[OmegaMan]

An abandoned Vacre facility located in the Rocky Mountains. Dubbed "Project Solaris", this advanced laboratory researched artificial sun technology, as well as antimatter and artificial black holes. However, the project was ceased with Vacre Corp.'s collapse, and was heavily damaged by Eurasia debris. The facility was left to rot and was forgotten. Although plans to repair and reuse the equipment have been proposed by various organizations, none have followed through, leaving the area open for potential Maverick activity.

For an unknown amount of time, Helios has claimed Solaris's only usable section as a hideout and a miniature lab. A select few machines, generators, and equipment still function, giving the Reploid the materials necessary for research and construction.

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[From Central Tower 2.0 - Government Precinct]

A teleportation pad lit up for a moment. Suddenly, a golden beam shot down from the top of the machine and materialized into a figure. Helios walked forward off of the pad and walked over to a sophisticated lab table. There were several notable machines here; a microscope, a sample analysis machine, and a hologram-computer. There were more machines on the high-tech work bench, but these three were the ones he needed at the moment.

The golden Reploid pulled the Ordarium sample out of the bag, still in the bottle he had used to contain it. He pulled a sampling dish from nearby and poured the substance into it. He quickly put the lid on the dish to contain it. The Ordarium was ready for analysis...

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

The Ordarium came out like a gel, attempting to hug the walls of the tube as it fell it. It quickly attempted to escape, only hugging the insides of the dish entirely as it attempted to spread itself.

[OmegaMan]

Helios, puzzled by the substance's shifting physical properties, carefully slid the sample dish into a slot into the analysis machine and booted the computer up. The golden Reploid flipped several switches on the machine itself, causing several lights to start up. A window popped up on the computer, showing different inputs and variables for the scanning mechanisms.

Of course there was the problem of what he was scanning for. First, it was basic analysis. The computer would then (hopefully) deduce the fuel's molecular composition. He selected another option; to find matching or similar readings to other substances. Helios had never seen Ordarium before, so he figured it would be easiest to understand it if he compared its composition to other materials.

He then fully activated the scan. The machine whirred as it began to analyze the material's composition.

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

The Ordarium's physical structure was microscopic... It was difficult to analyze the substance but eventually, it could be discovered that it was composed of Nano Bots with each Nano bot being the core... Part of the controller. There was also a very faint, untraceable feature but... A signal was being sent and received constantly. It was powerful but very well hidden only .

[OmegaMan]

So far, the analysis was slow. Very little could be gathered so far. So far, though, there were traces of what appeared to be metal. the Ordarium was also giving off an incredibly faint electro-magnetic frequency. At first, Helios thought nothing of it. If it was made of metal, it was of COURSE more than likely to have a magnetic charge. But something about the reading seemed off. Very off.

"What... the... hell....?" was all he muttered as more data began to fill the screen. Something was definitely odd about this substance. The composition seemed to be moving in a, well, "methodical" manner. The cross-referencing function brought up several images and data snippets. At the bottom of the list of similar readings was an average Mettaur. This immediately gave Helios an embarrassed and confused look at the absurdly broad cross-referencing. At the top of the list, however, were small machines. Nanobots, to be exact. Not everything matched, but there was an 89% similarity between Ordarium's structure and that of a high-grade, yet seldom utilized nanobot for repairing certain machines.

"You've gotta be freaking kidding me..." he said as he waited for additional data to pop up. Was it possible that the substance was composed of nanobots?! Helios's suspicion was confirmed as an image scan of a set of miniaturized robots from the Ordarium sample were mapped out onto the screen. Helios immediately saved a record of what he had just discovered...!

Suddenly, the computer noted an anomaly in the electro-magnetic frequency of the substance. There seemed to be some sort of waves interfering with some of the scanning components. It appeared that the substance was sending and receiving a faint frequency. This was only conjecture on Helios's part, though. The machinery wasn't equipped to map out the barely noticeable frequency. If it was truly sending and receiving something, Helios imagined that it would either be towards an untraceable outside source, or would be sending impulses between the nearby nanobots. In which case, it would still be untraceable, as the frequency distance would be microscopically localized and impossible to distinguish.

But this whole thing presented another problem. What was the purpose of nanobots being inside a fuel source?

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

It was moving erratically. Almost as if it had a mind of it's own or was somehow being... Controlled. However... It wasn't visible but the volume of the dish... Was filling up. It was reproducing, practically unnoticeable and at a slow rate... Eventually, it would be too much for the small dish.

[OmegaMan]

OOC: Quick question. I do have a suspension of disbelief, mind you, but I'm going to have to note the conservation of mass and energy here. Do you have an explanation as to how they can reproduce without available matter to recreate themselves with? Kind of pushes my logic senses, unless you have an effective way to convert energy to matter at that scale. Yeah... Kind of needs an explanation in private again, because I know we talked about it, but I just can't remember...

Or are they using the other substance(s) in the gel (if existent) or the petri dish to reproduce? Which could be neat, I guess, because then the dish would dissolve and then the computer could become infected and then Helios would have to deal with a Maverick, umm... scanner...?

[OmegaMan]

Quote

*ahem* When you see this, delete it unless you have questions.

OOC: Ironically enough your explanation was my next guess. =_=; Incidentally, I don't know the best way to respond to the description, as I don't want Helios to realize stuff too quickly, etc.

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As Helios continued to analyze the data and scans, he noticed something was odd about the movement in the dish. The nanobots seemed to be moving erratically, although he couldn't put his finger on "why". The machine's readings were odd, and he couldn't make heads or tails out of every single detail...

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

The Ordarium without Helios knowing... Seemed to be doing something odd to Helios' scanner... A by product of scanning the Nano Bots and their mysterious signal? Either way... It was slightly making the screen fuzzy as if it was disturbing the signal. The Ordarium was trying to get out and now it was noticeable... The Nano Bots were expanding; Ordarium was filling the dish.

[OmegaMan]

Something was happening to the scanner. The screen was going on the fritz, and the monitor was blinking rapidly with static! In between blinks, however, the scanner started displaying additional image scans. To his astonishment, the number of nanomachines seemed to be increasing at an exponential rate!

"My God! What the hell is this?!" he asked aloud as he ran back over to the scanner! He pulled the petri dish out of the sample analyzer! To his bewilderment, the sample dish was almost completely full now! He quickly set it on a table away from the machinery and watched the Ordarium substance. He didn't know what would happen if the machines broke out of the dish, so he raised his hand forward! He was ready to try encasing it in an energy barrier if it got out of control! Or if worse, destroy it!

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

Pressure building up, the petri dish finally exploded. Shards went flying and Ordarium slowly oozed out covering it's surface... Already, it was attempting to find something... It headed for the terminal of Helios' computer, it being visible that it's expanding almost as if it came out of nowhere.

[OmegaMan]

"NO!" Helios shouted as he waved his hand in a chopping motion! Suddenly, a yellow energy field manifested around the substance! Helios had a feeling it would be too dangerous to let go! With the rate of its movement and multiplication, it could easily overwhelm his hideout! And worse, himself! Helios clench his fist together, causing the energy field to rapidly compress in on the Ordarium sample! He was attempted to crush or implode the nanomachines before it was too late!

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

The energy of the field itself quickly burned the Ordarium at a fast rate. It seemed Ordarium's only counter was another energy source... One that was in a higher quantity than the Ordarium itself. However, Helios' barrier itself was cancelled out as the Ordarium shrunk. 1 - 1 = 0 in this case... Which means Helios had to change that to a 2 - 1.

[OmegaMan]

OOC: I'm not sure I'm following the math here... If the amount of energy needed to burn away the Ordarium is an energy greater than or equal to itself, why would Helios have to increase his energy output as the amount of Ordarium decreases?

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

OOC: Equal energy erased equal Ordarium. The Ordarium itself is still calling in more Nano Bots so actually, it should be three times as much Energy than the Ordarium. Twice as much if the Ordarium suddenly stopped expanding since he'd need twice as much to contain it.

[OmegaMan]

OOC: Ok, if it's still expanding, that makes more sense. At the same time, though, I still have some problems with it. The physics of this scenario should still mean:

1) The compressing field was still initially stronger than the total of the Ordarium, and compressed rapidly; almost instantaneously. Thus, the nanobot force could not possibly be equal to it, as the respawning machines would have only at best replaced some of the destroyed machines.

2)

Spoiler

There wouldn't be enough room for so-many machines to respawn that the transfer could have failed as the machines were quickly crushed.

3)

Spoiler

The number of machines being replaced would be reduced as the number of transfer signals would have decreased as the nanobots were destroyed.

4)

Spoiler

Could the transfer signal even make it through Helios's energy field? Wouldn't a sphere of condensed energy cause some sort of interference at least?

But whatever. On to round 2.

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Helios was shocked when his energy barrier fizzled out. There was a sting to his head when that happened. Something had caused the Ordarium sample to negate his crushing attack at the last second. What was it...?

Then it hit him; the nanomachines must still be expanding. There was just barely enough expansive force to overpower his quickly raised barrier. He wouldn't be as careless this time, however! He quickly flicked his hand, causing another, brightly glowing field of yellow energy to encase the Ordarium! He quickly clenched his hand again, causing the field to rapidly shrink onto the nanobot fuel! He remained focused this time, ready to adjust his manipulation abilities in case the fuel survived this time.

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

OOC: In a time of desperation, to prevent itself from dying out or loosing it's grip on something, it would shift priorities from trying to infect to trying to stay alive by calling other machines faster while only the machines at the center of a glob would try because they'd last and live longer. Not to mention the reason Helios' field isn't cancelling out the signal is pretty much summed up by it's Sigma backing up the signal. But let's not dwell on it too much.

---

The Ordarium, unable to regenerate fast enough, was diminished, burned, and destroyed. The blue gel burned away and what was left... Was a very small pile of... Sand? It was the plain old, extremely microscopic, dead Nano Bots. It was barely sand... The nano machines were so small that it was almost like water. It spread across the surface, rubbing against the energy Helios generated and getting burned up. It was effectively useless now, and safe.

[OmegaMan]

OOC: Ok.

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Helios let the field down and retrieved another petri dish. He scooped the remains of the sample into it to clean up the floor. He secured the lid and placed it on the table nearby. He sighed with relief that he could at least contain the material. But what of the Ordarium's true purpose? Clearly it was not an ordinary fuel source. It was littered with nanomachines. Nanomachines that could do quite a lot, and reproduce exponentially. But for what purpose? He thought back to what was happening. Elzareth; Japan's Sigma. The incident that seemed to be happening in New Hera... Ordarium was New Hera's patented energy source. What would happen to a Reploid, or any machine, for that matter, that used this fuel?

"I've got no time to waste," Helios said to himself as he walked over to another part of the lab; his basic equipment room. He picked up his sword, Solstice, and latched the scabbard to the back of his belt. He reached for a replacement visor an latched it onto his communicators. He tested its retraction and extension functions; it worked.

"With the threat of Sigma looming, who knows how many Hunters may become involved. It may even involve Isaac Monteric," Helios continued to speak to himself. He walked back into the lab and walked over to an equipment work table. "I suppose now is as good a time as any to prepare him for the mystery only he can solve." He placed the handgun he had purchased in Air City on the counter, next to an assorted mess of circuit boards, wires, metal plates, and several, faintly-glowing, red crystals.

The power of the Ultiminium may not be enough, Helios thought as he picked up several tools. And the Hyper Form's properties are still untested and unknown, even to the plans. He started to assemble several, circuler apparatuses and connect them to the circuit boards. I'm not even sure if Isaac can use the Effect fully. He hasn't displayed any ability to, even though I...

He paused his thought and picked up one of the red crystals.

If I could have just increased the power output, this would have a better chance for success, Helios thought. But if he can use its power in the first place, then he can surely figure out how to increase its output...

Helios began to concentrate fully on the construction of the strange device. This device was perhaps the last, greatest invention he had conceived of. It just had to work. And priming the detective for a future battle now would give him more preparation. Helios knew that at his current level, Omicron wouldn't stand a chance against that man. Perhaps if he got the famous X, Zero, and Axl to fight, then there would be a better chance. But if he ended up fighting that man himself...

No, I have to focus, Helios thought. I have to finish this, and then I have to show the Hunters what I've found out.

[『ちびまる子ちゃん』正人]

OOC: Note that since the Ordarium is dead, I'm unable to post.

[OmegaMan]

OOC: I know. I just didn't want to get ahead of myself, so I was splitting Helios's actions up.