0009 The CelestiCraft, Part 4

  No more than ten or twenty meters away, rising deceptively silently from the gentle waves of the ‘sea,’ was an otherworldly nightmare. It stood on four impossibly spindly legs, equal parts elegant and terrifying, supporting a massive torso plated in translucent green chitin. Light filtered through, casting odd shadows in disconcerting directions, a muted kaleidoscope.

  A bulbous head, crowned with a cluster of glistening, multifaceted, fly-like eyes the size of CelestOS, tilted with an eerie intelligence Ethan wasn’t used to seeing in bugs. It scanned back and forth as its wings blasted gusts of wind, buffeting the now erratic grasses like a tumultuous storm.

  His breath caught painfully. He daren't draw air, worried the slightest sound, the slightest movement would alert the beast. His body was frozen, caught between flight and fight in everybody's least favorite state. Internally, though, his brain was working overdrive. Run! Fight! Flee! Play Dead! Do something, idiot!

  Basic training flashed through his head, but he urged himself to think because nothing had covered this. The problem was that his mind spun in circles, assessing threat vectors, escape paths, and line-of-sight checks that all clashed and canceled each other out. He was drowning in options and paralyzed by analysis.

  Then a memory surfaced, sharp as broken glass. He saw Maria, cross-legged on the floor of his old dorm and surrounded by his project printouts, a sea of discarded flowcharts, scheduling models, and resource trees. He’d been ranting about his degree, lamenting how Julian was out there building machines while he was just "tracking the hypothetical." She had picked up one of the prints, turning it sideways in the light.

  "Don’t you see it, Ethan?" she had said, her eyes bright. "This is your strength. Everyone else sees the monster. You see the pattern. You see the path through."

  The words snapped into place like a key turning in his chest. She was right. It wasn’t just a monster; it was a patrol system. The wing gusts weren’t random but were rhythmic pulses. The creature moved in loops, not lines, because it had a route. This was a map, and he just had to read it.

  He slowed his breath and matched his pace to the rustling grass. He moved not with fear, but with intent, making each movement deliberate and measured. His new objectives were clear: find her, prove her right, and survive this.

  Bending his knees until his thighs screamed for mercy, Ethan slipped further away from the beast into the tall grass. Vibrant though it was, the grass blades were brittle and dry, and he almost had a heart attack.

  He froze again, staring at the monstrosity. He felt naked and exposed in that moment—an insignificant, but vibrantly white dot in a forest of Red. Maria, if I die here… No, no, don't think like that.

  An electronic and loud voice crackled through his comms, not the air, leaving Ethan a second of respite after yet another spike of fear.

  CelestOS: Proximity alert. Maintaining current trajectory minimizes collection of necessary resources. Please redirect to target location.

  “Yeah, sure,” Ethan whispered, hoping the suit would deaden the noise. “I’ll just politely ask the giant death bug to scoot over while I grab some rocks.”

  He continued heading in the direction CelestOS had highlighted. A few more slow, creeping steps, each measured against the fear pounding its drum in his ears, and he reached an outcropping similar to the copper ore and ducked behind it. It was the first time he had stopped in nearly thirty minutes, but his heart didn't slow down at all. Each moment was a frantic rhythm, so he closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. It wouldn't do to die of a heart attack before he saved everybody.

  Peeking around the edge of the outcropping, he saw the creature's massive bulk turned around and preoccupied with stripping blades of grass with a giant, needle-like proboscis. He wasn't going to question how it worked. Fuck entomology, it was a giant monster!

  Okay, quiet, quick. He eased his pickaxe from its magnetic holster. The slight clink as it disconnected sounded like a gunshot in the silence. He froze again, waiting for a sound signifying his impending death. He placed the pick against the wall and looked back again.

  He let out a sigh of relief as all of the stress left his shoulders. Hovering dozens of meters in the air, the bug had completely turned around and was lazily flying away from Ethan. He watched as the monstrosity slowly became a pinprick in the distance.

  CelestOS: Threat risk downgraded from severe to moderate. Estimated risk 31%. Please continue resource acquisition. Poor Reyes must be getting cold, don’t you think?

  Fuck, oh no, Reyes. Ethan got up, recovered the pick, and got to work. He returned to the rock face with a renewed vigor. He swung, putting as much of his weight into each one-handed swing as he could manage. The sharp point of the pick broke into the stone with a satisfying crack! Each swing battered away at the wall, chunks funneling down into a pile that CelestOS swiftly recovered.

  CelestOS: Lithic Acquisition rate now operating within 85% of standard human parameters! Great Job!

  [Mining: 2 → 3]

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ethan replied sarcastically.

  Julian would probably have this done in half the time. The familiar voice of doubt whispered sweetly in his mind. But he’s not here. I am. And if I can't save Reyes, I can’t save Maria. Focus.

  He swung harder and faster, making quick work as he found a rhythm that worked one-handed. Heavy piece after heavy piece fell to the earth, and CelestOS slurped them up like spaghetti. This continued for some time until CelestOS interrupted again.

  CelestOS: Lithic Materials Acquired. 20/20 units. Please proceed to next objective.

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  Ethan desperately wanted to wipe the sweat from his brow; the one downside of a full-body suit was that he couldn’t. Instead, he clinked the pick back onto his back and then stretched his aching muscles.

  “Okay, where to, Cel?”

  CelestOS: Organic Fuel material detected. Nearest harvest point: 600 meters, bearing 10.

  He began walking north. He was dead tired, but he knew if he rested, he wouldn't be able to move again. Instead, he looked cautiously from side to side and tried to keep a steady pace. His need to get this task done and save Reyes urged him forward more than the pain of exhaustion urged him to rest.

  Reaching a sparse grove of weird orange and bulbous trees, he did a double take. The bark of the trees looked rubbery, almost artificial. Giant orbs of a more vibrant orange than the bark were flanked like leaves hanging on branches of varying sizes.

  He slipped the heavy utility axe from off his back and felt for its weight with his good arm. He selected a particularly large, low-hanging branch with four of the orbs and tested the heft of the axe. Okay Cross, let's see what this stuff is made of.

  He swung high and hard, aiming for the base of the branch. The axe bit with a loud and sharp THWAACK! The wood was surprisingly dense and fibrous despite its artificial look. But there was almost no give to the alien material. He swung again. And again, bits of wood shattered to the ground, and strange, citrusy liquid squirted from the branch in Ethan’s direction. He didn’t bother dodging, though he probably should have.

  After an immense amount of effort, the branch finally gave way with a CRACK! It tumbled to the ground, but Ethan didn’t freeze this time; instead, he planned his cuts and broke off the bulbs.

  [SYSTEM: Heartfruit Bulbs acquired: 4/4. Usable in CelestiMed synthesis. Sap residue detected on suit. Minor corrosive properties noted.]

  He then got to work on the branch, cutting it into four equal pieces of durable firewood. He would likely need to figure out a way to dry the branches due to the sap from the bulbs, but that could come in a minute; he had a lot of work to do.

  [Skill unlocked: Forestry 0→1]

  [Skill: Athletics 5 → 6]

  In the end, the tree had contained more than double the amount of needed sap and wood for fuel, so much so that CelestOS immediately directed him back to the burgeoning base.

  CelestOS: All primary CelestiForge components acquired. Proceed to designated construction site for assembly. Current Power levels optimal for Tier One fabrication.

  Ethan ignored her, focusing on hyping himself up. He was just so tired. C'mon Ethan. Just a little farther. Come on, legs.

  He nearly gave out as he crested the top of the final shallow rise between himself and Reyes’s ship. He tripped but thankfully was able to maintain his momentum and regain his balance as he used his good arm to break his stop against the ship.

  He collapsed to his knees, panting and seeing orange. For a long moment, he just knelt there, hands on knees, trying not to die. Reyes was a crumpled up heap on the ground. His HUD vitals: just a single blinking Red bar. He had done it, mostly. He could make the forge, and once he built that, he could make the medkit. He had the stone and the wood, and by some damn miracle only Maria would believe, he hadn't been spotted or pursued.

  CelestOS: Material requisition complete. Detected elevated adrenaline, cortisol, and lactate levels. Recommend nutrient paste supplement and hydration. However, CelestiForge Construction is ready to proceed should you wish to skip revitalization.

  “One thing at a time,” Ethan said, still panting. “Let's save Reyes, and then we can worry about food. Now, where do we put this thing?”

  Ethan used his HUD to drag the schematic for the CelestiForge around the sparse area, but no matter where he looked, instead of the green schematic outline he was becoming accustomed to, the frame of the device took on a Red hue.

  CelestOS: Error. Please place CelestiForge on stable footing. Materials unsuitable for a base will result in automatic placement failure.

  He looked around the area surrounding the ship. Now that the dust storm had cleared, there were mounds and mounds of dust, and the area was scattered with debris. He had no realistic way of clearing, especially with the time crunch. “How long did you say he had again?”

  CelestOS: I didn’t say. However, his tourniquet will likely keep him alive for another hour at most. Given he got out from under that debris, he’s in rough shape. Now hurry.

  Ethan didn't have to be asked twice; he ran again, trying to find a spot where he could place the forge. He was almost back to his own pod when he spotted the pile of debris where he had found his original weapon. The general area had escaped the dust storm, and he could move aside the debris. He had nothing to lose if his idea failed, so he got to work quickly, trying to do things with as little energy as possible. His fumes were running on fumes at this point.

  Once the debris was cleared away, the CelestiForge turned a bright green in his HUD, and he didn't even wait. He placed the schematic down and got to work.

  Product Line: CelestiForge? Model A1

  The monitor buzzed to life with a harsh crackle, blooming into grainy color as static cleared. A low, gravel-throated voice rolled from the speakers like thunder through a steel pipe.

  "Some men wait for rescue."

  The screen lit up into glorious 32k. An armored figure stomped through a smoking crater, dragging a half-melted ore cart behind him. When he arrived at his destination, he slammed a chunk of unrefined metal into a glowing forge. Sparks exploded outward like a solar flare, but he didn’t flinch.

  "Real men build their own."

  The shot shifted. The forge roared to life, vents blasting steam and fire. Pistons hissed. Molten metal poured like magma into reinforced molds. The camera panned across reinforced alloy casings, crystallized R-glass, and jagged injector tips cooling in an ambient mist.

  "Introducing the CelestiForge? Model A1. Industrial-grade survival smelting for when the jobsite bites back."

  The man grabbed a metal rod from the forge’s output chute. It sizzled against his gloved palm. He adjusted a dial with one hand and punched a control panel with the other.

  "Smelt iron. Refine copper. Burn whatever’s nearby until it begs for mercy."

  A warning label scrolled across the screen.

  WARNING: EXTREME HEAT. EXTREMER GLORY.

  "No need for tutorials. Just fire, ore, testosterone, and the will to outlive whatever killed the last guy."

  Flames danced in the background as the forge belched smoke. The colonist crossed his arms. His visor was cracked, and his suit was leaking steam, but he stared into the camera like he could break it with a nod.

  "Whether you're making a medkit, a turret, or your final request for forgiveness, forge like a man. Forge like a CelestiMan?."

  Text flashed in bold yellow across the bottom:

  CELESTIFORGE? MODEL A1 — ONLY 189,999.95 CELESTICREDITS?

  WARNING: EXTREME HEAT. EXTREMER GLORY.

  The music swelled with heavy percussion and a grinding synth. The screen cut to black. Then, as always, the final message appeared in sharp corporate gray:

  CELESTITECH? — WHERE YOUR SURVIVAL IS OUR THIRD HIGHEST PRIORITY.

  The terminal hissed once more, then shut off.

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