Hazel and Klunk (An RnC Subnautica AU)

Chapter 8: Primary Containment

Hazel didn't contact me, and when I returned with the data needed to improve our vehicle power systems. She was still asleep, but now she had moved to her bed. I replaced every single power system I could with ion power.

I was scared shitless, but I was a man on a mission. I had to save Hazel. I felt the personal need to save her and the planet. She had been the planner, the survivalist, and the solid ground I could rely on to keep me in check and keep us on a path to leave. I dared call her my best and only true friend in my head. Her life was depending on me and she had never let me down before; I could never let her down in return.

I prepared for the following two days for the trip down. With the advanced materials I gathered from the surrounding area, I was able to upgrade the vehicles the rest of the way so they could go as deep as 1,700 meters.

By the time the clock read dawn on day forty-six, I was fucking ready to get down to the containment facility and save my friend. All signs I had pointed to that facility as my only way to a cure. If I could find a material or creature capable of neutralizing the bacteria, Hazel and I could be cured and we could leave the planet. Hazel could return to her home in Aleero City and I could start anew elsewhere.

About three-quarters of the way between the facility and the base, another vision told me to continue on my course. Whatever the creature was was talking to me. She told me she is what I seek and that she wants to help me. A creature capable of telepathic speech intelligent enough to understand that I wanted its help, what an amazing planet this was.

"Hazel, you okay up there?"

Static.

"Nothing but vacuum, Sir. She is still knocked out."

"Thanks, Maria," I said. "Last scan said she was still alive, just trying to sleep off the illness and that is a common Lombax immune mechanism meant to revitalize and restore. I'm not certain how it works, but hopefully she'll wake up soon."

"I believe this happened once while she was creating my programming... a long time ago."

"H-how...?"

"Spring and Obsidian shared it with me. My sentience is not a one-off occurrence."

"Oh," I said. "Who's Obsidian?"

"Obsidian, the Lombax starfighter belonging to Hazel Schyler. Built by Astra Azimuth-Galaxia, Hazel Schyler, and Ratchet Schyler. Her whereabouts are unknown at this time."

"I see... What happened to Hazel?"

"She caught influenza and was out of action for a few weeks aboard the Aurora. I was still under development at this time. Those memories are fuzzy, but they are there."

Sally II spoke up. "If I may, Hazel has been known to take long rests in nature if it is available to her. I do not know if she was doing this recently, but I got it from Pepper and her programming memories."

My god the sentience of these vehicles... I thought. "Perhaps because she is surrounded by nature she doesn't feel the need to risk her life for a breath of fresh air?" I questioned.

"Or perhaps she is too tired to move," Percy added.

"Perhaps."

I looked ahead of us to see what else was nearby. "There's a shit-ton of Kyanite around! Why didn't I just come down—" I cut myself off as the structure loomed into view. "—here... Holy crap um... Okay. Did not see that coming." I noted the Sea Dragon in the distance too. "OH SHIT, DIDN'T SEE THAT MOTHERFUCKER EITHER!!!"