Chapter 13
The statues were indestructible.
We learned that when reports came in about the Dominion going absolutely rabid over the sudden appearance of the Exile logo on what they had assumed were "holy" Eldan effigies. They'd tried everything short of nukes to destroy the "blasphemous abominations"—and failed.
They'd already been upset that the "pristine beauty" of what they had assumed were Eldan goddess figures had been desecrated with bunny ears and an unmistakably Aurin tail, but the logo had tipped them over the edge. No matter how badly they damaged them, the statues just reformed in a matter of minutes.
Drusera told me that they were basically a form of solid protoplasm, i.e. composed of nanites, much like her "solid" body. Given the ubiquity of protoplasm in Eldan tech, that would also explain why so much Eldan technology had survived the Entities rampage against them. A thousand years of abandonment had caused a lot of issues, sure, but the planet was surprisingly intact.
Anyway, one of the enterprising settlers in Thayd had made 12-inch replicas of Drusera's statues, and they were selling like hotcakes. Half the Aurin in Sylvan Glade now had a small Drusera statue somewhere in their homes.
For her part, Drusera had completely ditched her pointed eldan ears and now solely had her bunny ears. She still looked like an Eldan for the most part, but she desperately wanted to fit into Aurin society, so was doing her best to learn the social etiquette of ears and tails. She was still hairless otherwise, but I didn't care. I was used to her hairlessness, and as much of a pain as it was to keep my own hair clean and flea free, she didn't need to deal with all that. I was taking care of her tail and ear care when I bathed and she kept me company.
I'd also learned that the object that had appeared above her head when we'd visited her birthplace was something like a security code key. She told me it was made from exanite and was supposed to command the Caretaker to obey her, though it clearly wasn't fully reliable due to his fragmented state. Apparently, she always wore it; she just didn't usually bother to show it. It did make her look more divine, but that was her choice.
Myala had dealt with the Lazarian issue for now. An entire science team was assisting the medical device in researching a potential cure and improving current treatments. She thought that would keep him occupied for the time being.
Meanwhile, I was hunting in an Eldan lab for a protoplasm tank of suitable size for a Mordesh. The medical unit, apparently, was designed to interface with one to provide advanced medical care.
Drusera was keeping me company, but since the lab was completely unpowered, we didn't have to worry about the security systems.
That didn't mean it was safe, however. Like many places associated with protoplasm research, it was crawling with augments—creatures the Eldan had experimented on, using protoplasm to "enhance" them in various ways. I had already killed around twenty of the poor things. The reinforcement Drusera had done to my short robe had effectively made it as tough as heavy armor.
Unfortunately, most of the surface level had been trashed by the augments. I was now in a central shaft, leaping from platform to platform as I made my way deeper. Drusera had offered to take me down, but I declined—I wanted to demonstrate my acrobatic skills. She hovered nearby as I navigated the defunct lift shaft, jumping between the landings.
About ten levels down, I found an open door and peered inside. What I found was probably an augmentation lab. Protoplasm tubes of all sizes sat in rows, glowing with green protoplasm.
Drusera caught my eye and pointed to a nearby datacube. I grabbed it and scanned it.
The process of Augmentation is an important step for the larger goals of the Project. Through our advanced nanotechnology, we can now cybernetically enhance organisms, correcting the inherent weaknesses and flaws that inevitably arise through natural evolution. True perfection might finally be within our grasp...
— Vorion: Order of the Makers
Typical Eldan arrogance. I snorted and kept going deeper. The tubes grew larger the farther into the room I went.
I reached a clear area and found a relatively huge tank—big enough to fit twenty Mordesh at once—and completely intact.
In front of it, tinkering with the machinery, was an active robot.
It was larger than me, built in an oval shape around a reservoir of protoplasm, with two arms. It floated in front of the tank, its back to me, flanked by six security drones.
"An Augmenter," Drusera told me.
Oh boy. The source of the augments above.
The drones took note of me and whirled, their cannons powering up. I darted back into the forest of smaller tanks, trying to avoid the incoming fire. I couldn't risk damaging the large one. Beam cannon fire followed me, glass shattering and protoplasm splattering everywhere. It wasn't a biohazard if properly controlled, but it was slippery.
I played a deadly game of hide-and-seek with the drones, taking down four of them before the Augmenter came after me, flanked by the last two. These ones apparently had shields to protect the Augmenter, and my shots just bounced off.
They chased me out into the shaft, the Augmenter's arms equipped with a dozen syringes filled with protoplasm. If I couldn't take it out, I'd end up a brainless augment myself.
Its ability to float gave it an advantage in vertical mobility, but my nimbleness kept me one step ahead of the drones' cannon blasts. I noticed the shields only covered the front, so I needed to get behind it.
We fought our way to the middle of the shaft before I got pinned down behind a console as the Augmenter revealed its own cannon. I was scrambling to figure out how to distract it before the console melted when Drusera suddenly appeared behind it. Surprised, the Augmenter and its drones whirled, giving me the perfect opening. I took out the drones first, disabling the shield, and then poured fire into the Augmenter. It fell to the bottom of the shaft and exploded.
We went back down, and I verified the tank was intact. I found another datacube:
Although powerful, this process of augmentation seems dangerous and unpredictable. Without the proper controls, the nanites responsible for creating cybernetic enhancements could spread like a virus, putting the larger goals of the project at risk. The Makers must proceed carefully.
— Ionis: Order of the Watchers
Well, it seemed not all the Eldan were absolutely crazy.
Drusera read it over my shoulder and sighed. I turned to her. "What's wrong?"
"Ionis was one of the vessels used in my creation. I never knew him, but his prediction proved correct."
"Sure looks like it."
She looked pensive. "There is something I must show you. Will you come with me?"
"Are you sure you can teleport us again?"
"This place is too dangerous for us to visit physically. I must show you Ionis's fears made manifest." Her "crown" appeared as she reached out and took my hand.
I accepted her hand, and the world shifted. The dead lab was replaced by one that appeared fully active. I looked down at myself and realized I seemed to be as holographic as Drusera.
"Where are we?"
"Exo-lab X39. It's a high-security containment facility." She hovered in front of an energy shield, beyond which a laser grid formed a deadly spider web. "Beyond this door are the horrible twisted creatures known as the Strain. They are creations of the Entity. The Eldan underestimated them and brought them here for study, thinking they could contain the corruption and even use it." She looked mournful. "Though the Eldan are gone, I hope they learned something useful. That's why we're here."
I nodded. "The security here looks tight."
"Yes, that's why it was too dangerous to visit physically. This place was put under the highest level of quarantine." She beckoned me, ghosting through the door.
I thought about moving to follow her and, to my surprise, floated just like she did. Moving through the door felt odd but wasn't an issue. Beyond it was a hallway, partially filled with what looked like purple tumors, covered in pus-filled blisters.
"Simple contact could lead to infection if you have any cuts or scrapes. The Strain appeared not long after my creation. The Eldan were fascinated by how it corrupted everything it touched, not realizing the danger. They paid for it in the end."
She led me deeper into the room, where the purple tumors filled the space. There was barely enough room to navigate between them, and I didn't want to touch them—even virtually.
As we moved through the room, I noticed numerous insectoid critters—what we called xenobites. These nasty little creatures consumed anything they could find, but these were twisted, infected with the same purple tumors. They looked disgusting.
Then I noticed several of the tumors had eyes.
"These were once ordinary specimens. Now, they are warped and twisted into Strain. The Eldan were studying them. Hopefully, they left behind some records."
We searched through the disturbing mess, and I saw random body parts growing from the tumors—eyes, mouths, even bones. It was revolting.
Finally, we found a datacube, nearly engulfed by the organic mass in a corner of the room. I barely touched it, and the information flowed through me.
Unfortunately, it was just a note from the Caretaker, stating that the "biological infection" resembled no known form of life.
We traveled through room after room, hunting for more datacubes. As we went deeper, more complex creatures roamed among the tumors—some even merging with them.
Eventually, we came across a room filled with large, pus-filled blisters like eggs. Drusera activated the sterilization protocol, burning away the organic mass to reveal another datacube, but it contained no useful data either.
We found one last datacube in the main control room, but it merely stated that the Eldan had found no way to stop the infection.
Drusera looked defeated. "I am so disappointed. I had hoped the Eldan had discovered a way to halt or even reverse the corruption, but I was wrong."
"No need to be sad, Drusera. If nothing else, I know what the Strain look like and how deadly they are. It's not a complete loss."
Suddenly, a voice boomed, sending a chill down my spine.
"DID YOU THINK I WOULD BE UNAWARE OF YOU IF YOU MERELY PROJECTED YOURSELF
HERE? THE STRAIN ARE MY ARMS AND LEGS. ALL THEY SEE OR SENSE, I KNOW."
"Oh, no! He's found us! We must go!"
"YES, DRUSERA, RUN. RUN LIKE THE COWARD YOU ARE!" In an instant, we were back in the Augmentation lab.
I hugged a shivering Drusera, stroking her cowl until she finally calmed down. I really wanted to punch the Entity in the face.
But now, I knew that the Strain shared their senses with him. That meant he was aware of the Dominion, since Arwick had intercepted reports that they had fought the Strain.
I messaged the science team about the location of the tank I had found and what they would need to salvage it. Then, with Drusera at my side, I headed home.
Arwick sighed. "This was supposed to be a simple scouting mission, Val. Well, at least you weren't in physical danger this time. Still, please be careful. It's hard enough on my nerves sending you out on missions, especially when you act like you have no connection to me."
"Oh, come on, Arwick. I can't expect special treatment just because I'm the Palace Bunny."
"You're far more than that, Val, and you know it."
"This planet's dangerous, Arwick. I have the skills to face it. I can't just stay in the burrow being coddled."
"I know that, Val. But I'm begging you—please be less reckless."
Drusera hung her head. "I'm sorry. I hoped we'd find something to help."
"I understand that," I said gently. "And I'm glad you took steps to ensure you were both safe. I'm not angry, Drusera. Just frustrated. You both are my family, and every instinct in me screams at me to keep you safe... but I can't."
"Some risks are worth taking."
"I know that, Val. I'd just feel better if I were the one deciding which risks to take."
"You have the responsibility of our entire people to worry about, Arwick. I'm just one dumb bunny."
"And think about what would happen to Drusera if you got hurt."
"I won't, Arwick. I value my own skin too much. I'll be careful."
He gave me a hard look. "I'm going to hold you to that, Valya. Myala is already looking forward to spoiling our child."
"What? You told her?"
"Of course I did. It'll have to wait until I give her one, but I'll make you a mother."
I hid my face in my hands.
"Is this not something to celebrate, Val?"
"It is, but it's also embarrassing. I'm still a virgin when it comes to men."
"Oh." Drusera's cheeks lit up softly in sympathy.