hissed in pain as bones, muscles and skin shifted and broke. (Basically think of an Ascended in typical shock trooper armor.) Soon these effects subsided and she could breathe easier. "Thank you, I am, was, Favehi Ama Darav. Member of Angaran resistance against the Kett. I apologize for my attitude earlier, fighting aliens like him tends to make you cautious and skeptical of other aliens." Favehi introduced herself before nodding her head at the Kett commander, her voice now sounding much smoother and less strained to sound it's natural way instead of a deep raspy feminine like way.
Alec came forward to stand beside Naruto. "Alec Ryder, human Pathfinder of the Andromeda Initiative. We came to the Heleus cluster in search of a new home. Unfortunately, we hit a dark energy cloud that not only scrambled communications, but also caused us to need to get materials to help with repairs. We were hoping that we could come here to where we originally planned to settle, but you can guess how that ended. We didn't even know sentient life existed before we got here when we scanned the cluster nearly seven hundred years ago." Alec explained, still honestly surprised that they were having a conversation with an alien that was trying to kill them earlier.
Favehi seemed to raise a non-existing brow at this. "You certainly don't seem that old, but I suppose you found your ways. As for the energy cloud, it is called the Scourge. Oh, I do recommend you kill the monster beside me here. He won't tell you much, as the Kett tend to be a bit murder happy when they know they can't capture you. That and he might try and reactivate whatever subliminal messaging they put me through in that pod. And quite frankly, I don't want whatever monster they turned me into to regain control." She told them, shuddering at what memories she had of her time as a Kett.
Before Alec could say anything a snap was heard, the head and neck of the Kett commander slowly fell off its shoulders. Everyone slowly turned towards Naruto whose fingers were moving away from a snapping motion. Alec was about to reprimand Naruto but was cut off when Naruto spoke before he could. "Take it easy Pathfinder, my people had ways of getting information from corpses. Just have to keep the brain intact and preserved, and given the time I'll have everything that he knew." Naruto explained, grabbing the head of the Kett and sealing it away in a spare preservation scroll.
Alec was extremely confused by this. How could one possibly be able to get information from corpses if the person was already dead? "Please don't tell me you're some voodoo priest or necromancer of some kind." He pleaded, not wanting to deal with some form of zombie apocalypse here in Andromeda. The others tensed at this, sort of having similar hopes.
Naruto shook his head, putting them at ease. "No, nothing like that. The closest thing we had to that was Edo Tensei, and I refuse to use that if I don't have to; as the price required to pay for that is too steep. No, I'm talking about something that was the specialty of one of the clans of my village. The Yamanakas, a clan of mind walkers that were good at what they did. They made good psychiatrists and therapists, especially since our major profession was… not the best for the faint of heart." He explained before turning to Alec, determination blazing in his eyes. "Besides, Favehi is the person we need to get into the Kett base at the atmosphere repair monolith. With her clearance codes and drop ship, we can sneak past quietly and these guys would be none the wiser." He told them, multiple plans forming in his head.
Sarah was worried that this could backfire somehow, but mostly kept quiet, mostly. "What if they hear the difference? It's not exactly hard to tell the difference now. Also, while dad's plan earlier was sound, if with a few holes, Penny's warning still holds. The second we reset this thing, we need to run and get away from the purge systems. So much can happen. So what happens when we are found out?" She asked, wondering what the plan was should they be found out. It was easy to tell that things were going to get hectic, no matter if their enemies knew they were coming or not. They would be trapped in enemy territoryshould they be discovered.
Naruto smiled, glad someone asked the smart question, and he wasn't the only one. Alec was glad his daughter was smart enough to not just sit back and let possible rogue elements ruin a mission, even if said rogue elements were part of their own team or leadership. "An excellent question Sarah, and the answer is simple. A mix of lava and water should help create a barrier that will keep the Kett busy enough for us to get done what we need to and get out. It will also help leave puddles for the lightning to target and electrify this will help damage their systems that will leave them scrambling to fix. Because if I remember right, lightning and electronics were never the best of friends." Naruto explained, having thought this through over the time they spent waiting for their prisoners to wake up.
Alec gave a thoughtful look in response, doing some calculations in his head with SAM's help. "Barring they have explosives on hand, it should definitely take some time for them to break through. But it won't be enough depending how long the hack and description possess will take. Especially if Penny detects something that could be useful in getting things going on the Nexus." Alec said, running as many variables in his head as possible. They didn't know how long they had before the lightning storm ended or how long these storms lasted.
Favehi hummed, trying to search through her memory for a possible way to get in without getting caught too soon. 'They are my only way of getting off this stars forsaken planet and no longer be a different looking Kett after all. It's only right I help them as much as possible. Plus, it's possible I will be able to make a report for Evfra and my older brother.' she thought to herself, knowing that despite these people being temporary allies, she was still a member of the resistance. Just because they were friendlier than the Kett were, doesn't mean she will completely trust them quite yet.
Then, Favehi remembered something that would really help them. "Wait, I just remembered something, they don't do voice recognition codes. You merely need to send the codes through the communications tower. The loading dock literally sits in front of the access door to the monolith. We could disguise you as cargo coming in from here after a clear out. A procedure that is required after eliminating aliens trying to investigate Kett structures in search of weapons. They made that the procedure after we Angara cracked encryptions on their weapons after one of our raids on their weapon supply stations." She told them, thankful that she was able to remember things from both her days as an Angara and as a Kett.
Everyone thought about this for a moment, as this part of the plan had merit. Though Naruto saw a slight flaw with this. "The first part is definitely good news. Though I doubt the other part would work due to the fact that it's very possible they would check the crates before letting you get them offloaded onto whatever dock they have. Especially because they will be cautious of bombs, because we are likely a new element in their conquest." Naruto explained, remembering a mission report he had read about from back during the third shinobi war. Konoha had tried something similar to Iwa, and that failed horribly.
This made everyone think harder of possible routes, they continued running ideas by each other after Favehi was freed from her bindings. Before long, they had a plan. "Alright let's go over this one last time before we do it. Once the lightning storm dissipates enough for us to use the Kett shuttle, Alec, Sarah, Liam, and Cora will execute Alec's original plan. While Favehi and I will come in with the shuttle giving the ones by the monolith a false sense of security. I'll use my clone jutsu to send in as a wave of suicide troupers to thin out the bulk of the defenders while you push in from the front door. If this works well, we should be able to clear the skies long enough to get off this rock." Naruto said, making sure everyone understands the plan, and got nods from everyone. Once everyone understood the plan, they all broke off to prepare for the assault on the Kett base.
Sarah was looking over scan results from SAM on her Omni-tool when she noticed that there were some messages sent to her specifically on her old silent coms by Penny. A function that was locked when she had left her time in service with the alliance due to minor military secrets being in them. Sarah decided to open Penny's message first, as it was both the newest and most likely relevant right now.
I have taken the liberty of unlocking the silent communication functions of everyone's Omni-tools. Though Naruto's is unlocked by default and has no lock. Why your's does, which is irrelevant and stupid in my opinion, I don't know but that isn't the point. I just hope you remember how to use it, as Naruto will be needing a crash course in its use.
Penny
As Sarah finished reading the message, she knew that she had to relay this information to her father. "SAM, let Dad know about this, silent coms have been the difference between a mission success and mission failure." Sarah said before doing some systems checks and making sure everything is in working order. As she felt some lag in a few of them earlier during the fight, if it could have been called that. 'It was more like a one way slaughter than a fight. Alright Sarah, just like you were taught in boot camp. Assess the situation at hand. Available information suggests that these Kett likely see us as parasites standing in the way of their invasion. They have likely been here at least a few decades if they have found a way to turn the local species against us and their own people. Data suggested that this cluster was unpopulated in its entirety aside from animalistic species that hadn't shown signs of advanced intelligence. Penny said her creator and his species were running tests and experiments here in the cluster using the monoliths and a main system. So it's likely that the Angara are descendants of what ever the results of those experiments might have been.' Sarah thought to herself as she worked on fixing the lag and any bugs she found.
This was a technique that they had taught her during her days in boot camp. It was meant to focus the mind on mission parameters and digest current information easier. It was also supposedly supposed to be done while doing maintenance on equipment on mission because it would help bring more focus to getting the maintenance done quickly and efficiently. Wether or not this worked as well as they advertised it, Sarah didn't know. But right now, she would take all the help she could get.
While Sarah was doing this, Naruto was messing with his new Omni-tool with help from Penny. Learning all he could about it. So far, he had learned about the silent comms, his scanner, the armor and shield link that displayed the shield capacity of his current armor, and an email system that he would later learn wasn't a part of the original Omni-tool's design. It was then he noticed a button that said 'Access codes' on it and got curious. Pressing it, he found there were already a few codes there with labels next to them. But only one truly caught his eyes.
One that said Seed vault access codes. And it had recently been used.
Naruto looked around to make sure no one was looking at him or listening before asking the question on his mind. "The Kett got too close to the seed vault didn't they?" He asked, somewhat already knowing the answer to the question. But he wanted to hear the words leave the AI's proverbial mouth.
Penny was silent for a moment, contemplating on whether or not to tell Naruto, before sighing. "Yes, they were so close to opening the last chance for many of hundred of planet species in the Heleus cluster and destroying it. I am one of the last caretakers of the vault left. There is only two of us left, with the last one being my sister for all intents and purposes who is inside said vault. I killed the last one to threaten it, but I was hit by an EMP dart before I could go back in. I have been laying on the cold floor for the last few months now and my sister no doubt believes I was terminated. Our nodes are also within the vault. So if you wish to have it with you, you will have to go in and retrieve it from there." The AI explained, knowing that her and her sister's nodes would be an invaluable piece to their survival in the galaxy.
Naruto thought for a moment before humming in understanding before heading to the entrance for the seed vault. The others noticed this, but his actions were mostly ignored, most believing it to be him going to give a before major battle prayer. Something they knew were certain old cultures. Though Sarah and Liam didn't, they followed the Uzumaki through the door that led to the entrance of the vault. "Keep in mind that following me in doesn't guarantee your safety. The likelihood of finding a very pissed off and grieving AI inside is stupidly high." He said, already knowing the two were following him from the moment they stepped forward to go with him.
The two nodded, already figuring that wherever he was going was full of danger. "Kinda what we signed up for when we came here. Danger possibly around every corner and living under stars no one had seen before was in the sales pitch." Liam said with a chuckle. He wasn't kidding either, the initiative didn't pull its punches in advertising; especially since no one knew what the galaxy would look like at the end of the journey.
Naruto chuckled before holding out his arm and taped his finger on the correct code to open the door. "Must have been one hell of a sales pitch. Tatami mat salesmen in my time could have learned a thing or two from them." He said, watching as the door opened. Several sections of the door folded in on itself before splitting into a top and bottom half that then retracted into the floor and top half of the wall. "We're after Penny's Node and possibly bring the node of another AI like her with us. This AI along with her are caretakers of a seed vault that we are about to enter. Keep in mind I have the ability to use a scroll that I have sealed away on my leg to bring the contents of this vault with us. So no touching anything until Penny has calmed this other caretaker down and we've struck a deal." He informed them before walking in, hoping for the best, but was still preparing for the worst.
The two nodded in acknowledgment, but still stayed on alert as they followed him into the vault.
The vault had the same black and blue design as the rest of the remnant items they had encountered so far. Hexagonal structures lifting and lowering in several places and sliding together and apart to form bridges in others. Glass containers were everywhere with individual plants in special pots for as far as the naked eye could see. "Penny, I thought that this place was a seed vault. Why are there so many plants all around us?" Sarah asked the AI, admiring the sights of so many plants, including a massive tree that stood in the middle of everything.
Penny seemed to giggle at the question, finding the young Ryder's confusion humorous. "My creator found that a properly functioning seed vault required the original refresher of supplies. So he had it done so that just a month before they expire, the seeds are to be planted and new ones are to be harvested from the plants after the plants germinates. We then try to create a small thriving ecosystem to propagate more seeds in the future if possible. What you see is years of proper maintenance of this system." The AI explained, happy to explain the system her creator had made. It certainly confused the rest of the scientists that worked with him. Unknown to everyone, a flying robot made of the same metallic polymer as everything else was watching them.
Liam hummed before looking all around them. "You sure your seals can get everything? Seems like a lot of plants to fit in a single scroll of papyrus." He asked Naruto in curiosity, angering the flying robot above them.
The bot charged a laser and was about to fire when Naruto said something that shocked it and made it hold its fire. "I'm not really after the plants but Penny's node, along with the node of the other AI here. The seeds and plants are really a bonus to help the initiative when colonization begins. As for if the seals will hold everything, no, no they won't. That tree alone will require its own scroll to contain it. The seeds are more important right now in the long run, as they will be what helps us down the line. Besides, when I'm able to create more scrolls we'll see about coming back for it all. I'd hate for all their work to go to waste, especially the fruiting plants and vegetables. Several of which we will be taking a bit with us in case this… what did your father call that place again? The Nexus I think it was?" Naruto explained, but asked as he forgot where they were supposed to go afterwards. Not noticing the robot lowering to float in front of him.
Sarah nodded, confirming his guess. "That's right. Ugh, I hope the other golden worlds panned out. Otherwise supplies are probably on a very short leash." She said before noticing the robot lowering behind Naruto. "Uhh, Naruto, you might want to look in front of you." Sarah told him, ready to reach for her gun if needed.
Naruto looked at where Sarah pointed at and saw a floating cyclopean robot with tentacles that ended in three pulsating fingers maybe of wires. The main body had a wedge shape and a couple of moving plates on the top chassis and singular blue eye. 'Penny, what is your sister's name?!' Naruto asked the AI in his head. 'Her designation when translated is Observer 15-D7, nickname being Aurora.' she informed him, knowing why he was asking so loudly and nervously.
Naruto cleared his throat before addressing the Robot. "Observer 15-D7 AKA Aurora, I am Naruto Uzumaki with the Andromeda Initiative. Penny has told me about you and your work here." He said, hoping that the AI would try and connect to their communications so she could hear Penny.
The robot seemed to jurk in shock before a lense quickly slid down over the one robotic eye and began scanning him. After getting the results, the bot raised the lense and force connected itself to Naruto's communication system. Her voice reminded Sarah and Liam of a nerdy girl from some of the extremely old kids shows and cartoons from before the mars expedition that changed everything for humanity. "Penny, how you still alive? I tried to go to your node but it was dark." The AI voice of the floating robot rang through the speakers.
Penny sighed, wishing she could shoot a tiny stun bolt at her sister. "Because I was only immobilized, and couldn't transfer back because my short-range antenna was severely damaged several stellar cycles ago. To this day, I fail to see how it is possible for me not to be able to transfer back to my node using the long-range antenna. It's such a blatant flaw that I'm surprised our creators failed to correct it. Not to mention it makes no logical sense whatsoever, given how advanced the society our creators belonged to is." Penny ranted, frustrated with the issues she had been facing the last few months. It was one of the reasons she had fixed flaws in the Omni-tool design and added personal additions that were well thought out over the years on this planet. Though that was one thing she liked about SAM's design: he didn't need to be transferred into a new vessel to operate with his Pathfinder.
This confused everyone else besides the two AIs. Even SAM was confused about this development. "How is it that a highly advanced civilization was able to make it so far ahead of us, when they can't build AI algorithms that don't have to switch between use ports? Wouldn't it be better if it was like how it is with SAM, who can be in multiple places at once?" Sarah asked, confused as to how such a thing was possible.
A sigh could be heard from the two female AI, asking themselves the same questions. "Believe me, I have been asking myself the same question for the last half hour. But now isn't the time for such questions. For now, we must collect our nodes, seeds and barely mature fruiting plants. We don't know how much time we have left before the operation to clear the skies begin." Penny said, wanting to get things underway. Wanting to finally get out of this vault and experience the rest of the universe.
Naruto agreed before creating fifty clones and brought out a storage scroll from a seal on his left calf. "You know what to do." He told the clone before heading to where the nodes are stationed.
It was an interesting walk, with Aurora explaining which plants were edible and which ones were not. The young plants and seeds were sealed in the scroll by the clones whilst the ones that were poisonous were left alone, at least for now.
Not long after, they came to two large stand-like structures with an octagonal light blue core near the top. "And these are what you seek, our core processing nodes and the repair stands for our respective robotic bodies. Unfortunately both have run dry of repair materials, so they are useless until we are able to get more. It's actually the reason for myself and Penny being the last caretakers of this vault." Aurora explained before gesturing to similar stands. Though, unlike theirs, the octagonal structures near the top were dark. "They powered down to help ease the resource scarcity. Unfortunately, no one has answered our calls for help and resources to bring them back online." She told them with a sad tone of voice, relaying how hard it has been for the two AIs to be all alone.
Liam was confused at this, wondering why no one was responding. Especially since Penny had proven capable of the ability to establish contact with the last of their creator's students. But then he noticed something, a stand that was massive in size. Almost the same size of SS Normandy if you stood it on its back end. It was also missing what he assumed was its node. "I'm guessing that certainly didn't help." Liam commented while pointing at the gigantic stand.
Aurora looked at where he was pointing at and sighed. "No, it really doesn't. The architect is the builder and resource gatherer. But for some reason, they took the one for this planet with them when they left. With it gone, we couldn't get new materials ourselves. It will take time for us to get everything running again, as we need to move the vault now. I hope your initiative is willing to help with this task." She explained, floating over to her sister's node and began extracting it from its stand. Once it was free, she brought it over to Naruto. "Please, take precious care of it. It's imperative that it be transported as securely and as safely as possible." Aurora told Naruto as she gently placed the core down.
Naruto nodded before picking up the device and used a seal on this left thigh to store it. But before he could do the same With Aurora's, her observer body powered down. Looking to the station, the core was glowing brighter than before. "I'm guessing that your body was also on its last leg too?" He asked, sensing the shock going through Penny right now.
The core flashed, seeming to indicate a nod. "You are correct. I barely had the power to stay on in that body, as the battery was leaking horribly. I was going to power down permanently until you brought Penny back to me. Please, take my core node and make sure it gets to your Nexus safely. It is my only hope for staying online indefinitely and having the ability to help propel your initiative in botanical and geological research." She told Naruto, before beginning the ejection process.
Naruto quickly catches the core and seals it in the same seal. "Alright, we've got what we came for. Let's meet up with my clones and get back to the others. Like I said, we need to come back here anyway to bring back all these plants anyway. It makes no sense not to bring back the rest of these cores once we have proper resources." He said, leading the group back the way they came.
Sarah nodded in agreement with this, as these AI have gotten past the 'kill all humans' faze and have been here for hundreds of years. Who knows what they could have on the cluster? "Sam already told dad that we were going to be dealing with the seed vault. He's not particularly happy that we went off on our own, but when he heard about a massive stockpile of food coming our way. Not to mention that it gives the doctors and scientists something to do when they wake up. Penny, could you please compile lists of plants viable for certain environments? Something tells me we are going to need them when setting up new settlements." She asked the AI, figuring it was better safe than sorry in this situation. With everything they had heard from Penny and Aurora, it was best to assume all the golden words were a bust. Though these terraformers and the vaults that controlled them would be a good start in fixing them.
Well, that's the end of part one. hopefully you guys enjoyed and I look forward to seeing you in the Second chance at Life update that I'm hoping to have put later today. I also hope to have an update for HtBF (How to build a Flock) out sometime this week, so long as nothing happens between now and then to delay it. (Writers block, lack of ideas, extenuating circumstances, ect.)
Have a good day, and I'll see you all in the next one.