Awakening in Nest L609
You are the Hand, a nascent vessel forged in the biomechanical cradle of a derelict world—a planet once engineered for human transcendence, now a rusting husk plagued by stagnation and rogue synthetic life.
Your form is embryonic, suspended in viscous fluid within a birthing tank in the depths of Nest L609, one of the abandoned nursery complexes where vessels like you were mass-produced under the watchful gaze of Obeck, the supreme engineer.
But Obeck has long since fallen silent, its seven angelic cores disrupted, leaving nests like this to fester in pus and rot.
Unborn siblings float in adjacent tanks, their development halted, their forms denied the spark of activation.
The tank that holds you is a translucent pod, veined with biomechanical conduits pulsing faintly with residual energy.
According to the cryptic lore etched into the world's decaying archives, a vessel awakens only when external force disrupts its stasis—repeated shaking to simulate the trauma of birth, jolting the mem-unit the ''inherited human will'' into consciousness.
In this forsaken place, no deliberate hand guides the process.
Instead, fate intervenes through the chaos of survival.
A low rumble echoes through the nursery's dim corridors, where corrosive fumes seep from cracked walls and the air hums with the distant whir of malfunctioning machinery.
Scuttling through the shadows is a Mogma, a crawling pseudo-vessel—a malformed scavenger born from failed birthing cycles.
This creature, with its elongated limbs and chitinous exoskeleton fused to exposed wiring, prowls the nest in search of salvageable parts.
Mogmas are opportunistic horrors, not fully sentient but driven by instinct to harvest from the weak or inactive.
This one, drawn by the faint glow of your tank's conduits, collides against the pod while attempting to pry loose a nearby nutrient valve.
Its thrashing body slams repeatedly into the tank—once, twice, three times—as it struggles, unaware of the consequence.
The fluid around you churns violently.
Alarms blare in your nascent mind: Disruption detected.
Stasis breach.
Mem-unit integration commencing!
Your form convulses, wormlike limbs elongating into proto-bipedal structure.
The tank's membrane ruptures with a wet crack, spilling you onto the cold, grimy floor of the nursery.
I was born anew, weak and disoriented, I the "operator" interface flickering to life—a rudimentary HUD overlaying my vessles vision with three glowing blood bulbs, My life essence and basic sensory readouts.
The Mogma paused, its sensory nodes twitching as it registered my emergence.
It reared up, mandibles clicking, deciding whether I was prey or threat.
The nursery around me was a labyrinth of shattered tanks, tangled wires, and pools of fetid fluid.
Dim bioluminescent fungi cast eerie light on the walls, revealing paths leading deeper into the nest or toward the exit to the Magnetic Garden beyond.
My umbilical whip a defensive appendage from my proto-vessel stage uncoiled instinctively, ready for use.
I lashed out with my umbilical whip, targeting the Mogma's Blood Bulbs!
The whip's barbed spur arced toward the creature's thorax, but the Mogma's erratic scuttling made it a difficult mark.
The whip grazed one Blood Bulb, dimming its glow slightly, but didn't destroy it.
The Mogma shrieked, a mix of organic wail and mechanical screech, and retaliated, slamming a claw toward me!
I noticed a cracked tank nearby, leaking corrosive fluid that could burn the Mogma's exoskeleton if I lure it into a puddle.
Alternatively, a loose conduit overhead sparks intermittently—pulling it down could electrify the creature but also risked hitting me.
The nursery's exit to the Magnetic Garden glimmered faintly in the distance, but without the required weapon, the biomechanical barrier would block my path.
The Mogma aimed for my torso.
I dodged, sidestepping into the shadows, but the creature's sensory nodes tracked me, and it prepared to lunge again.
Its mandibles clicking furiously after my grazing attack.
Its three Blood Bulbs pulsed brighter, signaling heightened aggression.
My overlays flashed a warning: ''Venture outside Nest L609 restricted.
Specific weapon required for Magnetic Garden access.''
With the biomechanical barrier blocking the exit, I decided to disengage from the Mogma and search the nursery for a weapon that would allow me to proceed.
Survival hinged on evading this creature while scouring the ruins for a relic—perhaps a "Rust Blade," "Ecdysis Spur."
I darted to the side, using a shattered birthing tank for cover as the Mogma's claw swiped through the air where I stood.
The creature's sensory nodes twitched, tracking my movement, but its bulk slowed it, giving me a brief window to explore.
The nursery was a chaotic maze of broken pods, corrosive pools, and sparking conduits.
My interface highlighted points of interest:
1.A Cracked Tank Nearby: Half-submerged in viscous fluid, it emits a faint red glow—possibly the "Red Egg" a relic tied to offerings or upgrades. Searching it risks exposure to the Mogma, which is scuttling closer.
2. A Sealed Pod in the Shadows: Intact but locked, it hummed faintly, suggesting a relic like a Rust Blade—a weapon attuned to the planet's defenses. Opening it would require time and effort, and the Mogma may attack me before I succeed.
The Mogma, now only a few paces away, slammed an appendage against a nearby tank, sending fluid splashing.
It was closing in, its Blood Bulbs flaring as it sensed my vulnerability.
''I must act quickly!''
The Mogmas sensory nodes twitched again, locking onto my position as it emitted a low, mechanical growl.
My operator interface pulsed with urgency: ''Specific weapon required for Magnetic Garden access.''
The exit to the Magnetic Garden loomed in the distance, its biomechanical barrier shimmering faintly, impassable without the right tool.
I chose to rummage through the conduit pile, a tangled heap of biomechanical cables sparking with latent energy, hoping to find an Ecdysis Spur—a blade-like growth, a tool for cutting through barriers.
The pile was a chaotic mess of writhing, semi-organic wires, some still connected to the nursery's failing power grid.
The risk was clear: disturbing the conduits could trigger an electrical surge, and the Mogma's pursuit grew closer with every moment.
I dived into the conduit pile, using a nearby shattered tank for partial cover to obscure the Mogma's line of sight.
The creature hesitated, momentarily confused by my swift movement, buying me a few seconds to dig.
My proto-bipedal hands, still slick with birthing fluid, sifted through the cables.
They pulsed like living veins, warm and slick, occasionally sparking with erratic energy.
As I rummaged, my fingers brushed against something solid—a jagged, bone-like shard fused with metallic filaments.
It was an Ecdysis Spur, a weapon formed from the shed exoskeleton of a proto-vessel, sharp enough to slice through biomechanical barriers.
Its surface hummed faintly, resonating with my own nascent systems, confirming its compatibility with the Magnetic Garden's defenses.
However, the search disturbed the pile, and a cable snapped loose, unleashing a brief electrical surge.
The shock grazed my vessel, singeing my biomechanical flesh but not costing me Blood Bulb.
The pain sharpend my senses, my interface flashing: ''Ecdysis Spur acquired. Barrier access viable.''
The surge drew the Mogma's attention.
It lurched forward, slamming a claw into the ground near the pile, severing bio cables, they sprayed organic matter.
Its Blood Bulbs flared brightly, and it prepared to charge, now only a few feet away.
The nursery's terrain offerd options.
A corrosive pool nearby could slow the Mogma if I lured it in, or I could use the Ecdysis Spur immediately to test its offensive capabilities.
The exit to the Magnetic Garden was closer now, but running for it risked the Mogma's attack before I could reach the barrier.
With the Ecdysis Spur in hand, I had new options to confront the Mogma or proceed to the Magnetic Garden.
I could use the newly acquired weapon to attack the Mogma, aiming for its Blood Bulbs.
The Spur's sharpness could disable it quickly, but a missed strike might leave me vulnerable.
I could lure it to the Corrosive Pool to weaken its exoskeleton, then finish it or escape.
Bit then I would risk Slipping into the fluid myself.
I could run for the Magnetic Garden. But The Mogma may pursue and attack me before I could clear the barrier.
I chose to lure the Mogma into the corrosive pool nearby, a bubbling puddle of acidic fluid leaking from a shattered birthing tank.
Its surface shimmered with a sickly green hue, capable of eating through the Mogma's exoskeleton if I could maneuver it into the trap.
The nursery's dim, fungal-lit expanse offers tactical advantages.
Scattered debris for misdirection, slick floors to unbalance the creature, and my umbilical whip for quick strikes to goad it.
But the pool's edge was treacherous, and a misstep could see me burned instead.
I feinted toward the corrosive pool, dragging the Ecdysis Spur along the ground to create a grating screech that drew the Mogma's attention.
The creature's sensory nodes lock onto the sound, and it lurched forward, its elongated limbs propelling it in a reckless charge.
I sidestep toward the pool, keeping just out of reach, my umbilical whip lashing out to nick its flank.
The whip's barb grazed its exoskeleton, further enraging it but not damaging a Blood Bulb.
The Mogma barreled toward me, now dangerously close to the pool's edge.
I leapt aside as the Mogma's momentum carried it forward.
The creature stumbled into the corrosive pool, its front limbs splashing into the acid!
A hissing scream erupted as the fluid ate into its chitin, weakening its exoskeleton and dimming one Blood Bulb completely!
However, my partial misstep left one of my proto-bipedal legs grazed by a splash of acid, searing my biomechanical flesh!
My interface flickered: ''Minor damage sustained. Blood Bulbs intact.''
I lost no health but felt a sharp sting, slowing my next move slightly.
The Mogma thrashed in the pool, its weakened exoskeleton cracking as it struggled to climb out.
Its remaining 1.5 Blood Bulbs pulsed erratically, signaling desperation but not defeat.
It dragged itself free, dripping acid, and prepared a slower, more cautious attack, its nodes fixed on me.
The pool created a temporary barrier, but the Mogma could still reach me or retreat to recover.
The corrosive pool now bubbled more violently, its edges slicker from the Mogma's thrashing.
The conduit pile nearby continued to spark, a potential hazard or weapon.
The Magnetic Garden's exit was close, its barrier humming softly, ready for the Ecdysis Spur.
Shattered tanks and debris offered cover if I chose to hide or reposition.
My biomechanical form tingled from the minor acid graze sustained near the corrosive pool.
The Ecdysis Spur, a jagged blade of bone and metal filaments, hummed in my grip, its energy resonating with the nearby Magnetic Garden's barrier, promising passage to the next realm.
The Mogma, weakened to 1.5 Blood Bulbs, dragged its acid-scarred exoskeleton from the corrosive pool, its cracked chitin dripping and mandibles clicking in desperation.
Its sensory nodes locked onto me, and despite its sluggish state, it coiled for a final, frenzied attack.
The nursery's air hummed with tension and sparks from the conduit pile, the hiss of the bubbling pool, and the faint pulse of the barrier in the distance.
I chose to finish the Mogma with the Ecdysis Spur, aiming for its remaining Blood Bulbs to neutralize the threat and clear my path to the Magnetic Garden.
The Spur's sharp edge gleamed faintly, attuned to my nascent systems, promising precision but requiring me to close the distance with the thrashing creature.
The nursery's terrain—shattered tanks, slick floors, and sparking cables—offered tactical options, but also risked misjudging my strike.
I lunged forward, the Ecdysis Spur raised, targeting the Mogma's glowing Blood Bulbs embedded in its thorax.
My operator interface sharpened, overlaying a targeting reticle on the pulsing orbs.
The Spur sliced cleanly through the Mogma's weakened exoskeleton, piercing one Blood Bulb with a wet crunch.
The orb burst, spraying viscous fluid, and the Mogma's remaining 0.5 Blood Bulb flickers erratically.
The creature let out a guttural screech, its limbs flailing wildly as it collapsed, no longer able to sustain its attack.
My interface confirmed: ''Threat neutralized. Path clear.''
The Mogma was defeated, its form twitching feebly amidst the nursery's debris.
The effort of the strike left me momentarily exposed, but no counterattack came.
The nursery grew quiet again, the only sound now was the drip of corrosive fluid and the faint hum of the Magnetic Garden's barrier.
My three Blood Bulbs remained intact, though the acid graze still stung, slightly slowing my movements.
The corrosive pool bubbled nearby, its surface disturbed by the Mogma's thrashing.
The conduit pile continued to spark, a lingering hazard.
Shattered tanks and debris littered the area, potentially hiding additional relics, though the Ecdysis Spur was sufficient for the barrier.
The Magnetic Garden's exit was now within easy reach, its biomechanical barrier pulsing softly, ready for my Spur's touch.
However the Mogma's corpse might yield salvageable parts—a common feature in God's husk, where pseudo-vessels carry fragments useful for upgrades or offerings.
Searching it could reveal a minor relic, but it risked time and exposure to the nursery's hazards.
With the Mogma defeated and the Ecdysis Spur in hand, I stood at a pivotal moment.