6 days after 'Wake'
Within the generator room, a constant, heavy yet strained hum echoed. The room itself, had definitely seen better days, unless an architect with a messed up sense of art had created it like this. In that case, there wasn't much that could be done.
That was unlikely though.
The humming continued for hours since it had begun once more, many hours on end. Yet despite this, there was a seemingly normal, carefree youth taking a nap in this sleep-hostile environment. Then again he wasn't exactly normal was he?
Yes, our days old protagonist was fast asleep in this room, as he had been for the past 8 system hours.
*Twitch*
And he was finally beginning to show signs of waking up.
*YAWNNNN*
He stretched, and felt a satisfactory shiver shoot down his spine. It seemed he had a good nap.
"That was a good nap"
He looked around the room, just to check if anything was out of place. Nothing was, it was as he had left it, barely functional, before he had left to the land of....whatever homunculi do in their sleep.
"Argos, what's the time?"
[Too vague sire, Lokir does not have a set 'time', as you put it]
"Alright smar*BLEEP*s, how long did I nap for"
[It can hardly be called a nap sire, you were knocked out for 8 system hours]
"That's a nap"
[It is not]
"Who made you the authority on naps? What do you even know about naps? You don't even sleep]
[...]
"I thought so"
Someone had woken op on the wrong side of the cold, metal floor.
Aedhira suddenly looked around for no one in particular, with annoyance etched on to his custom made face.
"Haah....alright, restoration progress, give me a report Argos, how much was done while I was gone?"
As Aedhira waited for Argos to provide the progress report, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him. The restoration of Fort Blanche was no small task, and every bit of progress they made brought them one step closer to their goal.
A clean home.
[The restoration progress is at 32%, sire. The power has been fully restored to the main generator, and essential systems are back online. Mender and Monitor have been working diligently to repair damaged infrastructure, while Mentor has been clearing debris and obstructions from the corridors.]
[Uddiya and Nitzol have been scouting the surrounding terrain. They will be back with and updated map soon]
"Any estimation on how long?"
[They are covering a 300 kilometer radius around the facility. At 28% coverage so far, I estimate a total duration of 203 system hours, unless something drastic occurs]
"Alright, and the rest?"
[Exousis and Amanii are transporting and breaking heavy debris around the fort. Over the years, Lokir has been bombarded continually by meteorites and asteroids, as the Mass-Runis defense systems have been disabled due to the lack of power]
"Simplify"
[The shields have been disabled when power went out]
"That's better"
Aedhira nodded, pleased with the update. It seemed that his Maxims had been hard at work in his absence, making significant strides towards restoring Fort Blanche to its former glory. If there actually was, a former glory.
"Good work, everyone. Keep it up. We still have a long way to go, but with determination and teamwork, we'll get there."
[ew]
"What?"
[Nothing]
"Hm"
Aedhira couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about Argos's response, but he pushed the thought aside for the time being. There were more pressing matters at hand.
He rose to his feet, stretching his limbs as he surveyed the room once more. Despite the progress they had made, there was still much work to be done. The fort was in a sorry state, and it would take time and effort to bring it back to something befitting it's name.
It wouldn't be anytime soon, that's for sure.
With a determined expression, Aedhira set about his tasks. He began to assess the condition of the equipment in the generator room, checking for any signs of damage or malfunction. And he was glad he did, too much was a poke away from falling apart. Enough, 'mishaps' and, it'd go from a generator to a bomb, wiping out everything in a 700 kilometer radius. It was one of the reasons he had Uddiya, and Nitzol scout the terrain, not only for themselves, but also any possible life within.
He, himself, living or not, didn't want anyone to die due to his incompetence. He grimaced slightly before getting back to it.
It was tedious work, but he knew it was necessary if they were to ensure the continued operation of the fort. Without power, he'd have a very hard time doing.....anything.
As he worked, his mind wandered to the events that had led him here. Just days ago, he had awoken in this desolate place with no memory of how....no memory of anything really. Now, he found himself leading a group of...his subordinates in the restoration of a long-forgotten fort.
It was a strange turn of events, to be sure, but Aedhira couldn't help but feel a sense of purpose in his newfound role. He may have been born just days ago, but already he was making a difference in the world around him.
Hopefully.
Lost in his thoughts, Aedhira didn't notice the passage of time until Argos's voice broke through the silence once more.
[Sire, we have an incoming transmission]
Aedhira's brow furrowed in confusion. Who could be contacting them in the middle of nowhere? Wasn't Lokir supposed to be designated as desolate? Argos, noticing the unsaid question said
[It has been centuries sire, I cannot account for any changes that occured in my absence]
Aedhira sighed, shook his head.
"Put it through, Argos."
With a flicker of ethereal energy, a holographic display appeared before Aedhira, revealing the face of a refugee(?)(rude). His expression was unreadable, but there was a sense of authority...and desperation in his demeanor.
"Greetings, to any and all who can receive this transmission. I am Varric Remeene. I lead a small contingent of refugees from the Union civil war, we need aid. We face hordes of Forsah and Enärģia ranked Fyrraths, too many for us. They outnumber us nearly one to ten.....
If anyone can hear this transmission, we do not have wealth, nor do we have any valuables, but I still ask you to help us. There are women and children among us. Please.....help. "
The transimission repeated again. And again.
And again.
Aedhira's mind raced filled with hundreds of thoughts, literally, as he considered the man's plead. On one hand, they were still in the midst of restoring Fort Blanche, and leaving now could jeopardize their progress.
On the other hand, if the nearby outpost was truly in danger, they couldn't turn a blind eye.
"Damn it. We should've done the scouting before all of this. Wouldn't have been caught off guard."
Aedhira's eyes glowed, and his connections to the Maxims tensed like a rope being tugged on.
---(ATTENTION ALL MAXIMS. WE HAVE RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR HELP)------
"....." He paused, expecting some resistance...but no.
-----(BEGIN PREPARATIONS, WE WILL MOVE SHORTLY)-------
After a moment of contemplation, Aedhira made his decision.
"Prep the rest of the Aes, Argos. We're going to help the outpost."
"A bit, early for my tastes, but I guess I'll debut a bit early."
With that, Aedhira turned to leave the generator room, his heart filled with jolly resolve. His heart, beat.
Once
Twice
One more time.
Somewhere in a corner of a room in the fort, a familiar armor lit up, golden engravings lighting up like LEDs. Similar to his subordinates, a connection to the Arstra tugged like a rope, and the Arstra, responded.
With a step.
Meanwhile, Argos.
[Taste???? Wasn't he born 6 days ago?]