Manifest Fantasy

Baranthurian Ruins, Grenden Forest

November 22, 2024

The iron door swung open easier than Henry expected a soft click echoing off the walls as it unlocked. He hesitated just a moment, peering into the dimness beyond. The corridor was completely dark, illuminated only by the flashlights they held. The air inside was stale but breathable, cooler than it was outside.

He turned off the flashlight and hovered his hand over the side control panel of his IVAS, activating the system’s low-light enhancement. The corridor ahead was now rendered in clear detail, the outlines and shapes crisp in the monochrome vision. Behind him, Kelmithus followed his gesture before helping Arran use his equipment.

“Casting shield,” Kelmithus announced, adapting to the precision of Alpha Team’s callouts.

Blue circles coalesced beneath them, amorphous wisps reaching up before enveloping each person in a transparent bubble. It was exactly like what they had experienced during the Adventurers Guild test when fighting the golems. Whether they would hold against magic traps or lurking demons was not something Henry wanted to test out, but he appreciated the additional safeguard.

Henry gave the man a nod before turning to face the corridor. “Alright, let’s move,” he murmured, activating the mounted laser on his M7.

The architecture of the Baranthurian structure was a blend of industrial functionality and arcane elegance. Combined with the presence of the heavy iron barriers outside and the security checkpoint protected by bulletproof glass, there was only one guess that made sense: this was a military research facility. The corridor was lined with doors on either side, each sealed shut. Their surfaces were adorned with etched lines – dormant runes. Henry watched as Kelmithus put his hand on one such door before pulling his hand away upon seeing no reaction.

Kelmithus inspected their surroundings. “The mana here is dense, yet the runes remain inert.”

“Probably won’t operate without any power,” Isaac mused, trying to see through the darkened glass of the locked doors.

The barrier controls at the security checkpoint looked like they needed power as well. Henry checked the other locked doors. “Think there’s a generator room or something around here?”

“Gotta be,” Ron said. “Think that leads to the main hallway; let’s start there?” He stood ahead at an intersection, pointing his rifle to the left.

Henry approached to see what he was pointing at. Peering around the corner, he spotted a set of double doors with faint lighting on the other side. It was evident that at least some part of this facility was receiving power. How this was even possible after thousands of years of dormancy was a mystery – one that would probably get Dr. Anderson’s pants wet. “Yeah, let’s see what’s there.”

The double doors revealed a main corridor, stretching out like the spine of the facility. He could see glimpses of the main entrance to the left, where the road from earlier must’ve led to. A faint light emanated from there, confirming that the main parts of the facility likely still had power. It was close, so he decided to check the main entrance first then double back and investigate the rest of the facility – just in case there was anything interesting there. Henry led the way, his rifle’s laser painting a steady beam ahead.

The front lobby was empty, save for mounted furniture and a reception counter dotted with scattered papers. Strange rectangular frames were positioned in the center of the walkway, reminding him of a setup at an airport or federal courthouse. They didn’t seem quite like metal detectors; magic detectors, perhaps.

Henry heard Dr. Anderson’s voice call out from behind the reception counter, “Archmage, do you think you can translate these documents?”

Kelmithus approached him. “Ah, the tongue of the Baranthurians… Allow me a brief study. Arran, would you bear these?” He passed a portion of the documents to his pupil.

While they focused on that, Henry decided to check out the entrance itself. Large, imposing doors marked the facility’s front. They stood slightly ajar, revealing the tunnel-like road they had navigated earlier. To the left stood the iron barriers from earlier, sealed completely shut. To the right, the road probably stretched for a mile, maybe more. It was difficult to tell even with the IVAS’ capabilities; there simply wasn’t enough visibility down the tunnel. They’d have to investigate that later.

Henry walked up to the reception counter, curious about the documents they were examining. The papers, spread out across the surface, seemed too ordinary for such a place – and too preserved compared to the items in the security checkpoint. “Anything useful?” he asked, hoping for something good.

Dr. Anderson handed him a thin glass case with a wooden frame and a sheet inside. “It’s an evacuation plan – a complete map of the facility.”

Henry nodded, prying it open with his knife and taking the sheet out. “Good find,” he said as he analyzed the map using his IVAS, updating their tactical map with the new information. “What about the other stuff?” he turned toward Kelmithus and Arran.

Kelmithus, absorbed in the script, replied, “‘Tis but a ledger of arrivals: names, dates, and what can be directly translated as ‘clearance levels’. Included herein are safety codes – scant in revelations, yet of merit for our passage through the facility.”

‘Clearance levels’ and the existence of safety codes caught his attention. He had suspected that the Baranthurians were industrialized to some degree based on the composition of the Core they had found during the Hardale quest, but it seemed that they weren’t the steampunk civilization he imagined them to be. They were more advanced than that; nowhere near the modern age based on the lack of electronics, but close enough to worry him. How powerful were the demons to wipe out a civilization this advanced?

Henry pushed the thought aside as he replied to Kelmithus, “Anything that suggests where the power is?” He cross-referenced the facility’s evacuation plan. “Nothing on this map.”

Kelmithus shook his head. “Nay, we must seek it out like true explorers.”

Henry acknowledged him with a nod. “Alright, let’s keep moving then. Eyes sharp, everyone.”

They retraced their steps back toward their entry point in the main corridor and continued deeper into the facility. The first door they approached wasn’t locked but was stuck. It resisted until finally yielding to a firm push from Ron’s shoulder. Inside, they found a small office, paperwork strewn across a dust-covered desk. Kelmithus scanned the room, noting the lack of anything immediately significant.

“Clear,” Ron called out, already moving to the next door. One by one, they checked each room along the corridor. Most were locked, the dormant runes impossible to bypass without power. The few they managed to open revealed similar scenes – offices frozen in time, storage rooms with shelves bare or cluttered with unidentifiable tools.

The further they went, the more the silence of the facility pressed in on them. They came across a larger room, filled with long tables and benches with a kitchen at the back – a mess hall. Henry paused for a moment, taking in the scene. Unlike the other rooms, this one lacked power. The furniture, dishware, and utensils were ready to crumble; far from the preserved states of the offices. The remnants of meals, now desiccated and nothing but dust, lay on plates scattered across the tables or preserved in a mummified state within sealed glass compartments at the counter.

With a nod from Henry, the team continued, leaving the ghostly quiet of the mess hall behind. The corridor twisted and turned, leading them deeper into the bowels of the facility. They finally came across an intersection with symbols etched into the walls.

“‘Quarters’ to the left, ‘secure’ facilities ahead, and ‘maintenance’ to the right,” Kelmithus translated.

Henry shared a look with Ron. Maintenance sounded exactly like what they needed. “Let’s continue right.”

They passed more locked doors, all bearing dormant runes. Finally, they reached a section different from the others. They encountered another set of double doors, a faint hum coming from within. The panel beside it was adorned with intricate carvings and dormant lights.

“Yo, I think this might be it,” Ron whispered. Henry could feel the excitement in his tone.

Kelmithus read the inscriptions, confirming Ron’s guess. “Indeed, this is the ‘Aetheris Nexus 1’. I can sense the flow of mana within.”

Henry tried the handle. Thankfully, it wasn’t locked. He swung the doors open with little effort, the air within immediately rushing toward them. It was heavy with the distinct smell of aged lubricants and the tang of metal. A layer of dust contributed a dry, earthy note, blending with the residual odor of coolant that had once circulated through the room’s devices. The lights inside were brighter than those of the other rooms they had come across – enough that night vision was no longer necessary.

Henry returned his IVAS to a normal view, taking in the sights around him. The room itself was massive. Consoles and workstations cluttered the room, blocking some lines of sight. Henry glanced at the unfamiliar equipment as he checked the corners of the room. Sure enough, this part of the facility was in much better condition than the dilapidated offices they had come across. Whatever was preserving this facility must be reliant on power – or mana, in this case.

“Clear,” Ryan announced after a sweep of the room.

“Alright, let’s start,” Henry said.

But where could they even start? Henry checked around. If this was the Baranthurian’s take on an electrical room, then there had to be some central control or conduit system, a focal point where power was distributed. His eyes scanned for anything resembling a hub or a panel that stood out, something that would scream ‘start here’ to a civilization that harnessed both technology and magic.

He stopped by one of the consoles near the entrance, inspecting the interfaces. Some had switches and other mechanical controls, as one might expect, but the others seemed like solid shapes. They appeared impossible to operate without an application of mana – similar to the shower at the Duke’s guest house.

Isaac joined him by the console. “No power buttons, no switches… Wonder how they activated these,” he pondered.

Henry was about to respond when Kelmithus called out, “Captain, here.” The archmage stood before a central console, different from the others. The runes on its surface were different from the others. Henry identified one that looked similar to the ‘cold’ setting for the magic shower. At the heart of it lay an empty slot, perfectly shaped to fit the Core they had retrieved from Hardale.

“Looks like we’ve found where the Core goes,” Henry remarked. It was a perfect fit, but placing it inside was just the first of many steps. “Owens, take Hayes and Arran to grab the Core.”

While they left to bring the Core over, Isaac examined the surrounding area and noted a closed shaft above the console. “You think this is some kind of vent?” he asked, pointing upwards.

Henry remembered the Core being relatively warm on top, back during the Hardale quest. He probed the Core’s housing unit for clues. “Could be for heat dispersion when this thing’s running. See that lever? Might open it.”

Dr. Anderson pulled the lever cautiously. With a creak, the shaft opened to reveal a dark, dusty channel. Debris fell down onto the empty core platform below. What exactly the debris was composed of was not something Henry wanted to figure out, but they still had to clean it.

He picked up a brush lying off to the side and walked over to a sink in the corner of the room. To his mild surprise, a twist of the faucet brought forth water. It was more a reluctant dribble than anything, but it worked. “Guess the creek out back’s seen better days,” he muttered to himself.

It seemed even the facility’s plumbing, like the rest of it, was clinging to functionality by a thread. With the water’s modest flow, he set about clearing the debris. Scrubbing away at the vent, he glanced over at Kelmithus, who was still poring over the console with a scholar’s intensity. “This one,” Henry pointed with the wet brush, “looks a lot like the ‘cold water’ setting back at the Duke’s guest house. They using this to keep the core from overheating or what?”

Kelmithus, without breaking his focus, nodded. “Aye, you are correct. This symbol regulates temperature in a fluid, akin to the mechanisms in most of our nobles’ plumbing systems. Yet, the complexity of these runes surpasses that of any we have in use today. To gaze upon a Baranthurian rune as well-preserved as this is rare – an ‘archaeological treasure’, as Dr. Anderson might say.”

Henry gave a nod and checked on the others. Isaac had taken an interest in the wires running into the floor, searching to determine where they might be connected. He eventually stopped by a blast door at the far end of the room, opening it carefully. A soft blue glow washed over him as he did so. “Found the power – stacks of mana crystals, just like the setup rigged up outside of Hardale.” His voice echoed slightly, blending with the dry scratches of Henry’s brush against the ventilation shaft.

Dr. Anderson, meanwhile, continued searching the cabinets. Henry noticed him holding up a document, positioning it against the lighting above. “Found something useful, Doc?”

“Not at all,” Dr. Anderson responded, holding up a faded document with a defeated look. “It’s too deteriorated. I’d need to use Reflectance Transformation Imaging to make out any details, but we don’t have the equipment.”

Henry nodded along like he knew what the words meant. “Right… Well, if we’ve got the cooling figured out, that’s one less thing to worry about. We’ll just have to figure things out along the way.”

He turned around as Ron and the others came back, holding the core. “Guess we’re about as ready as we’ll ever be to see if this thing has a pulse. Owens, let’s hook the Core.”

Ron nodded and gripped the handles at the side before lifting it with a grunt. He hoisted the core into position. Henry watched closely, his heart rate ticking up a notch. This was it – the moment they’d finally get to unlock some alien mysteries.

Kelmithus moved to stand beside Arran at the console, holding his wand. “Power,” he said simply. Together, he and Arran touched their wands to the rune they had identified for power.

“Stabilization,” Kelmithus said next, applying mana to a different rune. “Circuit… Control… Cooling… Activation.” Each rune lit up under the touch of the wands before dimming again.

But then, nothing. The Core remained dark, inert. Kelmithus rechecked the runes and applied more mana to no avail. The anticipation fizzled out, replaced by a blanket of disappointment. “Damn,” Ron muttered, echoing the sentiment they all felt.

Kelmithus took a step back, frowning. “It appears we are bereft of a key element here…”

Henry let out the breath he’d been holding with a heavy sigh. “Back to square one, then.” He eyed his team. “Let’s search around. Hopefully, we can figure out what’s wrong with this thing.”

He decided to start the power supply. The blue glow from earlier suggested that there was indeed a supply of mana crystals available to serve as a power source, but he figured that they might not be connected. He led the way into the back room. The space was cluttered with old equipment, an ensemble of Baranthurian technology with purposes lost to time.

Isaac joined him and shone his flashlight at the power supply. The mana crystals were neatly encased in a container, still glowing with energy. Henry nudged the casing to inspect the wire connection underneath; it was indeed hooked up. He let out a sigh. They were just starting to tackle the problem, yet it already felt like a slog to get through. The anticlimactic activation completely killed the mood, turning their troubleshooting into a disappointing grind.

“Let’s try tracing the main cable,” Henry suggested, pointing to a thick cable partially covered in dust and cobwebs. They split into groups, one starting at the Core’s housing and the other starting with the power supply.

The process was slow, with most of the wire hidden behind panels. Each section they uncovered was meticulously inspected for any sign of damage. “These Baranthurians didn’t do things by halves, did they?” Isaac mused, brushing away layers of dust from a junction box.

They reached a panel that had likely been chewed open, the edges jagged and worn. The cable inside was severed, its innards exposed. “Probably a rodent,” Isaac commented, holding up the damaged cable.

Henry crouched down for a closer look. “Yeah, that’s our problem alright. Hey, we’ve got soldering gear. Shouldn’t be too difficult a fix if we’ve got any of that wiring lying around somewhere.” He straightened up, beginning a search.

“I’ve already checked,” Isaac responded, shaking his head. “We’re SOL.”

The team gathered around the damaged infrastructure, inspecting it. Henry was certain there had to be some spare materials in the facility; the issue was that the facility was huge, and they wouldn’t be guaranteed to find it nearby – and in a room that wasn’t locked, no less.

“Back in Hardale,” Dr. Anderson pointed out, “the Nobians used vines with mana crystals to rig up a power source. What if we tried something similar here? We don’t have any wiring, but there were a lot of vines and other materials outside.”

Kelmithus rubbed his chin, holding up the frayed end of the wire. “This appears to be made of orichalcum. To think that orichalcum can be used in such a manner… truly fascinating.”

“Orichalcum… that’s like the top-tier stuff for magic conduction, ain’t it?” Ryan mused aloud.

“Indeed, its properties are unparalleled, typically used in equipment for mages,” Kelmithus replied, continuing to study the wire. “While the vines outside are also magically conducive, their properties differ significantly from orichalcum’s. We must consider this disparity – and what dangers it may hold.”

Henry turned the idea over in his head. Electrical repairs were one thing, but magical ones? That was new territory. Swapping in any metal for copper wiring was already a big no-no. With magic in the mix, messing with the standard could probably spell even bigger trouble. “Using a lower grade substitute in a pinch isn’t ideal… we’ll probably see something like increased resistance or inefficiency. It’s already risky enough in electrical systems; can’t imagine how much worse it’ll be for a magical system.”

“Right,” Isaac agreed, “we’ll probably see some overheating at best and something explosive at worst. But, given our situation, it might be our only shot.”

Dr. Anderson seemed hesitant, but he finally relented. “We’ll need to monitor it closely then. If we can get it working, even temporarily, it could lead us to a more permanent solution.”

“A prudent course,” Kelmithus said, his tone suggesting that he was more excited than he should be. “We still have our shields, thus, our safety is, in theory, assured.”

Somehow, Kelmithus’ reassurance only made Henry more concerned about their makeshift repair possibly blowing up in their faces.

Noting the dubious glances cast by his companions, Kelmithus cleared his throat and continued, “We will employ the vines as a temporary conduit. We shall seek orichalcum or a more suitable replacement thereafter.”

Henry’s eyes darted from the wire to the archmage. The plan was an absolute gamble, but this was the type of adventure he had always dreamed of – unraveling alien mysteries. Besides, the shields would probably be enough in case things went south. If this wasn’t boldly going, he didn’t know what was. “Let’s do it.”

He removed the mana crystal container from its slot and then led the team back to the main Nexus. “Kel, can you cut the power to the Core?”

Kelmithus nodded, completing his task. After confirming that all connections were dormant, they began their journey back outside. Stepping out into the crisp air, they found themselves amidst a tangle of thick, green vines.

Henry and Ron walked over to a vibrant set that Kelmithus had identified as favorable for the repairs. Ron pulled out his knife and set to work. “Never thought I’d be foraging for magical vines on an op,” he muttered, shaking his head as he bundled the vines in his arms.

Henry navigated the virtual interface on his IVAS and called up the file on the celisyrin vine, or as Dr. Perdue had officially named it, celisyrus arcanum. He flicked through the images, finding one that matched the vine he was currently working on and positioning the virtual display beside it. The vine’s internal blue glow was much more vibrant than the image on file. It certainly had more conductivity than its counterparts, but would it be enough to act as a substitute for orichalcum wiring?

He gathered the materials he had cut up, placing them inside an empty container they had found inside the facility. “This should be enough,” he commented. “Let’s head back.”

After hauling the vines back into the Nexus, Henry laid them out on a workbench. The eerie blue pulsing from the celisyrin gave a ghostly glow, making the cold metal surfaces around them seem even more unwelcoming. Comparing them to the wire that connected the power supply container to the Core, the vines were much thicker. “Looks like we’ll have to split the vines and use the fibers inside,” he observed.

Kelmithus nodded as he pulled out a knife of his own, the blade’s surface a glittering silver and engraved with small runes. “It behooves us to keep these fibers whole, for their conductivity must be maintained. We must then intertwine the intact strands with the wire and bind them securely with a knot; this shall, in theory, preserve the continuity of our temporary repair.”

Isaac walked over and picked one of the pieces up. “A knot, huh? Guess we’ll have to make do without electrical tape,” he mused as he weighed the vine in his hand.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Ron joked as he leaned on the wall, spectating the repair project.

After extracting the fibers and matching the radius of the wire as best he could, Henry tied a knot at one end of the connection while Isaac worked on the other end. Securing the last of the vines, he stepped back and eyed their handiwork. It was crude, undeniably so, but there was a certain elegance in the way the glowing fibers complemented the dull casing of the orichalcum wiring.

“Time to see if this patch job holds,” Henry announced, wiping his hands on his pants. He caught Kelmithus’ eye, nodding toward the core. “Let’s give it another go.”

Kelmithus signaled Arran. They approached the core again, wands in hand. With a flick of his wrist, he directed his mana into the same sequence of runes. Everyone watched with bated breath as they watched the runes light up, one by one. Finally, they touched the activation rune.

Henry kept his eyes fixed on the core, waiting for any sign of life. The first indication that their repair might have worked came as a faint hum, a sound so subtle it was almost lost in the silence. Then, slowly, the core began to glow, its light intensifying until it bathed the entire room in a soft luminescence.

The machinery around them responded in kind. Gauges on the nearby panels began to twitch, needles moving and runes lighting up. Henry let out a low whistle, impressed despite himself. “Damn. It actually worked.”

He turned to his team, “Alright, we split up from here. Ryan, Isaac, Arran, you three take the quarters. See if you can find any personal logs or anything that could give us more insight into what happened here.”

He then nodded to Ron, Dr. Anderson, and Kelmithus. “We’ll take the secure wing. There’s bound to be something in there that can tell us more about this place and what the Baranthurians were working on.”

The march to the secure wing was quiet, the kind of silence that made even heartbeats audible. Cold air brushed against their faces as they approached the junction they had come across earlier. With Ryan’s group already going their separate way, Henry led the others down to a blast door that separated the secure wing from the rest of the facility. Like the other doors, it was covered in runes. However, it didn’t have a keyhole.

“There’s gotta be some control we missed,” Henry said, scanning the walls around them for some sort of pad or lever.

“Here,” Dr. Anderson said, opening a wall panel to reveal a small console with runes – similar to the settings they encountered in the Nexus.

Kelmithus walked up to it and touched his wand on the panel. “Allow me.”

The panel beside them hummed before the deep rumble of grinding metal echoed throughout the hallway. Slowly, the blast doors swung open. Past the door, they found themselves in a desolate lobby that invited them to explore further. Overhead, sconces cast a pulsating crimson glow throughout the room. The soft wail of an alarm, its potency stripped away by the years, echoed its mournful cry. What happened here?

Henry studied the lobby. The area was straightforward, with corridors branching off to various sectors of the secure wing. Papers and personal belongings littered the floor, likely dropped in haste. A cup, still half-filled with a desiccated remnant of what might have been coffee or tea, sat abandoned on a nearby table. Hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room was a sign with arrows corresponding to each corridor and accompanying labels.

Kelmithus translated the sign. Working from the left to the right of the room in a clockwise fashion, the corridors led to the armory, command center, labs, offices, and garage access point.

Henry considered the different paths. Of the possible choices, it was probably the armory that would be the easiest to explore and search for intel. “Let’s start with the armory,” he said.

The armory door was less ornate than others they’d passed, its utilitarian purpose clear. Henry pushed it open, the sound of metal against stone echoing in the quiet. Inside, the room was lined with racks upon racks of weapons, each piece meticulously maintained and placed as if waiting for its owner to return. It seemed that the personnel of this facility had truly left in a hurry.

The first thing that struck Henry was the absence of medieval weaponry, like what he might’ve expected in a Sonaran setting. Instead, the racks held an array of firearms that would have looked at home in an old Western, save for the intricate runes etched along their barrels and the shimmering mana crystals embedded in their mechanisms. “Not your standard issue,” Henry murmured, picking up one of the lever-action rifles and inspecting its design. On the surface, it looked basically just like any other lever action rifle from Earth, though he wouldn’t be surprised if the internal mechanisms were different.

Beside the firearms, sets of armor stood on display. They were made from materials Henry couldn’t immediately identify – a silvery metal that he guessed was adamantium and leather from some unknown domesticated creature, given how the sets appeared to be mass-produced. Each piece was reinforced at critical points, clearly designed to offer protection against more than just firearms and physical blows.

“This shit is like… hextech,” Ron marveled, giving the equipment googly eyes.

The term sounded familiar – it came from one of the early intelligence briefings that listed the types of technology he might encounter in Gaerra. Apparently, it came from a popular video game and described a level of technology a step up from standard medieval fantasy; closer to steampunk fantasy, if anything. Henry placed the rifle back on its rack, turning as Kelmithus became no better than Ron.

“Most intriguing!” the archmage exclaimed, standing before a locker filled with strange gear. “Could this be a diminutive form of aetherphone? The implications of such an artifact for our exploration of conveying sonance through the Aether would indeed be profound.”

Henry peered into the locker, most of the equipment completely alien aside from accessories like amulets and small cylindrical objects that seemed a lot like grenades. The armory was a treasure trove of Baranthurian military innovation, each piece enough to spark a technological revolution in the Sonaran Federation – each piece enough to go to war over. He instinctively glanced at Dr. Anderson, who already understood what he was thinking.

“We’re fortunate that we’re the first to find this place. In the wrong hands, especially the Nobians’, the potential for misuse is deeply concerning. Who knows what they’ll do with this technology,” Dr. Anderson blatantly pointed out.

“Or what they’ll do if they find out we have this stuff and they don’t. The last thing we need is an arms race with this kind of firepower on the table,” Henry added, crossing his arms. He fell into deep thought, already mulling over the implications.

Kelmithus stowed the radio-lookalike away, intrigued by their exchange. “Verily, which is why the urgency of harnessing this newfound knowledge cannot be overstated. As if the seals of Traverna’s Vault were broken, so too have the possibilities expanded before us. The Nobians are vigilant and covetous; they will not sit idly while their rivals surpass them. It stands to reason that the Nobians, in due course, might stake their claim upon this knowledge under threat of arms – or, in a darker turn, unearth their own cache of Baranthurian relics and eclipse our advancements.”

Henry found his gaze returning to the Baranthurian weapons. If Traverna’s Vault was anything like Pandora’s Box, then Kelmithus was right; there was no turning back. The Nobians had already proven to be aggressive, and the existence of these ruins would undoubtedly set them on edge. There was no way in hell the DoD or the Sonarans would let go of this site, a fact that boded poorly for their already shaky relations with the Nobians.

He sighed. No use worrying about geopolitics anyway; that was Perry’s battlefield, not his. “Yeah, true,” he said, finding himself agreeing with Kelmithus’ logic. “We’ll need as much of an upper hand against the Nobians as possible, in case they decide to start something they’ll regret.”

“In the eventuality they start something they’ll regret,” Kelmithus corrected.

Henry gave a nod. As biased as Kelmithus was, his analysis was spot-on. It didn’t take a genius to realize that reasoning with the Nobians was as far-fetched as the existence of magic once was.

Ron, oblivious to their conversation, was still engrossed in his own discovery. He called out from a corner of the room, holding up a pair of gloves with intricate silvery threading. “Yo, check these out! Feel like I could punch through a wall with these.”

Henry gave the gloves a cursory glance. “Bag ‘em. Might come in handy, or at least give Dr. Lamarr and the lab geeks something to gawk at.” His mind was already moving on, though. The armory was fascinating, but it was the laboratories that promised answers about the Baranthurians.

Leaving the armory, they navigated to the command center. To Henry’s disappointment, the door was locked – inaccessible even after several attempts from Kelmithus. Finding no luck with the door, they moved on to the research sector.

The corridor there opened into a cavernous space, branching off into numerous labs. Kelmithus lingered at each door, translating the labels with a growing sense of excitement. “Mana studies, crystallography, Aether Dynamics…” he listed off, his voice a mix of awe and anticipation.

Henry gathered the team at the first lab on the left, its door left open. “Guess this is as good a place to start as any,” he muttered, pushing the door open. The lab beyond was bathed in the soft glow of mana crystals, their light casting long shadows across the dusty tables and scattered papers. It was time to see what secrets this place held.

He stepped inside, his eyes quickly adjusting to the crystalline luminescence. The tables were cluttered with a variety of intricate devices, one of which resembled an early refractometer made of brass and glass. Nearby, objects similar to Erlenmeyer flasks perched on rune-etched stands hinted at experiments with liquid mana.

The stuff here was a goldmine for research, and Dr. Anderson’s enthusiasm all but confirmed it. The man had already gravitated to the papers, analyzing them with an equally enthusiastic Kelmithus. Henry could empathize, but he felt that this lab’s experiments were just the tip of the iceberg.

After documenting their findings, he knew they needed to move on. “Let’s check the next lab,” he decided, curiosity piqued by the promise of more discoveries.

He moved to the adjacent room but found its door sealed shut by the ongoing lockdown, entrance denied by runic protocols that even Kelmithus couldn’t crack. They continued their search down the corridor until they finally came across another lab that was left open – a room dedicated to ‘Aether Dynamics.’

The door to the lab creaked open to reveal a scene of chaos, with overturned furniture and shattered glassware. A cylindrical object mirroring a Core stood on a platform in the center of the room, inert. “Damn, looks like we found where things went sideways.” Henry entered the room, stepping cautiously over the debris.

The only things not scattered were a set of sleek, angular artifacts that were too alien to be from the Baranthurians. If anything, they reminded him of the pristine ‘ruins’ near Armstrong Base – minimalist, yet extravagant at the same time. The pieces hovered in their containment units, surfaces marked by precise lines that emanated blue light. It was like looking at something straight out of a game he enjoyed, except this was real, and it was right in front of him. There was no doubt: these must’ve belonged to the Gatebuilders.

Kelmithus began sifting through reports scattered on a desk, translating snippets of text. “Herein lies a record of an experiment. They endeavored to bend and channel mana streams by employing Gatebuilder design tenets,” he murmured. “This… This is evidence of the link we long hypothesized!”

Dr. Anderson pulled up a chair and sat beside the archmage, adding, “Sounds like they were trying to play with knowledge they didn’t fully understand, and something went wrong.”

“This device,” Kelmithus said, nodding toward the object on the platform, “was referred to as an ‘Aetheric Nullifier’ by its creators. Its purpose, as the moniker implies was to purge an area of the Aether as a means to combat mana-dependent demons. It would voraciously absorb nearby mana, a function they theorized to bear adverse effects on not just demons, but people as well. Alas, it appears their prototype was activated all too hastily, in the throes of an onslaught.”

“What happened?” Ron asked.

Kelmithus found a final entry in the logs. “The chronicle concludes with the ‘unexpected development of a mana vacuum’. Were I amongst those scholars, the sounding of alarms would have been an immediate recourse.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. A small panel near the entrance drew his attention. He approached it, noticing a flashing red button with a Baranthurian label that he guessed said ‘Emergency Shutdown’. It was still active. Pressing the button, he felt a slight resistance before it clicked into place. Instantly, the alarms and pulsing red lights ceased, replaced by a steady glow of white.

“That should lift the lockdown on the other labs and the command center,” he remarked, turning back to the group. “We’ll leave the labs to the excavation and research teams. Let’s check the command center.”

The command center, once plunged into emergency mode, now lay dormant under the steady white light. The room, spacious and lined with wooden workstations, had an air of Victorian elegance. Maps of the surrounding region sprawled across the tables, marked with troop placements and other information. Like the other scenes they had come across, the one around them was marred by evidence of an urgent evacuation.

Henry watched as Kelmithus picked up a document beside a set of Baranthurian aethergraphs. “What’s it say?” he asked.

Ron and Dr. Anderson gathered around as Kelmithus translated, “This appears to be an evacuation order. The failed ‘Aetheric Nullifier’ experiment forced all base personnel to the teleportation nodes in the garage, ere rendered inoperative by the Nullifier.”

“And these?” Dr. Anderson asked, inspecting a series of shelves filled with what appeared to be communication logs. His fingers traced the runes embossed on the spines of the leather-bound binders before selecting a few and flipping them open on a nearby table.

“Aethergrams, akin to the ones sent by our aethergraphs,” Kelmithus explained, beginning to translate them. Most were mundane, detailing routine supply requests, personnel transfers, and updates regarding the base’s research. However, one particular log caught their attention.

“This one speaks of a shipment received from a Gatebuilder excavation site,” Kelmithus announced, voice tinged with excitement. “It seems they were studying artifacts from the ruins – like the ones in the Aether Dynamics lab, perchance seeking leverage in their ongoing conflict with the demons.”

Henry nodded, processing the information. “This could be big,” he said. The inaccessible Gatebuilder ruins by the gateway was the first priority on their list – and a tantalizing enigma regardless. Now, they had a chance to unravel more about the Gatebuilders. “We need to find that excavation site.”

As they sifted through the documents and maps scattered across the command center, Ron’s voice cut through the silence. “Yo, think I’ve got something,” he called out, holding up a map marked with an unusual icon that mirrored the distinctive architecture of the Gatebuilders.

Henry and the others walked over, analyzing the map. Kelmithus gently took the map and studied the text underneath the symbol. He looked up, a spark in his eyes. “This is it: the excavation site.”

“The next step…” Dr. Anderson muttered.

Kelmithus nodded. “Indeed, Doctor. This is the next step, and the magnitude of this revelation warrants an inquiry of the highest order. I intend to register this venture – omitting sensitive information – as a Tier 8 quest at the Adventurers Guild. Such classification shall ensure the provision of requisite means and the due acclaim this mission merits.”

Henry considered Kelmithus’ suggestion, but they were currently only Tier 6 adventurers. “Are we even qualified for a quest of that tier?” he asked.

“Ordinarily, your current rank would be a constraint,” the archmage answered. “However, with the inclusion of at least one other Tier 8 adventurer, the Guild’s stipulations for embarking upon such a quest would be satisfied.”

The mention of a Tier 8 adventurer sparked an idea in Henry’s mind. “Seraphine ad Sindis,” he blurted out. He winced internally, realizing his mistake, and braced himself.

Ron raised an eyebrow and gave Henry a knowing smirk. “No surprise there,” he teased, a light chuckle escaping him. “Hey, I ship it already.”

Henry mustered up a haphazard defense, giving a reluctant grin. “Look, she uh – well, we’ve already worked with her. We know she’s y’know, a good adventurer.”

“Sure, sure,” Ron said, his smirk growing wider.

“Your rationale aside,” Kelmithus stepped in, “Lady Seraphine is a wise choice. Collaborating with an adventurer of her integrity – and familiarity – would be preferable to working with someone we don’t know.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll get this planned out later,” Henry said quickly, hoping to change topics. He radioed Ryan’s group, “Hayes, sitrep?”

Static crackled briefly before Ryan’s voice came through. “All quiet on our end, Captain. Quarters cleared, ain’t a single sign of intel or hostiles. You find anything interesting?”

Henry glanced at the map in Kelmithus’ hands. “Found something solid here. Kel just confirmed a map marking a Gatebuilder excavation site.”

“Gatebuilder excavation site, huh?” Ryan reiterated Henry’s words, intrigued. “Copy that. Y’all done over there?”

They still needed to clear the offices and the garage, but they were basically done. “Almost,” he replied. “Come on over. We’re wrapping up over here; still need a couple more rooms to check. Once we’re done we’ll compile a report for Armstrong and prep for exfil. We’ve got our next op lined up, and it’s gonna be crazy.”