"Let’s go make that number bigger." he said as he pushed himself off the medical cabinet and almost twisted his injured left leg.
The pipe in his right hand was pointed at the door which hissed open to reveal the dim auxiliary path beyond the Med Bay: dead main lights, dying emergency lights pulsing dully to reveal the way ahead.
Asha : "Shortest route to Emergency Stairwell Beta remains unchanged. However, with widespread power failure, visibility is now near zero in several upcoming segments. My remote sensor range is severely restricted. We will be navigating significantly in darkness."
Kael nodded and urged his eyes to be in the dark. Each time he placed his foot forward was cautious and sent painful probes into his flesh. Warnings flitted across his HUD.
[PAIN DEBUFF: -15% to Perception, Agility, Dexterity]
[STAMINA: 35/90 (Low - Exertion while Injured)]
[TIME REMAINING UNTIL STASIS POD FAILURE: 00:13:08]
As kael moved deeper, Asha spoke again, a new notification pinging softly on his HUD.
Asha: "Kael, I am detecting a potential opportunity within this crisis. The primary visual sensors of the Phoenix Core are capable of far greater light spectrum analysis and amplification than your baseline human eyesight. However, this protocol requires significant initial calibration and focused sensory input under pressure to fully combine with your neural pathways.
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE - OPTIONAL]
Quest: Eyes in the Dark
Description: Your Phoenix Core AI can unlock an advanced Night Vision protocol. Navigate the next 100 meters of near-total darkness, relying on Asha’s auditory guidance and your own developing senses, while avoiding direct engagement with any detected threats. Success will permanently integrate the Night Vision skill.
Time Constraint: Must be completed before reaching Stairwell Beta, or within the next 00:05:00.
Difficulty: High (Due to current injuries, low visibility, and potential unknown threats)
Rewards (Potential):
* Skill Unlocked: Night Vision (Passive - Low Light Amplification)
* Skill Unlocked: Stealth (Passive - Allowing the user to move silently and remain unseen by most standard detection protocols)
* Perception Attribute +0.1 (Sensory Acuity Training)
* Minor System Energy Recovery (Calibration Efficiency Bonus)
Failure: No Night Vision skill integration at this time. Potential for ambush or injury due to impaired visibility.
Kael (squinting into the oppressive darkness ahead): "Night Vision? Like... like those rats?" The thought of seeing clearly in this suffocating blackness was incredibly appealing, even if the idea of navigating it before getting the skill sounded terrifying.
Kael:"Ohhh!... I also get a Stealth skill!?" He imagined the ninjas in his memories. "Aghh.. this quest will be easier if I have it already"
Asha: "Your Phoenix Core is predicated on adaptation; previously, we weren’t experiencing zero visibility; therefore, your Phoenix Core helps you to see in the dark."
"Okay, Asha. How do we do this? I can barely see my own feet."
Asha: "You will need to rely on your other senses, and my auditory cues. I will attempt to map the environment using residual heat signatures and echo-location pings, though the latter may attract unwanted attention if used excessively. Move slowly, Listen. Trust what you can sense, however faint it is.
Kael took a deep breath. His senses at present consisted of a throbbing leg, a burning arm. But if this could perhaps help see in the dark, he gripped his pipe tighter. It was pitch black before them
Kael: "Okay, Asha. Lead on. Just... tell me if I’m about to walk into a wall.."
Kael moved slowly, one hand trailing along the cold metal wall for guidance, the other holding his pipe ready. Asha’s voice was a constant, low murmur in his mind
"Three meters ahead, slight incline."
"Debris underfoot to your left..."
"Metal grating is loose, step right..."
"I detect faint air currents from a ventilation shaft above – it may harbor mutated rats, maintain silence..."
"Pressure plate detected, likely inactive, but avoid central corridor..."
Twice, he froze as the faint skittering sounds returned, he heard it getting close.
His HUD flashed [Threat Proximity: High - Unknown Biologicals].
Asha directed him during this moment when he was pressed with his back into a corner, holding his breath, as unseen things skittered past in the dark, their chittering making his skin crawl. He was saved by Asha’s precise instructions on when and where to hide.
He bumped into unseen obstacles, stumbled on uneven flooring, and the pain in his leg. But with each successful step taken in the dark, through Asha’s guidance and his own straining senses, he felt a subtle shift. He started to feel a faint outlines.
[Night Vision Calibration: 35%... 57%... 78%...]
Asha: "Approaching Stairwell Beta. Calibration nearing completion. One final obstruction: a partially collapsed ceiling section. The gap is too narrow for you to crawl."
Kael got into the crawling position. The spot was tight, jagged metal and fallen conduits jammed in. Damp earth and something else choked his breathing. As he squeezed through the tightest point, the timer for the quest ticked to its final seconds.
[Night Vision Calibration: 99%...]
He emerged on the other side, into a slightly wider area at the top of a steep emergency stairwell that plunged into even deeper blackness.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Eyes in the Dark]
Rewards:
* Skill Unlocked: Night Vision (Passive Lv. 1 - Basic Low Light Amplification. Significantly improves visual acuity in low-light conditions. Minor energy drain when active.)
* Skill Unlocked: Stealth (Passive Lv. 1 -Skill used to avoid detection by enemies, surveillance systems, or environmental scanners. Reduce noise, heat signature, and visible presence, allowing the user to move silently and remain unseen by most standard detection protocols.)
* Perception Attribute +0.1 (Now PER 4.30 - Debuffs still active)
* System Energy Recovered: +3% (Now 53%)
Kael blinked. The world... was different. The oppressive darkness of the stairwell was no longer a solid wall of black. He could faintly see the outlines of the steps themselves, the rust of the railing, the texture of the metallic walls-all rendered in dull greys and faint greens.
Kael (awe in his voice): "Asha... I can... I can see."
Asha: "Night Vision protocol successfully integrated, Kael. Your ability to perceive the environment in zero light conditions is now enhanced by 75% over baseline human norms. This will be... advantageous." There was almost a hint of satisfaction in her usually neutral tone.
He looked down at the stairwell leading to Sub-Level Engineering. It was terrifying, especially how injured he was. But now at least he wouldn’t be doing it completely blind.
The timer for the stasis pods, however, continued: [STASIS PODS OFFLINE IN: 00:07:55]
So, that little victory of gaining night vision was immediately obliterated under the weight of those minutes drained away.