-=+ +=- [COMPLETED] The Second Universe -=+ +=-

Part 5: Thaumaturginite

Some members of the fireteam scan and extract the ore into their pocket dimensions, but as they do so, blue lights activate and begin spinning, as these were alarms. Crates that weren't noticed or given much attention before now seem to drown out everything around them, as the fireteam members dash towards them for cover.

Infantrybots and ISUGVs begin to emerge from 5 different portals and then start pouring out of them towards the fireteam. "MACHINE GUNNERS, SPAWN KILL THEM FROM THEIR PORTALS! EVERYONE ELSE, KILL ANY WHO GET PAST OUR MACHINE GUNNERS!" Allen frantically gave orders, pinging certain areas for fireteam members to cover with their own weapons as well as firing his own gun.

The enemy began pushing up until the TEAAML guy fired his launcher through one of the portals, which caused an audible boom heard from the other side. Shortly after, that portal stopped spouting enemies and the remaining ones fell back. It seemed that the TEAAML guy destroyed the machine fabricating these infantrybots and ISUGVs, and also destroyed any that were being sent into battle.

"Holy shit Sparo, one hell of a fuckin' play." Allen said, seeing how he began destroying enemy gateways into the area. "Tshanx sir." Sparo responded. Being a non-humanoid alien whose exoskeleton was made to fit him, his speaking also naturally had an accent. "Machine gunners, suppress portals. M154 fella and TEAAML fella, light up the portals.

Members of the team nodded, covering Sparo and the M154 guy as they rocket spammed the portals, eventually causing all of them to close permanently. "HQ, did y'all fuckin see that shit from your cozy vehicle? What the fuck was that shit- and who the hell do these machines even belong to?" Allen transmitted. "Don't know, Sergeant. No IDs or any markings we saw on your cam that link them to anything." HQ responded.  "FUUUUUUUCKKK- Let's get the fuck outta here."

Sgt. Allen noticed a door in the cave wall. "That's our fuckin' ticket. Let's move!" he said to the rest of his team. The door opened as they approached it, and there was a relatively long hallway with crates placed next to the walls, making rather convenient cov-

Infantrybots peeked up from their cover and turrets activated. The turrets in particular were roof-rigged systems, mostly chaingun-analogous lasers not too dissimilar from the Union's own photonlasers, and the infantrybots were advancing from a left turn at the end of the hallway. Allen pinged the turn, and most of the fireteam pushed up, with the dedicated grenadiers and machine gunners following a little far behind.

Once they made a right, a portal bringing infantrybots in was immediately visible. Sparo, thinking rapidly, fired his launcher into the portal, silencing it. Allen scanned the room for hostiles and portals, which there were none of. There were other things that attracted his attention though. In particular, there were four large box-shaped machines in a grid formation in the room.

Allen looked around and pinged for his squad to investigate the others. Eventually, he discovered a holoscreen and keypad attached to it. The screen displayed a weapon, and then Allen noticed a large door. "All teams, any o' y'all found a holoscreen showin' an image and a keypad?" He transmitted. 

"Found a screen sir, this one has an image of a grenade of some sort-." A team member reported. "Yeah sir, found one. It's got an image of some sort of armor." Another transmitted, followed by another. "This one's got an image of an ISUGV or something-." Allen then reinspected the holoscreen he was at and had a realization. "All teams be advised, they're fuckin' fabricators. They're makin' sorted weapons. Each fabricator has to have some sort o' output around here somewhere. Sec(ure) fabs and loot fab output." Allen transmitted.

The fireteam members began searching, and soon enough, they found a trapdoor and three slots in the fabricators. Opening the trapdoor, they found the same ISUGVs they fought against not an hour ago, and sure enough, the output slots produced the same exoskeletons and weapons the enemy utilized against them. "HQ, all loot secced. (Secured)" Sgt. Allen transmitted. "Copy." HQ replied.