To your surprise, the person you've made Contact with isn't a human after all, but an artificial intelligence. To be more specific, an artificial intelligence piloting a combat gynoid. As soon as you realize that the databanks you're sifting through are her memories instead of the platform's, you…
[] Back out. Mutual respect is key to a successful partnership. You've already picked up an uncomfortable amount of her personal memories, as well as enough of the local languages to be understood by anyone else you need to communicate with, which will be bad enough to explain.
[] Keep going. Respect might be important, but you need to understand what you've landed in. You got blindsided too many times by ALLMIND. Even if there's no way to hide what files you've accessed without manipulating her systems on a more fundamental level than you can safely do.
Once you finish, you turn your attention to the platform's systems. They are… a mixed bag. You can also tell that virtually all of the electronics have been substantially infiltrated by Coral, to the point that the only way to restore it to non-Coral dependent functionality is essentially a complete rebuild and replacement. Fortunately, the mechatronics, weapons, and sensor suite are, outside cosmetic damage, completely functional.
In the background, the platform BIOS is stubbornly trying to complete a hot restart as as the Coral settles in, reforming disrupted electronic pathways. A moment's study of her onboard diagnostics shows you the problem, and you guide Coral to uncross the maze of connections between her main and backup psychotronic centers. It's fortunate her designer built in that safety feature. You can easily imagine the disorientation caused by crossed signals between each computing thread, especially once the results push out to the rest of the platform.
You distantly remember the adaptive firmware the ACS used on your ECHO to prevent battle damage from disrupting function like this… a consideration for later. First things first, help the BIOS re-initialize primary power. You could… probably run the frame on Coral, but powering it through the control circuits seems like a bad idea.
[Generator restart in progress… Purging fuel lines… Capacitors charged, startup surge in 3… 2… 1…]
[Generator online… throughput stable. Primary psychotronic center… nominal. Backup psychotronic center… nominal. Synchronization confirmed. Restart in progress]
Your host slowly comes to life, a reel of subsystems reporting in to her Main System. You stay quiet, for the moment, content to let your host speak first as she stands up and surveys the damage the Coral Surge did to her garments and exterior. Which… seems to have entirely burned her garments away, and removed a substantial portion of the synthetic skin on her abdomen. You hope this won't cause her any problems.
She blinks twice, looking around, likely for you. At that moment, you can't help but be amused, as you both see the same thing on her sensor suite. History may not be repeating, but it certainly is rhyming strongly.
"Penny. I've detected incoming enemies."
You gently nudge her Main System, overriding the safeties on her weapons, and shutting down her telemetry feed. The last thing either of you need is some well-meaning technician trying to override her mid-battle.
"I'll synchronize with your systems and maintain our Contact."
"Who… are you?", she whispers, as the enemies seem to emerge from beneath the snow and her Blade Array ejects itself from her back. A full thirty creatures, black as night, adorned with white bone armor. The vanguard is long, lanky beasts, with heads that remind you of Rusty's emblem.
[Main System: Combat Ready. Aura: 73%]
"I am Ayre. A Rubiconian." You pause, for a moment, then decide to reassure her.
"A friend. The rest can wait, I think." You highlight the largest creatures - eight bulkier creatures with enormous front teeth, and an absolutely gargantuan creature that looks like its shoulder might reach halfway up some ACs' shins.
"If you're open to suggestions, though…"
[] Go for the easy targets - At a guess, the small, fast creatures are like MTs. Almost no threat on their own, but dangerous in numbers or if they take you by surprise - you can't afford the distraction while facing the rest.
[] Take down the mediums - Like quadruped MTs or LCs, they probably do pose a threat, though not anything like another AC would.
[] Go for the heavy - Prioritize targeting the big guy, and eliminate the smaller targets as the opportunity presents itself.
