(From the perspective of Kaelis)
The ice groaned beneath him.
Then it sang.
From the center of the cavern, blue light began to radiate outward—gentle, pulsing in rhythm with the psionic flow directed from Kaelis' outstretched hand. In the air: dust, frost, energy. In the ground: motion.
The first Nexus structure took form not through machines, but through manifestation.
Crystalline threads pushed up through the frozen stone like roots of light. At their peaks, they hardened—folding inward, shaping into angular forms, until they merged seamlessly with an alloy that shimmered like molten silver.
The process looked alive. Almost sacred.
Each component grew where it was needed, as if the Nexus itself remembered its own design.
"Core resonance stabilized," SERA confirmed. "Psionic field anchored. Nexus online."
Kaelis let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He stepped back, the structure towering now behind him—glowing gently, humming with potential.
Home.
---
He raised a hand. Around the perimeter, three Pylons flared to life—thin, soaring spires of white-blue crystal, each wrapped in a lattice of phase-metal. Their energy fields overlapped in perfect sync.
Within seconds, the first Gateway began to form.
The process was the same: crystal growth, geometric folding, alloy infusion.
It rose from the floor in spirals, taking shape like a memory returning to the world.
From the Gateway's aperture, a flicker of movement.
The first worker drone emerged.
---
It hovered silently, crystalline core exposed, limbs shifting with programmed grace.
Then came another.
And another.
Within minutes, the cavern filled with soft, whispering motion—constructors, all extensions of Kaelis' will.
"Begin secondary structure tasks," he ordered. "Sensor nodes, shielding conduits, and atmospheric flow stabilizers."
The drones obeyed instantly.
Except one.
It paused.
Its limbs folded back, realigned. Then it hovered slightly higher than the others.
"Worker-3 has not begun assigned task," SERA noted.
Kaelis approached.
"Why?" he asked aloud, more curious than concerned.
The drone rotated.
Its light flickered in a rhythm not yet defined.
"Current mineral flow in this area suboptimal," it said, voice neutral. "Relocation by four meters will increase long-term efficiency by 9.4%."
SERA was silent for a moment.
Then: "It is correct."
Kaelis stared.
"It made the adjustment on its own."
"It adapted."
A pause.
Then SERA added, softer: "You're not the only one evolving."
---
As defensive lines were drawn—Photon Cannons and Shield Batteries blooming from crystal cores—Kaelis ordered the first robotics facility.
A tall structure. Heavy. Centralized.
It grew deeper into the stone, encased in layered shielding and metallic exoframes.
From this forge would come constructs—machines of war, of observation, of strength.
But before its assembly finished, the Nexus dimmed.
---
"Psionic disruption detected," SERA warned. "Origin unknown. Local systems impacted. Temporal lag in construction nodes."
The lights flickered.
The Pylons buzzed—off-tempo, jagged.
Kaelis closed his eyes.
He reached outward—not physically, but through his mind, across the connected lattice of energy between buildings, drones, and himself.
There it was.
A whisper.
Not aggressive. But felt.
A signal that did not belong to any of them.
"Source identified," SERA said. "Dschungelplanet. Frequency matches prior resonance detected during orbital scan. Fluctuation non-lethal. Intent: unclear."
Kaelis straightened.
"Elevate the planet's scan priority. Full passive observation. No contact."
"Confirmed."
He looked around—the Nexus, still dimmed but holding.
"Whatever's down there," he said quietly, "knows we're here."