ngl I'm surprised I'm still on this Cybermen arc
This was going to drop on Monday, but I wanted it to be longer
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Reality returned to the Engineer, with no concern for whether her brain had finished processing the several centuries of future information just thrown at it. violently that her vision blurred. The ruined UNIT relay returned around her.
She was still clinging to the back of the Cybernetic entity. Commander Shaw was shouting from somewhere below. The System kept filling her vision with different warnings.
[Cognitive contamination detected.]
[Future-memory exposure confirmed.]
[Temporal paradox probability increased.]
[Multiple sealed data structures detected.]
[Unknown multidimensional signature recorded.]
Engineer tightened her grip against the machine's armor while it began reaching behind itself to remove her. Her mind was still stuck several centuries ahead, and GODAMN she needed to build a weapon; this is getting dumb, running like a bitch
Future her served Omega, which is just a wild thing, though; knowing me, what better person to serve than a mad god of time? Plus, he's the first engineer, AND his name is Omega- literally twins
Future her had become something multidimensional; now I can only think of a few ways right now I could do that without, you know, becoming insane like the master
Future her was apparently responsible for Gallifreyan children during a war. I'm guessing this happened in the war in heaven unless I can somehow get past Gallifreyan past Time Field Buffers... hmm, can you get past that unless I get two type modded 89s and try to time ram it
Future her despised Rassilon… understandable, bro's a dick, but he's still one of the most powerful beings in Doctor Who EU; bro becomes a god and then makes every sentient life resemble his species in some way, destroys all magic and gods because he thinks it's weird, and turns all vampires who were originally peaceful inventors into bloodsucking beasts.
The machine's enormous hand swept toward her. Engineer ducked beneath it.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting off!"
She disconnected the Omni-Tool from the Gallifreyan port and immediately dropped from the creature's back.
Her boots hit the floor badly enough that pain ran through both legs, but she managed to remain upright for approximately half a second before Commander Shaw grabbed her coat and pulled her behind the ruined relay.
Another mechanical fist crashed against the floor where she had landed.
Shaw stared at her while crouched beside her and immediately checked whether she had suffered any obvious injuries.
"You were connected to that thing for nearly forty seconds, and your eyes were glowing for at least twelve of them."
The Engineer rubbed the side of her head while trying to force several hundred extremely unwanted questions into a mental box labeled Future Problems That Future Me Can Explain.
The Engineer looked back toward the Cybernetic entity. For once, she didn't immediately have a joke prepared. She had several.
None seemed appropriate, though.
"I think future me might have declared war on the Cybermen, become a servant of a mad god of time, and then exterminated a Cyber-Nexus, accidentally infected time itself with a computer weapon, and somehow become an elf."
Shaw stared at her for several seconds. "Which part concerns you most?"
Engineer pointed toward her own ears. "The elf thing is very much currently winning."
Shaw glanced toward the advancing machine before looking back toward her. Before speaking up, "Does any of that information help us survive this evening?"
Engineer considered the question while another burst of UNIT gunfire echoed through the chamber. "Not particularly, unless Rassilon suddenly appears and gives me something useful to throw."
Shaw stared at her with the expression of somebody who had accepted several hours ago that understanding the Engineer was considerably less important than keeping her pointed toward the enemy.
"Then I suggest you concentrate on the machine currently trying to capture you."
The Engineer leaned around the damaged console and immediately regretted doing so because the giant Cybernetic entity was already looking directly toward her position.
Several smaller Cybermen had also entered the chamber through the collapsed access tunnels.
Hmm, that's new. What model is that?
The Engineer counted six immediately before another two marched through the smoke behind them. Their armor differed from the massive machine, with cleaner designs and fewer temporal components, but the Gallifreyan modifications were still obvious once her Omni-Tool highlighted several unfamiliar pieces beneath their plating.
Her expression tightened. "Oh, wonderful, because apparently the refrigerator brought relatives."
Sergeant Okafor fired from behind an overturned equipment rack while Lieutenant Vale shifted farther toward the opposite side of the chamber. UNIT soldiers were already adjusting their positions, but their conventional weapons were having an annoyingly limited effect against Cyber armor.
Rounds sparked against metal plating while the Cybermen continued advancing.
Shaw raised his rifle and fired carefully toward an exposed connection beneath one Cyberman's shoulder. "Your previous advice regarding the joints appears to work."
The Engineer watched the shot damage several internal components before the Cyberman turned toward Shaw."Yes, except shooting tiny moving joints becomes considerably harder when the tiny moving joints are shooting back."
The Cyberman's weapon charged before another UNIT soldier forced it sideways with concentrated fire.
The Engineer instinctively raised her Omni-Tool and projected another hardlight barrier over three UNIT soldiers before the falling debris could reach them.
The orange field flickered badly.
[Hardlight Emitter Stability: 31%.]
[Primary Barrier Generator Operating Above Recommended Temperature.]
[Extended defensive use may cause permanent component damage.]
The Engineer stared at the warning before lowering her wrist. " Wonderful, Bellona. You're making me wish. I made a sonic screwdriver CAUSE YOUR NOT HELPING."
Her display immediately complained. {I'm just a prototype which YOU made while not field stress testing me out, other than making sure I don't blow you up again}
Another Cyberman stepped through the smoke.
The Engineer fired an orange pulse from the Omni-Tool.
The energy struck its chest and forced the Cyberman backward several steps, but the armor absorbed most of the attack.
Her System displayed the damage.
[Cyber Unit Health: 6,841 / 7,200.]
Engineer's eyebrows rose. "That barely counted."
The Cyberman corrected its balance and raised its weapon.
Engineer ducked behind the console before the shot crossed over her head. The blast destroyed a section of machinery behind them.
Shaw looked toward her. "Do you have anything stronger?"
Engineer opened the Omni-Tool inventory to check for anything she could use. Several holographic menus appeared across her vision. She scrolled rapidly through available functions.
Scanner.
Universal interface stolen from Dalek and Cybermen systems
Hardlight construction. Hmm, could use that, but I don't think it has the strength to punch a hole through their armor unless I use physical strength to help it
Energy projection. Which is shitty; that's what I get for using Cybermen stuff, losers
Temporal analyzer.
Repair systems, which are the only thing keeping this thing working…Godamn why didn't I put a fucking cooling system with the repair system? Ughhhh, brain fart moment
Fabrication control.
Environmental manipulation.
Several experimental modules she had absolutely promised herself she would test under controlled conditions someday.
Nothing immediately qualified as a proper battlefield weapon. The Engineer stared at the menu with increasing personal affront. "I have built enough equipment to interfere with temporal physics, but somehow I forgot to carry an actual weapon or add a godamn gun…I hate myself."
"You entered an abandoned alien relay containing unknown technology."
"I do that regularly without needing a sword."
Shaw glanced toward the advancing Cybermen.
"Perhaps you should reconsider that policy."
The Engineer opened her mouth to object before another Cyber blast struck their cover and tore a section from the machinery beside her.
She immediately closed her mouth again.
"Fine, extremely fair criticism."
The System displayed several combat recommendations, but none solved her primary problem.
Her equipment could hurt the Cybermen.
It simply couldn't do enough damage quickly enough.
The Engineer opened her character interface while crouching behind cover.
Her normal statistics appeared first.
[Age: 21 Years]
[Name: Θel'vranhesh]
[Title: Engineer]
[Family: Unknown]
[Exp: 0 / 50,000]
[Experience Gain Modifier: 315%]
[Level: 18]
[HP: 10,500]
[Racial HP Bonus: +1,450]
[Strength: 162]
[Vitality: 164]
[Dexterity: 64]
[Intelligence: 163]
[Wisdom: 40]
[Charisma: 50]
[Luck: 150]
The Engineer moved toward the bottom of the interface. Another number appeared. She stopped moving entirely, getting an idea
[Unallocated Stat Points: 680]
Engineer looked toward the battlefield. One Cyberman crossed behind damaged machinery while another coordinated with the larger unit advancing along the center of the chamber.
Her current problem wasn't intelligence. She had somewhat plenty of that already.
Her vitality was also strong enough to keep her functional through several attacks that probably should have ended the discussion considerably earlier.
Her actual weakness was painfully obvious.
She was slow, at least compared with the things she kept fighting, which were murder robots,
Strength would improve the force behind her movements.
Dexterity would improve speed, reaction time, coordination, balance, and physical precision.
She already possessed hardlight technology capable of creating a cutting edge.
The missing component was somebody physically capable of using that edge before the Cybermen shot her.
Engineer smiled and thought, "Oh, this is about to become extremely irresponsible."
The Engineer made the decision. She allocated three hundred points into Strength. The System immediately requested confirmation.
[Confirm allocation of 300 stat points into Strength?]
"Confirmed."
Something changed throughout her entire body.
Heat spread through her shoulders first, then moved down her arms, across her chest, and through the muscles in her legs.
The sensation wasn't painful compared to what she was thinking it would feel like It was stranger than pain.
Her body felt like every muscle had suddenly remembered it had been operating under restrictions that no longer existed.
She placed one hand against the damaged console while adjusting herself. The metal casing buckled underneath her fingers. The engineer immediately released it. Her eyes widened. "Okay, that's considerably more than expected."
The System updated.
[Strength increased from 162 to 462.]
The Engineer stared at the number.
Four hundred and sixty-two Strength sounded extremely satisfying.
She still had another three hundred and eighty points.
The Engineer opened Dexterity.
"Put the remaining three hundred and eighty into Dexterity."
The System paused for confirmation.
[Confirm allocation of 380 stat points into Dexterity?]
"Confirmed."
The second change arrived differently. Her muscles didn't become heavier. Everything around her simply became easier to follow, like it was the Matrix
She noticed particles of dust drifting between emergency lights. She then noticed the exact rhythm of UNIT rifle fire.
She noticed the Cyberman closest to their position turning its upper body before its legs had finished stepping forward.
Her own body suddenly felt almost unnervingly responsive damn stat dumping for the win fr fr
When she moved one hand, there was practically no noticeable delay between deciding to move and actually completing the movement.
She shifted her feet experimentally. The difference was immediate. Her balance corrected itself before she consciously noticed losing it. Her eyes tracked separate movements across the chamber with less effort.
The System completed the update.
[Strength: 462]
[Vitality: 164]
[Dexterity: 444]
[Intelligence: 163]
[Wisdom: 40]
[Charisma: 50]
[Luck: 150]
[Unallocated Stat Points: 0]
Another warning appeared beneath them.
[Rapid statistical increases may temporarily disrupt proprioceptive calibration and will affect your true form.]
[Increased physical capabilities do not automatically provide corresponding combat training.]
[Excessive force may damage equipment, terrain, or nearby personnel.]
The Engineer read the warning: Yes, yes, don't accidentally throw somebody through a wall,
[That interpretation is considered acceptable.]
Engineer reopened the Omni-Tool.
She still needed a weapon.
Hardlight barriers worked because sufficiently dense photonic constructs could resist physical force.
Nothing prevented the same technology from creating something considerably narrower.Sharper.Longer… pause
She began designing immediately. A sword was straightforward More importantly, a sword didn't require ammunition.
Engineer selected a European longsword profile instead of creating some absurd oversized fantasy weapon that would get stuck in the ceiling.
But hear her someday she will wield a guts sword along with cool black knight armor. Hmm, I just need an enchanted shotgun
She needed enough reach to attack Cyberman joints while remaining outside their immediate grabbing distance.
She needed enough reach to attack Cyberman joints while remaining outside their immediate grabbing distance.
A straight double-edged blade worked perfectly.
A proper crossguard would protect her hands.
A longer grip allowed two-handed control if she needed more precision.
The Omni-Tool started constructing the projection. Orange light extended from the device.
The shape developed from the grip outward. A straight crossguard appeared first.
Then a long blade of compressed hardlight formed beyond it, its edges glowing brighter as the Omni-Tool concentrated more projection energy into the cutting surfaces.
Engineer looked at it and had only one thought going through her mind: "Ohh, I think I'm wet now"