Chapter 59 - System Online

The forest around them was dense, alive with rustling leaves and alien birds calling. Sunlight filtered through the trees and threw weird, shifting shadows on the ground, lighting up patches of glowing fungi.

Luca’s focus was elsewhere. He swiped through his interface, reviewing his latest System updates.

It still felt unreal. The moment they’d activated the first portal, the System had unblocked their progress.

First things first, attributes.

[Attribute Points Available: 10]

STR: 15 → 18 (+3)

PER: 108

DEX: 69

MEM: 44 → 50 (+6)

INT: 84

CHA: 12 → 13 (+1)

He put Memory up to fifty, to start closing the gap Emily had laid out in her notebook back on the Triumph. Strength went to eighteen, because she’d also told him his body had to keep up with what his reflexes were doing, and she’d been right about that too. The last point went into Charisma, which did absolutely nothing he could feel.

That left the real prize. Two Ability Points were waiting.

Hard Lock got the first one. He used it every fight, and Level 7 would keep fast targets in focus the next time something went for his head.

[Ability Upgrade: Hard Lock Level 6 → Level 7]

The second went where Emily had told him it should go weeks ago.

[Ability Upgrade: System Pulse Level 1 → Level 2]

The next time he fired it, his brain would get a better pipe and, hopefully, a smaller railroad spike.

But there was something else he needed to deal with first. The notification he’d dismissed back in the delve was still waiting for him.

[Mission Completion Reward]

System-Issue Multitool: Pathfinder Prototype

Choose Configuration:

Exploration-Class

Science-Class

Engineering-Class

Medical-Class

Luca stared at the options. They’d talked about this briefly on the way back to the Peregrine, but now it was time to make the actual choice. He glanced around the clearing where his team was setting up their survey equipment.

“Hey, everyone,” he called out. “Time to make our multitool selections.”

The team gathered around him. Chris was going to be in the med pod for a long time while his body healed.

“So we each get one of these multitools,” Luca said. “Four configurations to choose from.”

Ryan rubbed his hands together. “Engineering class for me, obviously. Whatever it does, it’s gotta be better than lugging around a full toolkit.”

Joey nodded. “Medical makes sense for me. It could be useful for field medicine.”

“I’m thinking Science,” Danny said. “Might help with our survey work.”

Emily surprised them all. “Medical for me, too.”

Everyone turned to look at her. “Really? I figured you’d go for Exploration or Science.”

She shrugged. “Joey can’t be everywhere at once. If we’re splitting up for surveys, having two people who can handle medical emergencies makes sense.”

“That’s smart thinking,” Joey said approvingly.

Zoe grinned. “I’ll take Exploration. It should help with identifying threats and resources from a distance.”

“Same here. Exploration class. Between the two of us, we should be able to map out the dangerous areas and find the good stuff.”

“Alright,” Ryan said. “Let’s see what these things actually look like.”

Luca selected Exploration-Class and confirmed his choice. A heavy item appeared in his hands. The device was bulkier than he’d expected. It was a pistol-shaped scanner unit connected by a reinforced cable to a display screen. The scanner felt solid, made of some kind of advanced polymer with metal reinforcements.

“Damn,” he said, hefting the scanner. “This thing’s got some weight to it.”

The others were examining their own multitools, each configured differently.

“Power cell required,” Emily noted, checking her medical configuration.

Luca pointed his scanner at a nearby tree and activated it. The device hummed to life, drawing power from the TL9 cell. He had to hold it steady, keeping the targeting reticle centered on the trunk as the scanner worked. A progress bar crawled across the display, 15%, 25%, 40%. The power indicator dropped noticeably.

“Come on,” he muttered, fighting to keep his aim steady as a breeze made the branches sway slightly. The scan stuttered, restarting at 30%.

Finally, after nearly thirty seconds, the display lit up with comprehensive survey data.

[Flora Scan Complete]

Species: Unknown (Centauri Native)

Classification: Deciduous Hardwood

Cell Structure: Complex cellulose matrix with unique crystalline deposits

Photosynthetic Analysis: 23% efficiency, adapted for filtered light conditions

Genetic Sequencing: Logged

Edibility: Bark - Mildly Toxic / Leaves

Mineral Content: High iron, trace titanium in root system

Coordinates: Logged

“Holy shit,” he breathed, checking the power level, down to 95% from one scan. “This is incredible detail, but it’s not exactly quick. And it’s draining the power cell fast.”

Danny was scanning the air with his own gadget. “Atmospheric composition, trace gases, pollen count, microbial analysis... this thing is doing the work of our entire portable lab.”

Ryan had his own Engineering multitool scanner over the Peregrine. “Structural integrity analysis, power flow diagnostics, material stress points. I can see exactly where we need maintenance. Plus, it’s cataloging mineral deposits and geological formations for our core sampling objectives.”

“These things are sure to be upgradeable,” Ryan added, examining the device more closely. “Most System gear has modular components. We’ll probably be able to add new functions as we find upgrade modules.”

Danny nodded. “This is going to increase our survey efficiency substantially. We won’t need to haul around half our equipment anymore. No more cumbersome water testing kits, no more separate atmospheric analyzers.”

“The fauna scanner is already picking up movement patterns,” Zoe said, sweeping her device across the treeline. “It can detect heat signatures and behavioral indicators. Watch this.” She pointed her scanner at a small bird-like creature perched nearby.

The progress bar crawled to 20%, then 35%. The bird fluttered, and the reticle slipped off it. “Come on, hold still,” she muttered, readjusting her aim. Just as the scan hit 60%, the creature took flight, disappearing into the canopy.

[Scan Failed]

“Damn it,” Zoe groaned, checking her power level, down to 94% for a failed scan. “Looks like we’ll need to shoot them down if we want a proper fauna analysis.”

Ryan laughed from where he was examining his engineering scanner. “Or maybe you just need better aim, Zoe.”

“Shut up, Ryan,” she shot back. “Let’s see you try to scan something that won’t sit still.”

Emily turned her scanner toward Luca, the targeting reticle settling on his chest. After a few seconds, she raised an eyebrow. “Your heart rate’s elevated.”

Luca grinned back at her. “Wonder why that could be.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile.

They moved through the clearing, packing up gear, securing crates, and loading samples into the cargo hold. The air had that particular post-rain smell of damp earth and alien plants.

Luca hefted a sample of dirt into the Peregrine, wiping a streak of grime from his visor. They’d been at this site for hours, cataloging plants and taking readings. It was tedious, repetitive shit, but necessary if they were going to map out the viable zones of New Dawn.

This place was teeming with life, rich and bio-compatible. But every day out here felt like a goddamn marathon, a constant fight to stay ahead of whatever the hell they’d unleashed after that first dungeon run.

“Careful with that one,” Ryan called out, glancing over from where he was strapping down a crate of weird-looking roots. “We’ve got enough samples to last us a month. Last thing we need is to spill half of it on the way back.” As if Luca didn’t know how to handle a fucking crate.

“Don’t worry, I got it,” Luca replied, securing the crate. “Make sure the scanners are packed.”

Nearby, Emily was folding up a portable antenna. She glanced over and smirked, that teasing glint in her eyes. “You know, I’m starting to think we should have left that portal alone.”

Luca rolled his eyes. “You’re the one who said we needed what was on the other side.”

“I know, and I was wrong,” she said, walking over, helmet tucked under her arm. She looked good. Too good. “Since we stepped through that first portal, we’ve had creatures popping out of nowhere, harassing us every time we try to work. Not exactly the peaceful survey mission we signed up for, huh?”

“You call this harassment?” Danny called from the other side of the clearing, dismantling a sensor array. “I call it target practice. Besides, it keeps things interesting.”

“Right, because getting ambushed by six-legged lizards is your idea of a good time,” Joey said, shaking his head as he packed up his med kit. “I don’t care what you say, Danny, I’m keeping my shield on next time.”

Zoe hopped down from the roof of the Peregrine, where she’d been securing solar panels. “You love it, Joey. Admit it. A little danger never hurt anyone.”

Joey shot her a deadpan look. “Tell that to Chris’s arm.”

Ryan waved it off. “Hey, he’s healing up fine. The med pod’s working wonders, right? Besides, we’re learning. Every time something attacks, we figure out how to handle it better.”

The easy banter cut off as the Peregrine’s workstation let out a sharp ping. He walked over as a fresh stream of data scrolled across the screen. His stomach tightened.

“What the hell is this?” he muttered, tapping the notification to expand it.

Emily leaned over his shoulder, her brow furrowing as she read along with him. The text was blunt.

[Signal detected. Source located. 439 kilometers north-northeast. Artificial patterns detected. Signal is stationary.]

Zoe’s head snapped up from where she was securing equipment. “Wait, what?” She dropped what she was doing and rushed over. “Let me see that.”

One look at the readout and her eyes went wide. “It’s that fucking signal! It’s the one we detected in subspace and picked up when we first landed. But now...”

Ryan stepped closer, his expression shifting from curiosity to excitement. “Holy shit, it’s finally triangulated!” He leaned over Luca’s shoulder, studying the coordinates. “Four hundred thirty-nine kilometers north-northeast. We actually have a location.”

Luca shook his head, scrolling for more details. “It’s artificial, not portal-related.”

Portals were bad enough. At least they understood what portals did, even if they tried to kill them. This? This was something new, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

The next update was worse.

[New data logged: 54,300 active portals detected across New Dawn. Energy signatures consistent with System-generated activity. Activation times correlate to the first portal interaction.]

“Fifty-four thousand?” Emily read it twice. “Since we activated the first one? That’s exponential.”

Ryan let out a low whistle, rocking back on his heels. “Looks like we kicked the damn hornet’s nest.”

“What the actual fuck?” Luca muttered, his thumb mindlessly scrolling through the flood of coordinates. They were everywhere, scattered across the planet like landmines. This was just like Sol.

Danny was staring at the signal data, his expression thoughtful. “You know what? I bet that’s why we can finally triangulate the signal. It was barely detectable before, but now...” He gestured at the portal count. “Probably the System. Now that it’s active, something might have triggered the strengthening of that signal.”

“That makes sense,” Zoe said, nodding. “The System integration changed everything else on this planet. Why not whatever’s been broadcasting that signal?”

Ryan crossed his arms, shooting Luca a sideways glance. “So, what’s the plan, fearless leader? Besides dying horribly when this whole planet blows up.”

“Fifty-four thousand portals...” Emily said, studying the layout. “And now a mystery signal. That’s a lot of unknowns.”

“Tell me about it,” Luca said.

She glanced at Luca. “I get it, this is what we’re here for. But we need to be smart. The planet just got a lot more dangerous, and we know nothing about this signal.” She shook her head. “We’re not dying horribly. We take this one step at a time. If there’s an artifact, we have to investigate it.”

“Agreed,” Luca said. “Survey work’s still the job, but that doesn’t mean we go in blind.”

Joey looked up from his equipment. “Why don’t we just take the dropship? Four hundred kilometers isn’t that far.”

Ryan shook his head. “Fuel constraints. We’ve only got enough for a few more hops, and we still need to finish the survey work here. Plus, look at the terrain data.” He pulled up a topographical map on his PAC. “The signal’s coming from heavily wooded, mountainous terrain. Even if we could land nearby, we’d still have to hike in with all our gear.”

“Better to drive up,” Luca said, studying the route. “The Peregrine can handle rough terrain, and we can haul out whatever we find. If this thing turns out to be significant, we’ll need the cargo space.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “Good. Because whatever that signal is, it’s been sitting there for who knows how long. A few more days of preparation won’t hurt.”

They’d already kicked the hornet’s nest; might as well see what the sting felt like.

Emily was already moving toward the Peregrine, all business. “Alright, let’s get this gear secured and plan our approach.”

Luca caught up with her and, on impulse, leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. “We’ve got this, Em.”

She smiled, bumping his shoulder with hers. “I know we do. Now come on, let’s go figure out what the hell this thing is.”

Luca saw it, the long-awaited moment, on the edge of the clearing.

Danny and Zoe.

Heads against each other, whispering like they were plotting something. Luca’s eyebrows shot up as Zoe grabbed Danny’s wrist, her fingers curling around it. Was she…?

Oh.

Oh!

She was!

She was leading him toward the treeline. Victory.

It’d taken her weeks, weeks of teasing, flirting, nudging, throwing herself at him on a silver platter, for this moment. Danny, bless his dense, lovable heart, was finally going along with it. Maybe he’d finally figured it out. Maybe she’d finally get what she wanted.

Luca could already hear Emily’s told-you-so voice in his head. See, Luca? Patience pays off. She’s got this. And honestly? He was rooting for them. Zoe deserved this win.