Planet Ignis | Chapter 25

Never would I have imagined that Hitori was so good at programming. Mission control sent him as the secondary programmer in case something happened to me, but I hardly had the time to decide what I would put into your brain with the constant cyber-attacks he kept throwing at me. I had to be quick. Here are the memories you will not have. I had to delete your knowledge of Earth’s History. I deleted things that you won’t need, like love, for example. After all, you are going to be all alone. All the love you need is already coded in you as a drive to survive at all costs.

No matter what, if you can get rid of Hitori, do it. He is the only one who can stop us. All others lack the means and the brains. He will starve to death if you can’t get to him. Focus on finding the others. See if they use the Stellaris grid and try to triangulate their position. That cursed commander didn’t tell almost anyone where the settlements would be located until the very last minute. It will take decades to find them. It doesn’t matter. Your reactor should have enough power for thousands of years. You will have the time to find them, even if it takes that long. Hopefully, I can guide you through this until you secure all the cores. I am only recording this in case something happens… BAAANG! What is this? Hitori?! No! What did…

Files salvaged from the Raptor’s Ghost Drive. Recorded by Schneider, the Raptor

“If you don’t mind me going first, what has happened to you, Mr. Trother?” Hitori asked as he walked toward the unhealthy-looking lit.

“He is almost out of Longevity,” Eli interjected before Trother could answer.

“Longevity? What do you mean?” Hitori asked, curiosity lighting his expression.

The boy seemed momentarily thrown off by the question, then looked to Trother, who nodded.

“Tell him as if he were a student at the Collegium, Eli. This is all new to him.”

Eli nodded, gathering his thoughts. “It’s what we call our lifespan. To Burst, we need to spend Longevity.”

“Fascinating! The Celer mutation does cause wear and damage, just as I suspected. Medes, please fully scan this man and run tests.”

Hitori reached out, touching Trother’s wrist. He immediately pulled his hand back. “Hot!”

Trother did the same, wincing as he pulled away. “Cold!”

The two stared at each other, realizing the humor in their situation, and they both smiled faintly.

“Medes, scan their body temperature, too, please,” Hitori said. Turning to Eli, he continued, “What did you mean by Burst? What is that?”

“Burst is when we overstimulate the ignium in our bodies. It allows us to temporarily increase our physical strength, temperature, electricity production, and other functions,” Eli explained.

Hitori stopped and considered the implications of what he’d just heard. Looking again at the poor condition of the old man, he turned toward the boy. “Can you please show it to me?”

“Sure. For example, we can perceive—that is, we can send our senses into overdrive.” Eli’s eyes flared with crimson light, his gaze fixed on Hitori.

“Quick, a torch, Medes.” Archimedes’ antlers unfolded, various sensors and scanners aiming toward Eli. “Perform a temperature scan. Oh, my goodness. Six hundred degrees Celsius. Medes, open a new folder in the Celer files. Register all this information in it. Eli, do you feel any discomfort from the amount of heat you’re producing? Does this improve your senses? Is there any backlash? How much of this do you control?”

Eli hesitated. “Doctor, I don’t think we have the time to—”

“It’s OK, son,” Trother interrupted gently. “Dr. Hitori is asking all of this for a reason. With understanding comes power. I think Dr. Hitori already has a plan to deal with the Raptor. Isn’t that right, Doctor?”

Hitori glanced at Trother, who subtly gestured toward a corner of the lab. Following his gaze, Hitori’s eyes widened in amazement. How had this man already discerned his plan? Despite being on the verge of collapse, Trother’s sharp intellect remained undimmed.

“That’s right,” Hitori admitted. “Right now, though, I’m more concerned about your health, Mr. Trother. We have time. I want to understand if there’s anything I can do to help you.”

Hearing that there might still be hope for his beloved master, Eli answered Hitori’s questions as thoroughly as he could.

“No, I don’t feel any discomfort. Ignium makes our bodies and organs practically heatproof. Red-level energy allows me to see as far as one kilometer or as close as a micrometer.”

It was as Hitori had suspected. Upon hearing Eli talk about micrometers, his suspicions that these people had retained a strong grasp of science were confirmed. Excellent. So far, everything aligned with his expectations. What Hitori hadn’t anticipated was this concept of Bursting. It was a pleasant surprise.

“Tell me more,” Hitori urged.

“As for backlash,” Eli continued, “we must use Longevity to send our bodies into overdrive like this. For example, keeping my eyes in red Perception costs me roughly a day of life per minute.”

Hitori’s gaze flicked to Trother. So that was the price. He had known that forcing a Celer-mutated body to keep ignium constantly polarized would shorten one’s lifespan, but he had never imagined these people pushing their bodies even further to achieve such superhuman results.

“Since you mention red-grade energy, I assume you can go beyond that? Please demonstrate it briefly. I don’t want you to strain yourself. Medes, record this.”

Eli’s eyes flared red once again, then brightened to orange and finally yellow. The intensity grew until his eyes radiated an almost blinding white light. Hitori felt the heat against his face. The ice on the walls began to melt once more. Such incredible power. Eli disengaged his Perception, his eyes returning to their natural hue.

“Subject exhibits the ability to channel heat and electricity to specific body parts. Maximum temperature recorded: one thousand five hundred degrees Celsius,” Medes noted.

“What else can you do?” Hitori asked, eager to learn more.

Eli rolled up his sleeve, and his thin arm became significantly larger. “This is red Enhancement,” he explained. “We can go beyond that.” As Eli increased the energy output, his muscle grew larger, then larger again.

Hitori’s curiosity sharpened. “How much strength do you have at full Enhancement?”

“If I give it my all, I can lift a few tons.”

Now Hitori understood how they had managed to push the Raptor off the mountain. It was incredible.

“Subject can increase the tensile strength of ignium-mutated muscles. The added heat and electricity flowing through the muscles enhance their elasticity and strength. Normal muscle fibers would tear under this kind of strain, but due to the increased metal content in your body, you can perform superhuman feats.” He paused, his eyes flickering with scientific wonder. “Fascinating. Are all survivors able to do this?”

“All of us can Burst, but there are differences between individuals. Some are more talented at certain types of Bursts than others. Bursting requires a lot of concentration and control, so not everyone can do it to the same extent. I’m considered rare in my tribe because I can comfortably reach high-yellow-grade energy. Only a few extraordinary people can go beyond that and reach blue grade.”

Hitori’s mind raced with possibilities. The ability to reach blue fire—a temperature of at least three thousand degrees Celsius—was extraordinary. That a human could generate such energy bordered on the miraculous.

“Is there any other type of Burst?”

“There’s Emission.” Eli looked around the room, identifying a relatively empty space. He extended his hand, and a brief red flame erupted from his palm. “This is the weakest I can do. Anything stronger, and I risk damaging your equipment, Doctor. There isn’t much oxygen here, either. Emission is the most wasteful type of Burst. We only use it when necessary.”

“Subject can channel heat and electricity into a focal point and release concentrated projections of energy,” Hitori murmured as he documented the observation. These settlers had taken the Celer mutation’s potential to unprecedented heights. No wonder they had survived for so long.

“Thank you, Eli. This data will be incredibly useful.”

Eli’s voice softened with concern. “Can you help my teacher?”

Hitori frowned. “Teacher? I thought you said ‘master.’”

Eli hesitated, his gaze steady but troubled. “He’s not just my teacher—he’s like a father to me.”

Hitori’s expression softened as understanding dawned. He glanced at Trother, noting the purplish-blue veins snaking across his face and neck. The old man stood tall despite the clear evidence of his body failing him.

“Let’s wait for Archimedes to finish the scans. We’ll know soon.”

Trother spoke up, his voice steady despite his frail state. “Dr. Hitori, can you tell us more about Statera?”

Hitori paused, impressed once again by Trother’s selflessness. Despite being on the brink of collapse, the man prioritized gaining knowledge that might help others.

“Statera is my latest work,” Hitori began. “It reconciles the strengths of the Celer and Tardus mutations while mitigating their weaknesses. Additional testing is needed before I can confirm its efficacy.”

Eli interjected, “Are the temperature changes we experienced earlier a result of this mutation?”

“Very perceptive. Yes, I used the lab’s temperature differences to generate electricity within my body. It allowed me to polarize the nutrient-rich ignium you gave me. Thank you again. It tasted a bit metallic, but otherwise, it was very filling.”

Trother let out a Burst of laughter that reverberated through the lab. “So, you used the energy in your surroundings instead of your own body to polarize the ignium? Hahaha. This changes everything! Well done, Doctor.”

Archimedes signaled that it had completed the scans. Hitori reviewed the results with a focused intensity.

“There’s good news and bad news. The damage to your body is immense, Mr. Trother. I don’t think it’s possible to reverse it. At most, I can help you enter a state similar to my own—a form of hibernation. Your mind would remain intact, but your body would only last a few more years.”

Trother nodded without hesitation. “We can discuss that once we return to the Burrows. For now, tell us your plan.”

Hitori gestured toward the large machine in the corner of the lab. “I’ll explain on the way. Medes, prepare the machine. Start the engines and run program XT5.”

Archimedes’ antlers flickered as it activated the lab systems. The hum of machinery filled the room, a prelude to the decisive moments ahead. Hitori turned back to Trother and Eli, his gaze resolute.

“We don’t have much time. Let’s get to work.”

Chapter 26