Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 121 – Integration Issues

Talia frowned at the bootstrap module’s holographic display, flicking between the camera feeds. “You don’t think any of them can be of any help at all?”

[Explanation: UFE personnel mission to extract User is likely to interfere with any assistance rendered. Inability to focus on desired mission outcome would render support ineffective.]

Neo’s response was logical, yet frustrating.

The feed showed the UFE military personnel huddled in the makeshift underground room. The space had been hastily carved out by a CRD-X9 at the bottom of the tunnel ramp just across from the spider gang’s first nest.

It had just enough room for the group to move about safely inside, more of a hallway than a room. Dim portable lamps cast long shadows across weary faces. The group looked demoralized.

Two construction units buzzed and whirred further down the tunnel, clearing a space for a new habitation module and extended decontamination unit able to handle small groups.

Another feed, linked to the research module, showed three isolation chambers in an eerie, antiseptic light. Lieutenant Amelia and two other marines lay motionless on their medical beds.

Mechanical auto-arms tended to them while the soft beeping of their medical terminals reported their status. Sedated. Resting. Fighting for their lives.

The good news: it was slow in how fast it killed you, comparatively.

The bad news was that because of that she had deprioritized the strain in the research lab, near the bottom of the list.

Talia flipped the feed to examine the cause.

Crumbling edges of quick-set material came into focus. The organic polymer in the flexible UFE patch-it had become a feast for a particular Sigma strain. Microscopic vines of microbes worked their way through the plaster, breaching the interior of the suits.

Nothing else had got through, although it had been a near thing. Other organisms had been slowly traveling through the compromised patches.

Heck, it probably had been designed just for this purpose, to act as the breacher for the rest of the nasties. The precursors had been very thorough in how to make the microbes as unfriendly as possible. Probably the only reason they could figure out a ‘cure’ at all was the fact that the native lifeforms survived themselves.

The Giant Jungle Worms had provided an excellent source of samples for the bio-lab, at least.

It would have been nice if the Lieutenant hadn’t been one of the casualties. The stupid marine that was now in charge was annoying. She turned her attention back to the three sleeping soldiers.

Talia sighed. The rapid catch and decontamination had prevented further spread, but the damage was done. The first strain now floated in their bloodstreams, a ticking time bomb.

Life support would give them days, maybe weeks.

“We still need to treat them. We can’t just let them die,” Talia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

[Notice: Vaccine efficacy improvements will be materially delayed due to shifting priority for UFE personnel assistance.]

Talia shook her head and her face tightened with frustration. “Whatever, that doesn’t change things. Keep working on it.”

[Estimate: Prognosis for reversing FX-SI-3838 strain is poor under current constraints. There is an average 78% chance of synthesizing required anti-molecules before fatal outcome. A 56% chance of doing so within required timeframe before permanent damage is accumulated in patients. A 29% chance of restoring permanent damage.]

The numbers struck like a whip. Talia gritted her teeth. “Just keep at it. As long as they don’t die, there isn’t anything ‘permanent’ that can’t be treated.”

[Warning: User research facility lacks full medical suite and is incapable of advanced medical procedures, especially neurological and psycho modification and restoration.]

Her foot tapped impatiently. “You really want me to just discard them, but we aren’t going to do so.”

[Informative: Current strategic position requires extreme optimization of resources for potential victory over hostile Ferroin.]

Talia shook her head. Exasperation colored her voice. “Two CRD-X9s for a few hours and fewer resources than a Viper for an underground hab; it’s not that much. The research was already being tasked on the vaccine. We are just re-arranging the order it’s being done in. It’s not costing us anything on a scale that will make a difference.”

The feed flipped to the UFE personnel huddled in the makeshift shelter.

Talia paused. Her expression softened with a twinge of empathy. “I’m not happy about having guests either, especially since I know why they are here, but that doesn’t mean we should prioritize a few paperclips over their lives.”

Talia pushed a key decisively and the monitor went dark. She turned on her heel, striding out of the bootstrap control module. A plan formed as she moved.

“I’ll go talk to the current leader of the UFE team,” she muttered. “Maybe we can deal with two things at the same time.”

Her footsteps echoed through the corridor as she made her way to confront the unexpected visitors who had complicated her already precarious situation.

Talia stepped out of the bootstrap module. Plans and worries churned in her mind. A sudden chirp from above caused her to glance up. Dapple leapt gracefully from the roof, landing beside her with a soft thud.

“Time-Go-Save-Sisters?” Dapple’s question hung in the air, filled with hope and urgency.

Talia paused. “Neo, have you finished analyzing the debris trajectories?”

[Notice: 88% of Radiant Descent debris falling on current continent has been mapped. No further UFE personnel detected. Blue forces have prioritized recovery of debris sections.]

“Of course they would.” Her frown deepened. “Doesn’t mean no one else came down. You’ve mapped a lot of the debris, but how much have we actually scanned?”

[Informative: Less than twelve percent of mapped debris has been scanned.]

Her jaw clenched. The number was higher than expected, but far from conclusive.

Neo’s reluctance to allocate more resources in that direction was clear, and Talia found herself torn. With an alien army hellbent on kidnapping the Tch’Llik and destroying everything in their path, their options were limited.

She glanced at Dapple, who waited patiently. “Neo, can you answer Dapple’s question, please?”

[Report: Eastern force concentration buildup in progress. A breakthrough armor unit with extended shield units is being prepared via Autobase 2. In conjunction with current force elements in position, this should allow a push through enemy lines and provide a corridor to deliver Tch’Llik’yzz’Lrr directly to enemy stronghold where a rescue option can take place. However, insufficient forces will be available to maintain breach for a protracted period.]

Talia froze, the relevant data appearing on her suit’s HUD. The harsh reality was painted on the screen. They lacked the capacity to defeat the Blues outright. Their best option was a risky snatch-and-grab operation.

“Fuck,” Talia muttered under her breath. She looked at Dapple, her heart heavy. “Did you get that?”

“Go-Taker. Save-Sisters. Run-Away.” Dapple’s sad chirp echoed Talia’s own feelings.

Talia reached out, her gloved hand gently stroking Dapple’s cheek. “Yeah. It’s the best we’re going to be able to do. It won’t be easy. If we had more time…”

Dapple’s chirps echoed off the sand as they walked toward the tunnel. At the bottom of the ramp, she turned to the spider. “You should stay here. I think you’ll just terrify them right now. They still aren’t safe.”

Dapple chirped in response. “Stay-here. Look-peaceful. Only-menace-if-danger.”

She patted Dapple’s leg. The spider scurried off into the left entry point, disappearing into the old scrap nest.

“Don’t menace at all,” Talia called after her. “If there needs to be any menacing, they’ll just get holes punched in them, and that’ll be that.”

Hidden cameras dotted the refugee chamber. Behind them lurked chain-fire shotguns. Miniature, but deadly effective against unarmored targets. For the five in power armor, she’d confiscated their weapons. Her upgraded suit gave her confidence in handling anything, even by herself.

A deep breath steadied her. Surely none of the marines harbored suicidal tendencies or secret orders to harm her. They wanted her alive, to bring her back to…

A strained breath escaped her. Dapple chirped worriedly from somewhere in the darkness.

“I’m fine,” Talia assured, more to herself than the spider.

She approached the opposite side of the tunnel. A makeshift panel sealed the entrance, the section not yet biometrically sealed. That would come after the habitation and decon module were fully constructed.

Talia raised her hand and knocked on the panel. Without waiting for a response, she slid it open.

Survival lights and LED strings lit the floor as she stepped into the makeshift chamber. The unfinished room felt cramped and austere. Strained faces greeted her.

Most of the marines wore skin suits designed for short-term use, their life support systems struggling to keep up with extended wear. They had received supplemental oxygen canisters—thankfully, those were universal enough that even Cortex hadn’t managed to slap a proprietary adapter on them with their design.

But waste collection was another matter entirely. Condensation fogged the inside of their visors, hinting at deteriorating conditions within the suits.

Sergeant Griff approached immediately. He stood at attention, but a slight sway in his stance betrayed fatigue or dehydration, most likely. His suit wasn’t compatible with the emergency water rations. The module would be done in time, but the lack was obviously starting to take a toll on the man.

“Ms. Fremont,” Griff said. “We appreciate the shelter, but we need to discuss our situation.”

Talia nodded. “I understand, Sergeant. We’re working on improving your accommodations, but we are already moving as fast as possible to set things up.”

A marine down the hall slumped against the wall, his skin suit darkened with sweat and worse. The sight strengthened her resolve. These people needed help, regardless of why they’d come.

Griff’s eyes darted to one of the marines with a tech suite control pod, then back to Talia. The sergeant’s jaw clenched, his voice taut with barely contained frustration. “Ms. Fremont, you need to turn yourself in and hand over operational control. You aren’t qualified for this.”

“Sergeant, with all due respect, you have no idea what you’re dealing with here. The complexity of what is going on requires Neo’s assistance. I couldn’t hand over control even if I wanted to.”

Griff’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m the planetary governor here,” Talia stated firmly. “My authority in this situation is absolute.”

The sergeant’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. “That’s not how UFE regulations work, Ms. Fremont. What you’re doing is illegal.”

[Legal: User’s status as planetary governor, elected by native Tch’Llik species, is irrevocable under UFE Colonial Charter, Article 7, Subsection C.]

[Clarification: Native species election cements User’s authority, superseding standard UFE military hierarchy on this world.]

[Notice: Tch’Llik electoral process fulfills all legal requirements for establishing permanent colonial leadership.]

[Assessment: User’s gubernatorial powers include full command over all UFE assets and personnel during crisis situations.]

[Addendum: UFE regulations explicitly recognize native-elected governors as highest planetary authority, even in presence of military personnel.]

Did she even bother spelling all that out to him again? No, he had basically ignored it. Which was fair. She had ignored a lot of bullshit laws and regulations herself already.

Talia sighed. “The Blue forces are part of the Ferroin Empire,” she continued. “According to our prisoner, Raxion, the situation is dire. Their empire spans multiple galaxies thanks to some type of teleportation network, ruled by an emperor with millions of prefects. Or worlds. Allegedly. Either way, they’re flooding the planet with military forces and want us all dead. And we can’t exactly leave.”

A supportive chirp echoed from the shadows. The marines flinched, hands instinctively reaching for weapons they no longer possessed. Talia frowned. Did they have some kind of ingrained PTSD about insects?

Griff’s stance remained rigid. “We won’t support your fight against these ‘Blues,’ Ms. Fremont. We have no orders to that effect from our lawfully appointed superiors, and the UFE is not about starting wars with other interstellar civilizations.”

Intergalactic, she almost corrected him.

She’d expected this response and had prepared for it, though. As Neo had pointed out, it would be preferable to not have them near the advanced tech and combat operations in any case. “Fine. Look, we’ve only scanned 12% of the wreckage so far. There is a lot of it. There could be more UFE survivors out there. It’s unlikely you were the only bird that made it down.”

Griff’s eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at?”

“I think you would be able to assist other potential survivors once we have you back on your feet,” Talia explained. “That’s a mission that even you can’t find fault with, correct?”

She fixed Griff with a steely gaze. Her visor probably obscured the effect, though.

Still, the sergeant deflated. “We need to get this situation sorted first. We aren’t in any condition to do anything.”

That was one thing they could agree on. “I can’t sit around here until you’re settled. Things are moving fast. So it’ll just be the automation assisting you. After the hab, I’ll get you set up with some suits and equipment. No fabrication and nothing autonomous.”

He glowered visibly. “But we need—”

“I’m giving you a safe space and supplies so you can survive, and scout equipment and things you need to rescue others. Not anything you can use to fabricate your own stuff and maybe try to cause me problems. I don’t trust you. Thankfully, I don’t need to in order to help. I’m not going to let you run over me.” Talia said.

Her next thoughts nearly escaped her lips: Not when she had a Heavy division worth of automated units on site. She’d help the stupid planet shoot down the UFE ships before she let them kidnap her back to her ‘father’.

Without waiting for a response, Talia turned and strode out of the room, leaving the Sergeant to contemplate.

The situation had delayed them enough that things were finally ready.

Again…

“Dapple?” It was time to go save their sisters.

A chirp-chirp followed her up the ramp.