The party had been on a roll lately, they had successfully completed 8 more exploration missions and had finally paid off their debt. The mission had passed without much incident. Bolat had decided not to go out into the field with the party and instead focused on his role as future human ambassador. He was doing extensive research into the various factions of the solar system.
It had taken a few missions for the party to adapt but they managed to develop an effective routine. They would take the shuttle to the planet and then use the return spell to bring in a portable shelter. Lisa and Chris would stay at the shelter to scan and study the area while Null, Infy and Jania would physically explore the area.
The Shelter was equipped with various scientific instruments and scanning devices. They had also learnt from Bolat and packed the shelter with fixed turrets and mobile surveillance drones. The shelter made a fine forward operating base.
Without any new Zallium to upgrade any of the spells they had instead focused on upgrading each suit AI and some of the non-field technology. Each suit now had an advanced suite of sensors that could hopefully detect cloaked enemies or even offer Chris and Lisa the ability to detect objects in a wider spectrum
Chris's new AI Argus is named after the all-seeing god. The Argus did most of the heavy lifting when it came to surveillance and controlling the turrets. To prevent accidents Chris had to explicitly command the turrets physically before they could fire. This was a failsafe in case the AI was hacked or went rogue.
Lisa had also benefited from a new AI, Sia the god of knowledge. Sia role was to help Lisa with her research, The AI would track and analyse all the data collected. Sia had nearly unlimited access to the portable shelter research station that collected detailed information on each planet they visited. Information was always half the battle and Sia was invaluable
Jania AI Leia had also received an update to unlock some more processing power now that she had adapted to her implant. This allowed for Jania to be hyper-aware of her surrounding at all times and quicken her response to danger.
Elsewhere Bolat was entertaining a visitor in his room.
"Yes, yes this mission will do, you need to pick that mission" suggested the visitor
"But that an unranked exploration mission, we are still doing introductory missions we won't be able to select it" answered Bolat.
"Don't worry, I'll fix it. Yes, this will be very entertaining he he he" the stranger was filled with glee at the prospect of what the humans will find on the indicated planet.
"You sure we are doing the right thing? , what if Infy realises something wrong, those two are more perceptive than you know" Bolat was having second thoughts on his arrangements with his strange benefactor.
"Yes, yes it's fine I've told you before, this group of humans will be the end of the dwarven race. If we don't do anything or maybe not—who knows. Don't worry they won't decline, I'll make sure" and with that, the stranger was once against gone.
Bolat waited a while before selecting the mission, he had expected that it would be declined but to his surprise, it was immediately accepted. Not for the first time, he had to wonder how much influence Phosphoros had.
The mission he had selected was to explore a newly discovered planet in a trinary star system, technically the planet shouldn't have been habitable or even exist as its orbit did not conform with the laws of physics.
Bolat had brought the mission to the rest of the party to discuss. As expected there were some hesitations.
"The only way this planet could exist is by using a massive passive field manipulation system. The power requirements alone indicates, that this planet was inhabited by a tier 3 or higher race. I don't think we should be exploring such a place" Infy had a very strange feeling about this mission. Something in his heart was telling him he needed to go, while his logic programming was telling him that something was wrong.
"Oh infinity you really are the gifted one, I wholeheartedly agree, you shouldn't go there. Oh, oh, oh I know I will forbid you from going. Yes, that is what I will do. You can't go." Phosphoros had once again let his presence be known.
"Piss off!" Null didn't feel like having to deal with this guy today.
"Ahh, the defective one can speak, such a sophisticated response. I don't think I can survive. But I do forbid you from going to that planet, you really do need to go to Ollhelian it would be very exciting"
"I said piss off!" Null then cast the anti-field spell to dispel the spiritual projection.
"If he says we can't go, we are definitely going. If the council assigned it to us it must be relatively safe" Null was not going to let some creepy asshole Angel tell him what he could or couldn't do.
Bolat was amazed at how easily Null had been manipulated. He was hoping that once they were gone, he could convince the council to stay on as the guardians of the Earth and prevent the dwarves from being drawn into a war they couldn't win. It was for the greater good, not because he was jealous of their power.
"It is all good to say that we should go, but if he is involved this will be anything but easy. I don't want to be fighting another abomination again. Maybe we shouldn't go" Chris didn't like the feel of this mission either. He had yet decided if Phosphoros was helpful or chaotic.
Infy and Null were discussing things privately, as both of them wanted to go but didn't want to force their decision onto the rest of the party. Both of them couldn't just ignore the gut feeling they had about this mission.
"I and Null will be going to the planet, we won't force anyone else to come. It is hard to explain but we feel like it is the will of the universe for us to travel to this planet." Infy knew by declaring they were going anyway that the others would feel obligated to follow, but he didn't know whatelse to do.
A voice unexpectedly came out of the Null tracking bracelet. "You won't be going alone. Please stand by" soon after a small Valtaui arrived in the room.
"Why do we even bother using this secure room?" asked Jania, she did have a point with Phosphoros and now the Valtaui it didn't seem very secure.
Lisa found the Valtaui to be an interesting race. It challenged her ideas on what constitutes life.
"are you unit 2317 or another unit, I am sorry but we can't tell you apart," she asked.
"I am unit 2317, I will be joining you on this mission. You should have never been able to register for this mission as it is unranked. We informed the Supreme Council of the error but they had declared that the mission stands. I was assigned as a chaperon but I am not to act unless other galactic citizens lives are endangered"
"If Phosphoros was pulling the strings before, it stands to reason he did it this as time. Therefore, that act before was to bait us into going to the planet for him." Chris was getting a headache trying to work out everyone agendas. The council could have nullified the mission but choose not to which suggest they want something out of this aswell.
"Well who cares what those people want, lets go and see what we can find!" Null was ready to leave right then and there.
"Not before you let me look at those AI's. They are a crime against Machine kind" Unit 2317 believed there was something odd happening, and even if he couldn't break the rules while on the mission there was nothing stopping him from helping before the mission.