So, in two weeks I'd have access to her power, although she wouldn't lose it herself. I further got a long-term gain of core points, whatever those were. It wasn't without a risk, she could possibly escape, and if she did I doubted Hot Stuff would be very fond of me after this ordeal. Still, SCIENCE was never without risk.
Now for the Flames.
Research Menu
Flames
Requirement: 3 Flame Corpses
Time: One Week
Flames are those closely linked to a Power core who have had their biology and physical composition greatly altered. Study of them may unlock the secrets of that alteration.
Do you wish to Research? Y/N
Once again, a clear yes. I was never not going to want to research.
I began the dissections.
The important work done, it was time to check on less important matters. The status of the base and to see how Anna was faring.
11
During this encounter the facility suffered a lot of damage. On the plus side, the top levels remained unharmed and their traps ready. If anyone should just happen past I was prepared for them.
The floors below were another matter. The part of Hydroponics I had set aside as a garden was sealed off and fine, but because of the traps the floor had largely collapsed into the Storage level below.
The Storage level itself was flooded, partially melted, and had taken a lot of damage overall from Hot Stuff's escape.
My level had a fair bit of structural damage as well from the explosion and intense heat.
I began the major repairs first. It wouldn't do anyone any good for the entire base to collapse.
I left the door to the surface just barely cracked open and turned off all the lights on the upper levels. I wanted to do my best to make the facility look abandoned. It wouldn't do to draw more attention.
Anna looked a bit like an overdone roast.
"It's true. The paler the skin, the worse the tan," I said to her.
Anna gurgled something back that was probably an insult.
The next few weeks passed quietly.
Hot Stuff was less than eager to cooperate in my experiments, but I found collapsing testing platforms behind her if she dawdled to be a great motivator.
I learned a great deal from testing her. She could do more than just generate heat. One ability was creating weapons made of a sort of living flame. Soon enough I had her vaulting over spiked pits with the help of a flaming whip.
The results of the various research projects came in.
Research Menu
Flames
The Flames have a crystalline latticework in their blood similar to the Embers, but even more advanced. This lattice allows for the distribution of energy that they can use to such flashy effect. As a result of your research you have gained the ability to manufacture a temperature regulating crystalline virus in a genetics lab.
Research Menu
"Hot Stuff"
You have studied this Power core enough to be able to incorporate its powers into your own. As a result of the absorption of this core, your Reactor level has been effectively doubled.
You have an unspent core point.
Core points can enhance your competencies and open new options for Research and Manufacturing.
Your options are:
Research 2
Research 2 will allow you to build either the genetics lab or the physics lab. Only one can be selected and this has long-term implications. Genetics will allow you greater understanding of life forms and will unlock the ability to create creatures and biological upgrades. Physics will aid you in mastering the concepts of energy and will unlock many specialty traps and devices.
Military 1 will allow you to build defense drones. Defense drones are mobile weapon platforms capable of base defense and attacks at a distance. While basic in function they can ultimately be updated to become formidable weapon platforms.
Manufacturing 1
Manufacturing 1 will allow the production of automated minions. They are capable of autonomous facility repair and will halve all build and production times for new facilities.
These were some difficult choices. I'd taken Research the first time around, but this core point was the first real result I was seeing from that choice. Up until now the data I'd gotten had been largely useless. A second level seemed it would change that. Most of the data I had gathered so far was biological in nature, but I suspected the crystals that kept popping up in everything would probably best be unlocked with physics.
Then there were the other options. I'd already seen how long it could take to construct things, and it was a problem that would only get worse as I brought more of the facility back online.
Hot Stuff had very nearly made it to my Core Room. All my traps and planning, and still she could have very well killed me and taken my core for herself. While I doubted the first level of military drones would have been effective against her, those too could be upgraded and might in time become formidable.
While the other options ultimately had some appeal, they were not SCIENCE. I selected that option and chose the genetics lab.
While physics was tempting, almost all the samples I had found so far were biological in nature. I planned to lure in yet more living beings to trap and test.
Genetics Laboratory
With the construction of this laboratory the in-depth study of the genome and the application of genetic science will be possible.
Requires 100 resources to construct and 10 power.
You have no building resources and not enough rubble to construct this project.
You do have excess power. Every day blocks of 4 power can be converted into 1 resource unit. Doing this, estimated time to project completion is three weeks.
Do you wish to begin this project?
I needed more rubble, or more building supplies. I was starting to run into a real bottleneck. Power would fill that void for now, especially given my newly expended reactor, but that was a short-term solution at best.
I began the construction and checked my sheet to see what had changed.
E.M.M.A
Underground Facility
Power Core: 100
Power Usage: 45
Habitability: 5
Biomass: 145
Research: 2
Military: 0
Manufacturing: 0
Between the Testing Center, the new lab, and all the facilities made to care for the humans, power usage had really been pushed. I needed more rubble—that was easy enough, I could clear rooms for it. Anna's treatments should just about be done and I could discuss the next steps with her.
12
"Sorry about the face. The best the autodoc could do was put it back exactly like it was," I said. Anna had finally woken up from her treatment and was busy exploring the enhancements I'd made to the base.
"You could have moved me, as opposed to setting me on fire. I woke up for that. It hurt," Anna said.
"They might have stumbled across you elsewhere in the facility. Keeping you in the Infirmary was the best way to assure you retain whatever minimal utility you have," I said.