The immediate vicinity of the ancient crusher faded behind Xen, but the rhythmic CLANG... thrum... echoed in his audio receptors and seemed to vibrate in the very metal of his being for long minutes after he began his retreat. He didn't simply backtrack the way he came; that path had led him directly to the danger. Instead, he skirted the base of the massive scrap pile he had descended earlier, moving laterally, putting layers of junk between himself and the relentless machine.
His movement was deliberate, almost painfully slow. Every shadow seemed deeper, every metallic groan from the surrounding structures sounded like an approaching threat.
He kept low, utilizing the abundant cover, his head constantly swiveling, optics piercing the gloom. He hadn't reactivated the [Audio Dampener], needing to conserve every precious fraction of Energon (EN: 30.1/150), so he relied entirely on the enhanced precision of his [Micro-Manipulation] passive and his own inherent agility (DEX 12) to minimize noise. His small feet made only faint taps and clicks on the surfaces, sounds easily lost in the ambient noise field of the scrap heap.
He passed beneath colossal, rust-eaten arches that might have once supported conveyor systems or pipelines. He squeezed through narrow gaps between leaning monoliths of compacted scrap, the rough surfaces scraping faintly against his plating but causing no damage this time. The air here smelled different – less ozone and hot metal, more damp earth, decay, and a faint, acrid chemical tang he couldn't identify.
It was during this careful traversal, perhaps ten minutes after leaving the crusher's vicinity, that his optics caught something on a patch of relatively clear, compacted earth between two large, unidentifiable machine husks.
Markings. Not the aged, indeterminate scrapes he’d seen near the containers earlier. These looked… clearer. Sharper.
He approached cautiously, his internal processors flagging the anomaly. Crouching low, he examined the marks. They were definitely tracks, patterns pressed into the dirt and grime. Three distinct prints, roughly triangular, with sharp indentations suggesting claws or pointed feet.
They were small, maybe slightly larger than his own feet, and spaced in a pattern suggesting a three-legged or perhaps oddly gaited creature. Most importantly, the edges of the prints looked relatively crisp, lacking the erosion and dust infill of the older marks. These felt recent.
Fresh tracks. Confirmation that he wasn't alone out here, and that something else relatively small was active nearby, or had been very recently. What made them? A native Terran animal adapted to the scrap? A small Cybertronian creature? Something... else entirely, maybe related to the portals mentioned in his fragmented memories of the dying Transformer's Spark infusion? He scanned the immediate area around the tracks.
The scan revealed nothing beyond the tracks themselves and the surrounding inert scrap. No lingering energy signatures, no biological traces beyond the background norm.
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Whatever made the tracks was gone, or hiding very well. It was another layer of danger, another variable he had no way to predict or counter effectively yet. He made a mental note of the track shape and location, backing away carefully and continuing his retreat, his sensors now on even higher alert.
He traveled for another ten minutes, putting considerable distance and multiple junk piles between himself and both the crusher and the location of the fresh tracks.
The rhythmic clanging had faded now, replaced by the constant, mournful sighing of the wind.
His Energon was dipping dangerously low again (EN: ~29.1/150, stable without skill use), and his HP remained static at 84.0/100 without the benefit of shelter. He needed to find a place to stop, rest, and let his slow regeneration work, however minimal it might be without the [Sheltered] buff. More importantly, he needed a secure spot to plan his next Energon hunt, because this could not wait.
He began actively searching for potential hideaways, scanning alcoves, gaps, and hollowed-out structures as he moved. Many were dead ends – too exposed, too unstable, or already occupied by mundane debris. Then, he spotted it: a large section of thick, cylindrical pipe, maybe two meters in diameter, half-buried horizontally in a slope of compacted scrap.
One end was blocked by a cave-in, but the other end gaped open, offering a dark, protected interior.
He approached cautiously, scanning the entrance and as far inside as he could reach.
[Scan Analysis: Reinforced Conduit Section (Severed)] [Composition: Thick Ferro-Ceramic Composite - High Structural Integrity] [Interior: Clear of Major Obstructions Approx. 4 Meters Deep - Minor Dust/Debris Present] [Energy Signatures: Negligible] [Atmosphere: Stable / Stagnant] [Shelter Analysis: Offers Good Physical Protection & Concealment. Environmental Buff Status: Negative - Does not qualify as 'Secure Location' for enhanced regeneration.]
Stable, clear, well-protected, but not secure enough to grant the [Sheltered] regeneration bonus. Disappointing, but it was still far better than being out in the open. It would have to do for now.
He slipped inside the wide pipe opening. The darkness enveloped him instantly, a welcome change from the constant visual noise of the scrap heap.
The interior smelled of dust and stale, stagnant air. It was cylindrical, offering smooth walls, floor, and ceiling. He moved about halfway down its four-meter length, putting himself well out of sight from the entrance.
Finally, a chance to stop moving, to process. He sat down on the cool, curved floor. HP: 84.0/100. EN: 28.1/150. XP: 91/100. He was only 9 XP away from Level 2. What would that bring? Stat points? Skill points? A full energy/health restore? He desperately hoped for the latter, though based on the harsh realities so far, he doubted it would be that easy.
The expedition to the crusher had been a qualified success – he hadn't shut down, and he had slightly more energy than before, plus valuable information about the machine and the Energon fragments. But the HP cost and the discovery of fresh tracks underscored the constant danger.
He couldn't afford another risky gamble like that anytime soon.
He needed a plan. A real plan, not just reacting to immediate needs. From this new temporary shelter, what were the logical steps?
- Rest here briefly? Without the regen buff, there wasn't much point beyond simple system downtime.
- Analyze the tracks further? Could he backtrack carefully and scan them more thoroughly? Unlikely to yield much with [Basic Scan].
- Systematic Energon Search: Pick a direction (maybe away from the tracks and the crusher) and perform methodical scans at regular intervals, hoping to find a stable source, even if distant? This seem
- ed the most logical, despite the Energon cost of scanning.
He needed more energy to find more energy.
The frustrating paradox of his existence right now. But with almost 30 EN, he could afford maybe ten scans while carefully exploring.
That felt like his best bet. He decided to rest for just five minutes, letting his systems fully stabilize, before heading out again on a dedicated Energon hunt in a new direction.