Back aboard my ship I'm left with more questions than answers. Not the least of which is how does an energy blast put a hole in a material that, by it's very nature, absorbs energy? Absorbium is no joke, if handled improperly it can absorb the electricity right out of a living organism, which as one might assume is quite lethal. That android or robot or cyborg or whatever it was, just punched a hole through it which should be impossible. Then somehow the nano irises which govern the rate of absorption and do so very precisely were overridden and closed. I cannot go into a conflict with beings who can do those sorts of things without having some sort of defense. After staring at my armor for an hour or so I call Sabrina, hoping maybe my chief engineer might have an insight into exactly what does that to my armor.
Sabrina is all business which is what I like most about her, she greets me with a "Sir" and it feels right.
"You wanted to see me sir?"
"Yes actually. I wanted to pick your brain and see if you could help me find a defense against this..."
I gesture to the large hole in my armor and Sabrina looks at it like a star struck teenager.
"I-Is that what I think it is?"
"Um if you mean my armor, yes."
"No no no no, I mean under the upper layers...that is...No it isn't."
"Isn't what?"
"Well at first glance one might mistake this underlayer for Nano-weave circuitry, but it isn't...this is even smaller...subatomic? That would explain the precision in your holomatrix and your ability to control absorption. For that purpose Nano-tech would be crude at best."
"Really?"
I always thought it was simple nanotechnology...and some magic. When Ray built the prototype it was awesome...but the Black Mantis had a hand in my current design...more bang for my buck as it were. I've never gave a moment's to having to do major repairs but this situation changes everything. We're getting off track though.
"Tell me Sabrina what kind of weapon can do this type of damage to Absorbium 80?"
"Well Absorbium is vulnerable to freezing, acid and general chemical and physical changes save for kinetic energy and impacts, it has a high tolerance to oxidation, it can be cut with the right tools...but I don't know of a weapon that does this to it...certainly not an energy weapon."
"Yeah, well that's what happened."
"Perhaps it was...what about an EMT?"
"A transporter beam?"
"Well you've used them before and we know they work on the armor and all of you armor IS designed to allow them to work unless you actively absorb the energy used during the conversion process."
"So you think that the android used something like that?"
"Yes but something more localized, to not transport away but convert the suit's matter to energy...I'm not even sure what to call that?"
"It's called a Disruptor."
A voice says from the behind us.
"And it isn't supposed to exist."
Standing in the doorway of my shop is none other than the Black Scorpion...formerly the Black Mantis's duplicate.
"Karr, this is unexpected....wait...How do you know about this weapon."
"Because I invented it."
"Saywhatnow?"
I can scarcely believe what I'm hearing. If these guys built this weapon how do I stop it? Moreover how the held did an android get it's hands on it?
"I'm afraid you have me to thank for these machines."
"I'm all ears friend do tell."
"I created the weapon to use against the Black Mantis, it was design with Infinitium in mind since the only way to affect the metal is to rearrange it's structure on a subatomic level. It goes without saying that it would be equally effective on Absorbium. The beam is essentially a an Energy Matter Transporter that has been set to displace the material it affects rather than send it somewhere. It disrupts the material structure and mangles it. On organic beings it is especially vicious and cruel as it mangles beings while leaving them alive in pure agony."
"Why would you create something like that?"
"As I said, it was for the Black Mantis."
"Geez, that's...twisted. But how did these machines get their hands on it?"
"I had to test the weapon at some point and these machines were perfect for that, they were malevolent and mindless assimilating whole planets and decimating any resistance."
"So you killed a few. Still doesn't explain how they got your weapon."
"They must have somehow relayed the beam's specification to their core intelligence even as they we being eradicated by it. it wouldn't take much to duplicate if one had EMT technology...which they did. I didn't leave any stragglers or survivors so it's the only explanation I can think of."
"What about the machines themselves? What can you tell me about them that might help me against them?"
"They are like you, energy is nearly useless against them. They're highly intelligent in groups but not when alone. As single units they possess an impressive AI but it's not until they get together that truly become formidable. In groups they're able to link their collective intelligence and computational power and they each benefit from it individually. So instead of fighting a group of advanced AI's you end up fighting a group of Highly advanced AI's."
"So we whittle their numbers down and they become less effective."
"Exactly. There is one thing more."
"What's that?"
"They are advanced AI's, they don't need those bodies, those are only mobile platforms. If they get into a computer system it's a wrap, they'll take over every subsystem in seconds...they can control entire ships or something as large as a space station." Worse yet, on a planetary level they can use internet and externet to take over far more than that. Our people are on this, but we're gonna need you to do some leg work...again."
"Crap...well, in for a penny. etc etc. Looks like I'm working for you guys...again. You know this was supposed to be a simple job."
Hmm, this chapter is really taking shape. I like the explanation of how they were able to damage Obsidian's nigh invulnerable armor. Good image too. Excellent work once again, my friend.