Hidden behind the rusted metal drum Xen stayed perfectly still.
Observing the phenomenon before him. The initial shock of seeing the System's "Portal Signature" warning manifest as a tangible distortion in reality gave way to intense, cautious curiosity.This shimmering patch of unstable air, humming with dissonant static, was fundamentally different from anything else he had encountered.
Cybertronian technology, even the ancient crusher or the Precursor assembly, felt comprehensible on some level – machines built with purpose, following laws of physics he vaguely understood. This felt… wrong. Alien. Like a wound in the world.
He watched the small, dark object that had fallen from the rift. It lay inert on the scrap, steaming faintly, roughly the size of his own head.
His Lvl 2 scan had identified it as an organic/crystalline hybrid, emitting low-level mutagenic radiation, possibly dormant. The radiation warning alone was enough to curb any instinct to rush out and grab it. What would "mutagenic" even mean for a Cybertronian body? Would it twist his metal? Corrupt his systems? Introduce biological elements?
He shuddered internally, a purely simulated reflex. Absolutely not worth the risk, especially when he wasn't desperate.
He focused back on the rift itself. It remained a subtle shimmer, yet the low hum persisted, and his passive sensors still registered the exotic particle field. Was it stable now? Or just waiting? Could something else come through?
It was then he felt it – or rather, sensed it internally. A faint, almost undetectable resonance deep within his chest cavity, where his Spark resided. It wasn't painful, just a subtle sympathetic vibration, a harmonic echo aligning momentarily with the dissonant hum of the rift.
Immediately, a new System notification flashed, colored a cautionary amber.
His core was reacting to the rift. Those Stargate parts, the "Spatial Harmonics" his scan couldn't decipher . . . . they were resonating with this tear in reality.
This wasn't just an external phenomenon anymore; it was somehow connected to him. The dying Transformer hadn't just given him life; it had apparently saddled him with components sensitive to the very dimensional weirdness plaguing this world.
Did that make him more vulnerable? Or potentially capable of interacting with it in ways others couldn't? More unknowns. Too many unknowns.
The System's renewed warning, coupled with the internal resonance, solidified his decision. He needed distance. Now. Engaging with unstable, radioactive alien objects spitting out of dimension-warping energy fields while his own core was acting weirdly was several levels of danger beyond his current pay grade.
He needed more information, though. One more scan, focused solely on the rift itself, trying to gauge its immediate threat level.
Scan target: Spatial Rift.
The scan pulse seemed to ripple oddly as it interacted with the distortion. The results were stark:
Stolen novel; please report.
[Scan Analysis: Unstable Spatial Rift - Classified as Type-Gamma Portal Anomaly] [Energy Fluctuations Increasing - Moderate Instability Detected] [WARNING: High probability of Secondary Emergence Event or Rift Collapse within next operational cycle (estimated < 1 hour)] [Recommendation: Evacuate Immediate Vicinity (Min. Safe Distance: 50 Meters)]
Okay. That settled it. Not only was it unstable, but it was likely to do something else – spit out another object, maybe something alive this time, or collapse entirely – relatively soon. "Type-Gamma Portal Anomaly" meant nothing to him yet, but the warning was clear.
Time to leave. Not just retreat, but evacuate.
Xen carefully, silently backed away from the rusted drum, putting it between himself and the rift. He didn't turn his back on it, his optics remaining locked on the shimmering distortion as he retreated step by careful step.
He skirted the area widely, giving the fallen object a berth of at least twenty meters, his internal radiation sensor showing only baseline levels once he was clear.
He moved with purpose now, not quite dashing, but not lingering.
He needed a new safe spot, somewhere well away from this anomaly, preferably somewhere defensible, where he could finally access the Energon stored in his inventory and properly assess his situation without worrying about imminent spatial collapse or radioactive space-rocks.
The severed pipe section felt too temporary now, and potentially too close if the rift expanded or collapsed violently.
His original crevice near the dead giant Transformer felt safer, more familiar, and crucially, contained the other artifact fragment he wanted to re-examine eventually. It was further away, but the journey felt necessary.
The retreat took time, nearly fifteen minutes of careful navigation through unfamiliar sections of the scrap heap as he angled back towards his starting area.
He kept monitoring his passive sensors; the exotic particle signature of the rift faded slowly behind him until it vanished from detectable range. He used his scanner twice more during the retreat to check unfamiliar pathways for stability and hazards, the cost barely denting his now-full energy reserves.
Finally, familiar landmarks came into view – the specific configuration of junk piles, the looming silhouette of the dead giant Transformer slumped in the distance.
He located the narrow entrance to his original crevice, hidden between the massive engine block and the bent hull plating. A quick scan confirmed the interior was still clear and stable.
With a sigh of profound relief, Xen slipped back into the familiar confines of his first shelter. He moved immediately to the back, near where he'd hidden the Power Regulator fragment. The System instantly registered the location's security.
Safe. Secure. Away from unstable portals and radioactive debris. And most importantly, he had fuel.
He accessed his inventory mentally. The small grid appeared in his vision, showing the five pulsing icons of the Medium-Grade Energon Crystals. Retrieve one Energon Crystal.
The icon vanished from the grid, and the cool, solid crystal materialized in his waiting palm with a faint shimmer. It pulsed with gentle blue light, promising pure, stable energy.
Holding the crystal, Xen leaned back against the wall, the ordeal of the last hour catching up with him. He had leveled up, refilled his energy, gained attribute and skill points, discovered Precursor tech, and had his first terrifying encounter with the portal phenomenon that was apparently linked to his own core. It was a lot to process.
But first, energy. He needed to properly absorb this fuel, get his reserves back up, and then figure out what came next. He pressed the crystal firmly against the intake port on his palm, ready for the revitalizing flow.