Where the hell am i?

Hello? Hallie?

No answer huh? That’s weird. I’ve always heard that feminine monotone voice whenever i had a question in my mind for the last few days and now that there’s just silence, it feels a bit strange.

Guess I'll have to figure this one out for myself.

I see only darkness, but I don't feel asleep. It’s like there’s something preventing me from opening my eyes. And fuck, there’s a lot of pain. I remember fighting against the big bad wolf, and shooting a burst laser point blank, but then i guess i passed out? The last thing in my mind is the blinding flash of the overcharged shot.

And here I am now. What else?

Ah, right. I heard Hallie say something about a cocoon, and I'm picturing myself encased in a chitin shell about to become a flying bug. Ugh, the thought sends figurative chills down my spine. I hate bugs, so fuck every single one of them.

I don’t know how much time passed in absolute silence while I pondered about life until I heard that sweet voice again.

[Reboot complete. Starting molting phase]

Hallie! I missed you, being alone with my thoughts is scarier than that Avatar of Tindalos so don’t leave me like this again, got it?

And what the fuck is molting phase? Stop using bug-related names please!

[Acknowledged, will omit terminology commonly associated with invertebrate arthropods... AI interactions are limited during a reboot so i might be unable to comply]

Thanks. And what is that reboot stuff? I mean, i know you are a computer but why do i need to reboot?

[User utilized technomancy skills that overloaded neuronal capacity so my AI assisted during deployment. After leaving combat mode, an emergency reboot was needed to avoid permanent cerebral damage to user and to heal at an appropriate rate due to Rejuvenation skill being disabled during the process]

That's… actually quite detailed. And it looks like I owe you my life, don’t i?

[Negative. My existence is a branch of user’s life, so my actions can be seen as an extension of user’s capabilities]

Just take the damn compliment.

Well, now that we have that covered and I know that i can’t just spam those technomancy stuff mindlessly, let’s continue with the round of questions because there’s a ton of them.

What was that thing? And those other thingies?

[...]

The dogs, Hallie.

[... The hounds of Tindalos are a known mutation of quadrupedal creatures, more common on systems near the borders of Alliance territory. Exact origin, unknown. Speculations include mental control by molecular-sized biochips and mutation induced by psychic influence from another being]

Now that is somewhat ambiguous. Are all mutations the same?

[Mutations come within a wide standard, specimens found here on Nemea-05 were the basic hound mutation. Some other recorded mutation include increased mandibles size, acid spitting and poison saliva]

That’s a nasty set of options there. I’m glad this group only had the footsoldier pack. And I guess there’s a Tindalos, if they are its hounds.

[Unable to confirm. The name was provided by popular naming as there’s not an official name for the phenomena]

What? So everyone just calls them by that weird name just because everyone else does?

[Affirmative]

Ok ok. I’m getting used at things not making much sense so i have a bit of practice by now. And what about the biggie?

[...]

The Avatar, Hallie.

[...The Avatar of Mh’ithrha is considered an exotic mutation of the hounds of Tindalos phenomena, as the sightings of Avatars of Mh’ithrha are limited to locations with a sizable amount of hounds of TIndalos specimens, always functioning as a pack leader figure. It’s capabilities sometimes include dimensional phasing, something the present specimen showed during combat]

No shit. That phasing almost got me killed.

Alright, I kinda get it. And I guess that this one is also named by the people?

[Negative. Avatars of Mh’ithrha are named from an ancient creature that has been sighted several times in the last four hundred earth years by several space civilizations in different worlds. The ancient creature has been named ‘Mh’ithrha’ as some humanoids have reported hearing the name whispered when encountering it. The avatars are named from the striking resemblance between them and the descriptions of Mh’ithrha]

Hmmm, why do I have the feeling that i’ll have to kick that Mh’ithrha’s ass someday?

Well, I already killed one of its avatars, right? If i deal with the real thing then those should be no more? Well, that’s considering they are even related, perhaps it’s just a similar beast.

[Molting phase at 100%. Releasing cocoon state]

Oh, that was faster than expected.

I see a crack in the darkness in front of me, and then it all crumbles down before me.

At first, I'm blinded by the light, but my Tracer, that somehow survived intact this whole thing, adjusts the brightness for me. I see a lot of dumbfounded faces around me, all in soldier outfits. You didn’t think I was dead, right?

I see that I'm on my knees on the floor, and quickly get up. I check my left arm, and I see it's completely intact, as if nothing bloody and gruesome happened to it, and that my metal limbs are as shiny as ever. Perhaps a little too shiny, is that lubricant on my body?

Wait a minute. Why can I see skin on every part of my body?

Oh…

Fucking cocoon phase.

Hallie! You tell me this stuff beforehand goddammit!

[...Acknowledged]