Chap. 13 - Intruder

Icarus experienced a strange feeling of satisfaction, something to which he was not very used. Wag Too had done a good job, and that would have allowed him to smile a little, if he had a mouth, that is. Still, he held his ground, holding the rope tight until the lurmen climbed up it again. Back on the main floor, Wag Too was carrying his tools, but they had pieces that seemed to have been used. He was somewhat exhausted and covered in fluids and oils, and the thick coat he was wearing was beginning to suffocate him as the heater warmed up the place.

Wag Too: - The power cells are at 50% capacity. As if they had simply suffered an emergency shutdown. - He said as he gave the droid the lightsaber and took off his thick coat.

Icarus: - That's it strange. -

Wag Too: - Now that you mention it... You're right... I mean... Look at all this. It seems to be in good condition. Why would someone just leave this place? -

Icarus: - I don't know the answer. But there must be more information on the computers. -

Wag Too: - On the side of the generator secondary there was a terminal. Maybe you can find something there. -

Both went to the place, and just like the lurmen, a terminal in perfect condition was operational. The droid did not hesitate to connect and start reviewing the files stored there. But the news was not very encouraging.

Icarus: - This is not good. They erased much of the information before leaving. -

Wag Too: - Much of the information? What kind of information? -

Icarus: - Of almost everything related to the purpose of this laboratory. - He said while disconnecting.

Wag Too: -Come here for nothing. -

Icarus: - Not at all. - The lurmen looked at him curiously. - I downloaded a full floor plan of the complex and there are several interesting names. The laboratory and warehouse may have something of value. And there is a freight elevator in the west wing of the facility. -

Wag Too: - Good. At least it's something. -

Ícaro: - I'll go to the laboratories. They are on the bottom floor. Look for anything that might be useful. -

Wag Too: - I'll do that. - In that, a chill invades the body of the lurmen. - But first I'm going to close the doors of the laboratory. Cold air is very annoying. -

Both went their separate ways within the facility. Icarus descended into the laboratory hoping to find any kind of useful information while Wag Too went through the huge corridor that led to the entrance of the facility. The lurmen had to put his coat back on as he approached the site, for the gusts of wind shook the place with force. He looked slightly outside, but the wind that hit his eyes did not allow him to see clearly. Still, he could make out the Kestrel Nova in the distance.

He hurried to the side of the door and flipped a switch that began to slowly close the doors. As the huge metal gate closed, the last gusts of winds blew into the facility. But when Wag Too's eyes could see clearly, something alarming was revealed to him.

Some strange footprints had been left on the snow that had managed to enter the facility. They were not shaped like Icarus's metal foot or the boots he wore. They were the footprints of a humanoid being, but its fingers ended in small claws. Judging by the pattern, the intruder was bipedal, and its tracks led into the facility. But once the metal replaced the snow, the tracks disappeared.

Wag Too hurried to find the droid. He moved slowly, looking around every corner and taking aim with his powerful rifle. He was willing to shoot first and ask questions later. As a hunter, he knew that the beasts tended to lurk around every corner, ready to ambush their prey when it was most unprepared.

The lurmen left the vast corridor and found itself in the secondary generator room, but there was no sign of the intruder. He had no idea where she might be, when a strange sound caught her attention. It came from the elevators he used to descend and restore power. He hurried to check but realized that the rope was neatly rolled to one side, just as Icarus had left it.

Wag Too peered into the hole, and could see some strange markings on the metal and walls of the elevator chamber. A little claw marks that descended to the bottom floor. There was no doubt, the intruder was looking for something, and he knew where was. He had to find Icarus, and soon.

The lurmen hurried to the freight elevator and descended to the lower level. Lacking claws, he couldn't follow the intruder down the shaft, and the wait for the elevator seemed like an eternity. When it arrived, Wag Too went inside and frantically pressed the button. The doors closed, and he had no choice but to let himself be led towards his destination. Still, fear and anxiety hit him hard.

Without waiting for the doors to open all the way, he ran towards the laboratory, not caring that the tip of the barrel of his rifle in his hands hit the metal doors. He stood in front of the lab doors and started desperately pressing the button. But to his momentary reassurance, the doors revealed the droid, undamaged and connected to the lab's computer.

The lab was a strange place. Wag Too didn't know it, but the compound was very similar to Tipoca's facility on Kamino. Similar to clone installations. There were half a dozen huge glass cylinders connected to various machines, but they were completely empty and covered in a thin layer of dust. There was also several high-powered computers, and a strange little assembly plant.

Icarus: - Oh. wag too. - He said when he noticed his presence, but without noticing the agitation that he had. - Is awesome. Don't you think?... This is where they assembled me. - He said while pointing towards the machinery that still had two pieces of a super-droid model tactical to one of the sides.

Wag Too: - Icarus. - He said in an agitated voice, calling the attention of the droid. - No time for that. We have an intruder. -

The droid gave him a strange look, and quickly logged out of the computer and clutched the lightsaber in hand. He hadn't expected this to happen, and he regretted not taking a firearm from the Kestrel Nova's hold. And without thinking twice, he withdrew behind the lurmen.

Icarus: - What is happening? -

Wag Too: - I don't know. I found footprints at the facility entrance, and claw marks on the elevator bed.it is down here somewhere. -

Icarus did not doubt his partner, but he was extremely worried.

Wag Too: - Is something wrong? -

Icarus: - Records say that Nelvaan was once the home of the Nelvaanians. A lupine humanoid race. But a genetic mutation caused the breed to become extinct a few years before the end of the war. If one of them is left alive, I don't want to imagine what kind of monstrosity it will be. -

Icarus's words left Wag Too very worried. He didn't know that species, much less could he imagine a creature that Icarus could classify as "monstrosity", but if he did, that would be a very difficult battle. The pair kept moving forward until something caught the eye of the lurmen.

On one side was a huge metal door about three meters high and four meters wide, and on the control panel of the door, there were small claw marks. As if the intruder had desperately tried to enter the place. There was no one around, so they assumed he was already inside, and a not very encouraging sign hung on the side of the room.huge door: "Containment room."

Without giving time to questions, Icarus picks up the lightsaber and ignites it, catching Wag Too by surprise, who reaches for his rifle immediately after. They both looked at each other and nodded without saying a word. The lurmen moved to the control panel and hit a button. The huge door began to open slowly, giving Wag Too just enough time to raise his rifle and aim inside.

Icarus: - Turn on the lights. -

The lurmen pushed a couple of buttons, but nothing happened. The room was very dark, and the light coming from the outside barely illuminated a few meters. However, there was no trace of the intruder.

Icarus: - Wait here. - He told her without taking his eyes off the interior.

The lurmen stepped back and knelt, pointing his rifle straight ahead ready to fire at the first signal of dangerous. The droid brought the saber to the front, trying to illuminate the area in front of him as he slowly advanced. His thermal sensor wasn't working, it must have been damaged in Mygeeto, so he couldn't detect if any living thing was inside the place. But something strange seemed to be affecting his systems.

Icarus was able to see a "nebula", so to speak, that seemed to lazily levitate in the room. Judging by the lurmen's nonchalant expression, he guessed that it was an error with his upper optical sensor, which was now beginning to fail. However, that strange miasma did not let him be calm. It was as if a code repeated itself over and over again within its mainframe: "There's something there."