Hazel and Klunk (An RnC Subnautica AU)

Chapter 4: Infection

When we went back to base, Klunk decided to build a small laboratory slightly away from the main base with its own power system and a glass tube between the two for easy access. I wasn't about to stop him, since it was a good idea. As a practicing chemist perhaps with more research on the bacterium he could synthesize a cure. I offered to help, and let him boss me around for a bit.

"We will put the multipurpose room here when we get the fragments for it."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, connecting the glass tunnel to the original compartment system. As I did, my brain suddenly went fuzzy, and the edges of my mind closed me in. An illusion of an alien creature appeared in my vision, and I stopped short, surprised.

"What... are... you...?" An echoing feminine voice asked before fading away. My mind opened up again and I was left utterly confused.

"Hazel? Haaaaazel~?" Klunk asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blinked a few times as Klunk's glowing eyes refocused in my vision. I looked around to make sure I wasn't teleported anywhere and it wasn't a Mesmer. "What?! What the heck was that?!" I asked aloud, still looking around in utter confusion. I looked back to Klunk.

"First, the Sunbeam was shot down. Then we found out you are infected. Now you are spacing-out on me????"

"I'm sorry. I really don't understand what just happened," I explained. "I'll tell you what I saw over dinner. Just finish building the lab-tunnels... I'm going to go make food..." I swam back to base and went inside, wondering what the hell I was seeing.

Day Twenty-Two. It was a miracle we had survived for that long. Klunk would probably have an easier time doing this since he didn't need to eat or drink. However, without my knowledge of circuitry and engineering he might've not survived long enough to see the Sunbeam.

"So... where to go today?" I asked, thinking of containing the radiation in the Aurora.

"Well, I want to find Multipurpose Room fragments. There have got to be some blueprints for those on the Aurora.

"I have my doubts that the blueprints are there, but there might be somewhere. We'll just have to see where we can access. First, I'm going to go looking for Grav-Trap fragments. That will be very useful for trapping small creatures so we can work."

"Then I will go make some lab-equipment if I can."

While I was waiting for the Fabricator to finish the Grav-Trap, I read through the data that we had collected. Under codes and clues, there was a new entry regarding the location of other alien facilities located nearby. There were three sanctuaries, and three other facilities: the Thermal Plant, the Disease Research Facility, and the Primary Containment Facility. The first two had their locations listed, but the containment facility and the sanctuaries had their data corrupted. The Disease Research Facility piqued my interest.

"Oi, Klunk. Check this out," I said, motioning him over.

"What is it?" He asked, annoyed that I bothered him while trying to set up lockers in the lab.

"Listen to this: 'Disease Research Facility - Depth: 800m - Location: Cave system with extensive fossil record, south-west of enforcement platform - Function: Live specimen study - Objective: Synthesis of antidote for highly infectious bacterium designated 'Kharaa'' I think that's where we should go next."

"'Kharaa' Bacterium... That sounds promising. And if the aliens were enforcing a quarantine with the platform up there, then this might be why."

"800m down... That's deeper than the Seamoth can go at the moment. We need a modification station to upgrade the Seamoth module to Mk II, and then Mk III. Good thing we're planning on going to the Aurora, the PRAWN Suit can dive to depths of 900m by default."

"Right... Anything else we might need?"

"Of course we have a laser cutter already... The Propulsion Cannon will probably be useful against all the debris, not to mention a fire extinguisher or two."

"Got it, I will go find the fragments to make one."

"Don't, I've got them all already."

"Alright, what do we need to make it?"

"Wiring Kit, Battery and Titanium. Might get some more Acid Mushrooms to make some extra batteries. Always good to have in case we need more Power Cells, or just extra batteries charging at base."

"And we need Copper, I just used most of it."

"Alright, I'll go get the Copper..." I said.

"No, I will get the Copper," Klunk said, brushing me aside, "you go harvest some mushrooms... please."

"Fine by me... less time in the caves for me~"

By the time we made it to the Aurora, it was nighttime again. But, lucky us, that meant we were out of the water and could work without much trouble from local fauna. The only thing that could bother us were Cave Crawlers. We split up with two scanners and searched all the areas we could access, scanning everything and anything. I found all of the PRAWN Suit parts I needed for the moment, along with Cyclops fragments. Klunk found several gadgets and lab equipment: some of which even belonged to him! I downloaded all the PDA data I could find, including a secret mission I was unaware of: the Degasi Rescue mission. I was aware of the Degasi crew's disappearance, but not of the retrieval mission. Now I knew why the Degasi were missing—the Quarantine of 4546B—but I did not know where they could be.

We fixed the drive core. The room was partially submerged and—as I had learned with prior submerged rooms—full of parasitic Bleeders. Klunk used the Grav-Trap—which he was quite amused with despite getting caught in it himself—to keep most of the Bleeders off me. I learned very quickly that I could use the repair tool to smack Bleeders off my body with ease, or even shock them with the end of the tool. Shocking them with the tool was quite amusing!