Last Trace

Last Trace by CrossTheLine
Prelude Chapter 1 Interlude 1 Chapter 2 Interlude 2 Chapter 3 Interlude 3 Chapter 4
Discussion

Something something sidelined super soldier seeks self-actualization.

A young delinquent soldier in a lonely facility ends up having a swarm of nanomachines injected into her, supposedly intent on keeping her bound to the place. When she discovers that it was actually a ploy to enable her escape, she fights through her superiors in an attempt to seize her own freedom.

This article contains spoilers! You were warned.

Characters

Argine

The protagonist, a young soldier in the facility. Seems to be disliked by many of her superiors.

Diagram

Blue-coloured engineer who's one of Argine's few friends. Lanky and unassuming, a little meek. Comes into her own when it comes to technology.

Judicium

Argine's handler and instructor. Cold-hearted and stern, was responsible for injecting Argine with the SAI.

Nanoweaver

The facility's medic and supporter of Argine's. Her face is always hidden behind a mask.

SAI

The Splintered Artificial Intelligence that currently resides in Argine's body. A digital ball of multiple personalities that provides the young soldier with advice and reprimands, supposedly intended to keep track of her wherever she goes. AKA - You, the suggestors!

Glossary

• Parasginia: A unique type of ability possessed by capable individuals, developed following an event of significant emotional turmoil.
• Gadget: Engineered technology used to support a soldier's performance and abilities.

Parasignias

• Argine - Ignition Complex: Allows her to combine multiple gadgets together into unique effects.
• Nanoweaver - ???: The ability to deconstruct objects into 'threads'.

Equipment

Weapons

• The Sound and The Fury: Twin Revolvers that Argine made. Coloured like the battle armour of two of her idolized heroes.
• Creirwy D-3: Shotgun provided by Diagram. Supposedly named after a princess from one of Diagram's storybooks.
• Silkweave Gauntlets: Provided by Nanoweaver. Can create a kinetic barrier in a short radius, allowing the user to block bullets with their arms. Has a limited battery life, and only protect against bullets.

Gadgets

• Beam Unit: Shoulder-mounted Laser armament.
• Explosive Discs (3): Standard-issue explosive. Can be stuck to surfaces and detonated akin to plastic explosives, or thrown similar to grenades.
• Barrier Generator: Protective gadget that forms a rigid barrier upon being deployed. Can be placed for portable cover, or held like a proper shield.
• Pitch Prefect: Wrist-mounted tar bomb launcher. Has been modified so that its projectiles can be detonated mid-air.
• Blink Capacitor: Short-ranged intangibility and teleportation on a cooldown. Can't teleport through walls or to places Argine does not have Line of Sight to.
• Blade Printer: On-demand creation of aerodynamic throwing knives.
• Amp Rings: Short-term Physical Strength enhancement.

Tags for Combination:

• Beam Unit - Focusing, Energizing, Pinpointing
• Explosive Disc - Explosive, Volatile, Destructive
• Barrier Generator - Reflective, Protective, Repelling
• Pitch Prefect - Slowing, Sticky, Congealing
• Blink Capacitor - Displacing, Replacing, Intangible
• Blade Printer: Replicating, Cutting, Aerodynamic
• Amp Rings: Empowering, Amplifying, Intensifying

Deck of the Storyteller

The effects are as follows -

Solburst - Upon use, a heatwave will emerge centered on Argine, staggering enemies and vaporizing ballistic projectiles coming towards you, as well as disrupting other types of projectiles.

Frozeneye - Upon use, this card slows Argine's perception down, allowing for you to better exploit weakpoints or avoiding specific kinds of attacks. Useful for precision, whether offensive or defensive.

Breezecycle - Upon use, card is consumed and can be used to refill limited-use gadgets like the Explosive Discs, or to swap out one of Argine's four gadgets entirely, also allowing the swapping of sub-gadgets.

Briarspirit - Upon use, can either serve as a temporary barrier or a health recovery effect.

Voidsplit - Upon use, lets Argine take three actions in one turn.

Echoscribe - Upon use, creates a single-use copy of any gadget Argine has seen, even unobtained gadgets. Copied gadgets cannot have any sub-effects slotted into it.

Card Count

• Solburst - 1
• Frozeneye - 3
• Breezecycle - 3
• Briarspirit - 2
• Voidsplit - 3
• Echoscribe - 4

Gallery

Fanart

By Poltergeist Ethanoic Acid

By Salf

By Salf

By Buckwheat

By Buckwheat

By Buckwheat

Quests by CrossTheLine

Questden: Last Trace Collaborations: Grown Alone