Chapter 10: Thing and The Healer
The command center in Novia was a sterile, pristine place, a strange contradiction to the wild, chaotic battle they had just fought. Alex, his mind still reeling from the encounter with the Auditor, knew they couldn't just sit here and wait. They needed to expand. They needed to get stronger. He opened his System interface, his fingers flying across the holographic console, searching for a new "defense module." He knew they needed more than just a sonic barrier and traps. They needed a new line of defense. Something to protect them from a threat they could not predict.
He typed in a command, a new golem. He knew what he wanted. Something small. Something discreet. Something... strange. He named the module "Thing," a little inside joke to himself, a nod to Wednesday's show, a little bit of normalcy in a very abnormal situation. The System, in a moment of glitchy humor, misinterpreted the name, and created a golem in the shape of a disembodied hand with a single, glowing eye. It was small. It was discreet. And it was very, very strange.
[Novia System: Defense module created: 'Thing'. Warning. Host input has resulted in a critical error. Classification: 'Mismatched Companion'.]
Alex stared at the tiny golem, his jaw hanging open. "Thing?" he asked, and the hand waved back, its little fingers wiggling in a silent greeting. "You've got to be kidding me."
[Novia System: Note: This unit may be used for companionship, defense, or for scaring the wits out of your enemies. Enjoy.]
The message was so absurd, so perfectly, hilariously, wrong, that Alex couldn't help but laugh, a genuine, tired laugh that shook the tension from his shoulders. Enid, seeing the hand-golem, screamed and hid behind Alex.
"What is that thing?! It's so... weird!" she asked, her voice muffled against his back.
Wednesday, on the other hand, immediately walked up to it and, in a rare display of emotion, shook its "hand." "I'll call you Thing," she said, her voice flat, but her eyes gleaming with a strange sort of delight. The golem, a perfect contradiction, was a mascot, a new friend.
As Alex interacted with the new golem, a new System function, a new piece of the puzzle, appeared in his mind.
[Novia System: Function unlocked: 'Soul Binding'. Use to create a deeper connection with a single citizen.]
He had no idea what it meant, but he knew it was important. A new tool for a new kind of fight. He looked at the command center, at the small, glowing hand, at Enid peeking out from behind him, and at Wednesday, a rare, almost imperceptible smile on her face. He knew he needed more people. And the System agreed.
The command center, a place of hope and power, was now a place of grim determination. The Auditor's message, cold and unforgiving, was a constant presence in their minds. They needed more people. They needed a healer. And Alex knew exactly who to get.
[Novia System: Objective: Expand citizenry. Recruit a healer. Target: Dr. Kinbott.]
The System's directness was a stark contrast to its earlier glitches. This was a mission. A life or death objective.
It's a risk. The Auditor could be anywhere, he thought, the cold fear of the previous battle in his gut. They were going back to the same world where the Auditor found them. It was a terrible risk. But they had no choice. They couldn't survive with just the three of them. They needed more. They needed a healer.
He turned to Wednesday. "We have to go back. I need to find a healer. Someone who can help us."
Wednesday nodded, a rare hint of respect in her eyes. "Logical. We cannot function with a perpetually wounded emotional liability like Enid. And you will undoubtedly get yourself into trouble again."
Alex took a deep breath. "The Auditor is waiting for us. I can feel it." He knew it was true. His Visions flickered, a brief, terrifying flash of the Auditor's symbol as he prepared to return to the Wednesday universe. The Auditor was still watching. It was a cold, alien presence that watched them from the great beyond.
With the plan set, Alex looked at his team, his new family. "Let's go," he said, his voice firm with resolve. "We have a new mission."
The portal shimmered open, and the scent of rain and damp earth filled the air, a familiar scent of a dangerous world. Enid, her hands a little shaky, was trying to make jokes, a nervous energy filling the air.
"So, what's the plan?" Enid asked, her voice a little too high. "Do we have a code word for 'run away'?"
"Yes," Wednesday said, her voice flat and cold. "It's 'every man for himself.' I'll be using it." The humor was dark, but it was humor.
Alex reassured them, a calm anchor in their stormy seas. "I promise, we'll get out of this safely. We're a team."
[Novia System: Warning. Risk assessment: 80%. High probability of threat encounter.]
The message was a blunt, cold dose of reality. It made Alex's heart pound, but his resolve remained. The System is not wrong, he thought. This is a very, very bad idea. But it's the only idea we have.
The portal shimmers open, and the scent of rain and damp earth fills the air, a familiar scent of a dangerous world. The place that had been their first refuge was now a place of danger. "Here we go," Alex whispers. "Back to where it all began. But this time, we're not alone."
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