"The same thing happened with these two," the scientist continued, glancing haughtily at Fate and Cait, the latter of whom was still seated at the monitor.
"They were given names, and then proceeded to become a major thorn in our side. Not only did you break out of your confinement on this ship, but you also ruined one of our most useful bases of operation in the Solynus galaxy, an area we have spent thousands of years cultivating.
"Then you drove our influence out of the region almost completely, eradicating one of our best works, the Cragost. It took us eons to genetically engineer a creature with latent Divine potential. We were so close to cracking the code, the nuances and laws of how the most powerful force in existence works. And then you destroyed them."
"Typical Advanced," Fate said, spitting at the man's feet. "It's all numbers and science with you assholes, with no regard for the lives you ruin and take."
"I would argue that we have made your lives infinitely better," the scientist started, "but I digress. You two will return to your rooms and wait for instructions. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action."
"From you?" Fate smirked. "You aren't even a Personification, and your little henchmen are so weak I can sneeze them away."
As they talked, the information finished downloading on the computer. Cait stealthily snagged the chip and slid it into her sleeve, plugging one of the loose ones around the monitor into the slot as the scientist and Fate had their dick-measuring contest.
When she was done, she jumped to a stand and stared down the scientist, allowing her aura to wash over him and give him a taste of her power.
"I doubt I'd even need to twitch to kill you and all of your goons," she told the scientist. "So why don't you step aside?"
"Science, at least until one reaches the Incarnation Level, is absolute," the scientist replied calmly, snapping his fingers. The white walls of the data room, dyed red from the alarms, turned cobalt blue as the floor sparked.
In the next moment, Romero, Cait, and Fate were pumped full of enough electricity to stop an elephant's heart twice over. Romero was the first to drop, his skin blackening and smoking as he was cooked from the inside out. His screams quickly stopped.
Fate used his Manifest Power out of instinct, receiving only minor damage before the electricity lost its hold on him, crackling uselessly around his feet. Cait had likewise used her Manifest Power, although her efforts failed.
She was subjected to the full force of the power, only her Personification body keeping her alive. Neither one missed how the scientist and the guards were left unharmed.
"You shouldn't have removed your chip," the scientist said to Romero's corpse, sniffing disdainfully.
"So much for your science," Fate jabbed, tossing Romero's death out of his mind. Worry and regret would only bring the two to a reunion faster.
"Wait for it," the scientist droned.
Fate charged toward him, only to be stopped in his tracks by a wall of lightning. He skidded to a stop, inches away from touching it. It didn't seem to matter, as the wall glowed a stage brighter and washed over him.
He forced a scream down, the lighting coursing through his body despite it lacking any Divine Energy whatsoever. He dropped to a knee, then pushed himself back to his feet and stumbled toward the scientist.
Cait bent over and leaned on the table for support, gritting her teeth as she reached out with her Divine Intent. The bolts coursing through her snapped out and coursed through her energy, sapping it of all of its strength as it failed to force its way through. The scientist leered at her, amused by her attempt.
"You don't listen, do you?" he asked in his robotic tone. "What you are standing on is a floor of Quox metal. This entire structure is made from it. It works a lot like grounding for electricity, taking Divine Energy and dispersing it harmlessly across its surface.
"So long as you touch it, the electricity will touch you. Among its many unique and intriguing properties, Quox metal is highly conductive to electricity, and also, through a method we haven't quite deduced, allows said electricity to affect Divine Energy so long as Quox is used to ground it.
"It's a very curious property, and it doesn't work for any other Elements, but it is an excellent defense mechanism," the scientist continued.
Fate was only a foot or two away by now, completely unrecognizable as every inch of him was covered by cobalt blue bolts of electricity. The scientist seemed unconcerned by this, another wall of power raising in front of him.
"We've long ago conquered power and the means to bend it and direct it however we desire. The chips in our necks, the one your traitorous ally tore out of himself, tells it that we are not to be harmed."
"You say that like it's sentient or something," Fate said, taking another step. His face contorted in pain as the new wall joined the previous one in ravaging his body.
"It is," the man replied, a touch of pride coloring his monotonous voice. "We are the first in history to grant sentience to an Element with pure science. No fancy Manifest Power tricks or anything of the sort, just math and logic."
"That sounds like a load of bullshit," Fate spat through the pain.
"Believe whatever you want; it doesn't change the truth," the man shrugged. "But just know that this is the reason Athena is having such trouble. The lightning is sentient, but it has no life nor Divine Energy for her to control. She's lucky that I am unimmune to her Personification Level's body strengthening, or else I would have set it to kill you both.
"As it is, I find it hard to harm her, although I am well-trained in telling when my mind is being messed with. But such is Manifestations; despite my knowledge, I cannot do anything about it. So… sleep."