Okay, System. Show me what you got. Xen focused his intent on the newly unlocked skill: [Basic Scan].
A barely noticeable shimmer pulsed outwards from Xen's position, visible only within his optical sensors. It expanded for perhaps ten meters in all directions before fading. Simultaneously, his vision overlaid with faint, glowing blue lines, tracing the shapes of the scrap around him like a wireframe model in a design program. Simple text labels popped up, attached to the larger objects.
The scan wasn't photographic; it was structural, informational. The piece of plating he stood on was labeled [Ferrous Metal Plate - Moderate Integrity]. The massive, inert hand of the dead Transformer nearby simply read [Massive Cybertronian Component - Deactivated]. The crystal he'd just drained was tagged [Energon Crystal Fragment - Depleted]. Other labels identified [Rusted Girder - Low Integrity], [Tangled Power Conduits - Damaged], and vast swathes of [Unidentified Metallic Debris].
It painted a picture of decay and potential danger. Low integrity girders, damaged power lines... this place wasn't just messy; it was unstable.
Good. Two more to go. Xen rotated his upper body slowly, his small servos emitting only the faintest whirring sound. He focused his scan towards a towering pile of junk that loomed over his current position like a metal tidal wave frozen mid-crash.
The blue shimmer pulsed again. New wireframes and labels appeared.
Most of the pile was just [Assorted Scrap Metal], but one label stood out near the base, flashing a faint yellow: [Scrap Pile - Moderate Collapse Risk - Avoid Direct Interaction]. Okay, noted. Don't climb that. Near the bottom of the pile, however, another label caught his attention: [Narrow Crevice - Potential Shelter - Unverified]. It pointed to a dark gap between two massive, fused pieces of machinery. Shelter definitely sounded good.
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One more scan needed. He directed his attention upwards, towards the dimly lit sky barely visible between the peaks of the scrap mountains.
The pulse expanded, mapping the jagged silhouette of the scrap heap against the sky and the underside of a few precariously balanced large pieces above him. Nothing immediately threatening, but it reinforced the feeling of being buried, entombed in this metal graveyard.
A moment later, a more prominent notification flashed.
<+10 XP Gained!>
His status updated automatically in the corner of his vision: LEVEL: 1 (60/100 XP). Sixty percent of the way to Level 2 already, just by waking up, finding fuel, and looking around. Progress felt… surprisingly fast, at least at these initial stages.
The scans provided a rudimentary map, a basic understanding of his immediate surroundings. Key takeaways: Energon was scarce (only the depleted crystal showed up nearby), the environment was hazardous (collapse risks, low integrity structures), and there was a potential hiding spot. His HP was still damaged (81/100), and his Energon, while no longer critical, was worryingly low (43/150). Just three basic scans had cost him 3 Energon. He couldn't afford to use skills frivolously.
Shelter seemed like the next logical step. That narrow crevice offered protection from... well, whatever else might be lurking in this scrap heap. He didn't know if there were cyber-rats, hostile drones, or worse wandering around, but hiding seemed prudent for a small, damaged bot running on fumes.
He eyed the path towards the crevice. It involved traversing more unstable-looking debris. Stealth might be important. He remembered the other active skill he'd unlocked: [Audio Dampener].
Let's try not to announce my presence. He focused on the skill.
A subtle shift occurred. The already quiet whirring of his own joints seemed to fade further, almost disappearing entirely. A tiny drain indicator appeared next to his Energon bar. Interesting. It wasn't silent, perhaps, but definitely quieter.
Taking a steadying breath he didn't physically need but mentally appreciated, Xen began to move cautiously towards the potential shelter, his metallic feet now making almost no sound as they contacted the rusted metal surfaces. Each step was careful, measured, his sensors constantly scanning for shifts in the terrain ahead, the comforting glow of the System interface his only companion in the metallic gloom.