I approached the gutter nest altar where the floating AI organ hovered, the AI organ was Suspended by veinglass cords and nerve-strands, its surface covered in dozens of blinking eyes, each one glowing softly in different spectral hues.
The altars control panel surface was cool beneath my fingertips. I could feel the familiar hum of Aegis Node 7, a presence as old as the Vein itself. The node pulsed above me, its eyes now focused with a singular purpose.
"Claimant recognized. Initiating Forge Protocol: The Hand." The voice, cold and genderless, resonated directly in my mind.
A holographic schematic of The Hand shimmered into existence above the altar, its intricate, powerful form detailed down to the finest muscle fiber. A section of the diagram glowed, highlighting the first component: the Marrow-Flesh Weave.
"First, the refinement," Aegis instructed. "The material is too impure in its raw state. It must be steeped and purified in the vein-fed vat. Place the weave within the chemical vat and await the infusion."
I turned to a large, pulsing chamber in the corner of the forge. Its surface glowed with a soft, bioluminescent light. I carefully placed the slab of folded marrow-flesh weave inside. It landed with a soft, wet thud.
"Now, the purifying formula." The Aegis Node projected a complex series of glyphs onto the vats surface, a language of pure chemical composition that Herja within me instinctively understood. With a soft click, a series of bone-piped taps hissed open, and a viscous, bioluminescent fluid began to drip into the vat, the weave material hissed.
The fluid was a solution drawn from the heart of the Vein itself, a concoction designed to dissolve and strip away all impurities from the marrow-flesh weave. It bubbled and hissed, the concoction working its magic. The raw weave began to break down, its cellular structure dissolving into a thick, pulsing liquid. When the process was complete, the crucible held a viscous, shimmering fluid of purified cellular-reactive material.
Felicity picked up one of the crimson blood-bulbs. It pulsed with a deep, liquid light. She held it over the chemical vat, and a single, tiny, sad figure, Crybaby-Felicity, floated over it. The chibi let out a series of heart-wrenching sobs, and a stream of glittering, luminescent tears fell from its eyes. The tears hit the vats surface, and with a quiet fizzle, the shimmering fluid inside began to churn.
"Purification complete," Aegis announced. I nodded, turning my attention from the bubbling chemical vat to the pile of bio-mechanical scraps we had harvested. These jagged plates and gears were the skeletal framework of the Gigas we had slain, too brittle in their current state.
"Okay," Felicity said, stepping up to the pile. "This part's all me."
Her two other chibis popped into existence on her shoulders, zipping and zapping with their signature flair. Feral-Felicity flipped a tiny bird at a particularly large gear. Rage-Felicity threw a furious punch at a rusted plate, a comical gesture that nonetheless caused a shower of reddish dust to fall away.
Aegis Node 7 projected a new set of schematics, outlining the process. "Material purification requires high thermal energy, Initiate catalytic infusion."
Felicity then looked at the pile of scraps, her face a mask of focus. "Now for the fun part."
She began to channel her new power, her hands glowing with a soft, purplish light. She didn't touch the scraps, but the chibis swarmed them. Rage-Felicity began to throw furious punches at the plates, while Feral-Felicity howled and tore at them with tiny, enraged claws. The scraps shuddered and began to glow, the rust and impurities visibly burning away. As the purified metal was exposed, Felicity used her new telekinetic power to lift the pieces, guiding them with a gesture of her hand into the crucible.
The crucible roared to life, the cleansed metal melting into a shimmering, silver-white alloy. The surface of the molten metal was now completely clean, a testament to the power of Felicity's catalyst and the surprisingly effective chaos of her chibis.
The Hand now had its foundation.
I watched Felicity's progress with a smile, a silent acknowledgment of her skill. The crucible now held a shimmering pile of mailable purified alloy, a testament to her mastery. I then turned my attention to the final component; the last material needed before construction could begin: the three blood-bulbs.
They pulsed on the altar, a faint, rhythmic heartbeat echoing in the forge. They held a raw, unrefined life force, a wild power that needed to be tamed.
Aegis Node 7's voice resonated in my mind. "The final ritual. The blood-bulbs contain untamed energy. It must be drawn out and stabilized into a solid form. Use your Orgone palm suckers. The process is a transmutation. It is dangerous, but only the core's unique capacity can achieve it."
I approached the altar, placing a hand on one of the pulsing blood-bulbs. The moment I made contact, I felt its power surge against my skin, raw and screaming. I braced myself and activated Herja's Orgone palm suckers.
The bulbs fought back. The veins on their surface throbbed as the energy was pulled from them, a high-pitched psychic wail that echoed only in my mind. I gritted my teeth, biting down on the fang guard, pulling with all of Herjas might, focusing the power of Herja to not just drain, but to transmute. The Orgone, once drawn, didn't stay liquid. It condensed, solidified.
With a final, terrible shudder, the first blood-bulb collapsed into a shriveled, empty husk. But in my hand was a solid, glowing, crimson orgone gem. It was hard as diamond, perfect, and pulsed with a contained, silent power. I repeated the process with the other two bulbs, each one a fight, until I held three perfect, crimson orgone gems in my palms.
I turned from the solidified orgone gems, a look of grim satisfaction on my face. I moved to the center of the forge, where the Giga Core rested on a separate ritual altar, still humming faintly. Its faint red glow seemed to pulse with a silent, waiting sentience. This wasn't a material to be processed; it was a consciousness to be claimed.
Aegis Node 7's voice resonated in my mind, clear and precise. "Initiating Psychic Imprint protocol. Place your hands on the core. Channel a filament of your Intent energy. Bind its will to your own."
I knelt before the altar, my gaze steady. I placed both palms on the cool surface of the core. As I did so, I closed my eyes and pushed all thoughts from my mind, entering a meditative state. I concentrated and circulated my will through my naval, heart and brain. I didn't just feel the core's energy; I felt its lingering purpose, the echo of its past as a guardian. It was a blank slate, waiting for a new master.
I focused inward, drawing on the immense power within Herja. I didn't force the energy out in a violent surge like a plasma burst. Instead, I channeled it gently, a single, thin filament of my own will extending from my body and into the core. Herja's presence was a calm, steady anchor in my mind, guiding the process with an instinctual knowledge of dominance and control.
As the filament connected, the core's faint hum changed, a new, harmonious frequency resonating through the forge. I could feel a new powerful psychic link form, a psychic tether binding the core to my very own consciousness. I felt its raw power, its loyalty, its future purpose. The Giga Beast's mind had died, but now a new, powerful mind was being born—one that would be forever loyal to me.
The core's red glow deepened to a vibrant crimson, pulsing in sync with my own heartbeat. The imprinting was complete. The brain and heart of The Hand was ready.
As the psychic link between myself and the Giga Core stabilized, Aegis Node 7 sprang to life. While I handled the delicate, organic side of the imprint, the forge's AI began its cold, mechanical work.
A network of spectral lines, a luminous digital web, sprang from the Aegis Node and wrapped around the core. Aegis was pulling the data, sifting through the layers of the beast's ruined mind. I felt it all through our shared connection: fragmented combat routines, memories of ancient patrols, and a primal, instinctual program to guard the temple at all costs. These were the beast's old protocols, and they were useless.
Aegis worked with ruthless efficiency, its presence in my mind like a scalpel. It wasn't a living thing; it was a program, and it began to "scrub" the old data. Corrupted files were deleted, fragmented memories were purged, and the Giga Beast's purpose was erased in a silent, methodical cleansing.
As the old data was scrubbed, Aegis uploaded the new schematics for The Hand. I felt a new consciousness being imprinted on the core, not a wild, animalistic one, but a focused, digital purpose. I felt the blueprints for a new kind of power—a guard designed to patrol the Gutter Nest, with a new set of protocols to ensure loyalty and a single-minded purpose.
The crimson glow of the core pulsed rhythmically, a new life force contained within its crystalline shell. The data transfer was complete. The brain and the purpose of The Hand were now one.
All the materials were prepared. The molten marrow-flesh weave pulsed in the crucible, the crimson orgone gems shimmered on the altar, and the newly imprinted core hummed with purpose. The time for construction had come.
Felicity stepped forward placing a hand on the cool, hard surface of the living anvil. The anvil was a massive, bone-like formation that pulsed with a slow, steady rhythm, an extension of the Vein's own biologicals. Aegis Node 7's schematics for the Hand's skeletal frame shimmered in the air above it, an intricate blueprint of interwoven bone and re-smelted alloy.
I moved to a nearby console, my fingers dancing across the glyphs to regulate the anvil's internal temperature and pressure. "Go on, Felicity," I said, my eyes fixed on the data stream. "Aegis is ready."
Felicity looked at the gleaming pool of re-smelted alloy.
Felicity reached out telekinetically and pulled the liquid metal toward the anvil. It flowed like mercury, a stream of purified metal drawn by her sheer force of will. As it met the anvil's surface, the metal began to cool and take shape, not as a random blob, but as an articulated hand with opposable joints and digits. The shaping of the alloy was being performed by Aegis 7, physically guiding the alloy through sonic frequencies.
The alloy molded to a perfect blend of natural form and technical precision. Aegis 7 was not just a forger; it was a sculptor, an artisan of living metal and circuitry. Aegis shaped one finger, then another, I watched the skeletal structure of The Hand grow, a perfect blend of efficiency and terrifying power. The process was slow, painstaking, and utterly mesmerizing. The living anvil pulsed with our combined wills, humming in perfect harmony as the new skeleton was born.
With the skeletal frame complete, its intricate, metallic form pulsed on the living anvil. The time for muscle and skin had arrived. Felicity stepped forward, her hands glowing with a soft, purple light. She was no longer just the tactical genius; she was a wielder of force, a weaver of biological matter.
Aegis Node 7's voice instructed, "The marrow-flesh weave is prepared. Initiate the weaving process."
Felicity turned her attention to the chemical vat. With a graceful, commanding gesture of her hand, she lifted a tendril of the silvery liquid. The marrow-flesh weave, prepared in the previous step, hovered in the air before her, shimmering like a living ribbon. With another motion, she guided the liquid, drawing it towards the skeletal frame.
The liquid didn't just coat the frame; it moved with a purpose, a conscious stream of liquid muscle. Aegis 7 guided the process as it flowed into the crevices, wrapped around the joints, and grew, swelling into powerful musculature. The Aegis 7 node began to hum in concentration as the A.I meticulously guided every strand, every fiber, ensuring it was a perfect blend of power and defense.
The chibis zipped around Felicity, a chaotic entourage mirroring her intense focus as she poured.
The weave physically knit itself into the alloy skeleton, growing and expanding to form the powerful musculature and armored skin of The Hand. The final form was terrifyingly beautiful—a colossal, muscled hand plated in a thick, bio-steel hide. It was no longer just a skeleton; it was a dormant titan, waiting to be awakened.
With the skeletal frame and musculature of The Hand complete, the massive hand lay dormant on the living anvil, a lifeless monument to their crafting. Now came the final, most critical stage: awakening the guardian.
Felicity, her face a mask of intense focus, took her place at a complex array of consoles. "The vessel's ready," she stated, her voice tight with anticipation. "Aegis is monitoring all vitals."
I stepped forward, three glowing Orgone gem held firmly in my hands. The gems pulsed with a deep crimson light, a contained heartbeat waiting to be released. With my tail I held the imprinted Giga Core, its purpose already bound to my will. This was the final act of creation.
I carefully lowered the Giga Core into the designated cavity in the chest of the newly forged body, along with the three glowing gems. It all slid into place with a soft, resonant click, the two parts of the vessel uniting.
With a nod from Felicity, a series of bio-pipes hissed to life, pumping a supply of liquid orgone into the vessels of the Hand. The crimson fluid surged through its body, acting as a life-giving force, igniting the core and bringing a soft, warm glow to the musculature. The Hand was now a living, breathing vessel, but it was still just a puppet. It needed its master.
I placed my palm on the Hand's top knuckle, closing my eyes. I drew on the deepest reserves of my own being, channeling a final wave of true Intent into the vessel. It was an act of complete trust and dominance, a transfer of myself and Herja into the Hand's being. The full psychic bond was completed, binding us forever.
A low hum of power radiated from The Hand as its immense form shuddered. Its fingers twitched, and the wrist lifted from the anvil. For a moment, it was completely still, and then, a line from a forgotten movie surfaced in my mind. A surge of triumphant adrenaline shot through me. "It's... it's ALIVE!"
Across from me, Felicity giggled, her eyes sparkling. "Ash, you dork!" Her laughter was unburdened joy. I ran to her, sweeping her up in my arms and spinning her in a circle, our combined laughter echoing in the now-living forge. Our base was no longer just a workshop; it was a place of birth.
As The Hand rose, a low hum of power radiated from its form, me and Felicity exchanged a look of pure, unadulterated triumph. It was alive, and it was ours. The Hand's fingers—each one as large as a tree trunk—flexed once, and it turned its armored form to face its creators. It knelt, a silent, powerful gesture of fealty.
My grin widened. "Looks like it wants to say hello," I said, winking at Felicity. "How 'bout a test drive babe?"
Felicity laughed, a sound of unburdened joy echoing through the cavern. "I thought you'd never ask."
We mounted atop the Hand, the bio-steel skin surprisingly warm and smooth beneath our rumps. The Hand moved with an impossible grace, a silent leap that sent it soaring from the forge floor and into the upper reaches of the Gutter Nest! The wind roared past our ears as we rocketed through the Vein's massive arteries, a blur of motion and power. The Gutter Nest's new guardian was unleashed, a protector forged of flesh and steel, and it was ready to prove its worth.
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