The decision to leave Sector Gamma-3 felt right. The systematic search had yielded historical context – ghosts of battle in the form of spent casings now filling his last inventory slot – but no immediately useful resources or pressing leads. His internal map, meticulously updated from the comprehensive scan performed back at the crevice, showed numerous points of interest, but most required capabilities Xen currently lacked. Except, perhaps, one: the [Faint Old Energy Trails Detected] originating near the resting place of the giant Transformer. It was subtle, easily missed by his earlier Lvl 1 scans, but the Lvl 2 composite scan had marked it clearly – a faint signature leading off into an unexplored sector designated Delta-4. It felt like the most promising thread to pull.
Topping off his Energon before leaving the relative safety of the searched sector had been prudent (EN: 150.0/150). Now, Xen plotted a course on his HUD map, tracing a path back towards the area dominated by the fallen giant, though approaching from a slightly different angle than his previous visit to its Spark chamber. Caution dictated avoiding the immediate vicinity of the unstable frame itself.
The journey took approximately ten minutes, Xen moving with quiet efficiency through familiar, already-scanned territory. He kept his optics scanning, comparing the terrain to his map, noting the accuracy of the hazard markers and stable zones. Reaching the edge of the giant's debris field, he paused behind a large, rust-pitted cylinder that might have once been part of a massive piston. The immense, silent form of his progenitor lay slumped perhaps twenty meters away. From here, he could see the area near its feet and lower legs where the wide-area scan had indicated the energy trail began.
System, scan immediate area. Focus: Trace Energy Signatures. High sensitivity. He needed to pinpoint the start of the trail accurately.
The scan results filtered, highlighting background radiation, the fading resonance from the giant’s frame, and then—yes, there it was. A barely perceptible energy reading, tagged by the System:
[Trace Coolant Residue Signature Detected (Ancient Cybertronian Type - Non-Toxic)] [Signal Strength: Extremely Low / Degraded] [Trajectory Vector Calculated: Leads towards Sector Delta-4]
Coolant residue. Not Energon, not portal energy, but a mundane (if ancient) Cybertronian fluid. Why had the giant leaked coolant after its death, or perhaps just before? Or was this trail unrelated, merely originating near the giant by coincidence? Regardless, it was a path leading somewhere specific.
Now came the challenge: following it. The signature was incredibly faint, far too weak to create a continuous breadcrumb trail on his HUD. He would have to track it scan by scan.
Okay, Xen. Be methodical. He noted the initial vector provided by the scan and began moving slowly in that direction, his optics peeled for any visual clues – stains, residue patterns – though the general grime of the scrap heap made visual tracking almost impossible.
After moving about fifteen meters into the unscanned territory of Sector Delta-4, he stopped behind cover – a leaning stack of metal plates – and scanned again, focusing specifically on detecting that faint coolant signature.
Success. The trail persisted. He moved another fifteen meters, the terrain here becoming slightly more uneven, with larger chunks of debris forcing him to carefully choose his path ([Micro-Manipulation] working constantly). Scan again.
It was slow going. Move, scan, adjust course, move again. Each scan cost precious energy, but it was the only way to follow this cold trail. He kept his audio receptors straining, listening for any changes in the ambient noise, any hint of activity nearby. He passed more evidence of the scrap heap's history – a section of wall plating peppered with impacts from some kind of kinetic weapon, entirely different from the energy scarring he'd seen earlier; a crushed escape pod, its hatch permanently sealed by damage.
He scanned again after another fifteen meters.
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Signal strength increasing? That was unexpected for an old, degrading trail. Was he getting closer to a source? A larger deposit? Or was something else concentrating the residue? His pace quickened slightly, curiosity overriding caution for a moment before he forced himself to slow down again. The map generated earlier showed that fused scrap mound clearly – it was the same one marked with the [POI: Maintenance Tunnel Entrance] and the nearby [RESOURCE NODE: Trace Energon Leak]. Was the coolant trail related? Did it lead into the tunnels?
As he navigated the final stretch towards the base of the mound, the terrain became more cluttered. He squeezed through a narrow gap between two leaning machine husks and suddenly noticed new signs – small, clawed footprints in a patch of thick dust, identical to the fresh tracks he'd spotted earlier near the storage containers. And nearby, small, dark pellets scattered on the ground.
Scan target: Pellets.
[Scan Analysis: Biological Waste Product Detected (Scat)] [Origin Species Estimate: Small Mammalian or Reptilian Technovore (Cyber-Vermin - Likely)] [Condition: Recent]
Cyber-Vermin. Definitely active here. And recent signs. Xen immediately reactivated his stealth system.
He moved the final few meters with extreme care, senses on high alert. The rhythmic clanking of the distant crusher was completely inaudible now, replaced by the closer sounds of wind whistling around the scrap mound and... yes, a faint but distinct skittering sound from somewhere very nearby, perhaps from within the mound itself or the tunnel entrance.
He reached the base of the mound, finding cover behind a large, detached gear sprocket. Before him lay the [Maintenance Tunnel Entrance]. It was a dark, roughly meter-high opening, partially choked with loose rocks and twisted metal debris, just as the earlier scan indicated. Faint, cool air pulsed gently from the opening – the [Faint Air Circulation] his scan had noted. The ground around the entrance was littered with more vermin droppings and nesting debris (shredded wires, bits of plastic). The faint coolant trail signature his scanner tracked seemed to lead directly into the dark mouth of the tunnel.
Nearby, perhaps two meters to the side of the tunnel entrance, his scanner highlighted the location of the underground conduit marked as the [RESOURCE NODE: Trace Energon Leak]. He could detect no surface indication of it, just the faint energy reading from beneath the compacted earth.
The skittering sound came again, closer this time, seemingly from just inside the tunnel entrance. Xen froze, every circuit tense.
He focused his scanner on the tunnel opening itself, pushing the Lvl 2 scan's capabilities.
[Scan Analysis: Tunnel Entrance (Maintenance Conduit Access?)] [Structure: Reinforced Durasteel Pipe / Rockcrete Casing - Moderate Structural Damage / Minor Collapse Evidence] [Interior Scan (Limited Range - Approx. 5 Meters): Tunnel continues beyond blockage. Multiple Small Heat/Life Signatures Detected (Cyber-Vermin - Confirmed - Qty: 3+) moving within scanned range. Trace Coolant Signature persists deeper within tunnel. Air quality: Stale/Poor.] [WARNING: Unstable Debris at Entrance. High Probability of Vermin Encounter Beyond Entrance.]
Three or more vermin detected just within the first few meters. And the tunnel itself showed signs of damage. The coolant trail, the potential clue he'd been following, led directly into this hazardous, occupied space. The nearby Energon leak, while tempting passively, required skills or tools for collection and was near the entrance of this vermin nest.
This was a major decision point. Following the trail further meant braving the tunnels, confronting the vermin, dealing with potential structural collapse – all significant risks, especially with his limited combat capabilities (STR 5, ARM 2) and lack of repair options. His inventory was full, preventing easy collection even if he did find something minor inside.
Alternatively, he could abandon this lead. Mark the tunnel as too dangerous for now and retreat to explore elsewhere. Perhaps investigate the Hidden Compartment area again, even if he couldn't open it? Or return to the Precursor site? Or just pick another 'green zone' for systematic searching?
He looked at the dark tunnel entrance, heard another faint skitter from within, felt the faint vibration of moving creatures. He looked at his nearly full Energon gauge – a buffer, but not infinite. He thought about his lack of weapons, his brittle shard tool long gone.
The choice felt clear, if anticlimactic after tracking the trail this far. Entering that tunnel now would be foolish, violating the very caution that had kept him alive. This lead, for now, was a dead end until he was better equipped or more desperate.
He needed a different objective. He needed skills, tools, maybe combat capabilities. How to get those? Leveling up seemed the most direct route. He needed XP. Where was the best place to safely gain XP or find something potentially useful now?
He mentally reviewed his map again, considering the options.