Scoutmaster, I have completed my first surveying mission. I will proceed to give a full debrief.
First, I will state my make and main objective. I am a Scouting Intelligence Drone K522, 3rd generation, cyberware version 3.4. I prefer to go by SID for short. I was manufactured on the planet of Anrach, tasked to venture to all parts of the known universe. My main mission is to be sent to areas deemed dangerous for organic life to venture. Once I arrive at the target area, I will survey and transmit a report back to the Scoutmaster of the Anrachi SID program. During my creation, the scouting team installed a custom personality intelligence. My personality profile has increased parameters in curiosity, resourcefulness, and tenacity. The scouting team agreed on this as the best intelligence profile for my mission. With all that out of the way, I'll give my full report and it won't be so formal, I think it works better that way!
I start my journey by being shot into Catovaz's orbit from our scout satellites. During this time of the orbital cycle, Black Palace patrols are lighter. It also helps that we chose a landing coordinate that didn't have much coverage. The drop speed was breakneck, almost instantaneous, I'm kind of glad my systems weren't fully on yet! I landed on the coast of the frozen shores, the closest body of water to my target destination, Cato's Cave.
All my systems quickly went online when I was in the water. Good thing I can resist extreme temperatures. Any organic would've died already. I calibrated my navigation tools and turned on my back rotor. My back area has a whole bunch of tools to help with my missions. The rotor engine is powerful yet quiet, a perfect solution for navigating the waters. As I made my way to the shore I monitored the currents, they were still which is usual for Catovaz oceans. The scanners I use don't just look at currents, I also do a sonar pulse to detect any objects or life as I approach the shore. No signs of anything, and the shore becomes closer. Right before I broke the surface, I got a ping, something was down there. Signals of this ping started to change, whatever it was, it was moving. I had no idea what that could even be, but it was not my mission, so I got out of the water and made my first steps on the icy land of Catovaz.
Cato's Cave was not far from the shore. Only thing is, there is a huge mountain gathering right in the way of my main scouting path. After an overview of my route estimates, the best way to the cave is to trek over the mountains. What a great first day, climbing frozen mountains. I wish I was shot closer to my target, but here I am and I need to move. As I move forward to the base of the mountain, my leg and arm units begin to transform. My limbs adapted to the task at hand, now sporting claws at each end with a grip strength at maximum power. If I were to fall, I'm pretty sure I can take the whole mountain with me! After a few hours of high-powered climbing, I made my way over the other side. A few giant slabs of ice crashed into me as I climbed. Thankfully, my climbing claws proved their strength. I didn't budge as I challenged the mountain's peak!
With the icy mountains now behind me, Cato's Cave was near. I see the cave formation becoming more clear as I get closer. It is nothing short of magnificent. Towers of ice spread out from the cave, cutting into the icy sky. The ice formation surrounding the cave was so beautiful, it looked as if it had been crafted by hand. As I entered the cave, I thought about its history. It was seen as a place of reverence, however, no native populations have ever lived here. Going deeper into the cave, a rush of sub-freezing air currents shocked my system. Ah, it's starting to make sense, the cave is so cold even the strongest ice warriors couldn't last in here very long! My internal temperature system is on a higher setting now, counteracting the bursts of chilling air.
Sunlight coming from the entrance had vanished as I moved ahead. The ice walls of the cave have a special reflective quality, they seem to illuminate the path by reflecting the daylight from the inside, fascinating. It's so clearly lit I didn't need to turn on my view lights. Paths started to expand, and other tunnel entrances appeared. Even though no inhabitants are living here, I have a strong feeling others have visited this place. I reached a point where there were multiple paths to choose. Using my scanner, I found a tunnel that reached deeper than the other ones, that's my route now. I placed a signal beacon into the icy ground before me, using this beacon as a marker to prevent getting lost. Even though I felt prepared for my task, nothing prepared me for what I found before me.
Is this what fear is? I could barely think right as I saw a figure in front of me in the deep freezing tunnel. How is this possible? The figure noticed my presence quickly and was approaching. Do I flee? Can I defend myself? Will a mining drill be enough firepower to stop this assailer? Pulsing glows started to emit from the figure's eyes. Spear energy! I scanned the figure as quickly as I could to get more data. Amazing, it's a native Ice Warrior. Panting can be heard now as the warrior closed in on me, looking tired and sweating. I thought communication could help me learn more. As I started to speak, a flash of light and rushing ice engulfed me. My body is still, and internal temperatures dropping quickly. The Ice Warrior froze me completely solid...
While frozen, my visual hardware was still working. I was able to see my attacker look around me, looking curious about what I was. Shortly, the Ice Warrior left to another tunnel, leaving me in my icy prison. My internal heating is now at maximum output, trying to melt the ice. This might take a while.
SID'S JOURNEYS WILL CONTINUE.
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