Outer Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery
The hours following the detection of subsurface activity on Moon 7C were marked by an intensified, yet frustratingly passive, vigilance. Drone Prime-3 continued its long-range scan of Crater EC-117, but the Scorpions remained masters of emission control. There were no further seismic events, no more atmospheric venting, no energy spikes. It was as if the brief flicker of activity had been swallowed back into the moon's dusty silence.
Valerius found the lack of data maddening. The System ran constant analyses, searching for patterns in the background radiation, gravitational fluctuations, anything that might hint at the nature of the underground operation, but yielded nothing conclusive. Project Chimera remained an enigma, hidden beneath meters of rock and sophisticated countermeasures.
'System, re-analyze previous intercept data regarding 'Chimera Manifest Transfer'. Any linguistic nuances or hidden context missed?'
<
Biological? Technological? Transferring what? Valerius filed the speculation away. Without more data, it was guesswork.
He used the lull to further his own consolidation. In his quarters, he practiced extending his Spatial Sense, focusing on refining its 'resolution'. He could now dimly perceive the internal layout of adjacent rooms, identifying major furniture items and active consoles by their mass and energy signatures. He even managed to briefly 'feel' the faint psionic residue left by the anomaly's interference pulse during his last trip below – a cold, static-like signature clinging to his own energy field, which the nanites were slowly purging. It served as a stark reminder of the danger lurking beneath the outpost.
A routine check of the System's passive monitoring alerted him to Kaelen's activities.
<
Kaelen was widening his search again, unable to pin anything on the emitter incident, now looking for unusual personnel movements or energy readings that might correlate with Valerius's suspected activities or power source. He was persistent, like a hound on a scent, even if the trail was cold. Valerius made a mental note to ensure his next trip below, whenever it happened, used even more sophisticated countermeasures analyzed by the System.
Later, during a shift change briefing where Valerius updated the command staff on the continued silence from Moon 7C, Kaelen spoke up.
"Commander," Kaelen addressed Vorlag, though his eyes flickered towards Valerius, "while the situation on the moon is unclear, perhaps we should consider the possibility that the subsurface activity wasn't Scorpion-related at all."
Vorlag raised an eyebrow. "Explain, Lieutenant."
"The initial geological surveys, while old, noted minor geothermal instability in that region," Kaelen stated, bringing up a faded survey map on a side display. "And trace radiation isn't unheard of near certain mineral deposits. It's possible the micro-seismic event and gas venting were natural phenomena, unrelated to the Scorpion presence."
Valerius recognized the tactic immediately. Kaelen couldn't disprove the Scorpion activity, so he was attempting to introduce doubt, muddying the waters, perhaps hoping to discredit Valerius's analysis which had strongly linked the events to the Scorpions.
Before Valerius could respond, the System provided the counter-argument. <
"With respect, Lieutenant Kaelen," Valerius interjected smoothly, "the specific gas composition detected – particularly the complex hydrocarbons – is inconsistent with known natural geothermal venting in this system. Furthermore, the seismic signature lacked the typical precursors for natural events. While we cannot be 100% certain without closer observation, the timing and characteristics strongly correlate with artificial subsurface activity following the confirmed vessel landings."
He presented the facts calmly, letting the data speak for itself. Kaelen flushed slightly but didn't argue the specifics; he lacked the detailed analysis Valerius possessed (via the System).
Vorlag nodded curtly. "The correlation is too strong to dismiss, Kaelen. We proceed under the assumption of hostile subsurface activity. Lieutenant Valerius, maintain maximum vigilance on that moon. Let me know the instant anything changes."
Kaelen fell silent again, his frustration palpable. He had tried to undermine Valerius's credibility and failed. The subtle battle of wits continued.
As the briefing concluded, Valerius felt a growing sense of urgency. The Scorpions on the moon were hiding something important, Kaelen was actively searching for ways to expose him, and the Sector Command fleet was still over a day away. Time felt increasingly compressed.
He needed to be stronger. The 14% progress towards Mid-Level Wargod felt inadequate. The risks of another descent were high, compounded by Kaelen's scrutiny and the anomaly's increased activity, but the strategic imperative was growing.
'System,' he thought, walking back towards the analysis room, 'begin calculating optimal parameters for next energy absorption cycle. Factor in Kaelen's known search patterns, current security posture, anomaly interference levels, and minimum required energy gain to achieve significant threshold advancement before fleet arrival.'
<
High risk. But perhaps, Valerius considered, unavoidable. The whispers from below and the eyes watching from above were closing in.