With a clear objective marked on his HUD map overlay – Sector Gamma-3 – Xen moved out from the entrance of his crevice shelter. His Energon tanks were full (EN: 150.0/150), a state he intended to maintain whenever possible, providing a crucial buffer against the unknown. He navigated the short distance towards the designated 'green zone', his DEX 13 allowing for quick, quiet steps over the relatively stable terrain marked by his recent comprehensive scan.
Sector Gamma-3 wasn't dramatically different from the surrounding areas at first glance – more rust, more twisted metal, more decay. However, the debris here seemed composed of smaller, more manageable pieces compared to the colossal fragments elsewhere, with fewer treacherous overhangs or deep crevices. Remnants of what might have been smaller machinery or equipment housing lay scattered, interspersed with patches of compacted earth.
Xen began his systematic search immediately, mentally overlaying a grid pattern onto the ~10x10 meter sector. He started in one corner, moving slowly, his optics scanning at maximum magnification while his [Micro-Manipulation] skill guided his fingers through the surface layers of grit and small debris. He sifted through rust flakes, peered under warped plates, ran tactile sensors over interesting textures. It was slow, methodical work. [Micro-Manipulation skill proficiency increased by 0.1% to 0.4%].
He found mostly junk: unrecognizable plastic shards, common iron bolts sheared off from larger structures, wires too corroded to identify. He mentally logged a small [Worn Servo Actuator Pin] and a [Hardened Polymer Casing Fragment (Intact)] – materials potentially useful for crafting much later, but not worth an inventory slot now.
After about twenty minutes of meticulous searching, covering roughly half the sector, his fingers brushed against something small, hard, and distinctly non-random near the base of a stable, boxy machine remnant. He carefully cleared away the surrounding dust and pebbles. Several small, cylindrical objects lay half-buried. They were metallic, but blackened and slightly deformed. Different from standard nuts or bolts.
Curious, he focused his scanner.
[Scan Analysis: Spent Energy Casings Detected (Qty: 3)] [Type Alpha - Cylindrical, High-Caliber Energy Discharge Residue (Qty: 2)] [Type Beta - Fluted Cartridge, Plasma Residue (Qty: 1)] [Origin: Standard Cybertronian Small Arms (Likely Pre-War/Early War Era)] [Condition: Expended / Minor Deformation]
Spent casings. Not just random junk, but direct evidence of weapons fire, right here. The scan even differentiated two types – one likely from a standard high-energy projectile weapon, the other leaving plasma residue. And archaic, possibly Pre-War designs, tying in with the degraded circuit boards he'd found earlier in the entanglement zone. This entire section of the scrap heap wasn't just industrial refuse; it was a battlefield, frozen in time.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
These felt significant, more informative than simple scrap. Potential clues to the types of forces that operated here long ago. He decided they were worth collecting. He carefully picked up the three casings – two identical cylinders (Type A) and one distinct fluted one (Type B).
Inventory: Store Casings.
<[Spent Energy Casing (Type A)] x2 added to Inventory.> <[Spent Energy Casing (Type B)] x1 added to Inventory.>
Ah. Full inventory already. The five slots provided by his nascent core ability were quickly filled: [Energon Crystal (MG) x3], [Circuit Board (D) x3], [Data Chip Frag (D)], [Spent Energy Casing (Type A) x2], [Spent Energy Casing (Type B) x1]. (Assuming crystals, boards, and Type A casings stack). He'd need to start prioritizing what he carried or find a way to expand his storage later.
<+5 XP Gained! (Historical Evidence Found - Past Conflict)> <+2 XP Gained! (New Item Types Identified)>
He spent another ten minutes completing his sweep of Sector Gamma-3, meticulously sifting and scanning. [Micro-Manipulation skill proficiency increased by 0.2% to 0.6%]. He found nothing else of note beyond more generic scrap. The sector, while holding ghosts of past battles, offered no immediate resources or threats beyond the baseline environment.
<+5 XP Gained! (Systematic Sector Search Completed)> XP: 84/250. Getting closer.
He stood in the center of the now-searched sector, updating his mental map and HUD overlay (Sector Gamma-3: Cleared - Surface). Time for the next decision. Repeating the ground search in another adjacent green zone felt like it would yield similarly minor results for the time and effort involved. His inventory was full anyway.
He needed a lead that promised more potential. Consulting his map again, he reviewed the Points of Interest revealed by the wide-area scan from the crevice:
- The Hidden Compartment (Needs STR/Tool)
- The Maintenance Tunnels (Vermin/Risk/Unknown)
- The Trace Energon Leak (Needs Skill/Tool/Risk)
- The Shielded Signature within the Giant (Needs Better Scan/Access/Risk)
- The Precursor Assembly / Alien Object (High Mystery/Risk/Unknowns)
None of these felt like the right next step. They all required capabilities he lacked or involved significant, poorly understood risks. However, his earlier scan had also detected something else near the Giant Transformer site, something subtle: [Faint Old Energy Trails Detected - Origin Point: Near Giant Frame - Direction: Sector Delta-4 (Unexplored)] (solidifying this detail was indeed picked up by the Ch 22 scan). Old energy trails. Not Energon, not portal residue, maybe coolant? Or something else entirely? Faint, old... but a specific vector. A path something took leading away from his progenitor. It felt like a more tangible clue than random searching or tackling currently impossible POIs.
That felt like the best bet. Follow the faint trail. See where it leads.
Decision made. Next destination: Sector Delta-4, following the old energy signature trail originating near the fallen giant.
He took one last look around the mundane scrap of Gamma-3, oriented himself using his map, and began moving purposefully, leaving the searched sector behind as he headed back towards the area around the giant, ready to pick up a scent centuries cold.