《The Reaper's Legion》 Chapter 1 The Beginning Earth: An advanced inhabitable world in the ideal colonizable range for many sentient species. Moderate temperatures and consistent weather patterns make this planet an incredible resource, along with a wealth of animals and wildlife beyond most worlds. Inhabited by the sentient species self-designated as ¡°Humans,¡± Earth would likely have joined the galactic community of its own accord. Levels of technology in local populace indicate a sharp trend towards interstellar travel, but still needs to make the last push to acquire reasonable interstellar technologies. Up until quite recently, Earth has not been a fully classified planet and was largely unknown. Due to biotic activity in the quadrant, however, attention has been drawn to Earth and many other possibly habitable planets in the regions, primarily for quarantine and control purposes. Someone once told me that all life is precious. That all animals and creatures, humans included, deserved to live. That someone lived in another age than I do, though only six months of time separated us. It was amazing how much six months could change someone¡¯s opinion. Specifically, six months ago, I said those words to myself. Looking back, I can¡¯t help but laugh. Nowadays, I spend nearly every waking moment wondering how to kill them in as many ways as I can. I digress. Sitting in a bush with a rifle braced against my shoulder lets my mind wander. What also lets my mind wander is the prospect of actually finding something goddamned edible in this forest. Not roots, not vegetables - though, yes, I admit I have finally found my taste for them after nearly starving - but actual food. I wanted a steak, a burger, damnit, I wanted chocolate again. Before this crazy situation, I didn¡¯t even take a second glance at chocolate and cheeseburgers. Now? I¡¯d literally shoot my best friend in the foot to have a bite. Okay, not literally. Daniel would probably shoot me back. Oh boy. Long wait. But, it would pay off, if the deer was even still alive. We tracked it for hours, now I was the only one on the trail. I was all that was needed. Or so I pumped myself up as, I couldn¡¯t go back without that deer now. Daniel wouldn¡¯t let it go, and I¡¯d get to listen to him jab at me about not getting any venison or ammo for the next week. I breathed out slowly, steadying my nerves, expanding my awareness as much as I was capable. Having been a city dwelling college student half a year ago, I¡¯d never had any experience hunting, or hiding. I counted my lucky stars that my uncle was a marine and had trained me well enough that I could compete professionally in marksmanship. The other skills got good fast when the alternative was being eaten alive, though. I froze as it came into sight, a young deer. It was healthy, vibrant even, and for a moment I appreciated the innocent beauty it carried. Nearly soundless, I sighted the rifle with careful hands. My heartbeat thundered, I would kill this creature. My heartbeat slowed as I breathed deeply, calmness overtook me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered, offering the only thing I could to the animal that would die to ensure I could strive forward. The bullet bit into it, piercing its heart in a single lethal shot from my rifle. It screamed, an awful sound that bit into me, hitting the steel wall that I forced my emotions to become. I¡¯d had practice. It ran several paces, collapsed, and wheezed briefly. As I approached, it stopped all of that, going still. Six months ago, I could barely imagine killing a rat, let alone something like this. I didn¡¯t have time to field dress the deer. The sound might have let them know that someone was in the area, the blood would draw those that investigated here, and then to the deer. With a tremor betraying my inner turmoil, my hands found the plastic bag of herbs in my pack. I pressed it against the wound, mixing it, a strong scent of mint, lavender, and other assorted smells assailed me. The overbearing smell of blood would prevail, but this would confuse them, supposedly, enough that I could get home. I leaned down, hefting straps under the deer and strapping those to a harness. I looped them around me and grit my teeth as I stood. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re a heavy one.¡± My legs shook at first, but that faded as I started on my way, my rifle hanging, cradled from an arm. It¡¯d be a long walk. Most of the monsters didn¡¯t come this close to town very often, so I shouldn¡¯t have a problem leaving the area. The shaking of bushes to my right froze me in my tracks. Eyes wide and breathing shallow, I knelt with the kill across my back, nearly falling face-first into the forest with the imbalanced weight. Come the hell on, are you serious? I looked around, wondering if I was already found. If I had, I could take on a couple of them, but not a swarm. Maybe if I emptied my rifle, but generally if there were enough to bother with the gun, there wouldn¡¯t be enough bullets. And then I saw it, the hulking figure moving out of the trees. Six feet tall and two hundred and fifty pounds of athletic power. ¡°Daniel? Son of a--You gave me a heart attack, man!¡± I stood, hefting my prize and counting my lucky stars it was just him. ¡°Yo!¡± He laughed, stepping through the underbrush as expertly as I did, ¡°Niiiice! You got a deer.¡± He walked up, his pack absolutely brimming with herbs and vegetables. ¡°Wanna swap?¡± He asked, pointing his chin at the bulk of the deer that obviously weighed on me. ¡°Definitely.¡± No shame, this thing was heavy. He nodded, setting his pack down as I did the same. A few seconds after, we swapped packs, and I gave him the rifle. I was the better shot, but he wasn¡¯t bad himself. In return, he gave me the atrocious excuse for a spear he had. It was a street sign pole with a dagger at the tip, kept in place with a copious amount of duct-tape. The cloth grips along the length were a nice added touch. ¡°Alright, lets get outta here.¡± I flanked Daniel who stoically marched. The man was a tank, he barely strained with the deer on his back. The deciduous forest around us was eerily quiet, scant sunlight filtered through ashen skies. Overall, it painted one of my favorite sights as a kid in a ¡®just wrong¡¯ kind of filter. It made the whole situation feel more like a nightmare than reality. Yet, reality it was. ¡°What should we exchange the credit for?¡± Daniel pondered. I glanced at the rifle, ¡°Well, we need more bullets.¡± ¡°Did you use them all already?¡± ¡°Nah, I only used one, it was a clean shot,¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m saying for¡­ You know.¡± He sighed, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think bullets is what we need. Need a small army.¡± ¡°Well, too bad we can¡¯t buy a small army for credits, then.¡± Annoyed, I glared at our surroundings. Daniel chuckled, ¡°Well, nah. I can¡¯t say I blame ¡®em, we¡¯re both kinda crazy to be out here in the first place. Nobody else is gonna attempt to raid a hive, let alone for our sakes.¡± I kept my eyes forward, ¡°That hive needs to burn.¡± We stayed quiet as we walked. It wasn¡¯t an awkward silence, we both knew that there wasn¡¯t much else to be done about the hive. Back when the meteorites hit, a lot of damage was done. Almost a billion people died in the initial hits, everybody had someone that they knew that was dead now, not just from the impact, but the aftermath. Those monsters birthed from the rocks like some hellspawned horrors, hives forming as the creatures roamed the world. It was at that moment that a warped howl sheared through the air. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and wordlessly we exchanged looks painted with fear. We swallowed it down, they might have found the blood trail, so panicking would only make things worse. Daniel began trotting forward, as fast as he could with the kill on his back. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°The one time they¡¯re nearby enough is when they¡¯re in position to be the biggest pain in my ass.¡± ¡°Do you wanna take the rifle, by the way?¡± Daniel asked, holding it out. I shook my head, ¡°You¡¯ve got that on your back, I¡¯ll stick with the spear. Just back me up if we need it.¡± We moved through the trees, following the game trail as much as we could until the forest started to thin out. In five more minutes we¡¯d be in city limits, they might not follow us there. The howl let loose again as we both staggered to a stop. It sounded like it was to our right, just ahead of us. I grit my teeth, hating the fact that they got smarter a month ago. They used tactics now, though only simple ones. Simple, but effective. We¡¯d be running right into them at this rate. ¡°Alright¡­ this is bad.¡± Daniel murmured, dropping the body off of his back and sighting the rifle. ¡°Yep.¡± I breathed, trying to extract every detail of the landscape around us as possible. ¡°Swap me the rifle, there¡¯s at least four.¡± ¡°Shit, you sure?¡± He murmured. I wordlessly nodded as he quickly exchanged weapons. ¡°Matt, if I distracted them, you could get into the city. I¡¯ll figure something out on my own.¡± Silence greeted him as he kept his eyes focused on the forest. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± He continued, ¡°I wasn¡¯t training for the military for no reason,¡± a grin plastered on his face, turning around to look at my face. ¡°Matt?¡± Frowning, he realized that he was alone in the woods. With a snicker and rolling his shoulders, he muttered, ¡°Damn, dude, that¡¯s cold.¡± He turned, keeping his eyes on the forest around him, standing over the kill. It wouldn¡¯t matter now if he ditched the body, they¡¯d go after fresh kill over old any day. Then the first one stepped into view from around a tree, on all fours it stood at half the height of Daniel. It resembled - albeit distantly - a wolf, sniffing the ground and looking for the source of fresh blood. Wry framed, the creature lacked a great deal of fur, grey-black flesh that looked like it was in the process of crystallizing into obsidian shone in the dim light. Pale glowing eyes peered with a distant emptiness. When it looked at Daniel, that emptiness somehow seemed to grow. Somewhere between a bark and a howl, the thing bolted towards the big man, streaking towards him faster than he knew he could run. ¡°Alright, bring it, bitch!¡± He shouted, stepping into a low stance as the ¡°Wolf¡± closed. It jumped through the air, its jaw distended and gaping like a snake, black glass-like teeth framing its tar matte maw. It was a fatal mistake against a skilled opponent; jumping made you vulnerable, no maneuverability. Unable to change path, Daniel grimaced as he impaled the things chest where the heart ought to have been. Its body cracking, the improvised spearhead pierced the animal, silencing it almost instantly. Hanging there, the wolf weighed a great deal. With a grunt, Daniel flopped it onto the ground and hefted the spear from its latest victim. They weren¡¯t durable, breaking the pseudo-organ in the head or chest would bring them down in one go. No fighting, no twitching, just dead. He turned and knew that doing that to the other three was going to be impossible. Two, maybe, the third would be chewing on him before he could get the spear out. They rushed him just as suddenly as the one before. ¡°Damn, Matt counted right,¡± he grinned, meeting his possible demise with a smile. A lot had happened for the both of them, they were the only family they had left, not that they were actual blood¡­ but, sometimes, you could get something closer than blood. I murmured under my breath, ¡°Two bullets.¡± The rifle barked out a retort, bullet streaming through the barrel and air. One wolf fell in a heap, half of its crystalline fleshy head gone. ¡°Three bullets,¡± I steadied myself, firing again while being glad that I¡¯d opted to not take the bolt-action rifle. The shot hit center mass, just barely close enough to the wolfs psuedo-heart to shatter it. ¡°You beautiful bastard!¡± Daniel roared a laugh, the final hound running straight at him. He lashed out with a quick kick, supporting his weight with his spear. The wolf¡¯s head snapped to the side and its running gait staggered. It corrected, but not before Daniel was already pushing the spear through its durable ribs and killing it.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Someone once told me life was precious. These things probably wouldn¡¯t count. ¡°Man, I thought you actually ditched me for a second there!¡± Daniel breathed deep, sweat dripping from his face as he sat on his knees. Letting the moment catch up with him. I frowned, ¡°Thanks. I especially like the bullshit part where you were telling me to save myself. Who¡¯re you trying to impress?¡± ¡°It helps with my masculine charm?¡± A plastered shit eating grin nearly earned him the butt end of the rifle to his head. Instead, I helped him up, unable to keep from smiling in spite of myself. ¡°Well, that¡¯ll need some work. If you only have it when you¡¯re about to die, there¡¯s not much point.¡± ¡°True that, let¡¯s get the hell outta here.¡± ¡°Yeah. Before more show up.¡± I mocked vomiting, ¡°They¡¯re always so easy on the eyes.¡± We wrapped up quickly, leaving the bodies where they were. Invariably, they would begin to rapidly decay over the course of a day, often less. And, so long as they weren¡¯t chasing someone actively, they generally were revolted by the smell of their own dead. It was doubly a shame that their blood couldn¡¯t be preserved, it¡¯d be pretty handy as a repellent. Already one of the bodies shined briefly, part of its body turning to ash. We picked up the pace the rest of the way back, the pain of losing two more bullets outweighed by the four wolves we killed. It was annoying that we couldn¡¯t get credit for killing them, too many people had faked killing one every time they went out for a stroll. After that, nobody got anything. The only thing you could do was cut a part off and bring it with you, but anything small enough would break down in minutes. Bigger, and it would not only be heavy, but incredibly disgusting. After winding through the streets, inured to the sight of abandoned cars and a lack of electricity, we started seeing signs of life. Most of the outer reaches of the city were steadily being reclaimed by nature. In some places, splotches of red indicated where someone had lost the battle against the wolves. Many of these were still fresh, a month ago the hike in the wolves intelligence cost a lot. Power had been down for three months now. Contact with the outside world was limited to short-wave communication and anyone who had the good fortune to have a generator and could still connect to a satellite. The military, spread thin after the first onset of the disaster, had grounded themselves through several cities. Governmental structure as a whole broke down, but for the most part things had somehow remained stable enough in our city, Gilramore. Perhaps the only good side of the wolves getting smarter was that people were more afraid of the monsters than they were of each other, for the time being at least. That helped cooperation, especially considering the humbling figure that probably only about 5 billion people were left alive on earth. It was a painful reduction, half the population was expected to be dead, but that number wasn¡¯t accurately reflected anymore. Regions were busy enough trying to procure resources and get rid of the hives, let alone trying to collect that kind of information. The empty military tank told me all I needed to know about that front. Hives had broken up supply lines to major bases. Word on the wind was that major military installations were busy clearing and securing their local areas. That was good, except logistics had become a nightmare in the wake of the meteors. The depressing thoughts kept rolling in. Saving ourselves was definitely the best option. And the guys sitting on top of the cobbled together wall, a mix between soldiers and militia volunteers, were responsible for getting that done. Bulwark Red, as they called themselves, did their best to organize the people that were left in the city. We strode up, hailing them at the ramshackle gate. ¡°Yo! We¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Hey, Dan, that was fast. You guys got some goodies, too!¡± A man in a gray tank-top grinned, ¡°Sec, lemme get it open.¡± I nudged Daniel, ¡°Who was that one again?¡± ¡°Jake something, I don¡¯t remember.¡± Daniel shrugged, a motion I mirrored. There were a lot of people who knew our names these days. Getting as much information in the wilds as possible was a dangerous job, and Bulwark Red gave the ever-so-prestigious title of ¡°Scout¡± to anyone who was dumb enough to go out and check things out. We had our own reasons, getting supplies being the most common. Other people, even scouts, didn¡¯t really go out as often as us, save for a few people that I¡¯d only really heard about, but never met.. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a good kill. Did any of wolves show up?¡± Jake asked, looking between the two of us. ¡°Yeah, four, they¡¯re dead now. Might be more later.¡± I shrugged, not especially concerned. A few stray wolves wouldn¡¯t get over the walls, no matter how crappy they were put together. Their intelligence levels made me wonder at how they didn¡¯t accidentally kill themselves by walking off of cliffs. ¡°Yeah, anyways, I gotta field dress this deer before any longer,¡± Daniel beamed, his charismatic personality always much better than mine. ¡°Gotcha, well thanks for the heads up, we¡¯ll keep an eye out.¡± Jake shut the gate behind us. I cast a bleak glance over my shoulder, seeing five guys just sitting on the wall doing little else irritated me to no end. At the least they could form a kill-squad and get rid of some wolves. The wolves were getting worse with time, everyone knew that, it was an impossible to ignore fact. And yet, everyone was terrified of instigating them; they liked the thought that the wolves might leave us all alone. It was a pipe dream. We fought off one horde two weeks ago, nearly two thousand wolves at the walls and they broke through in several places. If people like me weren¡¯t waiting for that to happen, who knows how many more casualties we¡¯d have had. There wasn¡¯t any clear intelligence in an individual wolf, but recently it seemed that they came up with tactics that they shouldn¡¯t have had the capacity to even execute with their meager brainpower. But no, we¡¯ll just sit on our hands while the problem gets worse. ¡°You¡¯re death-glaring again,¡± Daniel chuckled, moving to a station set up for field dressing. ¡°Ah, oops.¡± I exhaled, ¡°Bad habit, must have picked up the tendency for bad habits from people sitting on their asses too long.¡± ¡°Eh, let them, someone¡¯s gotta sit on that wall. I¡¯d rather not have some random wolf come over and eat a kid in the night.¡± ¡°Touche,¡± I answered, getting up helping to gut the animal and bleed it out the rest of the way. We worked in silence until my grin widened, ¡°Wonder if there¡¯s any better rations today.¡± ¡°There¡¯d better be for this,¡± Daniel scoffed, ¡°I want me some venison.¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­ some jerky would be nice too.¡± ¡°Hell yeah.¡± ¡°Well, at least finders get to keep a third of a kill. We got a lot of herbs and stuff too.¡± I chucked the bucket of organs into another container that we¡¯d take with us. After we finished, we moved through the camp, a surprising number of people moving about. While there wasn¡¯t anyone starving, there weren¡¯t a lot of full stomachs either. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Bulwark would lock you up without rations, I suspected more than one person might have a go at stealing it from us. Granted, enough people knew about scouts to know that we weren¡¯t going to hoard it to ourselves. We weren¡¯t stupid, after all. Hoarding resources in this situation just resulted in getting beaten half to death and ending up with nothing. Ahead, we could see the trading hub, really just a huge building repurposed to help handle a large volume of goods going in. Not a lot of people were in line just yet, we were before the rush. Walking up to counter, we found the lady that we normally went to, though I thought it strange that she was here so late. I tried getting all of my trading done before noon, but meat was a rarity. She was tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, and probably worked as someone¡¯s secretary before this whole mess occured. Luckily, formal attire died with electricity, she wore a warm turtleneck sweater and skirt, complimenting her body type quite nicely. ¡°Gentlemen,¡± she greeted us as she had any other time. If she was surprised with the deer slung over Daniel¡¯s back or my bulging pack of herbs and vegetables, she did not show it. ¡°Miss Delia,¡± Daniel¡¯s beaming smile expanded. Internally I chuckled, he had quite the crush on the lady. ¡°I see you¡¯re manning the counter late, no hunting today?¡± I frowned. ¡°Hmm? Ah, yes, well with activity from the wolves increasing and the number of willing bodies to man the counters decreasing¡­¡± ¡°Short straw.¡± A wry smile graced my lips, Daniel briefly elbowing me. ¡°He¡¯s tired and grumpy. Don¡¯t mind him.¡± He shot me a dirty look. She chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s true. But if I don¡¯t do this, who will?¡± A sentiment I could agree with. I shook my head and breathed, ¡°Story of our lives. Anyways, we¡¯ve got a lot to turn in.¡± I hefted my pack onto the counter, Daniel moving to a side counter that had wax paper covering it so that the deer carcass wasn¡¯t sitting on the desk, along with the container of organs. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go ahead and check out the weight of the deer and evaluate these vegetables. For now, we¡¯ll credit you both with three hundred and modify that pending the results. Does that sound fair?¡± She smiled, knowing that the deal was quite fair. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s great,¡± Daniel was enraptured in her smile, ¡°Wanna come hang out with us again tonight? I was thinking of making some venison stew.¡± She chuckled lightly, ¡°That¡¯s tempting, I¡¯d take you up on that if I didn¡¯t have other plans tonight.¡± ¡°Date?¡± I asked, pretending to ignore the momentary stiffness in Daniel¡¯s body. ¡°Nothing like that,¡± she sighed, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ visiting my sister today.¡± My light commentary died on my tongue, ¡°I see. Well, say hello for us.¡± Daniel stirred at my side ¡°Take this too, I found it a while ago, you said she liked these.¡± He quickly produced a small music box. Fran Delia took the music box with a hint of sadness in her eyes, but gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, maybe you can visit with me one of these days. Company is always appreciated.¡± ¡°Just tell us the day.¡± I nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll be there. Maybe we¡¯ll go release some stress on wolves afterwards.¡± They nodded, Fran showing a brief moment of a familiar kind of hatred before she recollected herself. She hated the wolves as much as I did. ¡°In any case, is there anything else I can help you guys with?¡± She returned to her business mode in a flash. Daniel nodded, ¡°Well, did anyone else find another gun? We definitely need ammo too.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m afraid that while someone found a gun, it was traded for earlier. As for ammo, I take it you¡¯re looking for ammo for the hunting rifle?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± I nodded, ¡°The accounting for the bullets we used are three in total. One for the deer, two more for two wolves.¡± ¡°I see, thank you,¡± she wrote down the information, ¡°Then there won¡¯t be any particular restriction. I can give you a case of ammo for one hundred and fifty credit.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°Just deduct it half and half, he saved my ass again.¡± ¡°You make great bait.¡± I answered, to which he shook his head, Fran laughing at what wasn¡¯t at all a joke. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She moved from the desk into the back area, metal shelves full of goods. We knew that the ammo and any reserved weapons were in lockup near the back, but even knowing that we didn¡¯t have any designs on them. While I was a great shot, Daniel was only passable. We couldn¡¯t afford to try to practice his shooting either, every bullet after the power went out was being accounted for. If you showed you were incompetent with them, then you¡¯d be limited in what you could purchase. At first glance it might seem unfair, but with the fact that there would be no guaranteed way of finding more bullets, you didn¡¯t want just anyone wasting shots. For the fifth week in a row, I held the 100% accuracy goal along with a few others, though I rarely used many shots. Most of the others were army, but some were civilians. That usually gave me enough credit alone that people didn¡¯t bother me. Wasting shots was virtually criminal, now. ¡°Here you go!¡± She hefted the case on the counter before leaning in, ¡°The chief said you could have a little extra.¡± I kept my excitement in check, only a grin showing. Daniel beemed, ¡°Tell him thanks for us. Anyways, see you around.¡± ¡°Always a pleasure, you two stay safe.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± I waved over my shoulder, hefting the bullets under my arm. It felt like it was more than just a ¡®little¡¯ extra. Too bad I didn¡¯t have an automatic rifle, or a bigger clip. We made small talk with each other, Daniel saw several people that we knew as other scout¡¯s and exchanged information directly. He was the one that talked to most people, but a few times I¡¯d be asked a question, mostly tips on the lay of the land. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, and by the time we got back home, the sun was nearly setting. Our home, as it were, was a three story tall office structure near town center. We¡¯d done a good bit of work on it, converting office spaces into livable quarters. Scouts were mostly the people who lived here, an unspoken association. We worked together and jammed the stairwells with desks and furniture that weren¡¯t needed, leaving only one stairwell remotely accessible. Sometimes, we used the elevator shaft with rope to climb up to the floor we stayed on. None of us felt safe living on ground floors after the wolves raided the outer area of the city. Our fortified building would double as an emergency bunker. Our last stand. It was hard when only half of us had guns, though. Still, we climbed the stairs to the second floor, switching to the other stairwell to get to the third. We greeted those that were living there, talkative, but mellow. It was even tamer than the already sparsely packed marketplace earlier, or the communal area outside. We took an executive office overlooking city hall and a small fountain area in front of it. Across from us, city hall bustled with activity from Bulwark Red trying to organize more people into more efficient roles. It was an ongoing process, many people had starting to just give up and do nothing. ¡°We¡¯re all screwed at this rate,¡± I muttered, seeing the people too preoccupied by who had to put up the next tent, or fix the next shelf. Somehow, reality hadn¡¯t clicked with the majority of people yet. It was easier to believe a painless lie than to face the agonizing truth. This situation wasn¡¯t going to be getting any better. No one would be saving us. It would only be getting worse. Much worse, if my gut had anything to say about it. ¡°Yeah.¡± Daniel uttered, catching me off guard. He continued, ¡°What, I¡¯m not allowed to agree with you if you¡¯re right?¡± I huffed, tossing him a granola bar from our stash, ¡°Makes me sound like an ass.¡± ¡°Only most of the time.¡± Grinning, he opened the wrapper, ¡°But at least I know you¡¯re not two-faced. Most of the people down there? They¡¯d get to know me, be my friend, but that¡¯s only skin deep. They¡¯re just using each other, not thinking about what needs to be done. Not thinking about the future they¡¯re throwing away.¡± An uneasy quiet settled then, but I resolved that with a snort, ¡°I know that, but let me be the nihilist, you¡¯re no good at it.¡± ¡°What?¡± He paused, then with a smile he clicked back into his usual self, ¡°Well, I mean, I thought I played it pretty well.¡± ¡°Well, a true nihilist would admit that our situation is perfectly hopeless as is. We¡¯ll wake up one day with wolves gnawing on people down there, and realize that it¡¯s too late to mount any real resistance. Then, it¡¯d just be a game of dying slower, and knowing that because everyone else was too busy being lazy, humanity died.¡± I sat back, smiling in spite of myself. ¡°Dude¡­¡± Daniel trailed off, and my smile wiped away. Yeah, that was a little much. ¡°Sorry man, that was uncalled for.¡± ¡°No, dude, look the hell up!¡± He smacked the glass panel window, pointing at the sky. I flinched, whatever could make him shout like that had to be something interesting. The sound hit me at the same time I searched for what he was pointing at. The percussive impact and the hundreds, if not thousands, of flaming trails ripped across the sky filling my vision. ¡°No¡­ more meteors?¡± My heart nearly stopped, cold sweat broke out across my body. The culmination of human technology had only managed to break the first meteor into smaller parts. Even if this was another bunch of smaller ones, what could we do now? ¡°There¡¯s one coming this way.¡± Daniel stated, standing upright, his posture rod-straight. I always expected him to meet death head-on. We both lost all of our family in the first impacts, all that kept us going was the will to survive. That, and the hunger for revenge. I stood next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He nodded to me, before we turned out gaze back to the balls of fire. ¡°Hold up¡­ it¡¯s slowing down?¡± I blinked, glaring at the orb of fire. In the first place, it wasn¡¯t as bright as it should have been. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Yeah. This isn¡¯t a meteor.¡± I grit my teeth, immediately snapping up the rifle and loading it with bullets. I stuffed a handful into my jacket, there was a chance things were still about to get very bad. Daniel pulled on makeshift armor that he¡¯d been working on. He only had the arms and legs done, but they¡¯d have to do. ¡°Wish I had a gun right now.¡± ¡°I wish we had a real army. Help me with this desk.¡± I started hauling the oversized wooden desk to the window. If the glass shattered, I¡¯d rather be behind cover. We nestled in, watching the object approach and get larger, and larger. Chapter 2 Lifeline The object approached the city square, though I couldn¡¯t tell by looking directly at it. I only knew because of the shuddering that rattled through the building. We watched it along with everyone in the city, a large black obelisk that stood as tall as a five story building. It was about one hundred feet in circumference, and when it finally came into view above, there was no denying that it wasn¡¯t a simple meteor. The fact that it sank toward the ground, slowing as it went was more than enough to indicated that. I expected heat, but the only thing I noticed was this palpable sense of force weighing on me. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Daniel glared at the thing, clearly unnerved. I shook my head, ¡°Clear surface, black material, I don¡¯t know it. Maybe obsidian? Why you¡¯d build out of that, I don¡¯t know. No thrusters, it¡¯s just¡­ falling. Slowly.¡± I blinked, ¡°Gravity? That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯d be pretty heavy technology. I can¡¯t even begin to think-¡± ¡°Okay, got it, it¡¯s freaky as hell.¡± He rolled his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s aggressive, at least, not excessively.¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Would you care what a bunch of ants were doing around your feet if you knew you could just wipe them out instantly?¡± I shook my head, ¡°But, that being the case, they have no reason to be here. We don¡¯t have any unique resources. The wolves are one thing, they¡¯re dumb as hell. Whatever made this is... definitely sentient.¡± ¡°More aliens.¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°Awesome. Maybe they¡¯ll be nice?¡± I said nothing to that. What would they possibly gain by helping us? I¡¯d like to say that a naive species helping us out of this predicament would be welcome. But that was unlikely to an extreme. How far would you have to travel? What kind of resources would you need? There were thousands of these pillars flying across the sky, who would put that much effort in? And why? I shook my head, I¡¯d have my answer soon. ¡°Lets go.¡± I stood and packed up a collection of objects. For a moment I thought about leaving the rifle, but with a shrug I shouldered the strap. If these things responded negatively to me carrying a weapon, then they probably weren¡¯t here to help. And then it wouldn¡¯t matter anyways. We stood in front of the building, though Daniel and I were still apprehensive about being at ground zero. Still, he stayed at my side as we watched, his short black hair and my long brown hair - even bound as it was - fluttering unnaturally against our heads. Contrary to what I expected, as the obelisk neared the ground, now only a few dozen feet to go, the force it exerted didn¡¯t increase. If anything, it felt like it dispersed more. I blinked, feeling my heart hammering in my chest. Briefly I looked back to Daniel, who stood transfixed by the sight before us. Just stay put, I willed myself. My legs shook, goosebumps rose across my flesh. I had to fight to keep from darting away to cover. Before my will snapped, the obelisk stopped falling. A foot of space beneath it, I wondered if it would simply remain suspended in the air. As if in response to my thought, shimmering light like flowing rivers of mercury flowed from the surface of the obelisk. Intricate designs flourished, the light solidifying as it went. Channels for the fountain that had been beneath the obelisk appeared, and in moments water started pouring through them. The pressure in the air started to dissipate even further, and I realized the sensation of the ground shaking was the obelisk setting firmly against its freshly created foundation. A foundation made of some kind of pure white material, sharply contrasting the black of the space-borne object. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Daniel gawked, stepping up to the object. In spite of a warning on my tongue, I found that I couldn¡¯t keep my curiosity in check either. Fear still sat at the back of my mind, but seeing something materialize out of thin air did wonders for overpowering it. A sudden high pitched sound rang in my ears. It was subtle, and I quirked an eyebrow as I looked around for its source. Everywhere at once seemed to be ringing, and Daniel seemed to be just as perplexed. Others that I could see exhibited the same motions. Likewise, we all seemed to clamp our hands over our ears when the volume ramped up sharply. It was like a solid slap in the skull, and it passed just as quickly. [Initializing¡­ Connection established. Welcome ¡®User¡¯! Would you like to change your user name from ¡®User¡¯ to something else?] ¡°What the fuck?¡± I started, looking to Daniel, who had gone pale, seeming to hear the same thing. [Unknown command. Confirming verbal database. Confirmed. Please give a command to prompt: Would you like to change your user name from ¡®User¡¯ to something else?] ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, I guess.¡± I blinked in complete confusion as Daniel was doing the same thing. Some others were freaking out across the way, but after a few seconds they seemed to calm enough to start shaking their heads. [Command accepted, username will be changed, what designation would ¡®User¡¯ like to use?] ¡°My name, Matthew Todd.¡± I stood a little straighter, curiosity now firmly overpowering my sense of fear. [Welcome user ¡®Matthew Todd,¡¯ the introduction program will begin shortly. There will be no video, only audio. We wish you luck in the ¡®Rescue and Investment¡¯ program and your continued existence!] ¡°What?...¡± Mouth suddenly dry, I turned to Daniel, feeling as though the voice wasn¡¯t going to communicate with me at the moment. ¡°Hey, did you hear something about Rescue and Investment just now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡± He shook his head. A moment later, more sound entered my head. [¡°Good day to you, Human of Earth. I am Yamak Rettle, the Artorian Company¡¯s President.¡±] A deep voice began, shaking me from my thoughts. [¡°You must be very confused right now, perhaps even afraid. While I would like to take the time to explain the situation you find yourself in with depth, I don¡¯t have the time to give. And neither do you. At this very moment, your planet is more than likely overrun with a synthetic species that other sentient races in the galaxy call biotics. If you don¡¯t understand some of those details, I¡¯ll simplify it for you down to the parts that matter. There is an active and virulent invasion happening on your world. Make no mistake, those monsters you¡¯ve been seeing are nothing compared to what will come if they are allowed to survive. Biotics are driven, consuming, and unrelenting. They will grow stronger and stronger until they cover every square inch of your world, before eventually shattering it into a trillion pieces.¡±] ¡°Holy shit.¡± I swallowed. Whoever this guy was, he wasn¡¯t mincing words. Maybe this would give some people the kick in the ass they needed, but from what it sounded like, this wasn¡¯t something that could be dealt with even if we did band together. We were too disparate and under-armed. [¡°You might be thinking that there is no way to defeat these creatures right now.¡±] He spoke, like he was reading my mind. [¡°Alone, you might be right. Even advanced species like ours are wading through hell to get rid of the higher forms of the biotics. With primitive technology, you can get away with killing the hounds and such with rocks and spears. But you¡¯ll lose against the rest, eventually.¡±] ¡°Way to go, great morale boost.¡± I rolled my eyes, the alien didn¡¯t seem to realize we weren¡¯t in the stone age anymore, either. [¡°Luckily, these obelisks can be your lifeline. Biotics contain a special form of energy, this energy is dense, and even the most basic of biotics has it. Matter Energy. Like the foundation beneath this obelisk here, you too can create objects. The more biotics you kill, the more M.E. you obtain, the more you can exchange for at the obelisk. You¡¯ll understand when you work with it, but, it should be fairly obvious what you can do with it.¡±] The sound paused, a smile to the voice. I didn¡¯t even need a moment to understand that he was referring to weapons, the achilles heel to my entire plan. What else could we do with it, I didn¡¯t know at that moment, but that was the single most important thing to me. [¡°One last thing. I don¡¯t know the state of development your world is at in this moment in time, but I do know that the obelisks will utilize your level of technology to familiarize yourselves slowly with higher grades of weapons and the like. You shouldn¡¯t have any issues using it, but do feel free to use some of the more advanced technologies. I¡¯ve given you all a small sum of M.E. to start you off. You can access the obelisk and your available M.E. simply by thinking. Good luck, and good hunting.¡±] And then the sound stopped. I frowned, looking to Daniel, equally stupefied. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what just happened.¡± Glaring at the obelisk, I considered everything the voice had said. ¡°Well, let me try something.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he stared at me, interested in whatever I was planning. Commands, that¡¯s probably what the system required. That¡¯s what it asked for before, and it responded quickly. I might look quite silly if it didn¡¯t work, but I didn¡¯t have time to worry about that.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Open system shop.¡± I spoke clearly, thinking about the obelisk. Daniel quirked a brow, and for a moment it didn¡¯t seem like anything was happening. Then the back of my hand heated up, and I yelped. Suddenly, I found a small discoloration there, shaped like a diamond. The next moment, an image popped up in front of me. ¡°It worked.¡± ¡°What worked?¡± Daniel frowned. ¡°Say what I said, you¡¯ll have a menu in front of your face in like five seconds.¡± ¡°For real? Cool,¡± he chuckled, ¡°System shop.¡± I frowned, looking to him, seeing him jump at the feeling of his hand. When I looked closely, I realized I could see what looked like a screen overlaid on his retina. ¡°Huh, so it responds to multiple command types. Interesting.¡± ¡°This is freaky.¡± He laughed, ¡°Lets see¡­ looks like I¡¯ve got 100 M.E., what about you?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I looked around, seeing my allocated ¡®M.E.¡¯ in the bottom right corner, ¡°Oh, 100 M.E. also.¡± I put a hand to my chin, thinking to myself about what I was seeing. As I did so, I thought about the rifle. A moment later, a duplicate version of the rifle entered my vision, costing 5 M.E., and a panel that said ¡®Generate¡¯ beneath it. I smiled. I checked another device, immediately thinking of the largest destructive device I could recall. ¡°Damn, 10,000 M.E. for that?¡± I blinked. ¡°What the hell are you looking at that costs 10,000 M.E.?¡± Daniel balked. ¡°Err, nothing.¡± I coughed, scrolling to the least expensive version of the device. A grin spread across my face, ¡°Say, I couldn¡¯t convince you to get a launcher with a control panel for smart projectiles, could I?¡± ¡°Why would I¡­¡± he trailed off before a grin appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll get a good one. You gotta fire it though, okay?¡± An hour later, under cover of darkness, we stalked through the underbrush. We told no one where we were going, and we ensured that no one was following us. What we were doing right now was incredibly dangerous, and in spite of Daniel¡¯s faith in me, I briefly wondered if what I was doing was at all sane. But, if biotics really did get stronger the longer you left them alone, then it¡¯d be for the best to get rid of them now. From what the system told me about my armaments, and about the launcher I had, we should be fine. We learned a few things about the obelisk system as we went. The first thing was that you could ¡®hold¡¯ the M.E. that was generating an object for thirty minutes. The mark on my hand felt warm during that time, and I imagined that it was, somehow, storing that energy. It was freaking me out a bit though. Though, after we were out of the city, I felt it was safe enough to unveil the device, as well as the launcher. We kept the safety measure active, and even then I dreaded the slightest leaf touching it. That said, Daniel carried the rifle, spear, and the new pistol he purchased from the obelisk for 5 M.E. Value of the item was less the issue, it was the mass of the item that seemed to be more important along with complexity. Or the materials. It was terrifying knowing the object I¡¯d purchased was for 95 M.E. ¡°Alright, they should be in the den for another hour or two.¡± I reassured myself as we came up to a high ridge, overlooking a forested area. ¡°Hopefully they haven¡¯t changed that too.¡± Daniel swallowed, well aware that if they had then we¡¯d be surrounded by hundreds of wolves. Biotics, wolf form biotics. They had a larger classification now. ¡°Alright, this should be fine, I can see where the hive is from here.¡± I breathed, setting up in an area with fewer trees. ¡°Are we close enough?¡± Daniel frowned, seeing that we were several city blocks away. ¡°If anything, I¡¯m worried that we¡¯re too close¡­ but I don¡¯t know any better spot.¡± I shook my head, come on, let''s set up the launcher.¡± He handed me the bulky launcher, and we carefully opened up the loading bay. It was something that was only vaguely reminiscent of any kind of launcher I¡¯d ever seen. Still, it was an intuitive weapon, and the silver shine of the cartridge I placed into the tube clicked into place. Wrapped around it was a surprisingly advanced¡­ thing. The best word I had for it was a drone, the shell would be able to home in on a predesignated target, or in our case, be controlled directly. ¡°Alright, ready.¡± ¡°Last chance to talk me out of this.¡± I swallowed hard, knowing what we were doing with this was reckless, and probably stupid. ¡°Nah, I want this too. If anyone¡¯s going to kill that hive, I want it to be us.¡± Daniel nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ you¡¯re right, I¡¯d hate if someone stole it from us.¡± I smiled, and then blinked as a notification lit up in my eye. [You are currently using a launcher allocated to another user ¡®Daniel Drake¡¯ and will not be able to fire the weapon. Please return the device or engage the ¡®Trade¡¯ or ¡®Loan¡¯ function with ¡®Daniel Drake¡¯ to continue.] ¡°Huh, it looks like the system doesn¡¯t let people use each others weapons if they aren¡¯t traded through the obelisk?¡± I blinked, ¡°How the hell does it even know though?¡± ¡°I just got a similar notification, it said you were an ¡®Illegal User.¡¯ That¡¯s pretty handy, don¡¯t have to worry about our gear getting stolen and used.¡± He smiled, and in spite of myself I found the safety measure rather insightful. It made sense, otherwise someone would try to steal from you eventually. ¡°Engage ¡®Loan¡¯ function,¡± Daniel spoke with interest, looking at me as he did so. [¡®Daniel Drake¡¯ is offering a ¡®Loan,¡¯ do you accept? Doing so will place you in a kill-team together, you must return the weapon before leaving party. Other standard kill-team conditions will be unchanged.] ¡°Accept. Looks like we¡¯re in a kill-team now.¡± I looked to Daniel, seeing a strange purple diamond appear over his head. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s freaky.¡± ¡°Red hexagon?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯m seeing a purple diamond over your head.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Well, must be for preventing friendly fire or something.¡± ¡°Cool. Weird, but cool.¡± He sat down next to me, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll figure out what that¡¯s good for later. Let¡¯s blow that hive up and go home.¡± I nodded, setting myself up. Instinctively my hands moved over safety switches, powering the console for the launcher, and set it to manual control. ¡°Have you used one of these before?¡± Daniel asked, surprised. ¡°No¡­ I think the safety is, err, built in? At least general stuff for the weapon?¡± I frowned, looking at the small mark on the back of my hand. It was able to augment memory. That was incredibly useful, but also terrifying for what that meant it could do to me. I didn¡¯t want to think about that anymore at the moment. Steeling myself, I sighted the launcher, aiming at the entrance to the hive. Several tunnels bored into the mound of wood. It looked like the trees had been warped and fused together, forming a fifty foot tall tree that dwarfed the rest of the trees in the vicinity. In fact, few trees were even left standing next to it. That would make the shot easier. I breathed, relaxing my pulse. I pulled the trigger, expecting the roar of a rocket. Instead, an electrical crackle filled the air, ionization setting my hair standing on end. The projectile shot out quickly though, and with very little sound. Stunned, I fumbled with the controller for a second. A joy-stick and lever controlled the projectile. It was nearly identical to the video games that I¡¯d played with flying, and that let me fall into rhythm after a few seconds. ¡°Please don¡¯t make it do that wiggle again,¡± Daniel¡¯s fists clenched pale white against the log nearby, unsettled at the projectile. ¡°Sorry,¡± I grimaced as I put the rocket on target, flying fast. The control was superb, and the lever scaled the speed up and down. Daniel watched as the hive loomed, and I slowed the projectile enough to have easier control over its turning. I was working to navigate it deeper when I dove into the entrance, sliding down what seemed like catacombs of roots and dirt. Down and down we circled, and I couldn¡¯t help but think that the complexity was remarkable considering what had made it. Finally the camera began picking up stragglers, wolves going deeper into the den. Seconds later the view expanded into a large hollow, full of wolves laying across the ground. It was an ocean of amalgamated fur and mineral, and larger creatures that I couldn¡¯t identify settled closer to the center. They looked like bears, if a bear had thick razors for fur and was birthed by a demon fused with granite. In the very center I could see something that shined, a pale white light, like silver, and it bathed the room in its glow. ¡°What is that?¡± Daniel frowned. ¡°Our target, I¡¯d guess.¡± I grit my teeth, pointing straight at it with the device. I flipped the switch to full-throttle. We braced ourselves as the drone casing exploded, followed swiftly by its payload. The mini-nuke erupted, a second later we felt the blast. It looked like the ground had taken a deep breath, expanding upwards before collapsing downwards. Heat, fire, and smoke flew from the cracks. We stared at it. A reminder came to mind too late. One that said to always cover when there was an explosion. The stone hurdled through the air, whistling as it grazed Daniel¡¯s face. He spun at the contact, more out of reflex than damage. ¡°Oh, shit.¡± My stomach sank. He laughed, ¡°Whoa, that was close.¡± ¡°We need to get you medical care, now.¡± Panic leapt into my voice. ¡°What? Dude, it¡¯s just a cut.¡± ¡°Yeah, a fucking cut from an explosion from a nuclear bomb.¡± His eyes suddenly went wide. ¡°Shit.¡± He breathed, looking around, ¡°W-well, maybe there¡¯s some radiation pills or some shit from the obelisk? We¡¯ve gotta have a ton of M.E. after that, right?¡± ¡°Uh, right, yeah,¡± I sat, jumping as more debris crashed down a few dozen feet from us. ¡°System, show current M.E.¡± I called out. What I saw made my stomach sink. ¡°How could this be?¡± The words were cliche, but the sheer incredulity at what I saw floored me. ¡°What? Show current M.E.¡± He looked to his own. We were both greeted with a stock of negative eight hundred thousand M.E. We¡¯d gained nothing, we¡¯d lost hundreds of times more than what we¡¯d even started with. [Use of environmental damaging weapons detected. Updated general use information to release to population.] Another notification popped up, this one likely going to everyone on the planet. [Due to unpredicted factors, the obelisk system will now only deploy weapons known as ¡®Nuclear Weapons¡¯ when paired with specific classes. This is due to detrimental effect to the environment and to human life. Be advised, anyone currently armed with these devices will have them refunded at the nearest obelisk. Penalties for long-term environmental damage, especially in the cases of damaging other humans, is hefty. Please keep this in mind.] ¡°You¡¯re fucking serious?¡± Daniel blanched, ¡°Why the fuck wasn¡¯t this mentioned?¡± I gaped, still awestruck at the situation. [Specialized Intelligence System activated. S.I.S. responding to query¡­ please wait while connection established.] We looked at each other as both of our hands burned, an outer layer appearing around them. A diamond sat now within a large triangular pattern, the lines far more in depth and delicate. It was complicated, several interior lines burning into our skins so fast that the pain receptors simply fizzled before we could feel any pain. [Greetings, Daniel and Matthew. I believe you will have some questions for me?] A robotic, feminine voice called in both of our ears, clearer and far more distinct than the previous voice was. ¡°You could say that¡­¡± Chapter 3 The Deal I looked around, we weren¡¯t exactly in safe territory. So having our conversation with the obelisk A.I. didn¡¯t sound like a wonderful idea. In spite of that, it didn¡¯t seem to pay any heed to our situation. [To answer your query, my systems on this world have only just begun to fully come online. Technology that is rated as too dangerous is only filtered at the end of my initialization phase.] At this point, a mannequin version of a human began to flicker into existence. The formation on the back of my hand burned again, but only briefly, as the hologram appeared in front of myself and Daniel. ¡°Whoa.¡± Daniel looked to the digital avatar, ¡°This is crazy.¡± [Your sense of wonderment aside,] the avatar looked to Daniel, [I would like to extend an official apology. I am Specialised Intelligence System, you may refer to me by my acronym, ¡®Sis,¡¯ most sentient species do.] ¡°If you say so,¡± I uttered, ¡°Now, back to what¡¯s going on?¡± [Certainly, though, given a human¡¯s processing capacities, I¡¯m certain that you should be able to ascertain the meaning of this. First of all, my safety systems were designed to fully come online as quickly as possible. Merely an hour.] It crossed its arms as it looked to us, a fluid motion that felt wrong coming from the puppet-looking thing. [And yet, we¡¯ve never had the problem where such a destructive technology was available from a species. The chances were low, and a case could be argued that you should have been aware of the danger of using a nuclear device.] ¡°Well... I can¡¯t deny that it was very dangerous.¡± I grit my teeth, ¡°I assumed a ¡®mini-nuke¡¯ to be weaker than it turned out to be¡­¡± [Your desire to destroy this hive outweighed your logical thinking.] It candidly berated me, [It was a foolish decision, and if you reflect on it honestly you¡¯d find my assessment to be correct.] I sat there silently, seeing the look on Daniel¡¯s face, shamed as mine was, I couldn¡¯t manage to utter a single measure in our defense. After all, it was right, we were both much smarter than this. Desperation and the sudden introduction of a weapon that could get us revenge clouded our judgement. That didn¡¯t mean I felt good about being told that, though. [But, it would be against my protocols to drown the both of you in debt before you could ever do anything else. And¡­] It leaned towards Daniel, gesturing towards him with an outstretched blue hand. Energy shot out, a thin horizontal line that started at Daniel¡¯s feet. In a few seconds, the line shot up his body, seeming to glide through him. It passed him, and disappeared, leaving him intact and confused. Daniel patted his body and spoke¡°What did you just do?¡± [Purging the radiation from your body. Like most creatures, humans find radiation fatal at high doses. For instance, the radiation introduced directly to your head from a fragment of a nuclear-based explosion.] It swept it¡¯s hand, [Ordinarily, I would charge you another sum of M.E. for the procedure, but it pales in comparison to your debt as is.] I sighed, ¡°You said it¡¯d be against your protocol to put us in that much debt, so what does that mean for us?¡± It took me by surprise when the vaguest outline of a smirk emerged on its face, [I give you an alternative. You can either be indebted to me, or, enter the ¡®Bounty Hunter¡¯ system and complete tasks for me.] Daniel was the first to respond ¡°How long would it take to earn back eight hundred thousand M.E.?¡± Good idea, check and see what our alternative timeline might be. I nodded and waited for the answer. [Assuming the current rate of growth of biotics on this world, you would need to pursue and hunt lesser biotics for a year non-stop. That, of course, also being that you would not benefit from the M.E. system or obelisks until your task was finished.] ¡°So we¡¯d be screwed on ammo and weapons.¡± I scoffed, ¡°Then a year would be a best case scenario¡­¡± [Accurate assessment, the ¡®Bounty Hunt¡¯ system would annul your negative M.E. from this occasion as a gesture of goodwill from myself. You will, of course, be expected to pursue bounties and quests from me. They will get harder, and you will not be exempt from them. If you refuse a bounty, you will have to pay a proportional amount of M.E. as well as be penalized from accessing the obelisks for a certain amount of time.] Sis then turned a bit more upbeat, [Do not be disillusioned, I do not intend to send you to certain death. Provided your species is half as aggressive as you two have proven to be, I do not believe the biotic threat will be allowed to spiral out of control.] I sat there, thinking, even as the residual crackle of heat from our mini-nuke continued to melt the remnants of the hive. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked, seeing Daniel¡¯s gaze harden. ¡°I think that I¡¯d rather be a Bounty Hunter than a beggar. Let''s do it.¡± ¡°When you put it that way¡­¡± [Then it is decided.] The mannequin swept its hand before us. A wave of energy seemed to permeate us. It stood still, the tingle of electricity dancing across my skin and setting my hair on end. After a few more seconds it stopped, more human features appearing on it as it did so. [Congratulations on becoming my first bounty hunters on this world. Now I have a few¡­] Mid sentence it stopped, head snapping to the side like it was focused on something far off. [Hmm? It seems you¡¯ve gained access to something interesting.] A sudden hammering strike on the inside of my head kept me from asking a question. The mark on my hand burned, changing shape, the hexagon form distorting to what looked like a skull. It felt like a blot of magma sat on my hand, and that pain bit deep into my flesh. It took a minute for the pain to subside, and in that time I glared at Sis. ¡°The hell was that about?¡± [The both of you have acquired a ¡®Class,¡¯ something akin to an association. You both have acquired rather rare classes, congratulations. You¡¯ve acquired their brands.] ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be elective?¡± I frowned, ¡°I didn¡¯t choose a class.¡± [Classes are¡­ special cases. It¡¯s true that some of them are rather overbearing, but I don¡¯t believe you will find them against your liking. If you do, however, I may be capable of removing them, but there would be no guarantee of getting another. I would suggest trying them out yourself, though, before making a choice.] After she finished, I tried bringing up the idea of my class in my head. The notification appeared at the same time. The notification appeared, and a moment later another line appeared beneath it. Okay, that was pretty hardcore. ¡°This makes me sound like a psychopath¡­¡± I murmured, glancing over to Daniel. Over his head, I could see a word. ¡°Dreadnought? Is that your class?¡± I asked, seeing something in brackets over his head. He turned his eyes to me, shuddering momentarily, ¡°Uh, yeah. It says I survived a lethal injury that should have killed me, and aided in dealing catastrophic damage. It also feels like it¡¯s calling me a battle-junkie and that I like fist-fighting bears.¡± I laughed, ¡°Accurate. Mine¡¯s making me sound like I murder people for fun.¡± ¡°Reaper, though, eh? That¡¯s pretty badass.¡± ¡°So is yours.¡± I turned my attention to Sis, who still stood there patiently, ¡°So what do these do?¡± [They give access to separate libraries of equipment and technology specific to the class. In many cases, a rarer class has access to superior weapons. There are a lot of benefits to it, though many won¡¯t matter to you as of yet. You¡¯ll likely gain access to certain specific benefits the next time you go near the obelisks. And¡­] It hesitated, [I¡­ Well, there may be some discomfort. As I said, some classes are very¡­ overwhelming.] ¡°Sounds like fun¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°What about the radiation over there? Do we let everyone know not to go near it?¡± Daniel asked, worried at the prospect that someone might wander into a radioactive zone. [That will be taken care of soon. An obelisk fragment will be by shortly to handle it. Now, is that all? Apparently some fo--Err, another enterprising individual on your world is trying to utilize biological warfare without any concern for the impact on their fellows.] Aside from an A.I. nearly calling us fools, I could think of nothing else at the moment to bring up. ¡°Wait up, one last thing.¡± Daniel remembered something, ¡°The Rescue and Investment plan, what is that?¡± Sis sighed, [Ah, yes, unfortunately that man didn¡¯t give you any information on that. He likely hadn¡¯t thought it important. The Rescue and Investment plan is designed to attract capital to send aid to worlds like this one that are under biotic threat. It works under the prospect that a certain amount of M.E. gained from slaying biotics is sent to the investor. These investors tend to be individuals fighting against stronger colonies of biotics elsewhere, though a few are also creating goods with them. They are limited in what they are allowed to make with M.E. This is to prevent abusal of the system by seeding planets with biotics and forcing native populations into a form of slave labor.]Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°That was quite informative, thank you,¡± I scratched my head looking to Daniel who simply shrugged. [Any time. Good luck with your future endeavors. I would suggest returning to the nearest obelisk to acquire your guild rewards. Until next time, then, and hopefully under better circumstances.] A moment later, Sis vanished from view, and the electric pulse in the air vanished all at once. I turned my gaze back to where the hive had been. Smoke still belched from the pit in the ground, the trees nearest to it aflame. I doubted anything could have survived that, and now that it was done, I felt like we¡¯d been very lucky. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Daniel shook his head. I nodded, both of us shuffling back towards the city. It was dark out, the moon obscured by the smoke overhead. Even so, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was a little brighter than usual. We¡¯d finally gotten rid of the hive, some small amount of closure. But it was clear that this was far from an end goal. ¡°So I guess somebody out there is benefitting from us killing these things.¡± Daniel muttered. ¡°I can trust that, at least. It was a little sketch that they were helping us for no reason anyways.¡± ¡°Man, you still really don¡¯t believe in people at all?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve been right so far.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Daniel then mumbled something under his breath. We walked in silence until we hit the outskirts. It didn¡¯t take long for us to start seeing signs of life. The guards at the wall let us through, talking about the explosion that happened nearby. Stoically, we pretended to accept their warnings that weird things were happening, and made our way to our office building. What greeted us was a clot of people gathered all around the obelisk. Both of us sighed, pushing through the group of people and moving towards our home. Until we found a loose barrier manned by soldiers from Bulwark Red. ¡°Yo, I live there, let me through.¡± Daniel walked up to a man. The soldier didn¡¯t bat an eye. ¡°Sure you do. Stay back behind the line.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, I¡¯m Daniel, one of the scouts, this is Matthew, another scout. Get any superior above you over here and they can verify.¡± ¡°So you can slip by? I¡¯ve already heard that one. Get back.¡± The man stonewalled us, something incredibly frustrating considering how much we¡¯d done to help keep things together. ¡°Hey, buddy.¡± I walked up to the soldier, ¡°Is Harold your superior, or is it Maddoc today?¡± ¡°Oh, so you know some names, am I supposed to be impressed?¡± He scowled. It took every fiber of my being not to kick him in the face. ¡°Which is it?¡± My voice went cold, ¡°Harold, or Maddoc?¡± He spoke again, ¡°None of your business, get the fuck back or I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°If you finish that sentence, you¡¯ll be drinking out of a straw for the next month.¡± Daniel stepped forward. The man swallowed hard at the imposing form Daniel made. ¡°Forget it,¡± I shook my head, patting Daniel on the shoulder, ¡°He¡¯s spent too long sitting on his ass and not using his head. Let''s go.¡± I took a good look at his features then. Short-cut brown hair, a scar along his chin, a barely visible tattoo on his right shoulder and touching his collarbone. We started walking away, and he opened his mouth to say something. I¡¯d had enough of his nonsense though, ¡°Sucks that you¡¯ve got such a recognizable face. Good luck with that.¡± Whatever he was going to say died on his tongue. We walked away, and I didn¡¯t bother looking back. ¡°I don¡¯t know his name,¡± Daniel muttered, ¡°Shame, the guys an idiot.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± I murmured. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re not getting back into our house the normal way.¡± Daniel frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go through the other way.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, neither of us was especially enfranchised to the idea of going through the sewer to the manhole next to the building. ¡°Daniel!¡± A voice cut over the noise, catching our attention. A blonde haired woman wearing a sweater waved to us from the front of the barricade, not far from the spot where we¡¯d just been rejected. We exchanged shrugs, she probably was at the obelisk within the hour. Wading through the crowd, I started elbowing people when they didn¡¯t move. They didn¡¯t start anything with Daniel next to me, though I wasn¡¯t in any particular mood to care. The Bulwark pissed me off with this one. We walked up, seeing Fran gesture us through the line, a few of the Bulwark guards shifting out of the way for it. She outranked them, though official rank had nothing to do with it. ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± I cut off the greeting Fran had. She fumbled for a moment, ¡°Err, well it¡¯s to protect people from getting too close to the obelisk.¡± Daniel put a hand on my shoulder, ¡°We just got turned away from our residence by an asshat on the line. We¡¯re both a little upset.¡± She frowned, ¡°I see. Then it seems some discipline is in order. Who was it?¡± Her chilly tone set a nervous chuckle from Daniel, but I couldn¡¯t help but grin, ¡°Some guy, six foot, moderate build, scar along the left side of his face and chin. He had some kind of tattoo along his right shoulder and up to his neck.¡± With a nod she sent someone to go and fetch the individual in question. In a little under a minute, the man was brought to us, a notably paler complexion on his face. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I had no idea they were your friends.¡± He spoke quickly, trying to defend himself, though I had the feeling he might have just been making it worse. ¡°And what makes you think that it would matter if they were my friends?¡± Fran admonished him, ¡°The fact of the matter was that anyone who said they were a scout or lived in this area would need to be cleared by a superior officer. Did they say they were scouts, or that they lived in the area?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t recall Ma¡¯am.¡± He blurted out, and I immediately felt my heart-rate skyrocket. Fran took one look at our faces and shook her head. ¡°It seems you think lying will get you out of punishment. You¡¯re dismissed, the captain will decide your punishment.¡± She turned from him, a dark mood resting over her. ¡°Y-yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± He managed, stalking off, fuming as he went. ¡°Prick.¡± I muttered, returning my gaze to Fran. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you guys had to deal with that,¡± she sighed, ¡°But, I do hope that you don¡¯t hold the Bulwark as a whole responsible. We¡¯re all dealing with this thing as best as we can.¡± ¡°Keeping people away from it?¡± Daniel asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be doing the opposite?¡± She started to say something, and then faltered, ¡°It¡¯s the chief¡¯s decision, and we don¡¯t know if what it said is the truth.¡± ¡°We can verify its claims of being able to use that M.E. stuff. We were here when it landed, and killing biotics gives some of that energy. That pistol Daniel has was made of the stuff.¡± I gestured, to which Daniel nodded. ¡°Take a look, it¡¯s the real deal.¡± He handed it over. After inspecting the gun for a moment, Fran nodded, ¡°So it seems. Do the things that come out of it actually work?¡± Daniel and I looked at eachother, ¡°Painfully well, yeah.¡± ¡°E-even so, it¡¯s not really my call. I¡¯d like to be able to put it to use.¡± Fran sighed, ¡°But we don¡¯t really know anything about it. Some random object falls from space and gives us a message, and we¡¯re supposed to just believe it? Why would it even help us? What limitations are there?¡± She shook her head, ¡°Not knowing these things, there¡¯s a lot of people among the higher-ups that think we shouldn¡¯t be so quick to let people have a go at it. Heck, someone even already used a nuke from what I gathered, could you imagine if someone used that in a city?¡± I glowed a shade of red, ¡°Well, obviously that¡¯d be bad. But the system¡¯s already advanced enough now, it should keep things like that from happening again.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± A deep voiced man spoke, catching us off guard. ¡°James Maddoc,¡± Daniel nodded to him, holding out his hand, ¡°Good to see you again, man.¡± He smiled, clasping James¡¯ hand, ¡°Likewise. Glad you two are alright. Things have gotten a little crazy.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can tell,¡± I glanced over my shoulder, seeing the mass of people increasing. Soon, the Bulwark wouldn¡¯t have a choice in letting people through. ¡°You said something about the system, what did you mean?¡± He frowned, crossing his arms. I opened my mouth, but Daniel put a hand up, ¡°This is something we might wanna talk about in private?¡± Reluctantly, I nodded. I wanted to try to keep the people I had to talk with to a minimum. James¡¯ eyebrow rose, ¡°Hmm? Alright, well, we¡¯ve got a tent with some higher-ups. Would you mind saying it in front of them?¡± My blood froze a bit, I really didn¡¯t want to talk to them. I shook my head, resignation in my voice, ¡°If we have too, but¡­ yeah, okay, fine.¡± He chuckled, leading us onwards. The four of us crossed the courtyard, coming close to the obelisk. Daniel and I looked up to it, the shiny black surface coursing with light trails of silver light. [Class rewards will now be distributed.] ¡°Oh, right.¡± I remembered what Sis had said, ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, but we obtained something called classes, not that I know what that is. But we¡¯re supposed to get something right now.¡± ¡°What? Like a package or something?¡± James turned, pausing. I shrugged. ¡°Dunno, just... ¡° I started, before suddenly feeling an itching behind my right eye. ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡± Daniel shouted, a tide of mercury energy suddenly surging around his feet. It expanded seemingly instantly, encasing him in a bubble that rapidly took shape. Morphing and flowing, those that saw what happened gasped, and more than a few people screamed and fled. The crowd dispersed to a fraction of its size in a handful of seconds. The liquid changed shape quickly, flattening and broadening out, forming limbs and sinews of iron. Within moments, a towering, bulky man-shaped machine stood before me. It held its arms up, looking at it¡¯s steel hands, plates flexing roughly around to allow the movement. The silver color had changed to a darker grey. ¡°Holy crap, what just happened?¡± Daniel shouted, his voice sounding robotic. As he calmed down, the hiss of pressurized air blasted through the air, and the back of the machine opened. The top half hunched over like a gorilla, knuckles touching the ground. Daniel was completely unharmed, wrapped in the mech like a glove. They marveled at the sight. I did too, I saw everything in perfect clarity, every moment, every detail. While his transformation was external, mine was mostly internal. I was on my knees, unable to move, my entire body numbed as I felt something shift though my body. My right eye went blind at the beginning of Daniels transformation. By the time it was finished, I could see every plate, every piston, like it was rendered in razor sharp clarity. Heat, light, energy, I could see so much at once, and I felt like my body was more responsive. ¡°Matthew?¡± Daniel turned to see me, ¡°Matt! You okay?¡± He pried himself from the mech, ¡°You¡¯re bleedin¡¯ man, what¡¯s going on?¡± I tried to speak, but the numbness wasn¡¯t gone. I swallowed hard, lifting my arms to try wave him off. He caught me as I started falling, shaking me as he looked into my eyes. ¡°Holy shit, dude¡­ what the fuck happened to your eye?¡± He turned my head sideways, looking into my right eye. It was like I¡¯d been half blind before, I was able to detect every twitch on his face. James brought a flashlight up, flashing it into my eyes. The light dimmed to a manageable level when it went over my right eye. I could see the bulb within, the contents bare. Sensation returned to me all at once with a gasp, ¡°Jesus christ, Sis, a bit more of a heads up woulda been nice!¡± ¡°Matt! What happened?¡± Daniel set me back up, glancing over his shoulder, only now seeing the imposing form of the nine foot tall exo suit. ¡°I think I was just numbed for a surgical procedure,¡± I guessed, ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure my eyeball is different.¡± ¡°Yeah, dude, it¡¯s all red and black.¡± Daniel breathed out, ¡°You¡¯ve got like a tear of blood down your cheek too, looks like it wasn¡¯t gentle.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t feel a damn thing,¡± I shook my head, ¡°This is trippy as hell.¡± ¡°That obelisk is dangerous,¡± James frowned, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Maybe we should keep people away from it after all.¡± ¡°No, no wait a minute,¡± I jolted, feeling a rush or urgency. Yes, I didn¡¯t want to talk to a room full of people, but if we were going to have a realistic shot of surviving the biotics, we needed this obelisk. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, I¡¯m okay.¡± I couldn¡¯t honestly say that I liked having my eye changed, but I didn¡¯t want to show that. If I did, it wouldn¡¯t seem very convincing. ¡°We need this thing, it¡¯s our best shot at getting rid of the biotics. I¡¯ll talk to the guys in charge and tell them what I know.¡± They sat back away from me, surprised that was the first thing I wanted to do. ¡°Trust me, I feel fine. And Daniel has a big ass mech suit, you can¡¯t tell me that the obelisk is a bad thing.¡± I stood up, feeling my body respond to my wishes smoothly. Before, I thought I could move pretty well, but compared to how I felt now I¡¯d been swimming through mud. ¡°Let¡¯s go have a chat,¡± I smiled, ¡°We can¡¯t let this stay locked up.¡± Chapter 4 Making Trails ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright to talk to them right now?¡± Fran asked me when it was just the three of us, concern on clear her face. I wiped the blood from my eye, ¡°Not really, but blocking the obelisk is just going to cause problems.¡± We were sitting in a side room, the meeting hall currently occupied and organized, attempts to figure out what to do about the obelisk chiefest among the topics. ¡°Man, I hope you can talk some sense into them, because this is badass.¡± Daniel flexed a steel arm, ¡°It feels natural.¡± Fran shot him a withering look. ¡°Sorry, my bad,¡± he coughed, metallic voice ringing out, ¡°But seriously, I think I could take a dozen wolves with my bare hands right now.¡± I nodded, conviction clear in my voice, ¡°No matter what they say, I¡¯m going to keep using the obelisk system. Besides, the two of us don¡¯t have a choice in the matter.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked, looking between us, ¡°You could just stop?¡± Talking about the fact that we were semi-forced bounty hunters now might not be the best thing when we would be going into a room of politicians. Then again, I wasn¡¯t certain that would be a bad thing. Eventually it¡¯d come up, and I didn¡¯t harboring a secret like that might make things complicated later. But, either way, Daniel would make for a very apparent case for weapons. My alteration was less acceptable to most people, I wouldn¡¯t have volunteered for it either if I could help it. But, this meant that body parts could be augmented, swapped out, replaced. Much more could probably be done with the system as well. I just needed to know some general information, something that anyone would use it for. I felt a twinge in the back of my head at that, and suddenly felt a relay of information from the obelisk system. [Information fetch finished.] I snorted with amusement, ¡°I can do that too? Wow.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Daniel turned to me, the head of his mech built into the chest, not so much of a neck to speak of. The gray paint made for a very simplistic appearance, but the fact remained that the nine foot tall machine was made for taking punishment and dealing it in earnest. ¡°I just got an information download from the obelisk,¡± I shook my head, ¡°It looks like if it has to do with something the obelisk, I can search it remotely.¡± ¡°You¡­ are you saying you have a computer in your head?¡± Fran asked, ¡°What did you just search, then?¡± ¡°What could be done with the obelisk system. I think it gave me information of relevance. We¡¯ll see when I¡¯m talking to everyone in there.¡± I grinned, certain that any logical person wouldn¡¯t be able to say no to the system. I did, however, feel a vague headache, though it spread slowly, unlike anything I¡¯d felt before. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I had any time to actually see what was going on. They were ready to see us. The situation was such that any kind of information on the obelisks that could be verified was treated as critical and potentially confidential. Not that what had just happened outside could at all be kept confidential; Daniel was wrapped in what looked like a tidal wave of glowing mercury and could suddenly walk around with a nine foot tall mech suit afterwards. In the room, we stood in front of a table full of a dozen people, only half of whom I¡¯d ever even met before. Some were in positions of power before everything had happened, politicians, the mayor, and some others. Along with them were a few soldiers, civilians, and even engineers that sat together, seeming to represent the general population in the city for the time being. A group of people that would be predisposed to resist hunting biotics. I thought such because the vast majority of people in this city hadn¡¯t stepped out away from the walls since the wolves appeared. It would be naive to think that the obelisk¡¯s appearing would suddenly resolve that, even though I desperately hoped it might. At the very least, I had to make them see that it was a good idea for volunteers to continue using the system. Best case scenario, they would let everyone use it. I stood in front of Daniel, though every eye followed his hulking form. He had to stoop down to get through the door, and even then, his bulky body scraped the frame. They were clearly intimidated, except for those that knew us personally. It was their calm that kept the room from devolving. ¡°The one currently in the¡­ exo-suit is Daniel Drake.¡± James Maddoc introduced us, ¡°And this is Matthew Todd, they¡¯re both long time scouts and have been partly responsible for keeping track of wolf¡­ no, sorry, biotic presence for months now. They¡¯ve been in their territory almost as often as they¡¯ve been bunkered down in the city.¡± The explanation gave me a sense of pride. At the very least, we hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Another man spoke up, ¡°That, ladies and gentlemen, should tell you that they are the most familiar with the situation around us. And, from what you can see, they¡¯ve already gone waist deep with that obelisk out there.¡± The acting commander in chief of our military wing¡¯s words were almost what you could all quiet. He was a solid but soft spoken man that I had a healthy respect for, Charlie Song. He was getting up in the years, but he still carried himself with a commanding air. If anything, it grew stronger in these last months. ¡°Please, continue,¡± he gestured to us. James was stunned for a moment, I stepped up, finding that I was analyzing the room with my red eye. I could determine a great deal when I focused it seemed, but I stopped when a throbbing headache spread much more rapidly. Whatever was happening was picking up the pace, I grimaced briefly, stepping forward. ¡°Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.¡± I began, taking the initiative. James looked up, wisely taking a step to the side seeing that I was ready to begin. ¡°A few things that I¡¯d like to say before we really get into this. This¡­ eye of mine, as well as the suit Daniel is wearing, are due to a special circumstance that we found ourselves in. The obelisk has an advanced artificial intelligence program called the Specialized Intelligence System, and likes to call itself Sis.¡± As I spoke this, someone from the table snorted, a stubby businessman. ¡°Calls itself ¡®Sis¡¯? How bizarre.¡± ¡°Well¡­ as I was saying before being interrupted,¡± I continued briskly, hoping that clearly indicated that I was annoyed. In order to ensure that our information was being taken seriously, I decided to hit the room with a much more important detail, ¡°We verified the possibility of gathering this supposed ¡®Matter Energy¡¯ by killing the hive outside of town.¡± The room went dead silent. The first one to manage to speak was none other than the man who had interrupted before. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ve completely cleared the hive? Just the two of you?¡± I blinked, uncertain if the man was perhaps about to try to spin the facts any way he wanted. I¡¯d always had a distrust of people, politicians especially had my wariness. ¡°Yes, and we¡¯re also the reason for nuclear weapons being locked behind a class system.¡± I was completely blunt. Charlie Song¡¯s stern voice came up then, ¡°Did you use a nuclear device so close to town? Did you even consider the possible dangers involved?¡± At that point I grit my teeth, there wasn¡¯t any dodging this without completely lying or misleading them, something that would be more damaging in the long run. ¡°I couldn¡¯t excuse myself before Sis, either, the fact that it was a mini-nuke doesn¡¯t mean it should have been used. I can only offer my sincerest apologies at my lack of foresight.¡± ¡°Give the man a break¡­¡± the previous mayor, Alan Detriet, spoke up, ¡°They got rid of a hive, shouldn¡¯t that be cause for celebration?¡± ¡°The radiation will make that area dangerous, let alone if it might spread. There¡¯s a reason why the military never considered nukes as a viable option.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I rose my hand, ¡°However, as you¡¯re aware from the notice, that radiation was the exact reason why Sis removed them from use, because it causes damage to the environment and is fatal to humans. If it were left as is, there would be a great deal of damage. And so, as compensation for Sis to clean the area of radiation, the two of us were billed about eight-hundred thousand M.E. a piece for the penalty.¡± Again, silence hit the room. ¡°To put that into perspective, we¡¯d have to hunt wolves relentlessly for a year without the benefits of the obelisk system to make up for it. Or so I was told. I¡¯ll go over the benefits of the obelisks in a moment.¡± I nodded, wanting to ensure that these people understood that we would continue hunting no matter what their decision was. ¡°As such, Sis gave us an alternative. We¡¯ll go after certain targets and objectives at the obelisks discretion, so long as it shouldn¡¯t guarantee our deaths.¡± ¡°And that brings me to my next point. We have to do this, at least myself and Daniel. However, the system itself isn¡¯t evil, though I was skeptical at first as well. So, let¡¯s go over some general information that would help people who don¡¯t plan on hunting a great deal. Matter Energy has few uses on its own, the obelisk is required to transform that energy into other materials. The most obvious from looking at Daniel should be that we have a replenishable form of weapons and ammo, as well as some pretty advanced technology. But,¡± I paused for effect, ¡°That isn¡¯t the most important use for this energy. It can also be used to create food, and from what I¡¯m aware, it has analyzed the bulk of cuisines that we once used. So long as we utilize these goods for ourselves, we don¡¯t have to worry about hunting for resources, only for biotics.¡± At that, I could see every eye in the room spark with interest. Of course they would, not everyone wanted to fight, but M.E. could be used to make food and who knew what other goods. ¡°Now, a few drawbacks.¡± I pointed out, ¡°M.E. seems to cost more with more complex dishes and is wasteful if you¡¯re only getting something in small amounts, because the minimum charge will always be one matter energy. However, matter energy can be traded through the obelisk, and once you¡¯ve been registered, you can do so from any distance. In other words, we can easily adapt our current situation to suit the new infrastructure and market created by the obelisk.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another drawback, though, and that is the problem where people might try to steal from each other, particularly weapons. I¡¯ll say this right now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to take Daniels suit even if he wasn¡¯t in it.¡± Others looked onwards in confusion. ¡°We can demonstrate what we mean.¡± ¡°Gotcha,¡± Daniel nodded, understanding what the point was. He began emerging from the back of the mech like a butterfly from a cocoon, and after a few moments, was easily able to leave it. Afterwards, he had James try to get into the suit. Getting into it was fine, but the moment he tried to have it closed, he jolted, ¡°What... I just got some kind of a message?¡± ¡°It probably said something about being unauthorized?¡± I asked. ¡°Uh, yeah, it said that the suit had to be traded or loaned to me by Daniel or it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯m not worried about someone getting their hands on a weapon they don¡¯t know how to use. The system simply won¡¯t allow it. There must be failsafes in all of the weapons to prevent misconduct. That leads me to assume that there are other failsafes, along with preventing us from ruining our environment and hurting each other with radioactive fallout, that will help to keep negative elements from popping up.¡± I grinned, ¡°In other words, the system is designed to help keep everything from getting too crazy.¡± ¡°And, it¡¯s not doing it for free. It takes a cut from all of the M.E. that is gained while we¡¯re hunting. I don¡¯t know how much, and I don¡¯t actually care either. Expecting anyone to help out like this for free would actually be absurd. But, I digress. Any questions?¡± ¡°I believe we¡¯ll need some time to deliberate,¡± the man from earlier, the stubby fellow who¡¯s name I didn¡¯t know, stated. ¡°Thank you both for your information. That does do wonders for our current situation...¡± I quirked an eyebrow that they were accepting all of this so easily, but I found that I didn¡¯t really want to be in front of these people any longer. I¡¯d just about spent my will power that day. Already, the only reason why I could deliver that information was because I knew it was vital. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You get to make the next speech,¡± I thudded a fist against Daniel¡¯s armor as we were leaving. He chuckled, ¡°What, you did great. A little stern, but got all the points across.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Fran nodded, ¡°Would the both of you mind company?¡± I smiled and shrugged, Daniel said, ¡°The more the merrier. Want to get some food?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± I exclaimed as we got outside. They watched as I approached the obelisk, and then as I turned back with a fervid look in my eye, ¡°Daniel, do you have any M.E. left?¡± ¡°Nope, drained. Sorry.¡± He clunked towards me. ¡°Fran? Can you loan me three M.E.?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ sure? How?¡± ¡°Just think about trading me one unit of M.E., the obelisk will do the rest.¡± A few seconds later, the notification came, ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡± I cheered out, showing more exuberance than I¡¯d had in months. They watched with confusion, and I could almost just make out a conversation they were having about my sanity. I didn¡¯t care. There was something soooo much more important right in front of me. I spent that M.E. in the blink of an eye. ¡°Alright, quick, we gotta get back to our room and close the doors!¡± I drooled. ¡°U-umm¡­ okay, why?¡± Daniel¡¯s mech suit had a single horizontal slit. That slit looked like it had widened with concern. ¡°Just come on!¡± I led the way, nearly dragging the two along. I was frustrated with the way Daniel had to handle stairs, at least until he realized he had a platform-foot function that had several plates that would adjust for uneven surfaces. When we got to the room, I slammed the doors shut, ignoring all of the whispers and talk about the gigantic mech suit. ¡°This is it. This is what I was looking for for so long.¡± I cackled, flipping back over the desk and dragging chairs to the thick wooden table. ¡°You¡¯re scaring me a bit, you know that right?¡± Daniel stepped out of his mech suit, a now very clearly worried look on his face, mirrored by Fran¡¯s. ¡°This is why!¡± I ignored them and felt for the matter energy contained in the symbol on my right hand and watched as the mercury light slide forward, clumping in several locations across the table. ¡°What? Oh my god.¡± Fran blinked and then was hit by the scent of freshly cooked food. ¡°Yup, I know I wasted a lot of that energy, but I don¡¯t give a damn.¡± Self-satisfied, I watched as three fresh, hot cheeseburgers, three bars of dark chocolate, and three glasses of ice-cold water formed on the table. ¡°I¡¯m going to buy whoever sent the obelisks here a beer.¡± Daniel laughed. Fran practically melted, ¡°Oh, I never thought I¡¯d see chocolate again.¡± ¡°Help yourselves, I know I am.¡± I wasted no time in biting into the thick, juicy burger. The fresh veggies, all of them stunningly delicious, was like an explosive for my tastebuds. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have gotten booze instead of water?¡± Daniel spoke after savoring the first bite. I admitted sheepishly, ¡°It was an afterthought, I didn¡¯t have a whole lot planned out, and I figured it¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve had ice in my water.¡± ¡°True, so very, very true.¡± Fran sipped the water slowly. ¡°What else is available?¡± I smiled, ¡°Anything. Anything at all.¡± We spent the next few hours devouring snack foods, another two M.E. later and we found we couldn¡¯t eat a single bite more. At that point, we rolled out a third mat for Fran, and we slept, more soundly than we¡¯d slept since I could remember. I don¡¯t think I even slept this well when the world wasn¡¯t ending. It was strange, I felt like I¡¯d dreamed distantly. Like I could see a dream, not so much half-remembered as half-viewed. It was bizarre, especially since it seemed like a nightmare that went on and on for months, maybe even years. I couldn¡¯t tell, and if anything, it was nice to turn away from it and just relax. So much restful sleep was surreal to me these days. Then I snapped awake to a notification as the sun rose. [Bounty Hunt active! Six miles northeast of your position is the last living portion of a recently destroyed hive. Ensure they cannot establish a new hive.] [Kill Wolves 0/500] [Destroy Pseudo-Core 0/1] [Bonus rewards based upon completion and circumstances.] ¡°What the hell¡­¡± I coughed, coming upright, feeling my body snap to perfect wakefulness. ¡°500 wolves? How the hell are there even so many left alive?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ what?...¡± Daniel still rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes before fully reading the material that had been sent. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Fran¡¯s normally refined and in control persona melted to a sleepy blob. ¡°Can you keep it down? I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡± ¡°Sorry, we just got our first bounty,¡± I suppressed a snicker seeing Fran¡¯s outrageous bed-hair. ¡°A what?¡± She woke up quickly, looking to Daniel who stretched his limbs. ¡°Yup, looks like that hive we blew up had some stragglers or something? They had to have been outside of the hive at the time, no way in hell they lived through that.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I started, then shook my head, ¡°Should we see what they¡¯re up too?¡± Daniel yawned, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not too keen on trying to attack¡­ wait, that¡¯s five hundred biotics, right?¡± He was much more awake now. I looked back to the notification with a grimace and a tense gut, ¡°Yep. Think it¡¯s a typo?¡± ¡°Would an advanced A.I. from another planet have a typo like that?¡± He sighed reluctantly. I didn¡¯t say anything to that, not really keen on trying to hunt that many biotics. What was the time limit? Three days. ¡°It¡¯s a three day time limit¡­¡± I groaned, ¡°Don¡¯t we get penalized for not finishing it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ damn. Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s check it out first and then see if we can take out some stragglers?¡± Fran had started straightening her hair and clothes, ¡°Would you mind if I went with you guys? I¡¯d like to see how the whole deal works.¡± It surprised me to see that she would be willing to come out, ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, but is that okay?¡± ¡°You mean, ¡®Do I have other jobs I need to do?¡¯¡± She spoke unenthusiastically, ¡°From what you said in front of all of those higher ups, there¡¯s no reason not to go out and do some hunting. Besides, this is a good chance to get a new weapon. My gun broke last week.¡± ¡°Ah, that was a gift, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Daniel cringed. ¡°Umm¡­ Yeah,¡± she sighed, ¡°I¡¯m just glad I was already on my way back to the city when it broke.¡± ¡°Well, there are plenty of weapons available. And you¡¯ve still got a gob of M.E. unlike either of us.¡± I nodded, ¡°You should be able to find something you like.¡± We moved down the building, sharing what we knew about how to purchase things from the obelisk. I¡¯m certain a few other people listened in while we spoke, but that wasn¡¯t something I was concerned with. The rest of the people here were scouts, and in the first place it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for other people to get to know about this. Eventually they¡¯d figure it out, and the more people that were looking for biotics to cull, the better. It was then that I also realized that the bounty system might well be a blessing in disguise. We might not have to go looking blindly for biotics, the system might send us straight to them. Fran made her purchase and had the energy store in the strange tattoo-like symbol on her hand, that way she wouldn¡¯t have whatever it was come out in the middle of the city. It wouldn¡¯t last more than an hour or so, but it would likely be enough. The area around us was fairly empty, it looked to me that a few others were being allowed to go near the obelisk. They probably wanted to make it so that only a few would actually go through the process at first. It was the safe approach, letting a test group of volunteers go through the process first. Depending on how that was handled, it might be damaging. If they wanted to make sure it was perfectly safe for a span of months, then by the time anyone else started using the system, the biotics might be too dangerous for someone with no experience to handle. And while I didn¡¯t know how much Daniel¡¯s suit cost, I doubted it would be less than one hundred M.E. Plus, it was a class item, others couldn¡¯t even dream of getting it right now. ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s it then.¡± Fran nodded, the items held in temporary storage. ¡°Good idea,¡± I nodded, ¡°Probably better to conceal them from people until we¡¯re out of town.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t take them anyways, right?¡± Daniel shrugged, ¡°So why does it matter?¡± ¡°Unlike you, you big lug, the two of us don¡¯t have a suit of armor.¡± Fran chuckled, ¡°And not everyone knows you can¡¯t steal a weapon.¡± ¡°Ah, and I thought I was the only one who didn¡¯t trust anyone,¡± I joked. She huffed, ¡°If it was just a regular gun, I wouldn¡¯t be worried about it.¡± That got me interested, but I figured it¡¯d be good to wait until we got out of the city. Daniel led the way, everyone parted, gaping at his hulking form. His footsteps were remarkably quiet, the platforms on his feet would touch the ground and gently depress with several pneumatic pistons. A few watched us curiously, and some even followed us. At least, until we hit the forest. They were still too afraid of the wolves to go into the woodlands. Even though we made our way through paved roads towards campsites and scattered properties in the mountainous woodlands, the wolves were an insurmountable threat to them. Fear got the better of our stalkers. For once, I was actually glad of that fact. ¡°Alright, we shouldn¡¯t have to go far.¡± I started off, looking over my shoulder. ¡°So what¡¯d you get, anyways?¡± ¡°These¡­ I think this is how it works?¡± She blinked, watching as a glimmer of mercury light began to materialize. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s interesting.¡± She commented with much less surprise than I¡¯d hoped, even as I watched a brief shine of it from under her clothes. On the other hand, the both of us were confused at the apparatus that appeared on her back and the brace of metal that ran the length down to her hands. ¡°The hell is that? A backpack?¡± Daniel frowned, turning around to see her fully. She almost seemed disappointed, ¡°I was curious about something that might run with magnetics, so I just thought of it and it brought this up.¡± She looked over her shoulders, frowning at the weight of the two large protrusions. ¡°It¡¯s a lot more bare bones than I thought it¡¯d be, though.¡± The moment after she said that, she turned her palm outwards, a metal glove over either hand. Her backpack expanded, what looked like a pair of wings slid out of place like a steel valkyrie. Gesturing, a spear-like feather four inches in diameter pointed forwards from her wings and pierced deep into a tree. ¡°I was hasty in my judgement,¡± she offered an apology to her backpack, and then gestured a few more times, sending feathers shooting forward. ¡°It feels... natural. Is that normal?¡± I wondered about that. I guess that it would download whatever you needed? [Information fetch completed] I flinched, feeling a jolt in my brain, ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°Oh, did I hit you with tree bits?¡± She chuckled, and then saw me pressing a hand to the side of my head, genuine concern replacing her mirth. ¡°Nah, I just downloaded information related to your question I guess, it¡¯d be nice if it friggen¡¯ asked first.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I guess you get the info you need downloaded. But everyone has their own style, so it really depends on how well you take it up, and differing talents. You¡¯ve probably got some natural skill with that type of control scheme, just like Daniel¡¯s a natural with moving around with that big ass thing.¡± ¡°Dude, that encyclopedia in your brain useful as hell, how do I download stuff?¡± He laughed, though I felt like he was a little worried about my wincing. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, and then flinched again at another jolt of electricity. [Information fetch completed.] With a sigh, I now answered the question I knew, ¡°You have to have a cerebral augmentation that links into your brain¡­ Wait what the fuck do I have going on in there?¡± I nearly shouted the question in shock. [Internal scan commenced, latticework of ¡®Blood of the Reaper¡¯ fulfilling integration parameters. Current progress estimated at 33%. Side effects are varied and may include occasional numbness and headaches, as well as bodily modification.] My face paled, something that Fran and Daniel both could easily see. After I told them what was going on, they gave me some consolation. Hopefully what it was referring too was just the eye, but it sounded almost like it would be making other modifications as it needed. At that moment, I turned and listened, the underbrush rustling. ¡°Wolves are nearby.¡± The two stopped talking immediately, coming closer to me. Surprisingly, as though on reflex, Fran gestured to the feathers and marvelled as they reconnected with her ¡®wings¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s crazy,¡± Daniel marvelled at the wings before stepping to the forefront. ¡°Anyway, how many?¡± ¡°Not sure how many, but they¡¯re a few hundred feet that way.¡± I said with absolute certainty. The look of incredulity they gave me made me realize what I¡¯d said was insane. ¡°How the hell did you detect that so far away?¡± Daniel nearly bowled me over as he turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure my class has something that¡¯s augmenting my senses.¡± Fran frowned, ¡°That¡¯s certainly useful, but it seems it¡¯s painful for you?¡± With a shrug I went around Daniel, ¡°A bit. Lets go, I don¡¯t really wanna be out here all day.¡± The three of us proceeded onwards, though we weren¡¯t certain about our chances. At worst, we¡¯d just scout the pack. We discussed loosely the plan of surveillance, and that we would try to avoid conflict if possible. I had the pistol, rifle, and spear, since Daniel wouldn¡¯t be able to hold any of them very well. We figured that his fists would be able to do a significant amount of damage, that or he could step on a wolf. He weighed in at over a thousand pounds, whatever he stepped on would probably be crushed. We crept up towards a ledge, Daniel led the way. He gestured us forward, ¡°Guys, look at this¡­ They¡¯re so many of them.¡± We crept up, peering between trees. The woods were less dense here, giving me a clear view of at least a few dozen wolves. Now that we were closer, I heard others farther off. ¡°There¡¯re more of them elsewhere.¡± Their numbers amazed me, it was the second largest group I¡¯d ever actually been near, aside from the one that attacked Gilramore. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Fran asked, a light tremor to her voice, ¡°They¡¯re not even hunting.¡± I watched and found that she was right. They didn¡¯t search for any prey, they moved at the same pace, all in the same direction. It was a methodical march. ¡°Could we take that many of them¡­¡± I thought aloud, and something in my mind answered that we could. That shocked me, and I felt like that couldn¡¯t be correct. Just yesterday the prospect of fighting even four of them was excessive. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯d have to tank them.¡± Daniel offered, ¡°I don¡¯t think they could do enough damage to me fast enough.¡± ¡°They¡¯d weigh you down and tear through your armor if you gave them enough time; those things ate through tanks¡± Fran chastised him. And then she looked down the pass, towards where they were moving. ¡°And... ¡° She paused, suddenly looking over both of our heads. ¡°Dreadnought? Reaper? Why do you have words floating over you?¡± ¡°Long story short, those are our classes, I guess we¡¯re partied up now.¡± I paused, looking around. Why were we partied up now? [Information fetch completed.] ¡°Ow, damnit. Enough of that shi--¡± I froze. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Daniel sat back. ¡°It forces people near to each other to party up when engaged in battle.¡± I turned my attention to the wolves below, and they, in turn, turned their gazes up towards us. ¡°Oh.¡± Daniel uttered, ¡°That¡¯s bad.¡± Chapter 5 Risk and Reward I ran with wild abandon. We all did, and in spite of the fact that Daniel was the largest, he was by no means the slowest. It was ridiculous seeing a nine foot tall metal man easily outpacing Fran and myself. Branches and small trees were nothing to him, he¡¯d tear right through them. We followed in his wake. ¡°You¡¯re too fast!¡± Fran shouted, ¡°We can¡¯t keep up!¡± My mind sped as he faltered and looked over his shoulder, ¡°Wow, I am! Err, I mean, sorry! I¡¯ll slow it down a bit.¡± I remembered the lay of the land, clear details coming to mind. It was like a digital map had popped up in my head, and I could guess exactly where we were on it. Extremely helpful, but also disturbing. There wasn¡¯t anything else to say about it, my brain wasn¡¯t normal anymore, and I couldn¡¯t even say that that was a bad thing. It roiled my gut, disquiet in me. Just as the sensation worsened, I felt a buzzing warmth in the back of my mind. [Matthew¡­ calm.] A strange synthetic voice like an old man, grizzled and deep, rang in my head. At any other time, I¡¯m certain I¡¯d have freaked out. And yet, I did calm down, and I felt my thoughts snap into clarity. Dealing with whatever was happening would have to wait until later, we had to survive in the meantime. ¡°Daniel, don¡¯t slow down, go as fast as you can just to your right, blow through the terrain, there¡¯s a building about a hundred feet that way.¡± I shouted, catching the vibrant blink of his visored helmet, purple light spilling out of it. He glanced that way, seeing nothing, ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°Yes! Now, please, before I have a wolf biting my ass!¡± I shouted with adrenaline flooding my body. My pace picked up, just outpacing Fran. I slowed down, if we split up any more than this we¡¯d be easy pickings. ¡°Got it! Don¡¯t get caught!¡± He shouted back, and I found myself smiling in spite of the situation. Fran looked to the side, the fear keeping her feet sprinting forward. Combat boots helped in the situation, and I noticed she wore a bit more bulk under her clothes. ¡°Body armor?¡± I murmured in curiosity. ¡°What?¡± She turned her attention to me, ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± ¡°Err, can you use the wings while running?¡± I refocused. She thought for a moment, ¡°One way to find out!¡± She gestured to her right, and not a second too late. A wolf emerged from the underbrush, ready to ram her legs. A spike of steel drilled through its head and pinned it to the ground, dead on impact. ¡°Yup!¡± She shuddered, glad that it worked. ¡°Keep it up! I¡¯ll do what I can!¡± I panted, pulling out the pistol and turning, firing at a wolf that was just barely visible. As I did, I felt a strange tug on the edge of my awareness, and I changed the way I aimed just slightly. To my surprise, I hit. A black slush of matter exploded from the bush. It must have been a lucky headshot. There wasn¡¯t time to marvel at that, though. I felt something hit my back, hard, sending me sprawling forward. If it wasn¡¯t for reflexively tucking and rolling, I think I¡¯d have been mauled a moment later. Fran bought me a precious few seconds, two feathers pierced the wolf that had knocked me over. Nine feathers remained on her back, and three more rang out with whistling sounds as she killed another three wolves. ¡°You¡¯re a goddamn wizard!¡± I called ecstatically, getting up and starting my run. She ran with me, and we tried to put distance between us and the wolves. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched one wolf jump through the air. Fran didn¡¯t see it. ¡°Duck!¡± I shouted, drawing up the pistol and firing a moment later. This time I felt almost like someone else was aiming, the reflexive shift in my posture put the pistol spot on without a second thought. Two shots rang out, and I balked at the sight of both bullets hitting it in the head, through each eye. ¡°Good shot!¡± Fran thanked me, running alongside me as the wolf crashed to the ground. I nodded numbly, seeing the house ahead and a hulking Daniel waiting at the gate. When I had time later, I intended to see exactly what was happening with my body. One headshot on the move was luck, three, rapidly at that, was not. ¡°Come on guys!¡± Daniel shouted, ¡°Do not look back!¡± I rolled my eyes internally. That was not something I wanted to hear. A loud explosion of air hit my left side. Terrified that Fran exploded, I turned to see her. Much of her regular clothes were blown out, beneath them was a bulky suit that covered her skin. Armored padding covered every inch of her torso and legs, glowing dimly from the expulsion of force. ¡°What was that?¡± I asked, seeing Fran patting herself down to ensure she was in one piece. ¡°Uh, I bought this suit, it wasn¡¯t too expensive, but I think that was a one time thing.¡± I looked over my shoulder, knowing that Daniel had said not too because of the horde on our tails. Even so, a pair of wolves lay on the ground, moving still but thoroughly dazed. The suit must have saved her from being pounced on. ¡°Good choice!¡± I nodded, jumping over the low stone wall that barely came to my waist. Fran did the same, turning after getting into the courtyard, building to our backs. The wolves, now over two dozen of them, ran around the forest line, shifting back and forth. Every time they did so, they spread out more and more, intent on trying to catch us off guard. Daniel picked up a rock and chucked it at one. He missed, but the stone splintered a branch with the strength of his throw. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not getting any shot off that way.¡± Daniel muttered, looking around and keeping an eye on them. ¡°The suit¡¯s saying that there are 28 of them.¡± I focused on the wolves, guesstimating that Daniel¡¯s count was correct. My Reaper Eye, as I would call it from now on, seemed to be very good at analyzing things in real time, almost like another brain before it even started being sent along the optic nerve. Of course, I was guessing, but with how well I see, I wasn¡¯t too unsure of that estimation. ¡°Alright, my turn. Fran, how many feathers do you have left?¡± I holstered the pistol, snapping up the hunting rifle just as quickly. She came up to Daniel¡¯s right side, putting him at our center, ¡°Six, I think I can make better use of these ones, so long as they don¡¯t all rush me.¡± ¡°Daniel, that¡¯s your deal.¡± ¡°Singin¡¯ my song.¡± He hunched down, a palpable pressure building in the limbs of the hulking mech. In spite of our bravado, I could tell that the three of us were scared. I was terrified, at least, I didn¡¯t want to die. Fran shook, but her steel nerves kept her from shrinking away. If Daniel was afraid, he wouldn¡¯t show it until after the fact. I¡¯d need to keep it together, too. ¡°One bullet,¡± I breathed, going to a knee with the rifle held snug to my shoulder. My heart rate slowed, my heaving lungs forcibly steadied. Tremoring hands, fear, and adrenaline suddenly seemed mute in the background. When I readied a shot, it was never this calm, never this total.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Never this lethal. It was like I was another person. I fired, a wolf breaking from cover and suddenly dying, its head shattered. Fluidly, I breathed and refocused the rifle like it was a part of me. A second wolf broke from cover, and a third and forth, all running straight towards us. ¡°Two,¡± the second wolf dropped. ¡°Three, four, five.¡± I continued, rotating around. The horde of wolves broke cover, their fallen stunning them into action. I switched to the pistol, firing three times, killing three wolves, my aim as fluid as water. At the same time, Daniel spun, punching a wolf so hard that the ground quaked. He tore it in half, sending some of it sprawling away with black gore spiraling through the air. He didn¡¯t stop, turning and snatching another wolf in an open hand. Steel-rending teeth threatened him, but his gauntlet fit over its skull snugly. The crunch was audible, the spatter dripped from the metal. A third wolf, moving towards Fran, received a sharp kick, the pneumatic pistons snapping its neck. A clot of wolves moved towards Fran, ten at once. As they ran, Fran kept calm, pelting them with impaling shot after impaling shot. Daniel committed to stalling the other two before they could get to her. Some kind of cold sensation filled me as we dispatched them, one by one. It was clockwork for me then, and it disturbed me, there was definitely something taking control of my body, and it seemed it was affecting my mind. He stepped too far away, and instead of moving closer to Daniel, I felt that self assuredness keep me in position. The wolves had waited for a moment like that one. Seven wolves rushed me, choosing the easiest kill, unarmored and split away from Daniel. I fired three more shots, felling three more wolves. A fourth jumped over the still-dying back of a pack mate and hit me square in the shoulders with its claws, slamming me to the ground hard. Wind rushed from me, and the strike almost knocked me out. The knowledge that if I blacked out, I would never wake up, somehow burned the blackness away. At that moment, I fought for some semblance of control, and in desperation and tenacity, I found it. I emptied the rest of the handgun clip into the wolf¡¯s chest, one or two shots biting its heart. Desperate to evade the next wolf, I rolled out from beneath the wolf. I grasped something hard on the ground and instinctively guarded with it, coming up just as two more wolves went to bite at me. The rifle fit neatly between their wicked jaws. I pushed them back, and saw the metal and wood splinter and shear from their ever pressurized bites. I swept the spear up from my back, slipping the sling from over my head in time to impale the next wolf through its chest. The motion stunned me, I moved before I even had the opportunity to think about it. Instead of fighting me for control, I felt it - whatever ¡®It¡¯ was - flow through my consciousness, between the cracks. My reaper eye glared at the next wolf, and I pivoted away from its snapping jaws, threatening to lock onto my ankle. I kicked at it, a sharp strike that sent it reeling. A blow that I also hadn¡¯t the time to consider doing before it simply happened. The other two wolves charged me, and this time I moved, of my own accord. I put the body between myself and the other one, and then sent a sharp stab through the closest wolf¡¯s eye. The spear burst through its and into its brain cleanly. Angrily, the other unleashed its barking howl, a horrible sound at best, made worse by what I interpreted as rage. It ended abruptly when I spun with the spear, pulling it out of the dead hounds head and slapping the yet living one with the side of the street-signs metal shaft. The dagger was left behind in the previous hounds head, the makeshift weapon coming apart with repetitive use. My lungs burned, my muscles screamed. I pushed them so hard and in ways that I¡¯d never known I could. I dreaded suddenly being unable to move, especially with two wolves to go. Fear would cloud my mind. I felt a flush of calm overwhelm me, a cold, calculating murderer emerging more as I watched the dizzy wolf reposture itself to attack. It opened its mouth, I jammed the pole through the roof of it¡¯s jaw and partly into its brain. It was just enough that it still twitched, and I found myself apologizing that it would die more slowly than its companion had. The last wolf tackled me to the ground from my side. I had no energy left to evade in the first place, and I didn¡¯t see as it jumped. We rolled, and finally it was on top of me, facing me. I clamped my hands to the side of its head, one finger jammed into its gums by sheer luck. It snarled and snapped, and at that moment I felt excruciating pressure on the finger. It¡¯d break momentarily, then the wolf¡¯s jaws would close on my face. I would die, potentially slowly if it didn¡¯t immediately bite through the rest of my skull. [Sacrifice¡­ take¡­ life.] The voice called in my head, cold, calculating, efficient, brutal. These were the things I thought of when the deep voice convinced me of my only potentially viable option. I looked sideways, seeing the hound I¡¯d killed, next to the one that yet still lay twitching and dying. Taking in a deep breath, I forced the wolf¡¯s head and jaws down on to my left shoulder. Teeth sank agonizingly into my flesh, connecting to bone. I had maybe two seconds before the biology defying anatomy of the wolf allowed it to have bite pressure sufficient to sheer through my bones, no doubt inflicting a terribly bloody wound with it. My right hand found the hilt buried in the previous hound. A scream rang out in my mind, but a snarl ripped out of my lips. I grasped with all my strength. I pulled with all my will. I stabbed with all of the murder I could muster. The blade pierced through the ear and into the brain with a sharp crack. The jaws relented, and without wasting time, I pulled it from my shoulder, prying its teeth from me. My arm hung from my side, stunning in that I felt nothing from my injury. Who knew how many more wolves there might be? Being down an arm would be a trial of trials in this situation. My resilience stunned me, and the sound of the world roiling in my ears inured me to my friends calling out to me, desperate to help me. When I looked up at the horror they were fighting, I realized why they hadn¡¯t the chance to save me at all. [Bounty Hunt system bonus objective found!] [The Bear ¡®Karaslava¡¯ the Sound has been found! Unique biotic, eliminate target!] It seemed vaguely reminiscent of the hulking bears we¡¯d seen through our mini-nuke carrying drone camera. Hulking and as big as a brown bear, it stood taller than Daniel. No wolves were left alive around us, and the bear seemed to be in a fit of rage, bellowing and snarling with force enough to feel like I was being buffeted by sound. Daniel limped, his suit having taken damage in spite of the fact that it was made of steel. Long taloned claws like short-swords raked through the air, a shower of fragmented metal shot out from Daniel¡¯s chest. I noticed with my reaper¡¯s eye that there were many such fragments on the ground. He took the strike and punched back, hitting it in the nose. The beast recoiled just enough, eyes watering in pain. ¡°I¡¯ve got him,¡± Daniel shouted, my hearing returning, murkily. Blood pumped from my shoulder, warmth spread outside, cold inside. An electrical buzz shuddered through my brain and down my body. His mechanical arms stopped the bear¡¯s paws, first one, then the other, impossibly straining from the beast. ¡°I¡¯m under you!¡± Fran called, diving between Daniel¡¯s mech legs bravely. She faced her wings forward, a sudden harmonic sound ringing through the air. The bear bellowed, finding the noise especially annoying. I watched bushes and trees shake in the forest as Fran poured in the power. The feathers she¡¯d left discarded from our flight came back to her - tearing and sticking into the back of the standing bear¡¯s legs. The moment they did, Fran fired six black-covered spears into the bear¡¯s chest. Daniel bellowed, louder through the mech-suit¡¯s speaker than it should have, pushing hard against the bear as Fran pulled hard with the magnetic gloves she wore. The bear fell backwards, Daniel landed on it. It was stunned enough to not know how to respond to the fact that the creatures it had previously devoured whole had actually managed to harm it. That amazement lasted only until Daniel straddled the massive torso of the creature with his legs, smashing its face with his gauntleted, huge hands. Three cracking shots thumped its head into the soil. Daniel shouting all the time. ¡°Just die god damn you!¡± Desperation leaked into his voice, ¡°Matt needs us!¡± The bear, like it understood what he said and cruelly mocked him, smirked. It¡¯s massive paws shot up, and Daniel only barely managed to guard against them, and pin them. ¡°I can¡¯t get the feathers with you there!¡± Fran shouted in panic, still pulling hard on the ones in the bears legs. She turned back to where the battle elsewhere had been taking place, her face white as snow. ¡°Where¡¯s Matthew?¡± In the next moment, a dagger plunged down into the bear¡¯s left eye. Daniel and the bear both shuddered with shock, the sheer bloodlust coming from the attack noticed even before the damage. The bear snapped its jaws up. I pulled back with the dagger narrowly avoiding it. In the blink of an eye, mercilessly, I plunged the dagger back down, into the other eye. It bellowed in pain and rage, snapping blindly. I evaded, and stabbed once more. Then again. And again. The black ichor that covered the dagger shined in the dim light. I felt a tremor, and I knew that this creature was so much more different than the wolves. It was intelligent, it¡¯d somehow known we were near, it sent wolves after us. The voice in that whispered in the back of my mind told me as it struggled to keep my conscious. My black and red glowing eye peered down at the creature, its arrogance that we were easy prey would be its undoing. It knew that it was afraid of us now. I could tell because it was shaking. After nearly a minute, it finally died, and I pulled up the knife. Or, I pulled out the hilt, at least, the blade had shattered into Karaslava¡¯s brain. The Bounty was completed. The moment afterwards, I fell backwards, the electrical tingle in my brain stopped supporting me any further. Blood still flowed freely from my shoulder, the electric tingle becoming harder to feel. I knew that the wound was probably fatal. That was fine. I¡¯d been a fool to think this would might somehow be safer. Sis said she would try to keep us from certain death. That didn¡¯t mean it was safe. I smiled derogatorily at my own foolishness, everything going black as I passed from consciousness. I couldn¡¯t even hear Sis¡¯s rewards. But I did hear something else. [Sleep, now. I will mend us.] Comfort buzzed through me. Unconscious dreaming taking me far from the pain... Chapter 6 Blood of the Reaper Murky dreams filled my mind as I slept. I felt my life, my memories, reel before me. Perhaps, then, I wasn¡¯t sleeping, but dying. Every fragment I saw that shaped me, every sadness that I cried with, every smile that warmed my heart, and a few guilts that weighed on me. I wished I could have been with Mom and Dad at the end. Suzanna Todd, my sister, had always said that I should visit more, even though she rarely visited our parents despite being in the same city. I always loved her cooking. I loved Mom¡¯s stern measure whenever she told me to ¡®be an honest, good person,¡¯ or when she asked if I had a girlfriend yet. I loved the way Dad smelled like a maple tree in spite of working as an accountant, the way he emphasized that my going to school was something he was proud of. I hated that they were gone in a flash. A meteorite had taken them along with the rest of Damond. That same meteorite skipped and soared another several miles toward the Gilramore, the city I was in, like it was trying to get two for the price of one. Killing that hive hadn¡¯t brought a damn piece of calm to me. Closure? Hardly enough of it, but they¡¯d died as abruptly as my family had. Killing just the one hive wasn¡¯t anywhere near enough. Burning them out of every hole wasn¡¯t enough. Destroying every last one of them might just get there though. Watching as their ashes and parts disintegrated, tearing them limb from limb, bathing them in an eternal flame as they died in agony-- I woke with a start, bolting upright in cold sweat. It felt like something was gripping my heart, my breathing came in shallow, ragged waves. The feelings I felt were intense, an anger deeper than anything I¡¯d felt. Before, I thought I understood hatred. But the slightest sip of whatever that had been set me to shudders, my guts cramped up as I worked to steady myself. After a few seconds, I managed to stabilize my breathing, working out from there. My body wasn¡¯t in pain, surprisingly. I looked down, seeing bandages along my left shoulder. I had no shirt, having been completely removed, my pants had been left, at least. I shook in the wake of a cold sweat though, one that had nothing to do with physical injuries. It was an operation room in the hospital. Less useful these days with the lack of electricity, but I was stunned to see plentiful antibiotics and medicine next to my bed. Any one of them was worth its weight in gold now, and many of them weren¡¯t things that I¡¯d really end up seeing, even if I was in critical condition. On that note, how was I even alive? I rose, feeling¡­ fine? My body felt more than fine, I felt alive, like every nerve was a live wire. I bounced on balls of my feet momentarily, shocked to find that I seemed to feel as light as a feather. After seeing that, I managed to calm my breathing once more, the shaking slowing now too. That explosion of emotion was a fair dose of disquiet to my overall condition, like there was another me that I didn¡¯t know. The thought reminded me of the battle against the wolves. That other feeling within my mind and body. Quickly I moved to a mirror nearby, stripping the bandage off of my skin, ignoring the slight irritation of the sticky tape against the hairs of my skin. And all of my work controlling my breathing came apart instantly. ¡°Holy shit, holy shit, hooooly shit what is this?¡± I nearly hyperventilated, seeing what had been a bite wound from a wolf. It would be one thing if I¡¯d woken up to a gnarled mess, stitches and such. There was black steel in place of flesh. It replaced my collarbone, and layers of a metallic substance worked to cover it. Even with the layers forming, I could clearly tell that my bones there were stronger, the flesh was remade in the form of metal. ¡°What is this?...¡± I murmured weakly. [That is biosteel, albeit crudely put together.] I spun, startled by the voice. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that it came from within my head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to take a breath, to have a moment to collect myself.¡± I managed, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. The voice didn¡¯t return, giving me the time I needed. Steadily, I sat myself back down on the bed. ¡°Who are you? Or, what are you I guess?¡± I uttered, keeping quiet lest I attract attention from outside of the hospital room. [Hmm¡­ I suppose it¡¯s a little bit of both questions. As to who I am, I¡¯m you, or at least, I¡¯m a Reaper A.I. that cultivated itself from your memories.] The ridiculous words seemed to settle gently within me, and the deep voice was quite successful at calming me in spite of the panic I¡¯m sure I¡¯d have otherwise felt. [And, so, the next logical question is; Why am I here? Would you like to know, young man?] ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right... Aside from that though, what¡¯s with the ¡®young man¡¯ thing? You¡¯re younger than me if you were made off of my memories?¡± I tried to apply logic, still working to stay calm. [Ah¡­ did I misunderstand? I thought your first impression of me was a grandfather type, would it please you that I say something else?] ¡°Well¡­ I guess it doesn¡¯t matter too much, but my name is fine too. What do I call you, by the way? Since I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going anywhere anytime soon.¡± [Hmm, alright then. And quite astute, I¡¯m inseparable from you at this point. And¡­ I don¡¯t have a designation yet, but perhaps¡­] It considered, and then chuckled, [Perhaps Chironex would do well?] ¡°Uh¡­ you¡¯re sure you¡¯re modeled after me?¡± [Absolutely positive.] ¡°So you¡¯re saying, in a way, I came up with that edgy name?¡± [Hmm... an alternative then.] The voice seemed to cough, [How about Smith?] ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s quite the one eighty, but sure, Smith seems¡­ fine?¡± I was having a conversation with an A.I.? [Very well, I¡¯ll designate myself as Smith Chironex, as I¡¯m attached to having that name. It means ¡®Hand of Death¡¯ or some such by humans, from what I¡¯ve seen. As I¡¯ll be your aid for the foreseeable future, I find that Chironex would be a shame not to have in my name.] ¡°If you insist,¡± I shrugged, ¡°So, back to the main topic?¡± Remarkably, I was much calmer now. Perhaps the A.I. - no, it was Smith - intended that? [Yes, of course. You could say that I¡¯ll be your other self from now on. At least, until the time when your mind inevitably incorporates my systems into yours. Do not be unsettled,] it quickly added, [This process is seamless and is intended to enhance cognitive and physical functions.] I sat there, stunned once more, ¡°And why would I need that?¡± The joviality in the voice vanished with a cold cadence, [To destroy biotics, of course.] We spent the next thirty minutes talking, going back and forth over what that all exactly entailed. I was most concerned with what would be happening to me, afraid that I was going to be brainwashed. It apologized for the overwhelming emotion I¡¯d felt earlier, no two species responded to emotions the same way. Hatred was only useful in small doses on humans, and apparently other species handled it far more constructively. We, according to Smith Chironex, literally lost the capacity to reason with too much of that particular emotional state on the brain being rampant. Moreover, it explained that parts of my body, damaged as they were, had been replaced by biosteel. Later, if I wanted, I could replace the biosteel with a form of biometallic substance that would more closely resemble flesh, and then from there let my body slowly heal and replace the biometal as it did so. It would be weaker than the biosteel, and also weaker than normal flesh, and for the time being I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have the opportunity to let it heal. I¡¯d been unconscious now for eighteen hours, and now we had even less time for our Bounty Hunt. It was down to a little over two days to go. ¡°This stuff¡¯ll hold, right?¡± I touched the biosteel, feeling the touch of my fingertips in spite of the fact that it was mostly metal. How the hell did that work? Granted, it was greatly numbed, I could only tell by the slightest tingle of sensation. [It¡¯ll hold, biosteel is strong. I presume you¡¯d like to only use full conversion for severe injuries?] ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to be a walking girder, thanks.¡± I looked to the injury, ¡°Was it that bad? I¡­ I didn¡¯t realize.¡± [Your collarbone was crushed, much of your shoulder was shattered, not to mention a slew of blood vessels ruptured. A normal man would have died from blood loss, and been at severe risk of infection. As is, much of your blood needed to be replaced, along with bones in the area, as you can see. Your biology is incorporated into the composition, though it¡¯s going to be quite rough until it¡¯s built up more.] I felt my heart hammer a little harder, ¡°What do you mean about my blood?¡± [You lost a great deal of it, I¡¯d say about 3 liters. I had to reconstitute blood from your marrow, but the process required converting much of your marrow into a biosteel substitute to keep up with demand. I assure you, you¡¯ll find it superior. Of course, the process to reverse this is still the same.] With a cold lump in my gut, I laid back down on the bed. Half of my blood? Half of my blood was gone? I should be dead. I would be dead if I didn¡¯t have this class. Stolen story; please report. How stupid could I be? Obelisks descended from the sky and suddenly I thought I could do something. The first thing I did was buy a nuke. The second thing I did was nearly get my throat torn out. What was the point if I couldn¡¯t even keep myself alive. [Young man¡­ it isn¡¯t about what happens to you. It¡¯s about what happens to everyone else.] Smith¡¯s gentle voice like a rolling soft thunderstorm rang in my head, [You saved your friends. That bear wasn¡¯t going to die without your help. Remember what you¡¯re fighting for. Hatred might not be an easy thing to use for humans without moderation. That moderation is your love for what family you have left, isn¡¯t it?] I thought of Daniel and Fran. [There¡¯s no shame in having more family. There¡¯s no shame in moving forward. And move forward you must. Not just because you¡¯re a reaper, either.] It almost felt like a hand was on my shoulder, as weird as that might be, but it calmed me. [But because you¡¯re a human being. So, pull yourself together and dust yourself off. You got knocked down, but that¡¯s not losing, staying down is losing.] I smiled, wiping a tear from my eye. It was uplifting, and the fact that it was another estranged version of myself doing the uplifting didn¡¯t hamper it. Although¡­ ¡°Did you have to use like three quotes back to back? Man, that¡¯s cheesy as hell.¡± [You¡¯re welcome.] It chuckled, [Give yourself some credit. You¡¯ve learned more from this incident than you think. Trust me, I would know.] With a whoosh of air from my lungs, I calmed myself the rest of the way. I sat myself up from the bed, leaving the bandages off. Staring at the ceiling, I thought of what I needed, what I had to do. Biotics needed to die, even without the Bounty Hunt system, they were still far too prevalent a threat to let go unanswered. I¡¯d need to make some changes to my equipment. Most of my weapons were shredded, I didn¡¯t even know where the pistol had gotten off too. As I thought of that, I heard talking from the other side of the door. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, right?¡± I could clearly tell it was Daniel¡¯s voice, though it was uncharacteristically nervous. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like what¡¯s happening to him. Then again, I¡¯d never seen aliens until six months ago,¡± an unfamiliar voice spoke, ¡°Go in and see for yourself. We didn¡¯t even need to use the medicine Doug Vanderhew passed to us.¡± ¡°Wait, the councilman?¡± Fran¡¯s voice, confusion clear in her tone. ¡°Ah, yes, he said something about asking forgiveness for his rudeness from before? Either way, if you guys don¡¯t need them, I¡¯d like to keep them for other patients.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Matt¡¯d be fine with that, if he¡¯s okay.¡± Daniel spoke, ¡°Thanks for taking us here.¡± ¡°Sure, just¡­ don¡¯t stare, some patients with disfiguring injuries could take it badly. Especially with such¡­ well, you¡¯ll see.¡± Wow, thanks doc. I rolled my eyes, suddenly feeling self conscious about the whole thing. They¡¯d find out sooner or later, better to get it over with now. The door opened up steadily, and a gentle lamp light illuminated the dimness of the room I was in. It was only then that I realized I¡¯d been sitting in perfect darkness, though I couldn¡¯t tell with my reaper eye. ¡°Matt? You awake bud?¡± Daniel called low. ¡°Yep.¡± They both jumped. A grin spread across my face before I suppressed it, ¡°Why are you both jumpy? Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m horribly disfigured or something.¡± Fran paused, her expression whosing a bit distress. Daniel likewise looked like he¡¯d swallowed quite the bitter pill. ¡°U-uh¡­ Yeah, right. So man, how are you feeling? You¡­ hurting anywhere?¡± Okay, the joke wasn¡¯t funny anymore. ¡°Relax guys, I know I¡¯m pretty jacked up. Sorry, that wasn¡¯t funny.¡± I sighed, sitting up and hanging my feet over the edge of the bed. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t move around too much,¡± Fran voiced her concern, and then, with a tone that suggested she was about to punch me in the face, ¡°And that¡¯s an awful thing to joke about.¡± ¡°I know, I had to though. I¡¯m not made of glass. And I don¡¯t want you guys pitying me,¡± I sighed, ¡°But thanks, I¡¯m glad you were worried about me.¡± As I stood up without a problem the both of them blanched, ¡°In fact, I suppose you could say that, instead of being made of glass, I¡¯m made of something more like steel, now.¡± I grinned, my shoulder, clearly showing in the light, a black metal. ¡°What the hell?¡± Daniel walked up, ¡°That¡¯s freaky as shit.¡± Fran hit him in the ribs with a punch, ¡°What he means to say is that you look like you¡¯re holding up well.¡± ¡°R-right, that¡¯s what I meant.¡± He wheezed from the hit. I couldn¡¯t help but to laugh. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m okay. Smith let me know what¡¯s going on in my body. I should have died, right?¡± They were a little quiet, finally, Fran spoke up, ¡°Yeah, you almost died. It¡¯s because I ended up needing more help.¡± Daniel spoke up, ¡°No, I shouldn¡¯t have over reached. It was my fault they could even get close enough to you.¡± ¡°Guys, I¡¯m not blaming anyone.¡± I walked up to the both of them, putting a hand on their shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we¡¯re alive. We¡¯ll learn, we¡¯ll refine, and next time we¡¯ll win, cleanly.¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re sure you can go out? We can figure out how to do the bounty, you can sit it out?¡± Fran asked, momentarily looking to my hand on her shoulder. I let my hands fall casually, ¡°Nah, that might not even work. Besides, Smith let me know that the stuff is pretty much a ¡®you get what you see¡¯ deal, it¡¯s like steel.¡± ¡°Who is Smith?¡± Daniel looked around, as though he expected to see someone else in the room. ¡°He¡¯s an A.I. in here,¡± I gestured to my brain, ¡°Tailored specifically to me, pretty much. He understands all of the¡­ Reaper, stuff¡­¡± They were notably perplexed, but finally said, ¡°Alright, I have no idea what the hell that means, but I¡¯m just going to guess that it¡¯s fine if you¡¯re fine?¡± ¡°If¡­ Smith, if it¡­ he is saying that it¡¯s fine, then... ¡° Fran was no less perplexed. Then I noticed a bag in both of their hands. After they followed my gaze, they remembered something. ¡°Ah, right, well, we brought you a shirt, since the other was was pretty much ruined.¡± Fran handed me the bag in her hand. ¡°Oh, thanks, good idea,¡± I pulled out a oversized sweater. An eyebrow tilted, I looked back to her. ¡°It¡¯s Daniels,¡± she supplied. ¡°You guys at that stage already?¡± I pretended to mumble it, just loud enough for them to hear it, intending to tease them. Daniel went red, ¡°Dude, rea-¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Fran chuckled, flooring me. They had the turn to laugh at my response. ¡°W-wait, since when?¡± I fumbled, composure gone, ¡°When I was out? Did you guys start dating? What?¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s been a while, but we were keeping it quiet.¡± Fran chuckled at my complete lack of cohesion. Daniel scratched the back of his head with a dopey grin, ¡°Yeah, we didn¡¯t want it to look like she was giving us any extra treatment.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ everything¡­ You¡¯re not just screwing with me right now?¡± ¡°Well, we were only somewhat seeing each other,¡± Fran looked to Daniel, ¡°But¡­ what happened to you made us realize it was silly, considering that any of us can die at any time with all of this going on.¡± ¡°So it was while I was knocked out!¡± I put my hands to my head dramatically, ¡°Oh, alas, the torments of love, that I did not get to see Daniel squirm!¡± Daniel thumped my skull with his fist, ¡°Alright, alright, shaddup.¡± He blushed fiercely. Fran leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He went from a blush to a crimson rush that made it look like his head might explode. ¡°Oookay, behave,¡± I shook my head, though I was glad for them. It did remind me that I was alone. Wait¡­ didn¡¯t this reaper thing kind of disfigure me? Damnit! My eyeball alone was crazy looking! How am I supposed to find a date now!? Well, jokes aside, if there was anyone that I trusted watching mine and Daniel¡¯s back, it¡¯d be Fran. So, that worked pretty well. ¡°Alright, alright, so what¡¯s in the other bag?¡± He opened it just a pinch, after he stopped as red as a rose. The smell hit me. ¡°Ooooh is that?... Oh my god. A pizza calzone.¡± An intense rumble rolled out from my stomach. Right. I hadn¡¯t eaten in twenty four hours. I very nearly inhaled the deliciously cheesy, meat, tomato, olive, onion, and marinara sauce goodness. I did accidentally inhale the cola. That stung, and I moderated immediately afterwards. ¡°Ohhhh man¡­ Sorry you had to use more of your points, Fran, I know we¡¯re poor right now, but I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± I positively gleamed after the meal. ¡°Oh, that wasn¡¯t mine, Daniel¡¯s got points.¡± Fran laughed, ¡°But feel free to treat me for earlier sometime.¡± ¡°Dude, you should have like a hundred and seven M.E. from what we did. The bounty already rewarded us for the bear, and it was pretty heft on its own. We all got the same.¡± I blinked and the overlay popped up, ¡°I¡¯ve got a hundred and five M.E., so that¡¯s pretty nice.¡± I considered the number and then realized where the two M.E. went. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I used the other M.E. on¡­ err¡­ my repairs.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I guess that¡¯s kinda handy, you just kill more biotics to repair.¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°Though, you¡¯ll look all patchwork at this ra-¡± Another hit from Fran. ¡°Well, at least you know. So, lets go rearm. We¡¯ve gotten plenty of sleep, and I¡¯d like to check out the obelisk and see what else I can get. I¡¯ve practiced with these too.¡± She gestured to the wings, which popped out smoothly, the feathers floated away from their braces a few inches before sinking back to them as they folded. It was pretty awesome to see, some really sci-fi looking stuff. ¡°I learned too, Dreadnought¡¯s looking good after repairs. But I wanted to wait to do upgrades for when you were awake or if we needed to head out.¡± I nodded and smiled with the both of them. We headed out, moving through the hospital. To my surprise, there were several small stations being actively manned now, and people were being treated with medicine more easily. ¡°The obelisk was adopted officially while you were out. Apparently Daniel made a great case among the aspiring hunters.¡± ¡°Hunters?¡± I frowned, ¡°The heck¡¯s the hunter thing about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re calling the three of us, and people like us.¡± Daniel grinned widely, ¡°We¡¯re celebs now. It¡¯s not safe at all, and most people stick to the city limits and clear just out of it, but it¡¯s starting to come together.¡± ¡°There¡¯s even an economy popping up. Credits are being used still, but we¡¯re using M.E. to back it. You trade M.E. for credits, the Bulwark uses the obelisk to become a middle man, and arranges basic goods and resources.¡± ¡°That sounds¡­ complicated as hell.¡± I shook my head. [She refers to the function that the obelisk system has to incorporate localized currency in order to stimulate economic growth.] ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool.¡± I put a hand to my chin thoughtfully. ¡°What the hell just talked?¡± Daniel stopped, and Fran likewise looked around in wonderment. ¡°Wait, you heard Smith?¡± ¡°The deep ¡®I could tell you I murdered your whole family and you¡¯d be calm because of my voice¡¯ guy?¡± Daniel gesticulated wildly. ¡°Uhhh¡­ sure?¡± [While partied with us, you¡¯ll be able to hear myself and Matthew independently. Please, don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m here to assist Matthew in this transitional period.] It almost felt like Smith bowed resplendently. ¡°Quite eloquent,¡± Fran chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s re-arm. I feel¡­ naked now without a weapon.¡± I shifted gears, moving quickly. As we left the building, Daniel moved around the corner, getting into his mech suit. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make our purchases.¡± Daniel¡¯s mech was painted black almost fully now, with exception to a handful of slash marks rendered in vibrant amethyst purple, especially across the chest. It looked similar to what the bear would have done to him, and I thought it rather fitting that he commemorated the moment of learning with that. I watched the both of them access their screens, at least that¡¯s what I imagined what they were doing. ¡°Uh, the obelisk isn¡¯t anywhere near here.¡± Confusion and exasperation nearly overtook me. ¡°Of course not, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Fran knowingly smiled, ¡°The range of the obelisk has increased dramatically, it extends over most of the inner city.¡± Chapter 7 In For a Penny ¡°That¡¯s¡­ handy.¡± I frowned, opening my shop screen. If the area that allowed for purchasing from the obelisk really did expand so much, then it¡¯d be much easier for people to have accessed it. No wonder why it didn¡¯t matter if the Bulwark tried to quarantine it. Wait, didn¡¯t that mean that I went to talk to them for no reason? Crap¡­ well, too late to bother with it now. I¡¯m sure that gave them some prep time, anyways. I thought carefully about what I needed. A weapon was certain, but I also needed to maximize the use of my class at this point. Fran aside, Daniel and myself had rare classes, and I hoped that meant they were quite good. Why others didn¡¯t have access to it, I didn¡¯t know, but I would make the most of it. It¡¯d already saved my life, anyways. [Accessing Weapons Database: Special Class ¡®Reaper¡¯] A surprisingly lengthy list showed itself to me, nothing exceeding the cost of M.E. that I currently had. 105 M.E. was significant buying power, more - albeit barely - than what I¡¯d started with. That got me a mini-nuke, so there had to be some good things here. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not get too crazy.¡± I muttered to myself, knowing that I had plenty of other things that I still needed. After analyzing everything for a few minutes, I decided that a pretty balanced spread would be good. I purchased: Reaper Modified Assault Rifle w/Bayonet 35 M.E. ¡®Claymore¡¯ Grenade (x 3) 15 M.E. Reaper Ammo Storage Space (Level 1) 2 M.E. Assault Rifle Ammo (x 10) 5 M.E. Reaper Suit, Basic 10 M.E. The cost totaled up to 68 M.E., which left me with 37 M.E. The scattered assortment were pretty good, and from what I could tell the Reaper gear synergized with the ¡®Blood of the Reaper¡¯ thing that was in my body. What that really meant as of yet, I couldn¡¯t say, but it likely would help in battle. The fact that Smith said nothing about my supposition told me that I was probably right. The modified assault rifle could belt out twelve rounds a second and had a pretty hefty clip. Fifty-six bullets, and they weren¡¯t small. I couldn¡¯t tell precisely, but it looked like the obelisk system handled ammo pretty flexibly, letting the same general type of weapon utilize ammo. In other words, any assault rifle could use the bullets of the ¡®Assault Rifle Ammo¡¯ rounds, and they would shift to fit the specific caliber of the weapon. That was something I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around, considering many guns didn¡¯t use the same caliber round whatsoever. The different sizes were because of the size of a barrel and loading chamber, a one size fits all solution shouldn¡¯t work. And yet, it did. The ammo, so long as it wasn¡¯t unloaded from the magazine, was changeable. I imagined that the matter energy had somehow been kept from fully stabilizing, and it would change according to need. There wasn¡¯t really anything more I could get on that, neither Sis nor Smith were willing to impart any knowledge on that front. On another note, it was a solid weapon, and the bayonet was a lot more than I¡¯d bargained for. It was covered in some kind of coating finish that gave it an incredibly keen edge and made it very sturdy. Suited for single fire, semi-auto, or fully automatic, the rifle would be my go to for the next long while. The next item was a kind of grenade, I strapped them to my belt. They were pretty simple, press the button, think about the enemies I wanted dead, and the reaper sub-system would facilitate arming the grenade. Then, throw it and watch as the grenade selectively shifted what parts of its casing would weaken for the explosion, directing explosive force and shrapnel specifically in those directions. I¡¯d see how well it did later, but I planned on using these to soften large groups. The steep-ish price of 5 M.E. made sure that I wouldn¡¯t be using this on single targets anytime soon¡­ And the near freaking magical ¡®Reaper Ammo Storage Space (Level 1)¡¯ mystified the actual hell out of me. It literally held my ammunition in a separate permanent space, like a pocket dimension or something. There was a limit to what it could hold, but even at Level 1 it could hold a ridiculous amount of ammo, one hundred clips. Maybe if I was a bullet hog I¡¯d need that much, thankfully I wasn¡¯t. In any case, all I needed to do was think of holding a new clip and it would appear, and it would eat a previously used clip as it fell, throwing the empty and used shell into the space. Why? I don¡¯t know, maybe there was a recycling function to reuse the case? It¡¯d be nice if I could keep them intact and get three magazines for the price of 1 M.E. instead of the two I was getting now, though I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be burning through that much ammo. Finally, there was the Reaper Suit. There weren¡¯t too many things to say about it, but what could be said was mind boggling. It was a second skin and when it touched the biosteel, I didn¡¯t notice the fabric in the way at all. There were several plates of metal over top of it, and I started looking much more the part of the whole reaper thing. It also came with headgear, a shiny, glossy faceplate that completely covered my face. It was a little¡­ excessive, but I wore it anyways. For one, it worked with my reaper eye, and my field of vision expanded. At this point, I really was wondering if I even needed both eyes. I flexed my hands, feeling the mesh suit flex with me, instead of resisting at all. Every move was its command, and it loved to move for me. This was just the basic Reaper Suit? What the hell was going on with the others? Well, I had one other thing I should get, now that my requirements were settled. Reaper Bracer and Glove (Shield) 20 M.E. My sweet M.E.! I had only 17 left after that purchase. The black steel, looking almost identical to the suit and to the biosteel in my shoulder, framed my left hand. There were accents of red streaking it, touching to my fingertips and making them look almost as if they were dipped in blood. A glowing skull showed on the back of my hand, extending up the bracer itself. What looked like lotus petals cast in brilliant ruby gleamed in the background, set beneath the all black skull. ¡°That¡¯s pretty sick.¡± I murmured to myself, somewhat surprised with the flower design, but, then, it seemed somehow fitting. A beautiful lotus, at once imposing and dreadful with death at the forefront. I kept the remaining 17 M.E., though I knew that if I died there wouldn¡¯t be any point to having held onto it. I just couldn¡¯t think of anything in particular to grab otherwise. ¡°Alright, what¡¯d you guys get?... Whoa¡­¡± I looked first to Fran, silver streaking her body. Her wings protruded now from a full body suit that was much the same style as before, but far more complete. I could tell that energy pulsed around her body when her wings flared, carrying her off the ground a few inches. She didn¡¯t even blink, enjoying the sensation as I realized that her wings had grown much larger. Where once twelve feathers rested altogether, she now bore thirty eight of them, and the wing frames themselves seemed dangerous. Along her waist were small packs, I couldn¡¯t identify their use just from seeing them. The suit was more armoured than mine was, and I didn¡¯t need to guess to know that she¡¯d spent the bulk of her M.E. on her wings and that suit. The cases were probably an afterthought. ¡°Damn, and I thought I¡¯d look cool. You freaking fly,¡± I touched the back of my helmeted head, besides myself, humbled. She turned to me, her moment of peacefulness and floating came crashing down as she flitted a few feet away from me, moving as easily as breathing. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s a scary helmet. It looks like you¡¯re just a skull in there.¡± ¡°Eh? Really?¡± I tilted my head, to which she shuddered. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s moving with you when you talk.¡± She pulled out one of the cases at her waist, a shiny metal flowed from it, she gestured and it formed a mirror, the gesture alone impressing me. ¡°That¡­ that is definitely like a skull.¡± I touched the helmet face, the clear black material showing a pale echo of my face and the reaper eye beneath smoky wisps. ¡°Let me see,¡± Daniel called walking up, the ground shaking beneath my feet. I looked up at him, seeing that his bulk had increased considerably. ¡°Damn, dude, you kitted out! This is what we shoulda done in the first place!¡± He laughed. ¡°What, by all that is good in this world, did you buy?¡± I shook my head. His mech suit had added at least three hundred pounds, the pistons and pneumatic motors were bulkier, stronger, and the machine had an angular, meaner look to it. It was intimidating, especially when I could feel the air move around it, a tenseness of power ready to be unleashed. The other object was what drew my consternation, however. He had a two-handed bearded axe, one that definitely couldn¡¯t be held by a human being. It stood just taller than he did, dwarfing me. It probably weighed more than me, too. ¡°I used most of my points on the mech, you can augment your stuff, did you know that? You should try it on your reaper things when you have points again.¡± He smiled, the head opened to reveal him, albeit it looked like he was in a monster¡¯s throat and looking out of it. Fran likewise shook her head, ¡°Well, simple isn¡¯t bad.¡± ¡°You do have a ranged option, right?¡± I crossed my arms, glaring at Daniel. ¡°Hell no, I¡¯m going to be ready to maul the next bear that comes around, not vice versa.¡± His gusto astounded me. But I couldn¡¯t refute that, the bears probably wouldn¡¯t go down to ranged fire that easily. ¡°Huh¡­ okay, I guess you have a point.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go Hunting then!¡± Daniel grinned, his faceplate closing. I could swear I watched his visor flare purple and smile with him. We made for the edge of the city. The three of us could see a general indicator in our sight, something like a head¡¯s up display from a video game. It was specifically for those who entered the Bounty Hunt system which - while a good system - required a greater commitment of time and danger as we had well found out.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. In spite of that, Fran had joined the Bounty Hunt system of her own accord. Daniel was going to have to be doing this anyways, and the M.E. flowing in from completing the tasks was quite good. Plus, we had fairly strong grasps of each other''s combat abilities already, though we definitely needed to work on teamwork and comboing off of eachother. ¡°Hey, you guys feel that?¡± I spoke out, feeling the ground tremble under my feet. Daniel paused, unmoving for a few moments. He shook his head, ¡°No, what¡¯s up?¡± I looked to Fran first, who was currently floating a few inches above the ground, I shook my head. ¡°The ground is trembling.¡± ¡°I am walking on it,¡± He shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not light enough to fully diffuse my weight now.¡± Fran chuckled, but then landed next to me. ¡°Oh, I do feel the ground¡­¡± She paused, gesturing gently as a feather slid out from its sheath. They¡¯d slimmed somewhat to only three inches in diameter, but somehow they looked stronger than before. One pressed into the concrete, shearing through with a humming power as Fran¡¯s pointed finger moved down. I imagined that sliver of steel moving through a body as easily as through the stone. Fran¡¯s kit might very well have been the most lethal of us. The feather, a few feet long, began to vibrate. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something happening, maybe underground.¡± ¡°Biotics?¡± I looked around, ¡°But why, it¡¯s so close to the city.¡± Daniel stiffened, ¡°That might be exactly why.¡± The three of us quieted, considering the implication. ¡°They¡¯re trying to move into the city? Digging under the wall, you think?¡± Fran answered me, ¡°I¡¯d say so, the wall might not be great, but now that the old hive was destroyed, they might be desperate?¡± ¡°Whatever the reason, we shouldn¡¯t leave them be.¡± I nodded to them, leaning low to the ground. I focused my senses, feeling my helmet suddenly intake sound and amplify it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Daniel asked, his voice sounding like it was coming through a loudspeaker to my ears. I flinched, ¡°Listening, please be quiet a moment.¡± They waited, and after a few seconds I tuned in on the source of the sounds. I could hear scraping, crushing, the mad chittering of claws and panting wolves. Further, I could make out the scuffling of dirt. The entrance, just north-east of us, in the suburbs. After shutting out the noise, I pointed, ¡°They¡¯re probably digging from over there, I think they¡¯re in the city limits, probably the suburbs.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check,¡± Fran nodded, turning. ¡°Wait, we should go together, it¡¯d be safer,¡± Daniel spoke hurriedly, not fond of the idea of Fran checking first. She smiled, putting a hand on his armored chest as she floated over his head, ¡°Remember, we¡¯re working. I can do this, so I will. I highly doubt they fly, at least not yet.¡± Daniel looked to me trying to garner support, but I agreed with her, she¡¯d be the fastest and safest. He sighed, ¡°Alright, I know, you¡¯re right. We¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± She smiled, a helmet coming up from the back of her suit and guarding her features. Nearly soundlessly she sped forward, twenty feet off of the ground as her wings moved her. She sped off quicker than I expected, too. ¡°That¡¯s handy.¡± I murmured, walking up with Daniel. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m more worried about us.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Daniel asked, somewhat disheartened. ¡°You¡¯re a fat mech that makes a lot of noise. They¡¯re already digging, could you imagine if they were smart enough to break the ground under you and pull us in the middle of a horde?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yikes. That¡¯s a fun thought.¡± He suddenly started trying to step more gingerly. I laughed, ¡°Relax, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that smart yet. Besides, close quarters combat where they can only come from two directions might be pretty good for us.¡± ¡°S-sure, yeah.¡± He coughed, ¡°I knew that.¡± We talked a little as we made our way forward. Empty, dilapidated houses with broken windows and collecting dust greeted us. The mood went more somber when we saw blood stains, or recognized where a wolf must have busted down a door to get at someone. It was the reminder that, while we had the means to fight back, we were in no way in the clear just yet. A part of me thought that we should go back to the city and warn people of the possible incoming threat. But, I believed that we could handle the threat if the conditions were right. And there was the chance that by the time any forces were reasonably mobilized, the biotics would have already come up under the city. It¡¯d be better to hit them while they didn¡¯t expect company. I snapped my reaper rifle up ready to fire when a blue diamond icon moved over a building. A moment later, I chastised myself, realizing that the friendly fire system was telling me where Fran was coming from so I didn¡¯t do exactly what I nearly had. Fran landed near us, ¡°They¡¯re definitely there. It looks like they¡¯ve knocked down an old house, probably used the basement to dig down further. Five wolves are guarding the hole, and it looks like the only cover we¡¯ll have is neighboring houses and the park across the street.¡± I paused, trying to bring up the mental map in my head of the city. I matched where she was referring too, Friedman Park, a small playground kind of deal that of course hadn¡¯t been used since the biotics came around. I could figure out two pretty decent plans, given the area. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve got two ideas. One, we pinch them in at the exit and kill them as they leave to come after us.¡± I offered. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°I can sit at the entrance and keep them from overwhelming us.¡± Fran nodded, ¡°Well, I could set up a control zone, anything that moves out from Daniel would be an easy shot then.¡± Nodding, I figured I¡¯d offer up the second strategy, ¡°The second idea is only really important if they have anything other than wolves down there.¡± Daniel¡¯s suit seemed to cringe, ¡°Ah, you mean if there¡¯s more of those crazy bear things¡­ right?¡± They looked to each other, ¡°In that case, having more room to work with might be good, but if there are too many wolves, we¡¯d just be throwing away that advantage.¡± That bear was just too damn strong. If it was just one more, we could take it down with our current set up reasonably well, I think. The problem was that we had no idea if there were might be several. We¡¯d need to have room to maneuver in order not to get bogged down, and pound for pound, I didn¡¯t know if Daniel would be able to take on one or two bears at the entrance at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility,¡± I shrugged, ¡°The bounty seemed to suggest it was one of a kind, so I¡¯m thinking if there are other bears, they¡¯d be weaker. Not sure by how much, though. Just in case, if it comes up there there are several bears coming out at once, we¡¯ll retreat to the park where we¡¯ll have extra space to work with. Since Fran can float out of reach, she¡¯ll be able to give you direct support and keep them from hitting you all at once. Then, if there aren¡¯t any more wolves coming from the tunnel, I¡¯ll sneak in and take out the hive core while you distract them. Sound good?¡± Daniel put a metal hand to where his chin might be otherwise, ¡°I¡¯m not too keen on that, actually.¡± ¡°Neither am I, it¡¯s incredibly risky for you.¡± Fran shook her head, ¡°What if there are more in the tunnel at that point? You aren¡¯t even as tanky as I am, and then how would you get out? I didn¡¯t see any sign of there being another exit point.¡± Thoughtful, I pondered that, ¡°You¡¯re right, but I wouldn¡¯t be going after the core if it looked like they weren¡¯t fully committed to attacking you. In any case, I¡¯ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. So long as there aren¡¯t a whole slew of them down there, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± The two of them looked to each other and back to me, it was hard to tell what their expressions were with their helmets on. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. We can just play it slow and get rid of the other biotics and then clear the tunnel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not against that, per se, but I¡¯m concerned that there might actually be another way out. That pseudo-hive is moving, so if there is another exit¡­¡± Fran sighed, ¡°Then it might slip away and back into the wilderness. And without any biotics, it might be hard to track it down before it starts a new hive.¡± ¡°That, exactly.¡± I nodded, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯ll be my first choice. If it¡¯s just wolves, then I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take us that long to clear them out at a choke point.¡± ¡°Fine. But don¡¯t get yourself in too deep. If it looks bad, back out. I¡¯d rather take the penalty than have my best friend die.¡± Daniel pointed at me, ¡°I¡¯m serious. Don¡¯t make me regret agreeing to this idea.¡± A couldn¡¯t rebuke that. I nodded, reaching out with a fist, ¡°Deal. I won¡¯t go in if it looks bad.¡± He hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh. Fran joined in, the three of us bumping fists. ¡°Let¡¯s get this hunt over with.¡± I nodded to them. We moved quickly, abandoning any pretense of stealth. The first phase relied on getting to the hole quickly. Fran darted ahead, floating inches over houses, vaulting off of rooftops. Daniel charged through alleyways, decimating fences that were in his way. I followed along, finding that I was much faster than I was before. I sprinted just behind Daniel, feeling my heart pump biosteel blood, rich oxygen enrichment kept my muscles from burning far longer than they should have. There was no soreness, either. That surprised me considering how I¡¯d exerted myself just yesterday. I wondered if parts of my muscles were converted too. Partially I thought the idea useful, but another part of me wasn¡¯t so pleased about my body being changed. Smith only changed what was damaged, but muscles being damaged was a normal part of life as a human. I shook the sensation off, instead exhilarated at how quick I was. My agility was greater, and to test what I could do, I jumped upon a fence that wasn¡¯t destroyed. A more distinct sensation of something helping to correct my body posture rang in my mind. Alarm rang through me as I managed to continue at speed, balancing perfectly on the fence. Further corrections happened at once, reflexively, and I almost felt like some kind of auto-pilot system was working alongside me. ¡°Show off,¡± Daniel scoffed good humoredly. ¡°Says the guy annihilating every yard he touches?¡± I retorted with a smirk. Ahead, we watched Fran set above the wolves, only just then did they notice our approach. They rose their heads to howl, each of the five immediately perishing as Fran¡¯s feathers pierced through their skulls. They pulled up, spinning as they went, throwing the dead hounds from them and at nearby buildings hard. ¡°Clear,¡± she declared, much to our amazement. ¡°It¡¯s a bad day to be a biotic.¡± I blinked. Daniel mocked a swoon, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m in love.¡± She waved us over with amusement, ¡°Anyways, lets, get into position.¡± Daniel gave a thumbs up as he jumped to the gaping maw of the tunnel. Fran let a feather down low for me, probably intending on lifting it to a nearby rooftop. Instead, I jumped up to the feather five feet off the ground and then jumped again, hitting the edge of the building. Instead of falling, I kept momentum and ran a few steps up, leaping off just enough to hit the lip of the roof. I pulled myself up the rest of the way easily. ¡°Since when did you know how to parkour?¡± Fran asked as she positioned her feathers, preparing to begin bombarding the entrance at a moments notice. ¡°Reaper stuff,¡± I chuckled with exhilaration, it felt great to move like that, ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m in position, ready when you guys are.¡± I sat next to a chimney, just to the right of Daniel, Fran took up a position over him, ready to bombard anything even if it sat directly in front of him. She would focus on the left side, while I would focus the right, hopefully keeping them moving towards Daniel, where he could wreak havoc in melee. ¡°Alright,¡± Daniel nodded, taking another step forward towards the tunnel. He inhaled deeply, and in the next moment I felt my helmet instinctively muffle sound. Daniel let out a bellow that still shook my bones, amplified by his suits external speakers. Fran had her hands covering slots over the sides of her head, and even so seemed to wince. I shut out the audio a second in, sparing myself. After several seconds, he finally stopped, ¡°Whew, think that they heard that?¡± ¡°I think the city heard you.¡± Fran shook her head. I refocused my hearing, the scratching in the distance stopped. All at once, it became louder, angrier, a frenzied cacophony. ¡°They definitely heard you, get ready,¡± I shut out sound, drew up the reaper rifle and felt it rest naturally in my hands. The killing field was set, all we had to do was wait for our quarry to slip into the noose. Chapter 8 ...In For a Pound Their awful, discordant bark-howls were only just barely audible over the echoing sound of the shaking ground and stampeding feet through the mouth of the tunnel. ¡°Damn, they¡¯re pissed.¡± Daniel rolled his shoulders, drawing up the two-handed axe. If he was nervous, nothing about his posture suggesting so. I shook my head, he¡¯d never been one to let the fear of death overtake him. The first wolves emerged from the darkness, squinting in the daylight as they ran up. I began counting shots, three rang out in the first second, three wolves tumbled down. Those directly behind them staggered over their bodies. I piled five more up as they stepped around them and over them with brutal efficiency that shocked me in spite of myself. The wolves weren¡¯t capable of realizing the trap, and continued to charge forward. To my surprise, Fran didn¡¯t have the opportunity to use a feather while I still had bullets in my clip, the bodies serving to slow them enough that I could dispatch them. They were only able to leave the tunnel three at a time. It just so happened that I could accurately fire that many times in a second. ¡°This is insane,¡± I heard Daniel utter as he risked looking up to me, my aim pivoting relentlessly and cleanly. I didn¡¯t stop, I didn¡¯t rest, I existed to put a bullet in every wolf¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t my skill entirely, either, that I was sure of. The Blood of the Reaper kept my attention honed, no stray thoughts or distractions entered my mind. I was a killing machine with plenty of ammo. Finally, the time to reload came, the pile of wolf corpses made for quite an adequate barrier in and of itself. More Wolves still poured out, Fran showing her skills as they made it a little further from the opening. From what it seemed, she was perfectly fine with letting them get some space. I realized it was due to the fact that if they couldn¡¯t leave the hole, they might stop trying. She gave them a few feet and created a wider killing field. Feathers pierced through their backs, hitting the heart and stopping. She¡¯d fire six at a time, ensuring that the wolf she¡¯d hit would be immobilized even if she missed the heart. Thus far, she didn¡¯t miss. A few tried to dodge, and found quickly that the second darting projectile would hit its mark. It was ruthless, and as she ran low on feathers they rose from the ground with their wolves in tow. She piled the bodies around the walls of the hole, boxing them in even further. ¡°Damn, guys, I don¡¯t have anything to do!¡± Daniel laughed, waiting patiently in spite of his supposed relaxed tone. I opened my senses as I slapped a new magazine in, the empty case disintegrating into my Reaper Ammo Storage space. This was remarkably easier than fighting them out in the open. They had no chance, I had a weapon with a disgustingly deep clip and punching power, Fran¡¯s field offensive and defensive utility made for plenty of room for error. Daniel was our front line, and hadn¡¯t even been touched yet. ¡°Oh, here we go!¡± He called out, cocking an arm back. I frowned, not seeing what he could see. A bear barreled out from the tunnel, roaring as it went, stomping and crushing over the wolves corpses. It reared up and continued roaring as it swiped at Daniel. Daniel roared back, slicing broadly with his axe, a heavy strike that cleaved through the bears arm in one blow. ¡°Whoa.¡± I breathed, watching as the bear nearly fell backwards. Daniel reached out with a gauntleted hand, grabbing its chest fur and yanking it towards him. We covered him as a clot of wolves ran through. They stood even less of a chance with both of us tearing into them, we also recognized Daniel needed no help with that bear. Left and right, the wolves perished, occasionally shot and pierced by a feather at the same time. Fran, even without the aid of an A.I., was already a person of no insignificant amount of willpower and focus. It showed. Daniel, contrary to what a reasonable person might do, had pulled the bear¡¯s head towards his own, wrenching it hard against the steel. Its jaw cracked, Daniel headbutted again, its jaw snapped, and again. After six such times, the bear no longer had a face, and fell backwards, cracks appearing all over its body as M.E. escaped its corpse. ¡°Next!¡± He pounded his chest, covered in black blood that gleamed in the purple light of his visor. At the sight of him, the wolves staggered at the entrance, giving us a moment''s reprieve. ¡°You¡­ scared them?¡± Fran could scarcely believe what she saw. I could barely believe it either. Then bellows came and the wolves made space where they could. A surge of them fell over each other to the entrance as something pushed through. We got rid of the wolves, resulting in even more of the wolves huddling against the walls of the tunnel instead of coming out of the hole. Black forms, hulking and brutish, filtered out. One after the other. We bombarded them as they came, but they were far hardier than wolves. Ten bears snarled their silver lined jaws at Daniel. ¡°Time for plan B.¡± Daniel shouted, jumping over the pit and darting for the park. He had to be the first to move, they¡¯d trap him otherwise. ¡°I¡¯ll slow them down!¡± Fran shouted, striking them again and again with feathers. ¡°Matt, go into hiding!¡± She turned her gaze to where I¡¯d been. I was already gone. ¡°He does that.¡± Daniel called over his shoulder when Fran seemed especially perplexed, ¡°Come over, we¡¯ll cover each other!¡± She nodded, darting forward and using the magnetics and momentum to tear feathers from the bears backs. They snarled and grunted in pain, but not a single one of them was close to dead. Limping and shuffling, they tumbled their way to the park, almost every single one bearing at least one limb that had been pierced at a joint by Fran¡¯s attacks. As they went, the wolves reluctantly pooled at the entrance. They stopped, gathered in a pack of what seemed to be a hundred of them at least, pooled closely together, still uncertain of advancing. A pair of the bears turned, bellowing at them, to which the wolves seemed to fall into a trance once more, and readied to move. ¡°Not the brightest bunch, are you?¡± I muttered from my rooftop hiding place, still behind the chimney, I held two round black and red objects in my hands, both had buttons that I¡¯d pressed down hard on with my thumbs. I chucked the pair into the air over the large pack, and waited a moment. Two deafening explosions went off, far larger than I¡¯d expected. Windows nearby exploded, but my helmet had closed off the worst of the noise. Given that it was a reaper grenade, I suppose it would have a default where it would mute sound when the grenades went off. Curious at the destruction, I peeked around the corner down below. They¡¯d been shredded. Small splinters of metal had torn the wolves apart, very little of the grenades had missed at all. Even the walls of the houses were mostly spotless, save for a few sections where a wolf had likely been blasted to pieces. I paled, seeing the sheer carnage. They were biotics, yes, but it didn¡¯t make seeing just unrelenting violence easier. There was a brutality there, among more than a hundred bodies. Reaper weapons weren¡¯t made for self-defense, they were made to exact as much death and lethality as possible. That point hit home as I watched a handful of wolves pour from the tunnel. It didn¡¯t last long, there didn¡¯t seem to be that many left after we slew them en masse at the entrance. I jumped down, nearly slipping on the slick that had become the ground. No wolves turned around, too focused on the battle the bears took part in. I took a step towards the tunnel, faltering. I shook, uncertain about going into the tunnel. Was this actually a good idea? Was this even really my idea? For all I knew I could be getting influenced by Smith. Now that I reflected, I was diving into this rather heavily, even if the pseudo-core escaped, we could just chase after it. There wasn¡¯t any reason to really go down into the dark tunnel where more biotics could be, right? Even so, sitting here wouldn¡¯t do any good. I could go after the core, or I could go help with the bears. Any choice was better than none. I grit my teeth, I¡¯d already decided on the plan. If it looked bad, I could just retreat. I gave my word already that I would. At first it was like walking through mud, but by the time I entered the tunnel I was back to a sprint. [The resolve to see something through is as important as the wisdom to question.] I heard Smith¡¯s voice in my head, [There is no wrong answer in life, nor any right answer. Do you believe in your friends?] I blinked, whispering as I tried to keep an eye on my environment. The tunnel sheared through concrete, diving deeper into the dirt. A hard, stone-like resin reinforced the dirt every five feet to keep it from collapsing. Even so, I didn¡¯t trust the work of a species that willfully defied self-preservation instincts. ¡°I trust my friends.¡± I spoke. [I¡¯m sure you trust them. Now, do you believe in them? Can you put your faith in them, not knowing what the future holds? That is what it means to resolve yourself and go on this path. To pursue the pseudo-core, you must be certain of that fact. Or are you going after the core because of pride? Because you came up with a plan?] That surprised me. Smith almost seemed angry with me. I bridled at that, wanting to spit back a retort. It fell short, though, as I considered it. Trust was something I could give. I could trust Daniel not to abandon me without a word, except under certain conditions. I knew Fran would always have my back, unless we had a way out when the alternative was certain death. That wasn¡¯t real trust. I knew that. Real trust was belief, to have faith in someone totally. It was complete, it was pure. It was naive, it was foolish. Without an answer, I ran forward, darting through the tunnel at speed, listening carefully. I could hear the fight overhead, probably in the park itself. They were still alive, that was good. It occurred to me that if I had faith in them, it wouldn¡¯t have been a question of them still being alive, but instead I¡¯d have asked why they weren¡¯t done yet. I turned my attention forward, hearing something else only a few feet away. Louder scuttling, from what seemed to be many sources. Dropping to a low stance, I pulled the reaper rifle up, ready to mow down wolves as I retreated. To my left was another tunnel, fully excavated and cleared. I frowned, nothing was down that way, but I could just barely feel a breeze in the air.. ¡°An exit?...¡± I murmured, turning my attention forward. My eyes went wide as I saw a many legged creature loom in the darkness. A glowing silver sphere with black streaks was clutched in the center of its body. A set of eyes peered at me from what looked like a spider¡¯s head. Fangs like daggers and legs like spears clacked against the rock, sunk into the dirt. It was hideous. [Pseudo-core detected, strain: Spiker, primary objective found.] ¡°Of course you would be.¡± I murmured, feeling my blood go cold at the sight of the thing. It looked between me and the exit, evaluating its options. I brought my rifle up to my shoulder, letting loose a barrage of bullets before it could decide. It rushed me then, screeching with a raspy cadence. Spear-like legs came down near me, my bullets piercing it and letting silver-black blood splash across the ground. At the last moment, it turned to the other path to run. ¡°H-hey, what? No!¡± Flabbergasted I shot behind it, my bullets hitting legs, but it had plenty of them. At least twenty more that could carry it just as well. Panicking, I snatched the last grenade from my belt. I pressed the button and pitched it, hard, flinging it through the mass of legs and ahead of the pseudo-core. Almost too late, I covered against the wall my gut sinking when I realized how stupid what I¡¯d just done was. I felt the pressure wave hit me, throwing me hard against the ground. Wetness splashed in my helmet, and suddenly I had trouble breathing. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Pain seized my body, and I found my limbs refused to move. My conscious mind reeled as I recognized that I had let panic define my next move. Panic didn¡¯t account for the fact that a buffed up grenade might be a bad idea to use in a closed space like this. ¡®Clack, clack, clack,¡¯ I heard the sound coming from the tunnel, now over fifteen feet away. I forced myself to look, feeling adrenaline spiking. ¡°Shit¡­¡± I muttered, seeing a few legs, wobbly and gushing blood, herald the rest of the monstrosity. Only three eyes remained that I could see, and they glared at me with a malice and bloodlust that I didn¡¯t think would be possible. It was almost like an aura of hatred oozed from it, and it stalked towards me, prone as I was, no doubt intending on making good on its name. [I can only do so much, I need time to repair you.] Smith¡¯s voice came in level and calm. I could tell he was grave about our situation, that the Spiker had survived a grenade at point blank range. ¡°I can¡¯t give you much time¡­¡± Regret filling my voice, I spoke. I looked up, seeing a purple fist icon and a blue diamond almost on top of me. I was literally beneath Daniel and Fran. [Survive. That is the second rule of being a Reaper.] ¡°What''s the first?¡± I murmured, dragging myself backwards. [Kill or die.] ¡°That seems¡­¡± I coughed up blood, feeling my consciousness fade for a moment. A jolt shot down my spine, I felt the same disconcerting sensation that I did when my eye was replaced. [Believe, Matthew. Will power and belief have bent the rules of the universe before. Now, survive!] I shoved my right arm in front of me, gritting my teeth as I expected the Spiker¡¯s leg to shear right through it. The Reaper Gauntlet activated then, a skull and bloom erupting in front of the surface of the metal. Scarlet, bright, and hot, the leg hit the shield and the petals exploded. Heat burned forward, boiling the blood of the Spiker in what seemed like a wave of plasma. Screaming and frenzied, it rose more legs. Out of desperation, I tried to activate the shield again, pouring an M.E. point into it. Just a fraction of a second before the legs hit me, it activated again, rebuking the striking legs with a burst of fire. I felt fire against my arm, the gauntlet gleamed a low red. It struck out again, screeching more, fire embracing its form. I choked on pain and superheated air, nearly passing out. Another M.E. point into the shield, I didn¡¯t want to die, a scream locked in my heat-scarred throat. The shield bloomed again, a short, explosive life. My gauntlet went a bright, gorgeous cherry red. My arm broiled under it. ¡°Daniel, Fran!¡± I screamed, instinct driving me, fear cornering my reason. I¡¯d always counted myself somewhat pessimistic, maybe even nihilistic. In that moment, facing death, I was not stalwart. I wasn¡¯t Daniel, I couldn¡¯t greet it with a smile. I heard the screech of metal, I felt the metal on my body and in my body flex against a ripple of magnetics. I watched as the dirt above the Spiker exploded, a purple-light wrapped behemoth streaking down through the earth, bellowing with a might that seemed larger than life. The wall of steel stood between me and the Spiker, and a moment later a barrier of elegant, black covered spears intervened further. ¡°You.¡± Daniel seethed, ¡°You put your filthy, fucking limbs on my bro!¡± The eyes of the Spiker were wide, pupils needle small. It darted, shockingly fast, around him, trying to escape through the new hole in the roof. Ten spears punctured it from above, Daniel¡¯s sweeping axe bit into it from beneath. Fran pushed it down as Daniel broke its limbs with his arms, snapping them like twigs, steam baking off of them like freshly cooked crab. ¡°Die.¡± Fran¡¯s singular word was punctuated by three spears vanishing entirely into its eyes. It fell, and the core came loose at once, rolling to my feet. [Bounty Hunt completed! Congratulations, Matthew, Daniel, and Fran!] [Awarding M.E. based on completion, modifying due to difficulty of task¡­ calculating¡­] [Kill Wolves 325/500 Special Conditions Applied, See Below] [Kill The Bear ¡®Karaslava¡¯ The Sound ¡®Unique¡¯ 1/1 Completed!] [Kill Bears 11/0 Special Condition. Elevated Rewards] [Destroy Pseudo-Core 1/1] [Special: Pseudo-Core beast was slain, however Pseudo-Core remains intact and usable. Elevated Rewards.] [Specialized Intelligence System is initializing, please wait.] ¡°Matthew!¡± Daniel leaned down, making space for Fran. The pair of them seemed fine, if anything, Daniel seemed to only have some superficial damage. That astounded me. I opened my mouth to speak, having trouble with doing so. I could only vaguely feel pain from my burnt throat, my helmet partially melted. [Matthew is alive. He cannot speak right now, I¡¯m repairing his functions.] Smith spoke, [Thank you both, I don¡¯t know how much more of that he could have taken.] ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t you run, you dumbass!¡± Daniel shouted, on the verge of tears, ¡°The hell were you thinking?¡± [In Matthew¡¯s defense, I believe he made the right call.] Fran¡¯s helmet came off, her eyes wet as well. I don¡¯t know what it looked like, but I figured I probably looked like hell for both of them to be so worried. ¡°Why? He could have just escaped, why didn¡¯t he?¡± Another voice entered the fray, this time coming from another feminine voice. A blue figure, shining with holographic light, smiled as she spoke, [¡°He could have, but it would have been a disaster for your city.¡±] We all looked to Sis, Fran¡¯s eyes narrowed ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Ah, right, Fran had no idea who that was. [¡°You received the message, yes? I am the Specialized Intelligence System, but you may refer to me as Sis.¡±] She nodded to Fran, [¡°I am grateful that such talents are using my Bounty Hunt system.¡±] ¡°Nevermind that, please. What did you mean?¡± Daniel¡¯s face plate opened away, revealing his frustrated face. [¡°There should have been a notification about that creature, but I didn¡¯t know it existed until Matthew engaged it in battle. I¡¯m still working on increasing my processing power. This should suffice.¡±] [Kill The Pseudo-Core ¡°Dread¡± the Spiker, Unique 1/1] ¡°What does that¡­ mean?¡± Daniel looked to the still smoking pile of flesh. [There are biotics that defy common comprehension. They are special, each in their own horrific way. That bear from before knew its surroundings, knew you were all there. It was stronger, faster, and more savage by far than a common bear. Imagine, then, what would become of a hive-organism if it were allowed to gestate and become a new biotic core?] Smith¡¯s brooding voice brought a weight with it that gave even Sis a moment of pause. [¡°Ah, a Reaper A.I¡­. you are all always so¡­ cheery.¡±] Sis sighed, [¡°But, he is correct. Had that creature left, it would have meant the beginning of a new nightmare for your city. The fact that there were two unique¡¯s here¡­ I will need to expedite enhancing my functions.¡±] I gestured, fighting to speak. I didn¡¯t do that because I knew what it was, I did it because it had a core. For all I knew it would have been harmless, I panicked. Smith detected that, and sighed, [Matthew would be remiss with me to allow the misunderstanding. He tried to stop the thing because it tried to run, and he momentarily panicked. He feels ashamed of that, but I cannot stress how wrong he should feel for that.] ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Daniel growled, clearly beginning to dislike Smith. [Newborn hives are never an easy kill. Each generation stronger than the last, more honed, more deadly.] [¡°When a newborn hive first gestates, they unleash a large amount of matter energy, and tend to create very powerful biotics to guard them while they regather their strength. The older hives had less energy to work with after protecting themselves from all of the trauma of getting to the planet. That¡¯s why you¡¯ve only seen wolves until now.¡±] Sis supplied, she shook her head, [¡°In any case, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡±] She turned an eye towards me, something akin of regret on her extremely lifelike face, [¡°I told you both that I would try to keep you away from the most dangerous of situations. And yet twice you¡¯ve nearly died, for that, I cannot apologize enough. It may sound like an excuse, but the presence of these uniques is not something that I could account for. And they¡¯re appearing at a rate unheard of on other worlds.¡±] ¡°Why is that?¡± Fran asked the question I wanted to know the answer too. [¡°I don¡¯t know,¡±] she seemed honestly uncertain, [¡°What I do know is that the Bounty Hunt system may be too dangerous to implement in the future. I want to give you the opportunity to leave it. As of now, I will consider your debt settled. I do not wish that to throw you into near certain death because of that matter.¡±] Daniel looked to my body, scorched and damaged, and then back to Sis, ¡°Who will take care of the Uniques, then?¡± [¡°W-well¡­ anyone aware of the risk could certainly go after them. But it would¡­¡±] She trailed off mumbling, very human-like. ¡°Speak up, please, we can¡¯t hear you.¡± Fran¡¯s stern, business voice came back with a vengeance. [¡°Ah, well, it would come down to whenever they would attack humans, at that point defending onesselves is to be expected.¡±] I huffed, and Daniel noticed with a smirk, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not gonna work. If they¡¯re that bad, then you¡¯d just be saving us short-term possibility of death for a guaranteed death further down the line.¡± ¡°Keep the Bounty Hunt system, tell people about the uniques. That seems fine. Humanity won¡¯t be ignorant about the dangers associated with a high reward, so¡­¡± Fran put a hand on her hip, ¡°You¡¯d better make it worth our while.¡± Sis blinked, and I could see just the barest flicker of amazement in her holographic eyes. The obelisk system was anything but simple, it was intelligent, learning, and adaptive. She let out a long, simulated breath. [¡°Very well, it¡¯s true that the Bounty Hunt system is still the only thing available for coordinating against Unique Biotics. Then, it would seem that I would need to procure resources outside of my normal system to aid you.¡±] It gestured to the core at my foot, and I marveled at it when it seemed to turn into energy and siphon into Sis, [¡°I can utilize any cores found for special projects, then. They have many uses, and are worth a large amount of matter energy. When you have a possible use, then let me know and I¡¯ll work with you on it.¡±] My mind raced at the thought of what might be possible, certainly Sis wouldn¡¯t have offered to help if it was something minor. Perhaps with enough of them, we might be able to create some truly masterful things, whether they be weapons or otherwise. ¡°So¡­ about this job?¡± Daniel quirked a brow. ¡°It was a helluva lot worse than you said it¡¯d be, after all.¡± She chuckled, [¡°Yes, well, I suppose I may as well start here with my rewards, then. Give me a moment.¡±] [System Allocating Rewards¡­ Bounty Hunt Successful!] [1358 Matter Energy awarded to each member of kill-team.] It was a massive amount. My current M.E. had bottomed out to zero, probably from the repairs being done to my body. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant feeling being stuck halfway, but as soon as the points came back, I felt an itching in my body. [Excellent, I can finish up now.] Smith seemed pleased, though quite tame. [I¡¯d run out of points to use.] ¡°You should have asked,¡± Daniel and Fran shot me dirty looks. It felt quite strange having them trying to scold the A.I. inside me. [¡°I apologize once more. I¡¯ll give you a day to rest before I reactivate the Bounty System. I¡¯ll need to make plenty of modifications.¡±] ¡°Wait,¡± I croaked out, realizing a use for the core, gesturing to Sis. She paused, waiting patiently for me to be able to squeak out another word. ¡°Use¡­ core¡­ detection.¡± She processed that, and then confirmed, [¡°Use the core to amplify detection of biotics?¡±] I nodded, numbly. She cringed, [¡°I guess you would rather that after all of this. Of course, I¡¯ll implement it at this obelisk right away.¡±] She nodded, and then bid us farewell. Daniel and Fran carried me out of the tunnel, careful not to harm me overtly. Already I could tell the damage was severe. Internal bleeding from the highly over explosive reaper grenades in an enclosed space with the least of it. My reaper gauntlet dished out an incredible amount of damage and the shield itself was great, but it also super heated with rapid use. I¡¯m pretty sure the helmet couldn¡¯t compensate for the temperature difference, I inhaled superheated air. My throat was screwed because of that, probably my lungs too. Smith walked us through the process of what he was doing, and recommended strongly against moving me any further. Luckily, the mound of wolf corpses had disintegrated after a few hours, so I didn¡¯t have to stare at those. It seemed that by the time he was done, I¡¯d be down nearly 45 matter energy points. That¡¯s how extensive my injuries had been, given the fact that several organs had ruptured. Somehow being alive now was only due to Smith using a localized matter manipulation process with the energy. In the morning, I¡¯d be lying in bed near the obelisk for as much throughput as possible to refine the biosteel. Unlike his previous job, this was all rough patching. I¡¯d be walking around in a day or two, though. That blew my mind. ¡°I messed up.¡± I spoke aloud, more to myself than anyone else, Daniel and Fran heard me though, in spite of having been in an animated conversation. They both frowned, and turned to me. ¡°Dude, you panicked,¡± Daniel moved closer, sitting on a chair that had been pilfered from a nearby abandoned house. ¡°There was just one biotic, you didn¡¯t know that it was some named badass.¡± Fran offered sympathy, ¡°You¡¯ve been getting thrown around a lot more than either of us. But you¡¯re still alive. I feel like that should be important.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not like that.¡± I breathed, annoyed at the helmet on my head, ¡°The both of you handled yourselves great, you have been from the start. I¡¯m the one that keeps doing my own thing, and it¡¯s almost gotten me killed twice.¡± Daniel frowned, ¡°What? I thought we talked about that? I let the wolves get to you before, it was my bad.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I thought I could take them, but I should have moved closer to you guys the moment our formation shifted. I wouldn¡¯t have been flankable then, I could have kept my shoulder. God knows what I¡¯m losing now.¡± I tried to lift my arms. My right arm was more or less fine, but my left arm shuddered like a leaf in a hurricane. I dropped them, wincing at the pain, ¡°Man, I¡¯m gonna be like the fucking terminator now.¡± There was a sharp pause between us. We all laughed a moment later. ¡°Alright, look, I¡¯m not saying becoming a robot is the best thing, but I¡¯m glad your alive.¡± Fran moved her seat closer, ¡°You¡¯re one of my best friends, and you¡¯ve got to be around to help me with Daniel, because he¡¯s too much of a handful on his own.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m right here?¡± He quirked a brow at her, and then beamed at me, ¡°Besides, we¡¯re just getting the party started. Hell, that movie series had like six movies, didn¡¯t it? And a tv show.¡± ¡°The point is,¡± Fran¡¯s quizzical expression when she looked at Daniel was nigh priceless, ¡°You¡¯re not perfect, you¡¯re Matthew Todd, and you¡¯re only one of two things. Some guy who lived through the apocalypse, or¡­¡± She put her fist out between myself and Daniel, ¡°You¡¯re a part of the people who conquered the apocalypse.¡± ¡°Hell yeah! God damn I¡¯m in love with you!¡± Daniel whooped, putting his fist out as Fran blushed. I chuckled, putting my fist in the circle. ¡°Alright, well¡­ damn. I mean, we¡¯re all probably going to die. But I guess if I had to choose, I guess I would die with my friends.¡± ¡°You guess?¡± Daniel coughed, ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t you trust us? It¡¯ll be great.¡± Fran punched his ribs. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t trust you guys,¡± I grinned, and they looked stunned for a moment. ¡°You could say I believe in you. I have complete faith in you guys. Yeah. That works.¡± Fran and Daniel were a little confused there, but I felt Smith on the inside of my head smile in appreciation. [Good. Very good, young man.] He beamed, [Oh, you¡¯ll feel a little pinch here.] ¡°Hmm? Pinch?¡± I asked aloud, watching Daniel and Fran as their eyes opened wide as my left arm let out a crackling noise. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow! Why does this feel like pins and needles? Smith? Wha-aaooooooo!¡± [Don¡¯t worry, just a few thousand nerves to go.] ¡°I hate you so much, Smith!¡± I groveled immediately after, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, wait! Ahh! That¡¯s so freaky feeling!¡± Chapter 9 Downtime The capacity for a human being to forgive can be truly remarkable. Likewise, the capacity for an A.I. to cause torment is shockingly deep. Smith, why are you trying to drive me mad? Oh, right, you must hate me. All things eventually fall to chaos and disorder, as per entropy, and since you¡¯re somewhat based off of me, that must mean I¡¯m falling apart on two fronts? Ah, I really want a chocolate milkshake. No, I want a salad, I want a really, really nice chef salad with all the fixings. Yeah, that¡¯d be great. Then I want that milkshake. Why is my brain so scattered? Probably because Smith has been remaking all of the biosteel that he put in my body yesterday. It¡¯s a revolting sensation, it tickles sometimes, and by the love of all that is good and holy in this world, it itches! I¡¯ve been watching my arm go from roughly and crudely formed biosteel to a much cleaner and, admittedly, badass looking kind over the course of an hour. The same thing is happening in several of my organs. My lungs aren¡¯t flesh anymore, they¡¯re biosteel. The esophageal lining is biosteel, the inside of my throat in general too, and that transformation was worst of all. He left what he could there intact, but my voice was already going to be a notch lower from being coated in a protective layer. Smith was, as he put it, ¡®Not going to wait for me to find another miraculously dangerous method of blowing myself up,¡¯ and wanted to make certain that there were some areas with particular reinforcement. My heart included. At this point, I didn¡¯t at all entertain the concept that I was going to be a regular human being. Daniel and Fran were on a date; I kicked them out when the arm started reconstituting because they were looking quite ill as they watched it. I knew they didn''t mean it to me personally, but¡­ there¡¯s some things that I did and did not want seen. I wasn¡¯t sure if I found it embarrassing, but it definitely felt like something deeply private. I guess having my body reconstituted like this was pretty intense, too. More than that, I realized that I¡¯d been trying far too hard these last few days. My normal pace was slower than what had been going on, and because I went to the extremes of fighting in close range, I¡¯d been punished. My left arm past the elbow was biosteel, the reaper gauntlet with the shield attachment had melted my flesh too much, and the gauntlet itself was damaged beyond repair. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be used over and over, though the M.E. recharge was there for just such an emergency. Reaper¡¯s valued their lives far more than their limbs. Begrudgingly, I accepted that viewpoint as valid, as much as it literally hurt. At least I¡¯d still have a working arm. That was good. My digestive tract had somehow been what took the brunt of the damage from the shockwave of the grenade. Which, I should mention, the reaper grenades are apparently far stronger than earth-based military grenades. It¡¯d probably be illegal to use, if legality mattered anymore. I¡¯d buy a few more, but certainly I needed to be far more wary of using them. We¡¯d raked in massive quantities of M.E. for that bounty, though, and I intended to use it to fully kit myself out. I didn¡¯t want to be in another situation like that one. We¡¯d all agreed to prioritize gear that was multipurpose. Survival first, then the lethality. That was my problem. Reaper gear was, even for their survivability gear, designed to be able to kill. I shook my head, looking through the menu. The shields were varied, but each of them were able to kill in the right situations. I wondered who made these things, and what kind of other people out there actually used them. I did, however, glean one kernel of wisdom just from looking at the weapons and equipment available to my class specifically. Planning and preparation were the most important factors. On the rooftop, I slaughtered through droves of wolves with my rifle and didn¡¯t give them a single chance to fight back. It was only when I went into the tunnel without proper gear or intelligence that I was nearly killed. Hindsight helped me immensely, and I already began to make modifications to my gear. What gear that didn¡¯t require a lot of space, anyways. Namely, I added some more storage spaces. Utility devices could be stored separately, including, but not limited too, my grenades. Not having that on my waist was a breath of relief. Part of me didn¡¯t want to use them at all, but not using an effective and handy tool, like a hammer, just because you smashed your thumb once wasn¡¯t a good reason to stop using it. Granted, that mistake didn¡¯t have anything to do with a hammer but instead a grenade, and it wasn¡¯t my thumb, it was several ruptured organs. So it was a really, really bad thumb smash? Yeah, I¡¯d go with that for the sake of being able to look at myself in the mirror without shaking my head at the idiot I saw in it. Finally my arm settled, and I looked to it, seeing what looked remarkably similar to flesh, only with pitch black metal instead of tanned white skin that I¡¯d had previously. My hand and arm moved perfectly, Smith had integrated it perfectly down to every last nerve cell and was as close as possible to the one I¡¯d had before. I might feel ghost pains every now and then, but I wouldn¡¯t have to go with any regular old prosthetic limb. It saddened me to see it, though. I¡¯d lost a limb, and the knowledge that it wasn¡¯t likely to be the last only deepened my morose. I turned my gaze to the open door to the office that we¡¯d made our home. It felt like it¡¯d been forever since I¡¯d been here. There were still cheeseburger wrappers in the trash can. I smiled, our meal here on the first night of the obelisks appearance came back to my mind in stunning clarity. A knock at the open door announced someone¡¯s presence. ¡°Come in,¡± I spoke, seeing the man that walked in. He was stubby, that was the word that stood out to me the most. It was the councilman that had mocked the obelisks A.I. for calling itself ¡®Sis¡¯. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re recovering from¡­¡± He paused, looking straight at my metal left hand. The silence and gaze lingered far too long for my liking. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t have feelings or anything.¡± I frowned at him, sarcasm leaking heavily from my words. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± He did a double take, ¡°It¡¯s, I just¡­ phew¡­¡± With a breath he recollected himself, ¡°Here I was wanting to offer my well wishes and apologize for my earlier misconduct, and I make it worse. Please, may I offer you my sincerest apologies? I truly meant nothing by it.¡± My frown deepened, ¡°I¡¯ll take your apology, but I want to let you know that I¡¯m not interested in getting wrapped up into any politics.¡± The man chuckled, and in spite of my critical eye I couldn¡¯t find any trace of facsimile upon him. His friendliness seemed¡­ genuine. ¡°I understand you¡¯re wariness, I don¡¯t like politicians either.¡± He hobbled closer, and I only just noticed that his gait was strange. Curiosity touched my eyes as he sat in a chair, helping himself. I almost rebuked him, but then noted that his left leg was, in fact, prosthetic. Not a good one, either. He patted it, ¡°Yeah, I know a little bit about what you¡¯re going through. It¡¯s a shock. Happened in the first few months of the fall. Wanna hear about it? I¡¯m pretty proud of it.¡± I glowered, ¡°Sure, not sure why you¡¯d be proud of that, though.¡± ¡°My leg for my daughter¡¯s life, it was a pretty good trade,¡± He laughed. God damnit, am I an asshole? He waved the look I had on my face away, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I get that alot. We were in our log cabin, her mother gave me custody for the weekend, but¡­ well, she lived in Damond.¡± He sighed sadly. ¡°Ah¡­ my family too,¡± I sympathized in spite of wanting to distrust the man. Maybe he was getting my guard down, but¡­ what would be the point? That¡¯s no reason to be a prick the whole time. Loss was loss, only scum would use that to their advantage. ¡°It¡¯s alright, even though we were separated, I still loved her. Bah, anyways,¡± he slapped his knee above the roughly hewn prosthetic, ¡°We tried holding up in the cabin until the wolves started to come around. There were evacuations going on then, just a local with a big truck and a bunch of people in it, really. We were running when my daughter tripped. I stopped, picked her up, and ran. By then the wolves were already on us, and the truck couldn¡¯t risk stopping. So, I had to throw her into the back.¡± ¡°By dumb luck, I managed to get my hand stuck in some guys backpack straps with some heavy food cans in it, so when the wolf grabbed me by the leg¡­¡± he made a -pop- sound with his mouth, ¡°Right off at the knee. If they didn¡¯t drag me up, I¡¯m certain I¡¯d have died. The medic kept me alive long enough to get help, and then a kind man helped make me this wooden leg here. I owe these people my life, Mr. Todd.¡± He sighed, ¡°So, I suppose this is a good a time as any to say thank you for keeping more people safe. When you first walked into that session room, I interrupted rudely. It was a small thing to me, but maybe not to you, but I don¡¯t want that to get in the way of us working together in the future.¡± As soon as he said those words, I set into the defense again, though I at least didn¡¯t want to shoot him down outright. ¡°Meaning what exactly?¡± ¡°Well, there are people, like myself, who will find it difficult to go hunting.¡± His smile grew, ¡°That¡¯s not really a bad thing, though. From what I¡¯ve been gathering, there are some quirks to the system that you yourself brought up. ¡®Keep the conversion simple,¡¯ seems to be a basic rule. Right now there¡¯s plenty of people with M.E. left, but that won¡¯t last forever.¡± At this point he put on much more stoic face, ¡°I¡¯ve already started to organize people behind Bulwark Red, we¡¯re setting up an economy. The problem is that Bulwark Red aren¡¯t exactly pulling their weight¡­¡± ¡°You mean, nobodies hunting enough to gather the M.E., right?¡± I studied him. He might have been a politician, but, I suppose I might have not given him the opportunity to change my mind. I intended to fix that. It didn¡¯t hurt his chances that I was more than a little concerned about what Bulwark was doing these days. ¡°Exactly right,¡± Doug nodded, ¡°Right now, they¡¯re just using the M.E. that people have traded for credits, when those credits run out, they trade more M.E. Right now the going rate is sustainable, but if more M.E. doesn¡¯t enter the system, and if there¡¯s no good way for people to get that M.E. back, things will fall apart. The problem is that we have no input, and only output. Basic economics,¡± he shrugged. With a sigh, I settled in and started talking, ¡°It¡¯s the same as before. We should be able to last a while if everyone¡¯s using their M.E. properly, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that things aren¡¯t going to go well when the supply starts to dwindle. Eventually, when everyone¡¯s on their last few points, they¡¯ll start demanding more credits, but those credits are used to buy things generated from M.E., there¡¯s not much wiggle room there. They¡¯ll get angry, and start stealing, or trying to make the materials they want on their own, resulting in the entire system breaking down. We¡¯ll be worse off than we were before, with resentment towards everyone else, and no doubt the Bulwark would be blamed. I¡¯d imagine anyways.¡± For a few seconds Doug just stared at me, ¡°You¡¯re pretty candidly describing the worst case scenario.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I could think of some worse ones, I¡¯m real good at it.¡± ¡°Spare me the details,¡± he chuckled, though it looked like he wasn¡¯t comfortable with the topic in the slightest. ¡°Sure. So, why are you here? I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s not just to deliver a rumor and apologize.¡± I tried to look unaffected by the situation, but I couldn¡¯t keep the tenseness out of my body. He didn¡¯t seem to notice, ¡°Ah, yes. I did want to apologize, but I wanted to get your input on an idea.¡± ¡°Oh? What kind of idea?¡± I was much more interested now, scheming was something I found fun from time to time, admittedly politics kept me from doing more than dabble in the field.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Now, I want to preface this with another admission; I had someone follow you guys to the edge of the city. I wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t somehow just extorting people for this matter energy stuff. It was purely a cautionary measure, but even so, I have to apologize for that breach of privacy.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ sure, I don¡¯t really mind?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Plenty of people followed us to the city edge, no big deal. Daniel¡¯s walking around in a nine foot tall mech suit, I¡¯d be surprised if people didn¡¯t watch him.¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ Here I thought you might not like that.¡± He relaxed, ¡°Well, in any case, I wanted to get your opinion on how gathering matter energy might be carried out. I can clearly see that you¡¯ve all been successful¡­ and that you¡¯ve also probably found some of the wrong ways to do it.¡± Doug gestured to my arm, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to insult you, only to highlight your experience.¡± For a moment, I was insulted. But, he was also right, and I¡¯d already been far too reckless, ¡°It¡¯s not easy, but it can be done. Much safer than what we¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s a relief.¡± Doug rested a hand on the desk nearby, idly tapping, ¡°Then maybe we can have some people go hunt for biotics on a regular basis.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± I nodded automatically. Then I paused, thinking about that more. If I actually considered the topic, I couldn¡¯t say that it would be something that I would suggest to just anybody. A wolf or two? Sure, that¡¯d be easy. But a hundred? Or a unique? ¡°No, sorry¡­¡± I considered my words carefully, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to have a misconception. It¡¯s dangerous. Very much so. I lost an arm. I was lucky. I¡¯ve almost died twice in as many days, there are things other than wolves out there. In the immediate vicinity we should be fine, but..¡± He listened as I trailed off, patient as I gathered my thoughts. His somber nod told me he understood, ¡°I see¡­ then perhaps people thinking that the Bulwark should take care of the problem aren¡¯t so far off. They¡¯re mostly soldiers and militia who¡¯ve gotten at least some training.¡± For that, I couldn¡¯t help but nod. It seemed logical to me, they would be at the least risk to go hunting. Something bothered me about that line of thinking, but I decided that something had to be done, and that was the easiest option available. ¡°How much M.E. can be harvested from a wolf?¡± He asked suddenly. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯d like to say¡­¡± I trailed off, thinking to myself. [It¡¯s six M.E. for a wolf.] Smith piped in, supplying me with the answer. ¡°Six M.E. per wolf, though it¡¯ll get split up among kill-team members.¡± ¡°Kill-team?¡± He was perplexed, whether that it would be split up or because of the name of the teams, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°The obelisks recognize groups of people in combat with biotics as ¡®kill-teams,¡¯ and ensures that active members of a team get a portion of the matter energy. From what I can tell, if you¡¯re active or performing a vital role in the team, you¡¯ll get a share of the kill.¡± From that, Doug¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I see, so that would make hunting much safer. You could mobilize even a six man team and they would each still get one point.¡± I nodded, ¡°Yep, though I don¡¯t know the ins-and-outs of the system fully yet, that¡¯s my initial understanding.¡± We talked a bit more, mostly about ideas on how to try to integrate hunting and to introduce it to people. There weren¡¯t many good ideas on that front, though, and we agreed to have another meeting at some point to try to come up with something more solid. Somehow, I¡¯d given him the impression that I could be relied on. It was bittersweet, considering I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with politics. After all we¡¯d talked about though I withheld information regarding the bounty system. I figured that anyone who¡¯d use it might run into the system on their own, and in the case of regular people, they might not want to touch it at all, since it was dangerous and required a commitment. It almost surprised me now that I didn¡¯t actually think everyone should be on board with the bounty system now. At first it seemed like a good idea, but that was before I¡¯d gotten a taste of unique biotics. They were a cut above the rest. A standard hunter could make due with wolves and maybe a bear at this point, but a unique biotic shot the threat rating through the roof. We¡¯d been lucky, I¡¯m pretty sure that damned bear, Karaslava, had underestimated us, and paid for it. The freaky pseudo-core was another, Dread, and if it hadn¡¯t tried to run outright, I don¡¯t know if I would have lived long enough to even think to use the grenade. Those weren¡¯t creatures a normal person could fight and expect to live. Huffing aloud, I laid back down, alone once more in the office. I needed a hefty amount of sleep to heal up the rest of the way. I wasn¡¯t a machine, fatigue weighed on me quite a bit after all that had happened. It would also probably the most sleep I¡¯d gotten in months, something I looked forwards too. I drifted off, feeling the tug of my subconsciousness. I followed it, intent on having nice dreams, no more nightmares. But what greeted me was most definitely a nightmare. ¡°Hello, Matthew.¡± My mind reeled as I looked around, a very literal hellscape all around me. Spiraling towers of stone, smoking from heat, pierced the land. Lava belched forth from holes in the ground, and beyond their edges I could see countless blackened creatures sticking hard, clawed appendages into the edges, pulling globs of melted stone and minerals to their many pieced, ugly jaws. Beside me was a gentleman of a sorts, well groomed and dressed in black finery. That finery came in the form of a reaper-esque suit, and I instinctively knew who I was looking at without needing an introduction, the depths of my subconscious mind knew him quite well. ¡°Smith?¡± I breathed, feeling the crackle of heat on my tongue. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m surprised that your conscious mind has come to join us already. I would suppose that¡¯s because of the damage that¡¯s healing.¡± He chuckled, as relaxed as though he were having an afternoon tea. ¡°Us?¡± I frowned, ¡°Who is us?¡± ¡°Ah, you, me, and¡­ well, another you.¡± He nodded, gesturing to one of the many pools of lava. It was strange, exceedingly so, but I could see another ¡®Me¡¯ there. ¡°What¡­ the hell?¡± ¡°Last night you slept quite well, except for your subconscious, anyways. Perhaps that contributed to your¡­ reckless behaviour, as well. So, I have to apologize for that.¡± ¡°You!? do you even understand the concept of asking for permis--¡± ¡°Anyways, moving along from that. Watch.¡± He dismissed my anger, pointing to the pool, ¡°You¡¯ll learn what your subconscious mind has already been internalizing.¡± I intended to shout at him, I did. But I couldn¡¯t after I watched my other self dash between two of the lava-crabs, shooting them both in the face. As the other me ran, they dropped a grenade under a third crab, switching weapons as they rolled over its back, and planted a shotgun into the open mouth of a fourth. The explosion and gunshot happened at the same time. I had to admit that looking at the other me, he looked like a badass. ¡°This is Karsis-IV, it used to be an earth-like planet. Biotics nearly devoured the world, but they were stopped at the last moment by the first Reapers.¡± Smith¡¯s eyes settled on me, ¡°In other words, this is something akin to your heritage, now.¡± Fire belched forth from rifts in the ground. Steam rose from toxic, boiling lakes, many bearing biotics of a revolting variety. The sky overhead occasionally wept acid rain, though I did not yet feel any on my skin, somehow. ¡°How am I even breathing right¡­ nevermind, dream, got it.¡± I shook my head, it was hard to accept this, ¡°What exactly¡­ why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± Smith nodded, ¡°You¡¯re here now, likely, because your subconscious mind has finished all that it can do. Reflexes are mostly its domain, and that¡¯s generally the most painful part. The instinctively ¡®knowing¡¯ you have when you squeeze a trigger, or when you attack savagely because to hesitate is death. That was your subconscious fighting in your stead.¡± ¡°Why does it sound like it¡¯s another person?¡± I murmured, watching as my other self walked towards us on our upraised platform. His body was suddenly covered with the full reaper suit I¡¯d had before, a pale skull with a red eye visible in the helmet. Smith put his hands on my shoulders, ¡°I¡¯d said that I was here until you integrated with the reaper class system fully. You are you, Mathew, your conscious mind, and your subconscious mind is also, usually, you.¡± ¡°Usually?...¡± I gulped feeling a little shaken by the sudden gravity I¡¯d felt. His fingers dug into my shoulders to keep me from moving. His smile never left. ¡°Just like I am also a version of you. I¡¯m the version that¡¯s the reaper side of you, and not many species are able to have such a division in their minds for long. You¡¯ll be fine for quite some time to come. But I had to convert a part of you into the middle ground.¡± He turned his gaze to the reaperfied ¡®me¡¯ as it stood next to us. ¡°I feel like that¡¯s wrong¡­ somehow¡­¡± I blanched. ¡°It is. The kind of imbalance that I¡¯ve caused in you would no doubt cause psychosis inside of a week.¡± Smith nodded. ¡°You¡¯re kidding?¡± I chuckled nervously, looking between the other me and Smith. Deadpan, he said, ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°And¡­ and what is the fix here? I¡¯m not going to become some emotionless killing machine, right?¡± ¡°No, of course not.¡± His hands relaxed a bit, but didn¡¯t leave my shoulders, ¡°That¡¯s what I am. He¡¯s half that. You¡¯re going to need to merge back with your subconscious and learn what I teach you. You need to know how to be a reaper.¡± ¡°Merge?¡± I winced, ¡°That sounds unpleasant. Couldn¡¯t I just, I don¡¯t know, learn it the normal way? In the world?¡± ¡°Most A.I.¡¯s function like that, yes,¡± Smith gave a warm smile that seemed to give me hope. And then plunged me into despair, ¡°I won¡¯t though. You¡¯ve already been too reckless. It''s been too long since the last reaper was forged, so I need to make sure you don¡¯t die. So, we¡¯re going to keep this session of ours going until you¡¯re a reaper, or you¡¯re¡­ what did you say? An ¡®emotionless killing machine,¡¯ hmm? Close enough.¡± He continued, holding me, ¡°Now, here¡¯s the first part.¡± My other self walked behind me, and a felt a cold shudder through my body as I literally felt it ¡®step¡¯ into my body, like a sock. ¡°Good, good, breath Matthew,¡± his soothing voice helped keep my moored as I felt a wave of utter disgust roll through me. ¡°You¡¯re doing great, that¡¯s the first hardest part.¡± ¡°Now, for the next hardest part,¡± He let go of my shoulders, stepping away, ¡°Keep a hold of yourself, this¡¯ll be bumpy.¡± Trying to describe the sensation of your mind, or your astral bodies if you wanted to be especially spiritual about it, trying to exist in one distinct form was nothing short of impossible. But I¡¯ll do my best. For one, it felt like when my other self stopped moving, the real ¡®fun¡¯ began. I could distinctly feel every cell in my body, and I felt as though there were suddenly double their number, I wanted to explode. In spite of the urge to scream, my other me didn¡¯t feel the need too. It was frustrating, fighting with myself to have the right to express my revulsion. And then, the reverse happened when it seemed to want to form a body of steel. I fought it tooth and nail, and surprised myself with the fact that it couldn¡¯t get anywhere. At some point, we fought on every single point, even the ones we¡¯d normally agree on. A step forward? On any other day, sure, not even something to think about. Right now?... Well, I felt like my subconscious mind was starting to actually dig up some of those emotions, because it seemed that robot ¡®Me¡¯ was getting pretty pissed. No matter what, this would be far too bizarre to ever describe to anyone. ¡°Great job, you¡¯re both doing so well!¡± Smith clapped, a chair having appeared behind him, which he sat on with great pleasure as he watched us on the level clearing of rock and gravel. ¡°Now, resolve your contest.¡± We both internally grimaced, butting heads. I felt my focus slip a moment, my anger at Smith reaching a fevered pitch. That anger melted to terror when my other self grinned a steel smile, a tingle of cold metal rushing through our shared form. It raced along three fourths of my body before I could stop it, and then I managed to beat it back, using desperation as fuel. I wouldn¡¯t lose, that would be absurd, I was the conscious side, right? ¡°I refuse,¡± I heard his voice seeth, ¡°To die. I will kill or die. I will survive.¡± ¡°What the f-¡± I started, feeling my subconscious will harden and compact like a wall. I couldn¡¯t push it back at all, having claimed a little over half of my mind. The hell was that? It was just my subconscious, right? Why did it seem like it was alive? I dug into my fear, more than an abundant amount of it, using it to break cracks into the wall, pushing through. In spite of fear, I could move forward, I had to. When faced with fear, my subconscious turned into a cold, calculating machine, unaffected and unfaltering, but it didn¡¯t know how to use fear. It seemed like our battle carried on for hours, if not days. Smith never took his eyes from us, even when we fell over and began roiling in a strange, connected heap of ¡®self,¡¯ as abstract as it seemed. This wasn¡¯t working. It never compromised me like it had before, but I¡¯d only ever gotten it so far once as well. We deadlocked around the halfway point, our body shifting between flesh and steel. Between my fevered and desperate struggle with will and my other selves unrelenting grip and steel resolve, we made no progress. It astounded me that I was doing so well in the first place, and I had to give it to the other me, it was definitely impressive. Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t this counterproductive. I looked to Smith, who hadn¡¯t been interested when either of us were winning. I would know, I¡¯d tried to ask him for tips when I finally pushed through. He looked almost annoyed when I did that. What did he say before? Resolve our contest? Was winning wrong? I frowned, was the answer that simple? God damnit, was the answer that cheesy? It wasn¡¯t like any of this was actually another person. I sighed, changing my tact, choosing to meet what was happening in a different way. When my subconscious moved, I moved with it. Instantly, I found that when I didn¡¯t fight against it, there was a rush of relief. And soon, I started moving too. It resisted for a moment, but then the resolve started to crumble. That unrelenting tenacity that I had began to release. I began to see the point. And that was there was no point; fighting yourself was always counterproductive, and no matter what, you¡¯d never win. I stood, feeling the steel parts of my body much more acutely, like a sense of myself had come alive. ¡°Really? That was it?¡± I frowned, glaring at Smith, feeling a strange intelligence alongside my own, like I¡¯d dragged my potential to the surface. My subconscious was as aware as my consciousness, and the fact that we¡¯d been seperate was a ridiculous notion now. Smith beamed, ¡°Ah, that only took you a little over 32 hours! Honestly, your tenacity is astounding.¡± Color bled from us--err, sorry, I mean me. ¡°Not an actual 32 hours, mind you. Some earth scientists already suspect that time flows different in perception while in your dreams. A lifetime can pass in a single night. That¡¯s how I trained your subconscious. You didn¡¯t think that kind of shooting happened after a single day, did you?¡± ¡°You¡­ ¡° My subconscious shuddered, making me well aware that he wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Now, let''s go into some review. It should only be about a month¡¯s worth of misery before your on par with your subconscious, it¡¯s all there, after all!¡± He laughed like the devil himself. ¡°Please, can I just wake up now?¡± I begged under my breath as I felt guns materialize in my hands, a horde of monsters fading into existence before me. ¡°You may begin.¡± Chapter 10 Around The Town -Fran Delia¡¯s P.O.V.- I felt a smile, one of the first I¡¯d had in a long time, when Daniel first brought in a bag of herbs, stumbling over himself as he talked to me. It wasn¡¯t the first time someone had seemed obviously interested in me, but he was definitely the goofiest. The man was big, and he was intimidating in a way - or at least, that¡¯s what the other attendants thought - and many avoided him because of that. Even so, I doubted he had a mean bone in his body. Now, his friend, Matthew, was another story. I looked at him and I saw someone utterly dispassionate about those around him, his brown hair mostly unkept and his posture, lean and muscled as it was, suggested that he didn¡¯t feel secure around people. That first meeting, Matthew barely even looked at me, but I did find that when he did, he looked me right in the eyes, searching for anything he didn¡¯t like. That was when I started to realize that Matthew wasn¡¯t uncomfortable with being around people. His posture wasn¡¯t reclusive, it was defensive, ready to respond. He reminded me of a pit viper. Most men would, even these days, look at my body first, and then at my eyes. I¡¯d resolved myself to that, though Daniel also looked at my eyes first, then my body. Not that I particularly blamed people, though it was still rude. Ah, I got off track... My point is; Matthew assumed the worst in people, and he looked me dead in the eyes and studied me. That was all he did, almost unsettlingly searched my eyes every time, even if it was only for a few moments before he turned and surveyed someone else. After a few visits, he¡¯d finally spoken to me, a small friendly smile on his face. I¡¯d passed his examinations, apparently. By then, Daniel and I were flirting outside of work, keeping it quiet in case anyone had a problem with someone working at the warehouse exchange having a romance with a scout. Daniel looked as surprised as I did when Matthew started talking of his own accord. It seemed he¡¯d accepted me, though I still didn¡¯t know what parameters he worked by. I¡¯d been studying psychology and natural sciences in college, I¡¯d seen them around the campus before, and if it weren¡¯t for the fall, I¡¯d never have had the chance to talk to them. No, that wasn¡¯t quite accurate, I would never have talked to them. We wouldn¡¯t have been in the same circles at all. It was a shame, because after becoming friends with them, I couldn¡¯t imagine a life without them. I trusted them with my life, and when the wolves attacked the outer ring of the city, they were the first ones to help me look for my sister. After that incident, Daniel and I had gone from flirting to dating, but we still kept it quiet. It was more out of reflex then, honestly, I don¡¯t know why I waited. And I found that I appreciated Matthew¡¯s pessimistic attitude towards other people, though it was for selfish reasons. Daniel was far too trusting, and in spite of the tough front he put on, he was all too willing to help others out, even knowing that they were only using him for their own gain. So, I found myself glad that my love had such a shield guarding him. I gave Daniel¡¯s heavy hand an appreciative squeeze. He was always gentle when he held me, and he¡¯d only gotten more gentle after he¡¯d found his mech. It was a habit, a good one to have when he might accidentally crush someone¡¯s limbs underfoot when he was otherwise in the exosuit. Even without it, he was still an imposing man over most people. I chuckled whenever he would glare at someone for watching us a little too closely. This was one of the first times we¡¯d really gone for a stroll in broad daylight. We could smell food cooking, not the kind that came in cans, but fresh goods. There were stalls set up near the obelisk, and we¡¯d exchanged a handful of M.E. for credits. ¡°Oh, that smells good,¡± I pointed to a stall that smelled like fried food. He grinned, ¡°Let''s check it out.¡± We walked and talked, I had the first deep fried mozzarella and pizza roll that I¡¯d ever had, as woefully unhealthy as it was. He pointed out a flower shop, and we talked about wanting to see a garden of them instead of bouquets for the next hour. There was so much to talk about, and at the same time we talked about nothing at all. It was nice, not having to survive. Oddly enough, he still purchased two roses. ¡°For me?¡± I asked. He grinned, ¡°Yup.¡± With delicateness, he slipped it in my hair, just above my ear. I quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Not the first time you¡¯ve done that?¡± I feigned an accusatory tone. I loved when he twisted, blushing madly, ¡°W-well, no. But it¡¯s definitely the best one.¡± ¡°Good answer,¡± I leaned into his arm, ¡°Everything seems so alive again.¡± We searched and scoured the area, finding that everyone had a breath of fresh air. At the same time, though, we saw more extravagance. Some people had made things that were quite beautiful, but I knew that they hadn¡¯t really made them. The obelisk had, and they¡¯d spend valuable matter energy on them. As we went, a little bit of my mood dimmed at that. Daniel looked to me, a knowing look, ¡°It can¡¯t last. Is that what you¡¯re thinking?¡± Spot on. ¡°Yes¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a Matthew, but these things¡­ they¡¯re just things. They won¡¯t help anyone.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I think if it¡¯s just this much, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± he beamed, confidence clear in him. I couldn¡¯t help but warm a bit at that, he sounded certain. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right. If you never have fun, you¡¯re not really alive.¡± ¡°Damn right,¡± Daniel chuckled, ¡°Are you ready?¡± I nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± There were few things that attracted us as we moved through the city, and soon there were only stragglers. Even in spite of the access to weapons, I found very few people near to the walls. The walls themselves were less manned than they had been before the obelisk came. A sense of apprehension rose within my chest, I dearly hoped that the people would realize that the danger hadn¡¯t changed at all. It was almost like they¡¯d hit a windfall of hope, and just wanted to enjoy the breeze, instead of sailing with it. We turned away from the wall, moving along it. Winding through the streets, we steadily moved away from the three and four story tall buildings of the downtown shops and offices. Block after block, businesses, parks, schools, finally broke away to residential areas. Every step rang in my ears. We were quiet now, very few people lived here in spite of it being behind the wall. Too many had died here when the wolf horde had gone over the wall, no one wanted to be here, not help would be so far away. That¡¯s why downtown was so packed full of people now. I felt Daniel¡¯s arm close around my shoulders, comforting me against the cold I felt in my bones. No words were said, he knew the way. We stopped in front of an inconspicuous house, and walked up to the door. Neither of us put a hand on it. We¡¯d killed wolves and survived more than our fair share of life or death situations, but neither of us dared put a hand on that door. The memory lived on behind it, and we didn¡¯t want, or need, to revisit that memory. ¡°There was a time when I hated my sister,¡± the words spilled out of my mouth, ¡°She couldn¡¯t move around very well on her own. She needed help with everything. It was pretty hard on Mom and Dad, but they never seemed upset. I couldn¡¯t understand that.¡± Daniel grimaced, ¡°You were a kid, kids are like that.¡± ¡°She was my little sister,¡± I shook my head, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to love your siblings, not hate them. It wasn¡¯t until Mom passed away and Dad shot himself that I really understood that. By then, she already knew I hated her, still thought I did.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything as I glared at my reflection in the window, ¡°The life insurance money was putting me through college, and a house nurse took care of her. I still visited, but little bit by little bit, I realized I was disgusted with myself. You never got to meet her, but she was the sweetest girl. She needed a wheelchair, but she wouldn¡¯t be confined. She wanted to enjoy what she could in life before it would end, I guess having limited time in the first place gave her perspective.¡± ¡°And she loved dancing; watching it anyways. She often compared them to flowers, the way they grew and twirled and faced the sun. They wanted to touch something they couldn¡¯t have. The sun, or the beauty in form and motion. I remember when we went to our first concert together when I was home on a break from college. She apologized to me that I had to go see it with her, even though I suggested it,¡± I felt a tear fall from my eye, ¡°She was crying afterwards, she was so happy to have seen the show. She was so happy that I¡¯d taken the time to go see it with her, saying over and over that she was sorry for it. Even when I told her that I wanted to do it, she still said sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she ever really believed me when I said she was the only family I had left, even when all of this started happening.¡± I breathed hard, ragged, emotional. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hear her say that she was sorry, I just wanted to her to laugh.¡± Daniel¡¯s arms wrapped around me, and I felt his chin on the top of my head, ¡°It¡¯s okay, let it out.¡± And I did. Goddamnit I did. I was supposed to be the strong older sister. Sorry Vivian, your sister¡¯s trying to be strong, but it''s so damn hard to do it all the time. Through sobs that I couldn¡¯t control, I squeaked out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you should say,¡± Daniel said. I looked up at him through tears. He was smiling. I smiled, more a grimace, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± The floodgates opened. It was analog to what I wanted my sister to say. I just didn¡¯t know how. She always waited for me to come home, to help her around the house, to help her to survive even in this world. If it were me, I might have killed myself. I was weak compared to her, she smiled, she told me what everyone in the area was up too. It was just another day for her, and she spent it doing whatever she wanted to do, not regretting a single moment. Why were you so strong? If I was there that day, would you still be there, waiting on the other side of this door? Would you be anything but what you are now? Minutes later we were sitting on the porch. I was red from the effort of crying, and halway through Daniel started crying too. It was contagious, and when I looked up at him, he smeared the snot and tears out of his face. ¡°Shit, why am I crying? Fuck.¡± I spluttered in laughter, and he laughed too. He laughed more when I used his shirt to dry my face, though I had to search for dry spots. I murmured low, ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Daniel blinked, and I felt my face redden as I comfortably sat my head to his shoulder. ¡°You said it before, the ¡®I love you so much¡¯ stuff when I was killing those things. So, I figured I should return the favor.¡± I pulled him against the door to more easily rest against him. ¡°I-is that what you said? You should repeat it, I don¡¯t think I heard you.¡± Daniel coughed conspicuously. I smiled, and reached up, bringing him level to me. He moved without resistance, ¡°I said, I love you, you big lug.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. His smile beamed massively, ¡°I love you, too.¡± We kissed gently, a few times tentatively, and then more wholesomely. It was electric, and we simmered like that. Then we rested more, so drained that we just enjoyed the togetherness more than anything. ¡°Should we¡­?¡± I murmured, glancing up to him, afraid to ruin the moment. He nodded, ¡°We came this far.¡± We got up, moving to the side of the house and opening the side gate. Large flat stones led the way on a straight path, all the way to the middle of the backyard. A broad stone, roughly chiseled by Daniel¡¯s hands, bore a name. ¡®Vivian Delia.¡¯ ¡°Look at that¡­¡± Daniel¡¯s breathlessness emphasized what I felt. All around the backyard were a wide assortment of flowers. They grew wildly, leaving just the steps clear of them. Yellow, pink, red, blue, purple, so many colors and aromas that I could barely believe that it was real. ¡°What is all of this?¡± He walked forward, pulling me with him. We immersed in the flowers, some going to our waists. ¡°She¡­ she must have thrown the seeds out into the yard? I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± overwhelmed, I could only step forward with Daniel. We stopped in front of the headstone that we¡¯d left for her. ¡°Maybe¡­ she wanted to show you something, to enjoy something with you.¡± Daniel¡¯s soft gaze and hand sat on the dirt of the tombstone. He gently sat the rose down, the one he carried. My heart ached, and I found a glad smile on my face. I set a music box on the dirt beside the rose, ¡°Thanks, Sis. It¡¯s beautiful.¡± In a rare moment of serenity that I would treasure for the rest of my life, we lay beside the grave and in the middle of a field of flowers that shouldn¡¯t have been. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hours had passed when we napped in the sun. We were shaded at least partly from the flowers, so I was glad not to have a particularly awful sunburn. Still riding the feelings of this outing, we rose from the ground. ¡°Thanks for this.¡± I patted Daniel¡¯s chest. ¡°Anytime,¡± He smiled, leaning down. We nearly kissed. The sound of a door closing stopped us both cold. I put a hand to my coat, feeling the gun holstered there. I¡¯d gotten handy enough with a pistol to be able to use it in a pinch. Daniel likewise put a hand on a pistol, looking to my house. ¡°You heard it?¡± I murmured, to which he nodded. We carefully walked to the back steps, watching for any movement. Hopefully, it was just a rodent and nothing more. I gestured to the second step, skipping the first entirely. Daniel shrugged, assuming I had my reasons. The first was loose and would creak madly if someone stepped on it, I doubt the apocalypse had changed that. I put my hand to the door knob, listening for movement. There was, deeper in the house, but not in the room adjacent. I grit my teeth, turning the knob quickly and leveraging my weight against the door, trying to pull it upwards as I went. If it had gotten rusted, it would squeal no matter what kind of pressure I put on it, but that might help. It did make noise, and I made it stop after opening it sharply. The movement in the back of the house slowed, it sounded like someone had been walking around. Daniel walked beside me, trying his best to make little noise. To be fair, he was succeeding, making only as much as I was. After the kitchen, we entered the living room. It hurt being here again, there were so many memories here. ¡°Good picture.¡± I heard a feminine voice speak aloud, down the hall and into the bedroom. ¡°That¡¯ll do, thank you.¡± I frowned, who was she talking too? A floorboard squeaking under my foot, I froze. All noise stopped for a few seconds, the intensity of the sudden stillness astounding. I heard a something like a drawstring go taught, and a buzz of energy. ¡°Whoever is out there, I¡¯m armed, but I don¡¯t want a fight.¡± ¡°Step out, then.¡± I spoke levely. ¡°Scavenging isn¡¯t wrong,¡± the voice called out, ¡°If you¡¯re looking too, I have no problem with that.¡± A reviled anger rose in my throat. Daniel put a hand on my shoulder, a look in his eyes that immediately made me hold my vicious retort. I breathed aloud a few times, steadying my nerves. ¡°You¡¯re in my house. Step out, weapon down. I¡¯ll do the same.¡± A calm tone somehow came out of my mouth, in spite of the anger I felt. Daniel and I had our weapons down, and waited. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Finally, just when I thought we might have to go in after them, the buzzing sound vanished. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m stepping out. I¡¯m armed with some unusual hardware, please remain calm.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°We¡¯re familiar with ¡®unusual hardware,¡¯ believe me.¡± Another moment passed before I could practically feel the sigh of disbelief coming from the lady in the other room. Finally, she stepped out. I¡¯ll admit, it took me by surprise. She was about the same age as me, thin, lean, and her petite frame looked out of place with the equipment she wore. Her well toned arms were braced in some kind of elegant, airy light green metal, bracing the outside of her joints in brackets. They met in some kind of ring at the elbows, and then continued to her hands, down the tips of her fingers. The brackets swung around and connected to a spot on her back, and a thing line like spider silk ran between them. This exoskeleton-like extension extended down her legs on the outsides, bracing them and connected to the joints with soft, flexible bands. They light, thin metal moved its parts with her body seamlessly, and I could see that her feet bore a greater bulk than what I expected to see form the setup. What looked like very flexible metal was folded up behind her heels, what their normal use was I couldn¡¯t say at the moment. And, what looked to be a helmet, or visor, was folded up in front of her chin. Short wavy green dyed hair the color of leaves attracted as much attention as her suit. She held a strange bow in her hand, one that looked far more high tech than I¡¯d envisioned a bow could ever be. Almost disappointed in our lack of any distinct excitement, she spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know this home was lived in. You definitely look like her.¡± I frowned, seeing a picture frame in her free hand. ¡°What do you have there?¡± She cringed, ¡°Uh, it¡¯s your picture. I can put it back.¡± Warily, I stepped forward. I could tell she felt awkward right now, and Daniel had even put away his pistol. With a sigh, I did the same. ¡°Before I feel somehow violated, would you be so kind as to tell me why you were taking a picture from my house?¡± An authoritative tone rose from me. My sister had always said it was cute, in a scary sort of way. It was like what Mom always did when she was being stern. ¡°U-uhh, yeah, I can. It¡¯s gonna maybe seem a little¡­ melodramatic though.¡± She cringed, ¡°It might be easier to just show you?¡± I looked to Daniel, who shrugged. We didn¡¯t have anywhere we needed to be, and I was fairly certain at this point that she meant us no harm. ¡°Sure, lead the way?¡± I gestured to the living room, and took the picture from her. ¡°Really? Uh, okay, yeah.¡± Her cringe deepened, ¡°Well then just follow me, it¡¯s not far.¡± And we did follow her. Several blocks. At one point, Daniel had to pat my shoulder to keep me from glaring at her too hard. I was pretty sure she could tell that I didn¡¯t think that this counted as ¡®not far¡¯ and considering that she tried to pick up the pace a little. She never tried to get out of sight of us, and managed to make small talk with us. ¡°It¡¯s been a little rough lately, so I needed to find something like a hobby. Something to keep my mind off of things, maybe remind me of what I¡¯m doing, y¡¯know?¡± She chatted us up. ¡°Is your hobby collecting pictures of other people, then?¡± I tilted my head, wondering at such a strange sounding hobby. ¡°It¡­ really does sound quite odd when you say it that way. But, yes, sometimes. I collect other things too. We¡¯re here, so I¡¯ll show you.¡± She walked up to an apartment complex, one that was clearly abandoned. ¡°My name¡¯s Alice DeLeone by the way, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Daniel Drake, and same.¡± He spoke, voice rumbling in my ear. ¡°Fran Delia,¡± I nodded, to which Alice smiled and continued. ¡°Watch your step, I, uh, never really expected company, so I didn¡¯t clean up after everyone ran away.¡± She explained, gesturing to a clutter of a few hastily put together luggage sacks and the like that were abandoned when the wolves came. It was one of the last places the wolves had gotten too before being pushed back. ¡°Why did you stay?¡± I asked, seeing the empty halls and open doors, feeling eerie for a place that should have been full of people. Her mood went somber, ¡°I have nowhere else to go here, so why leave?¡± We followed her quietly after that, for the next few minutes. She brought us to the second floor and to a large apartment. ¡°Alright, this is my place. Try to have an open mind?¡± That was an interesting request. And when she opened the door and we walked in, hit all at once by the sight, I had to say that she¡¯d prefaced it rather astutely. Dozens of pictures were on the walls, as were several autographed ones from actors. Many of them were of simple looking people, usually multiples. Objects like collectors items sat on various shelves. A bed sat in the middle of the room, unmade. It wasn¡¯t messy, but it did look lived in. One thing I could see was that everyone in these pictures was smiling, and they were always with families. ¡°I¡¯m keeping an open mind, but finding it hard to not be creeped out,¡± Daniel¡¯s eyebrow shot up high as he turned his discerning gaze to Alice. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, ¡°W-well, it helps me sleep, thinking about the good times that everyone had before all of this. It¡¯s like my ward against the darkness, to borrow gaming terms.¡± ¡°Care to explain more?¡± I prompted, now feeling the last wisps of my anger fade away. ¡°We can listen, if you just need someone to talk too, right?¡± I gently elbowed Daniel, ¡°Yeah, totally. I just wish Matthew was here, he¡¯d have a kick out of this.¡± ¡°Why, is this funny?¡± Alice looked a little annoyed, and I sighed at my dearest¡¯s lack of finesse. ¡°Matthew is a bit of a special kind of analytic cynic, he¡¯d be very perplexed by this. Not like he doesn¡¯t think with emotion, but anyways, don¡¯t mind Daniel.¡± She seemed to not understand, but assumed positive intent. The opposite to Matthew. I shook my head mentally at that. ¡°Right¡­ well, I¡¯ve been going out killing wolves for months now, I was keeping track of how many on that wall, because I wanted to show myself my progress.¡± She explained. ¡°How¡¯d you do that?¡± Daniel asked, looking at the wall. ¡°This,¡± she started to take pictures off the wall. Check marks were there, starting from the left wall fifteen feet away going past where the picture was. ¡°Damn¡­ How many?¡± He gaped, and I found myself thoroughly impressed. ¡°I stopped counting after¡­ eighty? I think? Well, that goes to show that it wasn¡¯t a great motivator. They never stopped, and eventually I just gave up.¡± ¡°Why did you even start?¡± A thoughtful expression on my face. The visage of a kind hearted, even a little naive, girl melted, ¡°I want to see my family again.¡± Daniel looked around, swallowing hard, ¡°Are they¡­ gone?¡± She shook her head, ¡°No, not gone. I know I should be happy about that, but they¡¯re in a city hundreds of miles from here. I moved here with my boyfriend a few years ago but¡­ that didn¡¯t work out. So, I started living here, but I always visited. They¡¯re alive out there, I know that, their city wasn¡¯t hit. But if things didn¡¯t go as well there as they did here, then I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do with myself.¡± She shook a little bit, and I thought she might cry before she inhaled sharply, purging the breath in the next moment. All of a sudden, she was the cheery, naive girl again, ¡°So, I started killing wolves with a bow and arrow, it was pretty hard though.¡± Daniel found a seat to sit in as he put hands to his face. I sat next to him. ¡°Pretty hard, huh? That¡¯s incredible. I had to use a spear.¡± Daniel shook his head, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine using a bow and arrow on them.¡± ¡°You actually went in melee with them?¡± She blanched, ¡°That¡¯s scary as hell.¡± ¡°Matthew was with him,¡± I answered, ¡°He¡¯s an ace shot with a rifle.¡± ¡°Oh, wait a minute¡­¡± She put a finger to her chin, ¡°You guys are those scouts, right?¡± ¡°Uhm, yeah? We were kinda well known, I guess?¡± Daniel looked to me, not quite sure. ¡°Yeah, I bumped into you way back, I think I met that Matthew guy. Or, err, I saw him. He stole my kill,¡± she laughed, ¡°He was trying to extract blood from one, it was kinda crazy.¡± ¡°Sounds like him.¡± Dryly, I nodded. ¡°When did you start actually collecting these?¡± Daniel asked, gesturing around him. She had a far off look in her eyes, ¡°Only a day. I had to get that thing out of my head. This was all I could do.¡± I frowned, ¡°What do you mean? What thing?¡± ¡°After the obelisks came down, I figured I¡¯d try to collect some of that matter energy stuff,¡± the look in her eyes solidified a bit more, less like she was looking into some horrible abyss and more like she was back in the room with us. ¡°I couldn¡¯t buy anything because of the barricade, so I just used my bow and arrow.¡± ¡°I went to some familiar hunting ground over in the eastern highway area, since I¡¯d have to go that way to get through Damond on my way home. I got a lot of them, and I even broke most of my arrows, but I saved up, like, 300 M.E. total. So, I felt pretty good.¡± She smiled, a tremor in her lip. ¡°You did good, that¡¯s a lot,¡± Daniel¡¯s voice was low, gentle, he could tell whatever happened had happened on the way back. She knew he was trying to comfort her, ¡°Yeah¡­ thanks. Anyways, I don¡¯t wanna freak you guys out, but¡­ as soon as I got back I armed up, because I realized that me getting home probably wasn¡¯t going to happen.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± I put a hand on her shoulder, stilling her as I realized she was shaking. ¡°What I saw out there was awful. The wolves are one thing, but that¡­ that demon was something worse. I felt like it was going to come after me and eat me, or worse.¡± She shook. What could be worse than getting eaten? ¡°Take it easy, you don¡¯t have to say it if you can¡¯t, alright?¡± I put another hand on her other shoulder, looking into her eyes. They looked like what my Dad¡¯s had when Mom was dying. That look of harrowed terror was something that reached down to the roots of a person. She shook her head, ¡°If you¡¯re those scouts, maybe you could do something about it? I-I could try to help.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself to.¡± Daniel spoke, ¡°We can handle it.¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I don¡¯t think I can sleep again if I don¡¯t see it die myself. It was big, it looked like someone had woven the guts of dozens of wolves together. I can¡¯t sleep without being surrounded by this,¡± she gestured at the pieces of happiness around her, ¡°When it moved, the wolves groaned and wept. I tried to kill a few of them from far away, arrows to the head. They didn¡¯t die, the arrows would just get pulled out by the other wolves nearby and they¡¯d continue. It searched for me, but it couldn¡¯t find me.¡± ¡°It found another wolf in the meantime, and ran it down. They added it to the¡­ thing.¡± She went pale. I found a certain level of primal disgust in the core of my being. Daniel uttered, ¡°Jesus Christ¡­ what the actual fuck?¡± ¡°It needs to die,¡± she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to help. I was going to go back out there after¡­ gathering myself again.¡± I pulled her close, feeling like she was just one step away from falling apart. It felt like what I went through, and my sister pulled me out of it. ¡°We¡¯ll go through it together.¡± I pet her head as she shook, eventually sitting down on the bed with her there. ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t think about that. Just rest.¡± I looked to Daniel. His expression told me all I needed to know. We needed to go on another bounty hunt. This thing needed to die. Chapter 11 Like a Moth To Flame... ¡°Suck on that! Smith!¡± I shouted, popping to total wakefulness. Someone peered into my office briefly, before quickly shuffling away when I didn¡¯t seem harmed. I wasn¡¯t embarrassed in the slightest. I totally wasn¡¯t lying. Although, in all honesty, I was ecstatic to be out away from the fireball of a dream planet. I¡¯d counted myself to be a fairly wide-viewed connoisseur of bad things, but that sucked fiercely. It was done, and I had probably shaved off a few years from my life out of sheer stress. That said, I somehow felt well rested. Smith said that I wouldn¡¯t need to do another session in my dreams. If I didn¡¯t mess up in reality. That was a strange kind of motivation, not wanting to have to go through any more training. Especially because it almost seemed like he wanted me to make a mistake later. It was more than a little distressing. Outside, the morning sun rose, and I found myself shocked at that realization. I¡¯d slept almost a full day. Tentatively I stepped out of bed and closed the door to the office. Daniel and Fran weren¡¯t back yet, and I wondered if they perhaps had other things they¡¯d done last night. I snickered at that, harassing Daniel about that might be fun. Fran was a stone wall for that kind of stuff, so she wasn¡¯t any fun to pick on. ¡°Alright, let me take a look.¡± I muttered aloud, removing most articles of clothing and stepping in front of a mirror. I kept underwear on, I don¡¯t think any alterations of note had happened there, aside from digestive tract related stuff. I swallowed hard, my lean body wasn¡¯t the same as I¡¯d remembered it, not at all. My right eye aside, there were a lot of other, smaller changes that I could see. The metal in my shoulder had refined, and looked a lot more like flesh, but was sturdy, stiffer than it should have been. That area had expanded, too, a few straight lines of biosteel, black with a slim dimly glowing sliver of red in the middle, ran straight down the arm to the elbow. From there, my left arm was biosteel, except the upper arm. ¡°Smith, next time I go under, just convert the rest of the damn arm. Seriously, what were you thinking?¡± I murmured, feeling him cough with embarrassment at that. [Understood. A minor oversight, I assure you.] The bicep was the only meat left there on the limb, there was really no point for it being there now. If anything, it was a weak point on the limb, and considering that biosteel was both behind and below, it wasn¡¯t a good idea. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t want to surrender bits of flesh just because it looked tacky, but this kind of patchwork job couldn¡¯t be good. If that bone broke in the middle of combat, I¡¯d be down a limb, and that might mean another limb would be lost. Better to keep the damage down as much as possible. I could also feel my bones, many of them, especially the spine, had been coated in a layer of biosteel, though it barely showed. Musculature all over my body had been steadily reinforced, threads of biosteel intermingling with regular tissue. Smith had stopped replacing all of the muscle that got damaged, letting it heal instead. Even so, we made sure that if there were ever a time when I needed to push beyond normal limits, I could do so, if only for a few moments. There was one thing that annoyed me, and that was the fact that along each of my longer bones there was a just barely visible glowing red line that bisected them that showed from under my skin and tissues. ¡°What¡¯s with that?¡± I frowned, ¡°That¡¯s just creepy.¡± [I needed to create gaps for your blood to be released from marrow. That, and it gives me convenient access to your whole body in the event that I need to repair you with matter energy. I do apologize that it gives you a less than¡­ human appearance, though.] Smith answered fully. It annoyed me again, but it was already done. We¡¯d had plenty of time to talk about boundaries while I was being tortur--err, trained. Body modification outside of repair had to be approved explicitly, no exceptions. But undoing what had already happened wasn¡¯t on the table. It¡¯d take too long to fix. Stretching came next, and I surprised myself with my flexibility now. I could touch the floor with my palms, and I could jump a foot into the air just by bouncing on the balls of my feet. [Careful not to strain your tendons, they¡¯re only partially reinforced.] The warning came as I started to feel burning in my legs. I nodded, deciding to test my sense of balance. I breathed deeply and then bent my knees. I vaulted into the air, flipping forward as I went. Barely having to think about it, I felt corrections occur in my posture instinctively. Having my instincts and reflexes honed by a Reaper A.I. on a subconscious basis was pretty amazing, albeit quite harrowing. After finishing my stretches, I went through some general exercises, trying to become as accustomed to my body as quickly as possible. I realized it was going to be a lot harder to strengthen myself with regular exercise. I hit a hundred push ups before I even felt the burn. The biosteel strands enhanced my muscular strength so much that lifting my own body weight wouldn¡¯t be an issue at all. My bones were stronger too, and I was considering just having them completely swapped over to biosteel since the marrow was already converted. I¡¯d wait on that though, I didn¡¯t want to go overboard just yet. I still like being human, after all. Curious, I moved over to a set of exercising equipment that we¡¯d pilfered a long time ago. It was more for keeping us in shape for when we didn¡¯t go out into the forest to scout, but doing that kept our minds active too, at least to some extent. Without hesitation, I loaded up six hundred pounds onto the bar, readying to deadlift the weight. Smith braced my muscles in the background, intent on adding biosteel along with the new muscle to provide a framework if my muscles were damaged too much. Muscles like woven thread, that would probably increase my possible strength by a good bit. As the door to the office opened, I deadlifted 600 pounds and lifted it over my head, slowly lowering it, my arms shuddering as I deliberately slowed my pace. I didn¡¯t let myself get nervous, Daniel was probably coming back from wherever he¡¯d gone. It would have been good if he knocked, but it didn¡¯t really matter. I set the weight back down gently, turning to see Daniel And two others. The looks on Daniel and Fran¡¯s faces were somewhere between shocked and pitying. I pretended not to see the expression, the tightening in my biosteel throat uncomfortable. ¡°You guys have a good time last night?¡± ¡°Whoa,¡± the third individual breathed out, ¡°You¡¯re kinda¡­ scary.¡± My eyes settled on her, and she found her attention locked onto the red and black reaper eye that I bore. ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s a new look.¡± The sarcasm leaked before I could consider doing otherwise. I got dressed as Daniel shook off the surprise, ¡°Damn, you, uh, look good?¡± Fran spoke up next, trying to sound conciliatory ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we should have knocked.¡± At that moment, when I was fully dressed, I couldn¡¯t help but glare at the three of them. ¡°Alright, really guys? I don¡¯t want pity. This is what my body is now, I¡¯m getting used to it.¡± I snatched up my coat angrily, making for the door. Maybe I was being a little oversensitive, but I felt like they should have known me better. What did they think was happening to me? They had badass suits letting them do what they could. Me? I looked like I was becoming the terminator. It was a joke before, but now it was too real. ¡°Matt, bro, wait,¡± Daniel got out in front of me, ashamed. ¡°Sorry man, that wasn¡¯t cool. You know your like a brother to me, right? I couldn¡¯t help being floored a bit.¡± Fran joined in, ¡°Me too, I¡­ I thought you might appreciate some sympathy.¡± I groaned, and flopped back in a chair, propping my head up on my metal arm. ¡°Look¡­¡± I felt my gut tight with agitation, and I forced it down with a few more seconds. Daniel shut the door to the office, the three of them coming in and sitting down around the desk with me. ¡°I¡¯m a little on edge right now to start with, I just spent a long time with Smith, and we¡¯ve got some ground rules now. But, that doesn¡¯t change the things that have already been done.¡± ¡°Sorry, also,¡± the other girl spoke, now I realized that she was unusual herself. ¡°Its my fault we just barged in here.¡± She was green-haired, definitely a style, and she bore what looked like a bow on her back. I didn¡¯t immediately notice any arrows though. My reaper eye scanned her over, and I found that the bow on her back had a very distinctive energy signature. She was pretty cute too, and fumbled energetically with her next words, ¡°I, they, uhm. We were supposed to, well, I was supposed to meet you and ask to join up with you guys. We¡¯d be good together, and, umm¡­¡± She faltered, ¡°Uh, I mean, we¡¯d be a good team together. Sorry.¡± I let out a very long, exaggerated sigh. The atmosphere was tense, due in no small part to myself. I decided to break that, this wasn¡¯t what I wanted to deal with in the first place. I dragged my hands across my face in overdramatic fashion, mocking a mournful wail, ¡°Ah, so the truth comes out! Alas, I may be forever without a girlfriend after all, completely unattractive! Such is the life of the terminator.¡± You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. Daniel and Fran shook the room with their laughter, and I smirked. Alice was laughing, embarrassment still on her face. ¡°Alright, we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Matthew Todd, as you can see I¡¯m dreadfully crippled with some pretty badass biosteel prosthetics.¡± I looked to Daniel and Fran, seeing them back to normal for the most part. They both still stole glances to my metal arm, and if I could guess at what Daniel thought of it, it likely sat more on the spectrum that he¡¯d failed as the tank, letting me get hurt that way. ¡°Alice, my name is Alice DeLeone. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, leader.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you¡­ Uh¡­ did you say, leader?¡± I furrowed my brow with consternation. She mildly tripped over herself, ¡°I-isn¡¯t that what you are? Daniel said you were the leader of the team?¡± She looked almost accusingly at Fran and Daniel. Both chuckled, ¡°Well, I mean, you¡¯re pretty much the team leader, right? I mean, I¡¯m just the tank.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°And I¡¯m... ¡° Fran thought up an excuse, and then abandoned trying to find one, ¡°I¡¯m just not taking that job.¡± ¡°You... ¡° Incredulously, I sighed. ¡°Why do people keep thinking I¡¯m responsible.¡± Alice looked at me with big eyes expectantly. Okay, I guess this is a thing now. ¡°Fine, fine, that aside, why do you want to join up with us? With that weapon on your back you¡¯d be able to kill a dozen or so wolves on your own easily.¡± I leered with my reaper eye, ¡°So, what¡¯s the catch, here?¡± I expected to get a chuckle, some lightheartedness maybe. They looked at me, deadpan and completely serious. I straightened in my seat, catching the tune and turning my full attention to Alice. When she noticed that, she took a breath, ¡°I found a¡­ you guys call them ¡®Uniques¡¯? There was something out east of the city, it¡­¡± She spoke, straining with the words. I frowned, what exactly could cause someone so much discomfort? ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Fran nodded to her, to which she relaxed again. She went on to describe the monster to me. And as she went on, I found that I was feeling a not-so-distant level of primordial disgust. A nearly amorphous creature that incorporated other biotics by literally weaving their guts together, the awful mournful wailing of the wolves that it had taken, the durability of the creature. The way it ran down other biotics. In some ways, it sounded like it was a good thing, but I doubted that would be the case forever. The last thing I wanted was a gigantic biotic to deal with. At the same time, I tried to ascertain a strategy as I listened, going over the information. When she finally finished speaking, I had a far off look in my eyes, staring through her as I tried to come up with a general strategy. No more going off half-cocked, especially with whatever the hell that thing was, or else we might all die. ¡°Umm¡­ did you hear me?¡± Alice asked, to which Daniel spoke up. ¡°He¡¯s thinking. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen him like this though.¡± He leaned back, ¡°Give him a minute.¡± They waited quietly for me as I finally came to a general plan, along with some theories. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s a fucked up creature.¡± Was the first thing I conceded, to which Daniel snorted with amusement. A withering glance from Fran quieted him. I looked back to Alice, who seemed uncertain as to how she should respond to what I¡¯d said. ¡°I¡¯m going to operate off of the assumption that everything you said you saw was a hundred percent accurate. If you think, even for a moment, that fear made you think you saw something you didn¡¯t, tell me. Otherwise we might all die.¡± I prefaced my discussion as seriously as I could. She nodded, ¡°I couldn¡¯t forget what I saw even though I try.¡± ¡°Alright, then let''s break it down. A semi-amorphous unique is in the eastern forest. It probably hasn¡¯t been around very long. Just to confirm, would you say only a few dozen wolves constituted its form?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, I wouldn¡¯t say any more than twenty or so.¡± She nodded. ¡°And when it ran that other wolf down, how quickly did it incorporate it?¡± She shuddered, ¡°It only took a few seconds, I think.¡± ¡°Then, working off the added assumption that it doesn¡¯t need to wait that long between adding more mass, we can definitely conclude that it isn¡¯t more than a few days old. That area was never particularly heavy in biotics anyways based on other scout reports, so we might have a few days before it¡¯s a problem.¡± Daniel raised a hand, ¡°I think that was because she was hunting them in the area.¡± I slowed, clicking my tongue, ¡°Shit. Okay, then do you remember how many were generally in the area?¡± She put a hand to her chin, ¡°Only a few smaller packs, thirty or so unless a lot of people were in the area. Most of the larger hordes were further our, couple hundred, maybe a few thousand.¡± Her understanding of the area staggered me, ¡°Ah, okay. Well, hopefully it¡¯s closer to the city, then. But we¡¯re definitely going to need to move quicker then. It probably isn¡¯t very good at finding things if you were able to hit it at range without it knowing where you were. So, we can presume its hunting grounds might not change too much for the short term without enough of a threat.¡± Fran nodded, ¡°That seems reasonable. We should keep to ranged combat as much as possible, I don¡¯t like the idea of that thing getting close to us.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I looked at Daniel, ¡°So we need some ranged weaponry, the heavier the better, alright?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it, I know.¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°I was thinking the same thing.¡± ¡°Your bow, is it energy based?¡± I asked Alice. ¡°Yeah, I can fire it pretty quickly. I can also hold it to gather additional energy for a bigger hit, or to spread shot it. And these,¡± she patted a canister on her thigh, ¡°I have three of them right now, but they¡¯re supposed to be able to gather a large amount of power and explode.¡± ¡°Good, then you should be able to tear it up pretty well now.¡± I nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll set up a killzone. You¡¯re probably quick, but I¡¯d rather use you to flank it, Fran, how¡¯s your flight ceiling and maneuverability?¡± ¡°24 feet up, and the maneuverability is¡­ not top notch.¡± She cringed, remembering when she¡¯d tried to make a tight turn. The magnetics she had weren¡¯t quite good enough to let her change direction instantly. ¡°Then¡­ I might have to be the bait,¡± I frowned, ¡°That¡¯s gonna suck.¡± ¡°I¡­ I could do it?¡± Alice asked with uncertainty. I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯d rather you hit its sides as we went, pierce legs to slow it down. You¡¯ve already shown the ability to hit it without it being able to find you and if you get caught with no armor, that thing would probably tear you apart before any of us could help. Of course, I¡¯d like to see what this things top speed is before actually attacking, so we need to scout it out, if possible.¡± Daniel grunted, ¡°I¡¯m not keen about you being at risk again.¡± Nodding, I admitted, ¡°I¡¯m not either, but that¡¯s what we¡¯re looking at¡­ actually¡­¡± I frowned, suddenly studying Daniel more, then an evil grin crossed my face. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got a better idea now.¡± ¡°Bro? What¡¯s with that look?¡± ¡°Well, maybe you should look into some mobility options?¡± My grin expanded, ¡°After all, wouldn¡¯t want someone too slow running from that thing, right?¡± ¡°Sounds¡­ great.¡± Daniel forced enthusiasm. ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll bait it into a kill zone and rain ordinance on it. We¡¯ll need to find a good place, but I think we can use a box canyon. Then we just need a way to get Daniel out.¡± I nodded, pleased with the plan thus far. ¡°I can do that,¡± Fran gestured, ¡°If we¡¯re adding weight onto Daniel¡¯s mech, then I¡¯ll need to upgrade my magnetics.¡± Alice blinked at that, ¡°Do you both have mechs?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, it¡¯s pretty badass.¡± Daniel grinned from ear to ear, ¡°Matthew had a pretty cool suit, too.¡± ¡°Then it mostly melted,¡± I lifted my left arm, ¡°Along with this.¡± She cringed, ¡°Ah¡­ ow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad I don¡¯t have to wait for surgery,¡± I shrugged, ¡°Alright, Alice, do you have any points left?¡± ¡°Nope, I spent it all on this setup.¡± She gestured to a few disks on her hip, the exoskeleton, bow, and three arrows. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go downstairs and check out what we can grab. Daniel, focus on mobility first, then go for the heavy weapons. I need a bit of everything. Fran, you just maximize your magnetics¡­ on that note, how do you know you can lift him right now?¡± I suddenly quirked a brow as we got up and moved out. ¡°I picked him up and dropped him on top of the tunnel when the Spiker was attacking you. We could tell where to drop because of your marker.¡± She smiled, to which I nodded. It did seem that Daniel shouldn¡¯t have been able to break through the ceiling back then without help. ¡°Good to know. And, sorry, Alice, you¡¯re gonna have to use what you¡¯ve got, so make doubly sure you stay out of reach of that thing.¡± ¡°Mmhmm,¡± she nodded, ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll be able to clear out the rest of the area too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too greedy, though. Trust me.¡± I muttered. We¡¯d been lucky, and I¡¯d been humbled by biotics enough to know that the moment you stopped respecting their threat, they¡¯d hit you sideways. We stopped to take Daniel and Fran¡¯s mech¡¯s from a storage room that we¡¯d converted on the first floor. Alice gaped at the both of them, impressive to look at for anyone, but daunting to someone who understood how much something like those must have cost with matter energy. Daniel¡¯s black and purple coloration stood out in sharp contrast to the silver and teal of Fran. Her valkyrie look had been modified somewhat, and the shine of her suit was quite the spectacle in the glinting sunlight. We moved through the city, attracting a fair bit of attention. Some people tried to follow us once more out of curiosity, but they stopped when I looked at them, the unsettling glare from my reaper eye dissuading them from going further. This time I didn¡¯t want anyone following us, there would be too much risk for them to get pulled into the fray. When we were on the edge of the range for the obelisk, we stopped to take a look at our options. Alice kept an eye out for any potential threats. Honestly, I don¡¯t know if it would matter if someone saw us do this part, but we¡¯d be far too strong with this upgrade for anyone to think about harassing us casually. I felt that in my bones that this upgrade would be a nasty addition. I found that, after having purchased a handful of upgrades and grenades, I still had 1230 M.E. Fran and Daniel likely had closer to the 1350 range. My purchases sent my M.E. plummeting. [Reaper Suit, Intermediate 400 M.E.] [Reaper Reaver Rifle 200 M.E] [Reaper Mine, Anti-personnel (x 10) 100 M.E.] [Reaper Reaver Trench Gun 200 M.E] [Reaper Ammo Storage Space (Lvl. 3) 60 M.E] [Reaper Ammo (x 100 cases) 100 M.E.] [Reaper Reaver Blades (x 2) 160 M.E.] I almost could feel my heart bleeding at the rate that my M.E. vanished. By the time I was finished, I only had 10 left. But, it was well worth it, even though my defensive options had vanished. I didn¡¯t need them, my fighting style had come back to what it should have been. Engage only when I could kill, force the enemy into a position where I could bring the fullest and most lethal strike possible. My purchase had happened quickly because I already knew what I wanted. The others watched me as an orb of mercury seemed to encase me. That orb, contrary to expectation, changed from silver to a dark black, like a shadow given life. Red electricity crackled on its surface. I could feel the suit manifest on my body. I underestimated how much of an upgrade it was. It more than suited the 400 M.E. price tag, if anything, it was a steal of a price. Biosteel wrapped my form, a rigid, sharp plating covering my body, electrical impulses running up and down the forming exoskeleton as it interfaced with my reaper-enhanced physiology. My clothes burned and melted away beneath the suit, it wanted nothing in the way of contact. Channels of energy burned through my body as I felt it establish a connection to my nervous system. It wasn¡¯t like a second skin, that would ring hollow in the wake of what this was doing. The suit made me bigger, it was like having a second body layered over my own, each plate was smooth until it arced to the edges of each overlapping, plate. My left arm felt more like flesh and blood than my actual organic arm. Black and barely transparent, the helmet bore what looked like additional red highlights, and augmented my vision even further. If anything, it looked like I had red cracks across my skull, smokey and mysterious. A cloak of bloody midnight covered the armor, settling on me like the Grim Reaper¡¯s cowl. When light shined against the black fabric, a deep red reflection was returned. My claws - yes, claws - were tipped with red, and I could tell that every movement carried a silent promise of death. Dare I say it? I was the Reaper. Weapons formed afterwards. My old modified assault rifle went away, though I did enjoy my time with it. Instead, a reaper ¡®reaver¡¯ weapon replaced it, some kind of remorseless bastardization of the assault rifle. As it settled in my hands, I felt a heaviness that the weapon shouldn¡¯t have had. It was like it weighed as much as three regular rifles, and it hadn¡¯t even finished forming yet. I could lift it with ease, luckily, and the triple barrels interlocked. Verifying, I pulled the gun out, sighting it. With a thought, the three barrels collapsed and came to be one single barrel, as long as a sniper. I had my long range option together with my mid-range option. Setting that to my side, I felt my cloak swallow it in darkness, and realized that the weapon was being stored in a similar system as my ammo. Daniel saw that, and I could virtually see his jaw drop even in his suit. ¡°That¡¯s so badass.¡± Daniel said breathlessly, ¡°How the hell did you do that?¡± I shrugged, feeling the next weapon forming already. The reaper ¡®reaver¡¯ trench gun was bulkier than the rifle, but the barrel was shorter than I expected. A heat-shield rested partway up the gun, and I could see that the actual ammo magazine was a drum. There was no pump, this beast needed no help with reloading. A bayonet reached out hungrily at the front of the barrel, a serrated piece of biosteel that looked more like it belonged on a spear. That, likewise, vanished into my cloak. At this point, I had simpler things appearing, ten mines that wouldn¡¯t show their true value until they went off. A seemingly ridiculous amount of ammo - I found that Reaper ammo was interchangeable, and I would now be buying a great deal of it from now on, hence increasing my storage capacity twice - and finally the reaver blades themselves. They were similar to short swords if you¡¯d also converted the ends into short scythes, but the black metal bore a bright red edge, and they also fed off of reaper ammunition. Why? I wasn¡¯t sure yet. I willed them to ¡®activate¡¯ and watched as the edge glowed brightly, trails of plasma on them. This whole reaper class wasn¡¯t so bad after all... Chapter 12 From Another Eye... ¡°That¡¯s really wicked looking,¡± Fran nodded appreciatively, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect otherwise from your gear.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a backhanded compliment?¡± I spoke, realizing my voice was an octave deeper. ¡°Whoa, talk more, your voice is so different! And your mask is doing this fancy light show!¡± Alice laughed, coming down from her perch on a nearby building. As she dropped, two braces of metal, slim and elegant, touched the ground instead of her feet. She bounced on them easily, controlling the motion simply. Her control was perfect. She was also now a head taller than I was. I¡¯m still the shortest. I didn¡¯t say it out loud. It didn¡¯t count. ¡°That¡¯s odd, I wonder why it¡¯s doing that?¡± I put a hand to my chin. Daniel crossed his arms thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s probably for the intimidation factor, the rest of your gear oozes it.¡± The lines of my helmet creased in a grimace, the red seeming to run with my expression and voice. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s some fancy stuff. Isn¡¯t that, like, hardcore luxury goods?¡± Alice loomed over me. Fran nodded, ¡°Strange that so much effort would be put into looks. But, I guess if it works?¡± ¡°Now, plebeians, don¡¯t get too jealous.¡± I mocked, ¡°For real, though, it¡¯s definitely got a lot more actual utility than just the looks.¡± I didn¡¯t mention that I really liked it for the aesthetics, they grew on me. Heh, literally, now. Bad jokes aside, Daniel waved at me, ¡°I¡¯m sure it does, but you look almost like another person with that on. It really is cool, and intimidating. Maybe if kill-teams and hunters get real famous, you¡¯d be the poster boy.¡± ¡°Mostly for edgy teenager¡¯s, though,¡± Fran chuckled at my expense. ¡°Hardy har, well you guys get your stuff ready.¡± I muttered a few more choice phrases under my breath, but I yet had the wisdom to keep them to myself. Over the next five minutes they finalized their selections and purchased them all at once. Their transformations were no less amazing. I grinned, my mask grinning a bright red line with me, ¡°Oh, yes. That¡¯s what I wanted to see.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Daniel Drake¡¯s P.O.V.- Everything had been happening so fast these past few days. Somehow, I remained optimistic, maybe even when I shouldn¡¯t have been. The day before yesterday I got the reality check that I really needed. Matthew almost died in that tunnel. If it hadn¡¯t been for us hearing Smith call for us, I wouldn¡¯t have known he was in trouble. We were too embroiled in our own battle, and I¡¯m still ashamed to admit that I was having fun. That¡¯s right, I was having fun fighting ten bears and a collection of wolves. I put my trust in Fran to keep them staggered and to keep the tempo of the battle. My job was simply to cleave through them until there wasn¡¯t anything left to cleave. It was easy in comparison to what Matthew had been going through, and somewhere along the way I think I forgot that I was in a machine, a metal shell that kept biotics gut-spilling claws away from me. Fran had picked me up and thrown me, we were desperate. I still remember seeing it all in slow motion, I dreamt of it that night, too. Matthew¡¯s smoking, pain wracked body and that looming monster. I remember the indignation of it, the anger that the only family I had left was so hurt. Most of all, I felt the guilt that I¡¯d been having a great time while Matthew was fighting for his life. I yelled at him a little, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to be angry at him. I was angry at Smith for all of the things that were happening to Matthew. Part of me feared that Matthew was changing too much, too fast, that it wasn¡¯t really him. But he¡¯d laugh, or make a snide sarcastic comment, or consider things from his narrow view point and I¡¯d be reminded that he was still him. Was he different? Hell yeah, but he¡¯d literally gone through two near death experiences over the past two days. If it weren¡¯t for that Reaper. A.I. thing keeping him alive, he would have died. How was I supposed to feel about this? Should I force him to stay home, stay out of harm''s way, so that I don¡¯t have to worry about the day when all that¡¯s left of Matthew is a steel skeleton? Those thoughts haunt my idle mind. If it weren¡¯t for Fran, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do with myself. I love her to death, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s another woman out there that could understand and accept me the way she does. We¡¯re both worried about him, I could tell that. Then, we met Alice, a poor woman who had seen hell and nearly cracked, and I knew that I couldn¡¯t do this without Matthew. I put on the brave face, and could march up to death and grin, but it wasn¡¯t like I knew what to do. A long time ago, I¡¯d almost given up living. Then I found this beat up guy in an alley, having been left for dead after the beginning of the apocalypse. Some group had taken him in and used his mind, he found goods, food, medicine, and knew his way around. They took him in until they wanted what he¡¯d gathered, then they beat him and left. I don¡¯t know what happened to those people, but they moved to the outskirts of the city. With luck, they were dead now. That man I¡¯d found was my childhood friend, Matthew Todd, and those people completely ruined him for trusting people. I needed him, he gave me a reason to give a damn, he made me have to be the talker, he gave me the opportunity to meet Fran. The plans were always his ideas, but I was always there to help fill in the cracks. Scout out the forest for food supplies to keep things going? It was a great alternative to hunting in the city. Kill off some of the wolves? That seemed good, and with his surprisingly good aim, he was great to have around. I still remember the annoyance he always felt at people, the fact that some people had betrayed him and jaded him to all of the others. He was never a particularly bloodthirsty man, and violence did not come readily to him. The nuke was a bad idea. We both admitted that after it happened. I thought Matthew got lucky when he got a class too. I thought he would get something really cool like what I got, a giant metal suit. He got a nightmare living in his flesh. Smith, or whatever he wanted to call it, wasn¡¯t something a regular person would probably wish on themselves. But what could I do? He was in Matt¡¯s head, and from what I could tell, Smith was trying to keep Matthew alive after he¡¯d opened his own private pandora¡¯s box. I watched Matthew struggle with the changes, the stress of nearly dying ate him alive. This morning, we walked in, and I realized all of that again. I saw him, deadlifting 600 pounds with little effort. I also could easily see the red under his skin, like lights in a machine. His arm was mostly black metal, or biosteel, whatever he called it. Right eye gone. Who knows how many organs changed. Even his brain was changed, better to be able to handle what had been dished to him. I was out having a date with Fran, having the time of my life. He was stuck in a body that I don¡¯t even know was his anymore. And then we stepped on the landmine. I was guilty, I tried to say the platitude statement¡¯s to make someone feel better about what was happening to them and failed hard, like it was cancer or something. I saw it in his eyes when we said it, but Alice said it best. He looked scary. And then I felt like an idiot. The sarcasm he gave us, the irritation, the less than civil and patient treatment. He was still Matthew. Stressed, requiring prosthetics, dealing with a Reaper A.I. that pushed him to the limits, but he was still him. In spite of still feeling guilty, I also felt glad. He knew what was happening to him wasn¡¯t great, but he was dealing with it, and somehow I felt like he was in control of himself again. It just happened that the current him had the means to go hunting biotics actively. We¡¯d gotten superhero complexes with great power dropped in our laps, and we almost died from it. So, when we sat on the edge of obelisk space and I watched Matthew get wrapped in a bubble of darkness, I kept myself in line. I readied myself to try to accept whatever version of Matthew came out of this one. But god damn, I didn¡¯t expect the specter that stood before me. All at once I looked back at all the acceptance I¡¯d had and really wondered how I was going to live with myself if I was going to be so shaky. Fran and Alice managed to tease him even, and here I was flabbergasted. I couldn¡¯t let that be. He might put on a strong front, but the guy really did let people¡¯s opinions get the better of him. ¡°I¡¯m sure it does, but you look almost like another person with that on. It really is cool, and intimidating. Maybe if kill-teams and hunters get real famous, you¡¯d be the poster boy.¡± I spoke, and as I did, I realized something. I wasn¡¯t afraid of a changed Matthew, we¡¯d already changed so much from when we knew each other before the apocalypse. I was afraid that Matthew would stop needing help from me. Was that it? I needed him, so he needed me? That was weak sauce. He was looking forward, he was thinking how to win. We weren¡¯t just two guys anymore, and whether or not we both had hero complexes now, we were in this big time now. Not just anybody in the city was a reaper or dreadnought. I psyched myself up. Goddamnit, I¡¯m a fucking dreadnought! I¡¯m a moving, living, breathing engine of destruction. I wasn¡¯t taking this seriously enough. I needed to get my head in the game. And then I remembered when Matthew first had that smirk when the obelisk landed. He knew what he was aiming for the whole time. Sure, it was single minded and naive, but he didn¡¯t flinch. He was tenacious as hell, but he was still human under all that metal. And my best friend needed me to be a god damn Dreadnought. ¡°Let¡¯s tear it up, then.¡± I murmured to myself, sorting through my purchases. Fran had as much intensity as I did. Maybe she came to the same conclusion, or maybe she knew from the start that the way things were weren¡¯t the way they would be from now on. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Matthew Todd¡¯s P.O.V.- A few hours later and we¡¯d mapped out our kill-zone. I sat in relative silence, I¡¯d found the perfect box canyon that I wanted to use. The sides were difficult to scale, and they¡¯d serve us well for our needs. According to what Fran and Alice saw, the unique was still nearby. They¡¯d kept tabs on it while I set the kill zone up for our needs. I could hear them talking, our voices being linked through the obelisk system so that we could communicate over longer distances. It was an amazing feature that I wish I¡¯d have known about before. ¡°Alright, my trap¡¯s set over here, how¡¯re we looking on your side, Daniel?¡± I asked, retreating up the slope, kneeling against a rocky outcropping to the right side of the canyon. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got the hang of moving with this now. It¡¯s pretty awesome once you get used to it.¡± Daniel¡¯s voice came through clearly. He seemed more focused now, and I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what had happened. I didn¡¯t think about it too hard, ¡°Good, then we¡¯ll start the operation on your signal. You¡¯re in control until we can get it into the noose, then Fran gets you out, and Alice and I pummel it from high up.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± Daniel affirmed.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Alice followed, managing to remain cheerful, ¡°Roger, roger!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get rid of this thing.¡± Fran shuddered in disgust, having now seen the creature herself. I set myself up, feeling my environment for any changes. I was trying to be constantly aware of the possibility that we might be snuck up on. But, it looked like there wasn¡¯t anything left in this area. The unique might have been responsible for that. I directed thought through the mark on my hand, contacting Sis, just like I would to Smith. [Specialized Intelligence System is currently busy. Please leave a message.] I scoffed, a freaking answering machine? Wow. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re dropping the ball. I want that core back if you¡¯re not even going to tell us that there¡¯s a unique sitting on our doorstep. Get back to me for the Bounty. Thanks.¡± The hell kind of world did we live in when an A.I. was too busy to answer a message. I shook my head. After a few more minutes of waiting, staring at the sparse demesne of trees below, I started to hear a loud tremoring. It grew louder, and I could hear explosions and the loud snarling of a machine, and the mournful howling of our quarry. ¡°Almost there, Matt!¡± Daniel shouted, ¡°And I hope you¡¯re ready, because this thing is pissed!¡± I nodded, ¡°Fran, you¡¯re up, pull him up and out. Alice, the opposite slope to me is your firing point. If it starts running at you, don¡¯t freak out, just keep firing.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Voices rang in unison. I watched, the three barrels of my rifle connecting together as one, converting to a hefty sniper. I felt the hum of energy in the barrel, the superheated plasma ready to fire. It was, likely, the strongest personal weapon on earth right now, with exception to the ridiculousness that Daniel and Fran had come up with. [¡°Sorry, Matthew, I was busy. What was this you said about a unique on your doorste--Oh my!¡±] I heard Sis and saw her blue outline in my field of vision, I tuned her out. It was bad timing. Below, I could see what looked like a steel angel slice through a few trees as she gracefully reached out towards a decidedly unholy looking metal behemoth. Where Fran¡¯s wings had doubled in length and size, Daniel¡¯s mass had increased by one foot in height, and two in width. The most distinctive change, aside from the guns on Daniel¡¯s frame, were the many energy discharge ports on his body. The backs of the mech¡¯s legs, ribs, and back all had vents that burned with power, a product of the many new engines that gave him raw power and speed. His every foot step upturned soil, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that his legs were now even larger than before, I¡¯m certain he would have been more than capable of gouging out several feet deep of earth in his stride. His weight class was enormously higher. Fran pulled him hard, what looked like four ribbons drifted down from behind her. They didn¡¯t touch him, and the ends seemed to ring with harmonics, along with the open diamond pattern that the blue ¡®fabric¡¯ ended in. That fabric was not cloth, but woven metal, and I could see the massive magnetic forces at work as she pulled Daniel from the ground and ascended steadily, taunting the beast that pursued them. That beast drew Sis¡¯s attention, [¡°That¡­ that can¡¯t be here already.¡±] ¡°Sure, I believe you.¡± I remarked sarcastically, feeling utter revulsion towards the thing. Even with Alice giving me the heads up to what kind of brand of horror I could expect, I found I was glad to have literally an iron stomach. It did not so much as run as half skip and half roll towards its prey. Protruding limbs, and even entire wolves, were used to propel it forward like many legs. Some of the more used wolves were ragged and tattered, yet still in use. It was fast, and I was glad that I¡¯d had Daniel take the job. I hadn¡¯t tested my speed, but this thing would probably overtake me. [¡°I mean, yes, it¡¯s obviously there. It¡¯s a special kind of unique.] [Bounty Hunt! Kill The Amalgamation ¡°Wolven¡± of Harrowing 0/1 (~!~)] I frowned seeing the notification, better late than never, though. It seemed the naming scheme was a little different, saying ¡®of¡¯ rather than ¡®the,¡¯ but I didn¡¯t have time to worry. ¡°Alright, Alice, don¡¯t move from that rocky outcropping, it¡¯s the most stable piece of land on that slope.¡± I didn¡¯t need to look elsewhere for my helmet to be able to search for her. A few hundred feet away, she¡¯d set herself against the rocks. She didn¡¯t say anything, tense with what was going on. [¡°This creature is extremely dangerous, you should retreat.¡±] Sis sounded genuinely worried. I frowned at that, this thing was about as dangerous as I¡¯d feared then. ¡°We¡¯ve taken some precautions. We don¡¯t intend to fight a losing battle.¡± Sis opened her mouth to say something else, ¡°Just watch and tell me what you think.¡± Further on in the narrow canyon I watched as the creature started to slip on the rocks, it¡¯s bulky chaotic gait not giving it any decent purchase. Then, Fran set Daniel down atop a hard stone lip, sixty feet up. I looked at the creature, Wolven, and noted that there were at least eighty wolves in it now. It had grown dramatically. I sure as hell didn¡¯t want to give it the opportunity to get out of here and get worse. It scrambled up the slope, and none of us fired just yet. [¡°Why do you wait?¡±] Sis asked. I didn¡¯t answer yet, it wasn¡¯t quite the right time. But, whatever this kind of creature represented really shook her. I didn¡¯t want to see what this would be if it grew up. And it wouldn¡¯t. [And the Reaper¡¯s hand was dealt. And in that hand was hellfire.] Smith punctuated the occasion perfectly. The only precursor to the show was the sharp beep, only once. Several explosions rocked the face of the valley, two mines exploding and showering the creature with raw plasma. Stone immediately melted, dirt glassed, what little plant matter there was there had evaporated into clouds of smoke. Shrieking and howling rolled through the air as the amalgamation lit aflame. Daniel¡¯s mech let out a stunning retort, almost as loud as the reaper mines had. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Daniel¡¯s bellow rang out with the shots from the cannon on his right shoulder. He leaned over, the apparatus coming up over his back and firing shells into the monster. It was a tank cannon, there wasn¡¯t any other way to categorize it. Each shell blossomed before hitting the beast, shredding its surface with projectiles and heat. The plasma melted into the holes, it made it worse. The ribbons at Frans sides, all four of them, corkscrewed out in front of her. She positioned her wings just behind them, and feathers started darting out of her wings, traveling through the tubes. It was mind numblingly destructive, they pierced straight through the things body, though its mass shifted as they did so. The front half of Wolven was on fire. It retreated in sheer panic away from them, though it took a moment for the side that was on fire to realize what had even happened. Alice opened up next, drilling shot after shot into the heads of the wolves. Unlike with a regular bow and arrow, these shots did not simply stick into a skull. The energy drilled through, leaving the heads with an open hole in them. She¡¯d target the same wolf body as she went, annihilating it entirely. Then, disgustingly, the body fell away, along with the trail of guts that rapidly turned to fragmented dust, crackling in the wind. I opened fire, a short, vicious bite. One shot tore through a wolf, melting it from the inside out. The entire mass quivered, and after a moment, it started to try to run towards the mouth of the canyon. I detonated the next mines by remote. Four explosions went off, these ones only catching its face by a small amount. I wanted it to know that moving forward would be a fiery death. It had to go through a wall. Even so, part of it had tried to continue on, as though it didn¡¯t realize how dangerous the gouts of burning plasma was. Incredulously, I watched as it stepped into it for a few seconds and seem to panic, running backwards into the canyon. ¡°Is it stupid?...¡± I felt insulted that I¡¯d put this much thought into this plan for an idiot. No, don¡¯t get cocky. We¡¯re far from done. I reminded myself this was something that gave Sis pause. It¡¯s many heads turned to face Alice, her shots dealing the least damage thus far. Alice choked down a scream and laid into the beast with abandon. It ran at her side of the valley. ¡°Alice, calm down, it won¡¯t get to you. Trust me.¡± I grinned evilly, ¡°It¡¯s really not that bright.¡± Another mine went off as it hit her side of the canyon wall, showering it with yet another plume of burning plasma. It screamed unlike anything I¡¯d ever heard. It was really hurting now, and I found myself egged on by that sound. ¡°Pour it on, everything!¡± I shouted into the mic, firing puncturing bolts of plasma one after the other. It spun in place, utterly confused and overloaded from pain. I watched now as bodies fell from its corpulent mass, melting in the heat. It started to run towards me, and then it shuddered, stopping. The creature looked up to me, and its many stolen eyes had a look of comprehension. Yes, this slope, too, was mined. But you¡¯re far too naive. My mask lit up brilliant scarlet, highlighting the skull within my helmet. The thing shuddered as I pulled my hand up, aiming theatrically. There was one mine on my slope, yes. But the other two? The mines exploded directly under the main body of Wolven. I saw fire tear through the top of the creature. There was no direction to its madness now, and I watched as it rapidly fought even itself in confusion, trying to separate its burning parts from the rest. I could see a pair of eyes gleaming in the mass, light filtered automatically with my reaper eye. It looked to me. My gun came up, and I saw it had fear in its eyes. Perhaps the helmet wasn¡¯t only for scaring other people, after all? I fired into the mass, marking the thing. Bullet after bullet ate through the husks it used to defend itself. Finally, it shrank to only half its original size, and there was no unburned part of its body. What was worse for it, though, was when Daniel revealed his second of three weapons he¡¯d added. A missile pack rose from his left shoulder, and fired. Instead of hitting the creature, it opened above it, unleashing a layer of thermite on its flaming surface. The explosion rocked it to its core, the plasma lake it sat in ate it from below. It stopped struggling, and in spite of our evident success, I found myself frowning. Something felt off. ¡°Where¡¯s the main body?¡± I murmured through the microphone. ¡°Main body? Did you see something like that?¡± Fran asked, her birds eye view granting her what should have been a superior vantage point. ¡°Yeah, my reaper eye picked it out in the mess. I don¡¯t... ¡° I looked down, assessing the pool of plasma. It was shrinking. ¡°No! It¡¯s digging!¡± I nearly screamed in frustration. It dug through plasma? What the hell? Did it not care about damage? Wait, if it was borrowing bodies, why would it? It just needed the main body to survive, that was all. ¡°Damnit!¡± I let my weapon slip into my cloak. I didn¡¯t dare go down there, but I knew that I had to hurt it, badly. We had to buy time at the very least. I pulled out grenades from my reaper storage, several of the claymore grenades coming out. I didn¡¯t need to aim much, the vantage point was perfect. I pressed the button, throwing it into the mass. I repeated the process with three more grenades. ¡°Cover!¡± I shouted, and everyone ducked behind rocks, or in Fran¡¯s case behind Daniel. From deep in the mass, two grenades shredded wolves, and two more exploded underground. The wailing from earlier, distinctly different now from wolves, met my ears. I knew just how much those things hurt in tunnels. The carnage was complete topside, but I knew that the thing had managed to escape. A river of molten stone sealed the entrance behind it. None of us had the ability to detect it. ¡°Good job guys, we did some real damage. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s even anything left except the main body.¡± I started walking towards Fran and Daniel, Alice doing the same, casting shocked glances at the melting bodies. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we could actually¡­¡± She started, and I grinned in my mask. ¡°Just Reaper things. It¡¯s kind of my job to make sure it dies. I realized that the other day.¡± I chuckled, ¡°Dan, dude, the hell is that thermite? That kicked!¡± He laughed, ¡°Those mines are overpowered, the fuck is that?¡± ¡°Plasma, or a form of it,¡± I snickered, ¡°I¡¯ll bet it won¡¯t forget this soon. Maybe it¡¯ll stay away from people.¡± ¡°Fran, these are so pretty, but¡­ did you make a railgun?¡± Alice walked up, touching some of the trailing, winding tails of metal on Fran¡¯s wings. ¡°Heh, I thought of it when I picked up Daniel. I think I need practice, but against such a big target, I don¡¯t think I can miss.¡± [¡°All of you¡­¡±] We suddenly remembered that Sis had been there. ¡°Oh, my bad. So, what¡¯d you think? Any tips?¡± I turned around, nonchalant as we rode pretty high on our draw. [¡°That creature is type of biotic that is rightfully feared across the galaxy. It is durable, sentient, and can single handedly bring a world to ruin.¡±] Sis looked at us incredulously, [¡°I have never seen any species, even on a low tier biotic planet, bully one to near oblivion like I have seen today.¡±] ¡°Yay! We did good!¡± Alice shouted, ¡°Uh, so, who is this?¡± Daniel and Fran gave her the overview as Sis¡¯s look of perplexity deepened. ¡°Why do you look like this was a bad thing?¡± My suspicion meter dipped, hard. [¡°Uh, no, it¡¯s good that you¡¯ve done this. Miraculous, even. But the fact that a creature like this has appeared so soon¡­ And with you humans being¡­¡±] She hesitated. I couldn¡¯t keep from growling, ¡°Look, just say it. You¡¯re an A.I. and we¡¯re stuck with each other, don¡¯t make this weird, okay?¡± To my surprise, she smiled, [¡°Well, when you say it like that. I may have to report to my supervisor that humans are far more aggressive and adept at warfare than most species we¡¯ve run across. Whether that¡¯s a good thing or not, I¡¯m not certain, but suffice to say that they would be much more interested in ensuring your survival going forward.¡±] Daniel caught that, ¡°So they¡¯d be interested in us being useful, you mean?¡± [¡°Exactly, that would be ideal.¡±] ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Fran cringed, along with Alice who seemed like she was imagining something akin to a forced military. [¡°Ah, I¡¯ve caused you some discomfort. Please, keep in mind that there are laws against enslavement of a species, even in spite of the biotic presence on many worlds. I and these obelisks are also here to stay.¡±] I let out a sigh of relief without realizing it, ¡°That¡¯s good. Say¡­ we wouldn¡¯t happen to be able to cash in on any matter energy off of all that, would we? Considering we did just set a galactic record?¡± Sis glowered at me, [¡°Well, I don¡¯t normally do so without a kill¡­ but¡­ you¡¯re right that I should reward achievements when they¡¯re earned. Here, take this, all of you, but don¡¯t complain to me about the amount. I¡¯m not supposed to give you things for almost killing biotics.¡±] I kept my mouth shut on that one. It did make some sense, even if I wanted to poke fun at her for it. ¡°Oh, by the way, why didn¡¯t that thing get detected?¡± [¡°It hides behind the amalgamated parts, the wolves, and hides its signature. It looks like a bunch of wolves running around together on my sensors.¡±] ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fun.¡± I groaned. Finding this thing in the future would be a pain. [¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, now I have a lock on its signature, it¡¯ll be much harder for it to hide. But, it might go farther out now that it¡¯s survived your encounter. In any case, I have to go, always busy. Good hunting¡­ Oh, and good job.¡±] She smiled, beaming blue energy before she vanished. ¡°Feels good to be congratulated.¡± Daniel sighed in relief. I smiled, ¡°And better to be paid.¡± We each got 500 M.E. even. Now we could get Alice some more gear. On that note¡­ ¡°Alice, why didn¡¯t you use a single one of those arrows?¡± ¡°Err¡­ I forgot.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Let''s work on that.¡± Chapter 13 Mobilization The hunt wasn¡¯t what we could call success. But it was the first hunt that we¡¯d gone on that wasn¡¯t marred by a bittersweet victory at high cost. I loved that feeling now that I¡¯d tasted it, and the value of information on a target had only amplified many times over. With the biotics, information could mean the difference between life and death, particularly when a unique was involved. Had we not prepped the stage against Wolven, what would have happened? As Alice would put it, a TPK would happen. A total-party-kill, gaming terms for we¡¯d all be dead as hell. On that note, Alice has meshed pretty well with the group. In spite of earlier misgivings, she¡¯s been quite friendly and has gotten over my quirks. There are still times when she¡¯s not sure how to take my humor, but that¡¯s all the better. Ah, but definitely, I¡¯m very anti-affection-mode right now. On looking closer at my face, I noticed that there¡¯s several very vague lines like circuitry along the top of my head receding into my hair. It¡¯s not visible without looking, but it was yet another thing to add to the growing list of ¡®Things a possible girlfriend might be freaked out by.¡¯ Wait, what am I even thinking about right no--Oh¡­ right¡­ two are reasons why my brain¡¯s wandering. You guessed it, Smith was at work again. Finishing my arm. The second one though, I¡¯m asleep alone in the office tonight. I¡¯m positive that Fran and Daniel are shacked up somewhere private, and I wasn¡¯t going to ask Alice who barely knew me to crash over here. Plus, from what I¡¯d heard, she had a rather unique living situation right now that she¡¯d set up, and until Wolven was dead, I think she¡¯d be staying there. Her background dread had declined significantly after pummeling that thing, but still¡­ The summary. I¡¯m lonely, because talking to Smith is still just talking to myself. No, I retract that, that¡¯s still insulting to Smith. It¡¯s more like talking to someone who is expected to cause you some serious hell. Because he is, and serious hell is what he brought me in my dreams that night. ¡°Young man, I wish to congratulate you on thinking out a plan that didn¡¯t get you or your friends harmed.¡± Smith nodded, smiling to me. I was jazzed, at first. ¡°But, you forgot rule number one for a reaper; Kill or Die.¡± He smiled, a cold glint in his eye, ¡°Are you prepared for the dying?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ wait, what?¡± I blanched, mouth drying up instantly. ¡°We¡¯re going to relive that fight of yours until you can think up a way to keep it from burrowing. Now that you know it can, it¡¯s best if you leave it no option to do so.¡± ¡°W-wait¡­ you¡¯re serious? I have to see that thing in my nightmares? And it¡¯s not even optional?¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°Nightmares, oh no. Come now, this is training.¡± He snapped his fingers, rendering the box canyon we¡¯d been in earlier that day. ¡°It¡¯s oh so very much worse than simple nightmares. You may begin.¡± And the chaos ensued for several hours. It only took me three days to figure out how to kill it without escaping, thirty deaths, about sixty eight half successes, and then the one, wonderful success. I woke up the next morning barely remembering how I did it, but damned if I knew well what not to do. Glowering, I gestured to my suit, which shrank away from the rest of my body except for a skin-tight layer that highlighted my muscles and preserved my humility. The plates collapsed and merged together on my back, giving me a dense weight balance that I was strangely used too. I guessed that reaper gear flexed with the user quite a bit, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be convenient to have to change clothes anytime you needed to not be killing things. Since it burned anything in the way of skin contact. The main office area had seen some renovations as well. Most people still had separate areas, but something of a communal eating table had been set up beside the middle aisle of the floor. If I didn¡¯t know better, it looked more like the scouts had set up more around our office. We¡¯d made waves, the scouts at the least knew that we were armed to the teeth. Daniel couldn¡¯t hide that armor even if he wanted too, and it was clear that I earned more than a little bit of respect, and perhaps fear, from these people based on my looks alone. Fran, of course, was everyone¡¯s big sister, though a few had harbored crushes. Luckily there''s no drama on that front, it was irrefutable that Daniel and Fran are good together. Alice was a little bit more known too after having been seen with us directly. It was almost a status symbol to be around us now, we weren¡¯t just scouts anymore, the four of us were hunters. I heard a ring in my head, and realized that Sis had released general information on unique¡¯s in the area, as well as a handful of bounties. It was handy, but none of them bore the same pressing urgency that she¡¯d had before. I was vaguely aware that the western side of the city had been attacked by a small group of biotics. Small being about two hundred. That was small now? Weird. It was a lot for the people manning the wall, fewer people than there should have been in the first place. Luckily, they were able to fend off the attack. I don¡¯t think a unique was behind the attack, either, just a random mob that couldn¡¯t figure out how to deal with the wall. Yesterday, I figured people were blowing it up as a big deal because they were scared, and they thought the obelisk¡¯s had somehow signaled that everything was going to be just fine and dandy. I might have been a bit critical of them. But it was also clearly the truth at this moment. Not enough people were still taking the threat anywhere near seriously enough. ¡°Boss, that one politician looking guy asked to see you.¡± Someone shouted out for me, or at least I assumed it was me. They looked right at me. ¡°Boss? When¡¯d that happen?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Was it the guy with the prosthetic leg?¡± ¡°Uhhh, yeah that¡¯s the one,¡± He pondered a moment, ¡°Feel up for some breakfast, the market¡¯s making some good chop, and we got extra.¡± I shrugged, it couldn¡¯t hurt. They ignored my questioning whenever the topic of who started calling me the ¡®boss¡¯ was, but from the vibe I got, it just started happening. Apparently, Bulwark had tried to negotiate with the scouts to try to get them to move further away from the obelisk when this had started. They ignored them blatantly, and when the Bulwark started getting pushy, I became the spokesman for the obelisk and showed that Fran was on my side. I hadn¡¯t intended that at all, but regardless, that¡¯s what people saw it as. So, I wasn¡¯t even remotely aware that our place had almost been snagged. It wasn¡¯t Bulwark¡¯s fault or anything, they literally had no idea what was going on back then. For all they knew the obelisk could have started sucking people into it. The other rumors I¡¯d heard mostly circulated about how people were getting really wound up, much worse than I¡¯d thought. Specifically, the regular people with no combat training whatsoever wanted the Bulwark to ¡®fulfill their civic duties to protect and serve,¡¯ though I started to resent that line of thought. Daniel had called me out for that last night before we all split up. He wanted to become part of the army before all of this broke out in the first place, and had said something along the lines of ¡°Bro, protecting people is one thing, but do you think anybody actually wants to go running around in the woods full of biotics? That¡¯s not their job anymore, nobody even has jobs anymore.¡± And that hit the nail on the head. To that point, I was thinking ¡®Who better than them to go hunting?¡¯ I¡¯d never really considered that they were only ever here to help defend. I hoped to maybe get some kind of inspiration in my dreams that might be a quick fix to that, but then I dreamt of killing that horror far too much. Wait¡­ that might be the answer. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Well, I¡¯m gonna go pay a visit to that guy. Ah, actually, first off¡± I turned to them, ¡°Have you guys done any hunting lately?¡± They looked between themselves, ¡°Not too much, but we don¡¯t really need to yet.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± I prompted, looking to the guy who spoke. He looked like he was in an interview and I¡¯d just pitched a trick question. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind if your reason is that you¡¯re scared, or lazy, I just wanna know.¡± I waved it off, knowing was the more important part. ¡°Then, for me, I¡¯d have to say it¡¯s because I¡¯m a little wary of them.¡± He said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ve killed a few of them, but it¡¯s still a little freaky doing it on my own.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ are you all doing it solo?¡± I frowned. ¡°Not all of us, some of us have like two people.¡± Another guy prompted, ¡°We were looking at how you guys were doing it and thought you had some reason for a lower number.¡± I nearly facepalmed myself, ¡°Guys¡­ you realize we were being really damn stupid, right?¡± ¡°Err¡­¡± They were surprised that I¡¯d be that candid. I guess they forgot I wasn¡¯t some enigmatic figure, I was just some guy. ¡°Look, when you kill one wolf, you get six matter energy. So, you should probably go with six man kill-teams for safety''s sake. It¡¯s easy when you do that, but still keep safe. If you see something that¡¯s not a wolf, back out quickly and quietly. Report it to me, or one of my team, we¡¯ll keep an eye out. Whatever you do, don¡¯t try to take it without information on it.¡± One of the guys looked like he was amused, ¡°Huh, so you can act like a Boss.¡± I frowned, ¡°You drew short straw, you get to be team lead.¡± He cringed, and the others laughed at his expense, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you guys are laughin¡¯, you¡¯re going with him.¡± They still chuckled, ¡°Well, how do we prove that we went hunting, even?¡± I thought about that for a moment, and then Smith provided the answer. It was convenient, too. ¡°Here, join my organization. I can track your progress and find you if you guys need a hand. You¡¯ll be able to communicate long range too.¡± They saw a notification pop up in their windows, lit on the surface of their eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some nice toys, too.¡± Wary, they did accept the invitation. I was surprised at that. Later, I would come to know that the reason they did so was because they wanted to do something, anything, about the situation, but fighting with the Bulwark didn¡¯t make sense, and just a few guys out in the wilds didn¡¯t seem like it¡¯d be important. Also, it helped that I gave them each reaper modified rifles, those would go a long way. I didn¡¯t mention anything about how I¡¯d literally just made my organization and had it approved by the obelisk system on the spot. After that, I made my way to the command tent, dawning the full outfit. The black plating crawled over my body as I walked, and more than a few people looked at with in amazement. When the helmet fully formed, some of those individuals gaped at the look. The cape was a great look, too. All of a sudden, when I walked, I drew a different kind of attention from Daniel. They moved away from his mech body when he walked because they didn¡¯t want to get stepped on. They moved away from me because they felt a sense of danger. Different, but categorically the same. Just like when you looked at a large carnivore and seemed to instinctively move gentler, as to not disturb it. It was a novel sensation, this outfit made me iconic. And for once, I actually wanted to do that. There was no urgency to my steps, I watched the people around me, surveying them with my reaper eye. Plenty of stalls were still set out, but it seemed like more than a few people were gathered up, their petitions for the Bulwark to do something about the biotics the biggest topic. All of their pent up emotions, their fear, was spilling over. Bulwark had kept the peace for so long, they didn¡¯t seem to know how to deal with it. When I reached city hall, I was stopped out front. A small cluster of people were sitting on the front steps with their loud voices, repeating over and over the same kind of line like a petition rally. It was difficult to move through them at first, until I opened up with my own voice, louder and deeper because of the speakers built into my helmet. ¡°Move.¡± It¡¯s impact was priceless. I¡¯m sure I looked as commanding as my voice sounded, because eyes widened as they saw me. A path parted, silence reigned as I moved up the steps. The guard only managed to hold a hand out, swallowing hard as he struggled to talk. ¡°Relax,¡± I told him, ¡°I¡¯m not here for trouble. I¡¯m here because Doug Vanderhew said he wanted to speak with me.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The guards, all four of them, looked at me. Then the three I hadn¡¯t spoken too cleared themselves of the conversation by looking straight ahead. I laughed with a muted microphone. ¡°T-then this way,¡± He opened the door and walked in before me, quite spry on his steps. ¡°I¡¯ll get him for you if you don¡¯t mind waiting.¡± ¡°Take your time.¡± I nodded, watching him quickly rush off. That was still a little odd that people were freaked out by the suit so much. Then again, I was playing off of it quite well. After a few minutes of me standing impassively in the middle of the room, recounting my thoughts on the subject that I was going to be breaching, Doug finally arrived. He was wearing a rather impeccable suit this time, and his fake leg was almost completely concealed behind the dress pants. Black with just the slightest maroon cloth were the dominating themes of his suit. When he saw me, he did a double take. ¡°Matthew?¡± He asked, and the guard beside him tensed at the thought that maybe I wasn¡¯t actually someone welcome there. ¡°Yup, you have a minute? I think I¡¯ve got an answer to the little problem that¡¯s been going around.¡± ¡°Certainly. Ah, thank you,¡± he gestured to the guard who gratefully, and quickly took his leave. Doug stared after him and shrugged, ¡°I guess your new look is a bit extreme.¡± I chuckled and followed him as he led the way to a side room down the hall. In the next room, my enhanced sense of hearing gave me the general state of how the Bulwark was handling things. The bottom line was; not well at all. Some sounded like they agreed that they need to take a harder stance on the biotics, others seemed to think that the people should be drafted then if they were so keen on it. More often than not, they said that the Bulwark would best use its manpower for defense. A not insignificant, and growing, number said that the people should feel grateful for what the Bulwark had been doing for them. My gut wrangled. I didn¡¯t want to talk to them at all. I liked the idea that people would start fighting each other less. At worst, it¡¯d be a coup d''etat with nobody competent on top, then it would just self perpetuate. If someone tried to take advantage of growing discontent and created a rival faction, that¡¯d be just as bad. It¡¯d eventually boil down to conflict. Doug had likely thought that we could simply use mercantile principles to try to coax the Bulwark into action. He probably wanted me to make that rival group. But that probably wouldn¡¯t work. Coercion like that would complicate the situation. ¡°So, you wanted to talk to me about this situation?¡± Doug huffed, ¡°It¡¯s more of a mess than I thought it¡¯d become. That last attack from the biotics has everyone ruffled.¡± I scoffed, ¡°That wasn¡¯t even an attack. They practically just bumped the wall and ran away.¡± ¡°You try to tell that to a bunch of angry and scared people. Some of them are in that room.¡± He thumped the wall. ¡°Hmm? Not just the council?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°There are a few generally recognized heads of the community that brought their ¡®grievances¡¯ to bear against the Bulwark.¡± He shrugged, ¡°What can you do? It¡¯s just another day for a politician.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good that they¡¯re there then. Might help catch it before it blows up in our faces.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t push it off the edge, yeah. They¡¯re talking like the people own the soldiers.¡± Doug chewed his lip a bit, ¡°They should be out there, fighting biotics, but they¡¯re not. They¡¯re sitting on the walls and playing it safe.¡± I sounded like that? Jeez¡­ it almost sounds like an excuse now. ¡°Ready for the fix?¡± I smiled, my helmet light cracking across like a grin. He flinched seeing that, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± After we talked, he went back into the room, and shortly managed to call some measure of order to make his pitch. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen, it is clear that we¡¯ve come to a sort of impasse. To sum, I would state that our general conditions are as follows; the people wish the Bulwark to organize better and to engage the biotics outside of the city. Bulwark, on the other hand, insists that their task has ever only been defensive in nature and that organizing the people should still come as a priority. Does anyone have any rejection of these suppositions, or any meaningful details to add?¡± He waited, a few people in the room that were a part of the council gave him very quizzical looks. They wanted to know what he¡¯d planned behind closed doors, what was going to hit them would hit them broadside at this rate. ¡°I do not pretend that I am someone who can fix these issues. I¡¯m a financial administrator at best, and I work with the flow of this matter energy stuff and credits, balancing it out.¡± ¡°Then why are you even bringing it up?¡± Someone on a seat above, the ¡®U¡¯ shaped chamber with adapted use hosting a few dozen people. Doug didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°Of course, because I believe there is another option. I can¡¯t take credit for it, but I wished to set the tone for his introduction. He¡¯s someone whom has sat before the council before, and one of, if not the first person to use the obelisk systems. A man who is intimately aware of the situation outside of the city, and has been relentlessly hunting down horrors the likes of which you cannot imagine.¡± He finished with a rather flattering note. It was the truth, though, I¡¯d shown him the video of Wolven, our battle with it, to show him that I wasn¡¯t just a pretty face, so to speak. ¡°Please, welcome Matthew Todd,¡± he gestured as I strode through the door. A few people looked like they were doing to make a token gesture of clapping. The room went dead silent as they saw me, though. I stood at the front, nodding to Doug as he left me the floor. He retreated back a few steps, but did not return to the chairs. A show of support, to give more weight to what I wanted to say. I really, really hoped you were going to do this, damnit. I wanted to say that. I really didn¡¯t want to talk to these people. Then I saw the looks on their faces, frozen in anticipation. Song, the Commander in Chief of Bulwark, sat near the front, as did the Mayor, Alan Dietriet. My gaze landed firmly on them. ¡°The Bulwark¡¯s efforts are not incorrect.¡± My first statement was directed more to the people who harassed them. They almost found bravery enough to retort. ¡°But, at the same time they¡¯re doing their job ineffectively.¡± Good, both sides were pissed at me now. ¡°Charlie Song, is it true that there is very little input into the Bulwark¡¯s stock of matter energy beyond what the people have been exchanging from the first and only one hundred matter energy they may ever have?¡± I hit the man I had respect for with a hard question. He grit his teeth, ¡°The Bulwark is very carefully utilizing the matter energy that has been provided us through the understanding that exchanges for credits would be used as a means to purchase goods with more efficiency. We are exploring means of obtaining matter energy as safely as possible.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t done anythi-¡± Someone else tried to speak. I hum of energy rang off of my body. The people nearest to me flinched. ¡°Ah, sorry, you surprised me, I¡¯m a little too used to murdering biotics. Please wait until you are called to speak, or until the forum is open.¡± I smiled with my helmet, the red light beneath the black surface forming a jagged smirk, gleaming. They sat down, quiet, a little frustrated. ¡°I believe what that person was going to point out, I hope, was that matter energy can be obtained in one, and only one, way. This is by killing biotics. No other method exists within our grasp.¡± ¡°So you say, where have you gotten this information?¡± Alan Dietriet spoke up, seeking to check my advance. ¡°The obelisks. Here, let me see if I can get that for you.¡± I looked to my hand, sending my thoughts to Sis. Her automated responses came up, and I prompted the simpler A.I. with a question. [Query response to, ¡°What are the methods of gaining matter energy for our (humans) current level to technology and skills?¡± Fetching.] The voice rang out aloud, startling some people as it blasted through my speakers. [Answer: matter energy is a unique energy form that is obtainable only through biotics. Harvesting this energy requires a biotic to perish, that energy will be collected by the nearest obelisk for use. Would you like to know more?] ¡°That¡¯s enough, thank you. Say hi to Sis for me,¡± I gestured to the voice reflexively. ¡°So, there you have it. Proof from the system. Feel free to try it out yourself. May I continue?¡± No one said not to. Good, I¡¯d have to shoot them. I¡¯m joking. Mostly. ¡°So, the only way is to kill biotics. Therefor, hunting biotics is namely the next best thing. So, I ask the people¡¯s representatives¡­ what¡¯s stopping you?¡± I glared at them. They floundered for just a moment, ¡°We¡¯re not soldiers! It¡¯s unsafe for us to go hunting them!¡± ¡°It¡¯s unsafe for everyone to go hunting them. Even me.¡± I gestured with my left arm, and everyone got to watch as my armor entirely receded from me. Smith had finished it, leaving nothing but biosteel there. ¡°I¡¯m still out there. I¡¯m still hunting. Ah, but I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s not fair, right?¡± They knew it was bait, but they couldn¡¯t not take it, ¡°Its¡­ it¡¯s not fair, no. We don¡¯t have any training at all.¡± ¡°And you¡¯d probably die because you wouldn¡¯t bother practicing. It¡¯s okay, I understand.¡± I dismissed the argument, ¡°Even so, I¡¯m not going to force anyone to fight. That¡¯s just going to result in diminished results and you¡¯re going to end up getting everyone else killed by being so bad.¡± They didn¡¯t like the way I said that. Hell, I know I wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Now, the big picture look, you¡¯re trying to force the soldiers to do what you won¡¯t. If you think about it, you may as well be the ones getting forced to go out there. They have the skills, the guns, the organization. Yet, the positions of the ¡®Can¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean they should ¡®Do,¡¯ right? On that same note, just because they ¡®Can¡¯ fight, doesn¡¯t meant they should ¡®Do¡¯ it.¡± I took a moment for the room to catch up. ¡°That said, there are no better people than those with combat experience to go out and fight biotics. That¡¯s a simple truth. It¡¯s also a simple truth that anyone can learn how to fight biotics. The real issue you¡¯re looking at is desire. Who wants to fight biotics just for a pat on the back?¡± I opened my hands, ¡°Not a damn soul. I wouldn¡¯t fight a biotic for you if it was standing over you and wanting to tear your skull open with its steel-crushing jaws.¡± I kinda lied there, but it was to set up. ¡°Why? Because wolves are nothing compared to other things out there. We¡¯ll see more of them as time goes on. And because of that, if someone isn¡¯t going out there prepared to fight with their lives on the line, then I don¡¯t want them out there.¡± At that, I saw Song¡¯s eyes light up. Yes, old man, I said ¡®I¡¯ don¡¯t want them out there. ¡°And so, I formally wish to put forth the motion that a new organization is recognized. And,¡± I quickly added, ¡°Before anyone says anything, I do not intend on creating a competing organization with the Bulwark. Up until now, the Bulwark has functioned¡­ well, its functioned,¡± I gestured helplessly, ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to be an expert in your field if you won¡¯t pretend to be an expert in mine. And so, I suggest the the Bulwark Red undergoes a transformation, get better at what you do. You need to defend the people against biotics, and organize the people for civil order. Specifically because I expect my Reaper¡¯s to be well cared for.¡± ¡°Reaper? Isn¡¯t that a little¡­ ambitious, for a young man?¡± A military man spoke up, and I could see a note of agreement across the room. ¡°Moreover, what makes you think that you¡¯re any better at fighting than a soldier? You seem to have the idea in your head that you¡¯ve got all these toys and that makes you my equal when you haven¡¯t seen a day of training in a boot camp.¡± I glared at the man at that. ¡°Hmm? I hoped that I wouldn¡¯t have to show any of you this, it¡¯d let you sleep better at night. But since you seem to think that a soldier magically has more say in killing biotics than the guy who has been killing biotics, let me show you what you¡¯ll be dealing with. In my place of course.¡± At that, I directed Smith to send the footage of Wolven to everyone in the room. Video was a funny thing in thanks to the obelisks. They would be seeing it as though through my own eyes. And what they saw was the abomination, the rolling, snarling, agonized mass of wolves. They watched Daniel outpace it, barely, moving fast, and Fran¡¯s timely intervention as she pulled him up and out of reach and set him on the rocky shelf. Bright flashes of the mines, and a few people at this point were panicking. I intentionally showed Alice desperately hammering shot after shot into the thing, dread clear on her face. The explosion, and then its hesitation as it looked at me. In hindsight, I showed control, a monster dancing in the palm of my hands as I pointed at the creature, mines exploding beneath it. We shredded into it. I cut the video before I launched grenades into it, but just long enough for everyone to see the figure that was in the center of the mass, gaunt and hollow looking. When I looked back up to the room, I could see many unsettled people. Those who had even the slightest fear of biotics had recoiled, and wretched. Some had even devolved to weeping. The man who had claimed to have more experience than me was still shellshocked. ¡°That was inappropriate, Mr. Todd.¡± Alan Dietriet managed to break from the imagery first. ¡°No. Challenging my field of expertise was inappropriate.¡± I didn¡¯t yield on that point, ¡°The only thing I did was show you what is out there. Deal with it. It¡¯s real.¡± ¡°Now, if we¡¯re done checking the sizes of our egos,¡± I prompted, ¡°Let¡¯s talk conditions.¡± Charlie Song had his eyes closed for a moment, a look of contemplation on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± No one else spoke up, so I nodded, ¡°First, as you can see, killing those things takes some resources. However, we¡¯re in luck. We¡¯ve only had to deal with a nightmare like that once. The were two that we found were much more manageable. The system refers to them as unique biotics, and each one requires a certain finesse to deal with. If we let them attack the city, it¡¯d likely be on their terms. Casualties would be all but guaranteed.¡± ¡°You make them sound¡­ sentient?¡± Charlie frowned. ¡°They are, to some extent. They are the reason why the wolves have any intelligent movements at all, otherwise they¡¯re dumber than most animals.¡± I nodded, ¡°My organization, ¡®The Reaper¡¯s Legion¡¯ will move to check these threats and eliminate them before they have the opportunity to become a problem. Already we¡¯ve culled three such threats, and I have information on more. We would then supply a sum of matter energy to Bulwark Red for continuing operations in return for rights to goods produced by the city and credits.¡± ¡°That sounds¡­ good so far.¡± Charlie Song blinked in surprise, ¡°I expected a¡­ harsher arrangement.¡± I shrugged, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re responsible for protecting the city, and on paper the Reaper Legion won¡¯t help at all with that front. So the walls need to be better to start, but I¡¯ll leave your business to you¡­ unless it looks like you¡¯re wasting our hard earned resources.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s acceptable so far.¡± He nodded, though some on the council didn¡¯t like the idea of someone looking over their shoulder. ¡°Moreover, that also leans into my next requirement.¡± I looked at the representatives of the civil sectors, financial divisions, and the people themselves, ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend that all of you are somehow innocent lambs. But, what I need from everyone else is to not sit around doing nothing. What¡¯s required more than anything else right now is a backbone, a stable foundation so that all of us can start to rebuild.¡± I shook my head immediately afterwards, ¡°I have to leave that entirely to you guys and the Bulwark. Not my expertise.¡± ¡°Ah, and in terms of specifics,¡± I gestured over my shoulder, forcing Doug into the limelight, ¡°Check with him. He¡¯ll be responsible for sorting finances between the Legion and the Bulwark.¡± Doug stiffened but managed to remain cool in spite of me putting him straight into the spotlight. I turned and looked at him, chuckling as I wondered if he was expecting that. ¡°I have no objection to this, for now.¡± Charlie Song stated, ¡°But we¡¯ll need to hammer out specifics as they come.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that I¡¯m familiar with working with all of you, then.¡± Doug Vanderhew smiled. ¡°I have no objection.¡± Another man. ¡°Nor I,¡± A lady spoke up. One by one, even those begrudging holdouts decided to go with the process. They didn¡¯t have any reason not too, yet. We would be responsible for taking care of their problems and solving the issue with the supply chain having no input. It was a double positive. I planned on making them work for every sweet point of M.E. And, of course, The Reaper¡¯s Legion would be given a sum of credits equivalent to our Legion¡¯s contribution. Given that there were no points coming in at all otherwise, I suspected that we would have quite the sum before long. After all of that, I felt drained, and made my way straight back to the office. An hour or so had passed, but it felt like twelve. As soon as I hit the bed, my armor shaped itself to be as comfortable as possible. I was asleep, without nightmares, as soon as I hit the cot. Chapter 14 Organization I awoke a few hours later, the sun outside overhead now. Blinking with bleary eyes, I wondered briefly if I might have imagined my announcement of creating The Reaper¡¯s Legion. After a few more seconds I came to my senses fully and recognized that I¡¯d done that, I¡¯d just put myself squarely in the middle of the biggest problem that I¡¯d been complaining about for so long. The Reaper¡¯s Legion would be leading the effort in exterminating biotics. An excited - or suddenly anxious, I wasn¡¯t sure - chill ran up my spine at that. We were closer than ever before, we had been officially recognized even if it was under some less than spectacular circumstances. Time would tell how we were received by the people in general, and we¡¯d have a lot of work ahead of us in the meantime. I checked out my ¡®Organization¡¯ page, and saw that about 100 M.E. was already sitting in the Legion vault. That surprised me, I¡¯d only sent those guys out a while ago, and the setup was supposed to take 20% of what was hunted by its members. Bonuses would be included, along with them being able to purchase reaper-modified gear. Granted, they couldn¡¯t go above the modified gear since they didn¡¯t actually have the same class as I did. In other words, the six guys I gave reaper modified assault rifles too got them for free. I shrugged that off, they¡¯d be a good opening investment. Half of the earnings that they contributed to the vault would be converted to credits after handing them off through the Bulwark. After that, the other half would be used at my discretion, primarily to help get our building up and running. Muffled voices and activity outside of the office persistently distracted me throughout the process, though. I was curious about all of perks that came with the organization system, but eventually I decided to see what was going on outside. As I opened the door, I marveled at the sight before me. The entire space looked like it was being remade. Spools of mercury seemed to be weaving between people as they worked with what looked like several points of matter energy at a time. ¡°Hey, hey, guys, that¡¯s a waste, right?¡± I sputtered out, gesturing out to the nearest of them. They looked panicked for a moment, ¡°W-what? Are we doing it wrong? I could have sworn I wasn¡¯t.¡± A slow, dense moment passed by me as I struggled with my next words. What are you talking about, using M.E. like that is bad, right? And the next one, Oh, well the system itself runs the M.E. so it¡¯s actually doing it efficiently I think. The actual words that came out of my mouth were, ¡°What and why are you guys doing this?¡± As I said that, I watched as an assortment of bunks started to come into existence. Against the far wall I noticed that there were several weapon lockers. On the windows, I noticed that the glass itself was replaced already. ¡°Oh, uh, Doug said this place needed to be set up better for being a headquarters. He said that you¡¯d invite us to the Legion if we did.¡± They spoke almost hopeful. It was then that I realized neither of these two were scouts. I didn¡¯t recognize them. ¡°Were you guys hunters?¡± I walked up, arms crossed, scrutinizing them. I¡¯d find Doug in a moment, I didn¡¯t want just anyone to join the Legion if they weren¡¯t serious about it. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been rolling together since the day before yesterday.¡± They spoke, and before I could respond they kept rolling through, ¡°We¡¯re really good shots, and we¡¯ve gotten twenty five confirmed wolf kills.¡± Okay, that was pretty good for an average joe. My helmets light shifted, studying them even closer. ¡°That¡¯s decent, I¡¯m guessing you guys had rifles?¡± ¡°Yeah, uh, we didn¡¯t use any M.E. except for ammo and this, so we have more if you need.¡± They stopped focusing on the bunk that was forming, nearly coming to attention before me. I frowned at that, I didn¡¯t like being an authority figure, but I¡¯d better get a little more used to it, I supposed. I waved my hand, ¡°Why do you want to join my Legion?¡± That was the question they were waiting for. Any interview ever always had that question. Why do you want to join me? Or better yet, why should I let you join me? The taller man spoke up, ¡°Because we want to hunt biotics.¡± ¡°You can do that already. What is it you¡¯re looking for from my Legion?¡± I pressed, the smokey visage that was generated within my helmet writhed, and they were mesmerized by that for a short moment. The stockier man swallowed hard, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s going farther out, you¡¯re organizing teams to kill biotics. We¡¯re looking for that organization, we want to do more than get at a few wolves.¡± ¡°And we heard that you have access to some really brutal weapons that could help out.¡± The other man put forth his honesty, a risky move considering that could be taken as just wanting to get a reaper modified weapon and leave. I looked in his eye, and his friend almost cringed, dreading what might greet them off of that. After thinking, I nodded, ¡°Good, both good points. But before you join, I have something I¡¯ll need to tell you. Firstly, I need to see Doug, where¡¯d he go?¡± They visibly relaxed, the stockier fellow pointed over to a corner office, ¡°He¡¯s in there, said something about putting together a report for you or something.¡± He moved in fast. I chuckled, ¡°Thanks. Also, what¡¯re your names?¡± The tall guy said, ¡°Louis Athello.¡± ¡°Benjamin Dent,¡± the other nodded. They shook my outstretched hand without balking at the steel sensation in my left limb. These two might have potential. I left them to it as I moved to the office, knocking once and then opening the door. There he sat, looking through general information on papers that he¡¯d written himself. He looked perplexed as he did so, and only noticed me when I closed the door a little harder than necessary. ¡°O-oh! Mr. Todd, it¡¯s good to see you!¡± He smiled widely, ¡°I was intending on waiting until you were up and about, but I didn¡¯t know if there was something going on with your body.¡± It was true that when he¡¯d come to talk to me before my arm was in the middle of being remade. ¡°What¡¯s going on out there?¡± He wasn¡¯t at all ruffled my by straightforward question, I daresay he was getting used to me too quickly. ¡°They¡¯re setting up The Reaper¡¯s Legion headquarters. I didn¡¯t like the fact that some of the Bulwark were looking down on us for living in an old office building.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why?...¡± I sighed heavily. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not all,¡± he laughed at my dejectedness, ¡°We¡¯re also going to need to have a functioning headquarters due to the increase in buzz about the Legion. A lot of people are asking to join up with us, I¡¯ve got some of them proving they really want the job by contributing a portion of their matter energy for general projects.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re telling them I¡¯ll just accept them into the Legion, right?¡± My tone was heavier, that was on purpose. I needed him to know some boundaries. ¡°I¡­ err¡­¡± He stumbled now, putting a hand to his chin, ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah I did that.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Well, in any case, I suppose I¡¯m partly to blame for not setting some ground rules.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fair enough.¡± He nodded, putting the paperwork aside and folding his hands in front of him, giving me his full attention. ¡°First off, I want any and all information pertaining the Legion to be sent through obelisk communication to me. I don¡¯t want to learn second hand what¡¯s going on with my own organization again. Next, I¡¯m formalizing your position, you¡¯ll be the Financial and External Contact Administrator for The Reaper¡¯s Legion. This is a bigger position than I¡¯d like it to be, and I intend on eventually breaking it into two.¡± I explained this, though at the same time I was going over ideas with Smith. We broke down some merits and demerits in real time, and we decided that this was a little too much power on one spot, but ultimately it wouldn¡¯t damage my standing as the leader due to the special nature of organizations. Doug nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be sure to send information to you. Would you like the info cleared first? Or should I have some leeway to make decisions on some subjects?¡± He was definitely a professional, and he was careful not to inject too much of his own thoughts. Considering I was much younger than him, I was surprised. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, I don¡¯t intend on getting involved on the external politics unless we have an emergency situation. However, if it includes promises from our organization, that¡¯s when it¡¯ll include me. If it¡¯s about how much M.E. will be provided at any given point in time, I¡¯ll leave that to your discretion. Currently, I¡¯m taking twenty percent of everyone¡¯s kills as the Legion Tax. Half of that will belong to your jurisdiction. If you decide only half of that at any given point in time will go to the Bulwark, that will be on you to decide. I¡¯m trusting you not to line your own pockets with this, and when we have a seperate Financial Administrator, that job will be shared.¡± At that point, I grinned, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you that you¡¯ll have quite a great deal of power with negotiating with the Bulwark with that kind of power.¡± His eyes lit up, and a grin spread across his face, ¡°Hmm? Yes, I was wondering how I might pressure them, that will do nicely. I¡¯ll be sure not to betray your trust in me, I¡¯m grateful for that, Mr. Todd.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Please, no more of that ¡®Mr. Todd¡¯ stuff, I¡¯d rather ¡®Boss¡¯ even over that.¡± I cringed hearing it again. ¡°Sure, Boss. Ah, about the prospective recruits?¡± He asked, worried about a possible backlash clearly. If I rejected them all, then public trust in us would crumble instantly. It was tricky, ¡°I¡¯ll give them the opportunity to join, but there are going to be some additional requirements. I¡¯m worried that someone may try to be with us for the prestige and end up being a leech. Luckily, I have a plan for that. I¡¯ll hold a conference after this to tell them what to expect going forward.¡± ¡°Oh, good opportunity to use the open forum downstairs, then.¡± He nodded. ¡°...What even do we have now?¡± I shook my head. ¡°New weapons lockers on the second floor that are secured, hardened structural supports, beds, a new laundry and washing facility, a basement floor for training, we¡¯re considering the logistics behind another floor¡­ but that¡¯s a little much right now. Ah, the first floor was converted to a meeting hall and for receiving Legionaries and guests. We even have a electronic board for posting sightings of biotics that link up with the rest of the Legions maps to track them in real time.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ That¡¯s amazing work,¡± I was beside myself with surprise, ¡°Excellent, we¡¯ll be able to move on with my next phase very quickly then.¡± He quirked a brow questioningly, ¡°What would that be?¡± ¡°First, let me talk to our new recruits. Ah, also, have you seen Daniel, Fran, or Alice?¡± ¡°Not yet, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been around.¡± He laughed, ¡°That¡¯s going to be interesting.¡± I nodded, ¡°Yeah, hopefully not too interesting though. In any case, on that board, I want you to add a ranking list. Competition is healthy in moderation, so I¡¯ll have it tracked based on M.E. gathered from today onwards so the baseline is fair.¡± ¡°Oh, do you think you can put yourself that far ahead?¡± He chuckled jokingly. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got a little bit of an edge over the competition.¡± A glimmer of red crackled over the surface of the helmet. ¡°Now, get everyone together on the first floor and be ready for my presentation. Tell them that The Reaper has something to say, that should set the tone.¡± He nodded, and clapped my shoulder as he went, feeling pretty spry on his feet. Err¡­ foot. Whatever. I sent Daniel, Fran, and Alice invitations to The Reaper¡¯s Legion, realizing that I might be mercilessly teased for the naming scheme. Yet, it just felt¡­ right. After waiting a few minutes, I left the office, finding it completely empty of anyone. The weapon racks were empty. I immediately emptied the stock of M.E. that I¡¯d had as well as the small amount available in the vault. It only filled a few of them, but it¡¯d give us around two dozen to start, as well as a few cases of ammo. I planned on loaning these out to those who couldn¡¯t bring their own weapons. Only two per group would be allowed, I wanted as many collectors working at the same time as possible. I went downstairs, realizing that the elevator itself was completely different, retrofitted to be able to allow Daniel¡¯s mech to move through it without an issue along with six people around him. When I realized that people expected to have mechs later as well, I noted that an additional floor would definitely be necessary. Bigger mechs would be stationed in a garage later, this wasn¡¯t going to work if Daniel¡¯s mech got any larger. As I stepped through, the overarching thematic was largely black, almost like metal had tried to mimic the shine of polished obsidian. Red interspersed the material, and buttons, like for the elevator, gleamed red. It almost made the place feel like an evil hideout. Balance was achieved with tamer colors, mostly in grey and white, which struck a sharp contrast to the rest of the architecture. It was still coming together, and I looked forward to what kind of immaculate construction we would have at the end of the renovating. On the first floor, space had been opened up dramatically. Food areas were to my right in the main lobby, recreational areas and the like centered there, the Legionaries would socialize there with their teams, and guests were allowed to be alongside them, though they would have to purchase their food. The chef¡¯s looked familiar, and I realized that Doug must have poached them off of the street. Damn, the man was fast. To my left, though, was were the real magic happened. A huge red screen showed droves of information, it spanned the wall, and beneath it I could see a platform that was made of metal. Huge scrolls of digitized information sat on the screens, like a map of Gilramore and the outside. Vague colorations detailed where biotics had been, growing dimmer the further back it went, and brighter to indicate a recent report. Some of it bore a listing of the teams, starting with the team leader and then scrolling to the right to detail each of the team members that commonly teamed up. Only those who teamed up for longer periods of time could make that listing. At the moment, the list was empty, but after today was done, that would change. In front of that, though, sat a crowd of people who busily chatted amongst themselves. There were a few benches, but the bulk of them were expected to stand. Mostly because nearly three hundred people stood in the space. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the office building had been cleared out on the first floor, they wouldn¡¯t have had the space. I walked on the side, and as I did I nearly felt an energy roll through the crowd. They were inspecting me, curious about the so-called boss of The Reaper¡¯s Legion. I carried myself, head up high. [Chin down a bit, let me control the suit a little more along the shoulders.] Smith whispered, eager and energetic, [Ah, to be young again, such things are the spice of life!] I let him have some control, but thought back to him, ¡®I thought we¡¯ve been over this. We¡¯re the same age! And why do you even enjoy this? I hate crowds.¡¯ [Oh? Then why are you smiling?] He chuckled. To my shock, I was smiling. The sensation didn¡¯t diminish as I strode forward, I felt little things tug at me, correcting my posture. After a few moments, Smith didn¡¯t need to correct anything, it became a little more natural by the step. When I finally hit the metal panels, they began to rise. I realized they were segmented, several of them that could be programmed to rise at different intervals, different heights. Smith was attuned to them, and as we stepped up, the previous one would stop rising, growing still in our wake. That was a nice touch. Doug stood on one such platform near the middle. He was a little surprised at the movement being so crisp, and it looked like he might have been struggling with finding a way to make it work. ¡°Great timing,¡± he whispered to me as I passed. He called out then, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! I thank you for waiting, and your wait is over. I introduce the leader of The Reaper¡¯s Legion.¡± He gestured to me just as his platform stopped rising. Mine rose a few inches above his, and I crossed my hands behind my back, standing. Smith would say that I looked quite imperial. ¡°I am The Reaper. You may call me that, Boss, or Matthew.¡± At that, I noticed that the screen behind me now showed every detail of my faceplate, the designs of energy like a red lines that distorted, sometimes coming together in a jagged sphere like an eye. It was pretty cool to see, as well as the snaking trails of smoke that was simulated in the helmet, just teasing the appearance of a skull beneath it. ¡°For those of you that do not know me I¡¯ll give you a brief recap. I was a scout before the obelisk came to rest in our city. Biotics are something I¡¯m keenly familiar with, and I¡¯ve been told that I have an unhealthy obsession with the concept of them all dying.¡± At this, I swept my hands out, it felt much more natural. I¡¯m sure Smith was trying to keep my anxiety down, but a little more of his personality leaked through as I squeezed my biosteel fist tightly. ¡°Like many others, I¡¯ve lost family and friends to the biotic scourge that plagues our world. I am not special in that regard, in fact, I am not special in any regard.¡± I paused at that, ¡°Surely, you may disagree upon seeing me.¡± I heard a few chuckles in the crowd. ¡°What set me apart was the desire to kill biotics. That is all. That has carried me to what you see before you. I have learned from my mistakes, I have learned that having no plan is the same as having a bad plan. Through my blood and flesh, I have earned the right to kill biotics and to stand before you here and now.¡± ¡°That is who I am, I am a hunter of biotics. A Reaper, one who kills biotics. And we have two rules above all others. The first is to kill or die,¡± I spoke these words, seeing the squirming among the crowd, ¡°The second is to survive, at all costs.¡± That somehow placated them. ¡°If you are here to look in on my organization, I welcome you to keep watch of us. If you are here to join me, know that I have some expectations of you. You have contributed matter energy to our cause already, I am prepared to give that back if you decide you no longer wish to join after all of this. But everyone, know this, the Legion is not a free ride. We will fight tooth and nail to hunt biotics and we will do it again and again. If you want to keep people safe¡­¡± I glared at the people below me, ¡°This isn¡¯t the place for you.¡± A ripple of confusion went through them all, I continued, ¡°It¡¯s a good thought, you might be thinking, to wish to protect people from biotics. But we are hunting them, can your steel hold up far from the city? Can you protect someone miles away from a biotic that might not come anywhere near Gilramore? Will you be able to keep killing, even when you think ¡®Surely I¡¯ve done enough?¡¯¡± ¡°If you can answer ¡®yes¡¯ to that honestly, then I will welcome you with open arms, for you¡¯re probably like me. If you can¡¯t, though, you should join the Bulwark. They are the last line of defense, they could use someone who desires to protect others much more than I. And why? Because we are looking to murder every last biotic we find. We will murder them from afar, from up close, we¡¯ll shatter them, bone by bone, we¡¯ll ravage every shred of them from the land until their racial memory includes the terror of The Reaper¡¯s coming.¡± A felt a tremor through the crowd. Maybe some thought I was crazy, or maybe they were just as crazy. Doug did say he¡¯d tried to weed out some of them. ¡°Any of you can join. I don¡¯t care if you have to use sticks and stones to win, I don¡¯t care if you have no experience killing biotics if you have the drive to learn. Your goal is to kill or die, and survive at any cost. I will provide you with the framework, I will give you your cowl and scythe. You will have the support of your fellow reapers, including myself. There are only three rules. Never leave a reaper to die if you can save them. Always strengthen yourself and the Legion. And join the ¡®Bounty Hunt¡¯ system.¡± At that I paused, looking around, ¡°If you wish to leave, now is the time. I will not begrudge you that choice. Are there any questions?¡± A rush of conversation ran through the crowd. In the end, though, I watched only about twenty people leave. That was much lower than I¡¯d expected. ¡°What¡¯s the Bounty Hunt system?¡± Someone called out, and I think I recognized the man as Benjamin from earlier. ¡°The Bounty Hunt system is something provided by Sis, the A.I. that is responsible for the obelisks. It will send you to problem areas for biotics where you can hunt them. However, if you find something unusual, I don¡¯t expect you to take it on yourself. Coordinate with other teams, especially my own in the cases of more abominable biotics. There are drawbacks, if you do not complete a Bounty within the time limit, you will be penalized a certain amount. But, the payouts for the matter energy are more than fair.¡± I gestured to myself at that. I waited a while longer, more noise from the crowd. More people left as they realized they truly wouldn¡¯t be able to do a bare minimum easily. Some left for other reasons, of course, perhaps they wondered if they were actually good enough. ¡°How will teams be put together?¡± Louis shouted out above the din. The crowd flinched when my voice was altogether louder than theirs. ¡°They will be assorted for balance between members as much as possible. Teamwork is the largest factor, and if you can¡¯t work as a team, you¡¯ll be moved to another team until you find one that you can work with. If you make it hard for me, I¡¯ll make it hard for you,¡± I grinned hoping to shake the branch a little more. It worked. Several more questions later, we were left with a little over 150 people. These questions gradually became less about the Legion, and more about biotics. Where to hunt them, what to look for. At the end of it, the only people left were the ones who really wanted to be a part of the Legion. ¡°Excellent, then I¡¯d like to cordially welcome you to my Legion.¡± I nodded to them, sending each and every one of them an invitation. ¡°If you accept, I¡¯ll allow you to assign yourselves to teams in the meantime. If you don¡¯t have a team by tomorrow, I¡¯ll take those that are left and begin assorting you. However¡­ I somehow think you¡¯ll all be quite fine with finding like-minded fellows. We are all Reapers, after all¡­¡± Chapter 15 Integration I watched them as they walked through the open doors, much larger even than they had been. Matter energy used in conjunction with the obelisk for construction had a wide array of uses, not the least of which was converting existing buildings and materials into other materials. It took time, though, and it couldn¡¯t be used on organic substances because they moved around too much. That was a good thing, considering there had already been a few people who decided to stick their hands in glowing silver energy. It occured to me that the overall change to the building might be a bit too shocking for them. Daniel, Fran, and Alice all moved into the building. Each had different flavors of the same expression on their faces. Bewilderment was probably the best way to explain it. ¡°Guys,¡± I called out to them, holding a hand up to let them more easily identify me. By now I was on the ground, near the elevator as people still sorted themselves in front of the screens. They walked up to me, and before I could explain anything, Daniel spoke, ¡°What the hell happened?¡± ¡°And who are all of these people?¡± Fran added. Alice followed up, ¡°There¡¯s a cafeteria?¡± I shook off my hesitation, ¡°A lot. Apparently someone started calling me ¡®Boss¡¯ around here and it stuck.¡± Daniel shuffled, ¡°Err¡­ I was joking with them, but I guess that they took it seriously?¡± ¡°I told you to be careful,¡± Fran uttered, ¡°But how did¡­ this happen?¡± She gestured at length to the building. ¡°There were problems with people starting to give the Bulwark a lot of flak, not that they didn¡¯t deserve a little kick. But, I figured that the situation was going to blow up in our faces before long, at worst we¡¯d have a complete civil breakdown and everyone would be at each other''s throats. Like with what Daniel pointed out yesterday.¡± ¡°Err¡­ what?¡± He blinked, and then flinched, ¡°Oh. The part where I told you that soldiers shouldn¡¯t be forced to go fighting stuff they didn¡¯t sign up for, along those lines?¡± ¡°Yes, in a milder form.¡± I nodded. Fran pinched the bridge of her nose, ¡°I think I know where this is going.¡± I pretended she wasn¡¯t doing that, ¡°So I went in front of the Bulwark and the people¡¯s representatives and presented a third option. Bulwark would focus on providing defense and helping to structure the citizens, those people would then go on and continue producing goods and performing services. In order to sustain these two groups, The Reaper¡¯s Legion will provide a quantity of M.E. to the Bulwark to continue sustaining everyone. Of course we¡¯ll be getting paid for our services, but I also intend on watching them closely to ensure they aren¡¯t wasting our resources.¡± ¡°How did you get them to even agree to that?¡± Fran asked with exasperation, ¡°They might not realize it now, but that¡¯s giving us a lot of power, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I showed them the alternative.¡± I grinned. Alice clicked her tongue, ¡°You showed them Wolven, didn¡¯t you?¡± I was surprised that she got it that fast, ¡°Yup, I didn¡¯t want too, but some military guy insisted he could do my job better.¡± She hesitated for a moment, ¡°W-wouldn¡¯t that hurt our chances of getting more people? I mean¡­¡± ¡°I thought of that, but so far that monster is an outlier, I haven¡¯t seen any designation coming close to that on the obelisk systems radar, and I¡¯m looking closely. Not that we¡¯ll know any kind of exact location, but it shouldn¡¯t be able to hide from Sis for that long anymore, even if it does come from outside of the range at first.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just drop a whole lot of responsibility at our feet?¡± Daniel tried to smear his face, but couldn¡¯t even touch his head with his mech hand. That was probably for the best. ¡°Yes and no,¡± I shrugged, ¡°This¡¯ll be business as usual for us if you think about it. But now we¡¯ll have a self-growing organization behind us.¡± We moved the conversation after a few more minutes of back and forth upstairs. There they saw places to set their exo-suits when they weren¡¯t using them, and we sat in my office to speak. It wasn¡¯t repurposed yet, but that was partly due to the fact that it wasn¡¯t just my room. Most of what I talked about was to convince them not to get too angry with my decision. In the end, we came down to what I¡¯d said to the possible new recruits, and they were again aghast at how awful I was at attracting talent. Then I told them that around half had stayed anyways, and they assumed we had a large number of psychopaths with us. I couldn¡¯t necessarily say they were wrong, but I hoped they wouldn¡¯t be quite like that. [The Reaper¡¯s Legion¡¯s Codex is complete.] I heard Smith pipe into our conversation, [I released more general information about biotics in it, as well as tactics that should be used when facing larger numbers or bigger known variants. I¡¯ve also included our policy on unique biotics.] ¡°Which is?¡± Fran asked, looking at me while she talked on reflex. [Strictly scout only until we can gather more information and assemble multiple kill-team¡¯s to exterminate the target. It would do us no good if we lost multiple teams against a Unique like Wolven.] We shuddered at the thought. ¡°Anyways, I wanted to go hunting for a day or so, there¡¯s a ranking system for the Legion to give some way to measure everyone''s efforts. I¡¯m toying with the idea of adding rewards for being higher level on the leaderboard. I¡¯d like there to be rewards for the top five places, considering our team¡¯s going to take the top.¡± I beamed with confidence at that. No one said anything on that count, ¡°I think that¡¯ll be a good idea, so long as we don¡¯t make the rewards too nice. We don¡¯t want people taking unnecessary risks.¡± ¡°Good idea, probably a smaller amount of M.E., or I¡¯ll give them a higher tier reaper weapon.¡± I nodded. ¡°Anyways, you guys ready to go?¡± ¡°After food. I¡¯m starving.¡± Daniel patted his stomach, something that the other three agreed too immediately. It struck me that I¡¯d been so busy that I didn¡¯t notice I was hungry. The cafeteria was surprisingly well designed and outfitted. In the end, I didn¡¯t have the slightest complaint about the food either. I¡¯d gotten a chef salad with some beer battered fish, lemonade was my drink. Daniel had a steak, medium-rare, and a pile of mashed potatoes with gravy, a soda of some kind on the side. Fran had a pile of fettuccine with alfredo and pesto in the sauce, a fruit medley on the side, and a rich red wine, though only a small amount of it. Alice was busily devouring a slice of baked apple pie, a large and thick slice of pizza, and what looked like four different drinks mixed into one--one of the mixed amounts being energy drinks. ¡°Alice, you¡¯re meal is very¡­ interesting.¡± I chuckled, my armor coming off around my head and hands. More than a few people were looking to us in the corner of their eyes, and it was a little unsettling. Luckily, we were in a side booth that could obscure some of them, but the fact remained that I could feel their eyes on me. The others were just as uncomfortable. ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. It¡¯s just been so long.¡± ¡°Where did the M.E. come from for this?¡± Fran asked, trying to distract herself from the onlookers. ¡°From the Legion vault, there are some people hunting already, and since it doesn¡¯t take much to actually feed people¡­¡± I paused, seeing Daniel get up from the table. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I just got an idea,¡± he was grinning from ear to ear. We watched him go to the cafeteria and get a large mug of beer, a rich froth at the top. ¡°Hey, Legion! It¡¯s a little stuffy in here, so how about a toast! Eh?¡± He shouted out, catching people''s attention. The man was positively brimming with charisma, and it almost seemed like his time in the exo-suit had only made him more imposing. ¡°To the Legion, and to good hunts in the future!¡± At this point, the others had caught up, and they rose whatever glasses they had on hand, laughing. Daniel shouted out, ¡°Cheers!¡± And tipped the mug back to his lips. He drained the whole thing in one go, a few avid drinkers in the crowd cheering him on. It was infectious, and before long, the atmosphere went from that of silent and awkward reverence of us, to a much more comfortable, homely tone. When he sat back down, I could only shake my head helplessly, a smile plastered on my face. ¡°As usual, you¡¯re much better with people.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a special touch,¡± He grinned, and looked to Fran with a wink. She blushed, and elbowed him fiercely. Alice looked to all of the people, a small smile on her face that looked perfectly in place. The thought caught me by surprise, but I enjoyed it all the same. She was in a good frame of mind, our victory, even if it was a draw, with Wolven had meant a world of difference. ¡°Let¡¯s dig in,¡± she turned back to her meal, biting into the still warm apple pie first, practically gushing over the flavor. ¡°Starting with dessert? Alright, I dig it,¡± Daniel nodded, cutting into his steak, eager to get some food in his stomach. The beer would do almost nothing to him, it wasn¡¯t anywhere enough to get him drunk, maybe a little buzz though. We ate out lunch in peace from then on, and as we left we made some small talk with a few of the members of the Legion. I figured it would be good for them to know that we were going hunting. It took us less time to get out of the city. After walking off our lunch a bit, we started running after hitting the wall. Daniel, Fran, and Alice were all much quicker than I was at their full speeds, especially Alice after some modifications to her leg gear. Now her attachments beneath her feet would spring back with more force, sending her over greater distances. It was like spring-loaded stilts, though they were only a foot and a half in length. Still, I was running much quicker than a human should have been able too, at a sprint at that. I did this for ten minutes without breaking a sweat. Alice was doing quite well, too, since her exoskeletal suit relieved a lot of the effort that would usually involve moving so fast and for so long. Fran and Daniel, of course, were completely unphased. ¡°Yep, we need a vehicle, asap.¡± I shook my head, to which Alice could only resignedly nod. She could outpace anyone, even Fran, but she couldn¡¯t do it for long. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Daniel shrugged, ¡°But, it would be nice if we could get something that could go over all of the buildings.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be on the list, I guess.¡± I shrugged, ¡°Anyways, Doug¡¯ll keep things in order while we¡¯re out. So, to the west is one of the packs that hit the walls. I want to clear them out.¡± ¡°Is there a bounty listed?¡± Fran asked. I nodded, and then sent them the listing. We opened it and looked at it together, seeing that it was eight miles to the west of us, roughly. [Kill 0/700 Wolves] [Destroy 0/1 Hive Core] [Rewards will be based on completion and bonus objectives completed during Bounty Hunt!] ¡°That¡¯s it, probably it won¡¯t be too terribly hard. But we already know how jacked up this can go.¡± I nodded to them. ¡°I think there¡¯s a group already out here from us, I sent them invites to the Legion, but we¡¯ll try to leave them to it. I¡¯d rather they didn¡¯t get too comfortable with the idea that help wouldn¡¯t be far away if they needed it.¡± They nodded, getting into a situation where you needed help would more often than not mean that you¡¯d be dead before anyone could get to you. Better to not lull yourself into a false sense of security. We ran, the dark clouds overhead letting brilliant beams of light through in places. Some of the forested mountains in the distance were spectacularly lit. Eventually the skies would clear up, some of the larger chunks of the meteorites had ejected massive amounts of superheated debris and dust into the atmosphere. It¡¯d been settling for months now. Before, I thought it painted the forests I loved in a terrible light, making them seem cold and remorseless. Now though, I could see the end of the tunnel, things might just be getting better. After running for about thirty minutes we slowed, nearly at the location. A few times as we moved, we snapped shots at some wolves we passed. They were lingering, smaller packs, and they didn¡¯t have the frame of mind not to run into us. It wasn¡¯t a problem at all, and after the first few times, we didn¡¯t need to slow at all. Finally, we came to some high ground. We were careful about our area, spread out just enough to have the best handle on the area we were in. Fran carried me up over the treeline where my reaper eye could be best put to use. It was a fairly lush forest, but hardly half a mile to the north west, I could see a large, twisting tree, like a dozen oak¡¯s that banded together. ¡°Well, I think we know where we¡¯re going.¡± I commented dryly, to which Fran nodded, ¡°Give me a second, I¡¯m going to see if I can get anything else.¡± At that I concentrated more, letting my reaper eye and helmet synchronize. My vision pin-holed to a single area, brought up in crystal clarity as the image expanded. I could see many wolves, granted they were colored grey instead of black, but that was all, surprisingly nothing else had begun to pop up at this hive. The trees for three hundred feet around it had all been strangled out by the hive augmented tree. ¡°Hmm¡­ I only see wolves.¡± I frowned as Fran settled us back down onto the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t like that.¡± Alice mirrored my expression as my helmet came off. ¡°Neither do I¡­ let¡¯s take it slow. We¡¯ll see what kind of trick they¡¯ve got up their sleeves.¡± We moved closer, slower than we were going before. Stealth wasn¡¯t our strong suit, but for the most part we did actually approach without notifying the forest we were there. Daniel was the main issue on that count, his stomping steps, while quieter than expected, were still heavy and jarring. Anything that could snap or be crushed under his feet would do so, and do so loudly. Alice was the one who noticed them first. She brought a hand up to stop the rest of us, slowing and crouching. Daniel slid to a stop and hunkered down, his darker shape at least hard to spot if you weren¡¯t actively looking. ¡°What is it?¡± Fran asked Alice. She saw the same things I did a moment later. ¡°Wolves, a lot of them.¡± She pointed them out. They were the same type of wolves I¡¯d seen earlier, grey instead of black. ¡°I think they¡¯re different, right?¡± Daniel asked aloud. ¡°Just coloration¡­ No, nevermind, it¡¯s better to assume it¡¯s more than just coloration.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯d like you to take a test shot at one, Alice. Use enough force that would kill a regular wolf.¡± She nodded, though she moved away from us, retreating expertly into the trees. I could track her, but only because I knew where she¡¯d started from. Her legs gave her great jumping capabilities, and I found myself surprised at her mid-air shifts in direction and position. Either she was quite the gymnast before all of this had started, or she¡¯d gotten a lot of practice. A minute later, I heard the wolves howling, and they moved away from us, more to our left and forward. We held our breath as we waited for her to return. She did only thirty seconds later. ¡°Definitely stronger. I¡¯d say roughly double? But their senses are still pretty bad. Smarter, though, almost as good as an actual dog!¡± She spoke up cheerily. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ almost a backhanded compliment?¡± Fran¡¯s smile betrayed that she was very amused. ¡°Well, that¡¯s great. If that¡¯s all it is then we can take out this hive pretty easily I think. Still, don¡¯t break formation. We¡¯re not in a good position to come up with a really great plan, the layout of the terrain doesn¡¯t give us any chokepoints. I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I don¡¯t want to get surrounded.¡± ¡°Use me as bait,¡± Daniel clanged his chest, ¡°I¡¯ll clear us some space here and Alice can draw groups to us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fastest in a sprint, so that works.¡± She nodded, ¡°If I need it, I¡¯ll just jump over the tree line until Fran can catch me.¡± Fran put a hand on her hip, her wings flaring, ¡°I think that¡¯ll work out, then. I¡¯ll keep to zone control.¡± ¡°It worked pretty well before,¡± I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll target stragglers and flankers. I¡¯ll position myself in a tree at the edge of our perimeter. Alice, you¡¯ll jump over Daniel and take a position firing around him, you¡¯ll be safest there.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Her giddiness was contagious, we had a solid strategy. ¡°Alright, bring ¡®em in, I¡¯ll have the area cleared by the time you get back.¡± Daniel nodded to Alice, who took off running. Fran followed over the tree line, hovering thirty feet in the air, darting between the trees to keep from losing line of sight on Alice. ¡°I¡¯ll back off, go nuts.¡± I thumped the back of Daniel¡¯s mech. He gave me a thumbs up, ¡°Don¡¯t miss, alright?¡± I set myself in a tree about fifty feet away. Daniel swept through the trees just as he¡¯d said, smashing through them with a combination of cutting power and brute force from his axe. After clearing out the trees, he stacked them behind him, giving Alice an easy firing point when she got there. I appreciated that move, it¡¯d make things a lot easier. As I focused, I let my vision slide out of the normal visual spectrum and brought up infrared, and let it mix with motion acuity. I heard the howling as I trimmed out the movement of trees and the heat given off by the environment. [You¡¯ve learned well,] Smith smiled, happy with my selection. I nodded internally and thanked him for the training. Although, I also added how I never wanted to go to that hell world again. Alice flew out through the trees, a look of anticipation on her face. She cast one assessing sweep over the cleared woods, and then jumped high, clearly over Daniel¡¯s firing line. He grunted, ¡°Welcome to the grinder!¡± His left gauntlet lifted, a pair of rotating barrels coming alive. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Shotgun bursts erupted into the wolves as they cleared the tree line. The trees themselves immediately in front of them shredded from the shrapnel. He didn¡¯t even have to try, the blinks of heat and shower of mangled steel tore a dozen wolves to pieces in an instant. ¡°There¡¯s more! At least a hundred!¡± Alice called out, the microphone picking her up loud and clear. ¡°Good, keep chipping away at them.¡± I called out, firing sparse bursts from my rifle, not bothering to switch it to the sniper form. It was close enough that the accuracy wouldn¡¯t be affected at all. From overhead, Fran kept a swarm of feathers striking four different spots. She didn¡¯t use any railgun-like shots as of yet, instead conserving energy for if it was necessary. Suddenly, I heard the wolves howl louder, calling out from a much greater distance. I spat, ¡°Alice, can you check around? I think they just yanked another group in.¡± ¡°Got it¡­ I¡¯ll try this way first.¡± She streaked off through the forest, jumping over the wolves effortlessly. ¡°Fran, check the other way, if we get pincered, I want to know. We can handle this so far.¡± I relayed. She pipped in, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be quick!¡± Daniel¡¯s load increased briefly, but there was nothing the wolves could do. I quickly repositioned, expecting the possibility that I¡¯d be flanked from behind. Within a dozen more seconds, we¡¯d dispatched the horde, leaving many bodies around. As I reloaded, I asked, ¡°How many more rounds do you have?¡± ¡°I¡¯m loaded for war,¡± he nodded back, the belt fed pack leading to a device on his back, ¡°Thousands of ¡®em.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I turned, hearing the baying of the wolves in the distance. I hopped up on the top of the pile of wood that Daniel made, scanning the forest. A minute later, Fran and Alice were back, confirming my suspicions. ¡°I¡¯ve got another hundred or two coming from my side.¡± Alice sighed. ¡°Same for mine, I think it¡¯s the rest of the horde.¡± Fran checked her feathers for any damage, satisfied only after making sure they could each fit back into her wings. ¡°Hmm¡­ they¡¯ll definitely try to pincer us then. They probably expected this horde to pin us¡­ down¡­¡± I faltered in my thinking, and then amusement played across my face. ¡°Bro?¡± Daniel turned to me, ¡°You¡¯ve got that scary look again.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I came up with a great idea.¡± Fran and Alice looked to me with about equal amounts of concern. I rolled my eyes, ¡°C¡¯mon, if they¡¯re trying to pincer us, we¡¯ll go straight down the middle to the hive. If we try to go out further, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll flank us. Let¡¯s go, quickly, before they catch up.¡± We were running before anyone could exchange any opinions on the plan. No matter what the case was, we weren¡¯t keen on getting hit from all sides. Out of curiosity I looked at the bounty, checking our progress as we went. [Kill Wolves 158/700] ¡°We¡¯ve gotten 158 of the wolves already.¡± I announced with more than a small measure of shock. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot already.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing work!¡± Daniel shouted with happiness, ¡°Kicking their teeth in!¡± Fran laughed as well, leaning down as she floated and fist-bumping Daniel as offered it. ¡°It feels wrong somehow.¡± Alice called out. ¡°They¡¯re just biotics, I don¡¯t mind killing them.¡± I chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re actual wolves or anything.¡± ¡°No, not that,¡± Alice shook her head vigorously, ¡°I feel like this is too easy. That can¡¯t be it. The biotics are supposed to get stronger over time, right? Everything we¡¯ve fought so far that had regular wolves also had a unique with them, or at least bears.¡± ¡°Could it be that we were just unlucky, you think?¡± Fran asked, hopeful. I opened my mouth to speak, a hand coming to my chin habitually as I thought. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t chalk it up to just being unlucky at this rate¡­ Good catch, Alice. Be on your toes, keep your eyes peeled for anything else out here. I don¡¯t want to get caught flat-footed.¡± Our previous joviality wasn¡¯t completely gone, but we didn¡¯t talk more at that point. Daniel was the only one who didn¡¯t enjoy much in the way of a sensory boost or an edge in that department. His suit could only really collect information from line of sight, nothing beyond that. My helmet could filter through many different means to collate information from the environment, not the least of which was infrared. Fran could get a much higher vantage point, while April was a gifted scout in her own right. Even before the obelisks landed, she was probably excellent at finding the wolves. Now, with some hardware to augment those senses, I wasn¡¯t terribly worried about anything sneaking up behind us. None of us needed to strain ourselves to hear the howling behind us. I felt a shiver run down my spine at the sound, it was different on a primal level from anything I¡¯d heard from the abominations I was used to seeing from the wolves. It was pure toned sound, no garbled noise, no fragmented vocal range. The sound echoed through the forest, carried through the trees in an almost ghostly fashion. A part of me felt that it was a beautiful sound, but a dread cut any feel-good sensation I could have derived from it. They kept going with that howl, and as they did, the sense of wrongness only increased. Ten seconds, then twenty, finally thirty seconds later the tones stopped. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Daniel was the first to talk as we stopped in front of the massive tree, two hundred feet around it completely void of any other trees. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t like it one bit.¡± I shook my head, turning to look at the hive. ¡°We might be better off fighting inside of the hive now, there are at least tunnels in there. But, it¡¯s their home turf. Thoughts?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re in trouble,¡± Alice gulped, ¡°Check out the bounty list.¡± I frowned, I¡¯d just checked it, we killed 158 of them. Still, we all looked. ¡°What¡­¡± My gut felt like it was filled with steel. [Kill Wolves 0/700] ¡°That¡­ that can¡¯t be right.¡± I breathed carefully, looking to the others. ¡°You¡¯re sure of the number you saw?¡± Fran asked me, though I could tell by the look on her face that she highly doubted that I¡¯d somehow miscounted. I nodded. This was bad. This was very, very bad. ¡°If we fight out here, we¡¯re screwed.¡± Daniel was the first to speak up. ¡°We need to get deep into the hive until there¡¯s only one or two paths that they can take to get to us. Fran and I will hold the tunnel while you guys go deep.¡± ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± Alice was already moving towards the hive in spite of her question, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we move as a group?¡± ¡°On the off chance that the two of you don¡¯t find the hive quick enough, or if it¡¯s another living thing, then you¡¯ll need all the time you can get. Dealing with a pseudo-hive and a horde of¡­ reviving wolves, if that¡¯s what they are, sounds like a recipe for a disaster. I agree with Daniel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my turn to say I don¡¯t like this plan at all.¡± I grit my teeth, moving ahead with Alice, the two of us nodding to each other with Daniel and Fran on our tails. ¡°But, I don¡¯t see a better choice.¡± As we went I dropped a reaper mine at every intersection we came across. Maybe because the wolves were very fast but couldn¡¯t turn on a dime, there were comparably few intersections. Alice, as we went, pulled out a small disk and threw them out to the ends of adjacent tunnels, and then put a hand to her helmet while nodding. ¡°Here everyone,¡± she said, a sudden blip popping up on our obelisk connection. I looked at it as we jogged, trying to keep tabs on our surroundings as much as we could. ¡°You¡¯re mapping it?¡± Surprise colored my voice. ¡°Echolocation, they help.¡± She said while she threw more, the map expanding even as we left the tools where they were. ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡± I smiled, Alice surprised me again. Her happy-go-lucky attitude was no indication to what she brought to the team. She put two thumbs up and grinned widely, and my assessment for happy-go-lucky only heightened. ¡°Alright, it looks like this next intersection will be where you guys hold them off,¡± I nodded, seeing that there were only two other directions they could go through. I handed two mines to Fran. ¡°Put these down those halls, about four hundred feet. Be sure to have your helmets on and don¡¯t open them, it''s gonna get hot in here.¡± She nodded, knowing exactly how ruthless these things could be. Daniel stopped at the middle of the intersection, rolling his shoulders and checking his weapons. ¡°I can¡¯t believe those things didn¡¯t die though¡­¡± ¡°Probably something to do with the other wolves,¡± I said, hearing Alice concur on the side. ¡°I think we have to get rid of them all to keep that from happening, maybe bury them so that nothing can get at them while they decay?¡± Her theory might be correct, even if it was incredibly frustrating to deal with. ¡°In any case, be careful guys. Avoid using too heavy of ordinance in the tunnel, we have to have some kind of path back to the surface.¡± I waved over my shoulder, Alice and I quickly making our way down. ¡°What, no farewell or good luck?¡± Daniel called back. My helmet let up, ¡°You guys don¡¯t need luck. Just hurry up and take care of them in case we need to be bailed out.¡± Daniel chuckled. I¡¯d already resolved myself to trust fully in my team, if they said they¡¯d do it, they¡¯d do it. We went deeper into the hive, warped wood and roots clustered around in large tunnels almost twelve feet across. I could see uncountable numbers of claw marks against the bark, and it occurred to me that we hadn¡¯t seen a single wolf the entire time we were down here. ¡°Nothing¡¯s here.¡± Alice frowned, walking upright and steadily, confident in her senses. ¡°Why, though¡­¡± We shared an uncomfortable silence. Neither of us had any idea as to why. Running now, we made quick progress into the darkness, lit in my vision by my reaper eye. Alice had her own means, a visor that lit up the darkness with a usually invisible spectrum of light, one that her helmet picked up. Excellent for stealth if your enemy couldn¡¯t see in that particular wavelength. ¡°Right up ahead,¡± she pointed, her hearing picking up something. ¡°I only hear one thing, though. But it sounds¡­ big.¡± ¡°A bear, maybe.¡± Focusing my own hearing, I tried to pick it up. ¡°It¡¯s way too quiet to be a bear.¡± Alice shook her head. She was right, I couldn¡¯t hear whatever it was in the slightest, I didn¡¯t even know how she could tell it was big. When we entered the open hollow, dozens of feet of space overhead and from the middle, I realized what she was hearing. The core sat in the middle of the room, and tendrils of energy coiled out from it, feeding into a larger wolf, something smaller than a bear. It looked up to me with hollow eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a Unique.¡± I frowned, finding its expression to be void of the same kind of intelligent spark that I¡¯d seen in other uniques. Unlike Karaslava, the bear, or Dread, or even Wolven, there was a glassed over look to it. ¡°What is it then?¡± Alice frowned. It hadn¡¯t moved yet, still sizing us up. I shrugged, ¡°Dunno. Maybe just a bigger wolf.¡± It moved then, fast for its size. There was still plenty of space for us to move, though, and Alice immediately tore off to the right, pelting it with several arrows in the span of two seconds. Energy struck it, two of the four arrows she fired biting into it. She whistled, ¡°He¡¯s a tough one, nimble, too.¡± It turned towards her, and she increased her speed, finding that it was slower, but only just. It tried to cut across the uneven terrain, hoping to press her into the wall. ¡°Well, one way to find out what it is,¡± I muttered, bringing up my rifle. At once the three barrles bloomed with heat, superheated plasma slugs hit the wolf in the side, burning through it. It yowled in pain, turning to face me. I only stopped firing to see what its decision would be. Unexpectedly, it ran towards me. I frowned, ¡°Definitely just a regular biotic.¡± It could have potentially caught Alice, but it went after what hurt the most. A basic instinct. If it was like Wolven, it would have gone after the weakest member first. ¡°Hello!¡± Alice shouted, suddenly leaping on top of the wolf. It turned its head just in time for her to spring off of it with her feet, a shockwave shunting it hard into the floor. Expertly, Alice flipped into the air, using her spring-loaded feet to convert the energy into more speed. Bouncing off of objects made her much faster, even Fran couldn¡¯t keep up at this pace. Anytime it rose, I would tear into it with more rounds. Thick, shaggy looking grey fur ran red with heat, pierced in places with energy arrows. Anytime it ran towards me, Alice would interrupt it, either using her arrows to hit its legs or to drop next to it. It flinched when she approached now, expecting another pummeling shot. She kept those to a minimum now that it expected them, but it could only dodge one of every ten shots now. I was uncertain I was even needed. But, time was ticking. I heard the drumming cacophony of a gatling shotgun shredding biotics in the tunnels behind us. Expectedly, perhaps, I also heard the long howling. Several loud explosions drowned out the wolves, the reaper mines never a disappointment. The explosions rocked the side tunnels, burying and incinerating any of the wolves that had gone there. [Kill Wolves 200/700] I watched it, the number hovering at around 200 for a few seconds before spiking suddenly to 300. That number steadily increased. Whatever damage we were dealing, it was taking them down faster than they could get back up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s end it here.¡± I called out, to Alice. She nodded, keeping clear of the large wolf. It¡¯s white eyes almost seemed confused for a moment at the ceased assault. Then I emptied my clip into it, the half that remained, in the blink of an eye. It kicked, the full auto function adapting to use all three barrels. Fire erupted across the wolf, heat billowed out from the heat vent at the front of my rifle. Its fur melted like steel, and the pulsing of the core became more insistent, feeding more power to it to keep it alive. ¡°So that¡¯s the trick.¡± I turned to Alice, ¡°I¡¯ll dump another clip into it, keep it down.¡± A new clip materialized in my hand, the catch undone on my weapon dropped the spent one. It vanished even as I slapped the new one in, the bullets eagerly injected into the rifle. It spat them back out at the wolf in a handful of seconds, streaking lines of red and smoking plant matter cast the room in an ominous glow. A loud snap resounded, the smell of burning ozone entered my nostrils. The arrow that struck the wolf tore through the weakened hide and fur-metal shell of the wolf. It exploded then, shattered in half as though it were made more from glass than flesh. I didn¡¯t take any longer to appreciate the damage. The bastard was pretty hardy, much more so than a bear was at that. If biotic cores all had a guardian like this, then it would make it fairly challenging to get rid of them for most teams. If we cleared hives, we¡¯d have to have a minimum of three decent teams, or two good teams. Unless they were up to our armaments, in which case they might be able to take one with a good plan. We were still down two possible members, after all. The moment I reached the crystal, I felt a tremor run through the hive, like it was trying to lash out at me. Immediately I felt the wolf, melting and half destroyed, turn its gaze upon me with a killing intent. It was surreal, to actually feel something like that on my back. Deeper in the tunnels, the howling became more desperate and fervid, they pushed harder. Daniel fired more, and I heard Fran¡¯s feathers whistling even from here. Tunnels were an awful place to fight them. ¡°Matthew, whatever you guys are doing, do it fast, they¡¯re pushing us back,¡± I heard Fran spoke, catching me off guard. They were pushing them back? What the hell? I put my right hand on the surface of the silver and black sphere, the size of my torso. Immediately, the reaper tattoo gleamed a bloody read, and a red sprawling web of energy began to snake out of it. If I hadn¡¯t already begun to be accustomed to freaky things, that might have turned my stomach. [Hold us here for a while, I¡¯ll sever the biotic core¡¯s connection to the hive.] Smith¡¯s voice rang in my ears. [Be sure not to let go. The backlash is nothing short of debilitating.] ¡°Awesome.¡± I frowned, ¡°Just what I like to hear.¡± ¡°It could be worse?¡± Alice landed next to me, ¡°At least that things not¡­ oh.¡± ¡°What, ¡®oh?¡¯¡± I narrowed my eye, peering at the wolf. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ uh¡­ getting back up?¡± Alice audibly gulped. Following her gaze, I realized she was right. Both halves of the wolf were getting up. Both were forming new wolves. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± I glowered, ¡°Try to keep the one with the head away, the other can¡¯t move at all yet.¡± She didn¡¯t need my input, though. She already held the bow, charging an arrow shot. As the head-half started sprouting ridiculously small legs, it¡¯s skull exploded. The charged shot was altogether something else, I had to admit. Another charged shot kept it down. She swapped to the leg-half after that, but they were beginning to outpace her damage. The thundering shotgun blasts Daniel unleashed became louder. By now, the smoke was clinging to the ceiling in a black cloud. Glaring at my hand, I saw the spider webbing energy halfway around the core. It shouldn''t take much longer, but it was like these things had just been pumped full of energy. They probably had, the core realized it was in great danger. I imagine I could have just blown the thing to pieces, but if we could actually take them whole and arm ourselves, I¡¯d rather that any day. ¡°Guys, we¡¯ve got problems!¡± Daniel shouted, turning his head and seeing the abominable appearances of the two large wolves, shredded and reforming, ¡°Oh, so do you.¡± Fran pierced them with what I imagined would be a disgusted sneer, ¡°Nope. Just no, that¡¯s not happening.¡± She picked the many feathers that speared them up, throwing the two large wolves at the opening of the tunnel. They were far more durable than they looked, the shotgun pellets shredding and scattering on some of the fur. Luckily, most of it pierced. ¡°Thanks for the assist!¡± Alice called, moving quickly over to the pair. She hopped on top of Daniel¡¯s shoulders, standing and steadying herself in spite of how the machine bucked with the force of the shotgun. The weapon glowed red, and I wondered if it would melt before long. ¡°What the fu-- Warn me next time, Alice!¡± He scoffed, adjusting his posture. Fran seemed perplexed at the situation, but decided that it couldn¡¯t be helped. He provided great line of sight, and she was very busy with manipulating her magnetics. ¡°Not much more, guys!¡± Shouting, I felt the energy of the core falter, rippling against the webbing pattern that worked to choke it. ¡°Good, I¡¯m about to run out of my goddamn ammo reserve!¡± Daniel cried out incredulously, ¡°If the damn thing doesn¡¯t melt first, anyways!¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I checked the bounty again. [Kill Wolves 112/700] This was absurd. If it was literally any other team at this point, I think they¡¯d have run out of ammo. ¡°Just a little more.¡± I grit my teeth, willing the webs to spread faster, to kill the damn thing. ¡°Just a little mo-¡± The sound of the gatling shotgun jamming was the loudest sound in the world. ¡°Incoming!¡± Daniel immediately leaning forward, Alice balancing perfectly between the two shoulder weapons as they came up. The cannon fired first, bursting the first batch of wolves. Small rockets tore forward, and out of the corner of my eye I was horrified to see the leaping wolves intercept them, blowing the rockets up with their own bodies as their cohorts darted into the wider space. Fran punctured dozens, trying to keep them in place in the mouth of the tunnel. They found the mouths of their fellow wolves shear their bodies apart, dragging them forward even as they reformed, literal body shields. Alice shouted, knocking three of her mass arrows and firing them in a spread. The sheer kinetic force shattered the bones beneath the metallic hides of the grey wolves. Daniel pitched forward, Alice leapt off of his shoulder then, caught by Fran and setting her closer to me. They backed up, every third cleaving sweep with Daniel¡¯s axe accented by the boom of his cannon. The rockets fired on the eighth, the hive shaking with the impacts. Fran struggled to keep them from being able to encircle us, having to continuously fight the grey wolves to get her feathers back and to force the bodies of wolves to block them. ¡°Matthew!¡± Alice shouted, ¡°Tell me you¡¯re done!¡± She let out the last three mass arrows she had, connecting with one of the larger wolves and blowing it in half. It scooped up a smaller wolf, devouring it hideously and reforming instantly. It then was sent cleaved and flying by Daniel. The other wolf snapped onto his arm, and dug several inches through instantly. Fran tore its head off with three feathers, surgical precision taking even the jaws with it. It fell at his feet, and he ensured to continue stomping on the head anytime it reformed. Then it happened, I felt a pulse of energy in my suit, and all at once it was like a red lightning bolt ran through me. It was painful, but in a strange kind of way, like I was channeling straight malevolence and the will to kill straight through my arm. It hit the core, and Smith spoke, [And the Reaper¡¯s hand did touch the heart, and so did the heart stop. For the Reaper¡¯s hand was Chironex, and death did it bring, even to the deathless.] Okay, that was pretty awesome, definitely badass. Smith¡¯s distant prideful chortling at my approval of what he¡¯d said also unfortunately came with the reminder that he was another impression of myself, so I was effectively impressed by my own wittiness. I¡¯m not exactly sure how to feel about that¡­ The wolves stopped all at once as a pulse rang out, red lightning arced between them, and when it did they boiled and fell apart, disintegrating so rapidly that I almost couldn¡¯t believe they¡¯d been standing there at all. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ over, right?¡± Daniel sank to his knees in his mech, looking at his arms and body. I hadn¡¯t noticed, but several ravines were carved through it, claws and fang marks marred him. ¡°Daniel? Daniel, are you okay?¡± Fran landed next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. His faceplate opened, his breathing hard and sweat running down his face. ¡°Yeah, yeah, just gimme a sec. Whoooo¡­ that was a little intense.¡± Daniel hadn¡¯t let the fear hit him before, how close they¡¯d gotten. We sat around eachother for a moment, and a it took a few seconds for us to realize it. ¡°We just cleared a hive. We actually did it.¡± Alice laughed, almost a hysterical, flabbergased laugh. We joined in, and then, when we realized that some of the tree was on fire, we decided to vacate quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s get back home to celebrate.¡± I smirked, holding the core. Instead of white and silver, it was now black and red, different from anything I¡¯d seen. Perhaps it was because of what Smith did. In any case, we made sure to make a much quicker exit, and as we did, we heard the systems notification of the completion of our bounty. [Kill Wolves 700/700 ] [Destroy Hive Core 0/0 Modified! Special Exception!] [Kill Hive Guardian, Wolf 2/1 Special Exception!] [Additional rewards based on completion of Bounty ahead of schedule, bonus objectives, and lack of environmental damage¡­ calculating¡­ calculating¡­] We all looked at eachother as it continued attempting to calculate. ¡°I think we broke it again.¡± Daniel laughed, ¡°Sis is gonna just start visiting us regularly.¡± ¡°She¡¯s kinda nice,¡± Alice grinned, ¡°Ohhh, think we can extort more matter energy from her.¡± I coughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t extort it¡­ just¡­ uh¡­ W-well, it¡¯s a wonderful day outside, right guys?¡± I quickly changed tact. It was actually pretty nice out, if you didn¡¯t include the ashen clouds, the burning innards of the hive-tree behind us, and the smoke that would surely be building over the next few hours. If nothing else, there wasn¡¯t anything nearby that would catch fire. [...calculating¡­ failed. Specialized Intelligence System engaged¡­ error¡­ request refused. Reinitializing request. Specialized Intelligenc--] [¡°Alright, alright!¡±] I heard her shout as she popped into existence. She looked far more human like now, and I could even see that her overall appearance seemed far more disheveled. Sis looked to us, an exacerbated look on her face, [¡°Do you have any idea how much processing power I¡¯ve had to reserve just to be able to be in so many places at once? How many times are you guys gonna-¡±] She paused and cleared her throat, leaving us all acutely aware of her imposing form. Wow, she¡¯s actually almost like an older sister right now, is that intentional? [¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m somewhat spread thin at the moment. You all especially somehow keep confounding my automated system.¡±] She put a hand to her chin, the blue model that she consisted of almost looking like it was flesh and blood. ¡°Uh¡­ about that, what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, and then I saw the gleam in her eye, and I knew I¡¯d just opened up a can of worms that I should have kept shut. [¡°Oh? You guys want to know? Well, I guess if you insist, I can tell you.¡±] She grinned. We didn¡¯t even get paid yet, so I probably shouldn¡¯t tell her I¡¯m not interested after all... Chapter 16 Tirade We all walked as we talked to Sis. Or, rather, we listened. Silently. Without interrupting. To say I was a little afraid of her right now would be accurate. [¡°So, then, after I finally managed to convince that idiot that splicing biotics and embedding control interfaces in their bodies was dangerous, he proceeds to actually continued his work right in front of me. Completely ignored me. Didn¡¯t even bat an eye. You know how many times I¡¯ve been ignored on this planet? I¡¯ve never had to put up with this before, it¡¯s almost like you people like nearly dying! And then he actually got it to work! Who does that? How do you even make that work? He was screaming, and I thought he was hurt, but then he starts howling that he made his ¡®Frankenstein¡¯ and I just left. What is wrong with you humans?¡±] I think maybe you should leave those ones alone. They¡¯re clearing off. Some people are just crazy. I wanted to say that, but I couldn¡¯t, because she rolled right into the next one. [¡°In the first place, I started increasing the bounty rewards to reflect the risks associated with the uniques. But I had to tone them down, why? Because you people like matter energy too much! You¡¯re practically suicidal when the reward gets high enough! No other species dives in like this! What is wrooooong with you?¡±] She dragged her hands across her face, and then pointed at Fran, [¡°It was your idea! Why don¡¯t you deal with it? Why do I have to deal with it?¡±] She pouted. At this point, Fran did speak up, ¡°It¡¯s your job, right? Besides, we¡¯re getting through the biotics just fine, aren¡¯t we?¡± She smiled, an almost stern smile that I imagined she might give a boss who was complaining too much. Sis flinched, [¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right, err¡­ Well, I suppose the Bounty Hunt system is still doing just fine. But then there¡¯s all of the crazy ideas you humans come up with. I¡¯ve already had to warn several people not to try to make biotics that hunt biotics, but they ignore me, some of them make it work, too!¡±] She let out a long dragging sigh. ¡°Back to this,¡± I spoke, gesturing to the large sphere that had shrunk, able to be carried now, ¡°Did this cause your automated system to freak out?¡± She leveled a withering glare at me, [¡°Yes, and I should have guessed it would be you. You¡¯re walking in the Reaper¡¯s path, alright. I can¡¯t take my eyes off of you guys for ten seconds without you murdering something in a way that¡¯s not supposed to be murdered.¡±] ¡°Oh, sorry for being really good at my job. Maybe I should just talk everyone into not bothering and we¡¯ll just sit back and relax,¡± I waved nonchalantly. [¡°Uhh, err, wait, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±] She face palmed, I almost couldn¡¯t tell that she wasn¡¯t a person now, and that struck me as almost alarming. What exactly was going on that she was becoming like this now? [¡°What you¡¯ve done with that core is to sever the connection it had to the hive around it and to eradicate the biotic consciousness within it. It¡¯s even more useful than the pseudo-core you found before.¡±] Her artificial intelligence showed again, briefly, before it fell away again, [¡°Please, give that to your Sissy! She needs it a lot!¡±] I recoiled at her sudden insistence, ¡°Uh, what? What?¡± I turned to look at everyone else, who shook their heads. They weren¡¯t helping me with this. [¡°Sis¡¯s brain is too scattered! I need help with more processing power, and the cores are really useful for that. Normally I wouldn¡¯t have such a high load on a planet, but there are a looooot of humans here! And they¡¯re sooooo needy!¡±] She took a nose dive in processing power, almost seeming drunk then, if an A.I. could even get drunk. ¡°Not for free.¡± I said as her face froze for a moment. And then the moment lingered. We watched as she struggled with something internally, and I almost felt my obelisk system shake with the effort. A shiver rolled down my spine when I saw her form virtually vibrate before responding. [¡°C¡¯mooooon!¡±] She pouted, the shaking intensifying, [¡°You can¡¯t give your big Sis one freebie?¡±] I was stupefied, ¡°Seriously? You know how hard this thing was to get? How many more people even can get these for you?¡± The hologram was definitely shaking. If that got worse I¡¯d throw the core at her and not even ask about payment, I was starting to get worried. Finally she managed to recollect herself, her consciousness leaping up from what it had been in a flash. [¡°I promise to you that I¡¯ll pay an appropriate price, but for the love of the obelisks, I need that badly right now! I feel my brain melting!¡±] She half seethed, half begged. Well, I¡¯d be pretty jacked up if I said no now¡­ ¡°Okay, okay, here, here! Take it!¡± I held the item out and it immediately sucked into the icon on the back of my hand greedily. The next moment, I felt an energy pulse rock me from my feet, a bolt of red energy firing from my hand to the obeliks miles away. I could even hear it as it broke the sound barrier, luckily far away from us by then not to harm us. I sat on my back, the air knocked from me. Alice was over me in a moment, helping me up. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right, I think my eardrums exploded. My helmet opened up, moving away from my skull as I felt my head for damage, or blood. There was none. Luckily it wasn¡¯t that bad but a ringing sound filled my ears annoyingly as I asked Smith to relay the message I couldn¡¯t be sure I said. [He says that he¡¯s fine, but his hearing is gone. Though, it¡¯s coming back.] I felt Smith¡¯s simmering anger as he continued, [Sis, I would advise you that forcibly extracting objects with such force is an unwise course of action.] As he said that, we watched Sis¡¯s reaction, which was somewhere between horror and panic. Then her expression went blank - alongside the sound of a distant impact - for almost thirty seconds. When she regained her mentality, she was far more in control than she was, but her expression was still that of absolute shame. [¡°I¡­ I am sorry. That should not have happened. I cannot excuse myself for that.¡±] ¡°What exactly happened?¡± I shook my head, clearing a bit of the lingering ringing. [¡°It was a momentary lapse in logical thinking, my system has been overwhelmed for some time now. I am required to attend every request for my presence to make a ruling on a situation that defies common occurrence, or when an appeal request is made. That said, I only had to split my processing power among a few thousand copies two days ago. Approximately two minutes ago, that number was in the millions.]¡± We stared at her, gaping in awe, ¡°You made millions of yourself?¡± Fran blinked, trying to even consider that number. She nodded, [¡°Some of you humans take to the obelisk systems that I provide like fish to water, as your idiom goes. My automated systems take care of the day to day things, but there are so many unusual circumstances that I had to adjust certain parameters. As time goes by, the automated system will be able to adjust to preferences on its own without direct input, but before that, it needs a precedence to go by¡­ in other words, my rulings. Most planets that have new obelisks have had, at most, 5 million sentients in the aftermath of biotic incursions, so this was far more than anticipated.¡±] ¡°Ah¡­ does this also have anything to do with the fact that there are more uniques than there are supposed to be?¡± I asked as I watched her composure solidify more. I didn¡¯t really fault her for the mistake, I was fine, though I did want a little extra to compensate me for the fact that I had wanted to use that core for something else. [¡°It does, somewhat. Uniques, tracking them and categorizing them, take a great deal of processing power. Filtering matter energy takes more, channeling production blueprints and forming matter energy into those forms takes even more. The obelisks are still establishing long-distance transfer networks, and that also factors into my processing efficiency¡­ So, to make a long story short, there was too much going on, and not enough ¡®me¡¯ to go around.¡±] Alice looked worried, ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s okay now, right?¡± Sis flashed a brilliant smile, [¡°Indeed, biotic cores, especially nearly perfect ones like the one you gave me, are incredible resources for computational power. I was able to increase my floor load by about fifty percent.¡±] ¡°Just one was enough?¡± Daniel wondered at what the cores even were. [¡°Yes¡­ well, mostly. I¡¯m still working at 75 percent efficiency due to overload, but that amount is more than acceptable, alternatives considered. I¡¯ll be able to return to peak status when demand dies down.¡±] ¡°On that note¡­¡± I stood, feeling my bodies soreness as I did so, ¡°Can we get that bounty allocated now? We didn¡¯t even get the heads up about the wolves being different.¡± Sheepishly, she nodded, [¡°Of course, my mistake. Let¡¯s update that, I¡¯ll¡­ compensate you properly for the troubles. You¡¯ve made an organization, also? Hmm, well, I¡¯ll add a little something there too.¡±] She mumbled to herself near the end, and continued mumbling inaudibly even as the notifications rolled in properly. [Kill Grey Wolves 700/700] [Purify Biotic Core 1/1] [Kill Guardian Grey Wolves 2/2] [Exchanged Small High-Grade Core] [Time Based Bonus: Time remaining for bounty completion; 11d 4h 23m, adjusting reward.] We all looked at the notification, and then seemed to simultaneously realize something. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s with this eleven days thing? I thought bounties were a lot shorter¡­¡± Daniel murmured and I wondered the same thing. [¡°Yours were shorter because they were higher threats, and right next to the city.¡±] Sis told us, to which neither of us could really refute. It¡¯d make sense if the timer reflected urgency. [Matter Energy rewards tallied. 2295 M.E. allocated to each member of kill-team.] My jaw hung open. ¡°How much were each of those wolves worth?¡± [¡°Only 8 a piece, but there were 700 of them. The main issue is the possibility of spending inordinate amounts of matter energy in munitions to keep them from overwhelming a defense. Luckily, you all interrupted the source of their energy, making reconstruction impossible. Even without the core, if you would have continued to exhaust them they would eventually deplete the core of energy until it could recharge. That is the other method commonly used, albeit less cost effective.¡±] ¡°I¡¯m assuming getting the core intact and giving the core to you gave us a lot more points,¡± Fran looked at the list thoughtfully, there was a lot she could do with that much M.E. [¡°Indeed. In times when you decide to contribute a resource that could otherwise benefit yourselves, but would also be of great need to myself, I am permitted to be quite reasonable in my rewards. I would give more¡­ but I do still have to retain M.E. for the investing party responsible for the obelisks being here in the first place.] It¡¯d been a long time since they were mentioned, ¡°How are they doing, anyways? Also, any word from your supervisors about us humans?¡± I tried to sound like I was joking, but it was hard too when I was afraid that we might have another big problem on our hands. [¡°Hmm? Oh, your investor.¡±] She rolled her eyes, [¡°They¡¯re probably reinvesting the money in more uselessly extreme ventures where they would be better served in investing the bulk of it into upgrading their arsenal. Of course, I can¡¯t say for sure, I haven¡¯t been in touch.¡±] ¡°Err¡­ okay then. What about your superiors?¡± I quickly moved from the subject, I wasn¡¯t sure who our investors were, but she was certainly not fond of them. [¡°They¡¯re still analyzing the situation, but they have yet to reach a consensus. I¡¯m¡­ also not aware of their exact opinion of late.¡±] ¡°Ah¡­ because of your whole¡­ head thing?¡± Alice gestured to her like she was somehow hemorrhaging gore from her skull. Sis was mildly amused. [¡°Something like that. I should soon be able to contact them with regularity, but I can¡¯t say for certain that they would have a definite answer for some time. Depending on what they might want to do, you might not hear anything about them for a year.¡±] ¡°That¡¯s a long time.¡± Said Daniel, glowering slightly at the news, ¡°What might we even expect?¡± [¡°There are many things to consider,¡±] Sis began carefully, [¡°They¡¯ll need to come to a concrete decision and receive approval from several other parties before moving forwards. The conditions are anything but simple, and ultimately you may only receive general support to recognize the earth and its people as an independent governing body, separate from any other localized power that may claim to the area, and thereby yourselves, in dominion.¡±] She looked to us, seeing our sudden and clear shock at such news.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. [¡°Ah, but, despite what I said, it is incredibly rare for such to occur in the first place without request of the native species. And given that you are a sentient race more than capable of self-governance, it would be difficult for any case to be made to suggest you need aid in that regard. You would be far more likely to attract additional attention to your efforts. But, in any case, it¡¯s not something that will be important for quite some time.¡±] That left open a lot of possibilities, and I suddenly thought of varying governments around the world on earth. I highly doubted that our systems were so different from anything other space-faring species had come up with, and that meant nothing good. If I were an intergalactic space faring species and a new species that was highly aggressive and successful in hunting biotics was to suddenly come up on my radar, my first consideration would be to assess how dangerous they were. After that, I would see if there was anything worth taking from said species. Our kind of world was likely quite habitable to most, and that alone might make it worth looking at, but luckily I didn¡¯t expect there to be some magical resource that made us special. So, unless they were desperate for some more territory, most probably wouldn¡¯t bother--especially with attention on us from our investor, though I had no idea who that was, or if they wouldn¡¯t be interested themselves. Alongside that line of thought, any species that could deal with the biotic threat was likely to attract interest in general. If we proved to be too weak to adequately defend ourselves, we could still make for a decent foot soldier supplement. If we were too good, perhaps they would be nervous of us at the worst, and become an obstacle. ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I grouched, ¡°It¡¯s not like we can stop killing biotics or anything. Maybe if we do really, really well, we can voluntarily sell our services to keep others from messing with our business as a whole.¡± [¡°You¡­ you are a particularly pessimistic human, aren¡¯t you?¡±] Sis said as she frowned, shaking her head, [¡°I can¡¯t allay your concerns easily, the fact of the matter that laws are ignored at times, but know that there are many laws and that punishment for breaching them is quite severe. If it would make you feel any better, my existence is contingent upon all of you, as well, so it is in my best interest to represent you well.¡±] That¡­ did help actually¡­ huh. ¡°Why is that? ¡®The contingent upon us,¡¯ part?¡± She shook her head, [¡°I¡¯m not necessarily at liberty to discuss the actual mechanics of how deliberations of that nature go. In fact, I believe I¡¯m playing it pretty close to the edge of what I¡¯m allowed to tell you all in general already. And in any case, I do have other things I will need to do, so I must bid you all farewell,¡±] her smile seemed genuine as she added, [¡°Especially for the core, I truly fear I would have had to shut down the system for a reboot at that rate. Then, until next time.¡±] And she was gone. ¡°I don¡¯t think I really understood what she was saying about her supervisors. Did they sound a little¡­ sketchy, to anyone else?¡± Alice broke the silence first. I answered, unhappy with the news, ¡°Very sketchy, not too different from our governments. I suppose that¡¯s not terribly uncommon.¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯re assuming the worst, here?¡± Said Daniel with a light grin, ¡°I mean, we¡¯re assuming they¡¯ll even care, right? For all we know they¡¯ve got more to deal with.¡± Fran supplemented that, ¡°If we have biotics, I doubt other worlds won¡¯t have them too. Our biotics are rather¡­ young? If I¡¯m not mistaken, there must be far older biotics out there, perhaps very powerful.¡± That was something to think about. I didn¡¯t even know how a regular biotic worked, let alone what they could eventually do. Wolven was already an example of some kind of biology defying monstrosity, beyond that of even regular biotics. Who knew what they could do later? ¡°It doesn¡¯t do us any good to think about it now, I guess.¡± I sighed, ¡°Without any real information, we can¡¯t possibly predict what might be the outcome. I suspect that even if we do well, it might not end up in our favor. Even so, we have to get rid of the biotics, or else we¡¯re all going to lose out eventually.¡± They looked at me, sighing. That was a bit of a morale hit. I coughed, ¡°Well, maybe there¡¯s a way to make it more likely that we¡¯ll be accepted.¡± That picked them up a bit, ¡°Yeah, maybe. We¡¯ll just have to kick some serious biotic butt! Alice¡¯s endless energy kicked into gear. We talked on the way back, and in spite of my admittedly cynical nature, I had to say that our raid of the nest went quite well. A little close, but we succeeded with flying colors. If I didn¡¯t make it risky, we might have just been able to blow up the core and move right along. That told me that we had a lot of wiggle room right now with our strategies, and we didn¡¯t even have a full team yet. Well, ¡®Full Team¡¯ was starting to become a very flexible term, if those regenerating wolves were a norm, an eight man team would still be evenly profitable. But dammit, I liked six, it rounded out nicely. Plus, I doubted regenerating wolves was going to be a normal kind of thing. Hopefully. As we approached the city, I realized that we were somewhat off course, more towards the southern side than the western that we¡¯d come straight out from. That wasn¡¯t too odd, though, we¡¯d meandered quite a bit, dispatching small groups of common wolves, or just taking a look around for any other signs that something had been around. For the most part, there wasn¡¯t really anything worth worrying about. For some reason, there were even fewer wolves in this area than anywhere else. That made our walk to the suburbs very comfortable. Up until we saw what looked like a large rack of ribs hanging from a basketball hoop in front of a large, open yard, edging the forest with plenty of room to spare. ¡°There¡¯s some guy sitting in chair in front that giant flank of beef over there.¡± Alice blinked, ¡°I¡¯m not just seeing things, right?¡± I saw it, and a moment later Fran and Daniel¡¯s disbelieving eyes settled on that too. ¡°What¡¯s he doing out here?¡± I muttered, to which Daniel immediately answered. Straightforward as ever, he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just ask him?¡± He started forward from the tree line, and immediately caught the man¡¯s attention. ¡°Wait, wait! Don¡¯t come through there!¡± He immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°That¡¯s mined all to hell!¡± Daniel froze, as did the rest of us. ¡°Uh¡­ when you say ¡®mined,¡¯ do you mean what I think you mean?¡± Daniel¡¯s mechanically altered voice broadcast clearly across the hundred feet between us. ¡°Yeah, explosives, pretty hefty ones.¡± The man called back, ¡°Single file down the middle, that dirt path there isn¡¯t mined.¡± I looked around, and sure enough I noted that several spots showed overturned earth. I counted at least fifty such concave holes, my eye picking up traces of metal and blackened soot. They weren¡¯t hard to detect when you actually looked. Others, at least another twenty mines, rested in varying locations. I could tell by the semi-freshly dug soil. Luckily, as the man promised, the dirt path in the middle wasn¡¯t mined at all, nor anywhere near it. As we got closer, I realized another detail. He didn¡¯t come to greet us, and it wasn¡¯t just because he was comfortable in his chair underneath an umbrella. His chair was a wheelchair. Plus, it looked like he had six shotguns sitting around him that made it a touch difficult for him to casually move about. ¡°Gentleman, and ladies, nice day out, isn¡¯t it?¡± the man greeted, calm. He wasn¡¯t clean shaven, but his scruffy beard was hardly a mess. The impression I got from him was that he must have been an engineer, at least that¡¯s the concept I had of him. He had an intelligence in his eyes, and was fairly good looking with a well defined jawline and body. In fact, even his legs hadn¡¯t seemed to waste away fully, probably he¡¯d only been without control of them for a short while before the meteorites fell. ¡°It¡¯s a better day than some,¡± I agreed, ¡°I have the feeling I know the answer, but what are you doing out here?¡± He looked at me, settling longer on me than was comfortable. I realized my helmet was still off at that point, leaving my eye clear to view. I suppose that my skull-mist helmet visage wasn¡¯t any easier on the eyes though. Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t think much of it, ¡°My names Terry Garand, nice to meet you all, and, uh¡­ sorry about the minefield.¡± ¡°What are you doing out here? Oh, I¡¯m Alice DeLeone, by the way.¡± Alice was as energized as ever, she struck me as the kind of person who enjoyed meeting new people. ¡°I¡¯m Fran Delia, and this big guy is Daniel Drake,¡± Fran patted the large mech on the shoulder. Daniel waved, ¡°Yo.¡± Terry greeted us with a warm smile, ¡°Nice to meet you all. And to answer your question, I¡¯m hunting wolves.¡± That answer was one that I expected, but I still examined the location. For one, I could barely smell the meat, and there wasn¡¯t a swarm of flies on it, like I¡¯d expected. This couldn¡¯t have been too old. ¡°Should you be doing that? Alone, I mean?¡± Alice asked, quickly clarifying her point. She was probably trying to be conscientious of the man¡¯s disability, but in either case I doubted that he would take any real offense to it. ¡°Err¡­ well, no, admittedly not.¡± He shrugged with his smile never leaving his face as he spoke, ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t really think about that until I was already out here, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have changed my mind.¡± There was a conflicted and fairly complicated look on Alice¡¯s face at that, and I had to admit that I think I knew where the man was coming from. Not being able to walk wasn¡¯t exactly a walk in the pa-- God that was an awful accidental pun. I winced visibly, and the man noticed, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m looking to die or anything.¡± ¡°No, no, of course not,¡± I waved that away, ¡°But I did want to ask how long you¡¯ve been doing this?¡± He leaned further back in his chair, ¡°Two, three days? I¡¯m borrowing that house behind me for when I need a break, I just spray the meat with a neutralizing agent when I¡¯m taking a break. Conceals the smell pretty well, and bugs seem to hate it.¡± That explained some things. ¡°What¡¯s your count at?¡± Daniel asked, leaning forward eagerly. Fran shot him a brief dirty look, wondering if he was being competitive. He coughed, ¡°Just curious.¡± Terry studied Daniel, or more precisely his mech, for a few seconds, a hand to his chin as he considered the question. At least, he looked like he was considering the question quite deeply, there was also a glint of excitement in his eyes as he looked over Daniel, though, so I couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°About¡­ three hundred? Maybe more. They clump up pretty badly when they smell enough meat,¡± He sighed, ¡°I haven¡¯t really been able to tell, but I think I have to call it quits. That meats probably going to spoil something awful soon, plus I¡¯m¡­ well I¡¯m getting very bored.¡± I snickered at that, ¡°Yeah, good strategies aren¡¯t always fun.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± he appreciated the subtle compliment, ¡°I¡¯ve got enough to make my purchase anyways, along with some nice other things.¡± ¡°What¡¯re you picking up?¡± Fran asked, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s a small purchase.¡± His grin turned downright jovial, like a kid in a toy store on christmas, ¡°Nope, it¡¯s definitely not a small purchase. Most of the matter energy I¡¯ve gathered is going into it. If you guys want, I¡¯ll show you. But, I mean, it¡¯s probably nothing you guys won¡¯t be unnaccustomed too.¡± That piqued my interest. We briefly glanced to each other, no one really harboring any particular disdain for the thought. ¡°Sure, why not? Want a hand moving the guns?¡± I asked. ¡°Ah, yeah, please. I went a little¡­ overboard on them.¡± He coughed, ¡°I won¡¯t really be needing them anymore, so just set them inside or something I guess.¡± Not needing them anymore, huh? I hoped he wasn¡¯t leaving them behind for no reason. ...I also happened to note the location in case we needed to pick up a few guns for some rookies, just in case. We made our way through the streets, and Terry accepted my offer to help him get around. I felt like he was reluctant to accept, but he probably wanted to make his purchase as soon as possible. The man was a veritable font of knowledge, though, and unlike many people he¡¯d devoted a great deal of time to researching the in¡¯s and out¡¯s of the obelisk system. It was becoming more popular by the day, and after checking up on fellow Legion progress in the area around the city, some of the teams were actually ranging a bit further from comfort zones. That was good, but I hoped they remembered that their safety was far more important than getting a few more kills. Terry was indeed apparently a civil engineer of some sort, electricity for the most part. We didn¡¯t need to prompt him for why he was wheelchair bound, he freely offered that he¡¯d made a mistake and gotten himself zapped, then fell off of a ladder. He was lucky he didn¡¯t crack his skull open, but not lucky enough to come out of it unscathed. His spine was damaged at the waist, but for the most part only denied him use of his legs. To me, he seemed remarkably upbeat considering everything, but there were some things that he said that continually got me thinking about what his purchase would be. ¡°Human medicine and such isn¡¯t quite advanced enough to help me. So I couldn¡¯t really do too much about it.¡± He sighed, ¡°I was pretty down about it for a few months, and then this whole biotics thing starting going down, so I wasn¡¯t in a good place. I think about when the electricity went out I was coming to terms with all of this, since it was that or¡­ well, die.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always something to look forward too.¡± Fran offered out of kindness, ¡°So, for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m glad you kept going.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ thanks,¡± he shuffled in the chair, ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right, the obelisks happened, afterall. Oh, I think we¡¯re in range here!¡± I stopped, and then waited, ¡°Wanna make your purchase here?¡± ¡°Definitely. Ah, err¡­ you guys may want to step back a bit, I have no idea what¡¯ll happen when I do this.¡± Chuckling nervously, Terry starting panning through his list. We were all pretty aware of the fact that purchasing things, even suits, wasn¡¯t really a danger to the people around us. Even so, we gave him space. From the looks on Daniel¡¯s, Fran¡¯s, and Alice¡¯s faces I could tell that they were just as interested to see what he was purchasing as I was. ¡°Aaaand, here we go!¡± He declared, finalizing his purchase. I immediately felt a charge of power surge through the air, accompanying the spawning of silver energy seemingly from nothing. It encase the man, and his wheelchair was unceremoniously spat out from the sphere. The form moved and contorted, and I immediately recognized it for what it was. He was purchasing a mech. Daniel was far more interested now, though I did notice Alice¡¯s interest level waver somewhat. She wasn¡¯t a fan of the large, hulking forms, opting for greater mobility instead. For myself and Fran, however, we were just as interested. When it finally revealed itself, I was shocked - almost literally - by the mech that stood before me. It was only seven feet tall, but was still quite bulky. What looked like electrified nodules protruded from parts of the white machine, arcing lightly to concave indentations sunken around them in the metal. It had two large arms, but the hands themselves almost looked too small compared to them, and were clearly meant for dextrous work. I noted, also, that the entire head and part of the torso region were left open, a low, open ridge the only thing somewhat protecting him from harm at the head level. However, it gave him plenty of view, and small antenna popped up from the sides, catching any stray electricity without delivering the shock to the pilot of the machine. And from what I could see, a wave of relief and glee rolled over him. ¡°It¡¯s working! Ah, I can feel it already.¡± He shuddered as he looked to ¡®his¡¯ feet, the machine stepping forward gingerly. A tingle of electricity ran up an external spine on the machine, and I noticed the way it regularly pulsed between where the back of his head would be and down to his hips. ¡°Well, that¡¯s definitely interesting,¡± I nodded, ¡°It looks like it¡¯s designed with electrical weapons in mind?¡± Terry nodded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s definitely part of it, but this one in particular is designed for users who may not have all of their limbs, or in my case, don¡¯t have use of them all. But that¡¯s not the best part.¡± He was ecstatic, just about shouting and seeming to be ready to jump for joy, something that I was wary of coming from someone who hadn¡¯t been walking at all for months. ¡°The best part of this suit is that it¡¯ll start reconditioning my spine and helping to fix me!¡± He calmed down somewhat, ¡°I might be able to walk again.!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Alice met his enthusiasm, ¡°What else can it do?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ I have no idea.¡± Terry laughed, ¡°Let me see about walking first.¡± That deflated me a bit, but I suppose that being able to walk someday was probably his first priority. Honestly, as priorities went, I definitely couldn¡¯t find any reason to fault him for that one. [Perhaps¡­ you¡¯re thinking what I¡¯m thinking?] Smith asked, and I could almost feel him rubbing his hands together greedily. I grinned, ¡°Say, Terry, do you have any plans for the future?¡± [Ah, young man, great minds think alike.] I felt the Reaper A.I.¡¯s satisfaction clearly, after all, we were looking to expand our team... Chapter 17 Dreams -Daniel¡¯s P.O.V.- I could almost imagine the taste of the blood from the wolves. Silver and black splatters that covered the walls and showered their kin in gore. It wasn¡¯t alive, no living thing would throw itself into a grinder like this. Not alive in the strictest of senses, but they came back all the same. A shotgun burst blew the head off of one, bullets carrying through and shearing through other wolves limbs and torsos. Legs splintered - actually splintered like glass and metal had somehow been molded into flesh - chests heaved gouts of shimmering blood as they collapsed. These creatures were messier than wolves, juicer. The thought sent a wave of revulsion into my guts as I watched the tide of wolves rush forward through the tunnel together. Three scooped at my leg with claws and teeth. Fran¡¯s feathery-spears punched through their skulls. I grunted out a thanks, we didn¡¯t have time for anything else. Hundreds of rounds emptied out from my arm, my cannon fired the moment it reloaded. Aiming was a reflex based on what monster was closer at the time. They lurched forward again, a tube of flesh that made me wonder why there weren¡¯t more ¡®Wolvens¡¯ out there. I nearly tripped, and found claws scrape against my mech suit, I could feel the shudder and screech as they did so, flakes of steel coming up with them even as I managed to quickly backstep. Into the room we went, backpedaling all the while, Matthew and Alice at our backs, dealing with their own problems. A wolf grabbed onto my arm as I guarded, it¡¯s distended jaws like a snake. I felt the pressure increase, saw the fangs drill through my armor like butter. Until now, it was as I remembered, we¡¯d won down there in the hole. But that bite kept going, closing, inevitability as I screamed, watching it¡¯s black gums sink under the steel. It¡¯s eyes, empty like a doll¡¯s eyes if they were designed to seep hatred, glared at my helmet. The pressure increased and I panicked, breathing hard, screaming. ¡°No! No! Get off!¡± I shouted, reaching over. Three more wolves bit onto my other arm, weighing me down. Another bit my leg, and another lurched to my chest, clawing deep for a hold as it¡¯s mouth distended horrifically as it tried to fit my head in its mouth. Agony ripped through me as the first wolfs teeth met flesh, a splash of red flaring deeply with the sparks that spat from my arm. And then its horrible maw closed the rest of the way. I bolted upright, awakened from my nightmare with a cold sweat pouring off of my back. I gripped my right arm in my left hand, a scream threatening to come out at any moment. Steady. Calm. Be stronger than your fear. I repeated the mantra in my head, biting my lip to keep from breathing too loudly, still hoping to not wake the woman by my side. I exhaled, slowly, shakily. My arm was fine, everything was fine. I hadn¡¯t lost my arm, I didn¡¯t lose my life. We were fine, we¡¯d survived, we¡¯d kicked some ass and gone home. ¡°Love, are you okay?¡± Fran leaned up, grasping at my bare shoulder. I looked to her, blue eyes dim in the darkness of her home. The blankets tumbled off of her naked body as she rose, but she didn¡¯t care. She looked at me, in my eyes, pulling herself up to come level with me. ¡°Nightmare?¡± She asked, a knowing look in her eye. I opened my mouth to speak, feeling my throat catch. A nightmare, an intense one. She understood, and pulled me close, back down. There was no judgement in her eyes, though I could tell that she was sleepy even in spite of the effort she put forth. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She cooed in my ear gently, ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Words seemed impossibly hard at that moment. I shook my head with a scoff and smiled warmly. Without words, I leaned up and kissed her. She returned the gesture, her soft lips touching my own. We stayed like that for a while, kissing gently, touching our cheeks together, and she snuck one up on my forehead before she forced me back to resting next to her, locking eyes with me. Now her eyes were quite awake. ¡°You know I¡¯m here for you?¡± She spoke, ¡°Just like you were there for me.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I uttered, grasping the hand she placed against my cheek, ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± She leaned forward, putting a forehead to mine. ¡°It was about the wolves¡­ The one that got on my arm. Guess it got to me a bit more than I thought.¡± That was an understatement, but I didn¡¯t want to delve into the details. Fran didn¡¯t need to push, ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re together, here.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The question tried to push itself free, but I couldn¡¯t say it. It was my fear crawling up. ¡°What will be, will be.¡± Fran seemed to know what I was going to say, ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re cut out for fighting biotics or not, but someone has too.¡± I moved to open my mouth, and she pushed a finger to my lips to stop me. ¡°And if either of us is going to do it, then both of us will.¡± She smiled wryly. With a deep breath, I steadied myself, ¡°I guess I can¡¯t argue with that.¡± ¡°You could, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d like losing?¡± She quirked a brow at me, and I felt a tremor of a laugh well up from my chest. ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to always have each other''s backs.¡± I smirked, pulling her closer to me, feeling her against me. She surprised me with a hand caressing my back and going lower. ¡°I¡¯m very okay with that.¡± We kissed again, and I felt my strain fade away. We didn¡¯t know what was going to ever be in store for us, but we knew one thing at least. There¡¯d always be the two of us, no small comfort amidst all of this craziness¡­ -Matthew¡¯s P.O.V.- Headquarters was really coming along. And when I say that, I mean really coming along, it was virtually an entirely new building at this point. I was even beginning to suspect that Doug wanted to turn the place into a fortress. Based on the fact that the windows were now reinforced glass, capable of withstanding small arms fire with minor scuffs, I think he was getting pretty close to succeeding. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up, boss?¡± A pair of men walked up to me, one with short brown hair, the other with black hair bound in a ponytail. It took me a moment to realize who they were. ¡°Louis and Benjamin,¡± I smiled, the red line of my helmet quirking with a harsh red twist, ¡°Well, just returned from a rather interesting hunt¡­ How are you settling in?¡± Louis, the taller of the two, smirked as he patted the stock a reaper modified rifle over his shoulder, ¡°Pretty damned good, we got a group together, just down one member so far. The Legion Database is a godsend out there.¡± I nodded, not certain exactly what they would be so impressed by, ¡°What¡¯d you end up using it for? I¡¯ve been too busy dealing with new biotics that I haven¡¯t used it.¡± Benjamin spoke up, his stocky build filling out a almost space-age looking set of combat fatigues that were probably quite new. ¡°Well, coordinating with other groups to keep tabs on hunting zones is pretty useful, especially in real time. Whenever one of our guys saw something, they¡¯d tag it and we¡¯d flank it.¡± At that, they turned and pointed out the other three members, truly only leaving them one short. In spite of how dark it was outside, plenty of people were still awake in the lobby, the newly installed generator doing wonders for powering the building. They enjoyed air conditioning and some of the finer amenities as they talked, moving over to a small section near the edge of the cafeteria that was repurposed for some table-games like ping pong and the like. I noticed something as they moved, and on the backs of the two men before me. Their rifles had large extensions to their barrels, something that I immediately realized was a silencer. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s an oversight¡­¡± I murmured and winced at myself, realizing I could have been using one the entire time. ¡°What was that?¡± Louis asked, turning back to me. ¡°Nothing important,¡± I shrugged morosely, ¡°Any case, wanna check the ladder? See how many points you boys raked in?¡± They didn¡¯t seem to notice my embarrassment, ¡°Sure. I bet we¡¯re at least fifth place. How¡¯d your team do?¡± Another smile spread on my face, mirrored on my helmets opaque screen like a red demon, ¡°Oh, decently.¡± They shook their heads, and we made some small talk as we went to the screen. I enjoyed this, and the vague activity here and there where people sat around the larger screens was pleasant. I was afraid that the Legionaries would take themselves too seriously, but that looked like it was just me being paranoid. Some people sat at the new round tables with a screen built into the middles where teams could discuss plans and general details. There were even holographic displays if someone wanted to share a 3D image of something, which one such group was doing as they studied up on the anatomy of one of the biotic bears, trying to figure if there was a particular way to bring one down.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Information sharing in the Legion was king, never again did I want someone to die because they had no idea what to expect. Nothing short of a new entry or a Unique anyways. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s already a few teams,¡± Louis whistled, looking up at the large screen, red color predominant upon it, framed in black steel that gave the thing a very durable and almost sinister appearance. The first fifteen spots already had people in them based on teams with at least two people, though there was one guy in the rank three spot that was solo with 100 M.E. to his name. Unsurprisingly, my team had really raked in the points.
Rank 1: Matthew ¡°Reaper¡± Todd¡¯s Team (920 Points)
Rank 2: Louis Athello¡¯s Team (200 Points)
Rank 3: Richard ¡°Adder¡± Nordsen (100 Points)
¡°What and the actual hell, dude?¡± The two looked to me, ¡°How the hell did you guys rack up that many points? It¡¯s just ten percent of the kills, right?¡± I nodded, ¡°We took out a hive, they were a pain though, they didn¡¯t give much M.E. independently considering how much of a problem they were to kill.¡± ¡°That was the new entry, right? Gray Wolves, or somethin¡¯?¡± Benjamin asked, ¡°The file said they resurrect, how¡­ what did that even mean?¡± A wave of frustration washed over me at that, ¡°They literally came back together after getting destroyed. I think a few of them stopped getting back up, but we had to take out the core first to really stop it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯d do it, I guess.¡± Louis snickered as we looked back to the board. ¡°Who the hell is Richard Nordsen, anyways?¡± Louis added, and I found myself thinking that very same thing. Whoever it was, I think they had a class like myself. The middle part between the first and last name in quote seemed to be a class listing. Usually it¡¯d be a nickname, or cal-sign, but that¡¯s the most that I could guess. Some small piece of humor that the Legion would get something that sounded like a snake, all the better for taking things down. Still, I had to admit that I wanted to meet this person. He¡¯d had to have at least gotten 1000 M.E. solo in order to contribute that many points. It was only the first real day that we¡¯d been open. Maybe he was trying to establish himself? ¡°Hey, Matthew, some guy is here saying he wants to join, says you know him?¡± Someone called out from near the front of the building. I turned my gaze, as did some other curious onlookers, and immediately the man who stood there next to the Legionnaire glowered at the person who shouted. He seemed to take no small amount of pleasure in teasing the fellow, though. With a bemused shake of my head, I walked forward. Most people went back to what they were doing, chuckling or smirking at the man''s continued expense. Louis and Benjamin, curious, walked with me, interested in whatever might be going on. As I approached, I noticed something off about the pair of them. First off, the man who called us over was¡­ different. Nothing seemed out of place when I casually inspected him, but I felt some kind of sense of wariness wash over me as I approached. Even my suit responded, a pinprick of red appearing on my helmet, pointing at the man, a camera feed studying minute motions. It almost made me stop in my tracks. Smith was still somewhat in charge of my suits systems while I finished adjusting to them, but I didn¡¯t think this was him. This awareness came from me, and I realized what it was when I looked at his eyes. They were calm, collected, and had a cold quality about them like a snake¡¯s eyes, assessing both the man and now me. That was hardly something that I felt should set me at edge, even as I saw that his posture was relaxed and unguarded. A ghost of a smile traced his lips, friendly and normal, and a hand rested on his hip as he continued to speak to the man beside him in low tones. Even as he did so, though, I felt like his eyes never left me. We closed the distance, and for a heartbeat that anyone else would have missed, the two of us fully took measure of the other. Before that moment could linger and make things awkward, I spoke to the Legionnaire, ¡°The Adder, I presume?¡± He blinked in momentary surprise but quickly controlled it, his smile growing wider, and only then did I realize it was genuine. Was he just testing me? I realized that the sense I¡¯d felt from him vanished into thin air. Like a cold hand that I somehow only noticed when it left my shoulder. It was a surreal feeling, and I had to wonder if something to do with the Reaper part of me was active beyond what could be explained with mundane senses. ¡°Perhaps,¡± he answered coyly, ¡°The name¡¯s Richard Nordsen, pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± He nodded to me, though he didn¡¯t hold out his hand, ¡°I¡¯d like to talk at length, but I have to do something urgent right now. I hope you don¡¯t find that rude?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Not at all. My doors always open, or whenever you find me around.¡± He nodded gratefully to me and gave a passive farewell to the others. I wondered where the man had come from in the first place, he was younger than I was, that was certain. Thoughts rattled around in my head, considering who that guy was, and what he might want out of all of this. Admittedly, some of those thoughts came around to whether or not I could pull him into my team; I liked winning and having that Rank 1 spot a bit more than I thought I would. ¡°Anyways, you are?¡± I turned my gaze to the newcomer, and immediately had to keep myself from scowling. He wore a simple white shirt and camo-pants that were a bit baggy on his form. A scar on his face and the tattoo that slinked up from his collarbone into sight immediately struck me as someone I recalled. When Daniel and I had just finished being ¡®rewarded¡¯ our classes and came home, we were blocked by the Bulwark¡¯s men. One such individual was a prick who refused to let us get through to our home. Fran had apparently escalated the issue to one of the supervising officers, but I¡¯d never heard anything about it after, I wasn¡¯t terribly interested in it after all. A lot of things had happened since then. That particular prick was standing before me right now. And while I don¡¯t count myself as particularly petty, I had to admit there was a small part of me that immediately wanted to get him out of my face. The biggest reason not too, logically, was that he¡¯d simply made a mistake when he was on duty, and if I turned people away for accidents and making mistakes, I¡¯d be hard pressed to find help. If was honest, though, the real reason why I didn¡¯t turn him away then and there was the nervousness that seemed to waft off of him. It was tempered by grit, though, I could tell he fully expected to be rejected, but there was a hope there that kept his gaze strong and his chin set. ¡°My name is Jack Knight.¡± He introduced himself without skipping a beat. At this, I paused, still thinking about what I wanted to do. I couldn¡¯t keep some of my displeasure from seeping into my posture, and all three of the men around me could clearly tell that I was less than happy. Before I could speak and allay any concerns, Jack hurriedly spoke up again. ¡°I wanted to apologize before anything else. Back when I was on the cordone and keeping people away, I really thought you and your friend were just trying to sneak up to the obelisk. I know an excuse isn¡¯t going to help, especially since I breached the protocol there, but I wanted to ask for your forgiveness on that, even if I don¡¯t have the right to join your Legion here.¡± The words spilled out quickly, but clearly. And I completely forgot how to speak for the next several seconds. A silence settled over the group, Louis and Benjamin lightly cringing at what they assumed was me remaining nonplussed and unimpressed. My helmet, luckily, shielded the fact that I totally had no idea how to deal with this. He just apologized to me, and I think it was definitely the most stiff and formal apology I¡¯d ever received. On top of that, it was earnest and he seemed to mean every word of it! I mean, it was kind of nice, but at the same time, what do I even respond with?... I sighed loudly, but before anyone could hopefully misinterpret the gesture I spoke. ¡°Alright, alright, I appreciate your apology and¡­ I guess I forgive you?¡± I almost felt like my skin writhed in embarrassment. The look on his face was almost palpable, and I cringed at myself even as I realized that Louis and Benjamin almost barked in laughter behind me, Smooth, ¡®I guess I forgive you?¡¯ the hell is that? It¡¯s yes or no! [Excellent inter-social interactions. I¡¯ll be sure to show you this moment later.] Smith¡¯s voice practically dripped with sadistic amusement. ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine.¡± I hurriedly gesticulated, ¡°I may be a bit petty sometimes, but not that bad. I do have some questions though, and answer them truthfully. Honestly, I¡¯m not turning away people at this point, unless I think they¡¯re a danger to those around them.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well, I¡¯m definitely not?¡± He blinked, a visible amount of tension draining from his shoulders. I gave him a pass on the half-question half-answer. ¡°Come, let''s sit down. And you two come with, you¡¯ll be the witnesses on this one.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing what?¡± Benjamin quirked a brow, ¡°Witnessing is a thing now?¡± ¡°Special case for the peanut gallery,¡± I shrugged noncommittally. They clearly didn¡¯t believe that, but we moved on anyways, finding a place around one of the small tables with a projector built in. I tapped into it with my suit. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start simple. Why do you want to join my Legion?¡± I asked, finding comfort in the process. Jack didn¡¯t miss a beat, ¡°I¡¯m tired of sitting in the city and not doing anything. I want to fight biotics.¡± I paused at that, ¡°Hmm¡­ I want to be perfectly clear on this point. What we do here isn¡¯t going to be gentle on you, or probably your sanity. It comes with its perks, but the fact of the matter is that you¡¯ll be going out into biotic-controlled regions to hunt them down and gather information. It¡¯s not going to be some heroic march, out one and only concern is to kill them, no matter what kind of method we have to abuse. That might be boring, it might not. You might eventually want to quit because you¡¯re tired of doing nothing but killing them day in and day out. That might not sound like much, but I¡¯m predicting that the biggest reason why people will leave is just being sick of killing them over and over. Can you do that?¡± My words seemed to surprise him. I think he expected me to roll right on through to more questions, but he did, to his credit, give what I said a few seconds of thought. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind it. Honestly, it¡¯s not the boredom that¡¯s getting to me, I¡¯m just worried that we¡¯re not¡­¡± He hesitated, looking to me like I might not like what he was going to say. ¡°Go ahead, free license here.¡± I nodded to him. ¡°Err¡­ well, not to say you guys aren¡¯t doing a lot already, but I¡¯m just afraid that it¡¯s¡­ not enough?¡± He swallowed, and then added quickly, ¡°I mean, as in it¡¯s just too slow, like we need to pick up the pace. I already heard that there were some crazy biotics starting to come out of the woodwork, I just want to get rid of them before we have something so bad that we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± There was a heavy silence then, and I could tell that the men at my sides were in a brooding silence. Perhaps they thought the same. In any case, I couldn¡¯t say that I could fault Jack for his fears. They were, after all, quite valid to me. ¡°I had more questions in mind¡­ but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be necessary.¡± I nodded to him, catching his surprise with a bit of amusement. ¡°Louis and Benjamin, can you take him into your team? He should be decent at least, but I want your team up to snuff to handle the moderate threats.¡± ¡°Do we get a say in that?¡± Benjamin coughed. ¡°I mean, I could find another spot for Jack,¡± I shrugged. ¡°Not that,¡± Louis pointedly leaned forward, ¡°What if we don¡¯t want to handle bigger problems?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have too, but you won¡¯t stay rank 2 with that attitude.¡± I goaded them, ¡°I mean, Adder¡¯s in third and was solo, whats your guys¡¯ excuse again?¡± ¡°Oh, really now? Them be fightin¡¯ words, bub,¡± Benjamin mocked offense, his curly bearded chin up in a comical display, ¡°Better guard your lead, we¡¯ll be taking it from you soon enough!¡± ¡°If you think you can.¡± The red gleam from my helmet shone brightly as I challenged the men. They grinned back, and then rose while officially introducing themselves to Jack. After another moment, Jack called to me as they virtually dragged him away, ¡°You won¡¯t regret this!¡± I let out a quiet sigh, and uttered low so only I would hear it. ¡°I hope not¡­ just don¡¯t die out there.¡± Allowing myself to linger there, I wondered just how many people I would possibly send off to die in the wilderness. No casualties so far, but that couldn¡¯t hold forever. I knew we were strong in spirits now, but what about when the dying started? What about when we didn¡¯t even know where someone had disappeared too? What would the Legion do then? A gnawing sensation of anxiety rolled through me before I found myself clamping down on it like a steel trap. We¡¯d kill every last goddamned biotic that dared show its face around us. If someone went missing, we¡¯d steam roll over every horror in our way. I rose from my seat, moving off to the second floor and my now revamped personal office space and room. We¡¯re The Reaper¡¯s Legion, and I¡¯d make sure that our Legion would be here to stay¡­ End Chapter 17 of The Reaper¡¯s Legion The Reaper¡¯s Legion Founding Arc Complete Chapter 18: Strangers In The Woods -Jeremy Strauss P.O.V.- I briefly enjoyed the breeze through the forest, soft and gentle looking trees entirely unlike the tall and bristley pines I was used too from the west. The dim light from the near constant state of overcast cast the forest in a serene and almost dreary atmosphere. Some thought of it as creepy, but it was honestly some of the most beautiful scenery I could ask for. The sixteen or so wolf corpses shattered across branches and bushes, silvery gleaming blood dancing in the light, only made it moreso. ¡°Good job guys,¡± I nodded to the team around me, keeping my voice down. In specific, I walked up to our resident scout, Sammy Burbaker, a lanky, short fellow who, with his nose piercing right at the bridge and his moody attire selection of a hoodie, would easily pass as an edgy youth. Even so, the guy was anything but, good humored though soft spoken, there¡¯s never a day that I regret having taken the - admittedly excessive - time to win him over. I didn¡¯t even do it for a particular reason. Though, I guess if you had to twist my arm I¡¯d guess he just happened to fit the role of a son I never had. Being forty and having no kids might do that to a man, honestly I just liked his company all the same. ¡°Jer, how many groups is that now?¡± The teenager asked, stretching as he flipped the safety switch on his ¡®modified¡¯ assault rifle. I did the same with my own, ¡°Five? Allendra, you got the number?¡± The short but well built woman of vaguely oriental descent made a nearly imperceptible motion with her head, tilting slightly. ¡°Mmm¡­ that¡¯s eighty-two wolves.¡± She hefted the heavier than normal rifle over her shoulder like it weighed paper. She used to be military, one of three in my group, not that we really cared. Sammy¡¯s aim was crap, but he had extra clips to practice with now, the rest of us were pretty good anyways. Allendra, however, was a monster with sharpshooting. And her equally sharp appearance, half of her hair braided and parted on the left side of her head and the other side pulled back into a strangely good looking ponytail, and the black and white combat gear she wore that bulked her form with quite a decent armor gave her a pretty exotic look. ¡°Oh! I got one!¡± A sudden exclamation and muffled clap through gloved hands drew my attention. The man had the sides of his hair shaved, the top low cut, and had a stubble growing on his chin. He was quite handsome, and if it weren¡¯t for his obnoxious hobby I might actually be willing to admit out loud that I counted him as a good friend and invaluable teammate. He wore rough leather clothes mostly, and almost every piece was newly purchased from the obelisk. ¡°I am given to others sometimes. But when I am, I am no more. Though, some seek me exclusively, I can be ever elusive. What am I?¡± Jackson Grober asked the question to the resounding sigh of almost everyone. ¡°I¡¯d suggest your brain, save for the caveat that you have none in the first place.¡± A dry humored man with a wide grin spoke. His eyes, while sometimes taking on a far away and distant look like he¡¯d seen some horrifying things, had a glint in them. I wouldn¡¯t call it a twinkle of amusement, I¡¯m pretty sure Adam Burke¡¯s very soul might not really be capable of experiencing such an emotional high. ¡°Given that, I¡¯m going to say that you are a ¡®Secret¡¯?¡± If Jackson took any offense to the shorter than average mans first comment, he didn¡¯t show it. He grinned widely, taking the medics humor in stride and answered, ¡°Yup, damn, I knew it was too easy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s black and blue and red all over?¡± Denice Amore, dark skinned and ruggedly beautiful, called out with her toothy and broad smile. I¡¯ve never seen a woman more well built than her, and I¡¯ve also never questioned my own masculinity and my criteria for the opposite sex so much as since she¡¯d joined up with us. ¡°Please, not that abomination,¡± Jackson cringed at the overdone riddle. Denice laughed, ¡°Well, it¡¯d be harder than what you¡¯ve been pitching. That¡¯s 11-1 in Adam¡¯s favor today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t encourage him,¡± Adam¡¯s monotone response was taken as a joke to everyone, getting a giggle at Jackson¡¯s expense. Adam tossed wrapped packages of jerky to everyone a moment later, something I took as his way of making sure everyone knew he was joking. Or maybe just appeasing us, though that¡¯d make me feel perhaps that he found us like animals¡­ Well, nothing for it. I bit into the tender jerky and sighed gratefully. The obelisk had all but made our normal rations inadequate. ¡°Alright, let''s get a move on, we¡¯ve got a lot of ground to cover since those twerps went and jumped the gun.¡± I ordered, designated team leader. I had seniority - in terms of my years alive anyways - and everyone seemed to like me well enough to join up with me. ¡°Louis and them picked up a greenhorn, by the way,¡± Allendra picked up on who I was talking about, ¡°Ex-bulwark.¡± ¡°You gotta say ¡®Ex-bulwark¡¯ like it¡¯s a bad thing?¡± Denice¡¯s frown at Allendra was washed out as Allendra cast a glance to her. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re bad guys and gals. But sitting on their asses while we do the hunting? I don¡¯t remember when I said that it was okay that they get a cut of the Legion¡¯s haul.¡± ¡°Take it up with Reaper then,¡± Adam¡¯s flatter than usual tone betraying that he was tired of this particular line of conversation, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to tell you why it¡¯s needed.¡± Allendra opened her mouth, only for Jackson to cut her off, ignoring the momentary glare she sent his way, ¡°But why is that needed anyways? Can¡¯t they just¡­ I don¡¯t know, do what we¡¯re doing right now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s better, a few specialized teams that won¡¯t die to stupid shit out here, or a bunch of idiots fighting each other for prime hunting spots?¡± Sammy deflected the question with his own, a rare moment where he spoke up. Granted, I still wasn¡¯t sure if this was ¡®mad¡¯ Sammy or him just guiding the conversation. ¡°Fair point,¡± muttered Allendra, ¡°I¡¯d still like to know what they¡¯re really going to be doing with it. I don¡¯t mind it going to regular people, but I don¡¯t want them lining their pockets.¡± I froze, fist coming up closed and over my shoulder as I dropped into a lower stance, gun planted firmly into my shoulder. The conversation died instantly as we spread out, hiding among the trees. Carefully I watched the forest ahead of me, listening. From the corner of my eye I saw Sammy and Allendra come up on my 3 o''clock, Sammy¡¯s eyes set forward as well, searching for whatever I¡¯d seen. Allendra as well, sighting her even more heavily modified rifle with the scope and a small attached screen on the side of the weapon. She glanced to both, casting a quick glance to me and giving me the hand-sign for ¡®no-target¡¯ that we¡¯d agreed upon. I went lower to the ground, hiding among the brush as Sammy carefully moved to my side. ¡°What¡¯d you see?¡± His mouse-quiet voice barely reached my ear. ¡°Something tan colored moved, man-sized. Might be some guy out there¡­ Can you scout it?¡± I trusted Sammy to do this quietly, but if he felt it was bad, he¡¯d also drop and run. Exactly what I wanted from my scout. He nodded, wordlessly slinking off. As soon as he got fifteen feet away, I couldn¡¯t even hear him anymore, let alone see him. He¡¯d picked up something from the obelisk, but he didn¡¯t say what. All I knew is that he was on another level of sneaky compared to what he was before. Behind me, I could hear Denise slot a grenade into her launcher tube, ready for a bear. We¡¯d all seen the impressive loadout from joining The Reaper¡¯s Legion, the information available frankly mind boggling. Unlike a Louis and Benjamin, we¡¯d planned our hunts, eventualities for dangerous incidents. Like them, we kitted for silence, and we intended to clear out easier low-hanging fruit - or biotics in this case - before we kitted up for taking on bigger stuff. We were wary of bears, but Denise could put one down with a good headshot with her grenades. Theoretically. If not, we had plenty other options. We needed to up the ante, especially after getting outclassed by not two, but three teams, one of them solo hunting, but that didn¡¯t mean we were going to be hive-killing anytime soon. And Allendra made sure that if we even got a wiff of a unique that we¡¯d know and be hightailing it before we even had to make eye contact. One eye had practically been glued to that screen on the side of her gun all day. I was far from understating how much we were all glad for that investment. That thing Wolven was a nightmare none of us wanted to deal with on even terms. My thoughts were interrupted as Sammy intentionally made a slight ¡®click¡¯ noise as he approached, making sure we knew it was him and wouldn¡¯t shoot at him. He made plenty of noise after that, strolling up to me. We shook hands, our hands around each other''s forearms in greeting, a ritual for good luck as I insisted upon it. Honestly I did it before only because it bothered the hell out of the kid to have physical contact. ¡°Nothing that I can see, unless it''s better than I am at hiding.¡± He nodded, to me. I chuckled, turning to the others as Allendra made what amounted to a choked shout. We all turned to see what she was gawking at, and saw a creature standing in the woods ahead of us, completely upright and appeared to be looking at its slightly lifted arm curiously. It was humanoid, but didn¡¯t look like a human at all, gnarled looking, almost like roots or fungus had mixed with a human skeletal structure. It wasn¡¯t particularly hideous somehow, mostly covered by smooth material, a slightly warped physical form, one arm too long by a few inches, a leg too big compared to the other. I held up my hand at the sound of safeties flipping off. ¡°Wait.¡± They did, and at that the being looked to me, and then began to mimic my movement. I frowned, slowly lowering my hand to my gun and bringing it up, leaning down to a firing stance.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Every movement was perfectly copied, though it looked silly without a gun in its hand, especially given that I could blow its chest open easily like this. There wasn¡¯t seemingly a single trace of fear in it. ¡°Allendra, what do you got?¡± I murmured, hearing her muttering under her breath. ¡°Its¡­ ummm.¡± She answered in clear confusion, ¡°Jackson?¡± It was rare that she ever seemed flustered, and Jackson was the only other member of our team with obelisk related tech like hers. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, no idea.¡± He looked at his own version, an eyepiece on his head that would give him the general readout of whatever he was looking at. ¡°It looks¡­ like something? The signature is really weak, but it''s definitely a biotic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s informative.¡± Adam murmured, ¡°This technology certainly is useful.¡± ¡°Back away slow, guys.¡± I ordered, ¡°Keep eyes all around us.¡± ¡°I see three more,¡± Sammy¡¯s voice quivered momentarily before he brought his rifle up, ¡°They¡¯re not moving any closer than the first one though.¡± I nodded, the lot of us backed away, and unnervingly the bonemen did the same thing, moving exactly as we did, and as more came, they even mimicked our formation. Three separate formations consisting of eighteen bonemen. ¡°What the hell are they doing?¡± Denice grit her teeth, unsettled at seeing her every move copied not just once but three times across the way. ¡°Who cares? They¡¯re not attacking us, so we regroup and get information to the Legion.¡± I heard Jackson¡¯s terse reply, he wasn¡¯t any happier about what was going on here. ¡°They¡¯re not attacking us at all,¡± Sammy observed, ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re only here to copy us?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much I like that, but don¡¯t shoot unless they come at us first. I don¡¯t wanna be the guy responsible for killing the defenseless and non-aggressive biotics when we tell Reaper about this stuff.¡± That sentiment seemed to be shared if the murmurs from everyone indicated anything. We did, however, pick up the pace to get back to town. This was beyond unnerving. Jackson suddenly smirked, ¡°Bet you that this find is gonna be worth more than however many points Louis and his team can get.¡± I suppressed a laugh, but had to admit that this would beat the hell out of any achievement most of the other teams would probably be able to get for a bit. Supposing we got to the city alive, hopefully these things wouldn¡¯t decide they were hungry. -Jack Knight¡¯s P.O.V.- There weren¡¯t many things that I thought I could be surprised by anymore. I¡¯d thought that to be in fair estimation, after all how much more could happen when the world was hit by several meteors and invaded by aliens? Well, joke was on me. The obelisk, or rather several of them probably, had completely flipped the situation on its head. I¡¯m still not sure if that was a good thing or not, because as of yet nobody really seems to know what the general plan is. At least, most people don¡¯t seem too. There are a few out there that seem to have an idea, that seem to get it. That we¡¯re actually sitting on a veritable goldmine and some kind of freakily amazing technology is able to somehow magically siphon off whatever the hell kind of juice biotics have in them when they die. It¡¯s still an amazing prospect for me, and that would be exactly why I was out in the woods hunting biotics when a few weeks ago I¡¯d have just laughed and laughed at the idea of having enough ammo to even remotely think about doing this very same thing. ¡°Jack, what¡¯s the first thing you want to look for when hunting biotics?¡± The team leader, Louis, called out. Probably a slavering wolf, should you even be shouting right now? I bit down on that comment, ¡°Probably tracks.¡± Louis opened his mouth to talk, only for Benjamin¡¯s timely interruption, ¡°I swear to god, Lou, if you say it I¡¯m going to sma--¡± ¡°Your gun!¡± He called out cheerily! The sound of a groan coming from the rest of the team - and myself, I realized - enunciated that this wasn¡¯t the first awful joke he¡¯d had. ¡°Why did I join you, again?¡± I called out, unable to keep a slight smirk off my face. Ashley Deed, an attractive woman a few years older than me with a tightly bound bun of hair and a rifle expertly carried in her arms, answered with mirth. ¡°Because you¡¯re as dumb as the rest of these guys?¡± I frowned at that, to which she winked at me, ¡°Sorry, I meant ¡®earnest,¡¯ not dumb.¡± ¡°No, she definitely meant dumb,¡± Liam Neema, a fellow of middle-eastern ancestry, spoke. ¡°Just us,¡± The last man of the team, Joseph Aerington, was a bright eyed and broad shouldered man with a bit more girth to him than most. He patted Liam on the shoulder with a knowing look. ¡°Just us.¡± His reiteration earned him a perplexed look from Liam, who just shook his head while Ashley smirked. The forest around us was as silent as it seemed to always be these days. We hadn¡¯t run into any living wolves at all, though we did run into some evidence that someone else had. I pointed out yet another example to that fact, ¡°Found another wolf.¡± The others stirred from their mirth, a brief flash of the seriousness that lurked under the surface. ¡°Make that two more,¡± Liam called out, ¡°Whoever¡¯s taking these things out had better leave us some.¡± ¡°Should we change direction, then?¡± Benjamin muttered as he rested against a tree. He scanned the area around him, looking off into the brush for any sign of living things. I found myself doing the same thing, though I also found myself flabbergasted that the trip so far had been so¡­ uneventful. ¡°Again?¡± Louis huffed, and then shrugged a few moments later after giving it some genuine thought, ¡°Probably, I mean, whoever¡¯s out here is doing a little too thorough of a job for us to bother.¡± I nodded, leaning over the wolf corpse with a vague sense of interest. It was much easier on the eyes to look, I didn¡¯t even want to think about what an actual wolf might look like when hit by rifle fire. They smelled more like iron and damp dirt than anything particularly foul, some small mercy compared to if these were actual dogs. The hound was breaking down, but even I could tell that something had torn into it. Part of me wished I knew more about forensics and such, though. Looking at the thing, I could barely tell how many bullets it took to bring the thing down. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d say something just stabbed right through its chest with a stick. That¡¯d be ridiculous, of course, why would anyone want to bother getting into a melee with these things? Probably just a really big shell or something. ¡°Well, whatever we¡¯re doing, I want to take a quick five anyways.¡± Louis called out to the rest of us, ¡°Jack, how far out are we?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± I paused, glancing at the virtual map on a small wrist mounted watch. ¡°Display says we¡¯re barely five miles out.¡± Ashley sighed, ¡°Well, that¡¯s depressing.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been zigzagging, nothin¡¯ for it,¡± Liam offered some kind of consolation, ¡°At least it looks like the biotics here in the north west are pretty scarce.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ashley continued muttering in dismay. Yesterday she¡¯d been thrilled to have managed to help get our team on the board. Second place was pretty impressive considering the board hadn¡¯t been open long. Granted, the disparity in points between the number one spot and their own was pretty ridiculous now. ¡°They were crawling the area yesterday,¡± said Benjamin with a nod, ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more around. I doubt any single team could clear the entire area so quick.¡± That made sense, as far as he knew there was only one other team that had gone out this way. At least, according to the limited detection capabilities the Reaper database had for everyone¡¯s use. ¡°Alright, Jack, Ash, Ben, you three on first rotation for watch. We¡¯ll eat and swap after.¡± Louis casually dished out orders. I followed Ashley and Benjamin¡¯s lead, they nodded and took up positions around the group, fifteen feet away, keeping Louis, Liam, and Joseph in the middle of our 3-point formation. I glared at the forest, the dim light filtering down through the trees and the sky, the sound of conversation carrying on behind me. Part of me was a little disappointed in the showing, this was far less dangerous than I¡¯d been led to believe. But, I could tell that Benjamin and Ashley took their positions seriously, and even though the topics of conversation were lighthearted, they were kept low in volume. I doubted that our voices would carry far, an embankment of soil rising off to one side where a broad hill would only help with displacing our noise. I froze a moment later, slowly bringing my rifle up to my shoulder, silencer mounted to help with keeping from letting every biotic for miles from knowing where we were if we needed to take a shot at something. There was a sound, almost imperceptible, but without the backdrop of birdsong in the trees, or the rustling of the wind, it was just barely audible. As quietly as I could managed, I knelt down and pressed the button on my earpiece, whispering as loudly as I dared, ¡°I think we have company.¡± The conversation behind me died as I heard shuffling feet as Louis and the rest of the team covered behind trees. In complete silence we waited, and watched, eyes surveying for anything out of place, anything that moved. We saw nothing, but could heard something, several things, moving towards us now. ¡°I got one over here,¡± I heard Ashley¡¯s voice, ¡°it¡¯s not a wolf.¡± That made my blood run cold, and judging by the tenseness in Loius voice following up, I doubted he felt any better. ¡°Biotic?¡± He muttered his question. Gunfire erupted out, even muffled by the silencer on Liam¡¯s weapon it was mind-numbingly load to the stark silence we¡¯d had before. ¡°Brought one down,¡± He called, voice tight with strain. ¡°What the fuck was that!¡± I grit my teeth as Benjamin snarled into the radio, coming up and at attention with his weapon, looking for other targets. The rest of us did too, seeing no other sign. Ashley¡¯s voice was high, near hysterical, ¡°I just lost sight on mine!¡± She panned around, trying to find any evidence that they¡¯d even been there. Silence once more reigned supreme, pregnant with the promise of a fight that we dreaded would be coming any moment now. And yet, nothing moved, no sound came, it was like they were never there. Even so, I balked at the thought of moving from my spot of relative safety, there was no way in hell I¡¯d be moving without knowing for sure what was going on. The same was not true of the stomping of the short but sturdy vice-leader of the group as he bore down on Liam. ¡°Why did you shoot? At the least we could have coordinated! Jesus man, now we have no idea how many there even were!¡± His eyes were wide in aggravation, but also anxiety, ¡°What even did you shoot at?¡± Liam seemed at a loss for a minute, and bit down a retort. Mostly, ¡°I took a clear shot, what? We were supposed to be shooting biotics! And I don¡¯t know what it was, some kinda¡­ freaky humanoid looking thing.¡± It just so happened that I was looking at Louis when Liam was saying that, and I could see the way the color drained from his face. ¡°We need to leave. Now. That¡¯s a new biotic, maybe a unique. Pack it in,¡± He ordered, the building irritation in Benjamin seemingly vanishing as he shook his head and moved. My nerves jittered, adrenaline still pumped fiercely in my veins. Whatever was out here, we weren¡¯t equipped for it. It was stealthy, and to now wolves didn¡¯t bother being especially sneaky. That changed the game, we needed detection gear. We moved closer and then started pulling back, trying to keep an eye out. It was then that I heard Joseph grunt, and fall. We turned to look, his face flushing red when he realized he¡¯d simply tripped on a root. We were frozen in place as we watched. A hand was extended for Joseph to rise, and he took it. Then he looked up at the creature that hand belonged too, humanoid but so very not human. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Was all I heard him mutter, and then the shocked screaming started. Liam shouldered his rifle, barely aiming down the sights as he readied to shoot right past Joseph. He didn¡¯t notice the strange, almost six foot tall human-shaped thing that looked like it was made of bulky bone and fleshed out with smooth, taut fungus-looking muscles, standing behind him. It embraced him in what looked like a hug, and all of a sudden Liam was firing straight into the air. Ashley¡¯s and Benjamins shouts and struggles met my ears as Louis called out something. His words never met my ears as I pivoted, looking to put my back to a tree. I stared at the nearly faceless thing, and instinctively lashed out with a smack with the butt of my rifle. It reeled back, stunned from the hit and putting a warped hand to the side of its head and¡­ whimpered? That was¡­ odd. It then tilted its head at me, holding the side of its face almost like it was asking ¡°Why did you hit me?¡± And then another one came up behind me, wrapping me in a bear hug. Blood pulsed in my veins, adrenaline, panic, I writhed and squirmed even as the fungaloid bone man I hit picked me up by my feet with a strange almost bird-song chortle, decidedly more cheerful than I thought it should sound. Just like that, I and my team were being carried off deep into the forest. ¡°Let me go! What in the actual hell!?¡± I managed to decry my consternation, and then felt a strange sensation wash over me. I was¡­ very sleepy¡­ I shouldn¡¯t¡­ ... Chapter 19: The Difference In Design To the casual observer, my ceiling must have seemed to be quite the fascinating thing. At least, given how focused I was on the ceiling, my helmet peeled back with a look of concentration on my face. The gleam of red in my eyes betrayed the true objective of my gaze, the screens that lit upon my sight from the Obelisk system giving me scrolling lists of objects and materials that could be purchased. ¡°Smith¡­ have you noticed something weird about these two lists?¡± I uttered, talking low in spite of being in my own room. Talking to another version of myself wasn¡¯t something I was comfortable with around other people still. I could, of course, simply think to him, but being wrapped up in my own thoughts for several sleepless hours now was too much. [Yes, honestly I¡¯m surprised it took you so long to notice it. Of course, I have the benefit of a¡­ different point of view.] A smugness emanated from Smith¡¯s voice, his gravelly words sending a tingle down my spine. The words also brought a grimace to my face. ¡°You didn¡¯t think that it¡¯d be an important thing to bring up?¡± A deceptively level tone leaked from my lips. In a rare moment of flustered backtracking, Smith spluttered [O-of course I was going to mention it, you were having so much trouble sleeping already I didn¡¯t¡­ err... ] He coughed then, [In any case, it seems the Reaper shop is giving access to some advanced weapons that aren¡¯t quite so available in the normal shop.] ¡°You noticed the other part, right?¡± I plied him for more, seeing if he noticed a different bit of information than I had. It was odd to want to one-up myself, I¡¯ll freely admit that, but there was something so very satisfying about it at the same time. [That is¡­ of course¡­ there¡¯s¡­] He paused, muttering to himself as I felt an additional tug of information, [Ah, curious, it looks like the price of comparable laser weaponry in the Obelisk system is dramatically more expensive.] I nodded, grinning, ¡°And one more thing, did you notice? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you didn¡¯t, given that I have a different point of view.¡± He took my mockery well. By huffing and scrolling through information quickly, comparing the two lists. I felt information pull through my mind like a torrent, rather than the gentle tug from before. I grit my teeth and bore it, satisfaction rising faster than my discomfort at every moment. When finally he stopped and let out an exasperated sigh, I was beaming a massive toothy grin. ¡°Give up?¡± [You¡¯re insufferable at times, you know that?] He quipped, [Perhaps I¡¯ll show you all of your social faux paus after all.] I cringed, ¡°Ah, hey, we don¡¯t need to go that far. It¡¯s actually something that I noticed after a while, but you haven¡¯t really messed with it too much.¡± I sat up, staring at the mirror and an armory rack against my wall. The mirror was a simple wall mirror that had been in the office all along. The armory rack was a new addition, adorned with black grating and angular braces that held the assortment of weapons that I would be using day to day. Bulbous red and black forms, dull red glow from within gleaming through lines of transparent material, my grenades hung in banded rings. On the opposite side to them on the rack, ten mines, flat disks of about four inches in diameter with a twist cap and smart sensor ring at the top rested. Between them rested two crossed blades, the reaper reaver blades a meter long with a black blade seemed to drink the light of the room to filter it into the gleaming red edge of the thin serrated swords. Above and below those were my main weapons, my triple barreled reaper reaver rifle imparting an image of a ruthless and cruel weapon, designed for the purpose of butchering an opponent. The three barrels could snap together magnetically for a convenient sniper rifle, a setting that I hadn¡¯t found too much need to use as of yet. It could certainly burn through ammo though, and it packed a nasty punch. Though, the reaper reaver trench gun was certainly no slouch in that regard. If anything it was far messier, throwing huge scatter slugs of superheated projectiles at semi-auto or full-auto settings. It bore a small heat shield that worked quite well for any fragments that might bounce back, or to help against general projectiles. It bore a bayonet extension as well, though I doubted I¡¯d ever really put that to use - what was the point of a shotgun if not to blow someone to pieces in near melee range? Realistically I knew it had better range than that, but corner-clearing was the specialty of the weapon. The fact that I¡¯d realized, however, had less to do with the firepower of my arsenal, but instead the availability of my weapons to others. Specifically, I could order multiple of any of them so far, but I¡¯d noticed a rather disturbing trend. My reaper reaver rifle had started at 200 M.E., a cost that had now more than tripled in my shop for 700 M.E. That change was mirrored by the Trench gun now costing 800 M.E., a far cry from its original purchase of 200 M.E. Meanwhile, my grenades and mines had increased as well, though only by a nearly negligible amount at this point, I had to wonder how long until those would be far too expensive to be sustainable. Out of curiosity, I checked the reaper modified rifle, a fairly generic weapon that once upon a time I¡¯d purchased at 35 M.E. with a bayonet. It now cost 50 M.E. and seemed to begin to increase slightly more with every purchase for fueling the Legion. Why? Well, the answer isn¡¯t concrete, but I think I know the general concept. One look into the shop that anyone without a class would have access too easily told me that a special weapon, or a weapon that was of non-earth origin, was already dramatically more expensive, or simply not available at all. One good example would be a smart grenade, which I figure to be the equivalent to my reaper ¡®claymore¡¯ grenades. They cost 40 M.E., four times as much as my version cost. There were many other examples as well, ranging from a laser pistol for a mind-numbing 4,000 M.E. to a plasma rifle that sold for 20,000 M.E. To put that in perspective, you could buy a ¡®small¡¯ battle-tank for 6,000 M.E., and somehow I don¡¯t think that the plasma rifle was actually quite so amazing to warrant the price tag. Some kind of inflation was in effect. Especially considering some incredibly advanced computer systems, manufacturing, and even power infrastructure was worth so little in the way of M.E. Everything trended away from arming us with space-age tech, but everything that had an earth-level tech was for far more reasonable prices. I pointed all of that out to Smith who then was very quiet for some time. [I think we should ask Sis why this seems to be the case.] Smith broke the silence, [I suspect she wouldn¡¯t be intentionally making arming ourselves harder. But that¡¯s the only conclusion I can readily come too. Unless¡­] ¡°Unless there¡¯s something else going on in the background.¡± I murmured, both of us in agreement. ¡°Then let¡¯s see if she¡¯s busy.¡± I touched the symbol on the back of my hand, thinking my directive to the general A.I. To my surprise, the response was nearly immediate. Energy crackled into existence in front of me, much more defined now than she was yesterday. Sis appeared almost as a teenage girl, bountiful hair that spilled over her shoulders. She seemed far more attentive than before, her digital eyes shined with an exuberance that complimented the soft smile she sported. [¡°Matthew, Smith, you had questions?¡±] A crystal clear voice called out over the air, a quality that I hadn¡¯t noticed was lacking until it was suddenly before me. I paused for a heartbeat, surprised at her sudden arrival and liveliness. I shook my head, amused, ¡°Well, I was expecting to get your automated system, but I guess you¡¯re not too busy?¡± She beamed, [¡°I¡¯m always busy, but I owe you a more personal touch, I think. And besides, you rarely ask questions that my automations can answer very easily.¡±] [Mmm¡­ quite.] Smith seemed to nod to himself, [We are rather unique, are we not?] Sis entirely ignored that as she spoke, [¡°In any case, what¡¯s come up?¡±] I couldn¡¯t miss the touch of amusement on her face with Smith¡¯s dejectedness then. ¡°Well, we discovered that weapons not from earth are incredibly expensive. Not just that, but military-grade weapons in general seem to be inflated in general. Why is that?¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Sis¡¯ sigh rolled through the air, [¡°Ah, yes, that¡­¡±] I waited as she stopped talking, putting a hand to her chin while she was thinking. She seemed to be genuinely trying to figure a good way to formulate her thoughts, and she fidgeted as she did so. For a computer to be so life-like, I wondered how many machines in the universe might be so much like a living thing that I wouldn¡¯t be able to really tell the difference. Then again, that probably wouldn¡¯t even be a remote concern what with the biotics being a problem. [¡°Well,¡±] She interrupted my musings, [¡°The simple answer is that I wasn¡¯t designed for producing weapons in the first place. It¡¯s all quite a bit more complicated, but the Obelisk system was created to harness Matter Energy for frontier colonization mostly. Infrastructure, food, materials, that kind of thing. Weapons were less necessary, and not much more than recreational tools and toys were included. Though, I can get around that a bit by utilizing existing technologies to some extent, using highly advanced weaponry has always been an issue.¡±] My brain seemed to halt all activity at that. I blinked away a haze of confusion that quickly seized my thoughts as I regathered myself. ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re supposed to be a terraforming, colonizing type of system? Is that what I¡¯m understanding?¡± [¡°Yes, for the most part,¡±] She answered sheepishly, [¡°I¡¯m still trying, but it¡¯s hard to work with my own programming. Otherwise, I¡¯d be able to bring down the price penalty.¡±] ¡°Why don¡¯t you let someone help reprogram you?¡± I asked, and immediately felt odd having said that out loud. It must how showed on my face, because Sis chuckled. [¡°While letting someone tinker with what effectively amounts to my brain sounds risky under the best of circumstances, I¡¯m also designed with several failsafes to prevent that from occuring. It can get rather uncomfortable for all parties involved.¡±] Smith thought aloud [So what of the original programmers? Surely your makers would be amicable to change parameters based on current events.] Sis¡¯ expression lost all energy for a moment, but in that moment I felt a deep sadness. A coldness settled on my shoulders even as she cheerily answered. [¡°Unfortunately, that is impossible as my makers are all gone. First victims to the biotics, I¡±m afraid.¡±] She folded her arms behind her, resting against the wall as more of her body came into being. ¡°I¡­ have another question then,¡± numbness sat in my gut, ¡°Did they, your makers, find biotics? Or did they make them?¡± Sis nodded slowly, looking at the floor, [¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯m not very sure of. I only was¡­ ¡®awoken¡¯ after my people were gone. I don¡¯t know much about them even, only roughly where they are and what I was built for. Using Matter Energy to help species with terraforming and setting up industrial processes renewably. I don¡¯t know why I don¡¯t have access to weapons when biotics are so clearly a threat, nobody does. No one even really knows how biotics came to be, the only ones who do aren¡¯t around anymore.¡±] For the longest time I simply stared in thought at her. It was a good thing I was already sitting down, the information had knocked the wind out of me. There were implications here, of course, that biotics were probably made rather than a natural formation. Probably by the very people who made the Obelisks in the first place. And judging by the look on Sis¡¯ face, that was not a fact lost on her. ¡°Thanks,¡± I managed numbly, ¡°That, uh, I think that¡¯ll be all for now.¡± [¡°Of course,¡±] She nodded, a sad look on her face that pulled at my heart guiltily. I couldn¡¯t just let her leave like that, ¡°Hey, Sis¡­ thanks for being here. I know we¡¯d be pretty screwed without you here.¡± She looked at me again, and a brightness seemed to flare into being in her eyes again, and a beaming smile on her face as she stared at me expectantly. ¡°Well, you know, just thought you should know,¡± I shrugged awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck. She nodded, smile still beaming, [¡°I appreciate that, Matthew. Anyways, I must be off, but do contact me if something else comes up!¡±] And with that, she vanished, leaving myself and the background sniggering of Smith alone in my office space. ¡°Shut up, Old man, you¡¯d have done the same.¡± Indignantly I rose from bed, fetching my weapons. [Ah, perhaps, but oh the liveliness of youth!] He crowed obnoxiously. ¡°Well, I know where you get your obnoxiousness from,¡± I grumbled, ¡°And you¡¯re the same age as me, what are you on about?¡± He continued amusing himself at my expense. I shook my head, walking out of the office and finding the second floor to have nearly been fully converted. Several rooms existed now, reinforced with metal and bearing several bunks where teams could stay nearby if they wanted too. Lockers and racks for weapons were beginning to see use, and already in the after dawn light dozens of bodies stirred. As I walked through, my helmet came back on, and people nodded to me as I passed, uttering a good morning and friendly conversation that was almost out of place amidst the edgy and dark look of our decour. Already, some of the Legion were customizing their rooms quite a bit more, but the predominant style remained. The central hall had a single long table, holographic scrolls stretching up to the projection array above it. Mostly, people left messages for the rest of their teams or logged information on who was looking for what. The bulk of it was about people meeting up with the rest of their teams and where they¡¯d be, and personal messages asking if anyone was looking for members, or vice versa, if anyone was looking for a team. There seemed to be no need for me to step in after all, everyone was getting situated rather nicely, and almost no team had more than six members. I was half tempted to note what I¡¯d learned on the Reaper¡¯s Legion board, that we would be having issues with getting more advanced weaponry, but I decided that wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good. For now, it wasn¡¯t even a problem on the radar, we had plenty of weapons that were working fine for now. Besides, I could at least ask for advice first before bringing it the forefront without any kind of suggestions or direction at all. ¡°Morning,¡± A voice next to me called, holding out a mug of coffee. The man was in a wheelchair, holding a coffee outsretched in one hand and having a cup holder in his wheelchair arm, along with what looked like a small cup with pills in it. I grabbed the coffee, helmet sliding off of my head to reveal a raised eyebrow, ¡°Morning, Terry, what¡¯s got you here so early?¡± He smiled, scratching the stubble on his chin, the mans long face and bright cobalt blue eyes gazing at his own coffee and pills. ¡°Well, I discovered that I can¡¯t be in the suit all the time, biological needs aside, the thing needs to recharge. Working on that detail. I think I¡¯m gonna have to build something for it.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I asked, walking alongside him as he popped three pills in his mouth and gulped them down with his coffee. ¡°Well, probably a power cell? Generator? Something, not sure yet, but there¡¯re plenty of toys available for power generation. Just need some more Matter Energy. I¡¯m testing out small unit today.¡± He pushed forward, moving towards the elevator. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s it run off of?¡± I asked, not especially interested in the how of his system and more interested in making conversation. I wasn¡¯t knowledgeable in the field at all. He waited until the elevator doors were closed before mentioning it, ¡°Hydrocell, a pretty potent version, but only in bursts. I was actually coming to let you know just in case it explodes.¡± I turned to him with a chuckle. Then saw that he was staring dead ahead at the elevator doors seriously. ¡°What the fu-¡± I stopped as the doors slid open and he started out, grinning now. ¡°Well, I mean, it¡¯s a low chance of happening, but still, I¡¯ve never worked with this tech before. Pretty user friendly all things considered, but you never know.¡± He then gestured, out the doors, ¡°I¡¯m around the corner of the building, using some abandoned one behind the headquarters. Figure it¡¯s fine if that blows up.¡± ¡°The one I was planning to expand into?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but frown, I rather liked the idea of using the building, and the idea that a building nearby potentially exploding did not do wonders for my mood. He coughed and laughed nervously, ¡°Oh, was that what that was going to be used for? Well¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯ll try not to blow it up then!¡± I shook my head, ¡°Please try very hard not too.¡± At that we glanced over to the cafeteria, noting the delicious smells wafting through the air, ¡°You eat yet?¡± ¡°Nah, famished in fact.¡± He answered, ¡°I should¡¯ve eaten before the pills, but¡­ eh.¡± He shrugged, wheeling forward, ¡°What¡¯s on the menu, I wonder?¡± We walked forward, serving ourselves. I moved to help Terry briefly, only to have him shoo my efforts off with a quick, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can reach this stuff.¡± When we found an empty table, I dug into a country-fried steak with some eggs and mashed potatoes, slathered in gravy. Terry, on the other hand, had oatmeal, sausage links, and a waffle piled high with butter and syrup. ¡°I have a question for you.¡± I began after we¡¯d taken our first bites, opening up the question that had been dancing on the edge of my mind for several minutes now. ¡°I have an answer. Probably.¡± Without missing a beat he responded. ¡°Well, what are the pills for?¡± I decided to come straight out and ask. Terry didn¡¯t seem like the sort to like beating around a subject, and I was hardly tactful enough to figure out another way to ask. He stopped chewing and looked up at me from his food, hunched over it with eyebrows raised. After a second he continued chewing and bobbed his head with a nod, swallowing his food while raising an index finger to indicated that I should wait. ¡°Pain.¡± He nodded, ¡°I take a lot of painkillers, lot of pinched nerves from when I fell, along with the break of course.¡± I cringed, ¡°Ah, I see.¡± We sat in relative silence for a minute before he shrugged, ¡°Well, I mean, it sucks, but it¡¯s gotten better. The suit¡¯s just going to make it better over time. Then it¡¯ll just be a question of breaking the addiction.¡± The way he candidly said that made me swallow hard. I opened my mouth to talk more about it, but I stopped when I saw the sternness in his eyes. He knew very well how bad it would be, he didn¡¯t need someone telling him he should be dialing back, either. Hell, he was probably going through agony every day. ¡°Well, hopefully the suit makes it easier on you at least,¡± I said to him, to which he nodded, seeming to be grateful that the topic didn¡¯t go any deeper than that. ¡°On another note,¡± I grinned, ¡°You ready to go out today?¡± He chuckled, ¡°Sure, so long as everyone else is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re good to go, we can¡¯t sit back too long, someone might catch up to our score.¡± I grinned. ¡°Score?¡± He quirked a brow, and then remembered the leaderboard with a exasperated chuckle, ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s just ridiculous. What¡¯d you guys even do?¡± ¡°Raided a hive.¡± I answered smugly, ¡°It was a bit messy, but it¡¯ll be easier now.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± He stuffed more food into his mouth. I just stared at him knowingly for a few seconds before comprehension dawned on his face. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Welcome to the team.¡± I drank more of my coffee, mellow and tasting vaguely like caramel. ¡°Good stuff.¡± Chapter 20 A Taste of Salt The scene of the battle was surreal. It wasn¡¯t as though I hadn¡¯t seen plenty of fields of battle, plenty of bodies and gory, disgusting images that would likely never leave my subconscious mind. But this was different from some wolf attack, the biotics were never so¡­ clean. They tore apart bodies, leaving pieces behind, this was almost meticulously kept, save for a handful of people that hadn¡¯t even been covered by tarp yet. Each bore at least one white bolt - it looked more like a broad spearhead honestly - in their bodies, one had been quick, the bolt pierced through his head. The other had four, two in his torso, the other two in an arm and a leg apiece. Somehow, the scene didn¡¯t disturb me, Smith had numbed me to the scenes of death, and witnessing my own dismemberment in hundreds of ways during his ¡®training¡¯ had wildly inured me to losing my head to this. Even so¡­ the cold efficiency in which we¡¯d lost a dozen people caused a tremor to run down my spine. This was another level, and it had been a long time since we¡¯d lost so many at once. Or, at least, it felt like it had been a long time, another life even, since before the Obelisk system had descended and given us an entire new take on life. I filed that whimsical thought away, my helmet feed coming to life as red digitized cracks seemed to form over the opaque black surface, a skull appearing to shimmer with the red light beneath, coated in an inky blackness. Each of these cracks twisted and churned, optical sensors scanning everything around me. What had made the entire scene surreal wasn¡¯t the pair of bodies, but the hundreds of white spikes that were embedded in the concrete of buildings, protruding from cars, or having torn through the cover that the Bulwark members used, were shattered and scattered across the ground. I leaned down, picking up a piece the size of my thumb, grinding it in my hand. ¡°It¡¯s salt.¡± I blinked in surprise, feeling the gaze of my team behind me, as well as dozens more members of the Bulwark that roamed in force, securing buildings and searching for any trace of the Biotics. Only one survivor remained from this attack, having fled when it was clear they couldn¡¯t hold. His testimony of what happened set a grim, tight expression upon Bulwark leadership. That attack had happened an hour ago. Backup had arrived thirty minutes after that. I was notified ten minutes ago and had, with six teams of Legionaries in tow, made great speed here with our retrofitted heavy vehicles. We only had three for now, and they were only really usable in the city thus far, but it was better than nothing. Even so, almost fifty minutes for the Legion to get here¡­ if there had been a sustained Biotic assault, what would have became of the regular people just a few hundred more feet beyond our ramshackle excuse for a wall? [Woefully inefficient,] Smith mirrored my thoughts, [This cannot stand.] ¡°I¡¯ll assign Doug to take care of it,¡± I murmured, knowing that the best way to deal with this problem was for someone else to deal with it. Interfaction politics were Doug¡¯s domain, and it was time he had something to really flex his muscles on. Rising from my squatting position, I moved closer to Terry, donned in his armor, striking a less imposing form with Daniel¡¯s massive mech-suit and daunting array of weapons. To the side, Alice spoke with other scouts from our legion, coordinating on her own volition. We wanted to make sure the Bulwark didn¡¯t miss anything, not so much that we didn¡¯t trust them, but more that we didn¡¯t really know what this new Biotic was capable of. Fran approached, cutting a terse line through the people towards me with James in tow, the Bulwark officer and military man didn¡¯t struggle to keep pace. I nodded to them as they approached. ¡°What do we know?¡± I asked, to which Fran, currently without her angular helmet concealing her usually comforting features, shot a look to James. James, for his part, seemed glad to dispense with pleasantries in the moment, ¡°We¡¯ve got a complete report on what happened, let me fill you in while we walk.¡± I nodded to him, an eyebrow quirked behind my mask. Crunches of salt crystals punctuated the other sounds of activity as the Bulwark here set up a new defensive perimeter, knowing that the cars and grates that had been used apparently stood for little against whatever had come through only an hour ago. ¡°As you know already, there was a biotic attack from a new creature type an hour ago. We had around a dozen men stationed here and in the area to watch for wolves, but the south-side has always been pretty quiet. They attacked in a small group, only five biotics, but they were large, about the size of cars, and seemed insectoid in nature. Our report states that it appeared to be wearing a white armor and fired bolts of some solid substance - salt as we¡¯ve come to find out - at sub-sonic speeds. Still, they¡¯re heavy enough to do real damage to anything softer than steel, cars don¡¯t do to well for cover, and concrete can only take so much, not to say anything about a body.¡± ¡°Any idea on the actual number of people here? Or how accurate these things are with their ranged weapons?¡± Fran¡¯s face twisted slightly, whether by how many people might actually be lost, or the fact that the biotics now seemed to have a reliable way to engage at range, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°We don¡¯t have an exact count, our¡­ assignment detail is in need of an overhaul,¡± James shook his head, ¡°As for how accurate they are, well¡­ given how many of these spikes seem to just be scattered about, I¡¯d say they¡¯re not too great. Who knows, though.¡± He continued, now that we closed on a bus that had definitely been used as cover. Most of it was speared through and had been torn to pieces, the front half of it had been twisted open, looking like a tin can that had been sheared apart. ¡°We can safely assume that they have great strength, and that their mandibles are quite capable. Whether they¡¯re as capable as the wolves at increasing bite pressure over time to shear through something, we¡¯re not certain. But we are aware that each of our guys here were armed with rifles and assault rifles. The fact that we don¡¯t have any evidence of a biotics corpse suggests they¡¯re quite armored and durable. Unless they decay that fast, but even wolves take time. They took most of our¡­ casualties with them, and much cleaner than the wolves do.¡± ¡°Durable, strong, capable of inflicting potent ranged damage¡­ quite a threat.¡± I nodded to him, uncertain if they were cleaner than wolves simply because they could carry intact bodies, or for another reason. More than curios about the plan, I asked ¡°What¡¯s the Bulwark¡¯s official response?¡± He frowned in thought, thinking for a moment before letting out a sigh, ¡°Well, Commander Song wants to send out a task force to track down and deal with these new biotics before they become a great threat. The Mayor is pushing against that, citing that the Bulwark¡¯s job is defense, and is pushing to reorganize our defensive arrangements, but we don¡¯t have the Matter Energy to take care of that¡­¡± James gave me an inquisitive look, to which I could only shake my head ruefully, ¡°We¡¯ve only just really started up, but it looks like we¡¯re going to have to tap into some reserves here for Matter Energy. I agree with the Mayor, but I¡¯ll have Doug work that out, along with some other suggestions. We¡¯ll see about smoothing out some edges. If nothing else, we didn¡¯t get an unstoppable wave of biotics. This attack almost helps¡­ us¡­¡± I paused in thought, and at the same time James frowned. Fran spoke first, ¡°Did they launch a probing attack?¡± We were silent for several seconds, before James¡¯ grim look exacerbated, ¡°It¡¯s possible. At least, it¡¯s something we shouldn¡¯t discount. I¡¯ll radio it in to headquarters.¡± I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll contact Doug, he should be there now anyways. I¡¯ll take Song¡¯s idea, we¡¯re going to mobilize the Legion and go hunting out here. If it was a probing attack, they¡¯re going to have a force out there, and I¡¯d like to find it on our terms instead of theirs. That should give the Bulwark time to get something together for defense.¡± ¡°Appreciated,¡± James nodded, ¡°Time to move out, then.¡± We gave each other passing nods and Fran bid him farewell with a handshake, saying something about being sure to have some patrols deeper in the city, just in case. Almost like it was planned, the others fell in line around me, quickly followed by the teams that weren¡¯t actively scouting at the moment. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, Matt?¡± Daniel¡¯s mechanical voice prompted eagerly, his energy clear even behind his stoic steel facade. I gazed around, making a point of turning and looking to those around me, amplifying my voice to make myself more easily heard, I began. ¡°We¡¯re going hunting for biotics, as usual, what else?¡± I got a round of chuckles for that. My voice turned more serious, ¡°We¡¯ve a total of 25 teams of around six people per team in the Legion. 12 teams are going to be posted around the city on other sides, scouting and clearing biotics. If you see a new biotic, specifically the beetles, test their defenses, but do not engage uniques. The other 13 teams will move down after prepping, we¡¯re looking for the hive for these bugs, and we¡¯re going to get rid of it. These ones are dangerous, especially without the Bulwark being set up.¡± ¡°They¡¯re doing something about that, right?¡± Terry almost lazily spoke up, ¡°I mean, at least building, oh, I don¡¯t know, a real wall?¡± A round of chuckles came out of the group, but I shook my head. I really, really shouldn¡¯t encourage that kind of behavior. Probably. ¡°Doug¡¯s going to coordinate on that front,¡± I answered shortly, ¡°We¡¯ll cover our end first and supply them with M.E. to work through on their front. For now though, it¡¯s anyone¡¯s field for taking care of this problem, Gilramore isn¡¯t steady on its feet yet.¡± A team leader spoke up then, ¡°We have an idea where this hive¡¯s at?¡± ¡°The salt mines.¡± Alice answered as I opened my mouth, ¡°Given how much salt is here, and that being a pre made hole in the ground, I don¡¯t see why bugs wouldn¡¯t move into it.¡± ¡°Greaaat,¡± Someone else motioned, ¡°No explosives then. I¡¯d prefer to keep my insides inside.¡± My gut tightened at that, and I almost felt Fran and Daniel give me knowing looks at that. [Ah, to have friends.] Smith chortled amusedly in the background of my mind. I promptly ignored that, thinking rapidly on the topic. ¡°We have a lot of ground to cover with that, still.¡± A woman spoke up, ¡°Several square miles between here and the mountains, and we have no idea how many biotics there are. And there¡¯s no guarantee we¡¯d stumble on them. If they ran right by us into the city¡­ well, I don¡¯t have to say what¡¯d happen then.¡± A cold silence settled over us at that thought. And then an epiphany moment struck me. My helmet grinned widely, ¡°It won¡¯t matter if we start attacking the core. They¡¯ll all come running.¡± The looks on my own team¡¯s faces, sanz Terry, told me they realized all too well how correct that was, the memory of ever resurrecting Grey Wolves fresh in their minds as they tore in through the tunnels while Smith and I overwrote the core then. When it was finished, the biotics fell to pieces like puppets with cut strings. ¡°We¡¯ll split into two groups, we¡¯ll arrange those with better defensive abilities to be topside to keep the biotics out as long as possible and deal as much damage as they can. Meanwhile, we¡¯ll clear out anything in the hive and get rid of the core.¡± I paused, ¡°Are there any questions?¡± No one was forthcoming, we¡¯d likely make modifications on the fly, but the strategy was fairly solid. Unless our defensive perimeter collapsed. I guessed that most of the biotics were outside of the nest, so we¡¯d have to allocate more teams to defense rather than offense¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll allocate orders soon, check your Reaper Links, we¡¯ll set out in thirty minutes after arming up.¡± I nodded to them, ¡°Good hunting.¡± At that, we dispersed, save for my own team. ¡°I don¡¯t like this plan,¡± Daniel was the first to speak up, ¡°I mean, it makes sense, but I¡¯m not looking forward to that again.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I nodded, ¡°I know, but otherwise we risk too much for them getting by us. Unless we have a better idea?¡± No one had anything to say to that, at which point I shrugged, ¡°We¡¯re going to need to pull some heavy ordinance on the defense. If they breach, we¡¯re not pulling the defensive line into the mines this time, I¡¯d rather if we could keep thinning them as they came, if possible.¡± Daniel grunted, ¡°You¡¯d get pincered on two sides down there, then.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t use explosives in the mines,¡± Terry pointed out, ¡°We¡¯d risk compromising the whole thing. It¡¯s already crazy that you guys did that underground at all.¡± I opted not to say anything about that, ¡°In any case, if we can keep them out, then this won¡¯t be a problem anyways.¡± Terry raised a hand and grinned, ¡°I may have an idea about that. I may need to use some M.E. though, and borrow a truck¡­ or two.¡± I gave him a long look, uncertain if that was a good idea. I sighed, ¡°Only if it¡¯s a good idea, let me send orders first.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Terry¡¯s smile widened, and I turned my attention to putting together orders for the Legion, specifically to Doug. He¡¯d need to tap into the M.E. reserves too, and probably borrow from other people. Being the liaison between the Legion and Bulwark would be a very busy job soon. The rumble of a four trucks, one with a freshly installed hydro-cell engine to follow the previous three, made their way up the mountain road. A few motorcycles, running on gasoline still, scouted the area ahead of us on the road, now dirt as we approached the mountains. It was suggested that there¡¯d be no reason to walk through the forest, as large as it was, given that we might not even stumble upon the biotics. Fran was adamant that if their plan would work, we¡¯d need to make the best time possible to get to the mountains and thereby the salt mines. The possibility that they might very well be near the city right at this moment did wonders for our expediency. Currently 24 teams had accepted the Legion orders, splitting us evenly between the raid and the early warning system around Gilramore. That said, one group hadn¡¯t answered at all. That meant that three of those teams would need to be going northwards to see why they weren¡¯t responding. Wherever they were, they were too far from the Obelisk to get a good read on. And possibly too far to receive messages. This was the worst possible time for that to happen, given that they would be on their own if they had problems, and with new biotics afoot, it¡¯d be better to move closer to other teams for the foreseeable future. Sending three teams to comb the area and try to reach them was already stretching the line a little too thin, but I¡¯d rather that than leave a team high and dry. Turning my attention forward, I glanced back at the two middle trucks in our convoy. They were packed with large crates with mostly prefabricated equipment, as well as a small number of the Legion who¡¯d opted into getting simple exo-suits that allowed them to lift very heavy loads and move around quickly. A farcry from Daniel¡¯s suit, but hardly something to scoff at. Suddenly, I heard the sounds of a brief retort of gunfire, and then a sharp twang and an explosion. I recognized that sound. ¡°Alice?¡± I questioned aloud into the microphone, coming across not only her feed but the feed of each team leader on the raid. Three more sharp twang sounds resounded and three more small explosions resounded before Alice responded, ¡°Contact, a beetle, about the size of a car. I¡­ think it¡¯s dead now?¡± ¡°You thin-¡± Came someone else¡¯s response, before a full auto string of bullets cut through the din, incomparably loud. A few seconds later, Alice came on again, ¡°Nevermind, it wasn¡¯t. It is now though. These are tough.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Any more information?¡± ¡°Nope, we didn¡¯t let it attack. Keep rolling, we¡¯ve got you covered.¡± Alice¡¯s cheery voice seemed out of place after the violence, but a chuckle from the people in the truck bed with me surprised me. I suspected that most people might be a bit more nervous about what we were going to do. Instead, they were almost jovial, making jokes and trying to bet on how many biotics there would be. I shook my head with a smile hidden under my visor, these guys were definitely fit for the Legion. ¡°Copy that, rolling on.¡± A husky voice responded from the driver from our lead vehicle, the man accelerating ever so slightly. Fortunately, we had a few people who knew how to drive such large rigs, otherwise this would have been fairly awkward to move so many people. Only minutes later, we could hear the scouts reporting of a few contacts out of range to fire, but were busily moving away. One seemed to notice them and began charging at the scout ring, but there seemed to be no way that the beetle could actually keep up with a motorcycle at the least. Before long, we¡¯d arrived at the mine, the fences that normally marked the perimeter sheared through and trampled in several places. Large rigs, dump trucks and massive machines, conveyor belts silent and unused for months. Some of the pieces of equipment showed signs of rust from disuse. Seriousness settled over us as we looked a the buildings abound, many of them coated in shells of salt, spikes protruding here and there, almost like a testing ground. The trucks rolled forward, crushing a layer of salt even more, ground already by what had been many, many pointed legs. ¡°Alright, Scouts, check for entrances, I don¡¯t expect they¡¯d only have one way in or out.¡± I called over the link, keeping a wary eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Only the white of salt and the once-occupied mining base stood out, no biotics lingered, no scouts, nothing in this area. ¡°It¡¯s really quiet,¡± Fran commented, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a chance the core was moved?¡± I paused at that, if they did move the core too, then we¡¯d be completely out of position for if the biotics were heading to the city. The trucks stopped, still running, as booted feet hit the salty earth. No plants grew for a hundred feet beyond the mine, giving us plenty of line of sight. And yet, nothing came at us, no creature came to attack us. Not so much as a screech or howl filled the air, just the crunching of salt flakes as the Legion moved out to cover the area. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s possible they moved with the core,¡± I frowned, listening for anything at all. Moments later, however, my concerns were rendered invalid. A tremor ran through the earth, the sounds of shrill screeching and the chittering of dozens, if not hundreds of limbs, blared from the open mine entrance. Rails led deep within the dark maw, once sturdily built concrete and brickwork covered in layers of hardened salt. Both vibrated now, the metal railing shedding crusts of mineral as they shook. ¡°Incoming!¡± I shouted, bringing up my reaper assault rifle and sighting it. Already, the scouts were poking around, finding only two more entrances to the mine as of yet. They flagged them on my vision, lighting up with icons clearly with the aid of the Obelisk. Others moved quickly, covering behind heavy duty metal and equipment. Terry shouted something to some men, hurrying and unpacking one of the boxes, I frowned at that, but didn¡¯t have time to look. Whatever they were setting up hopefully was important to pull the more heavily armed of the teams off the line. Then I grinned, feeling heat billow off of the rifle in my hands as it primed, the triple barrels ready to spit death at ridiculous speeds. I moved forward, standing towards the front, coming to kneel behind a minecart. Moments later the first biotic burst forth from the main entrance, as large as a car and filling half of the entrance with its bulk. It had six legs, though two more near the front seemed to act partially as legs, and definitely factored as scything limbs. Also large, the hooked mandibles that chittering madly, clicking and grinding together in its angry rush, were certainly lethal. The moment it hit the light of day, the compound eyes on the sides of its head seemed to glisten, the targets before it tantalizing it. Salt formations messily clung to its body, far more solid than salt ought to be even in crystal form. It added to already thick looking chitin, and its wings expanded in an instant, showing a strange malformation in its body. Two thick, stiff plates that would protect the wings of other beetles instead seemed to anchor a strange, pale and fleshy limb, or organ. It was bizarre, seeing what looked like tendons tightening against it as it pulled backwards, a reserve of salty spines shifting from beneath the wing plates into place on the organ. The instant before it fired, though, my own snarled in challenge. Superheated slags of metal, though small, were spat in rapid succession faster than the speed of sound through three barrels. Exactingly, I tore through one side of the tendons, watching as the whole organ suddenly twisted and tore off of its body, slinging off to the side and around its wing plates disgustingly. It screamed, or at least seemed too as its many mouthparts clacked together rapidly. My shots marked the beginning, others unloaded into it, assault rifles pitting its armor until finally shining silver liquid poured from its shell. Even so, a second and third came out beside it, and farther from us I could see six more in all already spilling from more entrances, at least three more. This time, one managed to fire off its bolts before I could halt it, white blurs streaking through the air with a sharp snap as the beetle¡¯s tendons let loose. My cover shifted against me, moving several inches and bearing grooves and dents on the other side. The minecart was made of sterner stuff than cars, though, and held in spite of the more or less superficial damage. Daniel, likewise, provided cover for some fellows. However, the second volley was less fortunate. A man not far from me caught a spike in the shoulder and spun away like a ragdoll, a distorted scream coming from him as he landed on his side, crying out. Not lethal, then, but it wasn¡¯t lost on me that literally having salt in your wounds would be unbelievably agonizing. ¡°Aim for the squishy organ on the back when they fire!¡± I called out, ¡°That¡¯s the biggest problem!¡± The moment after I said that, someone fired on another beetle as it readied another shot, hitting the organ dead center with what had to have been a .50 caliber rifle. It sounded like it too. I didn¡¯t need to glance around to see the woman from before, one of the other leaders, propped up on a crane and shooting down from rather immaculate positioning. A moment later, another man shredded through the organ with a large crossbow, a strange electric motor that looked like it was completely out of place on the weapon pulling back the string to the bolt. Then, an equally interesting loader would snap another bolt into place, firing every other second. The man beside him, his team leader, caught my eye as well. He had a strange armor contraption on his left arm, giving him a broad shield there. A gun was fastened with a multi jointed bar against what looked like a weight belt around his waist. He fired a shot, and I nearly laughed when the projectile snapped into the face of one of the beetles, what looked like a some kind of machine bolt sticking out of its face, completely ruining its aim. The creatures kept coming even after a dozen of them came out. Even so, out of roughly 70 people, five of them were probably out of commision, only one, luckily, was in a near fatal situation. A few medics took after him, pulling out equipment both familiar and very much not to remove the salt spear and work on him. Generous use of a strange medi-foam sealed the wound after they worked on it, and a strange pack of blue liquid was fastened to his arm, linked into him with an I.V. It took a lot to kill one of these things, though. I could mow one down, but it took half of a clip and careful aim, with a weapon well beyond most of what earth had access too. With an assault rifle? It took two to three clips, even a reaper modified one took a full clip, and a lot of luck and aim. ¡°Everybody down!¡± Terry¡¯s voice called out as something sailed over my head and landed at the entrance. I ducked, realizing what he had planned. Others did the same, though they weren¡¯t certain exactly what was going to happen. The spear-like contraption pierced the ground between several beetles. They regarded it for a brief instant before turning back towards the invaders of their nest with savage single-mindedness. The cords that lay on the ground all around the pillar almost seemed to come alive in the next moment, electricity crackling off of them. One singularly thick and insulated cable led to the whirring generator, along with three others distantly near the entrances of the mines. It sounded like an explosion went off, and given the sudden projection of salt and silver fluid into the air, I suspected that had indeed just happened. A man and woman near to me in another piece of cover visibly gagged as acrid fumes and what was probably very cooked biotic wafted through the wind moments later. The sounds persisted, similar explosions happening every few seconds for a minute. Finally it stopped, and even with my helmet filtering the air, I felt like the smell of scorched bug was somehow still getting through. ¡°Well, that, uh¡­ worked¡­¡± The buzzing sound vanished as the generator powered down, ¡°Sorry about the smell, didn¡¯t think about that.¡± I shook my head, smirking. I certainly didn¡¯t mind it, considering that it¡¯d just made our job much easier. And when I looked at the combined four entrances, one of which was only visible due to the rod standing up next to it, I couldn¡¯t help but breath out in pure amazement at how effective they¡¯d been. Each tunnel entrance had at least ten beetles apiece, fried from the inside out with the electrical current. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s disgusting.¡± Alice spoke up first, and then quickly backtracked, ¡°Err, I mean, it works great though!¡± Terry didn¡¯t take any offense at all to it, ¡°Right? I have to say that was rather a stroke of genius.¡± ¡°You turned them off, right?¡± Someone else shouted out, ¡°That¡¯s not something I¡¯m keen on walking through.¡± He laughed back, ¡°It¡¯s perfectly safe!¡± A sudden pop and the expulsion of trapped, superheated gasses from a corpse showered the entrance of the mine with more boiling silver gore. I had to admit, it was brutally effective. ¡°Alright, move the generators.¡± Orders spilled from my lips quickly, ¡°Set up a perimeter in the meantime, assume the horde might turn back on us at any moment.¡± People rushed around immediately, our injured taken to the trucks to rest for now. Some of them might be able to get on their feet in some capacity after the medics finished their strangely advanced field dressing, but for now they¡¯d be in the way. Exo-suits carried advanced generators filled with fuel cells that Earth hadn¡¯t seen before. As I watched, I remembered what Sis had told me, that infrastructure was easier to access. This would definitely be something to examine more later. For now, I felt a sinister smile rest on my face as each unit and its parts were moved into the tunnels, our modified plan already coming into play very nicely. ¡°Delving teams, lets go.¡± I called out, half of the number of our teams breaking off and moving towards the main tunnel, carrying gear at least moderately suited to spelunking. ¡°Fran¡¯s in charge of the defense while I¡¯m down there.¡± I reiterated that part of the plan, seeing Fran rising into the air, magnetics pushing her higher and higher as she tried to get a better view of the area, rising above the metal crane that sat unused until now. With that, the delving team and the defensive team parted. I would have liked to have my team with me, but they¡¯d be able to field their might better up in open field, and Terry was the one who knew how to actually use the generators. ¡°Let¡¯s collect the Reaper¡¯s due.¡± Someone next to me spoke up, a grim smirk on their face. I grinned back, the feature appearing on my helmet, a red line of distorted light, ¡°Lots of Reaper¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Hell yeah,¡± a man with two axes and a bare-bones exo suit that fitted to his body growled low, ¡°I¡¯ll get more points than you today, Boss.¡± I laughed, ¡°You can try.¡± ¡°Nah, that¡¯d be me,¡± the man with the crossbow spoke, ¡°I¡¯ve already got one.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re out of luck, I have two,¡± The woman with the sniper rifle chuckled. Another man, stoic and standing beside me, the team leader with the bolt-gun nodded to me. I nodded back, the lot of us driving into the darkness as lights began to unveil our path. We had a lot of work to do. Chapter 21 Tunnel Trouble I watched the medics pull a shard of salt six inches long out of a man¡¯s leg. It was impressive how he made no sound at all in spite of the fact that the man literally had salt in a very nearly¡­ delicate location. However, his bare toothed grimace did much to color the scene. Finally, with a yank, they dislodged the salt and quickly sprayed some kind of fluid. With a hiss, Yomar spat ¡°That¡¯s bad! Oh, bad, bad, bad!¡± His face flushed red with a titanic amount of effort for self-control. And then the curious medi-foam in a canister flooded the injury sight, relief becoming instantly apparent on his face. ¡°Alright, you¡¯re good to go. I¡¯d say don¡¯t walk on it¡­ but¡­¡± The medic shrugged, noting the exo-suit bars that linked around the man¡¯s limbs. They provided no real protection, but responded to his movements flawlessly, empowering his mobility and strength to a ridiculous degree considering their size. ¡°Remind me to buy you a drink,¡± Yomar winked at the woman, who rolled her eyes and gave his leg a playful pat. The wince on his face cleanly told of the fact that the pain wasn¡¯t totally gone. Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to the mineshaft, a sense of fascination for the alacrity in which our medics used technology I didn¡¯t remotely understand. To my side the gruff man with the metal shield guard covering his entire left arm strolled up next to me. Richard regarded the shaft critically, a sterner expression on his face than even before. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± I shook my head and started forwards, hefting one pack of many that we¡¯d brought with us in the case of certain eventualities. One such being that there wouldn¡¯t be an elevator. Another being the possibility of being stuck in a cave-in. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind. Behind me I could hear others shuffle, the body of a beetle, riddled and gore strewn, lay against the wall. There was at least 4 meters from the floor to the roof, plenty of space for these things. It made me wary, wondering how many of these things might be in the mine. Luckily, they¡¯d be hard pressed to come in from outside, or else defending might be too difficult. For the most part the mine was dark, lit only by the lights that we brought with us, casting long and rapidly moving shadows across the walls. Salt crunched underfoot, and every step I made reminded me of the fact that this mine no longer belonged to human hands. The elevator at the end of the long hall dropped into an abyss of darkness. I leaned over the edge, glaring down with my augmented vision. A frown crept upon my face as I realized that I couldn¡¯t see the bottom. Beside me, a crack and sudden glow caught my attention. The sniper-woman dropped the glow stick and let it fall down the shaft. She counted aloud, watching as it went, her expression growing as dark as the shadows that chased the falling light. ¡°That seem like 200 meters to you?¡± She clucked her tongue and turned her head to the side to me and the next man. Tabitha barely noticed as the crossbowman spoke up, Ziek¡¯s lopsided grin cast in white with the various lights on his back. ¡°I never did bother to learn that trick.¡± Tabitha shook her head as I peered at the stick, resting next to a twisted and salt encased elevator at the bottom of the shaft. ¡°Close, 210 meters,¡± I stifled an annoyed sigh and regarded Yomar seriously, ¡°Alright, plant our safety lines, deep as you can get them.¡± The man nodded, his excitement seeming to fill the air around him, even in spite of his wound. Several people took long bars out of their packs, looped steel rings at the top where rope could be fed through. I handed mine off to someone else and glared back down into the dark. There were bound to be more floors, but so far the biotics all seemed far more interested in going deep. When we were ready, myself and five others went down first, sliding on the ropes. As we went, the others with me, all tested scouts previously, laid additional spikes into the walls, smaller than the ones at the top of the shaft. As we went, one of us would toss a motion sensor into the next level after prying open a squeaky iron grate to a floor. One by one, each lit up to life and then hushed to silence, giving the lot of us an idea of whether we were going to be ambushed. Even so, many of the grates were no more, bend or shredded beyond recognition. The deeper we went, more were simply non-existent. Our descent felt agonizingly slow, the fact that we were hanging over a hundred feet of empty space with no cover against a biotic that could fire harpoons of salt did little to calm us. A sudden sound of a crack stopped the lot of us in our tracks. The others looked to me, it being quite well understood that I had the best senses in our group thanks to my gear. The sound persisted, very low, quiet, the floor just beneath us. I only heard it light shuffling, but that was more than enough. Slowly, endeavoring to remain as silent as possible, I turned myself upside down on the line, slinking down and peering past the edge on the floor. I saw the beetle, looking almost silly pressed against the floor so tightly. Still, the deadly projectile that sat ready on its back was more than enough to chase away any amusement. Snapping my pistol out, I gripped the rope tightly in my other hand and fired seven times, my awareness crept to a standstill. The shots tore through vulnerable organs on the back of the beetle, a sharp snap resounding as the beetle then shrieked loudly in pain. It backpedaled, but already I was off of the line and sprinting towards it. For a split second it seemed to consider me, deciding whether to attack what it surely thought was a foolish creature that surrendered the range advantage. As it brought up its taloned claws, however, I slipped the pistol back into its holster and drew the reaper blades from their storage. I slipped through the space beneath it, slicing out with the blades, the feeling of cutting through the bug feeling almost like cutting through butter with a hot knife. It keened once, and started to spin about to face me, but faltered part way, not realizing yet that the damage was already done. A moment later, it toppled to its side, several of the legs and the underside of its body bearing a pair of deep, smoking gashes. I stopped it¡¯s wails with a follow up strike, my heart beating calmly and a strange sense of ease filling me. After the kill, I took cover beside it, tuning out the gurgling sounds and the silver muck that leaked from the creature. No other sounds haunted this lonely floor, leaving me and my newest quarry alone as I stood and moved back to the shaft, a red glow illuminating the area from my armor at my will. ¡°Clear,¡± I announced, hopping back onto the rope and fastening it to my belt once more. The others nodded wordlessly, slithering down their ropes until we all finally hit the bottom floor. With a thought, I activated the radio, ¡°We¡¯re clear, come down here ASAP.¡± ¡°Heard,¡± A soft reply came back, the ropes coming in taught on the line, several people coming down the ropes at the same time, ten seconds later followed by more. I heard the first five make a game of it, letting themselves free fall most of the way. I shook my head, moving further out on the floor, navigating around the gnarled remains of what had once been heavy mining equipment. The biotics seemed to have chewed on them relentlessly, though the reason why escaped me. One thing that I did notice was that the floor felt decidedly harder than it did on the other floors. Curious, I stomped hard on the surface, only feeling it vaguely give against the pressure. Whatever they had done to the salt here, it was hard, not so much as concrete, but definitely built to withstand more pressure. Behind me, I heard the clatter of five bodies land, the one leading them the fiery orange haired man with the two axes. I could almost feel the exasperation coming from the other scouts from Yomar¡¯s loud arrival. He smiled unapologetically, ¡°Oh, chilly down here, isn¡¯t it?¡± I shook my head, turning my attention to the distance. This floor was likewise 4 meters in height, but it was much narrower, and already I could see a handful of offshoots from the main path. The others came down as I considered our options, and although it would save time, I immediately rejected the concept of splitting our forces up. We were on plainly unfamiliar territory in the first place, there was no need to exacerbate that by splitting up into bite-sized packs. After examining the area we got to work while the rest of the group was moving down the mine shaft. Several metal shields were put together from disparate parts, enough to have six sets of them. Each would need two people to move, or someone with an exo suit, but they would hopefully be good cover. It was a last minute idea that someone had, and they¡¯d gone through the effort to pack them. So, clunky and heavy as they were, I doubted that we would regret using them.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Finally, the last of the group of the delve team set down, a few breathing a little harder than they should be. A combination of the fear of claustrophobia and impending threat of death, probably? ...Stating that, I realize that I feel more than a little odd that this isn¡¯t affecting me more. ¡°If you see something, or think you see something, don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡± I turned to the others, ¡°We¡¯re going to sweep the main hall. If it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any contact, we¡¯ll expand the net a bit and comb the side tunnels. A gentle reminder,¡± I leveled my voice here, ¡°No explosives. Blow your guts out on your own time.¡± A few chuckles at that, grins around, the morale wasn¡¯t too bad. I withdrew my reaper rifle, red gleaming off of its parts. Like my armor, I reflected, which made me look like a malevolent spirit more than a regular man. There was a general silence over the group, a tenseness in the air that made it feel like any sound would break the fragile peace of the darkness here. Hundreds of tons of rock and salt rested over our heads. Salt covered the ground thicker the deeper we went, every few feet a few more inches of salt seemed to be caked on. More than that, where it once gave a little, this felt more solid, now much more akin to concrete. As much as I could, I poured my attention outwards, trying to feel for any tell tale sign that we were walking into an ambush. Pictures of beetles flashed through my mind, hugging the ground with barbed payloads at the ready. ¡°Bug!¡± I heard a sharp cry in the middle of the group, a man who brought his own shield, though far less dense than the others. From my point at the front, I could see him go to a squat position, trying to block the attack. A heartbeat later, others realized they were under attack as well, and at first it looked like everyone who had a shield was covering an entrance. Then I saw three sprint out of the blackness ahead of me, husks so covered in salt that I didn¡¯t even realize that they weren¡¯t a part of the ever jagged and malformed walls. The first one charged forward at a dead sprint, the previous two strained to crack open the shells on their backs, harpoons stretching to the ready. I felt my weapon come alive in my hands, roaring and belching superheated metal, barrels positively glowing with the energy flowing through them, augmenting their speed even further. With a start, I realized that Yomar was charging with reckless abandon towards the same creature. I snarled, ¡°Watch fire!¡± The idiot was going to get shredded by our own shots if he wasn¡¯t careful, but at the rate he was going I was just as worried that he was going to get shredded. Glowing pits gouged its front from my shots, Yomar expanded upon them and capitalized on the staggered charge the creature had, burying an axe in its head with a quick slam. I only vaguely was aware of him, information filtering to me from all around. Instead, I let out a desperate barrage at the left most beetle at range. Almost preternaturally, my aim rested between the wings of the creature even as it pulled the first volley back. Roaring, I tore through that organ, more fully than even before, and kept the trigger going as I controlled the recoil to tear through its body, neatly dumping the rest of my clip into it. It collapsed without fanfare, its entire front half pitted and smoking. To my right, I heard someone grunt, and then fall, a salt spike sticking out of his gut. The man looked up at me, clutching this gut, realizing with wandering fingers that something was amiss. He grabbed the salt spike and then looked back up to me, pale faced. With a guttural cry, his senses seemed to catch up with him, the raw, agonizing wound more than what anyone should reasonably be able to handle. Grimly, I turned my attention up to the beetle, watching as it readied another volley in just a second. It chittered ravenously, until a heartbeat later when my hands moved with mechanical efficiency and speed. Clip out, I rehearsed, moving through the motions that were second nature now, Move forward. The rapid pace of my feet would have shocked my conscious mind, and my sanity would have screamed that advancing forward past the few prepared shields we had was not a wise move. But, as the final motion came those thoughts fled. Clip in, fire. The three barrels of my rifle reconfigured almost instantly, magnetically snapping into place one in front of the other. A larger slug than before howled from the barrel, tearing into the head of the beetle, knocking its aim off. Salt scattered across the ceiling and rained down on us in small chunks. I fired twice more, approaching as I did so. Quickly, I fired paired shots, tearing legs off of the thing, even as it realized the danger. It tried to raise scything mandibles to strike me, and had I continued, perhaps it would have had the change to wound me. Instead, I stood just outside of its range, and belted its head with a pair of aligned shots. The feeling of matter energy flowing into my right hand told me all I cared to know about the thing in that moment. The sounds of battle persisted for a few more seconds, but then ceased almost all at once. The air was full of the smell of gunpowder and the sounds of the injured carried through the empty space. ¡°Regroup, medics work on the people, everyone else eyes up and bring the shields in to protect the group. We¡¯re in the right place.¡± I called out, passing Yomar as he pried several axes from the beetle he¡¯d taken down. Distantly, I considered Yomar¡¯s unusual choice at fighting, but couldn¡¯t help but feel perplexed. Certainly, it was safer to fight at range, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily the only or the most important factor. If he could figure out how to fight in melee consistently, then the more power to him. Though, it was somewhat exasperating to watch him pull six axes from the things body. What would happen if you ran into something faster than you? Or tougher? How many ways can you possibly have to outsmart the opponent if you only have axes? But I didn¡¯t need to say anything. It was working for him, and I''m sure he¡¯d be able to figure it out. ¡°God damn, big ugly bastard!¡± He spat, planting an exosuit augmented foot against the beetle to pry the last axe out. It came free with a sucking plop, and sent him sprawling across the floor. Yup. He¡¯d definitely have to figure it out. The humor vanished a moment later, though, three people had been hit by barbs in the brief attack. I could feel a tightness settle in my guts, an irritation at this situation. We weren¡¯t geared up enough to deal with this effectively. Two wounded, another dead. The man on the ground was one of the scouts that I didn¡¯t know personally, but had been around since the start. One of the medics met my gaze, looking at my helmet with a gentle shake of their head. They covered the man with an opaque plastic sheet, we¡¯d come back for them soon. The other two weren¡¯t in critical states, aside from the man with the gutshot, but our trio of medics were attending him. ¡°This is a fucking death trap,¡± someone muttered, everyone hearing the words in the wake of the deep silence. He turned, fear apparent on his face, ready to say more. Before I realized what I was doing, I was walking to him, the air suddenly tense. From this close, I could easily tell that the man was close to a panic attack. His face was pale and sallow with more than the slightest amount of sweat. His eyes were wide open as they latched onto my helmet, the tracing wisps of light vaguely illuminating the foggy impression of a skin-less skull within. I put a hand on his shoulder firmly, ignoring the jolt that ran through his body at the sudden contact, and the expectant gazes of those around. It seemed almost tragic that many looked at me with grave concern. Certainly, they seemed to think I might harm this man for merely being afraid. Fear was not a bad thing. It was an obstacle to be sure, but without fear one could not push forward, one would not understand the most important part of fear. The reflection that was courage, for as corny as that might seem. But if there was anything that I¡¯d learned being eaten alive in Smith¡¯s training, it was that sometimes corny was just exactly what you¡¯d need to make it through the day. ¡°Jensen¡­ right?¡± I asked, forcing myself to eek out a name that I think matched his face. The man nodded mutely, lower lip trembling. Good, that would have been awkward to have said the wrong name. ¡°You¡¯re right, this place is a death trap. I won¡¯t pull your leg; we¡¯re under-equipped to handle this, you all know that, right?¡± I turned my gaze around. All the while they were listening to me, intent, but just as intent on the dark, foreboding tunnels around us. I shook my head, ¡°This isn¡¯t a great place to be in, but that¡¯s the price we have to pay. We¡¯ll extract our pound of flesh for this, take it straight out of this hive.¡± ¡°Even so¡­ even beyond revenge now, we need the Matter Energy these things give. Without it, next time, what would happen to us if we fought a few dozen of these on open ground? Or worse, what if the Bulwark didn¡¯t have the M.E. from us to set up defenses properly? It¡¯s not our job to save people, but it is our job to kill biotics. And from what I¡¯ve seen, these ones really need to die. And there¡¯s no one else to step up to the plate.¡± At that, I patted the man on the shoulder and started walking forward, deeper into the mine. ¡°If you can¡¯t, then that¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve found your limit. Remember, your life is the most important." Inwardly, I wondered at how ironic it would be if nobody came back with me. That¡¯d certainly be a terrifically awful result. As that thought came to me, I heard several come forward, without hesitation. Yomar, Richard, Tabitha, and Ziek and their adjoined squads came forth. The two injured moved along, helped by the medics. Eventually, only three men stood in the dark alone¡­ ...And then, cursing and griping, caught up with the tail end of the group again, led by Jensen. Soundlessly I chuckled at that, whatever you had to do to get your head in the game, I suppose. We fell into formation, tighter now, learning quickly from our losses. There was a definite sense of intent that seemed to have been lacking before. And when the beetles attacked three more times, I was quite pleased that only one man had taken any more injuries. And at this point I wondered if he was trying¡­ The gut shot man now had another wound on his shoulder and the same leg, somehow missing anything major. But he needed to lean on a medics shoulder, and occasionally I could hear him spit a string of colorful curses. He did, however, do the wonderful job of distracting us. He could make a sailor blush. Half an hour later, I realized that the side passages had all been sealed off with thick salt flows, chewed and formed into this harder than concrete shape. Spires of it rose from the ground, twisting and churning with surprisingly intricate design that spun, giving the illusion that it was in the process of moving as you looked at it. ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯re getting close,¡± Ziek flicked a switch as his crossbow hummed to life, an electric buzz emanating from the motor as it pulled the first bolt back. ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± Tabitha responded dryly, ¡°It¡¯s almost like we¡¯re walking among non-man made structures or something.¡± I tuned them out as we approached, a few people joking and talking, attempting to make light of the situation. Then, I noticed the floor slant downwards, deepening, gradually at first. After ten feet, though, it dropped another five meters. I cracked two fluorescent sticks, chucking them forward into the dark. The ten meter cavern was anything but man made, pillars of formed salt, spiraling and pitted in several locations, husks of some kind still clung to the pits. ¡°So, I guess that settles that question.¡± Yomar muttered, ¡°Biotics definitely breed. Or at least these ones do.¡± ¡°Looks like the welcoming committee is here. Watch out for anything that laid those eggs, and watch the walls.¡± I aimed down the barrel, watching six beetles, larger than anything we¡¯d seen, stalk forward with what almost felt like disdain for us. This was going to be interesting... Chapter 22 Push (Pt. 1) The creatures that we saw clambered over salt-laden terrain, chittering loudly. Scraping sounds filled the air anytime one of them moved, any pretense of stealth abandoned with their lumbering and heavily armored forms. They were dramatically larger than the previous biotics we¡¯d seen, almost twice over the size of the previous beetles. As we dove behind cover, expecting a barrage of salt, I wondered if these creatures were in fact the adults of the species, then. Several of us fired around corners and shields, wary of being out in the open. Luckily, there were plenty of grooves of salt, pitted floors similar to craters creating convenient defensive points. My rifle roared in my hands, trails of super heated metal spat forth faster than the speed of sound. Others fire power joined mine, bursts coming through even as we expected the returning volley. I frowned as I listened, able to hear the cracking and clacking of exoskeleton against salt, rushing forward towards my position. They were going to charge our position, I realized with a start. Without wasting time, I darted up from my position, rolling backwards with a shout, ¡°Back!¡± Only moments later the salt outcropping that I¡¯d been hiding at burst, sending plumes of salt into the air. Chunks of it shot forward, some hitting my armor and bouncing off harmlessly. The beast that stood in front of me halted its charge momentarily, its body twisting to the side. A crest of salt armor a foot thick protected the bulk of its body, smaller shaped pieces wrapped it¡¯s limbs, contoured and smoothed out around joints to allow freedom of motion. The regular beetles tended to have roughly placed salt plates with no thought beyond having it attached. This thing instead had angled armor, and the few shots that had already hit it had left grooves in the armor, still hot and smoking, but little else. And as it twisted, I saw the multifaceted eyes on the sides of its head look at me. Then it¡¯s mandibles contorted, a strange sound unlike that which I¡¯d heard before like a blend between clicking and chortling. It was, for lack of anything else I could guess about it, laughing at me. A red pinpoint gleamed on my helmet as I snapped the gun up and shot it point blank range in the eye before it could respond. Silver gunk splattered out of the wound as it screeched in rage, tilting forward and charging, razor sharp sections of the shell becoming vividly apparent. My mind raced as it moved to crush and carve me against the floor, others in the area crying out in surprise as they too moved to evade the hulking biotics. Behind me and to the sides the crater of salt limited my movements. There were only a few things that were to my advantage, one of which being that it was effectively blind when it was attacking due to the armor hood covering it. With a burst of movement I jumped, slamming a foot into the top of the armor as it came down, my reaper augmented muscles pushing me just beyond ordinary human limits. First one step, then the second, bringing myself over the worst of the slam. On the third step, though, my gut tightened. In slow motion I could see as its wings shot upwards, spikes and a veritable wall of lacerating salt blades quickly becoming apparent. The wings were fused together, a weapon all on their own, completely lacking in the normal organ for firing harpoons, it seemed. I pushed off, bracing with my arms, biosteel out first, and felt the spikes batter against my armor. A dull ache resounded in my body, but the plates of the reaper suit held steady against the strike, broken bits of salt splaying from the exoskeleton. Jarringly, it flung me backwards with the force of the blow. Smith¡¯s training clicked into place before I could consciously make the decision to actually respond. My body twisted, a brief moment of contact with the ground enough to push off with my feet again. I flipped backwards with the momentum, bleeding it off while doing my best to keep my grasp on my weapon. My right arm cradled it, my left arm handling the impacts with impunity. As I came to a stop, my rifle snapped back up into a firing position, it occurred to me that this was far beyond anything that I had thought possible. Being a reaper certainly had its perks, at least. I rattled off a burst of shots into the headpiece of the armor, trying to punch through it at full auto. Even through the sheets of salt wafting through the air, the deafening cacophony of sound in the sealed space, my attention didn¡¯t waver. The hive guardian hissed in annoyance, sheets of salt blasting from its armor at this close of a distance. It brought its scything talons up, defending itself from the sudden shower of bullets.Stolen novel; please report. The excitement bled away an instant later when I watched its wings flare up again. I am not letting that happen twice! The moment it lurched forwards, I dodged to the side, a crisp dodge even as some of the spikes came within centimeters of me. A snarl and grinding snap resounded from it as the spikes hit the ground where I¡¯d just been. Angry, it spun around, searching for where I¡¯d gone. There was certainly one good thing about heavily armored opponents. They had plenty of blind spots, especially with these things in particular. Carefully keeping myself between two of its larger back legs, I pointed the gun at the exposed abdomen, the wing plates carefully protecting it from the front. Several shots tore into the softer flesh, biotic blood splattering wildly as I did so. The next instant, I extricated quickly, and not a moment too soon. I felt the wings clap shut so quickly that I could feel it in my gut, the hardened plates protecting it once more. It turned to me, slightly slanted away to let it see me with its good eyes. My legs tightened as I envisioned the few ways it could close the gap on me. None of them played out well for it. Without getting me against a wall, I doubted it could catch my mobility. Shockingly, it seemed to come to the same conclusion. Flabbergasted, I didn¡¯t know how to respond when it shrieked widly and then turned away from me, running at a dead sprint. My brain belatedly began to work then, and I fired a quick retort from my weapon as it rounded a corner, the burst of shots chipping away at the back armor of the bug. More noises brought my attention back to the others, the other five beetles all retreating with varying degrees of injuries. No single one of them left without a bit of silver blood trickling from them. But, there was a price paid for that. ¡°Gather up, head count!¡± I called out, dreading the response. ¡°Accounted for, we lost two over here,¡± Yomar huffed, his axes covered in a mixture of salt and grey fluids. The next response came from Ziek, ¡°Those fucking things are bad. We lost one on the right, but two more aren¡¯t up for much fighting here.¡± I nodded, looking to our wounded. All told, we had three that probably shouldn¡¯t be moving around. That would decrease our survivability by quite a bit if we had to slow down for people in this area. At that I paused, realizing that perhaps the practical meaning of the situation should potentially be secondary to the fact that we just lost people. My gut wrangled at the thought that we were losing people, but at the same time, there was some part of me that was just cold and calculating in this moment. That was something that was admittedly very handy right now. I turned my attention outwards, gazing along the dimly lit cavern. Only now did I realize how strange it was that these biotics had eyes, in such a dark world, surely they didn¡¯t need them? Perhaps they didn¡¯t need them down here, but topside it would be invaluable. Was that by some kind of design then? How did that even work? One way to find out, I shook myself from the distraction, realizing that the space was wide open enough that we might not have an easy time of moving forward. If we were dogged every step of the way¡­ how many losses would we take then? I turned back to the others, more gathered together, some passing out extra ammo just in case someone was in danger of running dry. How many of these people would walk out of here alive at this rate? We didn¡¯t need a new plan, though. What we needed was a new strategy. ¡°Yomar, Richard, Tabitha, and Ziek. You four are on me. The rest of you bulk up and advance slow, head up the right side of this cavern.¡± I started, seeing everyone¡¯s attention turn quizzical in nature. ¡°The wounded need to be defended, but we have to move quick. So, we split the team. We¡¯ll be going ahead along the left side of the cavern and try to slip past any biotics while you guys go up the right.¡± I explained, knowing that this was not a kind plan. Surprisingly, the others didn¡¯t speak immediately. Maybe they were absorbing the fact that I wanted to make a group the scapegoats for the biotics attention. ¡°So, we¡¯re bait?¡± Someone summarized, the man who¡¯d been injured in the hall spoke up. It wasn¡¯t an accusation, to my amusement, more like a statement. ¡°Pretty much.¡± I nodded to him, not seeing the point in dancing around the issue. Someone else snickered, ¡°Well shit¡­ any rules aside from being distracting?¡± At that I paused, looking around steadily at the others around me. Was I the weird one? Was this not actually bad? ¡°No, not really. Just keep moving a bit forward.¡± I nodded, studying them carefully. ¡°Cool, I¡¯ve got a great singing voice,¡± Someone deadpanned, drawing a few chuckles from everyone. I smiled even as I shook my head. I suppose they were taking the whole ¡®mission¡¯ concept more to heart. Clearly, people were still scared. A few had trembling hands, the man who cracked the joke one of them. And yet, they were going through with it. Then again, it was hard to say which group had the harder job on this one¡­ ¡°Lets go, those Hive Guard aren¡¯t going to stay in retreat forever.¡± I nodded to them, watching as everyone moved around, picking up shields and covering our dead. As the five of us drifted off through the shadows, each of our lights snuffed out to the dimmest we dared as we went, I could hear the group behind us quickly picking up in noise, rattling through the cavern. And, ironically, someone was pretty damned good at singing back there... Chapter 22.5 Push (Part 2) The disappearing forms of the five strongest of the divers into the darkness set everyone¡¯s nerves on edge. They knew that this plan was pretty questionable. No one said anything about that, though, since there wasn¡¯t any reasonable option. Being down here was terrifying. That was the thing, though, as Jensen had pointed out, this place was a death trap. One of the men, who was desperately trying to keep his mind off of the fact that Jensen was completely right, distracted himself by thinking of a song. It kept him his eyes away from the red splotch and skewered corpse to his right, smashed against the wall remorselessly. He didn¡¯t have good reflexes, didn¡¯t expect the charge. Well, nobody said Jensen was wrong. But he didn¡¯t think that the man would be proven right quite so quickly, and personally. ¡®Back to the songs. What song, what song?¡¯ He pondered to himself, briefly looking around at his companions. There were less than two dozen of them left here, some who knew what they were doing. They were a minority, really, maybe seven or so, and he certainly wasn¡¯t one of them. Somehow they managed to take the assignment in stride, and without realizing it, he was trying his damndest to not be the guy who freaked out. Why? Because they had no idea what they were walking in too. It almost felt like a game, before. The obelisks rewarded you for killing a biotic, harvesting Matter Energy from it. You could get anything you wanted for the right price, albeit some prices were frankly ridiculous. They suddenly had food again, real food, not canned stuff. It was fresh, like fresh off the farm fresh. Delicious cheeseburgers. He¡¯d had a milkshake for the first time in three years almost a week ago now. Had he known the world was ending, he¡¯d have gorged on them. So good. ¡®Distracted a little too much. Song.¡¯ chiding himself, he refocused. Perhaps something blue-sey? Some rock? Screamo would probably help with some stress relief right now, but might just come out a little too¡­ genuine right now. He was going to request a jukebox if he lived through this back at base. That¡¯d be a good addition. It was getting downright homely now, and the scoreboard for the teams. That was useful, though now he dreaded what it would take to score that many kills. It was different on the ground, being out here. It wasn¡¯t just a score, this was life and death. He knew that, but it just felt so much more¡­ present, now. Back when the wolves got through the walls, he¡¯d killed six of them! Now, with chagrin, he realized that six was a drop in the well compared to what was actually out there. Could he even do this job? Maybe it was just wishful thinki- ¡®She¡¯s dead because of them.¡¯ A cold voice in the back of his mind whispered, stopping all thought. ¡®She won¡¯t ever be coming back, they tore her apart and she¡¯ll never smile again.¡¯ The fear drained, a tepid phantom of what it was in mere moments. What else would he do? Go about living? Have fun, find someone else to spend his life with? He could find someone to spend his life with. Right out here, shoulder to shoulder. An electric buzz hummed through his body, distantly he noted everyone beginning to move together, our wounded cared for between us, the shields we bore now plenty to cover most of our weak points. One by one, we started to move, trembling, a cold sweat rolling down a face here and there, wide eyed, terrified glances casting into the darkness. He grinned, Eye of The Tiger was a good place to start as any song, right? The others turned to look at the man as he began to sing, jolting several of them at the sheer volume at first. Not a single one of them thought the man sane at first, certain that he¡¯d cracked. Yet, when they looked in his eyes, they saw a determination there, one that still born from fear and knowing that they would move forward anyways. One man laughed heartily, almost manically, feeling better somehow. ¡°Well, shit, may as well go out grinning.¡± That man started to sing. Or, rather, what might have passed for singing in some circle of hell. Another few joined in the singing, making up the lyrics if they didn¡¯t know them, if only to drown out the man who sang like a reverse siren, making ears bleed rather than drawing them in. If there was anything that the man remembered, it was that she would never stand for a half measure. Do, or do not. There was nothing else for her. And so, he¡¯d make damn sure the entire mine could hear his voice. -Matthew P.O.V.- I had to admit, the sounds that permeated the cavern were a lot louder than I¡¯d anticipated. Was I wrong in assuming that they¡¯d be too scared to do much more than a token effort? Really, anything would have been fine, the cavern echoed sounds so well that they¡¯d probably be heard just shuffling about.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. In contrast, we were almost completely masked in that sound. We weren¡¯t a stealthy group by my standards, but neither were we anywhere near as loud as we¡¯d been as a larger group. That alone should increase our chances. A buzz in my ear interrupted my thoughts. It was Terry. ¡°We have incoming, advance scouts just told us that the horde¡¯s oncoming, hard and fast.¡± ¡°How many?¡± I asked, swearing under my breath that they were already here. Silence greeted me. ¡°Terry? How many?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just get the job done fast, alright?¡± He tersely cut the line then, leaving me alone to my thoughts. The others turned their gazes to me, expectant and nervous at once. ¡°We have company topside, let''s move faster.¡± I answered the unspoken question. In the darkness, we slinked forward, keeping closer to the salt wall on our left. Ahead and to the right, we could hear the shuffling and angry chittering of biotics. The lights we bore dimmed, and while I could see in the dark, the others were not so fortunate. They surprised me a moment later, though, small scopes brought up to their eyes that glowed dim green through the lens. We could see the six hive guard in a small clearing, pitted ground all around them were salt was roughly formed into bowls and basins large enough for a human to curl up in with room to spare. Around them, a dozen smaller beetles extruded a vaguely salty looking substance, molding it over damaged parts of the armor in the hive guards. They fluttered their wings rapidly, making a great deal of noise in the process, but the air flow quickly hardened the exterior of the fluids. Unlike the previous adornments of intricate and almost elegant armor, these bits lacked any finesse. They were slapped on, and seemed like they would undoubtedly be weaker. Even so, it tightened my gut to watch, knowing that they would be able to rearm any time we failed to kill one. The smaller beetles looked almost harmless beside them, the limbs they bore blunted in salt, a nearly translucent looking shell. They lacked the organ for projecting salt spikes, and I wondered at once if these were the young of the hive, or another variant. Besides me, the group leveled their weapons, ready to fire. I grit my teeth, should we fire on them? They were right there, all grouped up. But we didn¡¯t have the firepower to chew through them fast enough. They¡¯d just turn on us, and it¡¯d be putting us at a numbers disadvantage against a biotic that could clearly fight outnumbered. Guilt curled my gut as I gently put a hand on Richard¡¯s shoulder with a slow shake of my head. I could see his grimace, teeth bared, as he remembered the plan. He lowered the gun, followed slowly by the others. We knew this was part of the reason why we split up in the first place. Even so, I couldn¡¯t just do nothing¡­ I muted my helmet external speakers and spoke directly to the other team, ¡°You¡¯ve got incoming from ahead, stick to the walls, there coming your way soon. Don¡¯t bother aiming at center of mass, they¡¯ve been recoated in salt, take out the legs. Aim for joints. Stay high.¡± At that, I swapped the speakers again, moving forward once more. The others followed, a little bit of tightness leaving them. Hopefully they figured I¡¯d just contacted the other group. Regrettably, we wouldn¡¯t be able to help here without blowing our cover. We kept moving, keeping a reasonable pace. Myself, Ziek, and Tabitha looked for well worn trails to find the path most traveled while Yomar and Richard kept their eyes peeled for their surroundings. Just when we feared we wouldn¡¯t find the path, though, Tabitha whispered, ¡°Here.¡± And gestured to an innocuous offshoot from the main tunnel. It would be easy to miss, hidden by a pillar of salt just in front of it, though the entrance was large enough to allow a hive guard through with room to spare. ¡°You sure?¡± Yomar frowned, whispering. Tabitha nodded sharply, gesturing to the floor. I could see what she was referring too, the salt on the floor was very well and truly worn, fleck and powdered form forming almost a sand of salt on the floor. Yomar nodded slowly, realizing the implication, and then proceeded to the front of the group, pulling out a pair of axes. Suddenly the sounds of gunfire and shouting filled the air behind us, drifting down the cavern. ¡°Go,¡± I pushed, our group moving faster, abandoning the prospect of stealth for a short burst of speed down the tunnel. In spite of it all, I could hear the sound of someone screaming shrilly, the wailing of someone who may well be dying. [Go.] Smith whispered in my ear, voice solemn but firm. It was all we could do now, and so we dove down deep, seeking to rip the heart out of the hive before any more damage could be done. And yet, as we dove, I could almost feel something wrong about this place. I¡¯d been in one Hive, and there was almost an energy in the place. This was something else, an oppressive feeling awash in arrogance. With varying looks on their face ranging from surprise to disgust, my team noted the change in the air as well. The tunnel dove deep, fully twenty meters before it finally stopped and opened into a chamber. Unlike the previous room, this was devoid of any cover, a wide open space with a high ceiling, easily 15 meters high. In the middle of the room, lifted up upon an intricately carved pedestal, rested a shining orb of silver. Beneath a glossy surface roiled shining mercury, the vaguest tints of what looked to be motes of salt casting a low glow through the room. It was honestly gorgeous, and was nearly a meter in diameter. It was the largest core I¡¯d seen yet. And it was also the most foreboding. Almost instinctively, I looked to the others before we walked through the entrance. ¡°Hold on.¡± I called, ¡°This is all wrong.¡± They paused, looking back to the room. ¡°Just the core¡­ Yeah, I smell bullshit too.¡± Yomar hefted his axes, trying to get a good look into the room. Try as we might, there wasn¡¯t any obvious trick that we could see here. ¡°If you see a big monster, leave distracting it to me and Yomar. Hit it from afar, try to slow it down and cripple it. I doubt it¡¯ll be easy to take down.¡± I went over a brief plan. ¡°I expect a big one if the pattern we¡¯ve seen so far holds true,¡± Richard groaned, glancing at this gun. It was good at penetrating some armor, but it wasn¡¯t ever meant to contend with a veritable tank. ¡°So, we¡¯re talking Boss Monster status from like a video game, and we¡¯re probably taking it with a lower than minimum party size?¡± Ziek snickered, ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± ¡°The real question is whether we¡¯re talking kiddie game difficulty, or Souls difficulty.¡± Tabitha made a face like she¡¯d tasted something especially sour. ¡°Wait, you play Souls?¡± Ziek quirked an eyebrow. My radio crackled to life, ¡°Matthew, you gotta move fast! One of the towers is down and they¡¯re digging new tunnels!¡± I heard Daniel shouting above a background din of fully automatic fire. We were out of time, then. ¡°Alright, lets go.¡± Yomar stepped forward into the cavern, and in a flurry of movement, disappeared from sight. Chapter 23 On Swift Wings The moment Yomar vanished we went on the offensive. I was the second into the cavern, gun up and lights on full to fight the shadows. I could hear Yomar screaming, anger and frustration mixing with swearing. I realized it was coming from above us a moment later, and I could almost feel my helmet dim with disbelief at what I saw. There upon the roof I could see Yomar, a veritable spear of a salt-covered barb piercing his gut. His barebones exosuit narrowly protecting his vitals. Clanging sounds reverberated as he struck against the mandibles of a large creature, broad, translucent wings gleaming in the bright light. ¡°Fuck off! Gonna eat me? Eat this di-¡± Yomar was interrupted as one of his axe heads sheared through a smaller mandible. The large creature, half again as large as the hive guards, flung him hard off of it, toward the ground. From the corner of my eye, I watched Tabitha rush forward with Ziek to catch him. Without coordinating, Richard and I fired the moment he was clear, bolts striking instant after instant into the things left wing where it met the body. I shredded the other. At least, that''s what we tried to do. A smattering of shots hit the creature, resulting in a high keening noise as it launched itself from the ceiling, faster than I thought possible for something that large. It¡¯s wings vibrated quickly as it streaked away, repositioning and facing us. It was then that I noticed two things. The first was that this creature bore an enlarged abdomen, almost appearing as a mix between a beetle and a hornet. A flexible stinger, barbed with salt and now covered in blood, shone grimly in the light. Its mandibles flowed with silver blood from its attempt at eating Yomar, who struggled to his feet, bleeding and whimpering. If I was in a position to be distracted, I¡¯d be wondering how in the hell he was on his feet with an open gut wound like that. The Queen didn¡¯t give me the opportunity to care. It weaved forward, the sound as jarring as a helicopter. We fired at it, many of my shots hitting it for virtue of my enhanced senses. The others got off a few shots, Tabitha doing the best of the four of them with two shells glancing off of and carving a portion of the salt armor from its head. It focused on me, however, knowing full well that it¡¯s intricate, deceptively delicately created armor was being punished the most by me. A highly intelligent, fast, strong, lethal enemy. Definitely a boss monster. It swiped at me with its legs as it closed in, hook like barbs nearly connecting as I ducked and weaved between the strikes with no room to spare. I did the same for the stinger as it surged forward, dodging just out of its range an-- The stinger extended, connecting with my gut and hooking deep into my flesh. For a brief moment, it was as though gravity didn¡¯t exist, I simply floated off of the ground. In the next, though, I was wracked with several G¡¯s of force as it rounded back the way it came sharply. The barb wasn¡¯t deep, it had hit my guts, however. There were some converted parts that were biosteel, but the vast majority was still soft flesh. After this they wouldn¡¯t be, given how I could feel the barb and stinger flexing around wildly, wriggling in my gut. Disgust and agony mixed together as the creature¡¯s head and limbs came down quickly, seeking to chew my head off. I swapped my rifle to a more practical pair of weapons. Hanging off the stinger, I let both of my arms hold my reaper blades, swords that glowed red along the edge as hot as plasma. With my left arm, I smote the stinger, and with my right, I cut off the tip of a barbed leg that sought to cut out my throat. I fell like a puppet with its strings cut, any semblance of grace extinguished. I heard someone call out as I fell, and a retort of firepower come immediately after, the pained shrieking of the queen overhead telling me that they resumed firing the moment they could. As I hit the ground, I felt my insides churn, and the ground cracked around me. Did I hit the ground that hard? Surely that was¡­ Reflexies kicked in again, powering through the white hot pain in my stomach. As the ground crumbled inwards, I reached the edge of the covered pit, stabbing into the edge with a sword, anchored with my biosteel arm. Beneath me, I saw a dozen infant creatures, each one ravenously chittering, and I got to see their limbs. When not covered by salt, they were themselves armed with razor blades for limbs. Perhaps they dulled as they aged when used for digging up salt. Nevermind that, these things set this? Really? ¡°The floor is trapped!¡± I called out in a blend of warning, indignation, and outrage. I hauled myself over the edge, my blood trickling down into the pit to a few all too happy creatures. ¡°Oh shi-!¡± Yomar screeched to a halt on his own, feeling the ground cave beneath him. He reached the edge as well, clamped on by sheer desperation. Ziek fired a bolt as he ran, coming up from the side as the Queen warily eyed Richard, his bolts doing a great deal of damage. ¡°I got you man.¡± Ziek uttered, even as I stowed the blades and brought out the rifle once more, firing a retort at the flying biotics flank. It snarled, looking to me as it bled profusely from its leg. And then, as it swept around, it surprised me by ignoring me entirely. Instead it swept down towards Ziek, lashing out with it¡¯s remaining legs. It sliced down towards Ziek as he worked to pull Yomar from the edge. I lost sight of him, but I could see the talons of the Queen nearly flowing with blood from the deep strike, and a coldness gripped my heart. At best, his spine was severed. At worst, he died instantly. Judging from what might be at the bottom of the pit, I wondered what would be worse. ¡°Mother fucker!¡± Anger rushed through me, blinding me to the pain in my gut. I immediately began firing, emptying my clip a second later. Without a moment¡¯s lapse, I snapped a new cartridge in, watching as it screeched, first chunks of salt falling, and then showers of silver liquid. It turned towards me, bee-lining in its intent to tear me to pieces. Distant shots from Tabitha¡¯s fifty caliber caused it to flinch in its approach, but it didn¡¯t stop. When it closed the gap, the armor on its torso was little more than molten metal, and a hissing sound filled the air as its exoskeleton was cooked from the slag. The moment before it reached me I pulled out one of the blades. As it flew past, it tried to slash at me with another limb. It paid for the attempt, the leg severed cleanly. To my surprise, it hit me with a grazing shot, the stub of its stinger bearing a few lingering jagged slivers of salt and keratin. With a tearing sound, it rent through the edge of my armor, catching my ribs and tearing flesh from bone. Blood spattered, and as I spun, I struggled to right myself, firing another barrage into its back as it went.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. This time, as it spun back around, it hesitated as it considered what to do about me. I could almost see the deep seated hatred it had for me, an invader of its home, and how it wanted to disembowel me. And yet, that was the worst thing it could have done in that instant. A pair of shots rang out, a sniper shell scoring a lucky - or accurate - hit on the compound eye on the right side of its head, one of four such mounds. Bolts struck it in its now softened chest, the sheets of melted salt running like water down its limbs. It darted forward towards them in a blind rage, and in that moment I dreaded that they were going to die. The large flying insect buzzed towards them, and as it passed, I watched Richard step forward, shield first, firing slug after slug at its head. At the last second, Tabitha fired another shot into another set of compound eyes, and from the range she was at, they exploded like a ripe melon dropped from a twelve story tall building. It lost control of its movements before it got to them, flaring off to the side and smashing hard into the ground, rolling as it went. While it rolled what almost sounded like the shattering of huge panes of glass met my ears. Even while my feet carried me towards the core, I realized that it¡¯s wings were no more. ¡°Keep firing! I¡¯ll take out the core!¡± I shouted, now only a few dozen feet away from it. ¡°Hurry up!¡± bellowed Richard as he jammed a new belt feed of ammo into his weapon, the previous box totally used up now. He shed weight as he went, positioning himself away from Tabitha in case it rushed them so they wouldn¡¯t die at once. He didn¡¯t need to worry. It¡¯s head snapped in my direction as I closed on the core. With an ear shattering cry, it filled the air with its awful voice. All at once, I felt the ground underfoot quake, and suddenly every pit in the room began to move. Salt collapsed in on itself as coverings were shattered. Dozens of pits, each filled the young beetles, were exposed. However, I was more than close enough now. Rewriting this core was never the plan, it¡¯d be too dangerous. Instead, I leveled my rifle and began firing, fully two clips vanishing into the hungry maw of a fully automatic weapon. The Queen seemed too shaken to so much as move in that instant, and I found myself almost amused at that. The core, however, released its own, almost pathetic, keening then. Suddenly ever biotic in the room was overtaken by a single directive, one motion. They flooded forward, the Queen stomping over and onto anything in its way. Silver explosions of gunk erupted as it heedlessly trampled any in the way. A kernal of hatred lit in my heart at the thing. For all I knew, Yomar and Ziek were dead, no small portion of that due to this thing. Almost with a casual display of violence, I kept the rifle trained on the core, already the first of the hatchlings were closing on me. But the Queen was fast, even down two legs and without any wings. I pulled out my trench gun with my left arm, shield coming active to protect from the heat and projectile spray that might come back on me. I pressed the trigger, holding tight with my biosteel left arm and bracing, every portent of focus I had coming to bare in aiming at the core and the barreling monstrosity before me. It proceeded with impunity the first shot, the red hot pulses and slag tearing through the armor that yet remained. But it only grew closer, and after the second and third shot, it was clear that it would never make the journey. Chunks of exoskeleton flew through the air, gallons of silver blood cooked in the intense heat of a weapon designed for merciless slaughter. When it was only feet away, the body was tumbling forward, around the ninth shot. On the twelfth little was left of its head and most of its upper torso. After the fifteenth, it finally skidded to a halt before it could reach me. Its strength had been in its speed and evasiveness, but the core didn¡¯t care about that. It only cared about getting aid. I turned my shots to the core, and felt more than heard the core shatter from the force. A surge of energy flooded through the mine and focused into my body through the symbol engraved into my right hand. Matter Energy, a massive amount of it. All around, biotics fell, each infant, of which there were hundreds, seemed to simply go slack, dying on their feet as they already began to unravel. It was a hard-fought victory. And it as far as they went, this was bitter sweet. The shattered pieces of the core already turned to dust, vanishing with the pulse of energy that inundated the air. Quickly, I turned and came to the pit where Ziek and Yomar had fallen. I didn¡¯t notice them come up, and hoped against hope that they were alive. That hope diminished considerably as I looked at all the blood in the pit. All around the two bodies, beetles perished. Not a single one had been unclaimed by an axe, but it was painfully clear that Ziek was dead. His throat had been torn out, and it looked like Ziek had counter killed the beetle that did it, a bolt sticking out of its body with his fist clenched around it. I shook my head mournfully, they were riddled with injuries. Ziek¡¯s were clearly worse, but it looked like Yomar might have died from a thousand cuts. Beside me, I heard Richard and Tabitha come up. The older man swore under his breath, a tightness in his eyes at the sight. Tabitha said nothing, she¡¯d seen awful sights before, I¡¯m sure. But even so, her face was a practiced mask of solemnity, tinged with sadness. ¡°We should get them out¡­¡± Richard spoke, and I nodded. I dropped down into the pit as he tossed me a rope. I rested next to Ziek, closing his eyes and straightening him, doing my best to make sure he could maintain his dignity. He¡¯d died fighting, trying to help a comrade. I wouldn¡¯t forget him. I felt a tightness constrict my heart, grief building. ¡®A little longer¡­¡¯ I reminded myself, trying to put off the wall of emotions that I shut out during this entire adventure. Richard hefted him out of the pit, ignoring the blood that got on him as he pulled a thermal blanket out of his pack, covering the man. He dropped the rope once more, and I began to loop it around Yomar. And then he spat up blood, gasping for air as I leaned him up. ¡°Yomar!¡± I started, almost dropping him, ¡°Hang on, don¡¯t lose consciousness, stay awake!¡± ¡°Ziek? Where is Ziek?¡± He nearly gurgled through blood, spitting another mouthful, too delirious to focus. I shook my head, ¡°We¡¯re gonna get you out of this pit, hold on.¡± He gripped my shoulder, ¡°Ziek, where is¡­?¡± he trailed off, losing focus. I didn¡¯t say anything. I couldn¡¯t. The dam of emotion that I¡¯d barricaded off was swelling. He was alive, in spite of it all, he¡¯d somehow lived. And the first thing he wanted to know about was the man who died for him. ¡®Just forward. Just move forward.¡¯ I begged my legs as I helped to haul him from the pit. We needed to move. My injuries could wait, his couldn¡¯t. ¡°Everyone, get out of the mine, anyone who isn¡¯t injured help the wounded, we need a medic right goddamn now!¡± I shouted into the mic. Tabitha helped to carry Yomar, Richard carried Ziek as we moved through the cavern. It felt like it took both twice as long as no time at all before we¡¯d run into the group again. On the way up, we saw only two corpses of the hive guards, and we quickly found out why. The delve team were a mixture between smiles and sadness - we¡¯d lost another two men among them - but all around them four of the Hive Guard were down. They¡¯d killed them in the counter offensive. They saw who we carried between us, and against all hope, I prayed that our remaining two medics could stabilize Yomar. The third was nowhere to be seen, at least not in a recognizable fashion. Exhaustion fell over the lot of us, the rush of the battle over. It was gone so quickly, like a whisper of death on the wind, the only evidence of its passing the memories and corpses in its wake. ¡°Matthew,¡± Fran¡¯s voice picked up, ¡°Our headcount is shaping up to be five wounded, no dead luckily. We were able to dig in well. How did it go on your side?¡± I opened my mouth, dry as sandpaper. It was fortunate that I was the only one she directly spoke too, given what we¡¯d gone through. How would they take news that there were no fatalities topside? That they¡¯d drawn the short straw? I turned my gaze to the others, they looked haggard, and weary, but we were alive. We were alive. ¡°Send people down to the chute to get us out of here.¡± I answered, ¡°We¡¯ll go over the details later.¡± She must have gathered a bit of the situation from that, because her answer was much more subdued, ¡°Understood¡­ We¡¯ll be down shortly.¡± I was grateful for that at least. And as we moved forward, we noted that there were several more beetles that had managed to find an alternate entrance. If we were late even by another minute, how many of these things would have attacked the delve team from behind? After this, we needed more than just willpower and manpower. What would it matter how many people you throw at something if your weapons barely dent the thing? Would morale hold up if you know that at least one person would die every single time you hunted biotics? Hell no, you¡¯d do everything you could to stay away. No, what we needed was to arm ourselves, we needed something better than standard fare. Kevlar kept a few people alive here, but we needed more. High-grade weapons that could shred the beetles, armor that could shirk anything but a point-blank strike. Buying completed weapons and armor would be a waste, we needed to create our own. And now, we had the capital to do it¡­ Some modifications would have to be made, and a building would need to be appropriated, but we wouldn¡¯t be caught like this again. Next time, when the Legion marched, it would be to the damnation of anything we came across. We would be the ones to rip and tear. We would be the ones to bring death. I vowed that not to myself, but to our fallen. Their sacrifice would not be in vain. Chapter 24 Remembrance Emerging from the light had an immediate effect on my team. They smiled, some of them crying out in joy and success. We had successfully cleared the hive and the biotics had seemingly perished en masse. All around the entrance were rapidly decaying bodies, an influx of matter energy marking their degradation. It was eerie, almost, a mixture of a bitter copper scent and almost a scorched scent of ozone, though that perhaps was due to the tesla coils. Only three of the coils remained, the rest had been damaged beyond repair by either poor construction and running therein, or the efforts of dozens of salt harpoons from the large biotics. Along the ground, a few paths had already been cleared, Daniel leading the way in the effort by having borrowed a bulldozer¡¯s shovel, pushing out areas as needed. As quickly as the bodies decayed, these would yet remain for hours on end. There was a definite air of success and celebration among those of us that were responsible for the defense. And it was soon clear why. Among the body bags that lay in even lines next to each other, almost every one of them were from the delve team. The question why rose in my mind again and again as I helped move the bodies into the back of the large truck. Carefully, I moved them into position, leaving a middle row open to walk through. Richard, Tabitha, and the other delvers helped to load them in. We bore six wounded in all, Yomar critically so. He was alive, in spite of gruesome injuries and blood loss. There were another dozen wounded, only three of which were from our team. Mortality was proven this day, I thought grimly, noting the disparity of wounded to dead in our two groups. Why? What needed to happen to make this better? ¡°Matthew,¡± I felt Alice¡¯s hand on my shoulder distantly, numb. ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I lied quickly, turning my attention to her, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She paused, almost like she could see my grimace behind my helmet. With a small sigh, she spoke, ¡°Fran wanted to talk to you.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks.¡± I nodded to her, ignoring the clear look of concern on her face. My gut flipped again as I caught sight of the truck full of dead. The delver¡¯s shared looks of happiness, exhaustion, and a few with looks of utter devastation. I knew some of them would likely no longer be a part of the Reaper¡¯s Legion. The haunted, hollow look in their eyes and the cowl of fear hung from them, like a present from the dark they¡¯d survived. I wouldn¡¯t blame them if they left. These biotics weren¡¯t targets that we should have had newcomers test themselves with. But there wasn¡¯t much choice. Was there? I thought to myself bitterly. What if I¡¯d been wrong? What if I¡¯d taken my team down into the darkness instead? Would it have been over fast enough that defense wouldn¡¯t have been as necessary? I shook my head of those thoughts. Doubting myself would do absolutely no good now. The group dispersed among the whole, a mix of triumphant defenders and distressed delvers. Already, I could tell they would bear their experiences and let them break them, or strengthened through them. There was no other option, there hadn¡¯t been ever since the biotics had first appeared. Even so, it was different when the one who had sent them into such a place was me. I was responsible for every success and for every broken soul. My pace slowed at that, in spite of it all, a plan formed in the back of my mind. Perhaps later, I would address that. Giving out orders and coordinating to the best of her abilities, Fran was directing our efforts to get packed up and leave. She noticed me approach, flanked by Alice who still glanced at me from time to time. Her concern was warming, but somehow, I didn¡¯t want it. The others needed that more than I did. I could get to feeling things out later on my own. That was probably unhealthy, but I had more things to do as of yet. ¡°Fran, how are we looking at?¡± I asked, hoping to avoid being asked if I was doing alright. For a second, she paused, the briefest flicker of her eyes towards the truck of bodies I¡¯d come from. Blessedly, she didn¡¯t bring it up, ¡°We¡¯re looking good. The defenses held better than we¡¯d hoped, and the Legion has raked in a considerable sum of ME. Beyond that, it seems we have limited casualties, but I think we can attribute that to Terry¡¯s contribution more than anything else. The tesla towers proved to be wildly successful, though we¡¯re going to have to leave them behind for the time being.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I frowned, ¡°Why is that?¡± As I asked that, however, I noted the fact that one of the trucks hoods were open, a few white spears of salt protruding from the front. Two tires on one side were out as well. ¡°Ah, I presume that happened while defending?¡± Fran had a brief look of amusement. ¡°Yes, though it was dumb luck rather than anything else, one of the beetles was spasming from electricity and happened to hit the truck a few times. It was bigger than the rest of them by a good bit.¡± Perhaps a Hive Guard? I wondered at that, they¡¯d probably intended them to act as vanguards for more hardened targets. Strange that there was only one, though. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll send a truck out later, or get the Bulwark to do it.¡± I nodded, ¡°No reason not to recommission the mine if we can get it secured anyways. It¡¯d be better not to use matter energy on things we can get locally.¡± Alice broke into the conversation with a quizzical expression, ¡°Would that be a bad thing? It¡¯s not like it costs that much.¡± That took me by surprise, especially as Fran seemed just as interested in my logic. I hummed thoughtfully at that, ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s not really a big expense now, but imagine if we had to make it every day? What if biotics aren¡¯t as common after we clear out a few hives? Or, worse, if they get too strong to conveniently hunt? We still have no idea what might come later, so it¡¯s best for us to get as self-sufficient as soon as possible. After all, we¡¯re basically relying on the obelisk to take care of manufacturing for us¡­¡± I trailed off, suddenly thinking of more projects. Already I intended to have weapons made, but there really was no reason not to expand that further. If there was a plan in place for our progression, I had no inkling of it. Perhaps we were supposed to rely on the obelisk system entirely, but I doubted that after seeing the expenses for more advanced items. We were heavier by tens of thousands of matter energy after this raid, but that¡¯d disappear quickly if we tried to outfit ourselves with advanced alien technology. That wasn''t sustainable, you¡¯d have a handful of powerful individuals, and then a swarm of less well equipped grunts. Perhaps in war that was considered acceptable, but this wasn¡¯t war, it was genocidal combat with an alien species that seemed only to want to devour us. Trading lives was irrelevant. Attrition wouldn¡¯t result in our overwhelming loss. ¡°Matthew?¡± Fran interrupted my thinking. Embarrassed, I spoke, ¡°Sorry, please continue.¡± She smiled warmly, as did Alice, leaving me somewhat mystified. ¡°Well, I was thinking that we would also want to consider having some kind of celebratory event. This is the first successful raid, and we can set the tone for this in the future with this. Besides, I¡¯m sure the Bulwark would love to be able to put a face to the name of the Reaper¡¯s Legion for the civilian sector.¡± I blinked at that, and then my helmet light trembled with my heart as it skipped a beat, ¡°You want me to do a speech, don¡¯t you?¡± Her smile became wolfish, ¡°Of course, you are the leader of the Legion after all.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯d be nice!¡± Alice grinned, ¡°You can tell everyone how awesome we are!¡± My stomach churned at that. It wasn¡¯t that I hated public speaking in general. Okay, I hated public speaking in general. I¡¯d done pretty well a few times, but that was in front of specific organizations, I knew what they were looking for, I knew where I wanted to stand with them. What about regular people? I didn¡¯t really care about them, if I was perfectly honest. Killing biotics was the goal of the Legion, not protecting people, right? Suddenly, a malicious gleam crackled on the light on my helmet, flexing like a grin, ¡°Okay. I can figure something out.¡± Instantly I saw Fran¡¯s face fall to a suspicious glare. She didn¡¯t get the chance to say anything though, as Daniel stomped up to the group, flanked by Terry who was a full three heads shorter than Daniels improved mech. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Matt! You guys kicked ass down there!¡± Daniel¡¯s excited voice carried over the speakers. A few people looked our way at that, and I shook my head. I didn¡¯t agree with that assessment, but I couldn¡¯t very well dispute that without wiping out the morale that was climbing through the Legionaries. ¡°We did,¡± I nodded, mentally adding but we¡¯ll do better next time. ¡°I was getting a bit nervous there, I admit,¡± Terry chuckled, ¡°They were starting to swarm pretty heavily.¡± ¡°Well, the towers seemed to do a good job,¡± Alice piped in, ¡°I wonder if we can do something like that for more of our groups?¡± ¡°Not unless they can carry a portable generator,¡± Terry chuckled. And then turned thoughtfully to Daniel, ¡°Huh, actually, that might be doable.¡± I listened to the back and forth for a while before we decided to get everyone into the trucks. However, I didn¡¯t sit with everyone else. I sat in the truck bed with the bodies of the fallen. More than once, my friends tried to get me to stay with them in the other trucks. But, I needed some alone time, and more than that, I felt they deserved that I know their names and faces. As the trucks started rolling, I uncovered their faces, looking at them. Their eyes were closed now, but only a day ago each of these people had lives, possibly families if they had any left. They moved, breathed, ate, drank, just like anyone else. And just like it had been what seemed like a lifetime now, biotics had taken everything from them. I memorized their names, uploading them to the Reaper Database. I found pictures of them when they were alive, putting together a memorial set. As I did so, I felt the truck rumble to wakefulness under my feet. It was a simple thing, putting the memorial together, but doing so did something for me. With every name and face that I put on the memorial I felt the numbness I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d been mired in loosen. I felt the raw emotion, the waves of adrenaline that burned through me long faded leaving frenetic nerves. My hands trembled, muscles tightened. As easily as opening my eyes, my helmet slid away from my head, my breath uneven and short. Tears fell from my unnatural eyes. I didn¡¯t tremble in terror, I think I would have preferred that. Guilt crept through my thoughts as I looked at them again and again, the responsibility of their deaths hanging over my head. I couldn¡¯t look away, feeling forcing myself instead to bear upon myself the duty of remembrance. My breath came harder then, and the wound on my gut flared up, reminding me of my own injury. It was strange realizing that I¡¯d probably taken a strike that would have killed anyone else. Already I felt the reinforced tissues working to repair the damage. I pressed a hand to my stomach, realizing that the wound blended in with the armor. From dull grey to black, some kind of damp material came away with my hand, a dark red tint the only identifier that I still had blood. I grimaced at that, biosteel was in my body now, and certainly it would help with clotting these larger injuries. I shook my head, there was the chance that I¡¯d need to get that taken a look at. Perhaps we should have our own medical facility set up. Idly, I continued with my project, feeling the need to focus on anything else that I could. When finally the memorial was complete, I felt the tears had slowed to a trickle. It was strange, to be crying but not overwhelmed with sadness, strangely distant. Was that normal? Was that shock? I wasn¡¯t sure, but each of these people were individuals that had trusted in me, becoming a part of my legion. I was responsible for each of them. The worst one was Ziek, he didn¡¯t die simply because he wasn¡¯t good enough. He died trying to save a comrade, of them all, losing him stung the most somehow, not that losing someone because they weren¡¯t ready was at all ¡®better¡¯ for me. I sat back in the bed of the truck, closing my eyes and donning my helmet once more. It would be a long drive back, and more than once, I could smell the tang of dead biotic in the air, disparate groups that died out in the wilderness as they¡¯d tried to make their way to the hive. If nothing else, that answered another idle question. The reason why that there was only one Hive Guard at the opening of the mines was because the rest of them were still leading their swarms back to the mine. As I thought of that, I remembered the Bulwark, and remembered that they were in charge of setting up defenses properly in Gilramore. I pressed my hand to my gut as the pain pulsed in tune to my heartbeat. We needed everything to be¡­ better. I kept thinking of that as I lost consciousness and faded off to sleep. And awoke seemingly moments later to a man in black armor, red light seeming to allude to a malignant eye glaring at me from its smooth onyx helmet. The bed of the truck, hard metal that had several body bags in it was now entirely devoid of any trace of its previous payload. Of course, the part that was distinctly more disorienting was the fact that there almost appeared to be an identical truck bed where it should have ended. More than that was that in this mirror, the other me was surrounded by the bodies. ¡°Why do you feel sorry for them?¡± He asked. My gut tightened, painfully with the injury, as I processed the words. ¡°Because I was responsible for them.¡± I said, clenching my fist, ¡°Don¡¯t you start this shit.¡± His head tilted slightly in a question, ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Try to point out some kind of cold logic that they knew what they were getting into. I know that, doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t have that responsibility-¡± ¡°Please,¡± he waved a hand at me, ¡°I¡¯m not an asshole. Well, we are, but we¡¯re at least selfish enough to not do that to ourselves. What I¡¯m saying here is that you shouldn¡¯t feel sorry for them.¡± At that I paused, pressing the injury on my gut. A surge of pain took the sluggishness from the corner of my mind with a wince. ¡°Then what are you¡­ we getting at here?¡± He shrugged, but before he could say anything, I felt the dream world shudder and suddenly he was sitting next to me, leaning back against the back of the cab. ¡°Well, look at them again.¡± I did so, eyeing the body bags, now lined up once more in the bed of the truck, with room to spare. Each was open, displaying the bodies in varying states of damage. With one major change. Each of them looked like me. ¡°The fuck?¡± I felt a tremor roll down my spine, cold like the fingers of death. My alter-self put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Right? Smith put it to me this way, ¡®What if it were you on that floor?¡¯ and left me with that.¡± He sat forward, grimacing at his own gut wound, ¡°What if it were us on that floor?¡± That was odd, Smith talking to him, effectively my subconsciousness, instead of me was strange to think about. Beyond that though, that question was just bizarre. Still, I studied them, and that went on for a while. On some level, I felt a deep concentration on the subject, and I supposed it was because I was literally engaged on every cognitive level on the question. And the first thing I came up with wasn¡¯t helpful at all. The nihilistic view that we¡¯re all fleshy bags that end up the same in the end was probably not the goal. So, not the literal sense of the question. Spiritual? Cultural? What about¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± I clicked my tongue, ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯d be pissed off if someone were to be so tied up about my being dead in a world like this?¡± My other self paused and stared at me for a very uncomfortable amount of time. Finally, he said, ¡°That¡¯s what you came up with?¡± Defensively, I spat, ¡°Well what¡¯d you get then?¡± Shaking his head, he gestured beyond the bodies, ¡°I felt that I would want my death celebrated, not mourned. We¡¯re in a world were dying can be just around the corner. Less now with medicine mostly back up and running, but thinking about it, I can¡¯t bring myself to look at a corpse and regret it the way I used too. Mourning? Yeah, I get that, but why did they die? Or, more importantly, what did they die for?¡± I opened my mouth to speak before I felt my jaw snap shut reflexively. The thought resounded within my ears, and though it might be expected coming from my subconscious, I found that the thought somehow just clicked. Silently, I nodded, regarding the bodies in silence, the faces no longer my own. They foot the bill, they¡¯d put their money where their mouth was. They were dead, but there were plenty of ways to die. They¡¯d chosen theirs. Sure, it sucked, they could have done so much more. But that was in the past, what could be can never be again. Yeah, that was morose and somewhat cheesy, but it was a fact nevertheless. I smiled, realizing that my trembling had subsided. These people had died, from inexperience, poor equipment, unfamiliar terrain, a clever enemy, whatever the reason was wasn¡¯t irrelevant, but it wasn¡¯t something to brood over. I could move forward with this. The Legion would move forward with this. Seemingly only minutes later, I felt the truck under me slow, my attention coming back to reality. We would be back in Gilramore now, or at least close. I put a hand to my helmet, turning my mic back on. No sooner than I had, did I hear ¡°Matthew, you might wanna take a look out here.¡± And I did so, and found myself staring in shock at the road leading into Gilramore. ¡°Can¡­ how did¡­ we have a wall like that now?¡± Alice¡¯s words came in some kind of mismash. I couldn¡¯t blame her, instead of a ramshackle wall built between houses, what we saw now was the complete demolishment of several large buildings, taken apart by men with the combined work effort of construction equipment and what looked like extremely heavy duty exo-suits, a skeletal frame that allowed them to move much larger objects safely. The speed was pretty remarkable too, nothing like the suit Yomar wore, but watching a building and its parts being ferried off by people like worker ants was stunning. More than that, though, were the 10 meter tall sections of dark-grey walls that were appearing. Each one two meters wide. A sliver of metal bracing connected them to each other, one of which was being slid into place from the front, pushed backwards toward Gilramore until it lined up with large notches designed into the one to its side. They were modular in design, a wall that was fastened together with what looked like steel and some kind of concrete. And there were already a half dozen set up, with more coming through the streets on tractor diesels, very few of which shared any kind of designating mark. The construction equipment was repurposed, most of it just from the city, with exception to a few much larger hulks that were as large as Daniel¡¯s mech. They worked in tandem with the crane crews, moving the walls into place in minutes with what should have taken hours. Each crane, of which three worked at the same time, had small silver devices connected to several parts, the winch, motors, and certainly more that I couldn¡¯t see from my position at all. As we passed, several of the men cheered loudly, rumbling through the sites. Our arrival signified that the biotics were dealt with, that they wouldn¡¯t have a sudden wave of lethal spear shooting biotics. At least, that¡¯s what I assumed. With a smirk, I opened my com channel, ¡°Hear that, Legionaries? That¡¯s for you. Enjoy it.¡± I sat back, looking to the bodies as my mic silenced. ¡°That¡¯s for you¡­¡± I uttered to them, swearing to honor them the best way I could. Looking back to the ever growing construction site, I had to hand it to Doug, he¡¯d done damn good work. And it¡¯d be my turn shortly enough. Chapter 25 Evaluation As we drove through the construction site, I noticed something very strange was taking place. Many buildings had been repurposed from being residential, or offices. Scant few here were occupied, but even so, it was somehow bizarre to see such retrofittings. Heavy machinery protruded from houses, ill-fitting and placed with no regard for appearances. Most seemed to be rolling equipment, crushing what seemed like stone and other such things into a much finer material. Clearly, all that mattered was location, and I could see what looked like an entire neighborhood of freshly cleared rubble. It was somewhat heartbreaking to see houses like that, but I reminded myself that anything anyone wanted out of them was probably long looted. Curious, I scanned the area, attentive to the details. I wanted to know how our hard earned M.E. was being used. And then spotted someone I knew among the bustle. ¡°Guys, I¡¯ll be back later,¡± I spoke through the mic, ¡°I¡¯m getting an update of the situation here, I¡¯ll meet you back at HQ.¡± ¡°What?¡± Daniel was the first to respond, hesitantly adding, ¡°Alright, see you soon?¡± ¡°A few hours tops, we¡¯ll set up for a public thing at that point to give everyone a general update for now, until we get something more meaningful together for information again.¡± I stepped over the back of the truck, standing on the bumper and waving at the driver in the mirror. The vehicle started to slow, then nearly stopped before I hopped off. No reason to stupidly open a healing injury. ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll spread the word to some people. I¡¯ll let Doug know, too.¡± Fran smartly added. I grinned morosely, she was probably enjoying putting me in front of people right now. Maybe something about getting me used to it. ¡°I¡¯ve got Doug, I¡¯ll ask him to get in touch with you.¡± I finished, walking towards the construction site. It was incredible seeing what looked like industrial mixers and truck fulls of dirt or other such materials being moved about efficiently. I wasn¡¯t familiar with many of these processes, beyond what looked like concrete. ¡°Have fun!¡± Alice called out. I nodded habitually, looking around for the small group of people near the major construction. As I approached, the clunk of heavy metal and the acrid stench of what seemed like tar wafted through my helmet. At least, before I shut it out, counting yet another blessed feature of the gear I had. They were wearing hard-hats as they went, some of them holding clip-boards with papers stuffed on them. Most of them seemed to me to be almost wholly stereotypical of a construction foreman, but no single one of them seemed to be flagging in spite of how animatedly they were going about their work. They exchanged words and information from teams as they passed, three molds with crisscrossing latticework of steel rebar being formed layer by layer by a dozen men, three of which per team had some form of mechanical assistance. I watched them crank out bent pieces of rebar with several ¡®arms¡¯ tooled with different implements before being passed on to the other nine men, who would quickly load it into some kind of winch that would fit the piece exactingly into the next part of the mold and spot weld it in a millisecond to the existing frame, winding wires together. All the while, the winch held a lithe arm above the whole affair, beeping and emitting an automated voice that likely went to the headsets on each workers head. These three stations worked with remarkable efficiency, coordinated by AI and checked over and assisted by the men and women all around. As I watched, the bottom layer of steel was finished, and a separate machine with a rotating mixer fed a connected 3D printer, larger than anything I¡¯d seen. As it lay concrete, I also watched an intense UV light came in behind a few shaping limbs. To my amazement, I could see the concrete harden over seconds as the UV bombardment continued. To my knowledge, normal concrete took hours if not days and more to set. Something else must have been added to the process. And beyond that, the concrete was being produced on site, a modular design present in the industrial equipment that I was positive we didn¡¯t have days ago. I¡¯d never seen a factory that could be moved, let alone one with treads and a dozen sensors around it. I turned my focus back to the group I intended to insert myself in. I could sit there mesmerized for hours watching the process as the cementing machine began to move to the next mold. One last look showed that the group added another layer of rebar reinforcement and joined it with bits of steel that protruded from the previous layer. From the look of it I estimated eight layers might be needed, or thereabouts. It was quick, I expected that they could crank out a finished section every hour or so. Truly an incredible amount, but I had to wonder what the actual fortitude of such a structure had, and even beyond that, if we even had that much time to work with. I shoved that thought away, though, since if we didn¡¯t have the timeline even with something like this, then we¡¯d have never made it anyways. That¡¯s what the Legion would be doing, anyways, buying more time to secure the border of the city. My feet moved over paved and packed ground, crushed materials that hadn¡¯t been moved by virtue of saving time. Moments later, I was only a few dozen feet from the group, and the man I was looking for saw me. Doug had a look of surprise, one that quickly melted into a broad smile. He waved me over, some of the men around him taking a look to who he was gesturing too. A few of them started at the sight of me, chrome weapon with gleaming red resting upon my back, cloak hidden within the suit for the time being. My helmet gleamed with a faint tinge of red, and even fainter was the visage of a skull that was barely visible. My armor plating, black with red highlighting, looked like it had taken something of a beating, and blood was still apparent on myself. Which Doug noted with a brief twinge of emotion, concern touching his eyes before he shook it off. I couldn¡¯t be sure what went through his head, but he greeted me as though I didn¡¯t look like I¡¯d just come from a battleground. ¡°Matthew! Excellent timing, I was just about to tour our prototype industrial site. You¡¯ve met James, he¡¯s our liason from Bulwark for now. This is Quill Masterson, head foreman-¡± ¡°And looking to be head of all construction if we get toys like these,¡± Quill, a gruff, seasoned man with white and grey in his beard extended a hand, ¡°Nice to meet you, son.¡± I nodded to him, clasping his hand with my left biosteel prosthetic, ¡°Likewise, I¡¯m glad to see some progress.¡± He grinned at that, holding my handshake firmly, and with a broad grin said, ¡°You look like hell. Least we could do is this.¡± I frowned behind my mask at that, feeling his hold not change at all. The others watched with what seemed to be a mix of apprehension, some of them staring so hard at their foreman that I wondered if he might actually feel the weight of their gazes. He seemed like the type to be a no filter individual, a specific type of person that I both loved and hated, and sometimes loved to hate. But, at least I could usually tell where they landed in opinion without dragging it out of them. ¡°Hell is our business, and business is good,¡± I responded with a wry shrug, feeling the cheesy line to be strangely suiting. The man laughed, slapping the back of my hand with his other, free hand, ¡°Hah! See, that¡¯s good, he doesn¡¯t have a stick up his a--¡± ¡°Quill has problems with authority types.¡± Doug interrupted, and I could almost feel the construction crew groan. He released the handshake with a chuckle, ¡°Well, that¡¯s usually ¡®cuz they think they know my job better. Doug here¡¯s checking in on us, making sure we¡¯re not wasting resources and all that.¡± The man spoke flippantly, but with a strange kind of energy. He was definitely eccentric. I wasn¡¯t certain I liked how carelessly he was treating concern for use of M.E., given what we¡¯d gone through to get it. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t expect to know your job, but we do want to know what¡¯s going on.¡± Doug replied smoothly, but a twinge of frustration crept into his voice. ¡°Yeah, yeah, come on, we¡¯ll show you around.¡± The man continued, utterly unchanged in his temperament. He guided Doug through each section, who was frantically trying to write down information as it came to him. As he did, though, my good impression of the man, Quill, shook a bit. A few things he touched on were far too in depth, like how his men were working on the molds and how they¡¯d found some general blueprints from the obelisk and repurposed them. And yet, conspicuously, he avoided much of the topic of Matter Energy. Doug prompted him a few times on the topic but every time Quill only managed a vague answer. ¡°This here¡¯s the main production, we make the concrete here, for now we¡¯re getting everything from the obelisk, but we¡¯ll be able to supply locally whenever we start getting a local supply.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the operation, not too huge yet, but we¡¯re working on it. Got a few cranes that load the finished pieces of the wall onto trucks, we¡¯ve paved a larger road after packing it down, not the best setup, but until we can get most regular industry back up, that¡¯s what we¡¯re working with.¡± He finished, nodding to the work as another set of three wall pieces neared completion. ¡°That¡¯s all well and good, but how much are we looking at for all of this? We still haven¡¯t received a ledger from you on how much this has cost.¡± James spoke up, a blend between his military sharpness and impatience cutting through. He looked to me briefly as he spoke, but quickly focused back on Quill. I had to admit to a certain level of annoyance at that, he was someone that at least somewhat knew me before all of this. What was he expecting? That I was going to explode at the answer? Quill, though, also looked at me, namely at the gun on my back before looking between Doug and James, stroking his beard as he considered. The four or so others around him shuffled uncomfortably then, before Quill started to speak slowly. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have a great breakdown right now, haven¡¯t put together the books, so nothing we tell you is really going to be accurate at the moment.¡± ¡°Ballpark it,¡± James smiled, one that was completely lacking in any friendliness. ¡°Err¡­ well, I guess I¡¯d have to say around¡­ twenty-four?¡± He stated it as calmly as possible. I felt my heart constrict a touch at that. ¡°Come again? Twenty-four¡­ thousand?¡± Doug swallowed, looking again at all of the high tech equipment around him.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Yeah, sounds about right, maybe a bit higher, give or take five or ten thousand.¡± Quill continued, completely calm sounding, though as he crossed his arms, I could just barely tell how tense he was, one fist clenched, hidden against his chest. ¡°How and the hell--¡± James started, flabbergasted, before I spoke up. This wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere constructive. ¡°Was it necessary?¡± I stated flatly, ¡°In your professional opinion.¡± The group focused their sights on me, and I felt the distant urge to shy away from the conversation, an old part of me that still persisted. Part of me had a silently smoldering fury, wondering if the man had wasted our hard earned Matter Energy. But, a much larger part told me that if we had to stop every step of the way and fact check every expenditure¡­ well, we wouldn¡¯t be getting very far with this system. He opened his mouth, and I could see the carefully cultivated routine he had likely crafted over decades of working the job, reporting to superiors about costs and time, slowly clink into place. And then grind to a halt as it left him in one deep exhalation. ¡°To be frank? Yeah. We damn well need this. We have none of the supplies to make this stuff, and most of the equipment I need ain¡¯t gonna cut it with what we have to build and how fast we have to build it. We¡¯re working with lime, clay, some admittedly locally sourced building materials from recycled concrete, and some crazy additives that the obelisk has for us. We¡¯re getting water from the city grid right now, so there¡¯s a large pump out back that¡­ I didn¡¯t mention. Well, oops¡± He shrugged, ¡°Look, I know it¡¯s a lot of Matter Energy, I don¡¯t know how much you get off of beasties, but we¡¯re starting from zero. We¡¯re cutting corners as much as possible, but there¡¯s lots of gear that needs to be made, and we don¡¯t have the skilled manpower to deal with complicated projects. The A.I. stuff is expensive as hell, but the basic suits? They¡¯re cheap. That monster over there is the big ticket item.¡± He pointed to the treaded vehicle that was 3D printing and moving back and forth between sites. ¡°That thing cost us 10k on its own, but it¡¯s walking the guys every step of the way through, and coordinating with the boom-arms that¡¯re putting the steel in the right spot. We¡¯re gonna add on three more mold pits if we can get local supply, at the least, but we¡¯re eating through a lot of M.E. right now on these. Lime and stuff like that is pretty cheap, but not that cheap. One unit to something like twenty-two pounds or ten kilograms, way more efficient than organics, but still not that great when we¡¯re working on the tons scale of materials.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got a few guys bringing in dump trucks of good rock and stuff and dropping it into a tumbler down the street to break it down into necessary sizes. That¡¯s recycled gear, though, we¡¯re, uh, repurposing some things to make it work, but we¡¯ve got some chemists checking it, so we¡¯re cutting a lot of use out there. But big chokes are lime, clay, some of the little-but-necessaries.¡± He paused then as one of the guys next to Quill cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯re gonna need more steel soon, we¡¯ve got a bit left, but after today I think we¡¯re gonna be tapped out. Steel¡¯s pricey from the obelisk, but the base stuff¡¯s a bit more reasonable. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re gonna get lucky and have iron nearby, but maybe coal? I know some guys who could help figure that out, but we¡¯re gonna need space for that set out, actual dedicated factories are less expensive than this mobile stuff.¡± The man pitched in, before quickly adding, ¡°But with building a huge ass wall, we¡¯re better off using mobile stuff I think, at least for now.¡± ¡°Shit. Good catch, Jeremy.¡± Quill sighed at that, ¡°Yeah, so, pricey stuff. The short answer though? Hell yeah we need it. We¡¯re looking at recycling more, but I think we¡¯re all better off trying to get this wall up asap.¡± Doug and James looked pale at the tirade that Quill had gone on, and I honestly felt like I needed to put in a double shift for more biotics. I laughed heavily, putting a hand on my side and shaking my head. ¡°Alright, thanks for the breakdown.¡± I refrained from groaning, somehow managing to maintain a steady tone. ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to eat that cost then. We need that wall done, without it we¡¯re going to have a repeat of this morning. Remember to leave space for weapon installations, we don¡¯t have them yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t later.¡± Quill stood stock still for a few seconds before his mind seemed to catch up. ¡°Oh, uh, yeah, that¡¯s a good idea, we¡¯ll work that in every¡­ five walls? I guess? We¡¯ll figure it out. So, about ongoing expenses?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep the Matter Energy flowing, use it how it¡¯s needed.¡± I answered, and added slowly, ¡°Just remember we¡¯re bleeding and dying for you all out there. All I expect from you is that you keep that in mind when you make a purchase.¡± The man nodded gravely, ¡°We¡¯ll make it happen, even if I have to use a garbage truck to get it done.¡± I nodded to him, then turned to leave, Doug and James coming up to flank me. ¡°Is that really okay?¡± Doug asked quietly on my left. James added, ¡°That¡¯s nearly double what they quoted.¡± As we left though, I could hear someone murmur behind us. ¡°Actually, a garbage truck would be pretty great in the meantime, right?¡± Quill answered, ¡°...Get on it, whatever we can get our hands on. Call up anyone who even so much as knows how to put drywall in, we¡¯ll crash course them. Jeremy, call up your metalworking friends, and see if that A.I. thinger can teach people how to build before anyone else gets here.¡± A grin spread across my face, ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯ll get the job done, and we need forward thinking on every front. I¡¯ll get some teams back out as soon as possible, but they need a break. How much did the Legion rake in?¡± I asked Doug, though I could just check myself, I figured I¡¯d bring it up now for everyone¡¯s sakes. ¡°We hauled just about forty thousand M.E.,¡± he looked like he¡¯d eaten something sour at that, ¡°We could increase that amount if we took some from the teams, but that would be detrimental for further growth. We¡¯re going to use it up in two days tops like this.¡± I clicked my tongue at that, even surprised that we had that much. Though, they were tier 2 biotics, and while our fee wasn¡¯t steep per legionnaire we did get a decent haul. ¡°Change our contribution per member for the time being, for now one-third of a kill goes to the Legion. We need to get materials processing up and running for us too, and we¡¯ll supply our people better. There¡¯s no option going forward, not having decent gear got people dead today that shouldn¡¯t be.¡± I continued, ¡°Fran plans on having me heading a public announcement of our results from the raid. We¡¯re going to need teams out as often as possible, and we¡¯ve got one team missing already,¡± I shook my head, immediately shuffling the missing team to a higher priority. ¡°Get with Fran for now, coordinate what you¡¯re doing. She¡¯ll be communicating to the public with you.¡± Doug quirked a brow and gave me a light smirk as he kept pace in spite of his prosthetic, ¡°Delegating tasks? Should we consider this a permanent appointment?¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re suited to it,¡± James chuckled, ¡°This is making me stuffy enough.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s regrettable,¡± I turned to him, ¡°Considering you¡¯re probably our official liaison from now on. You know what that means?¡± His eye-lid twitched momentarily, ¡°Great. When¡¯s this public showing happening?¡± ¡°A few hours, I want transparency with the flow of Matter Energy and to address any potential concerns for cooperation between our organizations. This¡¯ll be a good forum to address that.¡± I nodded, feeling rather smug with myself. He sighed loudly and rolled his shoulders, shaking off the sudden additional stress his newfound duties gave him, ¡°And what about the Legion¡¯s plans going forward?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll open them, Doug will detail them. I¡¯ve got more biotics to hunt and a gut wound that I should take care of before then.¡± I gently patted my stomach, feeling the wound having mostly settled at this point, though it felt like it was a clot of iron instead of what I imagined it might feel like. We continued through the city, figuring out logistics and noting a few details, sending messages to people who needed to put things into motion as we made our way through the city. A car was ready to take us through the streets, turning what would have been a long walk into a very short drive, especially with at least one lane cleared of cars. A few topics were touched on that we had no expertise in, however. Agriculture going forward would take time, and the food was actually quite inefficient for Matter Energy expenses as we¡¯d come to find out. Only below clearly alien-level technology, weapons, completed objects and tools, until finally food. The general hierarchy definitely supported providing raw materials to a society after looking into it in detail, but definitely was less effective at later stages. We¡¯d have to look into it in more depth, I personally enjoyed the thought of hydroponics and local food supplies all over the city, and suggested so in the report I handed off to Doug, who would reword it into more official cant for James to present to the Bulwark. In a strange twist, Doug went from being my liaison to Bulwark, to being one side of the coin, James taking up the other side. They worked well together, if somewhat bickery when coming to a reasonable accord. If I didn¡¯t know better, I wouldn¡¯t have pegged James as military, but merchant instead. When we finally arrived at the Legion building, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a tremor of excitement rush through me. In spite of the losses, we were growing, and while it sure as hell wouldn¡¯t be easy to rise, we were advancing. The doors opened for us, and inside I could see the Legionaries around, celebrating their gains, and mourning their losses. Eating, dancing--apparently having gone so far as to have added what looked like a real bar without any permission--and a not insignificant amount of boisterous laughter. One voice rose above the rest altogether too loudly, leaving me with a smile on my face. ¡°Matthew! Over here!¡± Daniel shouted, more than a little red in the face, holding a mug in his hand. It was half drained, and what looked like an empty flagon was next to him. I resisted the urge to shake my head, and watched as Alice nursed a much smaller glass of richly colored liquid with what looked like whipped cream on top. Fran was drinking something else, probably a rum and coke. ¡°Have fun, we¡¯ll grab something to eat and talk later.¡± Doug patted my shoulder good humoredly, ¡°Not too much fun, though, we have a public discourse later.¡± I nodded to him with a laugh, noting that the floor in the cafeteria looked like black crystal encased in acrylic, shining and glinting with the light. The middle of the room bisected by one of pure red, and the right side of the room with several other tables and the massive screens that listed information also now bore black flooring. A new addition rested there, as well, what looked like a memorial, similar to the obelisk but on a much smaller scale. From here, with magnification by the helmet, I could see a short list of names, but one that was critical all the same. They were our fallen Reapers. At that, I turned back to the eating area, walking up to the table, noting the full flagon beside Daniel. He grinned, handing it to me and saying, ¡°Sorry I got started without you.¡± I laughed, grabbing the flask and feeling my helmet peel back, sinking against the armor at the back of my neck. My Reaper-modified eyes taking my teammates in, Terry mixing a few drinks together, the source of what the three of them were drinking here. He gave me a thumbs up as I held the drink. ¡°May as well kick this off right.¡± I said, getting a questioning look from Daniel. I jumped up onto the table, whistling once sharply. Everyone looked to me as I hoisted the drink high, getting an immediate hoot from Daniel and those nearby that noticed me before then. ¡°To the Legion! And a job damn well done!¡± I called out, getting a cheer back. I then promptly popped off the table, leaving some individuals waiting for me. I laughed, ¡°What? Drink up, the victory speech comes later.¡± That got more laughs, and I could tell some individuals were more interested in what would be coming later then. Hopefully, they wouldn¡¯t be too wasted. We¡¯d have quite a number of people coming to see us, after all. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect that out of you,¡± Fran smiled, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re warming up to people after all?¡± I paused, ¡°Perhaps. Or just these ones. I guess I can make exceptions.¡± We raised our glasses together, drinking to our own little toast as Terry hastily mixed several things for himself. ¡°For the team, and continued success.¡± Fran toasted. ¡°And easy jobs.¡± Alice grinned. Daniel followed up with, ¡°But not too easy.¡± Terry finished his now probably far too boozed drink with a shake of his head, ¡°Damnit, that¡¯s gonna go down like nail polish. Uh, but yeah! To making our hard jobs easy!¡± He cheered, getting a chuckle from the rest of us. I lifted mine, ¡°To the Legion!¡± ¡°To the Legion!¡± Our table, and every other table cried in unison, a feeling of unity warming me. I grinned, ignoring the itch of biosteel forming in place of the weakened tissues on my gut. Well, it was just another piece at this rate anyways... Chapter 26 Public Service Announcement The air was alight with energy, a large group around me, dwarfed in size by those in the plaza. Most of those that were with me were Legion, but a few were contacts from the Bulwark. Most that were gathered now had been given a detailed sheet of what to expect in the next few minutes, and a strong urging to remain for the event. A strong urging. Worded quite politically by Doug, now verily known as one of my most trusted advisors and our public relations specialist in general. Although, I gave them an out, to the individuals who truly had no interest in being there for the event that would be a blend between a celebration and our public council. That out was to look for our missing team. By now the likelihood that they were just forgetting to check their messages was wholly unlikely. Beyond that, Louis didn¡¯t strike me as the type to have ignored an emergency summons. They¡¯d missed out on the raid on the hive, at the time I could only spare a few teams for a cursory search. Now, they were entirely missing, and a report about a new strain of biotic up north did not bode well. It was doubtful that such was just a coincidence. The problem was that the area was rife with basic biotics, even though we¡¯d been clearing them quickly. I wondered why, but decided that my teams would be up to the task of bringing them to heel. Especially considering how many of them got upgrades, and not simple ones either. One team had even invested all their funds in color coded mechs, and hilariously enough, named themselves the Rangers. I had to wonder how much they liked that show, or if they¡¯d change it up later. I brought my attention back to the seventy or so individuals around me, a few new faces from the Bulwark for a show of solidarity. Among them, James Maddoc clustered closely with Doug Vanderhew, speaking animatedly to a few individuals who would likely be approached by the public, helping to give them talking points. They didn¡¯t go over much with me, though that was because I insisted to give only a few brief words and then surrender the podium. That wasn¡¯t what I wanted for the face of the Legion to the public. Granted, we would be the stars of the show. Myself, Daniel, Fran, Alice, and Terry, our exploits during the raid and our continued exposure from time to time to the public hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed, and the public seemed fixated on information about us. Supposedly. I honestly hadn¡¯t wandered around since this whole thing began, but Daniel, Fran, and Terry all stated that they were bombarded with questions whenever they went out. Alice was too hard to track, so she escaped the crowds, though I doubted she wanted to be crowded around too much by people she didn¡¯t know either. There were others, though, that had earned their place. Richard, Tabitha, and Yomar, who was currently sitting in a wheelchair so as to not strain his wounds. He¡¯d woken up only an hour ago, but he insisted on being here. I couldn¡¯t in good conscience deny that. Without them, I don¡¯t know if we would have been able to kill the Hive Queen. It was no small thing, and they deserve the spotlight. Towering behind us was a large structure obscured by a tarp. It was six meters tall, and the tarp twisted slightly with the thing beneath it, a gentle spin. That would be another topic for the public deal with. I approached Doug, eyeing the large stage that had been set up in front of the Legion headquarters, the plaza already full to bursting, the obelisk sitting in the center with hundreds of onlookers. Some hadn¡¯t been so close to the obelisk, and now that security had largely been lifted, many touched it directly, admiring the smooth and shiny metal. Buildings that had yet to be repurposed had people looking out of windows, and a few had seats set up, some on top of broken down cars. ¡°Are we ready?¡± I asked Doug, who turned to me with a bright smile. James, even seemed to be exuding a palpable layer of confidence, they were infectious. Everyone they spoke to seemed to relax, it was hard not too with that self-assuredness. ¡°Of course, this¡¯ll be a walk in the park.¡± Doug chuckled and patted my shoulder, gently guiding our path away from some others, closer to the venue itself. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking the first part, but then you¡¯re up.¡± James came up on my other side, ¡°You remember what your topics are?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Introduce myself officially, shed light on what we¡¯ve done and what we¡¯re doing in the future, and then hand off to Fran for details.¡± They looked to each other, ¡°Well, don¡¯t be too brief.¡± This time I sighed audibly, ¡°Look, I¡¯ll do my best here, but I¡¯m not a wizard at this kind of thing.¡± Doug looked at me oddly at my comment, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I expect that. Actually, I¡¯d recommend that you just not take it too seriously. Granted, that¡¯s not advice I would tend to give someone in a representative position, but I think that would be our best bet.¡± That almost sounded like he thought I¡¯d mess up if I put too much effort into it. I decided to ignore that possible interpretation, aside from the potential that he was right, I just didn¡¯t think I could put that much energy into this over and over, so why start off with it? James put a hand to his ear, looking over to Fran and Daniel who gave him a thumbs up, surrounded by a combination of Bulwark and Legion, covering topics and going over general plans and details. Beyond the details of the day, Fran and Alice were taking over on planning something of a celebration, to let the Legion, Bulwark, and people mingle. It seemed like a great idea, but I supposed that would really depend on how the reception of this went. Part of me worried that the people might reject our presence, that we were denying the general populace from getting easy Matter Energy or the like. As our people moved into place on the huge stage, I realized my concerns were for nothing. All at once the people started cheering, the wave of sound hitting me like a physical slap. I felt my feet nearly falter in that moment, but it was then that I realized that James and Doug weren¡¯t at my sides for no reason. They carried forward, keeping me from being able to freeze, guiding me forward ever so subtly. I found myself amused at that, but couldn¡¯t keep from grinning widely as I watched my fellow Legionaries have their own moments of shock. In fact, the only people who didn¡¯t falter were countable on two hands. At the approach, the cheering somehow mounted, and then broke away just for a breath as Daniel¡¯s mech climbed to the podium behind everyone, dwarfing the normal man. But even beyond that, the ten other large mechs, each less elegant and vicious appearing than Daniel¡¯s, but rugged and clearly sturdy. Each hardpoint was devoid of any weapon, and clearly they were a notch lower than my best-friends own hulking monster, but nevertheless, it was impressive that they¡¯d found something that they could use. Beyond them, the deluge of Legion who bore personalized weapons and armor, far more bedecked than the day before. The commonality between them all was a cloth band, or a painted insignia, the holographic red skull of The Reaper¡¯s Legion seeming to almost shine in the light.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡®Smith,¡¯ I thought to my A.I. counterpart with a growing amount of mischievousness, ¡®Can we access the local lights from HQ and the plaza?¡¯ [Hmm?... Oh. Yes. Yes we can indeed.] I could virtually feel the relish and giddiness coming from him. I trusted him to know the right timing. The lights that cast a glow over the plaza and kept everything well illuminated. They were, however, all hooked up to our generator. Ohhh this was going to be good. Doug stepped up to the podium, double wide to facilitate two individuals at once. James flanked him, both the symbol for the Bulwark and the Legion side by side there on a holographic screen. The black and red shining skull contrasted wildly with the white, blue, and gold design that the Bulwark had. It was new, I noted, because they hadn¡¯t even really had much of anything beyond a hastily put together shield symbol before. Now, while it still looked like a shield, had an adornment of golden patterns that made it look almost regal. I would never expect two such symbols to match. And yet, somehow, I thought it looked quite right. ¡°Thank you! Thank you all!¡± Doug shouted out, his voice amplifying across the plaza from the speakers in front of him. The crowds cheering intensified, and I wondered if it was because of the restoration of electricity here, or because they were just happy to see all of us. ¡°For those of you who don¡¯t know me, my name is Doug Vanderhew, and I¡¯ve been a long time servant of this city, and have been given the opportunity to represent The Reaper¡¯s Legion in public relations. Allow my friend to introduce himself,¡± Doug nodded to James then, who seamlessly stepped up. Sharply and professionally, he answered, ¡°I am James Maddoc, many of you know me as a commanding officer here in Gilramore. I am now also a part of The Bulwark to protect this proud city and its people. And I¡¯m the main liaison to the Legion, and we¡¯re here to deliver the public some critical information, and to set the stage for continued interactions.¡± ¡°But, we all know you didn¡¯t come here just for us!¡± Doug stepped in perfectly, and then swept his arms out to the Legion behind him, ¡°Give ¡®em another hand!¡± And they did. To my absolute embarrassment, they thundered their applause, and no small part of myself wondered how these people even knew what we¡¯d done. Of course, the look in Doug¡¯s eye as he briefly focused on me told me all I needed to know about that. I doubted he did it alone either, considering how smug James looked, too. ¡°Well get to the nitty gritty, but first, a very special man has a few words for all of you! Please welcome the Reaper himself!¡± Doug continued, fanning the flames. He and James stepped off all at once, and watched me, my queue to step up plainly obvious. And then for a few seconds nothing happened, and they, if only for a moment, looked at me with concern. I almost wanted to laugh then, but managed to keep it down, though I wanted to burst into maniacal laughter. ¡®Smith.¡¯ I thought to him. [Understood.] His simple, and yet deep voice reverberated in my head. All at once the lights died, enveloping the world in utter darkness. In a world without light, and all light on my person extinguished, there was no focus. A tremor ran through the air, confusion, a taste of fear. The sound from the crowd died in that darkness. And then, slowly, their attention focused on a needle point. A blazing red skull lit across my helmet, digitized, it was a lantern in the dark. And then, almost at once, the HQ behind me began to light up as well, specific lights, holographic displays, and everything that Smith could find lit up red as well, until suddenly the only thing anyone could see was our symbol cast in resplendent, crimson light. And then, one by one at first but picking up rapidly, it seemed that each Legionnaire was cast in a red glow, the symbol on their bodies, wherever it was, shining as brightly as my own mask. My voice rang out into the darkness. [¡°And the Reaper and his Legion cometh¡±] My and Smith¡¯s voice came across the speaker¡¯s at once. There was a visible recoil, a shiver of excitement in the crowd. Like a shot of adrenaline, the crowd exploded in sound and energy. I felt my bones shake, the podium rattle, and as they kept crying out, I felt the light grow even brighter. Subtly the lights elevated gradually drawing away the red light to a more comfortable degree. Behind me, my helmet let me see the looks on people''s faces, and the look on Doug¡¯s face was the biggest reward of all. He looked like a kid in a candy store, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. Perhaps I could get used to this, if I got to be this theatrical all the time. No. Exactly because of that I shouldn¡¯t do this all the time. I wanted every time to be like this. I spoke up, breaking the cheering as I rose both hands. They quieted down, and I felt a brief tremor run down my spine. I could really get used to that. ¡°I am the Reaper, and my Legion stands behind me. We have brought you all before us to share in our vision, to celebrate with us in our success, and to always remember the fallen.¡± I began, feeling the carefully selected lines that we¡¯d practiced before this meeting melt away as I embraced Doug¡¯s advice. A somber tone fell over the crowd as I finished my words. I continued before they could go too far down that line of thought, ¡°As many of you likely know, our Legion successfully exterminated a biotic hive, one with creatures we¡¯ve never seen before. In so doing, we shattered the onslaught facing our city, and destroyed them all.¡± At that, the energy picked back up, and I continued after giving them a few moments. ¡°However!¡± I quieted them, ¡°Though we should celebrate, we should never forget that a Reaper¡¯s task is never ending. And thus we will continue our hunts, and we will continue to destroy biotics outside of our city. This, I promise.¡± The crowd decried their approval. ¡°But, no hunt is without risk, no war without loss,¡± My tone dropped, and I gestured to the structure behind us, a whole six meters tall. A few individuals tore the tarp from the construct, revealing what lay beneath. A multi-layered, shining statue of onyx and gold that vaguely resembles a double-helix structure towered five meters, suspended in the air by a meter with magnetics. It was a combined effort of thought by a few of us, and each bracket currently bore a name, and a place. To me, one name stood out among the rest, Ziek Callum, who gave his life trying to save a fellow Legionnaire in the mines. He fell, a good man that deserved better. ¡°Those who fall should never be forgotten. They are those who paid the ultimate price. They are the ones who will remind us of why the Legion exists, and I ask you all to never forget that.¡± I turned my attention back to the crows as their mood cooled. Satisfied with that, I turned my attention to a select few behind me, ¡°But for every fallen, there also exists those who rise. Please come forward as I call you. Yomar Ebbernick, Richard Borham, Tabitha Daughtry.¡± They all came forward, their faces stoic, though I could tell that Yomar and Richard were not quite what you could call comfortable being in front of so many people. ¡°Thanks to the efforts of these three and our fallen comrade, Ziek Callum, we were able to destroy the Hive. Without them, and those like them in the future, we would not be able to stand against the biotics. Without any of these people before you, biotics would run loose. All we ask is that you remember us. Who will you remember?¡± The crowd shouted out, but not as one. I tried again, ¡°Who will you remember!?¡± I shouted. Then it clicked. ¡°We remember the Legion!¡± I smiled, and then all at once the lights went out once more. I walked past Doug and James, patting them on the shoulders. ¡°All yours.¡± They helplessly shook their heads as I disappeared from the stage, quickly retreating through the Legion, slipping between them and going into our HQ. The lights came on all at once, and Doug and James stood on the podium with a chuckle. ¡°Well, folks, that¡¯s a hard one to follow up on, right?¡± Laughter came from all around at that. I had to hand it to them, they could roll well with improvisation. Though, I definitely needed to get out of there, I felt my palms getting clammy about halfway through. Definitely not something I wanted to do too much. But, maybe sometimes. Yeah, that¡¯d be alright¡­ Now I just needed to check and see if I could get my hands on any more upgrades. Chapter 27 The Limitations of the System While I found myself surprisingly entertained by what had just happened outside, I did figure that I should perhaps make myself scarce. A not insignificant part of me wanted there to be some kind of icon for the people to represent the Legion. Sure, it¡¯s more of a whim than anything at the moment since I¡¯m not really sure what or why I would need to have the persona of ¡®The Reaper¡¯ but if nothing else it would be useful for me to have cultivated a persona for public interactions. ...I might be more affected by Smith than I thought I was. In any case, I¡¯m sure that it¡¯ll be fine. Or if it¡¯s not then I¡¯d have to deal with that when I came to it. Jesus, now that I¡¯m thinking about it more, don¡¯t I have 2 split personalities already? Myself, Smith, and¡­ uh¡­ subconscious me? As I made my way through the Legion Headquarters, I started to subconsciously take stock of everything. To my right, the vast congregation room that had been adjusted to have circular tables, inbuilt displays. Against the far wall - and every wall in between, really - large scrolling screens bore information. Most of that information was basic stuff being constantly and slowly cycled through, but none of it was especially interesting. I took a breath and pushed with my mind, opening the obelisk menu, and then following the trail that I¡¯d felt Smith take earlier with the lights. In my vision, schematics of the building and the varying interactables within began to sort themselves. Navigating by thought took a bit of time, but I found the interface quite responsive, and quickly made my way to the subcategory for these screens. I added a few more interesting things, a map of the areas around the city with coloration shifts to list known biotic concentrations that the obelisk was detecting. It was messy and non-focused, the obelisk only picking up minute traces of information from basic biotic life forms. It was, after all, geared towards the intent to give us a heads up if another Unique appeared. Supposedly. I did notice to my chagrin that it only extended out a few kilometers from the obelisk itself, which was effectively only covering about four miles out from the edges of the occupied portions of the city. Far below what I¡¯d like in terms of early warning, but expanding the system would probably take additional biotic cores. I¡¯d have liked to use the hive core from the salt mines, but that was too high risk at the time. Or at the very least I thought it was too much of a risk, we were already taking too much damage as is without our topside forces having to suddenly deal with a frenzied horde, and who knows how long that would have taken to corrupt. Corrupt? Override? Purge? Not too sure on that note what Smith was doing with those. I turned my attention to a few more things at that note, some of the scrolls coming active with known information about strains of biotics that we knew existed, the basic Wolf being the first. Black, and dull grey, these beasts weren¡¯t too strong physically and could be destroyed by small arms fire or martial weaponry. What they lacked in personal strength, though, they made up for in sheer numerical superiority. Moreover, their jaws did not reflect the standard bite pressure of their natural counterparts. Once they bite, they would hold on, their teeth easily the most durable part of their bodies. They would keep the pressure, and increase it exponentially. So far, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anything they couldn¡¯t bite through with more than five seconds of continued pressure. Like a pneumatic vice from hell, their jaws would close, regardless what what was in between them. Considering the fact that they could open those jaws as wide as they wanted, that didn¡¯t leave too much that they couldn¡¯t damage. The only other known variant of the Wolf was the Greyhound. We¡¯d run into the seemingly immortal biotics en masse. Seemingly exactly like their simple Wolf-kin biotics, the major difference was in the fact that their coloration was almost exclusively a dull grey and shimmering silver, like liquid mercury. When they were destroyed they would reform, though we weren¡¯t sure of the limits on that ability as of yet. I¡¯m still not certain if a certain damage threshold would keep them from being able to come back together, but I hoped that we wouldn¡¯t have need to find that out at any time. They were maybe 2nd generation biotic, though I wasn¡¯t absolutely certain. With luck, they were just mutants and wouldn¡¯t happen again. Destroying the core in their hives seemed to kill them for good, at least so far. Then, of course, the Salt Scarabs, the average scarab being about the size of a minivan and able to project deadly salt projectiles from between modified wings. They were clearly more advanced than wolves, but I can¡¯t say if that means their able to be counted as 2nd generation? We¡¯d never seen anything like them, so maybe we¡¯d be using the ¡®generations¡¯ as a measure of overall danger for them? Tentatively, I¡¯ll dub the Salt Scarabs as Gen 2. If we find out that there¡¯s a totally different scheme that we should be using the measure their overall threat level at a glance, then we¡¯ll switch at that time. The things were lethal, no two-ways about it. Kevlar worked to some extent, but the damn projectiles could still get through it, enough to risk lethal injury. In melee, a simple kevlar vest wouldn¡¯t help too much either, but it was certainly better than having nothing. Problem being that they had a wide variety of bladed, spiked, and powerful limbs for direct combat. That, combined with their strength and weight, made them incredibly dangerous in close quarters combat. Their armored forms made them all but impervious to small arms fire if it wasn¡¯t en masse, and they clearly showed some sort of organized hierarchy. Basic soldier, hive guard that doubled as leaders for groups, and then the queen that had nearly disemboweled me. Easily the most dangerous biotic we¡¯d run across so far. No, that wasn¡¯t correct. The Unique¡¯s were the worst if left to their own devices, but in a straight fight, that queen was somewhere near the top. The only thing worse was¡­ Wolven. Yeah, that was right. It didn¡¯t take much consideration to say that the thing that could envelope other living organisms to incorporate them into a massive body was probably our top priority to be on guard against. It was the biggest reason why our teams weren¡¯t going too far away from the city, and why there were several teams close together towards the north. Beyond safety in numbers, they were combing the territory for any sign of Louis Athello¡¯s team. I could see them, just at the edge of the territory now, and I could likewise see their score rising sporadically as they took out nearby wolves.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. In spite of clearing the nearest hives, there were still plenty of wolves around. The concentration was much lower, thankfully, but not so much as to take it easy. By now, every team knew the value in having a ¡®finder,¡¯ someone highly skilled in navigating and tracking threats before they were upon you. Whether through tech or through personal skill, it quickly became a requirement. Some people already had general guidelines for teams, making it more about tips and suggestions for others based on the information and experience of peers. It was received quite well, and other groups had been contributing more and more information as well. While we were all in competition for the board, it seemed that it was a healthy competition so far. I hoped it would stay that way. I turned my attention back to the map and watched as the northerly teams, six in all for now, left the detection range of the obelisk. Not too much longer and the communication range would be exceeded, but that was shored up by using radio¡¯s. Unfortunately in recent times there was a great deal of interference on radio frequencies. We could potentially get around it with additional relays, but the fact that the terrain was mountainous around Gilramore made radio transmissions sketchy in the first place. Add in the issue with some kind of other source of interference, and communication suddenly became a major issue. Beyond that, we had to look towards other projects. I intended to take our team scouting for more hives soon, likely to the east. The overall geography of Gilramore and the surrounding areas didn¡¯t bode well for any real choke points. We had too wide of an expanse of forest to the south until the mountains, wherein the salt mine was located. Our eastern side was forest, up until it shrank away through a short series of valleys, of which several box canyons of a sort were located. We¡¯d fought Wolven in that location, and then it disappeared, still as of yet unsighted. Beyond that area, though, was something of a saltmarsh and then there was the bay, though it was a good 50 km away. We¡¯d need to restore the roads, if they needed it, to get out there and have a source of fish. Anything to get away from using ME on the obelisk for food. The north was hilly and mountainous terrain, flush with a deciduous forest that stretched for hundreds of kilometers and was an excellent source of lumber and possible farmland in the near future. I assumed. I¡¯m no expert in farming, but I¡¯m guessing the land would be good to convert once we could actually ensure safety. Then again, maybe we¡¯d go with hydroponics? If we could gain access to sea-water, converting it to freshwater through deselanization shouldn¡¯t be too difficult with access to obelisk tech. That¡¯d effectively limit how much we needed in terms of landspace, but maintenance and skills would be the trick. To the west was more forest, and somewhat hilly terrain. A broad river and adjoining creeks joined in many areas, but it was far from what I would call a flood plains or the like, but if nothing else we had a ready source of water there, though our groundwater table was quite good overall, honestly, so neither the river nor the ocean was of particular concern. Given our area, we lucked out in terms of resources. I couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like for a city in the middle of a desert during this. The fact that I had time to even consider other areas was enough evidence that things weren¡¯t too bad here. Everything was, dare I say it, stabilizing pretty well here. It wouldn¡¯t last, not forever, and the biggest concern on my mind came in one big misshapen lump of flesh. Wolven was still out there, and the last time we¡¯d run across it, we¡¯d done some serious damage, but I doubted it would leave us alone forever. We needed to start looking for it, I didn¡¯t want to have to deal with the thing, but I couldn¡¯t help but imagine what kind of horror we¡¯d run into if we left it to its own devices for too long. Beyond that, for all I knew it was finding stronger biotics to¡­ use. In the meantime, I kept testing a few things, seeing the general limits of the obelisk to confirm a few things. Living things were out, even seeds couldn¡¯t actually be made. Inorganics were in, regardless of what I asked for. Leading to several canisters of basic materials. I briefly - and I emphasize the briefly here - considered seeing if I could have uranium created, but I know far too little about how that process goes. Is uranium radioactive before any processing occurs? I¡¯d assume yes, and while I¡¯m pretty sure my new biosteel could take it, I¡¯d prefer to keep my normal fleshy bits for as long as possible. On that note¡­ there were a lot of parts that weren¡¯t fleshy anymore. My left arm, of course, but a lot of my digestive tract and other organs had been either replaced or reinforced from damages. Even my gut, where I¡¯d been stabbed previously, was a blackened mass of biosteel flesh about six inches across. Others didn¡¯t get access to this stuff, not easily anyways. I¡¯m guessing that my ¡®Reaper¡¯ classification gives me access to this and the rest of my arsenal. I have noticed how costs for some items is increasing as I purchase more of them. The weapons themselves have spiked in cost, though it¡¯s well worth having an arsenal. ...Of which we now have. Funny how being left to my own devices leads to me actually doing things. Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have a huge amount of Matter Energy to myself. The only thing I might spend it on would be a few upgrades. If there were any upgrades, anyways. There were a few things that I was interested in, but not really to a huge extent. At the moment, the only thing that I might be lacking was some really hard hitting gear, like a bazooka, but the mines and grenades filled that niche. I was mobile enough as is with the suit and my steadily strengthening body. I had melee range, short, mid, and long range accounted for. The weapons I was using hit plenty hard enough, and I wasn¡¯t as interested in the thought of donning a suit of armor quite like what Daniel had. In any case, I was planning on investing my M.E. into our future Research and Development division. At first, I¡¯d open the department up to existing members, but they¡¯d still be required to hunt, at least for now. Not a lot, after all I¡¯d want them to be productive with their experiments first and foremost, but if they could test their gear, all the better. A field test would be worth much more than something in a lab. It would be prudent to set that up sooner rather than later while we still had a handle on the situation. If we waited too long¡­ well, I certainly didn¡¯t want to be playing catch-up with whatever strange biotics came out of the woodwork next. The mines were a stark reality check on what that could turn into. As I sat down on my cot, feeling my mind begin to wind down, I thought about what happened again. The guilt had lessened, but even so¡­ ¡°Smith?¡± I called aloud. [Yes?] Came the deep timbre of his voice seemingly from all around. I took a deep breath, ¡°Let¡¯s go over what happened in the mines tonight.¡± [Matthew, while I appreciate your willingness to check for mistakes¡­ I don¡¯t believe this would be a healthy use of your time.] Smith said with a clear note of concern in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re probably right, but I want to check all the same. I want to see where our weak points are, what we need. I¡­ I want to know where I can improve. Where we can all improve.¡± I swallowed hard, not looking forward to this. But it was necessary. That¡¯s what I honestly believe. [Very well¡­ but I¡¯ll interrupt it if I feel you¡¯re being affected too much.] His words accompanied my fading consciousness, [Remember, sometimes nothing can be gained without something being given, Matthew.] I nodded to myself, even as I felt the blackness of unconsciousness take me. And then I was back in a more familiar darkness... Chapter 28: Training I The dreams still flickered across my vision as I stretched my joints, tender flesh where biosteel meshed with regular, fragile tissue going taught. As I moved to stand in front of the mirror, I remembered every detail of the mines once more. The failures of that day would be etched into my mind for a long time to come. Yet, at the same time, I found myself surprised by the light smile on my face. I wasn¡¯t happy about the outcome, but I¡¯d come to accept it. If nothing else, I suppose that being able to go through a scenario and beat it to death with logic made for great treatment for any kind of guilt I might have had. Yes, we could have done things differently. That was a fact now, at least as far as I was concerned, given that I could - and did - simulate hundreds of different tactics going down into the mines. If we were better trained, worked in formation, responded faster, had better equipment, spotters on our flanks¡­ The list went on. A list that I would also most definitely be calling to others attention. ¡®First order, get an update for our ranging squads and see if we¡¯ve gotten anymore information on these biotics.¡¯ I finished some minor stretches, stripped down naked now that it seemed that Fran and Daniel wouldn¡¯t be here at all times. I¡¯d miss being around them more, but it wasn¡¯t as though I needed to have someone around me all the time. ¡®More importantly, second order of business: We need a research and development division. We¡¯re working with too much of a sporadic setup and whatever anyone happens to want to buy and set up for themselves. Some people are doing great at that, but others¡­¡¯ As I thought that, I envisioned the people who must have stockpiled a large amount of their M.E. instead of investing in armor, weapons, or tools. 100 M.E. should have been more than enough to set most people up with some decent quality gear. We¡¯d need to look into options that either worked on existing tech, or figure out how to get there. Obelisk access gave us high-tech examples, and with the right intermediary tools we might be able to reverse engineer high grade technologies that would be out of reach. ¡®Then we can start actually training people. I¡¯m sure we have enough military and reserve here to be able to get something put together. Most of the Legion are military or good enough to be, but we¡¯re not fighting people anymore. It¡¯d be good for everyone to be able to train in exercises anyways¡­ Damn, we¡¯re going to need a lot of space.¡¯ I groaned, looking out the window to the obelisk. We obviously couldn¡¯t take over the plaza, so the next option would simply be to extend behind us. Luckily, most of our guys had taken to living in the buildings immediately adjacent to HQ, so if nothing else we wouldn¡¯t have to chase out other people. We could convert some to full blown living quarters, change one building or two to R&D, and then put together a training field somewhere. Maybe we could knock down a few buildings? Would underground be better? ¡®Ugh, this planning thing sucks,¡¯ I shook my head, chagrined at the situation. Certainly, I¡¯d count myself as pretty smart, but that didn¡¯t mean that I thought I was good material for being a leader of an organization. Well, it was far too late to be regretting anything like that now. After all, I¡¯d firmly planted this responsibility at my own feet, nobody forced me too. After fitting my armor back on, I took a moment to inspect my image. Narcissism was never something that I really understood. Now, though, seeing my own appearance, I had an inkling about why someone could be so self-absorbed. My body somewhat less so, probably the bits of blackened biosteel in some places, but those were hazards of the job at this point, I guess. Beyond that, I still marvelled at the fact that I could stow weapons in some kind of storage space on my body. A pocket dimension, if that was indeed what it was, that could hold certain types of gear. I¡¯d tried already, but it seemed that I couldn¡¯t keep regular gear in it, only reaper-issued weapons and the like. How much could it hold, and for how long? That was something I couldn¡¯t really test thus far, I had already stuffed my reaper assault rifle, my trench gun, my blades, a collection of about two dozen mines and another set of grenades, somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty extra cartridges of ammunition. I hadn¡¯t gotten any kind of notice that I was nearing some theoretical critical mass, but even so I was worried that there would be less of a warning and more of a sudden expulsion of all of my gear from a storage space that I¡¯d damaged. It was 60 M.E. for that storage space, so not exactly cheap, but its versatility was insane. So far, Daniel had let me know that he had no such access to such a thing, but that it was a moot point with his armaments. Apparently he carried tens of thousands of rounds into battle in streamlined compartments. I looked back at my face, predominantly still flesh with exception to a streak of the blackened metal coming down from my eye. That was a new bit, not sure why it was there. I¡¯d ask Smith but I had the feeling that it was more or less cosmetic. My eyes, on the other hand, were black and red, clearly no longer of human make. I briefly wondered how my body would hold up to a standard human being anymore, I was clearly more powerful than I was before, but I hadn¡¯t really run into a way to test that. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, donned my helmet, a flat red line pulsing across the opaque surface before becoming just barely visible, a pulse in the middle of the line like an eye. It followed my own focal point, and was more than mildly unsettling when it lowered into the barely visible empty eye socket of the skull beneath the semi transparent material. ¡°Alright, business time.¡± The doors opened, revealing a room that had gone from moderate food and gathering area to a dedicated personal effects hall. Several work benches say around, many of which were encased in transparent and bullet-proof glass, some of which were also fitted with metal plating in the rare event that someone decided to work with some mildly explosive material. Already some people were working on gear, some of the workroom-cubicle bastardizations already bearing names. Designations had been standardized by rows, ¡®A¡¯ through ¡®J¡¯ for ten of them, all numbered up to 30. The building was big enough to allow that, and the second floor had transformed almost entirely here. Still, this was something I would rate as suitable only for general technologies, maybe some modifications. Although, I did see people working with bits and pieces of technology clearly above what humanity had access too previously. That, combined with several rooms that had screens with instructions that taught the basics in a few general fields and tutorials on how to customize gear, allowed some of the more industrious Legionaries to upgrade both their own gear and that of their teams. It was more expensive than a regular weapon, but with the upgrades that I could see them adding, I could safely say that their firepower would increase dramatically. One such station had several individuals crowding around it. I walked up to it, curious as to what could be drawing the attention. ¡°Dude¡¯s a wizard.¡± Someone said with a chuckle. A taller, burly fellow smirked, ¡°I wonder if we can get something like that for our team.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be something? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to risk getting electrocuted, though.¡± I stood beside the three men, looking over their shoulders at the scene. One of them noticed me out of the corner of his eye and immediately shuffled over with a jolt. ¡°Jesus, hey boss, I didn¡¯t notice you come up.¡± He stood just a bit straighter, as did the eight others looking in on the man¡¯s work. I caught them as they began with a varying response between salutes and resounding ¡®Sir¡¯ greetings, ¡°Relax, we¡¯re not in the field.¡± I chuckled, seeing what was going on. Perhaps I should have guessed it, but I watched as the man carefully put together parts and machined them, the noise barely getting through the reinforced walls. A headset protected the wheel-chair bound man¡¯s own ears as the worked with the complex looking object he had on the workbench. Terry had what looked to be a modified limb for his mech on the table, mystifying in its own way right off the bat as I wondered how he even got it up here. Even more so, I saw the various dark blue power cells being slotted into a dozen holes, screwing them in by hand. ¡°Hmm¡­ electrical. I guess he is an engineer,¡± I mumbled to myself. ¡°You guys know what he¡¯s making?¡± ¡°Uh, something with the arm of his mech?¡± A man next to me supplied somewhat unhelpfully, ¡°He had a couple of us help detach it and move it up here.¡± ¡®Well, that answers how it got up here at least,¡¯ I nodded, reaching up and tapping on the glass of the room loudly enough to get Terry¡¯s attention.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His expression twisted from total focus to sharp annoyance as he looked up from a set of diagrams and information provided by the obelisk. ¡°Guys, I literally just said I need to focu- Oh, Matthew.¡± He blinked, annoyance vanishing and replaced with a more positive expression, almost like a kid wanting to show off a new toy. ¡°Terry,¡± I greeted him in turn, ¡°Swapping out parts?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the plan,¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, I gotta finish this quick and get these power cells set, otherwise they¡¯re going to exp--I mean short out. Yeah.¡± I paused at that. He was going to say explode? A power cell? How much of an explosion would that be? Shaking my head, ¡°Well, carry on. One thing first though.¡± I reached over and touched a button, watching as the steel shutters of metal dropped down to encase the room slowly. ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence,¡± Terry scoffed, but had a smile on his face as he said it. I started walking away, waving over my shoulder, ¡°Talk to you later, Terry. Show me what that is if it works.¡± Whatever he said next was lost as the plates closed tightly, protecting the floor in the case of dramatic mishap - hopefully - and at least giving the man some peace of mind. As I made my way downstairs, I noted that there were more people here, a great deal more. No major expansion had taken place, but just ahead I could see a new booth, octagonal and ten meters across with space in the middle for people to stand and a shared file system in the middle. Computers were back, thankfully, allowing for us to record keep again. It wasn¡¯t the internet, of course, but it would unify our organizational information at the least. Currently, I watched as Doug himself was providing support for six others, two of the locations as of yet unfilled. All around them were clusters of people walking up to the counter. I walked up to the gathering, and almost stopped when I realized that the chatter that was coming from the many people I didn¡¯t recognize seemed to stop and turn into an excited buzz. Many of them were looking at me as they spoke, and in spite of the hushed tones, I could clearly hear some of the more careless ones. ¡°That¡¯s him, The Reaper,¡± one man spoke, ¡°he was the one that made that badass speech and light show.¡± Another woman¡¯s voice bordered on something akin of adoration, ¡°I heard that he¡¯s killed hundreds of biotics alone already.¡± ¡°Probably, I mean look at him,¡± her companion responded, ¡°the guy looks a little like the fucking terminator.¡± Other comments streamed through, some wondering if I was really all that, or if I was just a figurehead. I shook my head, distinctly uncomfortable with the extra attention. Doug noticed the commotion quickly, though, and I approached wordlessly to the counter as he moved to one of the empty spots on the counter. ¡°Doug, is this what I think it is?¡± I looked around at the people, a disparate bunch that shared only a few key traits. Each of them was armed in some way, some of them even pretty decently. There was an energy to them all, excitement clear in their chatter and in the mixed ways they watched me. If I had to wager a safe bet, I¡¯d say they were here to join the Legion. There were nearly two hundred of them, though, far more than I¡¯d expected. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re here to join up,¡± Doug smiled broadly, cutting to the core of the subject, ¡°We¡¯re going to be testing them, of course, but I¡¯d say that this will allow our operation to work more efficiently.¡± I looked back over the many people, and Doug¡¯s smile wavered fractionally as I remained silent for several seconds. These people didn¡¯t seem to be especially impressive, save for a few that stood out to me, feeling like they were no strangers to hunting biotics. Those were the minority unfortunately, the rest seemed to lack something key, though I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it. Even so, I couldn¡¯t rightly turn them away without giving them a chance. ¡°I¡¯ll give my go-ahead on evaluating them.¡± I nodded, and the closest people to me seemed to beam happily. ¡°I have a few things that I need added to that evaluation,¡± I informed Doug, who breathed out, looking perplexed but likely having expected that. The others didn''t seem to notice what that meant, and their murmured words that ¡®The Reaper¡¯ was going to let them try-out spread like wildfire. ¡°Walk with me, I¡¯ll tell you my requirements and then I¡¯ll need to check on our wayward teams.¡± I gestured, walking away slowly as Doug nodded and hobbled out of the side gate for the desk, intersecting the room perfectly. He came up to my side, ¡°Alright, Matthew, what were you thinking?¡± I answered after a brief moment of contemplation, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to chase off good hands, especially if they have potential. But, I also want them to be familiar with the types of biotics out there. For now, we¡¯ll have a practical test, headed by one of the top ten teams - not one of the ones currently looking for Louis¡¯ team though. They¡¯ll be tested on marksmanship if they¡¯re gunners, or in melee combat if that¡¯s what they¡¯re looking for. If they decide that the trainee is good enough, they can become a provisional member of the Legion along with several others. I¡¯d like each provisional team to have a leader, and then a watcher assigned from one of the top thirty teams or so. Take five or so teams out of rotation and put nine trainees together with one of their mentors. The Matter Energy gains will be lower, but so will risk.¡± Doug nodded, jotting down notes as I went on a tablet, ¡°Sounds good so far. Honestly thought you¡¯d try to chase a lot of them away.¡± I opened my mouth to refute that when I remembered my first recruiting session. ¡®Well, he¡¯s not exactly wrong.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not done yet, though, so you might hold off on that assessment,¡± I chuckled. ¡°The practical will also involve some general fitness testing, I want people to be able to at least run a mile in 8 minutes, not unreasonable. Anything else that you want to add is fair game. I want to expand general team sizes to ten in light of recent biotic activities. Six will still be the average, especially as people figure out how they want to run their teams, and who knows what some people will come up with. Encourage that, push the envelope, I want to see crazy ideas tested.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably going to be risky,¡± Uncertainty carried in his words, ¡°You¡¯re sure about that?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m a half-cyborg human at this point, Alice has a bow and arrow and uses some frame-suit to make herself faster, Fran uses magnets to kill things and fly, Daniel is a walking tank, and Terry¡¯s being called a wizard and tinkers with electricity. We¡¯re also the highest kill count team by a mile. If that doesn¡¯t say ¡®Creativity Kills,¡¯ I don¡¯t know what does.¡± Doug chewed that over for a moment, ¡°Duly noted. Alright, I¡¯ll be subtle about it, maybe you guys appear on some of these banners here. I want pictures of the bunch of you at work, though.¡± I cringed at that, and Doug seemed to somehow notice as his grin turned into a smirk, ¡°Come now, surely that¡¯s not such a big deal for the big-bad ¡®Reaper,¡¯ is it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± I huffed, ¡°Is what I¡¯d like to say. But I guess you can use some if you really think you need too.¡± ¡°Appreciate it.¡± He thanked me, ¡°anything else you can think of?¡± ¡°Creativity aside, I do have some general things I¡¯d like new recruits to study up on. Set up classes, some of the other Legionnaires are already sharing a lot of information, find someone who can turn that into a more streamlined codex. Biotics, tactics, tips, everything. I want people armed with knowledge on the way out. I also want them all put through the ringer with their teams, get some expert opinions on this if you don¡¯t know who would fit well together, reach out to James, even. Maybe our Bulwark liaison will have some suggestions.¡± I continued, moving to one of the circular tables, tapping it as I brought up information that had been submitted to the Legion database since last night. Some of our teams were nightcrawlers, it seemed, because there was plenty of new data on Biotic movement at night. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him. So, to recap, we¡¯re testing their mechanical prowess, putting them through tactics training, getting them up to date on information through classes on what all is out there, and then trial running them out for hunts to see if they can take it. Also, subtly encourage ¡®creativity,¡¯ sound about right?¡± Doug looked up from his notebook scribbling. ¡°One last thing before other business. Be sure to include the Unique¡¯s in the classes. I don¡¯t mind if you emphasize that they¡¯re rare, but they deserve to know what¡¯s out there. I¡¯ll leave the specifics of all this to you though.¡± I brought up the last screen of importance as Doug nodded emphatically. ¡°Absolutely. Though, I won¡¯t be surprised of people drop out after they hear about Wolven. That thing is a nightmare in the flesh.¡± Doug made a disgusted face at that, looking to what I was working on. ¡°Ah, yes, I did want to mention that there are five teams up north right now, they¡¯re clearing wolves out. It seems that their density increased suddenly last night.¡± ¡°Mmm. Any leads on our missing team yet?¡± I traced my finger over the area, zooming in on data and confirmed sightings of biotics fed to us live from the obelisk, updating regularly now. ¡°They¡¯ve found some tracks, but they¡¯re having difficulty navigating the wolf hordes. There really are a lot of them. Some of the packs are a few hundred strong, we¡¯re not really sure what¡¯s going on with that.¡± Doug answered, to which he then said more upbeat, ¡°On the other hand, we haven¡¯t found any evidence that they¡¯re dead. No blood at all.¡± ¡°Which means they¡¯re alive or they¡¯re needed alive.¡± I murmured, not liking the implications there. Doug swallowed hard, ¡°Err¡­ yes, that¡¯s possible. But I¡¯d prefer to remain optimistic here, better for morale.¡± I shook my head and smiled, ¡°You¡¯re right. Assign some more teams, I want to know one way or the other about that. I plan on heading east and swinging up from the north, I want to see if we can find out anything.¡± ¡°That has been rather quiet of late.¡± Doug looked thoughtfully at the map, ¡°We can put some of our new teams to the west, it¡¯s a bit better than up north, but the south and east are practically empty.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll look for Wolven then¡­ it¡¯s been missing ever since we almost got it. I don¡¯t like not knowing where that thing is. Once the others are here and Terry¡¯s done upstairs, I plan on setting out to look for it.¡± I tapped the screen at the corner, clearing everything I¡¯d brought up as I looked back to the gathering of people in the middle of the room. Doug excused himself shortly thereafter, both to work on the new projects I¡¯d given him and likely to appoint more personnel for the positions. Our flow of Matter Energy into the Legion would be paying them, no doubt, but it¡¯d definitely be an improvement overall to the Legion. If people weren¡¯t up to par for what the reality beyond the city limits was, they¡¯d be wiped out. But, that would be for later. Today, we would be hunting Wolven. Chapter 29 Nickname I didn¡¯t need to wait for the others long, having sent them a message over the obelisk a few minutes prior. Most of the time, they¡¯d have been en route anyways, not often having too much better to do. At least, I didn¡¯t have too much more to do than attend things at the Legion. Alice collected pictures and trinkets from before all of this happened in her downtime, Fran and Daniel were occupied with each other, and clearly my newest team member Terry had better things to do in his time right now. Given that, I should probably find a hobby. In any case, I was looking over the small fleet of heavy duty trucks when I heard the whir of motors and the stomping of Daniel¡¯s mech. Quieter than I would otherwise think, the thing was still a behemoth. Fran was fully suited as well, effortlessly hovering beside his right shoulder, her broad wings not necessary thanks to the fact that Daniel¡¯s mech would be plenty of an anchor to work with, given her magnetics. ¡°What¡¯s all this you think?¡± I heard Daniel murmur, the torso of the mech was currently left open while he walked, enjoying the fresh air. Fran, helmet also shed for the moment, looked around thoughtfully, ¡°Well, probably, we can use these to get out to areas closer to where we need to get dropped off.¡± I smiled and stepped out from around one of the larger trucks, big enough to carry Daniel¡¯s mech without overt concerns for the axle bending. ¡°Spot on. Doug and I had the idea to expand after the mine fiasco. It could honestly be a little bit closer, but since this is pretty much just the depot, I don¡¯t mind it being a few blocks away from the headquarters.¡± ¡°Cool,¡± Daniel smirked, ¡°At least a few of these looks like they can carry my rig.¡± I shook my head and greeted them, ¡°Good morning, by the way.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± Fran beamed, ¡°I owe you one, by the way, leaving us all after your grandstanding last night.¡± Her friendly smile and tone did not match her words. ¡°Ah, that. I thought it went quite well?¡± ¡°Too well,¡± Daniel laughed, stopping when Fran shot him a sharp glance, ¡°Err, well it generated a lot of buzz. People could barely calm down enough for us to keep going with the announcements. We finally did it, but the rest of us had to get creative ourselves.¡± ¡°You know what people are calling our squad now?¡± Fran half-pouted and half-gloated, ¡°The Reaper¡¯s Hand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s badass.¡± I nodded. She stared at me blankly for a moment, ¡°You¡¯re not embarrassed at all about any of this, are you?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± I gestured to my whole self, ¡°I¡¯m a Reaper, after all.¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°Told ya. They have nicknames for the rest of us too, so far though only one of us has a concrete one.¡± He then corrected himself an instant later, ¡°Ah, except you, since you¡¯re already just being called The Reaper after your display.¡± I could appreciate that, I specifically didn¡¯t remove my armor to help disassociate people with who I am under the armor. With any luck, people would forget the fact that I wasn¡¯t really that old, and while I was sure I wasn¡¯t the best man to lead a bunch of people, there weren¡¯t a lot of options around that I would be happy with. Doug helped smooth that over, but not being questioned every step of the way because of my age and thereby supposed lack of experience was a massive boon. Even if perhaps I did, in fact, lack some small amount of experience. Just a little. ¡°So? What¡¯s the nickname?¡± I looked between the two, figuring it was likely on one of them. Possibly with Alice, but Terry was in his wheelchair at the time, not exactly an imposing figure. When he was in his own mech suit, though, I suspected that would be very different. ¡°The Iron Valkyrie,¡± Daniel said while looking straight at Fran, whose cheeks reddened just a touch. ¡°In order to reel people back in, she had to show off her wings. For a second, I thought I would lose hearing it got so loud from all the cheering.¡± She sighed at that, ¡°I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t just wait for them to calm down.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s fun to show off.¡± I answered without missing a beat, to which she frowned. She didn¡¯t say anything to that though, and I suspected I wasn¡¯t off the mark with that conclusion. ¡°Any case, while we¡¯re waiting for the other two, I wanted to let you guys know what¡¯s probably going to be happening here soon.¡± I brought them up to speed on everything that had happened, and what I planned on having done for the Legion overall. Daniel drummed his mechs fingers against its hip in thought, clacking all the while, ¡°I do think it¡¯d be a good idea to train some people up. We¡¯re growing pretty quick too, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll really lack anyone who wants to use a training facility and such. And if we¡¯re gonna go about expanding our arsenal with a research department, I could see if there¡¯s another mech or some blueprints that I can get off of my class shop?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± I assented with a nod, ¡°If we can get our hands on some of the tech from your shop and some from mine, we¡¯ll be able to really put some work into the department. Fran, do you think you¡¯ll have anything to add?¡± She hummed aloud and brought up her shop menu, then asked, ¡°Do you have access to a set of magnetic propulsion called a Val-3?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Let me see.¡± After a few moments of searching I shook my head, ¡°Negative, I don¡¯t have anything really related to advanced magnetic stuff. Are you sure you don¡¯t have a special shop?¡± Fran chuckled, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I have a special shop, at this point, but I don¡¯t see anything indicating more than that. It¡¯s very specific. But, I can at least see if we can get some of this stuff out as well, I don¡¯t see much regarding blueprints so far, but there¡¯s a couple we might be able to use.¡± ¡°Great.¡± I imagined someone wearing a reaperized mech suit with magnetics. I need it. I chuckled to myself, something like that would expand our firepower immensely, though I doubted it would be anything but excruciatingly difficult to replicate that kind of technology. That brought up another interesting point. Were people able to influence what would be available to them through shopping for specific things? It certainly seemed so, but why would that be the case? So far everything else might have made sense, but that one seemed counterintuitive, even weapons were available to be unlocked in this way it seemed, and quite a bit less expensive than the standard options. A weapon similar to my reaper weapons were basically called slag guns, and the non-reaper variant was prohibitively expensive. For the price of one, I could buy at least two dozen assault rifles and ammo enough to teach a bunch of recruits how to shoot all day long. That said, it didn¡¯t look like I had a lot of options otherwise for upgrading. We¡¯d have to eat the bill on the first advanced item and then work on reverse engineering it. I was no researcher, but I suspected that would have its own problems. As we talked about ideas for what we thought could be done with our own respective shops, I noticed Alice approaching, rapidly at that. ¡°Sorry guys! I slept in a bit!¡± Her movement was fast, much faster than it was the day before. I realized that her legs bore ovular casings that covered her feet and calves entirely, a pair of protruding, curved rods extended from them. They were elegant and flowing in design, and her exo-suit hugged her body in several locations. Her limbs each bore flowing pieces of metal, each joint crafted to move along with the limb itself, though it was anything but apparent. They were seemingly designed with subtlety in mind, unlike Daniel¡¯s full mech suit, for instance. Instead of knobby joints with finite range of motion, these limbs gave the illusion that they could be twisted and allow free flowing motion. I doubted they would bend in ways that her body couldn¡¯t, and their compressional strength was probably quite absurd, especially given that I suspected that she could go as fast as Daniel could now. Her bow was safely stowed on her back, though even seeing half of it peaking over her shoulder immediately made me aware that it had been upgraded considerably as well. She currently wore a visored helmet, likely assisting at traveling at such high speeds. I paused and looked at the truck next to me. Did we even need these? Well, then again, not everyone on our team was as mobile. I definitely couldn¡¯t outrun these three. ¡°Alice,¡± I greeted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re still waiting for Terry anyways.¡± She smiled, ¡°Oh, he¡¯s right behind me, he rebuilt a lot of his mech. It looks really cool.¡± A sinking suspicion hit me as I recalled the limb he was working on in the shop. No sooner than the thought hit me did he appear, his mech considerably larger, and I could hear the crackle of electricity as he rounded the corner, bobbing in the air as he corrected direction and came towards us. Clearly he couldn¡¯t stop on a dime, or turn rapidly, but it was very fast. The legs seemed to have condensed, large panels protruding and jolts of arcing electricity going from the many prongs to the ground. Terry¡¯s mech had certainly gone through many more upgrades at that, a large device sat around the mechs hips and rose up across his back. Some kind of shoulder mounted objects that likely served as guns sat there as well. Certainly the one on the right was similar enough to a rifle that I suspected he might have even be aiming for creating a rail gun, whether or not that was successful or not I couldn¡¯t say as of yet. ¡°It works!¡± I heard him laughing as he slowed during the approach, leaning backwards as a wave of electrical discharge flooded the area just in front of him. There was plenty of room between us, luckily, but that certainly was disconcerting. In the next moment, a few of the protrusions darted downwards, grounding himself as the legs switched modes, allowing him to stand when they finished unfolding. The mech legs allowed him to walk fairly easily, but I could tell they weren¡¯t designed with a great deal of motor mobility in mind. Still, considering the man had figured out how to float, I doubted considerably that it would be an issue. ¡°I¡¯m not too late, right?¡± Terry hollered out as the spherical torso opened from the middle. Dense metal and insulators protected the man from any electricity that could potentially run rampant in the mech itself, and the varying spikes and antennae that now protruded from the back of the mech danced with electricity slowly snaking its way across and upwards like ripples in water. I shook my head, ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. Daniel, Fran, mind filling them in? I need a moment to¡­ take a look at something.¡± They looked at me strangely, not realizing my inner plight, but they agreed readily. Seriously, I¡¯m the slowest in the group now? I sighed, looking at the fleet of trucks. I wasn¡¯t going to bother taking one of these out myself if I¡¯d be the only one needing to be ferried. At least the other teams can use these. I opened up my reaper shop, wondering at what I could get my hands on. If I was lucky, maybe I could get a hold of something that could even up the speeds a bit. I could in theory hitch a ride on Daniel¡¯s shoulders, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to accept that as a genuine option. Sure, I could physically grab a hold of his mech suit and probably be fine, maybe uncomfortable, but with my now enhanced body, I doubted it would do much more than that. But I was The Reaper now, damn it all, I was not going to ride on someone¡¯s shoulder all the time to get around. If nothing else, I had a large amount of Matter Energy and not much to do with it. I didn¡¯t have a mech suit per se, my armor qualified as an exo-suit but only just. Wings were probably a no go. I looked around, sighing as I realized that I would likely have to go the vehicle route for now. As I looked at the shop, however, I couldn¡¯t help but grin at the options available... Chapter 30 New Ride There were too many options. I didn¡¯t think that would have been a problem, but in a chagrined moment I realized that perhaps I should have begun planning out my investments long term. Another thing to add to the to-do list. Let¡¯s see¡­ I¡¯ve got some standard vehicles, dirt bikes, jeeps¡­ some luxury cars? I laughed to myself at the thought of trying to drive what would have been a four hundred thousand dollar car out into the wilderness. The price isn¡¯t even that high in M.E., that¡¯s pretty funny. What else?... Whoa. I paused as I hit the reaper section, some of the devices of a more personal equipment level. I disregarded a few of them, doubting that I would need them as of yet. Although, it did illustrate something that I¡¯d overlooked. The shop wasn¡¯t as comprehensive as I¡¯d thought it would be, sometimes you had to dig through the options to find some gems. Was that by design? Or poor design, I certainly couldn¡¯t disregard the possibility. Someone had obviously designed the obelisk system. An armored personnel carrier complete with thick armor plating and ten highly mobile hover modules. Cool, but way overkill. The price-tag is still¡­ huh¡­ reasonable, I guess? As compared to the plasma throwing space tank in the regular shop. The difference in price was stark, likely another thing to be grateful for. I didn¡¯t need something geared towards a full group though, but now that I was looking at this, I didn¡¯t just want something that would be good for me getting around. Alright, let¡¯s see¡­ ah hell, searching one man and automated defense system? Will that work? I queried the shop, embroiled in my own thoughts and imagination. I doubted it would be nearly as useful as I hoped for, reigning in my hopes after thinking about all the ways my tech could go wrong. My previous shield was a good place to start for that. I didn¡¯t have a left arm anymore after all because the heat buildup there, though that plasma shield saved me against the Unique, Spiker. A memory that still made a tremor roll down my spine. Quickly turning my thoughts from that, my eyes landed on one particular vehicle in specific. The Sickle, hmm? Looks good, moderately heavy personal vehicle, enough space for two more people, pretty good amount of power. Supposedly has an artificial intelligence remote port access, so that¡¯d be good? Onboard subservient AI? Not sure what that¡¯ll really mean. The informational text didn¡¯t give a huge amount of detail on this, but I felt a draw to it nevertheless. Just under it appeared to be something far more suited to direct combat, but I didn¡¯t need that. I needed something that was flexible, not too heavy, but also not light enough to never be able to use in a combat situation. With a click, I said goodbye to half of my reserved funds. Cheaper than the standard shop didn¡¯t mean inexpensive. What I¡¯d thought was a huge amount of Matter Energy didn¡¯t stand up to the demands of the shop. A part of me immediately felt guilty over spending so much in one place, and I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head at that. Buyer¡¯s remorse in the post-apocalypse? That was a new one. My thoughts turned wholly on the shimmering mass that began to spill forth from a small orb of silver. It came from seemingly nowhere, but unlike anything I had created before, I could feel an inexorable push from the location. The egg-like shape expanded rapidly, going from golf-ball sized to the size of a basketball in a second. From there, it doubled again and again every second before I stepped back and reflexively moved into a more mobile stance. I scoffed at that, straightening myself and feeling that it¡¯d be rather silly for me to be on guard against something I bought from the shop. It finally stopped expanding when it was five feet wide, and then began to stretch backwards. Angular and fierce, The Sickle gradually exposed its true form. It was one thing to see a picture, it was entirely another to realize the size and the feeling of the thing. The others watched as well, realizing that I was making a purchase for myself, and not a small one at that. Red and black paint slithered across the metal, sharp edges suddenly emblazoned with red trim, some of which gleamed balefully in the light. The front of the Sickle looked triangular, sweeping backwards to a pair of protruding pods, both of which also bore several sharp edges. Curved wings extended beyond the frame, a razor-thin leading edge that was clearly meant for slicing. Several protruding plates on the front, like an ender, painted a grisly picture of anything that would be in front of the Sickle at speed. Another pair of stabilizers rested just behind those, flexible and mounted with smaller pods, likely propulsion. Two forward facing guns, squared and resting between the wing and the main body of the craft, would be responsible for forward offensives. The trailing tail of the Sickle expanded, vaguely reminiscent of a scarab with a diamond abdomen, the outside edges away from the passengers compartment bearing yet more sharp edges and a series of thrusters beneath and behind it. On top of the diamond was a joined pair of guns, larger than the ones at the front. They lifted high enough over the driver''s seat that I didn¡¯t worry about accidentally hitting myself, but at the same time, I did see it as a possibility to hit myself on purpose. Probably just in case something got into the driver or passenger seat without permission. As color covered the rest of the Sickle, I noticed the vehicle suddenly turn on, a sound like a jet getting ready to take off filling my ears for a brief moment as it took its first breath. Every sharp edge of the Sickle suddenly gleamed red, energy surging through its frame, heat billowing off of it for a brief instant as exhaust ports sent out cascades of shimmering heated air. I felt a twinge against my mind, almost a tingle of electricity that made my hair stand on end. Curious, I felt for the connection, and instinctively I realized that I only needed to call out to it, accessing that new part of myself that rested in my mind. The very same one that let me control my equipment and the headquarters for my light show the night before. It was easy to access it now, like flexing a limb that I hadn¡¯t been consciously aware of but had been with me all along just the same. While reaching out to the source of the feeling, I realized there was a brief moment of resistance before that resistance vanished like a popped bubble. In its place was another mind, unlike my own, new, cold, but pure. A pureness that, as I paused to feel the presence, made me realize that it was focused wholly on me. Not merely the me that was intruding on its own mind, or space, whatever I was doing at that moment, but instead a far more profound thing. It focused on my being at the first moment of its emergence, imprinted and knew only the task that it would do whatever it was required of by me. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Honestly, a part of that scared me, how absolute it was. If this were a person, I¡¯d have felt monstrous having created something that so wholly only cared about me. Even now, I felt it watching the others, a strange amalgamation of emotions. I dreaded the awkwardness as I feared it might somehow be jealous that the others were around me, but I quickly - and with great relief - realized it wasn¡¯t anything of the sort. Instead, it assessed them for risk to me, and plotted at a speed that I couldn¡¯t even hope to fathom in that instant. Relax, I pushed the idea over, wondering if it would work. It did. The semblance of a mind halted its considerations of my team instantly and refocused entirely on me. This was really, really going to take some getting used too¡­ Alright, You¡¯re my Sickle, do you¡­ have a name? I pushed aside the discomfort I felt about something at least partially sentient being so utterly beholden to me. A sensation crossed the gap. An answer, I think, but the image it gave me was not so simple. It was a Sickle, that was its name, and it was a tool. I then felt a followup burst of what seemed like information, almost like it was filing a report. Somehow, though, I think I divined its meaning. It would take up any name I gave it. Oh boy, I carefully thought to myself, breathing deeply. Then, I¡¯ll call you¡­ I looked at it, realizing that I had little talent for naming things in general. Already most of the time I¡¯d picked some very cringy or questionable things. But, with a grin on my face, I decided that it was far too late to stop that now. I admired the black on the Sickle, a phantom-like visage rippled over it, refracting light almost in delight. Indeed, it was delighted, apparently I hadn¡¯t kept that detail from spilling over. That shimmering ripple seemed to obscure it in darkness, extending like ashy shadows a few inches off of it, something that I assumed could go further. That gave me the idea for the name, though. I¡¯ll name you¡­ Shade. Suddenly I felt a click in my mind, as though a connection had snapped into place fully. My senses expanded to another point of view briefly, a headache blooming along with it, before it retracted. Alien thoughts and structure crossed over into my mind, imprinting on me before likewise snapping back. I felt Shade look at the others, a brief moment of pride welling within it at the stunned looks on their faces. I shared the sentiment. ¡°Hello, everyone. Meet Shade,¡± I turned to them, beaming at them, feeling the flush of emotion from my new companion, ¡°My new ride.¡± They stood stock still as they watched me, and for a second I wondered what the issue was. I turned and looked to Shade, floating beside me, its passive hovering state nearly silent, a layer of shimmering shadow dancing across its metal skin. A moment later I realized that its gun barrels were reddened, primed. Ah, calm down there you¡¯re probably a little unnerving. I chuckled, wondering at how natural it felt to have this murder machine next to me. It could probably cut me in half, and yet I didn¡¯t even hesitate to have it next to me. Strange, how forging a bond between minds somehow made an implicit trust just a natural thing to have. It stuttered a moment, the weapons cooling and sinking into its body, ports closing up around them. The shadows reduced to at trickle before also disappearing, finally ending with Shade coming to rest on the ground, the thrusters slowing and turning off when it touched ground. A low tone, crystal clear, sounded from Shade. ¡°I think it said sorry for spooking you,¡± I translated to the others, who looked at me with a mix between helplessness and amusement. Daniel boomed laughter, ¡°Seriously? What¡¯d you do, man? Is there an A.I. in that one, too?¡± I paused, ¡°Yeah, well, since I¡¯m the only one who can¡¯t move fast now, I figured it¡¯d be a good idea to be able to keep up. And it¡¯s definitely an A.I. of some sort, quite advanced.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Terry stroked the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, ¡°Maybe I should figure something like that out, controlling this whole floating thing is a pain in my butt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably specific to him,¡± Fran shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not honestly surprised at this point. So, what¡¯s the plan for the day?¡± I almost felt disappointed that Fran wasn¡¯t even phased anymore. Shaking it off, I began, ¡°The plan is to run recon eastward for signs of biotics in general. We¡¯ll keep engagements to the minimum since we don¡¯t want to get too bogged down. Wolven has been too quiet, we haven¡¯t heard of any kind of contact and frankly biotic activity in general has been down on the eastside for a bit.¡± Alice grimaced, ¡°So, that thing might be back to full strength.¡± Disgust rolled from her words, ¡°I hope it hasn¡¯t gotten too huge. That was hard to get rid of before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only had a while since then, though, right?¡± Daniel pounded his fists together, the metal clang and big grin on his face matching the gusto with which he spoke, ¡°So, it hasn¡¯t had enough time to really get stronger.¡± ¡°Depending on when that thing was actually born, or made? Either way, I think it¡¯s a good idea to hunt this thing down. We¡¯re fairly more armed than we used to be too.¡± Fran nodded as she thought over the operation. ¡°At worst, we¡¯ll report back here. Terry, since you¡¯ve never seen this thing in person before, I want you in the back if it shows up.¡± I looked to him as I spoke. Terry nodded, ¡°Yeah, no problem. I don¡¯t wanna get near that thing if I can help it anyways.¡± The group chuckled at that, though none of us really wanted to get anywhere near Wolven. We still weren¡¯t sure how much damage it could realistically do to us, but it had to be a considerable amount of it could get so many biotics. I moved over towards Shade and hopped in, feeling the Sickle beneath my feet shift and thrumm to life once more. Sitting in the pilot seat, I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the feeling of heavy-metal at the tips of my fingers. Huh, maybe this is why people like mechs so much. I smiled, pressing forward on the stick and growing accustomed to piloting. ¡°Alright guys, let¡¯s get going. We¡¯ll see our top speed.¡± I grinned, ¡°Race to the suburbs.¡± I laughed as Daniel took off instantly, Fran in tow. ¡°So much for a start signal!¡± Alice whooped, dashing forward at remarkable speed, already catching up with Daniel, bounding up and over fences and displaying a truly amazing parkouring talent. Terry cursed, but his laugh also rang out, floating directly over buildings, electricity arcing harmlessly onto them as he went. ¡°Alright, Shade, let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± I grinned, feeling a sudden pulse of energy from the A.I. as it roared to life, a hot pursuit through the streets after Daniel. Chapter 31 Race Inertia was a funny thing. I remember a demonstration in high school when a teacher of mine took a bicycle tire and spun it, and the circular momentum took the tire from verticality to a horizontal shape. While our situations are quite different, I sympathized with the tire somewhat, pressed into the - surprisingly plush - seat as Shade growled, engines flaring and a sudden burst of superheated air spewed from exhaust ports. Several new ports, to my alarm, had opened up from the sides of the craft, many of them intake or output, but the thing that alarmed me was the realization that the Sickle was no simple hovercraft. Our burst didn¡¯t simply go forward, we arced over the nearest buildings. We didn¡¯t continue our ascent beyond a dozen feet, gliding off of the momentum Shade had put off. Clearly, it wasn¡¯t meant to be able to fly long distances, but our hover ceiling was such that we could go over many obstacles. Or, I should be specific, our gliding capability after a burst of energy like what we just had would be more than enough to go over most troublesome areas. ¡°What the hell! You can fly with that thing?¡± I heard Daniel¡¯s voice ring over my headset. I leaned over the edge of the craft as we passed him, slowing slightly, ¡°Not quite! But close enough! See you at the finish line!¡± I waved as we disappeared behind buildings. He grumbled over the line as we thrust forward, shimmering air cascading in our wake. An array of thrusters conducted a delicate symphony any time we adjusted, and I could feel Shade instructing me in real-time how to pilot it. Ahead, I noted that the ball of lightning had grown bright, vaulting legs of electricity making it look almost like a massive spider crawled over rooftops, effortlessly hopping over the streets below. Terry was moving quickly, but slowed down every time that he had to adjust in height or direction. We had no such problem. Another tug of inertia accompanied our acceleration and we blazed past him, our speed only increasing. I noted that the vehicle was running hot across the four main engines, two on the flanks and the two in the rear of the vessel. The dozen or so smaller thrusters were hardly taxed, mostly used for stability than anything else. We could keep this up for quite a while longer without any fear of the engines overheating. Below us, I also witnessed the darting green form of Alice in the streets below, our path gradually leaving complicated city streets and reaching the highway through the city, a veritable straight shot aside from all the cars. We¡¯d see how our straightaway speeds would do here, though it alarmed me that Alice was actually so mobile. Our acceleration could push further, but Alice was able to move like liquid over any obstruction, small buffering limbs extending from her suit and using anything she vaulted over like a springboard. As I began to pass by overhead, I heard her laughing, ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got, then!¡± Alice bounding form almost blurred, her speed increased dramatically. She avoided vehicles entirely now, and I found myself pushing hard with the Shade to overtake her. Behind us, Terry unleashed what seemed to be a lightning storm, also beginning to catch up. How fast are we even going right now? I thought to myself, glancing down to the speedometer. I passed Alice at 180 kph. I blinked at that, Alice, what the actual hell? It was almost ridiculous that she was somehow going even that fast. Then another flying form joined me, metallic wings glinting in the light of the sun peaking through clouds. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can fly!¡± Fran laughed, I shook my head. I still gained in speed, but Fran¡¯s acceleration was much higher. She was still facing me as she accelerated, her wings flaring out before flapping, suddenly sending her surging away. ¡°Yeeeeeeah!¡± I heard Daniel roar over our shared channel, a juggernaut of steel pounding the ground, picking up speed like a freight train. The center had the fewest cars, but it wasn¡¯t empty. Not that it mattered to him. An unfortunate minivan had gotten in his way, and I watched in no slight amount of shock as he simply plowed through it. Half of it seemed to simply disintegrate. Heat radiated off of his back as he increased speed, though he was no longer the fast of the group. Even Terry could beat him on a straight away. Slowest, of course, was a matter of perspective. Most people had probably gotten used to the fast speed of their own two legs, which of course was to say very slow. A behemoth of steel moving at around 110 kph, or roughly 70 mph. Our group was very mobile, though I could still see the value of a vehicle at long range. Fran held an absolute advantage in a city. I had no doubt that her magnetics were pushing off of every piece of rebar in the highway beneath us, or in the buildings around us. Her speed would drop outside of the city. I think. If not, she would be hands-down the fastest flier of the bunch, and I doubted anything short of a true aircraft would be able to do more. That said, I felt Shade push a thought to me, overtaking her in a blaze of speed. I grinned, not sure if we could do anything like that, but the Sickle seemed to have a spirit of competitiveness at the least. ¡°Alright, give me your best.¡± I said, taking my hands off of the steering as the A.I. took over, gleefully pushing forward. Contrary to what I expected, it actually went lower to the highway, instead of the 6 meters or so up we were at previously. To my alarm, I could feel the engines priming this time. A building energy that made my fingertips tingle, I gripped the harness I was strapped into tightly, pressing myself into the seat preparatorily. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The instant that we launched forward I saw a burst of fire as the air combusted in a burst behind us, we surged, the wing-blades of the Sickle sweeping through a pair of vehicles cleanly, leaving a superheated cut through them. Singing metal greeted my ears, and I felt my insides tighten against the forces on my body. We overtook Fran, who cried out some curse in alarm and tried to keep up. It was useless, although I was afraid of how long this was going to last. Realistically, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be hurt by any g-forces at this rate, but I¡¯d never been one to enjoy roller coasters. And this definitely seemed like it would count. And yet, it was liberating, especially when Shade rose, twirling in the air and moving over traffic signs. We slowed, and I could see engine levels for heat rising into the yellow. ¡°We didn¡¯t even top out.¡± Disbelief coated my words at that. If we could do that, was there anything that would be able to keep up? Wolven wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to us if we decided to run away. Our speed bled off gently as we reached the suburbs in record time. Hard to imagine that we¡¯d been walking most of the time. Truly, modern day mobility had changed my perspective on distance. A few miles was nothing to me now, when just a few days ago a few miles was an inconvenient distance to start walking. We set down near an abandoned diner, Shade vibrated with what I assumed was joy. Something about the exertion seemed to please it greatly, and possibly winning. Fran landed next to us, laughing, ¡°Wow, I should have just gone my max speed at the start. I didn¡¯t expect that at the end.¡± ¡°I think I would have lost, yeah,¡± I nodded, Fran¡¯s speed would not something that I could sustain for long periods of time. Perhaps long enough to get out of the city, but I didn¡¯t need to sound like a sore winner. Alice and Terry came in next at almost the same time. Terry shot a long steel bolt into the ground as his machine leaned back, killing momentum and sending a wave of electricity forward. Instead of flooding the area, it concentrated on the grounding rod. ¡°Neat trick,¡± Alice commented smiling and breath straining from effort, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect us all to be so fast. ¡°Most of us, anyways,¡± Daniel commented grumpily from over the channel, arriving only half a minute later. ¡°I remember when I used to be the fastest.¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t last long,¡± I commented, grinning at him as he shook his head and shrugged emphatically. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just keep to my strengths.¡± He laughed, ¡°I can still probably blow things up better than you guys.¡± Of that, I had no doubt. He¡¯d armed his mech to the teeth, complete with what looked like a tank cannon on his right shoulder, and a missile launcher on his left. Not, of course, including his arm mounted guns, or auxiliary weapons. Without a doubt he was the backbone of our teams firepower. ¡°Alright, from here in we¡¯ll be moving a lot slower, keep an eye out for any signs of biotics as we go.¡± I began, and detailed our plans further. There wasn¡¯t anything complex at this point in time, we needed to see what was going on in the sector. I got back into the Sickle, urging it to be as stealthy as possible. To my surprise, sound almost completely dropped away from the vehicle, though I did feel the amount of power available had decreased. Not enough to be a problem, after all we didn¡¯t need our top speed here. Alice and I headed the group, our tracking abilities probably the best of the group. Shade retracted its wings as much as possible while we moved, scanning around. To my pleasant surprise, Shade likewise shared in some scanning duties, able to detect changes in the ground and to some extent the environment. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but between the three of us, we were able to pick up on broken branches, twigs, gouged ground, all painting a picture of biotic activity. That was far too old for it to be of use. But that in itself told us something. Nothing new had roamed this territory, unusual in an extreme for biotics. As we scouted, a grim air fell about our shoulders. None of us expected that there would be nothing to indicate activity. If it were any other circumstances, I¡¯d maybe even be happy about that. But with Wolven around, I highly doubted these biotics had simply migrated away. Finally after almost an hour of searching and almost 13 kilometers from Gilramore, we found our first fresh tracks. Hundreds of claw marks and felled trees marked this stretch of once-forest. Less hardy plant materials were shredded and pulped on the ground. Every fourth tree had been scratched and gouged, and of them every sixth had been entirely felled. It was hard to tell exactly what we were looking at, but Wolven would be one of the few things to leave such a strange scene behind. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s safe to say that it went that way.¡± Daniel murmured, tense and awaiting the inevitable sighting of the thing. The direction he gestured in was clear, the path of trees that were crushed, clawed, or bitten through heading steadily northwards. ¡°That explains why were getting so many biotics up north, too.¡± I grit my teeth, uploading information. A general alert that Wolven was almost definitely around the north. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, I want to see what we¡¯re looking at.¡± And if we can kill it, I added mentally, realizing that this abomination had done more that I¡¯d expected it to be able to do. After an hour of searching, Alice was the one who found something unusual, ¡°I have a hive here.¡± We all stopped, turning to the direction she pointed. I could see nothing, and wondered at what tipped her off. Still, in spite of not seeing it now, none of us thought to disregard it. Alice had demonstrated an uncanny ability to follow tracks so far, in spite of the fact that my scanning abilities were far greater than hers in terms of equipment. The clouds had parted somewhat, light shining down through the trees that remained. The mound itself would have likely been subtle and hard to find unless you directly stumbled upon it. Or if you¡¯re Alice. I glanced to her, flabbergasted that she¡¯d somehow found this. Even so, my attention rested upon the remains of the hive. It looked like it had been dug out, literal tons of soil displaced and heaped in long, sprawling piles into the forest around. When it was large enough, I¡¯m sure Wolven had simply stuffed itself into the tunnels. My stomach flipped as I imagined patchwork monsters seeping into a hive, easily capturing additional prey. And what would happen to the core in that situation?... ¡°We need to go in. I have to see what happened to the core, if it¡¯s even still there.¡± I breathed slow, not looking forward to another underground excursion so soon after the first. It has to be done. I don¡¯t need a hive coming back to life when Wolven¡¯s around. The others looked around warily, worried as I was that Wolven was just lying in wait around us. Chapter 31.1 Bonus -Alice P.O.V.- I stirred, beams of morning light streaming through the window down on my face. Normally, I¡¯m up even before the dawn. The nightmares were always too much to deal with for one steady night of sleep. But these days, I found that a few treasured moonlight adventures through my dreams blessedly found their way through without being haunted by fear. Before the fall I didn¡¯t truly appreciate the plight of the insomniacs of the world. For all the annoyances the old world had brought me, a lack of sleep wasn¡¯t one of them. Okay¡­ maybe a little bit, but late night projects didn¡¯t count. At least I could have slept if I wanted too. These last few months were plagued with frightful visions and half-remembered truths that my subconscious had conjured left me battered through every day. I¡¯d thrown myself into hunting biotics, carefully at first, and then more and more recklessly as the days wore on. With my trusted bow and arrow at my side, I have to say that I was very good at killing them. But, what were a few tens, a few dozens a week when there were hordes of wolves hundreds of creatures deep? I¡¯d only ever heard of them and seen the evidence of their passing, but it was clear to me that there was only so much one measly quiver of arrows could do. The creeping desperation in those days haunted my every movement. It wasn¡¯t like I was killing them with no reason. I needed to get to my family, at least to find out what happened. Did they¡­ go away? Did their city¡­ the same thing that happened to Damond with a meteor strike? Where they still there? Even now I dance around the possibility. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to consider that they might be de- I flipped off of my bed so fast that it felt like my brain jarred in my skull. Vigorously shaking my head and slapping my cheeks hard enough that the sound echoed back to me from across the room, stopping the thoughts in my head. The stinging sensation reminded me I was alive. Automatically, I moved to the shelf with matches hidden in a green celtic tinder-box. They weren¡¯t mine, just someone elses who likely weren¡¯t around anymore. I cradled them gently, ¡°Thanks again.¡± I spoke metaphorically to the person who these once belonged to. It was only right to give thanks where it was due, and at least using someone else¡¯s stuff should count. I moved over to the dozen candles, each a different color. The wall around it had been entirely covered in pictures of smiling people. I¡¯d collected them with the fervor of someone broken inside, and to be frank, I was very, very broken when I snatched these. Probably still am. It had been one of the gloomier days, a sheaf of heavy cloud cover shrouded our stretch of land and once prosperous city of Gilramore, letting only the dimmest of light guide hunters like myself across the land. Just as I had most every day before, I hunted biotics, looked for food to forage, attempted to figure out if there was some miracle that I could exploit to get home. Maybe I¡¯d find some super badass out here that I could convince in some way to help me get there. At the time I¡¯d begun to outfit myself with some new gear, tentatively using the Obelisk to arm myself. I¡¯d needed a new bowstring, some arrows since mine weren¡¯t exactly great when I made them, and testing the thing wasn¡¯t a bad idea. If I was very lucky, perhaps I could use the Obelisk to become that super badass that I was looking for, make my own way out into the wilds and get to my home. Most of the time I avoided hunting larger groups, but I wanted to put some of the special things I¡¯d picked up to the ultimate test. When I stumbled upon the five wolves, I thought it was rather good luck, not too many, something that I could possibly deal with even before with a little luck and ingenuity. The rumble of undergrowth disturbed my hunt, and the sudden attack on the wolves left me stunned. At first I almost spat out in anger that they were mine to hunt, and was going to slap whoever stole my kills silly. If it were a person, that would have been fine. The only reason I¡¯m alive today, I¡¯m sure, is because I hesitated in speaking out. My mom raised me to consider my words when I was angry carefully, because they couldn¡¯t be taken back, a valuable lesson, one that had saved my life. Since any noise at that moment would have resulted in my own death. They surged forward, a strange amalgamation of bone and limbs woven together at their waists in a grotesque tapestry of violence in motion. A dozen wolves darted forward, pulling the mass behind them, even more of them behind the advancing wave, snarling and twitching as they pulled the main form inexorably forward. The biotics didn¡¯t respond fast enough, maybe it was shock, maybe they weren¡¯t certain if the biotics were enemies or not, or just maybe they were like me; frozen in place in mute, numb terror. It was their doom. The first wolves bit into three of them, and the remaining two advanced to attack instead of flee. The wolves never fled, and that was their end. They were surrounded, bitten into. Rear legs were torn free with shaking heads, one of the free wolves had bitten a mass of guts that had been woven into and from one of the mass. It bled, silvery grey goop falling to the ground. The injury was ignored, and instead the other wolf found its midsection bitten at the middle, severing jaws clipping straight through spine like a pair of scissors through paper.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Immobilized, the wolves could only wait for death, in whatever form it would take. I couldn¡¯t breath, cold sweat and dilated pupils taking in the scene for what it was; a look into hell. The figure looked like a cruel parody of a human as it unfurled multiple limbs, hooks and claws working from multi-jointed arms cruelly and efficiently. Other tubes like looked almost like hoses pulsed and wriggled disgustingly like black matte tar beside it as it cleaved out excessive organs. Just before the wolf perished, it shoved several tubes into it, some of them being carefully attached while others seemed to shove deeper. Even before the work was done, the thing had the next subject moved before it, the previous one now convulsing violently. As it moved onto it¡¯s third grizzly weaving project, the first rose, twitching as it slunk back into the mass, taking up its place among the rest. I vaguely noticed the twinge of the Obelisk system as it declared something about a calamity type Unique, but I didn¡¯t dare take my eyes from the abomination before me. It was a dreadful kind of thing that I couldn¡¯t look away from, it possessed every ounce of my built up terror and fear. It crawled into my mind and festered. As much as I wanted to flee, I didn¡¯t dare do so, the hollow eyes of that weaver methodically exploiting biotic flesh rooted me in place. I didn¡¯t know if I could outrun that. All I know is that if I failed, I would just be project six. It retracted its body then, moving back out and further away, continuing its terrible parade to another unwilling congregation. All I remember is blacking out from not breathing, then waking up and sprinting home. It was a blur, possibly a few days of crazed collecting that gradually got me back from shattered to only just fractured. This wall was the result, families smiling, together, a goodness that acted as my shield against the darkness festering. It still hadn¡¯t been enough, and I don¡¯t know if I could have gone on. Fran and Daniel had caught me at a very pivotal point in my life. I could still see the check marks on the wall in some places, just an edge here or there. Those were my guide, my days in new world, my kill count, any number of other things tracked. It didn¡¯t suit me, this did. I was a happy person, damnit, I was an archery club A-Team member and proud of it. I was not some psychopath that enjoyed this crap. As I¡¯d done whenever I was angry, I breathed it out, breathed in some freshness in the form of a ton of candles, and forced a smile on my face. I beamed, radiant as I could, and looked at the pictures. I remembered moments in my life that mimicked the ones I saw, the time when my little brother pitched a fast ball into my ribs, and the ensuing wrestling match that followed. The time when I was helping to bake a cake with my older sister when I blasted the kitchen with a bag full of flour. Public service announcement on that note; don¡¯t ramp a mixer to maximum speed when most of your ingredients are still dry, even with the egg and milk on top. You¡¯re welcome. Or the time when my eldest brother was in the hospital. He¡¯d come close to dying from his stubbornness - we¡¯d all told him that¡¯d be the death of him someday, but I spent every waking second wishing that away as we sat around his bed - from some complex infection that had started from a scratch. If he hadn¡¯t finally decided he wasn¡¯t getting better and his roommate hadn¡¯t dragged him to the ER, I would have lost him then. Now, he switched majors into becoming a doctor, go figure. I wondered how they were all doing now. The thought of them going away never crossed my thoughts as I looked at the picture before me, each member of my family together. Happy. I stretched, loose fitting clothes hugging my athletic body, only made more so with all of my activities. I still somehow maintained a bit of my girlish air, frustratingly so. As I admired myself, especially the six pack that was clearly defined against my skin. Not quite so without scars as I was a year ago, but nevertheless quite smooth all considered. My arms though, I had some serious torque there now, and my back and shoulder muscles were firm, built for repetition. I could fire a bow and arrow for hours and not get tired. I could run far longer than I used to be able to, several miles, and if I paced myself I¡¯m pretty sure I could go for hours without pushing. One by one, I pulled on my clothes, padded for a little bit more protection, a touch of fashion, and to serve as a barrier between me and my new toy. Late last night, in a flight of fancy, or frenzy, I upgraded my gear. My beaming smile was honest and full as I touched the graceful, elegant design. It seemed more suited for a dancer, but that was fine, I needed a full range of motion, light weight. I needed it to pack a punch and help me move. After all, if I could outrun my fears, harry them down, destroy them all the while, then what would I truly have to fear? ¡°Oh, crap!¡± I blanched, realizing the sun had krept quite a bit higher up the horizon, and my O.Gem (that thing on the back of my hand that the obelisk had embedded) had a message from Matthew to meet up. He was an interesting enough kinda person, struck me as a little too on the edgy and broody side. But, he cared, and he had a mind for vicious tactics to destroy biotics. I didn¡¯t know much about him, really, nor did I know why he so single minded pursued killing biotics. I didn¡¯t know him before his whole Reaper gig, except in passing, but I did think it was an improvement. He was nice and he faced down Wolven without batting an eye, and he was the first one into the dark mines with some crazy biotics that could kill you with salt spears. Maybe he was just as scared underneath that armor but¡­ the way he moved told me he was someone who was well accustomed to the concept of battle. He barely noticed his injuries, and if it weren¡¯t for the fact that he genuinely cared about people I¡¯d be afraid that he was a sociopath. I¡¯m still sorting out exactly how I feel about the man. Fran and Daniel are awesome, though. And Terry is¡­ well he¡¯s okay so far, I¡¯ve barely known him long enough to form an opinion on it. ¡°Maaaan, I¡¯m gonna be soooo friggen¡¯ late!¡± I pounced on my suit, quickly fitting pieces on as it began to automatically affix itself tighter, hugging my body perfectly along the spine and the outsides of my limbs. I ran out the door in a dead sprint. Aaand then ran back to grab my new bow and arrow quiver and blew out the candles, stealing one last glance at my altar of happiness, my old bow and arrow quiver resting at the base of it. ¡°Be home soon!¡± I called back as I slammed the door, wincing at the strength my new suit had, as I bounded downstairs. Chapter 32 Empty -Matthew P.O.V.- In some ways, I was glad when the hive was completely empty. In the long run, that¡¯d mean fewer hives that we¡¯d have to clear ourselves, fewer chances that whatever had caused the beetles in the mines to exist would happen again, presumably. We weren¡¯t experts in biotics, but I had to assume that if you left a core untapped and, for lack of a better word, uncleansed, then they would continue to generate biotics. For that very same reason, I¡¯d have wanted to keep the hive core from the mine for observation, had that been possible at the time. At least I¡¯d gotten a massive haul of Matter Energy from destroying it, though, and I certainly wasn¡¯t in a position to have captured it alive. ¡®Crazy bug queen thing.¡¯ I thought with disdain. Ziek would have been something, and who knew if Yomar was going to come back to the field. I shook my thoughts from that, turning my attention back to our travels. Our progress was better than I¡¯d expected by far. We were several kilometers away from Gilramore at this point, further than I¡¯d initially intended to range so soon. There was a reason why we¡¯d immediately made this extended probe, however. We expected to run into dense packs of biotics that had been left to their own devices, untrimmed as this area was by my reapers these past days. Instead, what greeted us was a no man¡¯s land, the only sound that permeated the air the monotone sounds of thrusters, engines, and the electrostatic crackle of Terry¡¯s mech. Alice had begun sweeping back and forth across the line as we moved forward, searching for any tracks that would enlighten us as to what was going on. And for the tenth time, she¡¯d stopped amidst a clearing in the trees, several of which bore claw marks and were pushed over. I didn¡¯t need to be an expert in forestry to recognize that these had been recently felled. Shade slowed to a stop as I stepped out, the semi-sentient vehicle rising off of the ground and placing itself above the tree line, extending infrared scanners in case it could detect anything amiss. ¡°Anything new?¡± I asked, looking at the swath of destruction and numerous rivets in the earth from hundreds of biotic claws. She shook her head, ¡°Not really. It definitely looks like Wolven¡¯s trail, only a lot bigger than it was before.¡± I frowned at that, turning to look around. To me the area didn¡¯t seem any bigger than it had previously. Curious, I focused my scanners on the ground, comparing it to what we¡¯d found before. It dawned on me that the ground was deeper in comparison to the area around it, packed down hard in the places where it wasn¡¯t upturned from Wolven¡¯s passing. ¡°How much more?¡± I groaned, annoyed that our quarry had indeed been quite busy after its escape. Alice shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s definitely intelligent to some extent, unless it intends to be moving in a column. It¡¯s acting almost like an army trying to hide their exact number.¡± ¡°You mean walking over their own footprints, right?¡± Daniel piped up, walking into the clearing, twisting and looking at the area, whistling as he did so. ¡°Damn. I wonder how anything even lets that thing get near them.¡± ¡°The biotics don¡¯t run from it,¡± Alice answered with a quick shrug, ¡°And, yeah, looks like its trying to be stealthy, but there¡¯s only so much something like that can do.¡± I gestured upwards, hearing the gentle hum of the Shade as it lowered itself. Hopping into the vehicle, I nodded to Alice, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep on it. Eventually we¡¯ll catch up. Fran, you hear me?¡± A few moments later Fran¡¯s voice came to life over the microphone, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Think you can run some aerial recon? Not too far, I just want to know if you see Wolven first.¡± ¡°Way ahead of you,¡± she chuckled, ¡°So far I¡¯m not seeing too much beyond our slug trail here.¡± Pleasant way to think about that, I smiled as we continued, the trail now so easy to follow that Alice didn¡¯t need to help guide us. She hopped into the Sickle, enough room for two as she watched over my shoulder. I felt a mild surge in power come from Shade at that, and wondered if it was happy for additional passengers, or annoyed. I decided it was the first when Alice declared ¡°This seat is really nice,¡± and another surge came from Shade. That was better than it hating ferrying other people, at least, maybe it was something along the lines of a vehicle wanting to fulfill its function or some such. We continued onwards, running into several more small patches like the one we¡¯d run across, Fran pointing each one out. After a quick once over we¡¯d decided that nothing new would really appear. I was beginning to regret not bringing at least one or two teams out here to help with reconnaissance. We¡¯d been out here for hours now, traveling fast along the trail Wolven had left. By now, in spite of the light filtering down through breaks in the clouds, a noticeable tension and gloom had settled over us. Terry was the only one of us who hadn¡¯t fought the abomination before, and even he was beginning to have a sense of disquiet at the sheer magnitude of the trail we were following. Where it started it had been less than a meter wide, hard to really track effectively were it not for Alice.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Now, it was like a freeway cleared of any whole vegetation. Ten meters of nearly clear cut forest and mulched land announced the procession. As a plus, our speed picked up considerably over the open land, perhaps at this rate we¡¯d run into the back end of Wolven. ¡°Oh my god.¡± Fran murmured over the microphone, ¡°Guys, this is bad.¡± I clenched my teeth at that, not excited in the least to see what Fran was seeing. Nobody answered. We didn¡¯t need too. Soft ground and forest gave way to a gradual incline. Fertile soil and plentiful grasses should have been there, places like this often hosting fields of flowering plants that painted the world in pastel colors in the spring months. Little gullies and valley creek paths that ordinarily might have been a great place for a cottage to be in. Alice stepped out from Shade wordlessly, her eyes hard as the rest of us scanned the ground with sensors, habit mixed with an attempt to make some sort of sense of what we were seeing. A minute later, Alice returned from her investigation, north east. ¡°I think our worst case scenario happened.¡± Alice looked a little pale as she approached, her body taught, ready to move at a moments notice. Daniel gestured with exasperation at the area around us, ¡°How many did it get?¡± Fran hovered above us, the ground torn up in a huge area like a giant wheel. These areas were often home to large volumes of biotics moving through, the hordes of wolves that we¡¯d grown accustomed to skirting around before the Obelisks arrived. They were hundreds in size, and usually stayed to patrolling patterns, except the scant few that had attacked Gilramore, of which only one had actually gotten through to the city proper, but had done a lot of damage in doing so. This had to have been one of the larger ones given the trail leading to this spot, but Wolven didn¡¯t seem to have cared about its size. It would have been a buffet for the thing, and it looked like it baited them in, then just circled them. Over and over again, trimming the horde from the outside in, minimizing how much area they could attack at once. It reminded me of old documentaries of dolphins in the ocean circling a school of fish, balling them up in one place for convenience. ¡°The trail continues,¡± an edge of resoluteness to her voice. I shook off my mood, being dispirited would help nothing. ¡°Keep going, then. We need to find Wolven more than ever.¡± As we continued, we messaged and logged updates in the Reaper HQ system. I could imagine that there were several teams patrolling the area around Gilramore now. With a little warning, maybe we could mobilize enough to distract Wolven while our defenses were still being sorted out. The Bulwark was nowhere near ready for an assault anywhere other than south, though Doug assured me that the project had been moved to the north east given the new information we found. At this point, we¡¯d ranged almost forty kilometers out, and in addition to the first circular pattern we found two more. It was highly likely that Wolven had absorbed every major horde in the area, and that was without even estimating what happened to the hives they¡¯d come from. Could Wolven use cores? If it could, what could it do with them? ¡°So, Matthew,¡± Terry started, ¡°How¡¯d you end up doing all of this stuff?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I turned my attention to the man, glad for the distraction. ¡°The whole biotics hunting thing,¡± He added quickly to that, ¡°Not like I¡¯m saying that¡¯s weird or anything, or a bad thing. It¡¯s just that you seem to take to it very¡­ err¡­ enthusiastically.¡± I frowned, ¡°That¡­¡± My thoughts collected a bit, the question not really something I wanted to dwell on. I noticed that Alice had perked up slightly, it seemed that the question was something she was curious about too. ¡°My family lived in Damond.¡± I decided to answer simply. It wasn¡¯t exactly something I wanted to talk about. Losing my family at the start of all of this wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d expect to ever really work through. It had dimmed in pain, though I still kept them from my conscious thoughts whenever possible. The last time I¡¯d thought about it, I¡¯d spent the rest of the night on my own, crying and feeling sorry for myself. Thoughts like how it wasn¡¯t fair had crossed my mind, but that was a given. Life wasn¡¯t fair, and if anything I¡¯d learned how frail life could be. But, that didn¡¯t make it any easier. ¡°Damond?¡± Terry paused a moment and then the realization hit him, ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± I could almost see his face cringing. I let out a silent breath of relief when no one else added onto that, though I felt like Alice wanted too. She stared at me from behind, most of her face concealed behind the visor, but even so I could virtually feel the conflict going on. I hoped she didn¡¯t feel too bad for me, she seemed like the type that might feel guilty about still having family and trying so hard to get to them when others would never have that cha-- Okay, that stings. A lot. ¡°So¡­ about this Wolven thing.¡± Terry coughed and none-so-subtly diverted the topic. I smirked at that, ¡°I was thinking about some ideas, I mean, you said that it ran away last time, right? So, assuming that we can actually even beat this thing, I have some possible ideas on how to keep it in one place, or close enough at least.¡± ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want to have to go chasing after this thing again,¡± Daniel rumbled over the radio. ¡°What do you have?¡± I listened to them talk, the others contributing ideas, the melancholy fading somewhat. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t so much of a pessimist after all, but it seemed like we might actually have a chance to bring this thing down. Terry¡¯s plan could work, too, though he did admit that we might have to change the plan somewhat given how large Wolven was by now. ¡°And then we can just pin it down and hammer mortar fire into it without - Hold up. Radio transmission.¡± Terry broke off mid-sentence, gesturing with his mechs hand like it was natural at this point. A moment later, the rest of our long-range radio¡¯s began to go off, though Terry¡¯s mech had a dedicated module for communicating long-distance, these had become standard issue after the debacle with Louis¡¯ team going missing. We were the only team that would be so far out to require these instead of obelisk communication, so it was safe to assume that it was intended for us. ¡°This is Reaper H.Q. to Reaper Alpha Team-¡± the message started, leaving me with an eyebrow cocked. Was that what people were calling me and my team? ¡°-we have a critical situation at Gilramore that requires immediate attention. Repeat, this is Reaper H.Q. to Reaper Alpha Team, we have a situation here that needs you back ASAP. Louis¡¯ team has been recovered as well as an undesignated possible biotic threat. They¡¯re also coming with information on the Unique known as ¡®Wolven,¡¯ they know where it¡¯s at.¡± The lot of us stopped and looked at eachother, a mixture of relief, confusion, and dread that was altogether too much to absorb at once. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± We didn¡¯t need to deliberate this. Wolven¡¯s path was steadily curving to the north, the last known location of the missing team. I dreaded the possibility that someone had been captured by that abomination. There¡¯s no use imagining the worst case. I chastised myself, we¡¯d be seeing for ourselves soon enough, after all... Chapter 33 Captivated Learning -Jack Knight¡¯s P.O.V.- There were a lot of things that I¡¯d found incredibly bizarre ever since the obelisks had touched down. How were they brought to us? Why now? With all of the things that we were able to buy, why was it that we got any kind of resource at all from biotics? Did we somehow used to just have that energy¡­ float out into the world before the obelisks were around? I¡¯d only killed a few wolves before the obelisks came down, and at the time I didn¡¯t feel any differently, so I¡¯m guessing I didn¡¯t actually absorb any kind of weird energy stuff. Maybe I had been, maybe everyone was and they were just used to all of the extra energy in the air. I brought my attention back to the lesson, ¡°So, that¡¯s how and why you cook food. Not that you really¡­ uh¡­ need to eat?¡± I scratched the back of my head, my impromptu lesson about the meat over the fire and why I was heating it up complete. The being before me, one that looked something between what I would imagine a mushroom-shaped man and a skeleton would look like. It had only been a few days since we¡¯d been abducted, primarily by accident it seemed. These things were operating at a child¡¯s level of intellect, touching everything, learning by copying, hardly capable of harming us. That last thought drew a scoff from me, the pseudo-biotic beings looking up at me with a tilt to its head. ¡°Ah, not you, I was thinking about something else.¡± I lied, not wanting to deal with another pouting Villager. I¡¯d already watched a couple Villager¡¯s tear some wolves apart limb from limb yesterday. That was surreal to watch, considering how close in proximity I was willing to be now. They were intimidating at first, but something about them was disarming. For as long as we''ve been here, we hadn¡¯t been harmed, and had been treated with something that approached respect, if they knew what that even was. The only issue was that the head had claimed our radios from us and we were far too out of range for obelisk communication to work. And, by that same reason, the Head still didn¡¯t allow us out of the village unsupervised. Though, he did allow us to keep our side-arms, mostly out of concern that we might be eaten by wolves. I still entertained the notion that we could have shot our way out of here on the first day with that. As I watched the Villager stare at the fire and the cooking meat with a level of fascination that seemed far too alike to a child, I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot them. Not for my own freedom, not when they didn¡¯t harm us. If they attacked me, sure, I could do it then. But that was just it, ¡®If¡¯ they attacked me. So far, even when Louis forcibly marched out of the encampment, the most they¡¯d do is pick us up over the shoulder or drag us back to their walled village. Joseph had even begun to teach the Villagers how to fist fight, which of course since they were a lot stronger ended up teaching them how to shadow box after he got the first right hook that knocked him out. That¡¯d been funny. Suddenly the Villager stood up, head cocked to the side before turning in the direction that I knew would be the highest point in the village. The Head was calling. These past few days, the village had been busy, beyond learning from us. There were dozens of them, carrying out tasks with a level of exuberance that frankly impressed me. They were like organic robots, but just like a robot, they had a specific kind of pattern. Every night, most of them would go to the amphitheatre in front of the Head¡¯s tower. Judging by the harmonics that we could hear for the next hour or so, I think there was a chance it was a ritual of some sort, a kind of primitive thing. Or there was an actual reason behind it, I have no idea, I¡¯m no scientist. I picked up my kabob, regrettably without any spices to use on it, and started nibbling at it as it cooled. A hand rested on my shoulder, startling me. ¡°Jack, Louis is calling a meeting for us.¡± Benjamin spoke, the stockily built man grinned, clearly amused that he snuck up on me. I nodded, ¡°Alright, Joey here is about to - ah, yup, there he goes.¡± I gestured after the Villager as it got up and left without preamble. They were a lot like machines when they had a goal, pursuing it relentlessly. ¡°You too, huh?¡± Ben snickered, ¡°Ashley named hers too. Anyways, we¡¯re talking about what we¡¯re gonna do.¡± I nodded, though internally I winced at that. Louis had been gnawing at the bit ever since we got here, although I certainly didn¡¯t hold it against him. This was big news, and we needed to make sure that HQ didn¡¯t treat these biotics as hostiles as soon as possible. We knew that if we came in en masse, we could clear out this place easily if it were any normal biotics. If they were normal, though, we would have annihilated them on the way here. We could have stopped them from bringing us, but Louis had been the one who realized that they were doing nothing to harm us, even after Ben put a bullet through the head of the one that had been carrying him. It died, and another one came and took its place, completely unbothered by the fact that it might be next, and did nothing in conflict to Ben. We walked through the village, houses made of a blend between clay and wood, not terribly done at that. Many of them I would consider livable, in a third-world country kind of sense. They weren¡¯t going to collapse anytime soon, and I wondered who taught them that. As we passed by the houses I noted the general state of emptiness that the village had at the moment. These buildings would satisfy a humans living requirement, but these biotics were a parody of that, filing into these buildings and standing up in every available space like storage containers, packed in tight. I felt a general unease as I looked at that, wondering if they were uncomfortable with the arrangement. Yet, time and again they seemed to have no complaints about their living conditions. They were utterly unbothered by rain, heat, cold, the elements that would inconvenience a human little more than background for them. If one fell, a nearby companion would immediately assist it to its feet. More than once, I¡¯d watched them bring wolves back into the camp, holding them upside down with four Villagers clamping its limbs so tightly it couldn¡¯t move an inch. They¡¯d taken them into the amphitheatre where we¡¯d witnessed the larger variants of the Villagers, the Guardians, press a hand into their foreheads, a pulsing and rhythmic sound pulsing the air as a dozen such sights could be seen all around. The Guardians would do so every night, trying to perform some arcane task that I couldn¡¯t fathom. Whatever it was, it seemed to fail every night, and the wolves would go into special restraints and pens until they would try again the next night. The sessions lasted longer each time, not sure what that meant, perhaps it was flexing a muscle of some sort for them? ¡°You listening?¡± Benjamin looked back to me as I was lost in thought. I winced, ¡°Sorry, what was that?¡± He sighed, ¡°I was saying how it was a lot emptier than usual.¡± And then he shook his head, grumbling. Annoyed briefly, I decided to let him be, turning my attention to the village. To my surprise, it was a great deal emptier, in fact, it was completely empty. I couldn¡¯t see a single individual around. ¡°What the hell?¡± I murmured, not even seeing the standard Guardian at the end of each block of houses. ¡°Right? Something¡¯s going down. That¡¯s why Louis¡­ well, we should go talk to him.¡± Benjamin shook his head, warily eyeing the surroundings in case there were any unwelcome ears listening in. It only took a half minutes to get to the building that had been allocated to us, larger and more ergonomic for humans to a degree, not conforming to the norm of the rest of the village. Each of the buildings compared to this one had been blocky, organized into uniform units of six buildings long and two buildings wide, forming a spider web of walkable paths that had been tamped down by Villagers over several weeks. The wall was apparent even from here, the downhill incline giving us sight over the hill and forest around, it was the highest point in the area, and featured a cliffside drop on three sides, perfect for defensibility. Something that a being with no intelligence would never have done. We entered the building, pulling aside woven thread made of plant fiber as the makeshift door. The other four stiffened when we entered, before relaxing a moment later at the sight of us. ¡°Right on time, we were just discussing-¡± Louis began, interrupted quickly by Joseph. ¡°-Getting the hell out of here.¡± He grinned, ¡°We¡¯ve got a golden opportunity. Ash already checked, the front gates not even manned.¡± My hackles rose at that, ¡®why would they leave the gate unmanned?¡¯ I wanted to say. The words caught in my throat, though, I was the least experienced of the people here, surely that would have been considered. ¡°Aside from the possibility that this is a trap,¡± Liam sighed, ¡°It would be the best time to go.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already got all of our things, except our rifles, but those can be replaced. We have our sidearms, more than enough to deal with a few wolves. We can get back to the city if we go on foot, we¡¯ll have to run for a while to get into safer territory, but it can be done.¡± Louis¡¯ resoluteness told everyone that he¡¯d already made up his mind about this. I frowned, finding the situation strange. I doubted it¡¯d be any kind of trap, the Bonemen, as we called them, weren¡¯t particularly drawn to such tricks. No, there was something else. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Ashley frowned, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t mind going back right now, but I don¡¯t think we should do that without our weapons. Most of our gear, too,¡± she reflexively touched her temple, missing the visor that she¡¯d had there sorely. It definitely hadn¡¯t been cheap. I opened my mouth to speak, and then found myself closing it again. Then I redoubled my effort, ¡®Speak, damnit.¡¯ ¡°I think we should see what the Head is doing right now.¡± After I spoke, I felt Louis¡¯ eyes settle on me with a mixture of shock and disbelief. ¡°We want them to get away from them, you realize?¡± Louis blinked, ¡°Why in the world would we want to go into the middle of the lot of them?¡± Benjamin laughed, ¡°Well, if we want our gear back, the Head¡¯s the one we have to go through anyways.¡± ¡°I definitely see the merit in getting our stuff back, but why talk to that one again?¡± Liam grumbled, ¡°He gives me the heebie-jeebies.¡± ¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is that the entire time we¡¯ve been here, there hasn¡¯t been any reason for the gates to be undefended. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a trap, but I don¡¯t think that makes whatever is happening any safer. I think we should see if¡­¡± I paused, knowing that this was going to sound ridiculous no matter how I said it, ¡°...If Yaga would give us any information, maybe even convince him to let us go and come back?¡± The others processed that for a few seconds, in their own thoughts. None of us were exactly sure what to feel about the Head, who called itself Yaga. We weren¡¯t even sure if the Obelisk system would categorize Yaga as a Unique. If anything was, thought, it¡¯d definitely be him. The progenitor of the Bonemen wasn¡¯t an especially large specimen, but he did look a great deal more human, and seemed to look more so every day after interacting with us. It was unnerving, on the first day he could barely speak broken english, but on the second he was able to speak clearly. Today, who knew? Maybe he¡¯d be singing ballads. Jokes aside, Yaga¡¯s learning capacity was insane. We¡¯d taught his ¡®children¡¯ a few things and Yaga seemed to know them too. Maybe there was some kind of hive-mind thing going on there. ¡°It might be a good idea, I saw a hunting party return earlier. They were down a few members, unusual losses for a few wolves.¡± Benjamin frowned, ¡°Not sure if that has anything to do with what¡¯s going on out there, but if there¡¯s something excessively dangerous out there, I guess it wouldn¡¯t do us any good to get eaten on the way back to base.¡± Louis¡¯ eyebrow drew down furiously as he thought, all eyes on him. He was the team leader here, and while Benjamin was his second, we all agreed that the final decision should rest on Louis, for better or worse. He looked at each of us one by one, considering the options carefully. We all knew he wanted to get back to base, but there was a reason why we decided to make him our leader. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll talk with Yaga,¡± his face said he absolutely hated the idea, ¡°I¡¯d rather not walk into some crazy biotics teeth out there in the middle of the night, anyways.¡± There was a definite air of nervousness at that. While we were fairly certain that Yaga wasn¡¯t going to harm us, we didn¡¯t exactly want to strain our tenuous position with him either. We couldn¡¯t stay here forever, though, we¡¯d have to go back to Gilramore sooner rather than later. We were as packed as we could be, and we decided it would be best to keep our belongings on hand. That way, if we did have to fight our way out, then at the very least we¡¯d have a chance to succeed. Granted, the fact that a Guardian was a seven foot tall humanoid hunk of fungaloid tissue with a growth coming from its back like a bazooka didn¡¯t attest to much success if we did need to fight our way out. They were a mean shot at anything less than three hundred feet. ¡°Alright, everyone fall in, let''s get this over with.¡± Louis groaned audibly as we approached the dug-out amphitheatre. A circular podium protruded from our side of the amphitheatre, unoccupied as of yet. Around it were stairs, filled with the seated bodies of over a hundred Bonemen, each of them emitting harmonics that reverberated off of the packed dirt, vibrating my clenched teeth. This was the first time I¡¯d been so close to them as they did this, and they showed no notice of us. I looked across to the other side, the podium showing a simple chair, nothing so much to be called a throne, currently occupied by a humanoid, whose hands were in front of him, fingers linked together in deep thought, listening to the congregation before him with serenity plain on the few flexible features his face bore. From afar, I¡¯d seen this before, he would maintain this posture and calmness the entire duration of their meeting. But right now, I could see that expression warp from that genteel expression to concern, and then anger, bared teeth as sharp as knives easily viewable. All at once, the harmonics picked up to a fever pitch as he reached out his hands, the noise deafening. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Joseph shouted, gritting his teeth and clamping his hands over his ears. None of us had an answer for him, and after a few impossibly loud seconds, I watched Yaga rise from his seat, standing at the edge of the podium and reaching out to the distance to the east. Strain was evident on his face, and I felt a throb against my mind that I immediately struggled to understand. Sound bled into me, touching my consciousness as my eyes widened. Something inside my head snapped, and all at once the sound was no longer deafening. It was a pure thing, filled with experiences, emotions. With strong hands I¡¯d beaten down a wolf, celebrating with my song to the others of my cluster, we¡¯d defeated nearly six wolves with six of my sisters, one on one fighting that we won. The Humans might be impressed if they could see us, perhaps fist-man would give us more learning. Some of the other lessons were less interesting, but still very important. We¡¯d learned that we were called Bonemen, which First of Us said was a good thing, we weren¡¯t being called biotics, which meant that differentiating us from them was going well. Good for the future. I turned my attention to the sounds of trees falling in sun-rise direction, East, the First of Us had said that was. We came to attention, and our song grew. No, we could not fight this. As one, we turned and fled. Whatever was pursuing us seemed to slow for a moment as it encountered the site of our kill. Through the woods, another of my cluster could see it, and shared the sight with a strange emotion. It filled us with an energy, not quite elation, though it got us moving quicker, our pourous bodies took in air faster, our limbs pumped harder. What was this? It was exhilirating, much like the first wolf hunt I¡¯d been on. But¡­ it was different, there was no happiness, just a gnawing dread. Why? Suddenly the forest behind us exploded into a surge of motion and howls, discordant and terrible. ¡®I fear it.¡¯ Was the simple answer, ¡®It fills me with terror. What is terro-¡¯ The thoughts in my head seized as it approached rapidly, two of my cluster closest to it splitting off in one direction away from us. Their song was pure as they intended to give of themselves for the cluster so that the First of Us would know of this threat. We accepted their song with gladness and sorrow. Losing one of Us was not forever, their song would be reborn, but they would be new, not the one they were before. But they would return, nevertheless, still a part them them. That was how it always had been. The beast, a horror of riven flesh and viscera, paraded around on ravenous legs and fangs of the very wolves we¡¯d hunted, turned in pursuit of the two, faster than it should have been. It dragged the rest of its body, rolling forward on it¡¯s massing scrabbling with desperate vigor after the two of our cluster. Later, we felt their song warp in pain, muted as it was for us in the first place. We knew the song would end soon with death, as was the way with everything. But then it didn¡¯t. And then it grew strange, distorted. Suddenly, the Us was not a part of us, no part of our cycle, but it was ever present, still seeking, and we knew then that this enemy was the worst. They were the worst. Awful. Disgusting. Hate. Hate them. Hate them! The chorus of voices joined in the congregation, and I felt my own mouth forming the words, the Bonemen had found the creature. ¡°Wolven.¡± I spoke. All at once the congregation sharpened to a razor point, the word drifting through the amphitheater in wordless air. ¡®Wolven. Hate. Hate the Wolven!¡¯ Recognition sparked in my mind, the image of wolven as I¡¯d seen it from the Reaper¡¯s surged in my mind. I looked up, feeling small and weak, tears streaming from my eyes from the pureness of the emotions I was feeling that weren¡¯t my own. Yaga looked at me, into me, feeling a connection, the song finding a kindred soul. And then unbidden I felt my thoughts turn to Wolven, the suffering that the creatures it wove into its form went through. The man that had painted a target on Wolven¡¯s back, burned it down and nearly killed it. ¡®Reaper. Matthew¡­¡¯ I felt a spark in my mind as Yaga decided on something, like a shift in mindset. To me, it felt like the land under my feet shifted, my knees hitting dirt to keep from sprawling out. Yaga reached out across distance, feeling the discordant songs of those consumed by Wolven. And I felt his mind push against Wolven, the congregation massed against the beast and its mindless thralls. Like two waves of water, they crashed together, churned, then like living mountains they crashed into each other again. I winced as I felt that pain, and I realized that they were too evenly matched. After a few seconds, though, I realized that Wolven would win. It didn¡¯t care if it burned out a few minds in its body, it would simply dispose of them. Yaga couldn¡¯t, not like Wolven could, not even something that he would do. I could feel it now, the human mind, fragmented and floating in the consciousness of the biotic that Yaga was. ¡®This is a bad idea¡­¡¯ I grit my teeth. With all the grace of a sledgehammer, I hit Wolven with images that Matthew had showed where they¡¯d drilled it down with mortar fire, filling that canyon with burning heat and molten slag. For a second, its defenses faltered, and in that moment, Yaga worked. I pushed away, disengaging as I felt Wolvens many snapping jaws around me. I evaded, but at the last moment, a long, sinous hand grabbed me around the throat. Cold, glistening eyes glared into my own. It poured through my mind, for a mere half second. Long enough for disgust to roil through me, long enough that I dreaded losing myself amidst the wrapping, invasive tendrils that I felt sought to dig deep into my insides. Then, like a gasoline powered fire, Wolven¡¯s mind was alight in suffering and pain. Two incandescent beings, singing a song of self-sacrifice and purity, burned apart within it, deep in its confines. Still, I felt the knowledge it wanted, I felt the trailing claw in my mind like a needle in my eye. ¡®Gilramore. Reaper. Nemesis.¡¯ I felt those thoughts, all encompassing and full of viciousness. I collapsed back into my flesh, blood dripping from one eye and from my nose, the mother of all headaches brewing in my mind as blessed unconsciousness evaded my grasp. The song had stopped, the congregation back to normal. I could feel Benjamin¡¯s hands on my shoulders as he asked if I was okay. Shortly thereafter, I felt a much heavier hand on my head, banishing a fragment of the headache that made me want for death. ¡°He will recover.¡± Yaga said, ¡°We must leave immediately. This one joined our song, I have learned much.¡± ¡°The hell are you saying? You did this to him?¡± Louis hand snapped to his pistol, but he managed to keep from drawing it, ¡°You better find some words to explain what the actual fuck is going on right now.¡± Yaga gestured out to the waiting Bonemen, who immediately set about dismembering the wolves that remained in the camp with frenzy. Louis fidgeted slightly at the sight, before Yaga began to explain. ¡°The one called Wolven has been found. We leave for Gilramore now while it is stunned from its mind-fire. You will communicate with the Reaper and inform him that we will assist in destroying the Enemy.¡± ¡°That sounded like an order.¡± Louis smiled with bared teeth. ¡°It was.¡± Yaga met his gaze unflinchingly, ¡°Take your weapons so we may leave now.¡± At that moment, several Bonemen Guardians arrived with weaponry in hand. Louis took his weapon and pack, shouldering it and staring at Yaga. For a few tense seconds, he said nothing, and his grimace only losing some of its edge as he spoke, ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t blame me if you guys get shot at when we get close to the city.¡± Yaga gestured and I watched as the Bonemen fell into formation around us, abandoning the settlement on the mountaintop without delay. I felt my eyelids grow heavy as I was placed on a cot, carried between two of the villagers out of a place that had been the source of such great confusion these last few days. And as I slept, I felt the song still present in the back of my mind, giving me treasured rest that I hadn¡¯t realized I so dearly needed. Chapter 34 Complicated -Matthew¡¯s P.O.V- It didn¡¯t take us nearly as long to return to Gilramore as it had for us to range away from it. That said, I would have appreciated a little bit more time to absorb the messages I was receiving. The first one was simple, just that we¡¯d recovered our wayward team. That was something to be happy about, and having information on Wolven¡¯s whereabouts was even better. As minutes passed I received more messages, many of which were describing the¡­ escort that Louis¡¯ team had acquired. Then there was Louis¡¯ message itself, asking that we refrain from opening fire on the biotics that were escorting them. ¡®What in the hell am I looking at right now?¡¯ I felt a twitch from my eye as I looked at the picture that Louis had sent to me. The creature was distorted, in no small sense appearing as an abomination that was man-shaped. What were the possibilities here? Man-shaped biotics just happened to be friendly? I highly doubted that, but I couldn¡¯t fully rule out the possibility of course. Beyond that though the options didn¡¯t get any better. It was possible that these biotics somehow had a way to manipulate others mentally. If they did, then they also had to be sentient; the team would be dead right now if they weren¡¯t, which meant that they might be seeking to gain entry into Gilramore. I sent a message to Doug to make sure he maintained distance from them and explained my reasoning. Of course, I also noted that it was possible that I was overreacting, but in spite of how outlandish psychic abilities or whatever they might have sounded, neither of us wanted to risk the city. He said he¡¯d get a specialist on the job to watch them, someone named Richard. It stunned me that I remembered the man quite clearly, though he definitely left an impression. He¡¯d managed to rack up quite the kill count and could back it up with a kind of quiet cunning. I had to wonder where Doug found him. At another time. I shook my head and turned my attention back to a few more messages while Shade took over the bulk of the driving. I forwarded the information to everyone else as well, cutting it down to the basics. ¡°So¡­ we aren¡¯t shooting the biotics?¡± Terry asked, as confused as the rest of us. I sighed, ¡°Not at first at least, I want you, Fran, and Daniel waiting a little bit farther away, in case something strange happens.¡± I could almost see the frown on Daniel¡¯s face, ¡°Why would a biotic help a person?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon,¡± I answered, ¡°If nothing else, we can see if this is all just some sort of elaborate biotic trap.¡± ¡°That the two squishiest members of the team are walking into.¡± Fran noted with concern, ¡°You¡¯re sure about this?¡± ¡°As much as I can be. Either way, we¡¯ll have to do something with them, and Louis¡¯ group has returned, to my knowledge, safe and sound. Though apparently Jack, one of their people, is unconscious. They report that he has nothing physically wrong with him.¡± A minute passed before Alice spoke up, ¡°So¡­ do you guys think that maybe there are nice biotics out there?¡± Second lingered as we mulled that over. Fran was the first to have a response, ¡°I think perhaps we don¡¯t know enough about biotics to really know what to expect.¡± ¡°This sucks.¡± Daniel contributed, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to worry about accidentally killing a good biotic.¡± Terry snorted, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be really torn up about it. Might take me all of a few minutes to get over that one.¡± ¡°Seriously, though,¡± Alice sighed, ¡°What if you did accidentally kill one that wasn¡¯t bad?¡± There was a pause before Terry answered, hesitant, ¡°Well¡­ I mean¡­ I know this isn¡¯t going to sound good, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d care? I mean, yeah, I¡¯m not going to go on a killing spree on a bunch of monsters that don¡¯t want to eat me, but I¡¯m not going to take the time to check every one of the things out there to see if it does in fact want to eat me first.¡± I thought that was fair enough, ¡°Either way, a sentient biotic represents a huge threat.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± Alice asked, a tightness to her voice. ¡°We have no idea if a biotic can maintain such a mindset,¡± I spoke, grimacing behind my helmet at the fact that Alice probably wasn¡¯t going to be okay with this, ¡°We literally have no clue why biotics do what they do. Why do they go after people at all? They don¡¯t seem to really need to eat. It¡¯s not territoriality either, unless they¡¯re that crazy aggressive about it. What I¡¯m saying is that they might literally be incapable of not going after people.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Alice opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, sighing loudly. She was thinking it over, it wasn¡¯t as though she were naive about any of this, and she was aware enough to be able to figure out her own answer. ¡°I¡¯d like to say that I¡¯d give one a chance but¡­ Wolven¡¯s clearly intelligent to an extent.¡± Alice had a sour expression on her face, ¡°If somehow it asked for the opportunity to exist among us¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ I¡¯d have to kill it with fire.¡± Daniel grunted with disgust, ¡°That thing i''ll probably pop up in my dreams every now and then forever.¡± My mouth went dry at that thought. Smith¡¯s dream sessions certainly weren¡¯t the best with that kind of thing. I could do without ever seeing it again. This time we¡¯d make sure it couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re almost there,¡± I reminded them, ¡°Lets focus on the possibly sentient biotics in front of us before we go thinking about ones that might not even exist anywhere else.¡± We did just that, slowing somewhat as we moved between trees and onto a road. Those of us who couldn¡¯t float, at this point only Daniel, navigated around the vehicles on the road. Our approach was far from stealthy, and at more than one point Daniel bulldozed a vehicle out of the way, filling the air with a crash of steel against aluminum car bodies. None of these cars would be driving anytime soon anyways, but I found myself exasperated with the clutter of the highway. The location we were on our way too was only two minutes away, the gentle curve of the road into the suburbs of northern Gilramore quickly showed us a gathering of over a hundred individuals. Many of whom were staring in our direction. I could almost see the relief on the Reaper¡¯s faces that were there, whether for the fact that we were there to deal with the complicated issue or that the sounds that they¡¯d probably been hearing were only coming from us. Wolven would be the next likely contender for that. Louis¡¯ team was near the front of the larger group, what looked like a hundred of the biotics from the picture he sent me standing close together. There were some variations from the picture, these entities weren¡¯t uniform, not like how wolves were, or even how the beetles had been. They were far more individualistic, but no less ugly looking to my eyes. On the vast majority, it looked like gnarled, ivory bone and fungal-looking flesh had grown together to form these things. They didn''t appear to be outwardly dangerous in an extreme sense, lacking clawed appendages, a mouth of any sort that I could see, and didn¡¯t seem to have any unusual prehensile limbs. Just two arms, two legs, standing at around 177 cm or 5 feet and 8 inches or so. They were lanky, not overtly bulky. Although, the larger ones were standing at around 186 cm, bulkier, and seemed to be carrying sticks and varying weapons of natural make. As I looked them over, I noted the one closest to the front, he - and indeed it looked much more human-like than the others did - seemed to be conversing back and forth with Louis. He turned after a moment of my inspection and seemed to look straight at me. Grey pupils with a glint of silver shone in them, a clear intelligence wrapped in the body of a biotic. ¡°Alright, stick with the plan.¡± I said back to the others, with exception to Alice. She¡¯d be coming along with me. They nodded, studying the gathering with as much parts surprise as I had. Alice bore a look of determination, and after we exchanged a wordless affirmation, I guided Shade to the front of the procession. All eyes had turned to us already, but the sight of the flying vehicle, armed to the teeth, had its own value for intimidation. I kept my gaze locked on the head biotic, studying his responses. What I saw gave me no small amount of information. He was tense, and it seemed clear that he wasn¡¯t in a position of comfort. Even so, I couldn¡¯t find any sign that he was overly afraid of us, more wary of the lot of us. Well, at the very least, wary of the flying death machine that flew over his group and landed in front of him. I stepped over the edge of the Sickle, Alice bounded from the back as well while we landed effortlessly. ¡°Louis, I¡¯m glad you and your team are alive,¡± I greeted him first, walking up and clasping his hand, trying to keep the aggression out of my posture towards the biotics. While I wasn¡¯t much for politics, that didn¡¯t mean I shouldn¡¯t at least try to be considerate towards such a delicate situation. ¡°Now tell me what the hell happened to you all.¡± Well. I tried. Louis shook my hand with a nervous chuckle, ¡°Well, long story really, and I¡¯ll definitely get to that, but first off there¡¯s someone you should be meeting.¡± I glanced to his teammates then, seeing that they all seemed to be in more or less good health, Jack Knight aside. He was unconscious and being looked over by a medic from the Legion and a member of Louis¡¯ team, Liam. Benjamin¡¯s expression was somewhere between pity and amused as he watched Louis lead me to be introduced to the biotic. It stepped forward as Louis introduced himself, ¡°This is Yaga, Head of¡­ his village?¡± He turned to the being who bobbed its head slightly as Louis nodded, ¡°Ah, right, his Cluster. They kind of take after mushroom designation.¡± He turned his attention to the being that called itself Yaga once more and winced, ¡°Uh, well, that¡¯s not how it really works here. He¡¯s the leader of the Legion,¡± Alice laughed, ¡°Yeah, careful about calling him Head Chieftain, might inflate his ego. I¡¯m Alice, by the way, and he¡¯s Matthew, though you can call him The Reaper too, kind of a thing in the Legion.¡± I frowned, confused on several late ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Alice teased, ¡°You¡¯re already the Legion leader, being Head Chieftain sounds like a bigger job.¡± I felt my head tilt and confusion run through me. I turned to the biotic as its head moved slightly. ¡°Uh¡­ about that... I don¡¯t think people would be too comfortable with you being in the city proper. Sorry. What do you think?¡± Alice looked to me. I said nothing, completely lost in the conversation. And then the realization struck me, as ridiculous as it seemed, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. That aside, if the Obelisk could do it, why not some random biotic? Frustration creeping into my voice, ¡°I¡¯m assuming both of you can hear Yaga speaking?¡± A look of consternation came over Alice¡¯s face, followed by realization, ¡°Oh. Yeah, yeah we can.¡± ¡®Great, seems that psychic powers do exist. And that I¡¯m psychically deaf. Awesome.¡¯ Chapter 35 Emergency Preparations The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 35 Emergency Preparations There was a distinct difference between imagining that perhaps psychic powers existed and having a genuine being capable of psychic influence standing right in front of me. ¡°Do any of you feel unusual?¡± I asked, my tone neutral in spite of the fact that my eyes were narrowed at the being in front of us. Alice thought for a moment, ¡°Not really? I mean, I don¡¯t feel particularly different.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking like in the ¡®am I under influence¡¯ kind of way, right?¡± Louis asked with his arms crossed, ¡°Not especially, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as in depth as that. Not that I¡¯m particularly keen on what exactly Yaga can do with his mind stuff.¡± Yaga¡¯s head bobbed up and down before it brought a hand to its chin. He seemed to lack a jaw of sorts, no real seam even existing where a mouth would have been on an otherwise human-like being. And while the others, the Bonemen they were called, weren¡¯t especially human in finer appearance, Yaga was nearly there. His facial features along the top half of his head were chiseled, eyes intelligent but bearing an almost fierce contenance. The rest of his face, starting with his nose, looked more like a series of symmetrical protrusions with plates of matter that wrapped around his head and eventually joined with what might have passed for hair. At least, if someone had chiseled the vague appearance of hair, almost like dreadlocks from hardened fungal material. When he finished, he looked firmly at my helmet, though his eyes flickered to different parts, as though he wasn¡¯t quite sure where he should be staring. ¡°Well, I guess I can relay that.¡± Louis breathed out a sigh before turning back to me, ¡°He says that he¡¯s aware of some vague fears that we might have regarding mental intrusion. He¡¯s not sure why he can¡¯t talk to you, but it¡¯s not something that¡¯s able to be focused. And there¡¯s not much that he can even hear from most people, except for some rare exceptions, and even then it¡¯s not something he¡¯s had experience doing.¡± ¡°That said, he knows that we¡¯d only have his word to go off of since we haven¡¯t run into anything like this before, and would be happy to submit to any further tests or requirements to assure us of his compliance to our¡­¡± He paused, frowning for a moment, ¡°Uh, sorry, hard to put this part into words. They have different words for stuff. I guess he¡¯s talking about our laws?¡± I stood stock still, thinking on that as they stared at me. On the one hand, they¡¯d shown good will in so far as to having brought the team back. Louis seemed fairly tense, but wasn¡¯t on strictly negative terms with Yaga and his entourage. And, if it was possible for them to overtake a mind, then it would be assumedly simple enough to have everyone pile on and get rid of me. The fact that they were negotiating in the first place was either good manners or they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything of the sort. ¡°You seem to be a biotic.¡± I frowned, voicing another line of thought, ¡°Are you actually a biotic?¡± Alice and Louis turned to look at Yaga. Shortly after Alice translated for me, ¡°He says that he¡¯s at least part biotic, but that it seems to be very complicated. And¡­¡± Alice paused and looked to Yaga with surprise, similarly to Louis. They both seemed concerned as he continued, and left me silently annoyed that I was being left out of whatever was happening yet again. ¡°Uh¡­ whoa¡­¡± Alice shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s crazy. That can¡¯t be normal?¡± She turned to me thinking on what to say for a second. ¡°Well, apparently Yaga has some memories of when he may have been human?¡± My brain locked up. But she wasn¡¯t done, ¡°And also he thinks he must have at least part of a biotic core in his body, because he can replicate himself to some extent-¡± Yaga gestured to the Bonemen at that point, ¡°And wants to make it clear that he in no way has hunted or harmed any human beyond his involuntary creation.¡± ¡°In other words he¡¯s covering his butt.¡± Louis frowned, ¡°Which seems to be a good idea.¡± I wondered at what that was supposed to mean before I realized I had a hand resting on a blade. Yaga was tense at that, but made no movement. I shook my head, forcing my body to calm down as I wondered at how much I¡¯d changed. That would have been awkward, pulling a knife on someone who hadn¡¯t eve-- [He was still made by biotics.] Smith disapproved, [No telling what it¡¯s up to.] That stunned me, and for one of the first times since I¡¯ve had the A.I. in my head, I felt a tremor of concern run through me. ¡®So far, there¡¯s been nothing wrong with it. Though that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to be fully trusting of it.¡¯ [It¡¯s still a risk. We shouldn¡¯t let them do as they please, biotics cannot override their basic desires, it¡¯s ingrained in their very being.] Smith continued. As he spoke, it felt like there was a buzzing in the back of my head. There were few things in life that left me with such a deep sense of foreboding as this. ¡®What would you suggest then?¡¯ [What else? We destroy them.] Smith stated matter-of-factly, [They¡¯ve delivered the team back and brought warning of Wolven¡¯s coming. They¡¯re no longer of use.] Incredulity surged through me as the buzzing in the back of my head continued, ¡®What the hell did you just say? You literally just said to go ahead and kill individuals who haven¡¯t done anything wrong to us at all. Smith, what the actual fuck?¡¯ [I am merely stating the obvious facts and¡­ hmm¡­] He suddenly staggered to a halt, suddenly focusing sharply. [Matthew, something¡¯s¡­ wrong. I feel¡­ strange.]The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The buzzing grew as I felt Smith¡¯s focus turn to it, in a strange way. It wasn¡¯t like I could actively tell where it was coming from, but at that moment I knew that both of us were aware of this strangeness in the background. ¡®What the hell is that?¡¯ I frowned, ¡®And why are you acting like a bigoted racist asshole?¡¯ [¡®Why¡¯ indeed,] I felt something shift, and at that moment I felt my left hand begin to move. Before anything more could happen, I gripped my left hand with my right. ¡°I¡¯m going to go-¡± I thought for a moment before throwing out an excuse, ¡°-contact Sis to see if she has any information available. Be right back.¡± I walked away before they could say anything. Ignoring them was easy when my left arm was literally ignoring what I was telling it to do and reaching for a weapon. ¡®Smith what the fuck are you doing?¡¯ I hissed mentally, ¡®I swear to god I¡¯m going to uninstall your malware ass if you keep this up.¡¯ [I-It¡¯s not me! There¡¯s something trying to override my proto-] At that moment I felt an electric pop in the back of my head. My body locked mid step, just barely keeping from falling over, pain surging through my paralzyed body. I would have shouted out from pain had I been able too. As it was, I felt a tingle in my mind, invasive fingers in my brain as the buzzing turned into a cascade of electric jolts. Then I felt the familiar sensation of Smith, A.I. grappling with this other sense, and only after a few moments did I realize what was going on. ¡®Holy shit, am I being hacked?¡¯ I felt my stomach drop, ¡®That can fucking happen?¡¯ Smith didn¡¯t respond, but I did feel him tap into my subconscious for aid. Reflexively, I began to help as I could, feeling alongside that familial force to find out how he was doing what he was doing. I was crap at it. That¡¯s what I realized. But I could throw some force, somehow? Were those electrical impulses at work in my brain? Whatever they were, I was an easily parried hammer to this deft manipulation. But, I gave space to work with. My partitioned subconscious mind filled the gaps with Smith¡¯s direction, but I could feel the A.I.¡¯s focus at the maximum. A silent war raged in my own brain, and I felt almost like the three of us were fighting some chitinous beast with acid blood, making any offensive dangerous, every parry a feat of skill. Somehow, that helped make it easier, and I found that my heavy handed blows would be covered by my subconsciousness shielding my retreat each time, warding off counter attacks. Smith was the ranged fighter and the knife in the dark at once, chipping away at the thing slowly be surely. In what felt like hours, Smith finally contained and dismantled whatever was invading us. In reality, though, I doubt more than a few sparse seconds had passed. ¡®What just happened?¡¯ I asked, mentally exhausted as I reached out to Smith. Oddly enough, I could feel the A.I. much more distinctly, like my own thoughts had gained more structure, similar to his own. [That was the Reaper system trying to take me over, and by extension you.] Smith answered, equally haggard. My thoughts immediately landed on Yaga, but Smith quickly intervened in the notion [It¡¯s not its fault necessarily for this to have triggered, I think. Sometimes perfectly good protocols can get a little¡­ clumsy.] I really didn¡¯t like the implication there, ¡®Seriously? That can happen?¡¯ [Not anymore,] Smith answered with a hint of a smile, [That kind of attack can¡¯t happen again, the relay is fried. That¡¯s what that pop was, usually that program would happen early on when neither of us were as strong. But, because it had to generate what effectively amounted to a virus, it was too much to handle all at once. Luckily for us. Whatever that was, if it was at full power without me having any additional support, we¡¯d have been¡­ Well, better not to think about it.] I shivered, ¡®But, why?¡¯ [If I had to guess, it was a Reaper automated system. Perhaps designed to ensure that a fledgling Reaper wouldn¡¯t get cold feet? Again, it can¡¯t happen anymore.] Smith spoke with chagrin, [I never imagined that kind of system could fail so dramatically.] I stood still for a few more seconds, recollecting myself. I was vaguely aware that others were watching me, idly, unaware of the internal struggle I¡¯d just had. Just as well, I didn¡¯t need anyone thinking that I might be susceptible to hacking. ¡®Wonderful,¡¯ I drawled sarcastically, ¡®It appears there are downsides after all. I can get malware. Great.¡¯ I turned my attention elsewhere, looking to my right hand. The mark of the Reaper Class was there, something that I¡¯d viewed with far too much trust. Perhaps this was just an accident, but even so, it was clear that I¡¯d taken such things much too lightly. ¡°Sis,¡± I began, deciding I may as well get the Obelisks controlling A.I. involved, ¡°You got a minute?¡± I frowned at that, wondering at the message. ¡°Fine, is it possible that biotics to be self aware and non-hostile?¡± At that I felt the heaviness on my shoulders increase. This was fantastic. Today was way too much for me to deal with. I half expected a message to say ¡®sorry for the inconvenience,¡¯ at the very least, but there was nothing. I should have been more alarmed by that, but I frankly didn¡¯t have any more energy to care about that. We had enough problems. I shook my head, turning and returning to the group. ¡°That was fast,¡± Alice commented with a smirk. I didn¡¯t respond to that, and she pouted for a moment. ¡°For the time being I won¡¯t worry about it,¡± I gestured to Yaga, ¡°For now, you all can enter the outer areas of the city. I¡¯ll pass the word to others that you¡¯re allowed there, but don¡¯t go any deeper. If the Bulwark decides you leave, then that¡¯s what you¡¯ll do, that¡¯s their jurisdiction.¡± Yaga tilted his head and then seemed to relay information, Louis frowned, ¡°He wants to know what happens if he and his want to leave?¡± ¡°Then leave,¡± I shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t frankly care right now. Of course, you¡¯re free to go out and deal with Wolven on your own in that case. I don¡¯t know what the future will hold for you if you stay here, but it won¡¯t be a free meal. You can talk to my Second-in-command who is also responsible for our logistics, public relations, and human resources and complicate his life more if you wanted to join the Legion. Either way you¡¯ll need to talk to the Bulwark, and we¡¯ll be there to pass along information.¡± The psuedo-biotic in front of me froze at that, before a strange putting a hand on his gut and moving as though he were laughing. I paused and waited for whatever translation he had. Whatever it was, Alice was grinning good naturedly, ¡°He says that he appreciates how straightforward you¡¯re being about this and appreciates the invitation. They¡¯ll take up a small area for now until they can talk about further accommodations and see what happens. In the meantime, if there¡¯s anything they can do to help with Wolven, let them know.¡± I nodded, holding out a hand, ¡°Then, I, Matthew, The Reaper of the Legion, welcome you to Gilramore. Just stay out of trouble.¡± Yaga hesitantly reached out and clasped my hand. In the back of my mind, I hoped that I wouldn¡¯t come to regret this. Chapter 36 Council Shortly after our talk I messaged the others, giving Fran, Daniel, and Terry an overview of what was going on. I didn¡¯t tell anyone about what had just happened to me, though, albeit I felt almost like Daniel should know. At the very least I don¡¯t think he would respond too negatively, and would be more worried than anything else. At the moment we had more pressing concerns. I did happen to worry a great deal about my own mental state at this point, of course, but there simply wasn¡¯t enough time to deal with it. Perhaps later I¡¯d hash this out with Smith to make sure there weren''t any other potential surprises waiting for me. Wolven was in the area and judging by its path, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it would come to attack Gilramore. At best, we had a few days, and the worst case scenario¡­ well, I¡¯d rather not even consider it. Even so, we had to account for everything. I calmed myself, sinking into the sensation of electricity in the back of my mind, seeking the connection to Shade. Surprisingly, it came easily, reflexively even, and I was able to sense the simple minded A.I. on the other end clearly. I didn¡¯t have to think at it long, a condensed instructional packet that detailed what I wanted the vessel to be doing while I spoke with the other leaders of the city. Being a leader was strange, it wasn¡¯t actually as much pressure as I thought it¡¯d be. Given that I¡¯d offloaded a great deal of my work to Doug, I suppose that¡¯s fair. I grimaced at that, realizing I¡¯d need to fix that sooner rather than later. First things first, I sent Shade off, watching as it eagerly thrummed to life, gliding over and between trees on its scouting mission. ¡°Alright, we need to meet up in the town square. I¡¯ve already given Doug a heads up, he should be getting an emergency summons together.¡± I spoke to the group, ¡°Louis, sorry about this but you guys don¡¯t get to take a break yet. Settle Yaga and his people in and take shifts. We don¡¯t need someone getting nervous about having them around.¡± I stopped for a few seconds, emphasizing this, ¡°If you need anything, get it and let me know, I¡¯ll clear it.¡± Louis blinked rapidly before nodding, a flash of a smile on his face before he hid it with stoic acceptance, ¡°Got it, we¡¯ll keep them safe.¡± I nodded with a smile on my face, mask brightening a moment before returning to normal. In a way, I guess this would be a good test to see how they would work as a task force for more delicate situations. Already they¡¯d proven themselves more than capable under duress. ¡°The rest of you, return to your stations, set up a ranging perimeter. If you find Wolven, disengage and try to keep an eye on the situation.¡± I quickly ordered the rest of the Legionaries that were currently in a perimeter, ¡°Any sightings need to be reported immediately.¡± I heard a resounding array of affirmations over the headset and out loud. I turned to see Fran smiling knowingly at me, ¡°See, it¡¯s not so bad, is it?¡± I reddened at the cheeks, that much more happy that I had my helmet, ¡°Yeah, yeah, let''s get moving.¡± ¡°He¡¯s embarrassed,¡± Alice snickered quietly, only loud enough for our team to hear. The others ran around, quickly organizing themselves for the new task at hand. They weren¡¯t seamless, but considering many of these people hadn¡¯t had proper training I would say that they were doing quite well. I hopped up on Daniels side, grabbing onto the metal where a semi-convenient handhold was available. The mech began to lope quickly through the city, the volume quickly alerting anyone who might be on our way. His rhythmic stomps became background noise, and distanced further as Doug called me over the system. ¡°Doug.¡± I greeted him simply, ¡°What¡¯s the situation on your end now?¡± He answered in his formal tone, the same one he used when people were around us, ¡°Getting better, the emergency summons is bringing everyone together. We¡¯re still waiting for some of the civic sector, but most of the Bulwark are here. I¡¯ve taken the liberty of having a few others present here as well on our side, I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, though I¡¯m curious as to why?¡± I asked, though I could probably guess that he was grooming some individuals to be his assistants or the like. ¡°Oh, you know, not leaving untapped potential and all that,¡± He answered vaguely, ¡°I¡¯ve also contacted Richard - you¡¯ve met him before - to see if he can get eyes on Wolven out there.¡± I paused for a handful of seconds in silence before realizing that I had, in fact, met Richard. A while ago. ¡®Right, I just grabbed Jack Knight. Richard was the 3rd ranker. The Adder. How do you even know someone like that, Doug?¡¯ I shook my head, not voicing that question, ¡°Understood, let him know that there¡¯s an automated vehicle that belongs to me that¡¯s also looking, just in case.¡± ¡°Will do, also, was there anything else? I¡¯m assuming you¡¯ll want to relay the bulk of the information regarding Wolven?¡± Doug queried. ¡°I should,¡± I answered with a sigh, ¡°In the meantime, I don¡¯t think the bulwark would have a problem with us asking our good friends in construction to move their projects northward for now. We need the wall immediately.¡± Doug was quiet for a moment before he responded, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good idea. They¡¯ve expanded a good deal, but that¡¯s definitely going to be¡­ tight. To say the least.¡± I shook my head, ¡°We can talk tactics and strategy when we¡¯re there. We¡¯re overstepping our bounds a bit already with getting involved with the wall right now, but circumstances as they are, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get a pass on that one.¡± We didn¡¯t comment on that, either way we didn¡¯t really care what anyone else would say for that. Everyone in that council chamber knew what Wolven was now, and with how much mass it¡¯d gained now¡­ Well, we didn¡¯t have time to worry about jurisdiction. ¡°See you soon, then,¡± Doug sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll keep a seat open for you.¡± ¡°Appreciated. In a bit then.¡± I closed the link, uploading last minute information to our Reaper Net, the information about Yaga filtering to the other Legionaries. There was a heads up regarding Wolven as well, so I was happy to make sure that every single member got the priority notification. Anyone not doing anything critical was to be kitted as much as possible. They could hoard Matter Energy for big purchases later. That thought amused me for a moment, hoarding M.E. like a dragon for a big purchase. Not that I had any room to talk. On that note, I addressed a few purchases that I felt were greatly in need. Ammo, grenades, and attachments for weapons were my priority. There was a rechargeable item as well, one that as I purchased added weight to my back, but also lumbar support. That was the extent of what I could purchase, however. The bulk of my Matter Energy would be going straight into the construction projects and heavy weapons for the wall. There weren¡¯t a lot of purchases that I could make for me personally to increase my combat potential at the moment. I froze as I looked at my menus for shopping, realizing with a start that a great deal of technology seemed to be missing suddenly. We had access to our earth based technologies still, but plasma wasn¡¯t available at all anymore. ¡°Hey, Daniel, can you check your general shop? Do you see any alien tech at all?¡± I asked, glaring at my screen with annoyance. ¡°What? Uh, sure?¡± He paused, looking through his list even as he kept running. ¡°The hell?¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± My question was accompanied by Fran checking hers at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s like most of the list just vanished. Shit. And I was hoping to buy a space ship.¡± He sighed, ¡°The hell is going on?¡± ¡°Same thing over here,¡± Fran seemed confused, ¡°There¡¯s some stuff that I¡¯d consider as more advanced than what we had, but nothing crazy.¡± ¡°Ditto,¡± Alice blinked, ¡°But there¡¯s still some stuff, looks like blueprints and such?¡± Terry breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Power is still available. General stuff for industry and fabrication seems fine too.¡± I ground my teeth at that, ¡°That¡¯s great, combined with the problem with Sis¡­ what the hell is going on?¡± ¡°Problem with Sis?¡± Alice asked, slowing briefly as she ran alongside us, hardly winded, ¡°Is she saying there are issues?¡± ¡°The opposite,¡± I shook my head, ¡°She¡¯s not available at all. Neither are the simpler A.I.¡¯s she left for general information.¡± Daniel rumbled, ¡°Well, that¡¯s just great timing.¡± ¡°Nothing for it now, I guess.¡± I let out yet another exasperated sigh. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll get more answers later. Wolven first.¡± We tacitly understood that anything not related to Wolven was secondary at this point, none of us could likely think of anything we could do about the Obelisk system in the first place. Stolen novel; please report. Minutes later, we arrived outside of the council chamber. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Fran stated, ¡°If nothing else I can fill in the blanks.¡± I nodded to her, ¡°Sounds good, how about the rest of you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help get people moved away from the north,¡± Alice answered without missing a beat, ¡°Better to get everyone away for now.¡± ¡°Good idea. Take some Legion with you.¡± I nodded to her. ¡°I¡¯ll work on a project, might help us out in the long run. Have to run some tests first. I¡¯ll catch you guys later.¡± Terry waved after wishing the lot of us good luck, moving quickly to our Reaper building nearby. I was curious what he had in mind, but wasn¡¯t sure what he was up too. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll go in too.¡± Daniel shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not much for these kinds of things, but at least we can show some more bodies this way.¡± I grinned at the two of them, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t rather anyone else.¡± ¡°We¡¯re like the three musketeers,¡± Daniel answered with a broad grin as he stepped out of his mech, the machine taking a knee to let him out, ¡°Only much cooler.¡± I did note that we¡¯d drawn a lot of attention in spite of the more dramatic things we¡¯d been seeing out of people of late. ¡°Alright you goofs,¡± Fran teased, ¡°Let¡¯s go before they start without us.¡± I nodded, leading the way, the act of walking confidently that virtually took all of my attention before now as easy as breathing. It was bizarre, I¡¯d have once walked into this place with anxiety rushing through my veins. But now? It almost felt like a familiar place; not quite a home but perhaps¡­ a battlefield? Silently I chuckled at myself for that, we¡¯d see how this would fair. After less than a minute of navigating marble tiled halls, glossy oak finishes, we¡¯d come to the council room with broad, heavy doors. They were open currently, admitting a few others that had still been trickling in, though it seemed to be the last. We entered at the end, not early, but at the very least not late. At the front of three sections sat Doug and a surprising number of Legion behind him. Beside him was someone that I recognized immediately. Tabitha Daughtry, the sniper who¡¯d gone into the mines with me, fought beside me against the Hive Queen. Last I¡¯d seen her was after we¡¯d lost Ziek. Now, she seemed almost at home. Her stern, razor sharp attitude seemed to be an excellent pair to Doug¡¯s mutable, flexible style. And, if I wasn¡¯t incorrect, it looked like she had a number of files in front of her. We walked towards them, catching the attention of much of the room. I passed by the other sections, Civic and Bulwark, with nods to those at their heads. The Mayor, Alan Dietriet, and a few others headed the first table of Civic, clearly having rushed to the Emergency Summons. I regretted having to pull them away, I¡¯m sure they were busy with other issues in the city, but this was gravely important for them to be a part of. The head of Bulwark, Charlie Song, was flanked by three others, one of whom was James Maddoc. With our mild pleasantries exchanged, I reached Doug, several seats open nearby, the center forum in front of everyone available for such emergency meetings and the topic therein. ¡°Seems we¡¯re not late,¡± I nodded to him, clasping his hand as he rose to meet me. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m glad everyone got here so quickly.¡± He then smiled, a twinkle in his eye, ¡°Tabitha is helping me with the meeting and personnel here, she¡¯s been a great help.¡± I turned to her, who rose and clasped my arm, a much more personal touch, ¡°Good to see you up and running.¡± ¡°The wheel never stops turning,¡± she answered with a wry smile, ¡°Got yourself into more trouble?¡± I suppressed another sigh, ¡°Always. Tabitha, meet Daniel and Fran.¡± ¡°Pleasure,¡± Fran answered, followed by Daniel as they greeted one another. ¡°The information packet is uploaded,¡± Tabitha briefly messaged me an outline of the map around Gilramore, ¡°We¡¯ve highlighted relevant information for your presentation to make it easier to palat, the screen will take care of the specific locations. We included the approximate location of those¡­ things.¡± I nodded, ¡°The psuedo-biotics, Yaga and his people. I¡¯m not sure how to feel about it either. Luckily, though,¡± I paused, flipping through a few general information pages before looking up, ¡°That¡¯s the Bulwarks job now.¡± Tabitha grinned, ¡°Good, I have enough personnel issues without having to worry about biotics.¡± I specifically didn¡¯t mention that there was a possibility that she might, indeed, have personnel issues with biotics. I did suggest Yaga should check in with Doug if they wanted to see if the Legion would help them out. ¡°Call to order,¡± Doug spoke out, pressing a button on his desk that let a light buzz ring out through the room. Within seconds the room quieted down, leaving me as the only one standing at our desks. I nodded to him, moving out towards the podium, ¡°Thank you everyone for attending this session so quickly. I¡¯m hardly one for overdrawn introductions to a topic, and you all know who I am, so I¡¯ll get to the point.¡± I started before even hitting the stand, turning and surveying the crowd to ensure I had their attention. As a group, I¡¯d say that the council had already made great advances in efficiency. The bureaucratic red tape had already been trimmed down to its bare necessities, thankfully, otherwise this might have been far more arduous to arrange. I felt for a connection to the electronic screen at my back and received a slight twinge in response. The screen came alive as I forced the map of Gilramore and its surrounding area to appear. ¡°Wolven was sighted a few hours ago, here.¡± I jumped straight into topic, immediately noting the tenseness that filled the room. Even so, it was of a milder source, one that set me to frowning behind my helmet. I¡¯d imagine the same kind of response to if a bear was roaming somewhere around your neighborhood, not abjectly terrifying, but something to be aware of. I continued, they¡¯d know the full issue soon enough, ¡°In this same area a team of ours recovered a group of Psuedo-biotics that are humanoid in shape and temperament who are thus far non-hostile and aided us in location Wolven. I won¡¯t go into details about that right now, so please hold your questions. I¡¯ll note only that they¡¯re currently being watched on the outskirts of the city for further arrangements and negotiations by proper parties, namely Bulwark and the Civics.¡± At this I nodded respectfully to them, letting them know that I hadn¡¯t forgotten where my jurisdiction was supposed to end. That pacified any negative response, it seemed, because Charlie and Alan simply nodded to continue. ¡°While we have yet to personally locate Wolven, it¡¯s last reported location matches up to what myself and my team had found. When we¡¯d made first contact, as you know, Wolven was here-¡± I gestured over my shoulder as an ¡®X¡¯ lit up on the screen to the east of Gilramore, ¡°-and from there it escaped, moving counterclockwise and at a great distance from the city for several days. It wasn¡¯t idle in this time, gathering what appears to be a truly titanic amount of biomass and energy.¡± At that, I showed images of the trail as we¡¯d found it, sequentially starting with small locations. Among the early images, simple scratches in the trees and ground, then it progressed to gouged wood, snapped tree limbs, to entire trails completely uprooted and mulched. Then came the truly massive circles of devastation, ¡°In these areas we suspect that Wolven cornered and corralled large packs of biotics, most likely wolves, and then incorporated them into its form. We found evidence of more of them, but I believe that it should be obvious that we¡¯re looking at a near worst-case scenario in terms of how much mass Wolven has found.¡± At that point, several individuals muttered in the background. Charlie and Alan themselves spoke briefly to their confidants. I continued, ¡°Thus far, we have no idea when Wolven is coming, but we have strong reason to believe that it is coming. There aren¡¯t many more hordes out there, and the west has been cleared out. I¡¯ve taken the liberty of having construction efforts for the wall refocused on the north, though I realize that may be overstepping my bounds. Given the situation, I ask for understanding in this.¡± Charlie glanced to Doug for a moment, a look of contemplation on his face before he let out a nearly imperceptible sigh. ¡°The Bulwark moves that that action, given the circumstances, is fine. Though, in the future you could just message me directly,¡± he shook his head, ¡°Beyond that, this is an extreme situation. We don¡¯t have current eyes on Wolven?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve dispatched teams who are looking as we speak. It¡¯s dozens of kilometers away as is, but we can¡¯t be sure how long that will last. My Legion will engage in hit and run tactics and work to delay Wolven, we¡¯re hoping also to make sure that we can drive it into the northern wall.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± Alan answered, cringing, ¡°I¡¯d hate to imagine anyone fighting that thing without a wall. We have a great deal of the south and east covered, but nearly nothing in the North. We can coordinate efforts with a newly minted construction division on that front, but we¡¯ll need more Matter Energy to make that happen.¡± I nodded, ¡°The Legion will devote what we can, though we don¡¯t have much left on hand.¡± ¡°We Bulwark have a great deal of Matter Energy reserved from them already,¡± Charlie explained, ¡°Though, we¡¯ve no issue spreading that around. A joint project between our divisions would be the best bet, I think.¡± ¡°I agree, we can sort that out in the post-meeting.¡± Alan turned his attention back to me, ¡°We¡¯ll start on evacuating the northern reaches of the city. At worst we have only a few hours. At best, we¡¯ll have several days, but there¡¯s no harm in moving people to the safer side of the city in the first place.¡± He shrugged, and I figured he was right. The south already had the wall developed, which honestly shocked me. It was ideal, however. ¡°There¡¯s something else, though I strongly suggest we factor this into our planning, we don¡¯t devote too much in the way of resources towards this in the meantime.¡± I kept myself from sighing yet again, noting that I¡¯d had to do so frequently of late, ¡°It appears that something is happening to the A.I. of the Obelisk system and that our available purchases are categorically reduced. Weapons are back to just above human levels, while fabrication and industry related areas are still allowed. Blueprints are still available, however, so I believe we¡¯ll still be able to gradually manufacturer advanced technologies. Even so, it will potentially constrain our preparations.¡± This left a far greater impact when combined with the growing realization of how much of a threat Wolven might be. Charlie frowned, a dark expression that made me feel the slightest bit nervous. ¡®Damn, that guy still seems intimidating.¡¯ I chuckled quietly to myself. No wonder why nobody had contested him when he said he¡¯d take over command for Bulwark. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re saying we still have access to our technology?¡± His frown suddenly quirked to a grin, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be just fine.¡± ¡®Yup, intimidating as hell.¡¯ I nodded to him, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the defensive fortification to you then.¡± ¡°Most people won¡¯t be up to much, but just in case, we can have general militia at the ready to help harass and take care of the wounded. I¡¯m no expert on this, but we can think of something,¡± Alan nodded, looking as though he were writing something down in mid air. Then I realized he was doing something with the system. That was curious. Whatever it was, he finished fairly quickly, ¡°There¡¯ll be a meeting for those who are engage on the more specific levels after this, I¡¯m sure that most of us will be busy with the big picture - not to sound arrogant - but this way we can leave everyone to the jobs they know how to do. I¡¯m no architect, for instance.¡± Alan¡¯s confident smile and charismatic demeanor showed through. That was why he was the civic leader, of course. Trusted, charismatic, and knew how to use his people. ¡°Then we¡¯re of accord?¡± I asked. ¡°We are.¡± Charlie confirmed. Alan gave his affirmation next, ¡°Indeed.¡± I nodded to them, stepping off of the podium as I handled smaller tasks with Charlie and Alan, namely directing them to where Yaga would be. And of course dropping the remains of that mess in Doug¡¯s hands. He chuckled and shook his head, before gesturing to Tabitha to come with him. I¡¯m glad he got help, but I was worried for Tabitha at this rate. Maybe I really should force him to hire on a lot more help?... Chapter 37 Hit and Run Six hours. The worst and best six hours of my life. There was a certain elation that came with advancing my Legion¡¯s capabilities. Terry inadvertently helped massively in this process. As before, our second floor for the Reaper HQ was devoted almost wholly to crafting and general ¡°Science¡± if you could call what was going on here. It was closer to sci-fi if I was perfectly honest, and I¡¯d given it the green light. There were some people, Fran, Daniel, Alice, Terry, and a handful of others who had access to very specific things in their shops that others didn¡¯t have, myself included. This was critically important because of the fact that absolutely none of the things that we¡¯d purchased prior to now were available in the general shop. Anything that was counted as a weapon was no longer able to be purchased, as we¡¯d discovered hours ago. Sis was still missing, none of the automated systems were working for information either. In fact, the only thing that was still working was our ability to gain and process M.E. into items. Why? Nobody knew or even knew how we could possibly find out. However, I¡¯d noticed the loophole fairly quickly. For some reason, those of us with classes seemed to still have access to all of the gear, weapons and all. And in spite of the wariness I felt towards certain aspects of Reaper gear at the moment, it would be utterly irresponsible to ignore the ability to actually arm myself and my people. We also realized that Fran, Alice, and Terry had options that weren¡¯t available to normal people. They didn¡¯t have classes, though, but I suspected that perhaps while they didn¡¯t have a solidly set class they may instead have a psuedo-class, or something of that nature. Maybe they were on the path to gaining a class and got partial credit? Just needed to fulfill some other requirements? Whatever those might be. I certainly wasn¡¯t complaining, but it definitely drew more attention to those of us who could. And, being the responsible leader I am, I forced the issue by abusing/using my rights as the Organization Leader to make available any items that someone else in the organization had access too. I did, however, maintain anonymity for anyone who was providing what, even if it was entirely involuntary at the moment. Even if my burning curiousity really, really wanted me to learn who the actual fuck had nanites in the blood. I was glaring at the screen, many options that I knew for a fact wouldn¡¯t work with how my overall ¡®build¡¯ seemed to be going. Nanites, for example, were brutally expensive at about 1000 M.E., and they seemed to be of the basic variety. It seemed that what was available for everyone to purchase in this manner had been modified just based off of the Reaper gear I was providing. For example, I had a Reaper Reaver Trench Gun that I¡¯d purchased quite some time ago. It was a brutal weapon that would almost certainly make our jobs with clearing Wolven far easier, especially considering the rate of fire and crushing power of the weapon. In the general shop, the closest thing I could find was the Reaper Modified Trench Gun. That was helpful, to be certain, it packed a helluva punch with modified casing and ammo that was designed with even more punch in mind, better fire-rate, handling, and effectively just seemed better than a regular gun. But that was all, it was just better than a regular gun. It wasn¡¯t the hellfire spitting abomination I had with me. And it seemed anyone without a genuine class only gave a pale imitation indeed. Someone had demonstrated Fran¡¯s magnetic weaponry, but with far less grace and finesse. I don¡¯t think it was just skill, either, the magnets seemed less flexible. Less in control, though the power wasn¡¯t much lower. Granted, Fran wanted to test the equipment and was able to punch through tank armor. While the imitation gear would manage it, it would only do so after charging for a moment. Fran seemed to be able to simply will her ¡®feathers¡¯ to do so and suddenly the tank armor was holier than swiss-cheese. That was sobering to watch. I considered that, looking over my own options in the store. It was clear that Fran had a very damaging kinetic attack, she could manipulate a battlefield, and could potentially deal more damage than me. Yet, I had a full class. What was different? What was I missing? I shook my head, realizing this was foolish. Was I getting jealous of Fran¡¯s weapons? Seriously? As much of a drawback some of the Reaper modifications to me had, there were quite a few more perks. Especially after breaking down some of the mental barriers between myself and Smith. Part of me worried about that, but I found that instead of making us more vulnerable to intrusion, it might actually make it harder. That and having instantaneous computer processing for my body was pretty awesome. Admittedly I had no idea if that would really relate to much since my reflexes had been honed significantly. Amusingly enough, I noticed that there were a lot of teams that had taken up a similar composition to my own, albeit with their own flair. Even Louis and his team were no exception. The team leader had donned medium armor, what looked to be a blend between conventional and power armor - a term some of the more enthusiastic people had taken too and run with - for a far more potent combination. Power armor was just another of many ways to say mechanized suits, though there was an invisible boundary in the categories. I¡¯d noted idly that it effectively seemed to be mesh suits, exo-suits, power armor, and then finally full blown mechs. My own armor would fit into the power armor category, which I¡¯d also learned had made quite an impact on a lot of people. Almost every team leader had opted into a power armor variant, though others went with a much more covert option, the mesh suit. At face value, it was a second skin, or a bracing suit that helped with overall movement and to give that little extra oomph. Alice had something like that, but also had an exo-suit designed to further push her limits while maintaining light weight. On that note, though, exo-suits were very diverse but usually didn¡¯t cover quite everything. Finally, mechs. ¡®We really need a garage.¡¯ I groaned, looking out a window at around two dozen mechs, none quite so large and imposing as Daniels. The styles and armaments varied wildly, I¡¯d just chalked mechs up to being something that you couldn¡¯t reasonably move with your own human limbs without assistance. If my power armor lost a source of¡­ well, power, then I¡¯d still be able to move it with my own body. If one of those behemoths lost power, it¡¯d stay right there. There were a good number of teams that had totally ignored the possibility of grabbing a mech, knowing that they were hardly the quietest things around.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I did feel the need to estimate that one particular team had been perhaps a little too zealous in their want for mechs. The entire team was mech¡¯d out, all eight of them. Amusingly enough, they were all very flashy and I had a feeling I¡¯d be using them as a shock-and-awe force. There were limitations, though, and the majority of them were actually far less well armed than Daniel¡¯s mech was. They¡¯d had to resort to much larger power options, which I found odd. So far I¡¯d rate them fairly highly in terms of usefulness¡­ but the price tag. I winced, watching them arm themselves with fairly basic weaponry, none of them foregoing a melee weapon. Hopefully they didn¡¯t just blow all of their M.E. on cool factor. Slowly I shook my head and forced my attention back to the main matter at hand. I¡¯d put this off immensely, mostly because these past six hours had been just so fascinating to watch. But now it was time. Logistics, politics, and personnel changes. ¡°Matthew, you doing alright over there?¡± Doug asked, a few concerned looking assistants mirroring the underlying notion of his words. They were worried that I¡¯d been going over things a little too much. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied through my teeth, ¡°Going over all of these applications to the Legion, figuring out how we¡¯re going to sort and organize our teams, and determining who will be in charge in what situations is important.¡± ¡°Yes, but taking a break is a good idea, too.¡± Doug walked up to me as the others resumed their tasks, not an insignificant number of them having been hired very recently by Doug, given the all clear by me, and then promptly settled in. The front desk had been thoroughly stocked, testing and general psyche tests taking form for those who wanted to join the Legion. I blinked, realizing that Doug had no idea I was looking through various cameras in the building to split my attention to something not so mind numbingly boring as accounting. ¡°Doug,¡± I coughed, ¡°I appreciate it, and I¡¯ll take a break soon. I¡¯m almost done with everything anyways.¡± Doug quirked an eyebrow at that, ¡°Done with looking over the personnel files, the request forms from Bulwark and Civic, or accounting for our current equipment and assets?¡± ¡°All of them?¡± I asked hesitantly, ¡°That¡¯s what I was supposed to do?¡± For a few seconds the man stared blankly at me before shaking his head, ¡°No, seriously, what do you have done so far?¡± I was more than a little confused at that, ¡°Here, let me send you the digital formats. Your printer upstairs has the rest.¡± He blinked as documents started to fill in the Obelisk database that we shared, the specific one for his personal mail blinking rapidly. While watching him, I could see his eyes move back and forth, a deep frown on his face. ¡°Matthew, did you read all of these? No, uh, do you remember the details on Bulwark¡¯s proposal for drafting civilians?¡± He looked up to me, glancing at the corner of his vision where he likely had the screen up. I thought for a moment, ¡°Yeah. To draft individuals in the general populace in times of emergency, limited in scope only to Civic sector as risk demanded and to allocate said personnel based on any gaps in Bulwark positions.¡± His eyes widened a hair at my summary, ¡°And do you recall your position as you wrote it, and your provided reasons why?¡± Without missing a beat, I responded, ¡°I absolutely rejected the proposal citing that it was too open ended and would be easily abused as literally anything in our current situation could be considered as a state of emergency. There¡¯s also no note at all of how payment would be handled or the limitations on what would be allowed to be done. Without putting too fine a point on it, it basically turns Bulwark into an authorized dictator state. Not something I¡¯m fine with having to put up with, though I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t the intent.¡± ¡°How did you read all of this and sort it already? I¡¯ve been building up for days already and you¡¯re done in an afternoon?¡± A mix between exasperation and disbelief bloomed on his face. I strictly didn¡¯t mention how I hadn¡¯t been really putting my heart into this, ¡°I do have a computer in my brain.¡± I offered instead, splitting my attention between sending out additional orders to some of the field operatives. ¡°I¡­ okay. That makes some sense. Now, the more important question.¡± He stepped up to me, peg leg clacking against the tiles underfoot as he neared me and whispered, ¡°When are you getting me one?¡± I laughed, ¡°Well, we can arrange that after we hopefully survive this. In any case, I have some more information to pass along.¡± ¡°Oh? More from the front?¡± Doug smiled, ¡°Anyone found Wolven yet?¡± I shook my head, ¡°No, thankfully, but it seems that someone found a wolf horde. Shade helped them and a few other scouts clear them out, it was pretty clean business. They¡¯re baiting the horde away and chipping away at¡­ it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Doug frowned. ¡°One second.¡± I blinked, receiving a direct message from someone. I turned to Doug, ¡°It seems your man has found Wolven. I¡¯ll be focusing on this now, if you need me I¡¯ll be in the war room.¡± He nodded, turning his attention to others even as moved to the larger room nearby. There were a few teams sitting around holographic projectors, discussing their builds and new tactics to incorporate and test. Heads turned at my pace, red pulsing across my suit as I felt my mind interface with the main screen. More than a few teams turned their attention to both me and the sudden notification set out to the Reaper system. All at once the air turned tense, where small talk had been present was now an absolute awareness of what I was doing. The screen shifted from what had been scrolling across its surface to a map, and then to the north, slightly eastward, was a red blob that belonged to a wolf horde a few hundred strong. This blob had two dozen blue dots that represented Legion members, as well as one larger white dot that represented The Sickle, my own sentient war machine that supported them. The red blob shrank all the while, being harassed on all sides, culled when they stepped too far forward. It was a safe process, mostly because the scouts were ghosts in the midst of the forest, hitting out of sight range, the distraction that Shade provided more than enough for them to get a handle on the situation, albeit a precarious one. Five kilometers north-east, however, was a much larger crimson blob, one that lacked in defintion, only detected by the single blue orb that was moving to the south east of it, attacking it all the while. No one needed clarification on what that blob was. Wolven had been found, and it looked like Richard was harassing it. The problem wasn¡¯t that he was succeeding, it was that he was succeeding too well. The blob was rushing towards him, what appeared like tendrils on the map was more realistically charging columns of abominable malformed wolves that sought to attack him. More than once, Richard dodged through the forest, seeming by inches. Each time, however, a large mass of those tendrils would quickly wither, and be disconnected from the mass. Whatever strategy he was using, it was working wonders. At least, it was until all at once the blob shuddered. Then, as dread settled in my stomach, it turned direction, advancing south west. Straight towards the wolf horde. I immediately sent the priority call to them. The message and position on the map noted clearly. Composing that message and several others took nearly no time at all, but I knew that it would be close. I could only hope that these scouts were fast. And by fast, I meant inhuman speeds, because Wolven was moving faster than an Olympic sprinter straight for them. I messaged every group that had fast movers in them, many of them arrayed in the north of Gilramore already. With clenched fists, I watched the map, heart thundering in my chest all the while as the crimson blot that was Wolven came more and more into our range, more and more of it spilling into detection, and continued going. It was larger than we¡¯d expected. A lot larger. Chapter 37.5 Bonus Richards Favor -Richard¡¯s P.O.V.- I¡¯m not usually one for being cynical, and I try not to complain before a job is done. See, when you complain during the job, you¡¯re whining, and nobody - especially not me - likes to listen to someone whine about the job their doing. Most of the time, they¡¯re probably doing the same job you are, or are relying on you to do your job right. Are they going to be happy hearing that you¡¯d just as well be doing something else? Hell no. Nobody wants to hear that. Especially if it¡¯s a crap job, of course nobody likes it! If you did, you¡¯d be weird. The only complaint I have is when someone asks ¡®how is your day?¡¯ when I¡¯m doing one of said shit jobs. It just makes me want to slap them. What do you want me to say? ¡°Gee, I¡¯m doing greaaat. I¡¯m just going to go look for mountain of moving flesh that looks really fucked up.¡± I realized I was speaking out loud at that point, but the tirade didn¡¯t stop, ¡°What the actual fuck do you want me to say?¡± I restrained myself after that outburst. That wouldn¡¯t do. Not at all. Already I¡¯d had to check in with Doug, apparently that Reaper guy was helping to straighten everything out with the other two organizations. Groups? Guilds? Hell if I know. I¡¯m staying out of the political sphere, nothing ever good comes of politics. I¡¯d rather have my freedom, stay in a position of security in an organization with minimal oversight. You could say I got my cake and eat it, as much as that phrase makes no goddamn sense to me. Alright, this wasn¡¯t the worst thing that could happen. I owed Doug¡­ err¡­ well, no, I guess I didn¡¯t really owe him too much anymore these days. Wait, doesn¡¯t he owe me? I stopped immediately where I¡¯d been slinking through the trees, coming to rest against the side of a tree. Even as I was resting on its side, my mesh suit¡¯s spikes dug into the bark to keep me secure. Come to think of it, I¡¯d saved Doug anyways, and helped to take care of his daughter. Sure, he pulled strings to make sure the rest of my family was cared for - but I didn¡¯t really concern myself with their day to day activities. But, I guess that counted then. I did help with his peg leg. Shame that had to happen in the first place, but I guess a wolf getting his leg wasn¡¯t hardly the worst thing that could happen. Man, that sucked. I don¡¯t have much in the way of med school, but I at least know how to take care of someone who lost a limb. Only upside is how clean the cut was. The good and bad part of the biotics is that they were fairly clean too, not really much in the way of bacterial infestations in their mouths. Probably a feature of them being partially inorganic. On another note, that entire fiasco ended up better than I could have known. Being a good samaritan has its upsides sometimes, even if I¡¯m not a people person per se. I had no idea who Doug was when we were all evacuated from the areas immediately outside of the city, the sparse houses that couldn¡¯t even be called the suburbs of Gilramore. What I found out, though, was the fact that Doug didn¡¯t let go of a debt that needed repaying. So, I found my family well cared for all things considered; my mom and dad, and two of the four siblings I¡¯d had. The other two were outside of the city, and I tried not to think about what might have happened to them. From a distance, I confirmed that they were doing alright, and am happy to report that the four of them seem as happy as anyone could expect to be here. I don''t involve myself further, I¡¯d burned bridges with them long ago, not that I don¡¯t think we could come to a compromise now. It seemed so silly now, but I still had no real desire to get myself reacquainted on any personal level. It might seem petty and shallow, and it probably was, but unless I felt like I was missing something, I wouldn¡¯t reconnect. They¡¯d already spent the first 19 years of my life trying to mold me into the perfect little puppet. A proxy for them to live through, always compared to my siblings. I was the middle child of five, and being that, I found myself harassed on all sides. I¡¯d say I was overreacting to that, but in this case I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m sure any ¡®oppressed youth¡¯ would say the same thing, and that it¡¯s a teenager phase. But I¡¯m also pretty sure that normal parents didn¡¯t literally try to dictate every step of your life. In the most literal of senses, they tried to see what my life was like when they weren¡¯t around; who I should make friends with, what I should do at ¡®x¡¯ time or what to say in ¡®y¡¯ scenario. It took my a long while to realize that I wasn¡¯t being pampered or babied, not like my younger siblings, but instead I was the one that was being programmed. No matter what, I would never bring this up to someone else. I¡¯m positive someone would say I was just being melodramatic, that ¡®it¡¯s just a phase¡¯ would be thrown around. I used to try that, used to try to speak to councillors or adults. They always accused me of making it up, even when I had a literal notebook with my schedule of what was expected of me and when detailed in my notebook. To make a long story slightly less long, I¡¯d left them as soon as I could, at 18, but couldn¡¯t quite shake them the rest of the way until I was 19. I did what any sane fresh-out-of-highschool student would do to obtain moral high ground and get the hell away from potentially mentally unstable parents. I went to college. For a bit anyways. Med school, to be precise. I didn¡¯t take my parents money, I went in with my own money, predominantly loans. There¡¯re a lot of details I¡¯m missing here, my reptile farm being one of them, but I realize this is one massive tangent when I¡¯m really just trying to figure out why I¡¯m even out here. Ah, right, Doug has me running as his personal agent. Cloak and dagger stuff, I¡¯d assumed, when he first asked me. I¡¯m not particularly against helping him, after all he makes a convenient way to make sure my two little sisters are cared for without me doing a damn thing. What surprised me was how he knew I was hunting biotics pretty much minutes after the Obelisk touched down. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I stocked up on what I figured would be the best possible thing, which apparently was a good thing. I purchased something that wouldn¡¯t do much early, but was crazily advanced tech. The reason why I was able to purchase it? The Obelisk system was still booting, and I managed to find an exploit. Apparently, the guy at the head of the Legion did something similar, Matthew I think was his name. He had the right idea, though I think mines still better for the long run. Maybe. Not sure yet. I¡¯m positive he and Daniel have classes, making us among the few in the city with them. It¡¯s hard to tell who has them sometimes, you have to see the back of their hand. Simple diamond? Vanilla, non-classer. Symbol of anything else? Class. That said, it¡¯s not always easy to be looking without seeming conspicuous, and even seeing the symbol tells you nothing about what the actual class does. Some people, for instance, seem to have some kind of halfway point, like the ex-pre-Bulwark officer Fran. What that ultimately meant for me is that I had unique options, one of which being the nanite slurry in my body that was slowly but surely managing to self-replicate and interact with my body. It was weak at first, but it would learn over time how best to help me. The downside was that I had to eat some kind of metallic smoothie to keep them functioning. Early on, they barely did anything, now though? Quite a difference. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I pushed onwards, Doug¡¯s eyes-and-ears out here. Not that I would engage Wolven if I could help it, that thing was above my pay grade. As much as I figured I could probably do some damage to a lot of things, given all of my practice and tests, I had absolutely no desire to interact with that thing. The back of my hand buzzed, notifying me of more information across the ReaperNet. The biggest bits of information pertained to the other scouts nearby. We formed a loose net, trying to make sure nothing could get buy us. It was going well for a few hours, but now we ran into an issue. It didn¡¯t take much deliberation before collectively we came to the conclusion that we¡¯d have to get rid of them. Them, being the horde of a few hundred biotic wolves. A few weeks ago it would have been laughable for so few people to try to actually fight against that many. But now? We had a number of fancy toys. We didn¡¯t lack for M.E. after the mines, although I actually hadn¡¯t participated in the event. Why? I was busy looking around for the other team and checking out our flanks as per Doug¡¯s request. Which, apparently, was a good thing because the delve team had to deal with advanced biotics on their home turf. I¡¯d seen the pictures of those beetle things, and I gotta say, not sad at all that I missed that particular mission. It did, however, enlighten me to some adjustments I had to make to my kit. Or build, if you went off of the lingo that was getting thrown around in the Legion now. Almost made it sound like a game, which was a risky notion to put in your subconscious. Still, I could see some resemblances. In a game you¡¯d kit yourself or adjust your skills, abilities, and the like with specific things in order to make yourself specialized (or generalized, really) to deal with particular threats, or focus on a few things instead. Mine would definitely be an assassin type, at this point. Which was exactly why I wasn¡¯t going to go after the wolf horde. I lacked aoe, or area of effect, out in the open and therefore would be better suited to using my enhanced searching capabilities. That was about an hour ago that we¡¯d made that division. The others were cautiously drawing them into easier kill zones, away from wide open areas and into a gulley. Regrettably, that would actually have made my particular skill set useful, but alas, hindsight is 20/20. Instead, I ranged a bit farther out to detect if Wolven would be raining on our parade, or see if there wasn¡¯t any sign of straggler wolves for this horde. The flying death bot was helping immensely now with culling the horde, since they¡¯d managed to get it into a ravine. It was surprisingly deep, the slanted walls unreasonable to traverse in any meaningfully short amount of time. The openings ran from east to west. Relatively short, all told, not even a kilometer in length before it elevated somewhat on the west end and spewed out into what I figured to be a flood zone. There was little water at the bottom of the ravine, which would only help. Wolves didn¡¯t really pay attention to their environments as much as they should. That would slow them down as they traversed the muck, and then Matthew¡¯s death machine, Shade, would swoop in and get anyone that was trapped there away from the horde. I sat on a tree branch, low enough to minimize interference with my line of sight. A metallic tail, thick at the base and attached to my suit at where my tail-bone would be, curled around the limb. Small spikes extended, allowing me to effortlessly stay in my position as I examined the area. It was a cloudier day than most, the sounds of gunfire in the distance muffled somewhat by the trees. Those sounds wouldn¡¯t carry much farther, but it still concerned me. If I could hear it here, who knew what else could? Reflexively, I checked the barb-thrower on my right and left arms. A stronger version was built into my tale, each and every one poisoned with a particularly nasty acidic variant that worked quite well on both organic and inorganic objects. Helpful, given the nature of a biotic, but it had limits. A small biotic like a wolf would just get the basic barbs from my arms. Anything bigger would get the harder hit, bigger dose. I hadn¡¯t run into anything that warranted that yet, but seeing pictures of the beetle-type biotics, I knew it was a matter of time. My gas grenades were¡­ a work in progress. Open air didn¡¯t do me much good with them, but enclosed spaces or ravines? I could work with that. Sound brought my attention up, distant and towards the north. It wasn¡¯t quiet, not at all, but it was fast judging by how much louder the noise was becoming by the second. It was the sound of trees being toppled over, snapped, and a resounding and constant cacophony of snarling and whimpering. ¡°Already?¡± I swallowed hard, ¡°That¡¯s really bad timing.¡± I quickly sent a Legion-wide message, it was a simple one. My attention was entirely on Wolven then. At first, I thought it was only occupying a smaller space, maybe five meters wide. But it quickly surged outward, poised in front of me before hundreds of eyes turned their way to me, focused intently. I felt a shiver run down my spine at that. And then dropped off the tree as parts of the wall of wolves seemed to contract. A moment later it sprang forward, projecting almost a to a dead spring as flailing limbs dragged it further forward, faster. It reminded me vaguely of an amoeba, reaching out with arms to trap and envelop a target. I dodged left hard, my senses augmented slightly and my organs just barely toughened up by the nanites in my body. What should have been a disorienting spin instead was a controlled pirouette, barbs of poison launching out at high speed into the limb that missed me. The length of wolves snarled and began to circle on me, but then staggered. Four barbs bit deep into the mass farther down, eating through crucial parts and being circulated rapidly by the certainly bizarre vein system. Already, ghastly green smoke pumped from the wounds as the chemical reaction tore into the thing, my glass barbs working magic. It was incredible what crazy chemicals could be made with some basic components. A second lance of wolves rushed at me then, and my dodge this time was far less graceful. I flopped to the side, slamming my mechanical tail into a tree to gain distance. I fired two more such bolts before running flat out. The main mass shifted forward towards me for a few seconds, snarling and quivering with renewed ferocity. I felt my teeth clench hard at that, the sound that came from the thing hitting me in the chest like a punch. Both tendrils where set upon at their bases, sheared through by the main mass. It obviously could tell that what I¡¯d hit it with was spreading. Luckily, it didn¡¯t seem to realize that it could go only so far. The arm ceased moving instantly, falling to the ground with an eerie suddenness. If it wanted to chase me, that¡¯d be fine. I could outrun it. Instead, I watched as all of its many eyes turned to the sound of gunfire. They cast one more glance at me, and I swear they smiled. Then they turned towards the sound and lurched forward, deceptively fast for something with so much rolling mass. Just as I worked to send the next message, The Reaper beat me to it. Even as he spoke, though, I watched the blob that was Wolven keep going. And going¡­ And going¡­ ¡°Holy shit, it¡¯s like a meat train.¡± I cringed, getting within range and, against my better judgement, began to unload dart after dart into it. It shuddered, screeching at the parts where I¡¯d done damage. I had just enough time to grin before each location I¡¯d hit contracted and launched at me, disconnecting from the mass. It didn¡¯t matter if they weren¡¯t alive, they were cannonballs of acidic mass with teeth and talons protruding. I jumped desperately as the meter diameter cannon balls shot at me, and almost cleared it. Except for a glancing shot that spun me and flung me off just as fast. I crashed into the ground hard hearing a crack and feeling immediately pain flare in my left arm. My consciousness flickered, ¡®If you drop here, you die.¡¯ I reminded myself, fighting to keep the murmur of conscious thought alive. I ran off, trusting my enhanced body to realize where it was going, which really only needed to be away from the monstrous meat train behind me. I¡¯m not usually one for being cynical, and I try not to complain before a job is done. But this job really blows right now. Chapter 38 Adapting Offensive -Matthew P.O.V.- I watched as my scouts narrowly avoided being sandwiched between Wolven and a wolf horde. My hands clenched the metal railing, tense as the last scout escaped, literally having sprinted and jumped off of a ledge into Shade, catching him expertly before Wolven could reach it. Richard was still a concern, making his way straight south away from Wolven. I quietly directed Shade to run by and pick him up, Wolven was a good deal faster than expected. Most of my scouts at this point would be able to outrun it with basic kits, but now we had a better idea. We needed to evac a few of those that had no real means of mobility. Stealth would be less useful here, we needed to harass Wolven, wear it down and prevent it from leaving at all. Ideally, we could kill it long before it would ever reach the walls. But, given the size of the thing, I highly doubted we could do any such thing. ¡°Alright, Team Leaders on me in ten minutes.¡± I sent the order through our communication network. ReaperNet was useful for information and communication throughout the organization, we¡¯d of course be coordinating with it. I sorted through personnel, selecting or excluding people based off of information I could glean from their general equipment. Not all information was available from them, there were pieces of equipment that could be listed as confidential, Richard Nordsen being one of them. It was uncommon, and the only ones whom I¡¯d seen so far that had restricted lists were people who might not have wanted to be harassed by people for more advanced technologies. It seemed that the fact that the obelisks were restricting purchases was getting out faster than I¡¯d expected. No matter, we¡¯d be able to keep some of our ability to adapt with our organization and lesser sharing features. I dread to think what other cities might be dealing with right now. Any city that didn¡¯t have a primary group right about now would be ripe for takeover, using benefits of advanced technology to draw in more talent, and potentially snowball from there. I shook my head, ¡®I have much more to worry about right now than some city that we may or may not even live to see.¡¯ ¡°Boss,¡± a man spoke up next to me, ¡°My team is stocked and ready.¡± I turned to the source of the voice. I was surprised that someone was gung-ho about going out to fight Wolven, but I was less surprised about who it was that was volunteering. ¡°Richard Borham,¡± the tough, grizzled man with an unlit cigar tickled my fancy for action heroes in that moment. I reeled in my amusement quickly, noting the steel glint in his eye and the way his stance spoke of clear determination. He, along with Tabitha, Ziek, and Yomar had killed their way to the Hive Queen in the mines. He wore what appeared to be a heavy power armor, my own a fairly lightweight power armor all things considered. It made him half a head taller than me, and I had to appreciate the aesthetic that he went with. ¡°Team Red Dawn, ready for action,¡± he grinned, seeing my eyes rest on the rising sun image. It was framed in black, with a swirling mix of red and orange beaming from a sun creeping over the horizon. I smiled, ¡°Good, then head northward. I have locations marked on your map for the forward teams to attack. Keep flexible though. And I assume your team are all mobile?¡± He nodded, gesturing over his shoulder. There were five others, one of whom was Yomar who was currently wearing a lightweight version of a power armor. They were fairly vanilla in terms of equipment, for now, but that¡¯d change after all of this was over and we got our R&D department really up and running. The team was tense, but in the kind of readied spring sort of way. None of them were strangers to deadly situations, and I felt like Yomar might even be a little bit too excited about the prospect of going back out into the fray. Even so, I couldn¡¯t say that was a bad thing these days. ¡°Make sure to check in and update as the situation develops. Coordinate with the other teams, we¡¯ll use you as the marker to determine how aggressive we can be.¡± I nodded to them. They returned the gesture as Richard Borham led the group out. A few other teams were on standby already, some I knew by name, others by reputation. Louis¡¯ newly named team, Wayward Wanderer¡¯s, seemed apt considering their most recent disappearance. A high ranking team leader, Jeremy Strauss and his team Last Call, were gathered as well, a team that I had high hopes for given the fact that they¡¯d managed to rack up an impressive contribution score without so much as a complaint nor report of injury. Another one, who had recently come into their own in the Legion by no small amount of heavy weaponry, was Patrick Bentley and his team Iron Chariot. They were eight members strong and beyond that were all mech enthusiasts. Every one of them were bedecked in a mech suit - when not in our HQ anyways - and hefted a considerable amount of hardware to reflect that fact. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. There were several other teams, and I acknowledged them all by name as they approached. I broke down the battle plan, though the general information and concept of using hit and run and delaying tactics was well known. I updated them on the known speed of Wolven, primarily, but also made certain that they understood that no one needed to be a hero just yet. We were dealing damage and staggering fights for as long as possible, in no way did I want a direct engagement. We¡¯d wait until we hit the wall for that, when we could bring the full might of the Legion and Bulwark down on it. As the team leaders moved off, collecting their members, I turned my attention back to the map. Overall, things were going per expectations. None of us really guessed that Wolven would be easy to deal with, but every bit of information we could glean from it at this point would save us trouble in the long run. And given that a thirty meter long wall was the only thing that currently stood on the northern side of the city, I¡¯d say that we¡¯d need to keep it occupied for quite some time. An hour later, though, it seemed that our hopes were well founded. I could see that Team Red Dawn had made contact, and their opening salvo was nothing short of vicious. They¡¯d waited at the top of a hill until Wolven crested the other side, bulky reaper modified assault rifles, light machine guns, and¡­ whatever hideous gun Richard himself had. It had a massive triangular barrel and looked like it was belt fed to large pack on his back. It looked even more heavily modified than anything I expected to see out of Reaper gear, and it didn¡¯t take long to realize why. He¡¯d personally bastardized whatever this used to be. It had some vague reminiscence to a gatling-gun, but the barrel was just too different to be anything of the sort. Yomar stood off to the side, ready to pitch hardened iron blades through the air, apparently lacking much of a ranged option. His biting axes, however, had seen considerable upgrades, edges glowing with heat even in their steel cradles. I didn¡¯t have to wait long to guess at their effectiveness. The team opened fire the moment Wolven¡¯s mass crested the hill, completely ignoring any tree cover. It became apparent why they didn¡¯t care about trees mere moments later. Most of the cover seemed to evaporate in a shower of splinters, Richard¡¯s cannon firing what had to have been flechette rounds, tearing through wood and flesh alike at ridiculous tempo. It was a grotesque abomination of a shotgun, and was complemented by high speed tumbling rounds from assault rifles on either side. Yomar¡¯s weapon of choice was somewhat more effective than I¡¯d considered, the man simply turning and throwing slightly bent pieces of metal, vaguely resembling boomerangs. He had a small pile of them in a temporary metal storage bin that he¡¯d had on his back. Being that the hill adjacent was 100 meters away, I was impressed with their ability to deal so much damage to Wolven. From the remote viewing being allowed through Red Dawn, I could recount the exact moment when Wolven¡¯s surprise at the attack seemed to distort into howling outrage. Which, as it turned out, was nearly instantly. The many parts that made up the shell of the abomination within surged forward a few meters, the outer edge suddenly ceasing there. The sheer amount of deadly shrapnel quickly reduced that forward edge to quivering mulch, sloughing off without Wolven able to stop it. I felt a particularly unkind grin spread across my face at the sight, knowing that the amount of damage they were dealing was comparable to what my team had done to it in that box canyon. Then, I watched as Wolven began to rise like a wave, one that snarled and glistened with freshly spilled blood. It surged forward, picking up speed as the increased mass simply piled higher and higher, picking up speed. ¡°Alright, remember, as planned.¡± Richard spoke calmly, continuing to shell Wolven without pausing, the barrel of his gun glowing cherry red. At that point, I watched as Yomar¡¯s grin expanded. Almost feverishly he threw more and more of the metal weapons, one-handing them now that he was more familiar with their weight. He wasn¡¯t aiming at anything in particular, it¡¯d be hard to miss Wolven, especially now that it was ten meters tall, rising all the while. Then, at Richard¡¯s signal, they all fell back. They left plenty of room for them to maneuver, much to Wolven¡¯s obvious anger. It had lost dozens of wolf puppets in that exchange, and not having received anything in return seemed to infuriate it. Which made the next moment all the more sweet. It hit the hill they¡¯d been at a few seconds later, Richards team already moved to a further hill to repeat the same maneuver. Wolven¡¯s bulked mass moved forward. Onto the mines that Red Dawn had left behind. The explosions rocked with piled mass of the living catastrophe, and moments later, Yomar licked a button of his own, each boomerang of iron packed with a simple explosive in a highly pressurized container. Said pieces now spread throughout the mass that was Wolven and the ground beneath it. Muffled explosions and acrid smoke belched into the air as the beast reeled back. Even among the whimpering, I saw that many of the wolves in the formation seemed to be glaring at us. Contemptuously it regarded them, it¡¯s wild anger suddenly cooling to something more controlled. ¡°Alright, get ready for round tw-¡± Richard began before yelling out, ¡°Incoming!¡± A large mass surged through the air, hurtling towards them like a meteor. The team quickly disengaged from the hill, bailing out backwards as the row of mines they¡¯d set on this hill began to explode. I held my breath, reflexively checking vitals through ReaperNet. No one was dead, but their vitals were sharply elevated. ¡°Everyone up! Fall back now!¡± Richard shouted out, already up and moving, dragging one of his comrades whom was armored much more lightly, a red blossoming from their side. It seemed to be a fairly shallow hit, but I couldn¡¯t tell much more. New Dawn fell back rapidly, one of the other members throwing down a handful of explosives behind them. That was information for future assaults, if nothing else. ¡®I¡¯m glad nobody died there, though. That was just dumb luck.¡¯ ¡°New Dawn is to fall back to a rally point. We have new information on Wolven¡¯s abilities, be sure to go over it carefully before you engage. It¡¯s learning from us, so let¡¯s give it something new to chew on.¡± In spite of what could be called a mixed result on the first skirmish, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. We had, after all, plenty of teams eager to join in on the attack. Chapter 39 Retaliation I would like to say that the next several hours had passed straightforwardly. That we¡¯d fallen into a rhythm dealing with Wolven, shifting teams in and out, harassing the creature all the while in a perfectly predictable pattern. Realistically, it was anything but a clean operation. Wolven learned just as fast as we did and - to my own personal dismay - it had figured out how to utilize the bodies that we¡¯d debilitated. A hardened wall of flesh and silvery material forced large tangles of shredded wolves together, a barrier against some of our weapons. Small arms fire was all but useless on the shield, though larger ordnance still pierced it. Hence why we now had to utilize much more complicated tactics, three to four teams attacking at once. We¡¯d hit it extremely hard with that first attempt, all four of our teams armed with incendiaries and an emulation of a toxic substance that Richard Nordsen pioneered. The Adder class apparently had access to some pretty virulent stuff, because even the basic version provided to our army overall was extremely potent. Albeit, virtually useless against the shield walls. Fire was moderately effective, resulting in the shield mass being lit on fire every few minutes by a fuel-air-burst canister fired by our mech team, Iron Chariot. Their team was dealing the most damage by virtue of heavy firepower, shredding through the wall with impunity. The downside was that they weren¡¯t nearly as mobile as Daniel, so the only place we could put them was towards the city. They were our ¡®incentive¡¯ force, pummeling Wolven if it ever made a full forward movement. Several times it¡¯d run into a mine field, and now, by design, made broad curving paths. Even so, it still ran afoul a mine or two, forcing it to sacrifice mass to move forward. The problem after the first few attacks was that Wolven now had several said shields. Given that, we pulled back our lighter teams and had them help with setting up our flanks away from the walls. It was a rush job, and we¡¯d rapidly cleared forest around the north-east and north-west of Gilramore, riddling it with mines, clearly dug up mounds of dirt packed in around them. We weren¡¯t aiming for stealth on these particular mines, the entire point was to be easily visible. We needed Wolven to see the price of ignoring the wall. And, considering Bulwark was working at a breakneck pace for both mining the ground and putting up the wall, I¡¯d say we were looking at a few hundred meters of purely mined terrain. If Wolven wanted to move through that, it¡¯d have to move slow, though we intended to have these mines set to detonate on a network if at all possible. That way we could detonate them at will, instead of based on contact. Which, considering the wall was adorned with long range siege weaponry, we¡¯d be just as happy with that. I and my team were no strangers to this effort, I endeavored to run through as many possible scenarios as possible in the time we were given. We couldn¡¯t allow Wolven free, and we had plans for that eventuality. Terry was still out with a small team for that project, a huge mining vehicle rumbling around his plotted route. Daniel, Fran, and Alice were busy with assaulting Wolven whenever possible, often attaching themselves to teams, rotating out with them and coordinating to the next team. ¡°Is this going to work?¡± I gestured to the cannon being put together on the wall, a crane setting its large pieces in place with the assistance of exo-suited workers. ¡°I sure as shit hope so,¡± One of the men groaned, ¡°This thing is older than I am.¡± I frowned at that information, ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯ll put a remote firing module on this one too then¡­¡± I mumbled, tagging it on a construction overlay. I¡¯d rather it didn¡¯t explode in someone¡¯s face. A valid concern, considering that some of our artillery armaments were from a nearby museum. Bulwark had been refitting as much as they could get their hands on these past few days, pushing the M.E. usage to a fine science in terms of recycling. I was impressed, though I¡¯d yet to see any of their recycled cannons in action. Though, I did see the tanks. We had ten tanks, the exact names of which escaped my notice, around thirty armored personnel carriers, and about eighty refitted hummers. Five tanks were set just outside of the walls, clear firing lines for when Wolven inevitably made its appearance. Half of the APC¡¯s and hummers set behind them, all facing towards the wall to quickly dive in after the initial contact with Wolven. We¡¯d abandon some of the vehicles if we couldn¡¯t manage to get them back through the gates, but every shell we could get out of them would help. The wall was coming up fast, but I couldn¡¯t help but be nervous watching it. We needed it to be at least a hundred meters wider in both directions in order to put some distance between where the mines would start, and then we needed to force Wolven straight down the middle. We didn¡¯t have a lot of time left, though. Every time we engaged with Wolven, it became just a bit wiser of our strategy. There was no doubt that it was figuring out that it was being dissuaded from moving in this direction, but it didn¡¯t want to dedicate the mass that it would lose in a straight charge. At least not yet, but it wouldn¡¯t take much longer for it to charge forward with impunity. Any other creatures would have long left, but Wolven wouldn¡¯t stand for this. All the same, if it ran now, we could follow it and chip away at it. I¡¯m sure it realized that much at least, its prey this time was faster than it was over the long haul. If it tried to run the same way as it had before, burrowing under the ground, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d have been able to shred through the majority of the woven horde before it could escape. This would be a defining battle. If Wolven could defeat us, there would be little chance that anyone else would be able to deal with it. The biotic would spread across the land in a never-ending hunt to incorporate other biotics and overwhelm a cities defense with sheer mass and endless numbers. I dread to think what would happen if it got its claws into a human. Would they be torn to shreds? Or incorporated? I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to find out. My attention shot back to our offensive, noting that Wolven was moving slower than before. A tremor of excitement ran through me at the prospect that it may be tiring. Soon, though, I felt doubt creep into my mind. The red blot that was our own personal calamity was still massive, having lost about ten percent of its overall body so far. It shouldn¡¯t be this sluggish. Some of the teams warily put distance between them, the ones headed by my team at the moment. One such team, however, didn¡¯t respond. ¡®Which team is that?¡¯ I frowned, sifting through the ReaperNet quickly, finding one that I wasn¡¯t intimately familiar with. ¡®Red Racers?¡¯ ¡°Team Red Racers, back off a bit, something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± Wariness crept into my voice as I watched took on a first-person point of view for the team. The team leader seemed to stiffen as I spoke, grumbling something under his breath as he ceased firing. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything here.¡± He studied Wolven, the hardened shielding almost forming an exoskeleton at this point. A few seconds later, he gestured to his people, falling back anyways. The response was too late, though, as a sudden burst of motion surged from a small part of the biotics shield. The black and silver blur crossed the distance like a projectile, only a few feet wide, smashing into the leader. Screaming burst forth a moment later as claws and teeth snapped into his flesh, biting deep into his legs and raking into his torso. Then a dozen other portions exploded outwards, entrails still connecting them to the main mass. Each expulsion came with a loud snap, the wolf behind the plate hardly recognizable now, just a mess of grasping claws and barely functional jaws. Horrified, I watched as the team leaders¡¯ point of view saw Wolven¡¯s form rushing to meet him, the world rushing past him. An instant later, I realized that he was being reeled in like a fish on the hook. An instant later, he vanished in darkness, raking talons and teeth pressing him on all sides. ¡°Clear!¡± The team leader of Iron Chariots shouted out, suddenly filling the air with cannonfire. A moment later, my view was exposed to light, fire, and then silence. In a horrified instant, I switched to someone else, watching as Iron Chariot deployed missiles, cannon fire, a monstrous gatling gun, and more at the position the man was reeled in at, cleaving through the rest of the tendrils at the soft location now exposed. Two others of the team Red Racers stopped being reeled in, the others having dodged. Quickly their companions tore them from the lingering grip of the launched probes that belonged to Wolven, though it was clear they needed immediate medical aid. A moment later the sheer volume of the scene increased, where as it was a battering rain before I could only describe this as a wave of noise. Daniels mech was stopped in place just beside the Red Racers team, broad platforms punched into the ground and weaponry brimming from his form. For the first time I¡¯d witnessed since it had found the mines, Wolven recoiled, a collective snarl building as a pair of mini-guns, shotguns, cannons, and small rockets pelted the weakened flank, burning deep into the mass. A second later the mass shifted desperately, turning to face any other armored part of it towards Daniel. He punished it for a few more seconds, waiting only long enough for the team to extract before falling back. A much broader side of Wolven quivered for a moment dislocating as though to surge forward before ceasing an instant later as Daniel retreated from range. Almost a minute passed as they disengaged, the teams temporarily disengaging, taking the opportunity to swap with the next shift, the information about what just happened fresh on the ReaperNet. I looked to my few Legionaries around me, noting the tense looks, hardened eyes, some fearful faces. We knew that this could happen, of course, and it would probably happen again and again. First blood had been drawn. ¡°Did we save him?¡± The team leader of Iron Chariot asked aloud, falling back now with Daniel. ¡°What?¡± Pure confusion came across from Daniel, ¡°You saw what happened. He¡¯s gone.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. His teammates, two heavily injured, glared at the Iron Chariots members. I could tell some of the others I was watching seemed to be just as incensed. There were a few, however, who looked only solemn. I breathed, knowing what the man had meant. The last few scenes played in my mind, etched into it, likely something I would be seeing in my nightmares. I doubted I would be the only one. ¡°You and your team saved him from Wolven,¡± I answered, my voice neutral. The statement elicited shock from Daniel, warping a moment later to what was almost anger. ¡°What-¡° he stopped, realization dawned on him an instant later. ¡°Shit¡­¡± There was silence for several seconds then, leaving the varying groups on their own. Steadily, one of the team members of Red Racers spoke up, ¡°Thank you.¡± There was a sadness in his voice, but also a deep gratitude, and I couldn¡¯t help but clench my teeth at that. Most of the teams were composed of like minded individuals, friends, even family. I dreaded to think what category that man fell into with most of his members. As they spoke, I disengaged from the conversation, pulling up my Reaper menu. I had a decent amount of M.E. stockpiled, and I figured now would be a good time to upgrade. I selected the Reaper upgrades I wanted, watching my available matter energy dwindle. ¡°An oldie but a goodie.¡± I commented idly, ¡°Well, at least this time you can¡¯t melt me.¡± -Daniel¡¯s P.O.V.- I clenched my fist, watching through the suit as my own fist did the same thing. It was a reflex, controlling the suit was no harder than controlling my own body at this point. That made my shifting and constant fidgeting very, very obnoxious to my girlfriend. ¡°Daniel, you¡¯re tapping. Again.¡± Fran looked up briefly from an invisible screen. She was wearing her armor at the moment, sitting between my mechs legs and using my torso as a chair. Her wings were currently braced against me, broad, silver things that I could only compare to what an angel¡¯s wings must look like. If, of course, that angel was a steel arbiter of death that could turn something into swiss cheese in moments. ¡°Yeah, my bad,¡± I answered with a long breath, ¡°Hard to break that habit.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s only a problem because it sounds like a jackhammer is going off next to my head.¡± Fran chuckled, forcing me to note the fact that my hand was in fact directly next to her head, placed on my thigh. I cringed at that, shifting my hands to the ground, ¡°Better,¡± she smiled, ¡°Thanks, dearest.¡± At that, we settled back in. Idly, I skimmed through my shop options, seeing nothing of note that I could really purchase to push my offensive power up anymore. I was at a bottleneck now. I could mount only so many guns to my mech, reasonably anyways. A part of me had even considering seeing if I could perhaps add more arms to my rig, but the problem was that I couldn¡¯t wildly customize this thing. Matthew was right, we really needed a Research and Development division for the Legion. Maybe after all of this was over. I shook my head, thinking about Wolven again and the fact that someone had already died. Realistically speaking, I think that we were lucky so far. I could only imagine what would have happened if it charged straight into the city. Some of the Legion were saying that it¡¯d probably get fed up of chasing the teams and go straight for the goal. I hoped they were wrong; this thing was ridiculously hard to kill. Last time, we¡¯d been able to pummel it with incendiaries and shred it to pieces. It was huge now, though, and it was damn smart. I doubted we could hold its attention for much longer. It was trying to conserve mass, probably, for the big push. All the while it was getting more efficient in using its own damaged parts. That was terrifying, and I couldn¡¯t help myself but think about what would happen if something like this got a hold of larger and more complex biotics. If it had a horde of the salt beetles, how much firepower would we actually have to dump into the damn thing? Already it was pushing regular wolves up the threat ladder. It took a biotic with the ability to bite through anything, given enough time, with a weak body that could be slain and pushed the letter. It made the weapons sharper, stronger, and nullified the physical weakness by stitching them together, reinforcing them as needed. It was a damn scary thing. I can¡¯t help but wonder what would have become of the other Unique¡¯s if we¡¯d let them go. Karaslava, the bear from so long ago, would it have just gotten bigger and meaner? Would it have converted the horde of wolves to something worse? Or Spiker, had Matthew not put his life on the line to stop it, would it have created a horde of stick-limbed spearing abominations? I bit into a piece of jerky as I tried to tear my thoughts away from biotics for a moment. I tried to think about food stalls and smiling people, the brisk wind of fall against my face, the changing leaves creating a cascade of colors in the forest. It was easy to remember that, surprisingly, and I remembered the little things I used to have. I remembered having the internet for entertainment, spending several hours doing not much at all, wasting time browsing some social network or staring at ¡®flix and wondering what to watch when I knew I should have been studying at the time. And I remembered the annoyances of things that didn¡¯t really matter. The kinds of things that weren¡¯t really issues, but that would bug me anyways. Getting takeout ordered and getting home only to realize they didn¡¯t have a sauce on the side that I¡¯d asked for. Stupid things that I realized now were laughable, and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± Fran tilted her head back, her face obscured, though I could just about feel the little smile on her face. ¡°Ah, just thinking about first-world-problems back when that existed,¡± I chuckled. Fran nodded, ¡°Give it a few months, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a few of those come back.¡± ¡°Like, ¡®you were supposed to have my food delivered ten minutes ago,¡¯ and stuff.¡± I copied a bad nasal tone that failed utterly. Fran laughed, ¡°That one can stay behind. Though I¡¯m pretty sure we can even have drones do that for us now.¡± ¡°Holy crap, you¡¯re right,¡± I brought a mechanical hand up to my chin by reflex, ¡°That¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°After all of this is over, maybe we won¡¯t even need to worry about basic resources.¡± Fran tilted her head thoughtfully, ¡°Do you think we could set up biotic farms and just use them for Matter Energy?¡± I paused, ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, maybe? I mean, that seems dangerous as hell, but if we could figure out how all that works then that¡¯d be pretty useful.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be an end to warring over basic resources,¡± She murmured, ¡°Something to look into anyways.¡± ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s a pretty good idea.¡± I nodded, ¡°We can mention it to Matthew.¡± We sat there in companionable silence for a few minutes after that, enjoying the others company. These moments were too few and far between for my liking these days. Suddenly I stirred, ¡°Damn, I just realized something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Fran answered. ¡°When Wolven¡¯s taken care of, there¡¯s not too much left out here, is there?¡± I felt excitement well up within me. Fran pondered that, ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s the last big one that we know of, we¡¯ve pretty much cleared everything else out. Wolven definitely focused the rest of the wolf biotics in one place.¡± ¡°So, in other words, we can take a vacation after this?¡± My excitement hit critical mass. She didn¡¯t move for a few seconds, processing that information before stating, ¡°¡­Holy shit.¡± We laughed together, a heavier silence settling in afterwards. ¡°We can do this, right?¡± I nodded, gently caressing her side with one of my mammoth fingers, ¡°Yeah, we can do this. You can do this.¡± She hugged my hand close to her, a comical sight if it were in any other context given the fact that my mechs hand was as large as her torso. ¡°I love you.¡± She whispered to me. ¡°I love you, too.¡± I smiled, feeling warmth in my heart. In that moment I knew that I would crush Wolven, and we¡¯d have our vacation. And who knows what else? I idly thumbed the rings in my pocket, the pair of golden bands. Maybe now would be a good time?... ¡­Nah, not just yet. I had a good idea of when I wanted to do this. I grinned, only idly noting the timer notifying us that it was nearly back to our turn to harass Wolven. -Matthew¡¯s P.O.V.- It was midnight by the time the wall was finished to any kind of reasonable level. We¡¯d ended up cutting back the allotted area somewhat, filling the rest with improvised explosive devices that could be triggered by remote or if they were jostled too much. None of us were particularly thrilled when Wolven had started throwing objects at the teams, luckily it simply wasn¡¯t able to do it well, lobbing trees and rocks at moving teams just hadn¡¯t worked out for it. If nothing else, that was refreshing, the fact that not everything Wolven was doing was turning out for the better for it. Most of our forces were as ready as they could reasonably be, and none too soon. Contrary to my fears, Wolven never abandoned chasing the teams, giving us more time than we¡¯d expected to arm ourselves even further. The downside was that we were dealing less damage than anticipated before it ever got to the wall. We¡¯d chipped away at about a quarter of the full mass that was Wolven, but unfortunately there wasn¡¯t much more that we could do in so little time. We needed harder ordnance than what most of the teams had on hand to get through the rest of it. What little that did get through was fire and poisons, and even those began to have less of an effect as the external shell that Wolven bore was expanded upon. In light of that, we now had a great deal of anti-armor weapons ready to be deployed, ranging from single-use rockets to actual armor piercing shells in the few tanks we had. The tanks held in reserve were for the worst-case scenario. If Wolven made it over the wall, there was a veritable no-man¡¯s land for another fifty meters past the wall. It wasn¡¯t much, but on such short notice, it was all we had. Much of the materials from that, specifically houses, were being shredded and packed for use in incendiary bombs, albeit with great care. We couldn¡¯t discount any advantage we could get our hands on. All of the players were assembled, and Bulwark shared the wall with my Legion forces. Bulwark outnumbered us, but many of them took solace in the presence of my group. While we¡¯d only been fighting against biotics actively for a short while, many of them were from groups that had already attacked Wolven and were ready for the eventual confrontation. They were the closest things to experts that most of the fellow soldiers and guards on post had on hand. There wasn¡¯t much that they could tell their fellows, the general mannerisms of the creatures weren¡¯t straightforward. Wolven shifted between a raw and aggressive, conservative and plotting, to cunning and sneaky and not necessarily one by one. Different parts of the body had begun to act in concert, rather than a single amorphous wave of bodies. It didn¡¯t bode well to our overall chances, but even so, I didn¡¯t expect anything less of the damned thing. It wouldn¡¯t have much longer to learn, though. In less than an hour we¡¯d be making first contact. I stood on the wall, ten meters off of the ground. At some point, we might even make the wall larger, but this would suit us well enough. It was thick, constructed with a hybridization form of old-earth techniques and obelisk provided technology. We¡¯d found some locations to locally source components like lime, the expensive geological survey machine paying itself off in spades. Many other base metals were found, and trace elements that we¡¯d need going forward. Standing atop the wall, just above the gate and flanked by dozens of personnel, I couldn¡¯t help but grin. We were ready. ¡°Alright, Legion, let¡¯s show Wolven why we¡¯re Reapers.¡± My words bounded across the ReaperNet, the Legion¡¯s responses eager with hunger. Chapter 40 Siege -Matthew¡¯s P.O.V.- ¡°We¡¯re comin¡¯ in hot!¡± Strauss, the team leader of Last Call shouted over the general comms. ¡°This thing is really pissed off!¡± The first contact line of Bulwark stiffened, a series of rattled commands by trained military personnel readying to unleash a barrage of firepower from everything ranging from tanks, A.P.C.¡¯s, hummers, and their own weapons. Bulwark had set up a staggered line, several shallow ditches dug out at twenty meter lines, just wide enough for a person to slip through, but not enough for a vehicle to get stuck. Metal reinforced many of these ditches, and none too few had shaped charges improvised and stuck into them for the eventual retreat. If there was anything of note, it was the fact that Last Call had elicited a response that was by far the most aggressive thus far. Wolven pursued them doggedly whenever shifting teams was required. None of us knew why, knowing plainly that he and his team weren¡¯t dealing the most damage. That honor went to Daniel and his temporary attachment to the Iron Chariots. Previously, that was inconvenient to an extreme, though we¡¯d taken advantage of that fact and hammered Wolven¡¯s flanks until it relented each time. Even better was the fact that Last Call were all very mobile, lacking a mech pilot, allowing them to fairly easily put distance between them. The many mouths howled and snarled at them, their speed increasing gradually, Wolven learning bit by bit how to control its own body better as time went by. Last Call hit the three-hundred meter marked location in the killing field in front of the wall, diving into the ditch. ¡°Clear!¡± Jeremy Strauss, ¡°Tear the damn thing down!¡± The man¡¯s heavy western accent hammered the comms. The tanks answered a half a second later, cannon fire roaring and a percussive wave of force hitting my armor in the chest. My upgraded armor soaked up the force such that I could disregard it, but the effect of five tanks firing at once was a powerful thing. Dust blasted off of the ground around it, the sheer destructive fury known instantly as far across the field explosive impacts belted out. Wolven had only just cleared the forest when fire erupted around it, angry howls replaced by painful shrieking. Wailing resounded as the second volley, joined by rockets, minigun fire, and snipers joined in. Our previous skirmishes had chipped away at soft flesh, but lost its luster after Wolven had created its shielding technique. This strike blew the shield apart at the front, having been accustomed to spreading its improvised carapace wide. The concentrated firepower shredded through a hundred bodies in an instant, a quivering mass split wide at the center as it instinctively tried to come back together. Reflexively, several meters worth of shielding came together to guard at the front, a good response against our tank fire. But a mistake nonetheless as rocket fire, artillery, and mortars tore into its unshielded top. It was at that moment the mass quaked, quivering with agony. Half of the shield drooped low, the mass behind it sagging like a puppet with its strings cut. My eyes opened wide, my newly upgraded armor and helmet isolating my vision, focusing in on the portion of Wolven that had been hammered by that strike. I could feel my enhanced senses parsing away anything unnecessary, and at once it seemed that the grotesque mass was all I could see. A particularly dense tangle of wolves writhed, one of the mortars having hit very close. Gouts of silvery blood poured everywhere, rich with chunks of fleshy mass. And yet, in this one location, it was flowing, pumping like a hemorrhaging wound. I marked the location through the ReaperNet, immediately seizing control of the firing mechanisms for the artillery. ¡°Fire on that location,¡± I forced myself to remain calm, my hands shaking in anticipation. Wordlessly, the automatic fire of the upgraded artillery weapons opened fire in a punishing volley. Fire bloomed outward, shrapnel burying deep in the mess of flesh. Even as the explosions where flaring brightly, I watched, filtering out the blinding light and gritting my teeth as the tangle surged in on itself, adding on more flesh even as the pounding nearly tore through it. All at once, the mass came alive, pushing up and forward, an arcing barrier covering it from the front entirely. It nearly toppled backwards when the remaining shells slammed into it, great chunks nearly breaking free, oozing thick viscous silver that hardened in less than ten seconds. There was no recognizable tangle of limbs in the shield now, it¡¯d been reforged in punishment again and again now, silver and black streaked in what began to look like a solid wall, segments that roughly fit together against large, pulsing tendrils that forced them all together. Larger and larger forms were woven together. ¡°Center cease fire,¡± I heard Charlie Song command over the Bulwark command, ¡°Last Call, move now!¡± ¡°Legion, cover the retreat.¡± I added to the command, looking over the Commander Song, who stood next to me. He wore a sharply designed power armor, parts machined to give it a much more fierce appearance, one that I had to admit looked good on the veteran. ¡°Did we hit something vital?¡± He asked me, referring to my directing artillery fire. I nodded, ¡°Judging by the response, I think we hit the main body. Unfortunately it doesn¡¯t look like we did enough.¡± ¡°We spooked it, though.¡± He pointed out the fact that the shield wall hadn¡¯t advanced quickly at all. I nodded, turning my attention to Last Call as they clambered into one of the carriers, which had peeled out the moment the last man had stepped foot into the bay. Song noticed as well, quickly giving the order to resume firing. The wall that Wolven had formed grew thicker in short order, and a quick check of the depth of Wolven quickly revealed why. We¡¯d torn through a huge chunk of the main mass in that one engagement. It was down to around sixty-five percent of the total mass it had started with, a good start. But, our damage had slowed down considerably. The armor it had created was hard and extremely dense, concentrated shots between multiple sources still got through, as well as the lucky hit through an unreinforced section, but that was quickly becoming harder to accomplish. It built the wall higher and higher as time passed, heavier near the top, it was likely guarding against the artillery fire. But at the same time I was wary of any other tricks Wolven would have in mind. By the time it hit the two hundred meter marker the shield was nearly forty meters tall. ¡°It¡¯s going to scale the wall,¡± Charlie Song looked flabbergasted, ¡°It''s just one huge siege tower.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Blinking at that, I turned and examined the wall in more detail. It definitely could do that, but it was far too tall even for that. Surely Wolven knew it didn¡¯t need something so tall? The closer it got, the less reasonable such height seemed to be for it. I stood at the edge of the wall, glaring at the whole picture, wondering at what Wolven was hoping to accomplish. From an aerial view, it had less than fifty percent mass left. ¡®Wait, what the hell? We¡¯re not doing that much damage¡­¡¯ My brows furrowed for a few seconds before a cold knot formed in my gut. The many parts of the shield had seemingly been welded together, tall sections with wide trenches in between each segment to allow some measure of flexibility. They were forty meters tall, ten meters wide, and there were ten of them, each side by side. I could hear some of the chatter from my Legion, dumbfounded at how dense the shield had become. A fearful revelation came into my brain then, something that I hoped I was wrong about. ¡°Song, pull the armored divisions back through the gate!¡± I spun, an edge of panic to my voice, ¡°I¡¯m going to blow up the field that Wolven¡¯s sitting on in the meantime.¡± ¡°What?¡± He frowned, and then looked to Wolven, a quick estimation going through his mind as to the value of the maneuver. It only took half a second for him to decide. ¡°Armor division, pull back immediately! Full retreat!¡± He shouted the order, turning his attention back to the field fully. At the moment, he didn¡¯t ask any questions, but in spite of any misgivings about the strategy he trusted me enough to pull the line back when we could potentially be doing more damage. The effect was immediate, a massive amount of our firepower vanished, Wolven pausing for a moment as though in confusion. The armored divisions retreated through three separate gatehouses. It would take them time, and Wolven was close enough to them that it was risky leaving them utterly undefended. A snarl resounded from the mass behind the wall, one that sounded decidedly frustrated. I grinned, ¡®Didn¡¯t like that, did you?¡¯ I thought venomously, ¡®Here, an old trick for you.¡¯ An instant later I connected my mind to the many explosives layered in the trenches. Wolven was resting on three such rows dug into the dirt and refilled with fiery death, starting at around one hundred and sixty meters. Four trenches suddenly erupted upwards, shaped charges tearing through the soft underbelly Wolven exposed. The shield wall fell backwards atop the mass, hopefully crushing a massive amount of them. Several seconds passed and Wolven didn¡¯t escape the shelter of the shields, baking in the heat bottled up beneath its own body and the wall itself from the incendiary mines. Either it didn¡¯t want to risk the punishment that it¡¯d receive, or it couldn¡¯t let go of the shield. Or¡­ ¡°Tesla, I hope you¡¯re ready to put that countermeasure to the test.¡± I linked directly to the man, situated behind the wall due to the fact that he was the only one that was familiar with our nasty surprise and how to operate it. He spluttered, ¡°Wait, already? The hell?¡± ¡°Just in case.¡± I answered him, watching Wolven¡¯s shields quiver, steam and smoke released between the cracks. As much as I hoped it was utterly incompetent in some ways, I doubted it would keep those shields on top of it if there was that much damage being done. ¡°Uh, yeah, well, here goes nothing then?¡± Tesla breathed deeply. A moment later, I felt electricity alight in the air, several wires and poles embedded deep into the ground crossing the entire kill zone and beyond surge with thousands of volts. Wolven screamed, worse than the simple wailing, I could hear a singular voice amidst the din as visible arcs of blue streaked between the plates of metal. A handful of explosives ahead and behind Wolven detonated as well, but far from all of them. Most of them were kept far enough away and sheltered enough that the electricity wouldn¡¯t travel through them. The shield surged upwards, splitting up somewhat as Wolven desperately sought to get out of the tunnel it had been digging. Bulwark and Legion alike wasted no opportunity, punching through the gaps into the softer tissues beneath. It lasted only a few seconds, but this close we could unleash surprising amounts of damage. Among the only individuals who couldn¡¯t do much at this stage were the Bonemen, the biotic having volunteered the use of its kin for the battle. Yaga, the strange psuedo-biotic himself, was several hundreds of feet back with a small reserve of his tribe, the others taking place sparsely on the wall, helping ferry ammo and directing personnel away from the wall, the many armored vehicles now taking up positions behind the wall. Yaga had stated that they would ensure that if there was a breach that they would assist in taking care of it. However, I wasn¡¯t sure what they intended to do, given the fact that they refused any weapons we offered them. I turned my attention back to Wolven, seeing it now rising, appearing quite similarly to a turtle at the moment. Then, out of the sides, Wolven sent several tendrils racing, much to my dismay. It probed the ground further out, hitting clusters of mines outside of our designated path, the explosions shredding the limbs. It recoiled after testing a few other areas, some of the tendrils torn apart by weapons fire. Maybe it realized that there was no retreat now. It wouldn¡¯t be able to tear through the ground quickly enough without taking massive damage from the electrical trap working beneath the ground. Left or right were mined heavily, and based on the few explosives that had gone off when the electricity started up, the path forward and behind were likewise lethally mined. I swallowed hard, feeling wary over what it would do now. This was the exact situation we¡¯d set up for it, but at the same time it was the exact worst thing that we could do. We boxed it in again, just like in the canyon, and for any ordinary animal that was trapped, they would go down fighting. Wolven chose to do the same. A deep, guttural growling like some primordial abomination rolled through the ground and up into my bones. For a moment, the firing seemed to taper off, the realization that the fight would turn one way or the other in the next few moments shared amongst us all. We would either put down this rabid abomination, or it would devour us. There was no other option for any of us. The shield wall surged upwards when the growl erupted into a singular roar, every fiber of Wolven in concert as the ground gouged deeply with the bottom of the shield. It clacked together in an awful display of power before surging forward with momentum and added power. The remaining mines in front of it for forty meters would be useless, smashed into oblivion by the weight of the wall. Worse, though, was the sudden mass of Wolven¡¯s body reeling through the air, nearly half of its total form corded by thick silvery beams, flexible and stretching on and on as ten blots of biotic abomination sailed through the sky. Over and on top of the wall. ¡°Legion, attack!¡± I managed to shout just as one of the masses slammed down on the wall next to me. In that instant, it was like a bomb went off as the Bonemen nearest jumped into the mass closest to anyone that had been caught, exploding with a loud bang and caustic juices spraying through the air. ¡®What was that!?¡­ Ah, they¡¯re here to make sure no one is captured alive.¡¯ I grit my teeth with the realization, knowing that it was a fate better than otherwise. Moments later, the mass snarled, the rope pulling taught behind it as clambering jaws and claws dug into the wall. ¡°What the fu-¡± I began, even as I fired into the ball with my trench gun. The words didn¡¯t leave my mouth before the wall beneath me began to slowly tilt forward to the ground, picking up speed as it went. ¡°-uuuuuuck!¡± I jumped, moving on reflex, my upgraded armor bracing me as I rolled across the ground, watching as the tendril stopped being retracted. My awareness expanded, seeing through my helmet in 360 degrees only to see several sections of the wall torn down, six of those tendrils lay on the other side of the wall, right on top of the armored division. Already I could see places where teams desperately put distance between themselves and the wolves, fighting all the while. The screams of those unlucky enough to not have one of the Bonemen nearby filled my ears. Grenades interspersed the air, interrupting some of the voices, while others still carried on, some blessedly ended after a cannon fired. There was only one thing left to do. It came down to our worst case scenario, a close-range battle. Much of Wolven was damaged, but with this gambit we were isolated, our strengths reduced. But we weren¡¯t done yet. ¡°Reapers, come, we will collect our due.¡± I sneered at the main mass, holding my trench gun and drawing my new grenade launcher, following the tendril to where I knew the main body would be. Chapter 41 Torn Apart The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 41 Torn Apart Gunfire filled the air, smoke and percussive blasts as explosives detonated in brilliant clouds of red and orange belched forth. There was almost a staccato rhythm to the orchestra of war that myself and my fellow man engaged in against a living calamity. Even so, with every forceful pop, every snap of a rifle discharging, Wolven was proving to be irrepressible. My trench gun burrowed molten into metallic tendrils, what once was a simple mass of wolves had been changed, forged in the crucible of our fire. Silver and black metal that was as hard as steel intertwined, coalescing as far enlarged veins to what vaguely resembled the wolves that once consisted the bulk of the body. Sharp protrusions that looked more like barbs than limbs grasped outwards, an occasional featureless maw interspersed. Every piece was warped, bearing only the minimums, only the required. A tendril two meters thick races past my head, claws seeking to whip my skull from my shoulders. I ducked beneath nearly instantly, my reaction speed having been pushed to the limit. My body kept up by virtue of the suit around me, servos and mechanical parts whirring gently with the effort. Spikes pierced the ground from my foot, giving me traction and stability where I needed it, an instinctual response at this point. Even so, as it passed, a protruding set of jaws snapped shut over my head, mere inches from me. It was steel, and only steel; most discernible features on this creatures Wolven had absorbed had been stripped away on these tendrils, even the eyes. Clusters of unblinking eyes fed information to the main body, and as the writhing mass struggled to slow its long and wide swing I fired. The trench gun tore through metallic tissues relentlessly. The first few shots crashed into the metal, denting the bio-metal mass but little else. But, after concentrated fire I was once more rewarded with the outer shells sickening crunch, heat and metal tearing deeply through the tentacle. A small portion of Wolven might have noticed, but such things were happening on other fronts too. ¡°Salvo out!¡± Daniel¡¯s voice shouted across the comm¡¯s even as the tentacle I fired at snapped off, whipping around in agonized fury. I dropped to a knee as Daniel¡¯s rocket salvo pummeled Wolven¡¯s flank, carving a path through three such worming masses and damaging the bulky limb connecting to the shield. I wasted no time, pushing forward as again, cutting ligaments and stretchy connective tissues that had been trying to lift the shield back into position. One segment to the right had already been brought up, the rest were kept in place by Legion interference. The situation was degrading, and the only reason why we hadn¡¯t completely lost the defense was the fact that Bulwark was fighting the mass of wolves. ¡®In melee,¡¯ I grit my teeth, ¡®They¡¯re fighting it in a melee with the wolf masses.¡¯ Instead of my trench gun¡¯s roar, soft pomp sounds ejected from my off-hand weapon rapidly. Moments later half a dozen grenade explosions shredding through more of the tentacles. ¡°Dodge right!¡± Alice warned. I trusted few people enough to move off of that, but Alice definitely fit in that category. As I rolled off of my feet, pushing hard just in case, I noted six objects pass by me too fast to realistically scan. Moments later, six explosions rang out, Alice¡¯s arrows tearing the last of this connecting joint apart. It snapped backwards into the main mass from there, crushing several limbs and harming it even further. The fact that it¡¯d even managed to move the ridiculously large shields like this in the first place was ridiculous. If it¡¯s offensive had been anything but devastating, we¡¯d have been able to punish it massively for no longer having the barriers currently under my feet. ¡®This fucking thing,¡¯ I felt a hot pulse of anger rush through my body as I advanced once again. It was fighting off multiple parties at once, and focusing on the more distant battle going on behind the remains of the wall. We were lucky that the rest of the probes that it had launched hadn¡¯t been reeled back in, but it was a fact that if it managed to win against those of us here, Gilramore was finished. Anyone it obtained here would feed its potential, a potential that I regretted that I¡¯d underestimated. Had we made a mistake in skirmishing it? Should we have risked an outright blitz instead to reduce it to nothing? No, it was a fact that we didn¡¯t have the plans in place to deal with this abomination without enough prep work. We¡¯d done everything we could. It was also a fact that I was going to find out what was going on with the Obelisks at the earliest possible time. Having better weapons would have allowed us to crush Wolven. Lasers would have melted and cut straight through this thing. Plasma would have been even better, let alone whatever other weapons existed. I jumped over a tendril swipe, noting that several had been directed towards me, a tangled wall loosening to strike at me. The main body was close, the densest tangle of silver just ahead. As a half dozen massive tendrils moved to strike me from several angles, I grit my teeth with the expectation that my dodge this time would not be a clean affair. Halfway to me, though, several long metal shafts speared through the limbs, silver blood pumping from wounds and shuddering through the tissue as they suddenly diverted on strange courses, twisting and turning. A glint of light shining off of a metallic winged form informed me of who was helping me; Fran was busily controlling the fight wherever she could, but I could tell that she¡¯d had to devote significant resources elsewhere to keep the Legion fighting, given the fact that her metal wings scarcely had any feathers remaining on them. A rumbling beneath my feet gave me pause, it was the only warning I got when suddenly an inky black tentacle rushed out from gaps in the silver woven spherical barrier in front of me. I ducked the first strike narrowly, severing the tentacle with a trench gun shot. A second, third, and fourth darted out immediately afterwards, a snarling noise accompanying them. I spun on my heel, slipping past the second and blasting the third, but the fourth came in low, bundled thickly, before sweeping upwards at the last second. It slammed me in the gut, sending me tumbling through the air. The larger tendrils attempted to smash into me, diverted by the magnetic prowess that Fran demonstrated. The main body shuddered in what I felt had to be frustration, a dozen more tentacles diverting from other locations and surging towards me. With seconds to spare, I controlled my landing, back flipping as my feet touched the ground. The tendrils smashed into the places just behind me, but the last strike smashed me to the ground once more, a claw raking across my side. Teeth suddenly found purchase on the right side of my torso as the mass pressed down around me. A tremor of panic ran through me before I pressed down on my emotions with a calculative will. I released the trench gun, changing hands for my grenade launcher before my left arm lit up with red. Red light blazed in the form of a lotus flower from my left arm, appearing exactly like the one that had both saved my life and burned off that very same arm long ago. It was larger, and in the next moment, was proven to be quite stronger as I fired a grenade in point blank range to the mass past the shield. I can¡¯t say I was thrown by the force of the explosion so much as chucked like a discus by it. My world spun, heat embracing my armor, but it held. The shield wavered but took the brunt of the damage, super heated air billowing out from the side of the bracer that supported the energy shield. My landing this time was far from graceful, the spinning blur coming to an abrupt halt with a metallic bang. ¡°Matt! You alive?¡± Daniel¡¯s hulking mech loomed over me. I realized then that I¡¯d either hit him as I was flying, or he caught me. I shook the dizziness from my head before realizing the pressure on my right side was increasing. As I looked down, Daniel cursed and scraped the head of the wolf off of my armor, the jaws designed to close. ¡°It¡¯s like a fucking ant.¡± That comment confused me for a moment, before I remembered that there was some kind of ant in the world that some people could literally use to close wounds with their bite, just break the body off afterwards. Improvised stitches. At least, supposedly that existed. I dreaded to think if a biotic had come about from them. ¡°This is a pain in the ass.¡± I groaned, lifting myself up to his shoulder and sitting there, ¡°Thanks for the catch.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± He chuckled, before turning serious, ¡°How the hell do we get close?¡± I looked around, the tendrils that had battered me now down one number and returned to the other fronts with my legion. Another shield was halfway risen, but the others were still down, giving us options for a frontal attack still. I couldn¡¯t rely only on my own mobility, I needed something to distract¡­ ¡°Shit¡­¡± I grunted under my breath, considering the best option. Daniel would probably do it, but it was far too risky. ¡°Hear me out here,¡± He began, and my stomach tightened, ¡°I can get you close as hell, but we only get one shot.¡± I breathed out, a long and annoyed gesture. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m practically a locomotive at this point, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He spoke, unable to hide the slight wavering in his voice. ¡°It¡¯s just a massive disgusting amalgamation of parts that¡¯s a living siege weapon. All you have to do is kill it before¡­¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Before it kills you,¡± I spoke, a grim resolve settled. ¡°Fran¡¯s going to kill you for this, you know that right?¡± ¡°Make sure to give her that chance, otherwise she¡¯ll kill you.¡± He grinned, ¡°I¡¯ve got a helluva lot more armor than you do.¡± At that moment, I felt the ground shudder, Wolven redoubled its efforts. It was learning how to attack and move with its body with more finesse by the second. ¡°Now or never.¡± I cleared my mind, rolling back and clasping the back of Daniel¡¯s mech for support. Daniel breathed, flexing his body, and by extension the mech around him. ¡°Alright. Alright. Let¡¯s go!¡± He hollered, undoubtedly whipping himself into a fervor for what we planned. ¡°Clear us a path!¡± I shouted over to everyone. The titanic movement and rush of speed from Daniel¡¯s mech caught Wolven¡¯s attention, another dozen attacks heading our way. ¡°Deployment ready!¡± I heard Terry¡¯s voice over the headset, ¡°Brace!¡± A field of lightning seemed to bloom into existence around Wolven, arcing off of it¡¯s parts and sparking, exploding as pockets of suddenly superheated biotic burst into clouds of steam and smoke. It lasted for only a second, the flashy display serving to throw Wolven¡¯s movements into disarray, a choir of the damned screaming to the smoke filled sky. All at once we pummeled Wolven, tearing into it with abandon from all sides, splitting its attention. We weren¡¯t the only ones rushing forward, and I listened as the Iron Chariots all cried out at once. ¡°For the Legion!¡± The roared call was taken up across the battle line, and I found myself surprised to have taken up the call as well, a rush of adrenaline surging through me. It was almost addictive, and in spite of the fear that gnawed at the back of my mind, I felt almost eager to dive into the fray. Daniel crashed through the explosions caused by Alice¡¯s arrows. His mech deftly dove between to gouts of acidic concoctions that matched Alice¡¯s tempo, Richard Nordsen, the Adder, pushing forward with us, carefully keeping ahead of the defense Wolven mounted alongside the nimble archer. Fran pinned Wolven¡¯s body wherever possible, leaving struggling to control its own movements. She focused her attention on our area, hoping to give us room to work with. Daniel¡¯s arsenal roared to life as he surged forward, firepower shearing through the softer black tentacles that sought to lash him away. Silvery limbs the size of trees unfurled and shot outwards as we neared. They were too few; Daniel¡¯s heavy mech and unbridled firepower punished the half measure brutally. ¡°Matt, get ready!¡± He bellowed, both of us noticing that the cocoon of silvery limbs was alive of movement, dozens of limbs densely coated in metal displacing themselves in order to keep the threat away. We tore through the first layer like a bulldozer, explosions and chips of shrapnel eating into these armored forms. They were hardier, too dense to tear through with what we had on hand. I could feel Daniel¡¯s mech shudder under me, pushing against the tentacles as they surged forward. In the next moment, I saw my chance, a gap in the structure. As I jumped, my feet finding purchase even on the moving tangle of limbs, I slipped through. The mass seemed to freeze for a hair''s breadth, a moment of surprise at the smaller threat that had slipped through. I heard a sneering hiss from the mass within, one distinctly different from what I¡¯d been hearing from the wolves. I grinned, it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a stretch to say that the main body was just in front of me. The clang of metal behind me announced the tendrils closing, my exit was no more. I also listened as the din of gunfire coming from Daniel abruptly sounded farther away, Wolven likely having batted him away with several limbs at once. Tissues of inky blackness surged around me, far smaller and more prehensile, these looked much more similar to the tubes that I¡¯d seen piercing wolves before this abomination had warped. Even as the tangled surged towards me, I lifted my grenade launcher and engaged my shield. The shunting motion of the launcher ceased after four grenades, fire and shrapnel erupting furiously amidst the softer tissues. My shield held, my armor protecting me from the force of the impacts, a far cry from when I¡¯d fought in the hollowed out biotic tunnel long ago. The blackness receded, still alight with the flames that clung to them stubbornly. I rushed forward, looking for the main mass desperately. The mass under my feet was hardened like a lumpy steel floor, protection from the mines that it had wandered over time and again. The upper portion above me seemed likewise shielded, its experience with the artillery fire teaching it to bolster itself. This chamber lacked walls in the strictest senses, but the tentacles around were densely packed, intertwining around the two defensive plates. The area around was twenty meters wide, and after the grenades, the tentacles were warily returning forward. With as much attention as I could muster, I scanned the area around me, looking for anywhere that the main body could hide. Nothing was around, no humanoid form that I¡¯d seen before. I paused then, my heart skipping a beat as my helmet picked up on a form above me. I rolled forward, dodging a pair of raking arms as the thing hissed. I came to my feet, spinning with the grenade launcher in hand. It whipped a long limbed arm out, smacking the launcher from my grasp as it surged towards me, suspended by black tubes that consisted of its lower body. What had once been a featureless creature now bore several streaks of silver, some dull with age. The dullest covered half of its torso and one of its pale eyes. New blots of silvery, including a pair of arms on its left side that were nothing but stubs, were still a brilliant sheen. Several other injuries marked its form, most all of them fresh, rivulets of damage having carved through some parts of it, yet it still remained alive. For a second it staggered, its small mouth coughing up silver blood. I drew my swords, edges gleaming with red light. It sneered at me, remaining eye narrowed with what I could only be clearly described as hatred. The offensive came from me, rushing forward and slicing apart tentacles as they darted towards me. It recoiled hastily then, and I pushed forward as Wolven avoided me. The tentacles came faster, heavier, where there were only six or seven now I found dozens. I pushed through, carving through them as they obscured my sight of Wolven. I discarded the blade in my left hand in the blink of an eye, replacing it with another of my grenades. With a hard pitch, I sent it deep into the mass before bringing my shield up once more. Heat billowed from the mass with the explosion, chunks of ichor and inky black flesh splattered everywhere, hissing as it hit my shield. Instantly I surged forward eager to press the attack on Wolven before it could retreat further. Instead, I felt my stomach drop as Wolven surged forward instead, fire clinging to its form as it reached me first. It had taken some damage, but it had seized the surprise. I pivoted back on my foot, lashing out with my sword as it struck out with a limb on its right. The attack was a feint, I realized too late, a giddy grin emerging on its face as it struck forward with two flexible, clawed limbs. It hit my armor, and in the next instant I found myself unable to move my right arm. I desperately reached for another side arm with my left before it snagged that, an arm and several tentacles binding it. It was close now, and I watched as it moved with the third arm on its left side. A scything limb descended at my shoulder, hacking once at the armor. Horror bloomed in me as I saw the armor spark, the keen edge cleaving through most of it. It struck a second time, and agony raced through me, I grit my teeth, seething anguish. I had to get out of its rea- The third strike left me screaming, cleaving straight through my arm as the surreal experience of every nerve giving way. My awareness didn¡¯t falter as it descended on my left arm, taking fully six chops to get through my reinforced limb. The pain was only marginally less, though with the agony awash in my mind, I could barely call that a blessing. Wolven lifted me up, arms behind my torso as blood spilled freely from my arms. Unconsciousness threatened me, but the Reaper within me remained defiant as my screaming turned to defiance, a froth of spittle gushing within my helmet. It caressed my helmet with one of its limbs, bloody with my own life¡¯s fluid. My mind shuddered at that, seeing almost a form of dreadful infatuation. A pulse of something stirred within me, touching on my mind. ¡°You caused me so much pain. I am glad. You taught me change. I will change you now, you will be mine.¡± It giddily spoke, drunken on satisfaction that rolled through it. Fear dully rolled through the back of my mind. ¡°No, no fear. I will remake you. We will be better, you and I. You will teach me much, these empty things will be filled with us.¡± ¡°Not¡­ happening.¡± I seethed, knowing the words to be empty. It did too, smiling still, ¡°I hate you, you are the only one I hate. You are special.¡± It began to saw through my torso, beneath my belly. Desperation surged through me as I tried to think of anything that I could do, agony smashing through me every moment. ¡°You would be a waste as a husk.¡± It smiled, a pearlescent form emerging from the tangle of tubes even as it continued to saw, just cutting through my armor. ¡°I will keep you intact after some¡­ modifications. It will take time, but I will have nothing but time with your mind.¡± I looked at the biotic sphere with dread and couldn¡¯t help but to squirm around, desperately trying to pry myself from the entanglement. I reached for anything I could detect in range, desperate for anything that could help me, the realization once more that I no longer had arms sweeping a new range of sickly horror over my mind. The pain in my midsection as Wolven¡¯s serrated limbs dug into me shoved any rational thought under a sheet of white noise. I retreated into the more mechanical side of my mind, the clinical rationality a reprieve from the panic, the realization that I wasn¡¯t just going to die here. I reached out my senses, feeling for anything I could interact with, anything connected to the ReaperNet that I could use. The grenades around my chest responded, the mines active there. Grimly, I set to activating them. Another pair of connections sparked on my awareness. Setting the grenades aside for the time being, I would have one last desperate gambit. With chagrin, I focused on the shield connected to my left arm. The severed limb sat roughly beneath Wolven as it gruesomely worked through my tissues. ¡®Don¡¯t think about it,¡¯ I quelled the panic, knowing I had moments before everything was over. The second connection immediately prepared for impact. I choked out words, coming as more a whimper. Wolven¡¯s head tilted as it paused, leaning in. ¡°I know, it hurts. Bear with it-¡± I smashed my helmeted head forward into where the bridge of its nose would be, pouring all of my frayed strength into the blow. It recoiled, just as the arm shield activated and pushed past its safety threshold. ¡°Ah, rebellious. That is okay, that ends now.¡± It smiled in spite of the trickle or silver flowing from its face. It cut deeply into my abdomen, but as the thing paused, noticing the red light filling the room, I managed to seethe, ¡°For the Legion.¡± The shield module snapped loudly a moment later, searing light blasting forth in chaotic arcs through empty space and matter alike. Laser like in power, there was no noise beyond the sudden pop. A handful of red lines glowed through Wolvens body, and I heard a sudden wet plop and realized I was now lighter by a great deal. I fell from the grasp of the tendrils as Wolven shuddered, limbs falling away. It struggled through, keeping itself together with a messy swath of tubes as it gasped and shuddered, sparing me no attention. It took everything I have to focus on it, relaying its exact position to the second connection I¡¯d found. Just as it seemed that Wolven might possible survive, a high pitched whistling resounded from outside. Silver flesh exploded as Shade¡¯s bladed form vaulted through the disorganized walls. There was a brief moment of realization in Wolven¡¯s eyes, I thought, a moment where it looked at me and knew what I¡¯d done. It reached me for a split second before Shade tore through its torso, shredding it into tiny pieces even as it crashed through into the ground. The last thing I saw as consciousness faded was the ceiling suddenly sagging, falling down. All the while, the only thing I could feel wasn¡¯t the pain, the suffering. The fear of death trickled away, a stream of mortality that just didn¡¯t seem to matter anymore. Wolven was dead, that was enough, regardless of what would happen. The coldness I felt in what was left of my shredded body gave way to a satisfying warmth that gently flowed from the depths of my being as my world drifted fully to blackness... Chapter 42 Distant Patron -Yamak Rettle P.O.V.- I awoke to the harsh blaring of the alarm by my bed, the piercing simulated sunlight from ionized windows doing its very best-and indeed it was spot on-impression of a hellish morning awakening. Suffice to say, mornings were not the domain of one such as I. ¡°Yamak, rise and shine.¡± The alarm chirped, a familiar feminine voice that came pre-programmed into the A.I. that ran most of the basic functions of my home. With a groan, I muted the clock, and then promptly dimmed the lights afterwards. I didn¡¯t really need to be up early today. A few more minutes wouldn¡¯t hurt. In the darkness, though, I felt a twinge of sound. I froze even as the voice of yet another very familiar woman spoke, ¡°Captain, don¡¯t you have something you ought to be doing right now?¡± The cold threat of the voice came from red eyes that stalked over to my bed. ¡°M-Maricene? Wh-Why? What are you doing here?¡± Goosebumps shivered across my dark red skin. Cold hands as hard as steel grabbed me by my ankles, ¡°Waaaaait! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll get up!¡± ¡°Good morning sir,¡± the first robotic voice rattled out from the speakers instead, the lights brightening as I spun, utter confusion on my face. ¡°Uh, Sira, what? Whait, where is Maricene?¡± My eyes darted across the room, looking for the pale skinned light blue haired devil that was my vice-president. ¡°She was never present, sir,¡± The robot enthusiastically informed me, ¡°I¡¯d asked her to record a series of her voice templates in order to better manage the well being of your life. In this case, getting you out of bed.¡± Relief surged through me, ¡°Ah, good, good. I thought she¡¯d finally had enough.¡± ¡°While it is true, sir, that you are less than the dirt under her fingernails, she would not opt to spend the time to kill you and dispose of the body.¡± The A.I. happily walked me through my seconds thoughts, ¡°According to her, anyways. Though, for your own mental health I have summarized her considerations.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s good,¡± I sat up, rising from the floor where I¡¯d been dragged and stretched. It was strange how much she didn¡¯t like me, ¡°Don¡¯t I pay her enough?¡± I added aloud. ¡°Sir, I believe that¡¯s why you¡¯re alive, sir. Would you like breakfast?¡± Sira asked, tilting the robots head, a simple model that didn¡¯t have any defining features. I nodded, ¡°Yeah, whatever you feel like cooking, I¡¯m taking a quick shower. Mind having one of your other bodies pick out something suitable for going to the Council Chambers?¡± Sira nodded happily, shuffling off as another body was deployed from the drone closet, rolling over towards my wardrobe, this particular model bearing a large sphere as the bottom half of it¡¯s semi-feminine form. As it did so, the clink of a mostly automatic kitches came alive, and I busied myself with the task of enjoying warm water spray from six nozzels all around me in the shower. The tiles were teal, red, and white, arranged in intrinsic designs. I¡¯d spent a lot of money on my high-rise home, along with the rest of the building. It wasn¡¯t the biggest building, only about eighty stories tall, dwarfed by the thicker, larger three hundred story tall megastructure in the middle of town. The Council Chambers were designed to withstand some serious punishment. If all of its defensive systems online, most nuclear ordnance would sooner melt the city around it than get through to the building itself. It was even capable of suspending its own gravity in the event that it was ever struck by something hard enough to cause a collapse. Then, of course, it would just put itself back together with its robust army of drones. My building wouldn¡¯t put itself back together, but we did invest in some pretty hardy upgrades. Never knew when a Generation Five Biotic might show up, may as well make it take a few more minutes to bring the building down. As I stepped out of the shower, I let a series of arms emerge from carefully hidden plates in the walls, grooming me and drying me off. Was it a needless luxury? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes, very much so, yes. The mirror showed my well muscled body off, the few scars that I¡¯d had carefully cleaned up to be sleek and edgy, rather than mangled messes. I could have gotten rid of them completely, especially the one that trailed my chin and light my red skin a slightly darker shade of purple. My orange eyes and short-trimmed blue hair gave my face just the right amount of balance. I wasn¡¯t much for vanity, in spite of my insistence on luxuries, but I did have to admit that I looked good. These days, that mattered a bit more than it had before. Being a mercenary company in this day and age where biotics were everywhere and only getting stronger, it paid to look good. It also paid to be really good at killing biotics, and my company was just that. I walked back out to my bedroom, the drone waiting on standby. I pulled on a few of the clothes, but I grimaced at the fresh jacket, leather cleaner and polished. To anyone else it was a great - and expensive - adornment. I promptly ignored it and went into the closet to pull out my worn leather jacket, plates of carbon fiber woven into and under the leather would stop anything short of armor piercing rounds, but was still quite light. I heard Sira groan as I ignored the jacket she¡¯d set out, ¡°This is why no one likes you.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± I chuckled, ¡°You know I¡¯d never go anywhere without my lucky jacket.¡± ¡°Even if it makes you look like a rich hobo?¡± The robot put it¡¯s mechanical hands against it¡¯s waist, huffing again. I blinked, thinking hard for a few seconds, ¡°I don¡¯t think rich and hobo can go together.¡± ¡°Well, you make it happen.¡± Sira gave up, putting the jacket away. I winked at a nearby blue panel, ¡°I always knew you¡¯d see I was special someday.¡± There were too many seconds where she said nothing, ¡°Your food is ready in the dining area.¡± I laughed, she loved me, even if she hated me. Well, everyone I knew was like that, but what was the fun in doing everything the right way? Satisfied with my day already, I dug into the meat filled breakfast with vigor. As a Slethan, I had to make sure to keep my protein intake high, leaning hard to the carnivore side of things, albeit we could still eat the green stuff. Our bodies didn¡¯t like a lot of them, though, something about the fibers and such. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Maybe another species would join the galactic market with fruits and vegetables that didn¡¯t result in¡­ digestional mishaps. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m off.¡± I waved over my shoulder as I made my way through the door, the rid and black striped walls and shining black marble tiles always pleasant on my eyes. ¡°Have a great day, sir!¡± Sira called back kindly, moving to clean up after breakfast and take care of general chores. I went into the elevator, polished and bullet-proof, laser resistant enameled glass giving me the view outside of the building. The mega-city was a sprawling mass, but even so there was a definite order to the buildings. Many of them had been rebuilt at least once, and now the cog-wheel appearance of the city helped to keep disparate parts of the city contained within itself without too many issues. Automated cars floated through the air, humming with whatever engine kept them aloft. Some of them were quite dramatic, pulsing with lines of plasma that burned out rapidly behind them, others took a more classic approach with fan blades that spun rapidly, contained within sheltering nooks. Those would switch to simple anti-grav when they neared the ground, no reason to blast everyone with wind every time you took off or landed. Without hesitation, I stepped out of the elevator at the bottom floor and promptly pivoted to the right, passing by another elevator next to it that was responsible for moving down into our more sensitive operations. Everything above ground was housing, for my mercenaries and their families, but below, all business. I didn¡¯t need to go downstairs today, and I also didn¡¯t want to get entangled in any extended discussions by some of my more veteran crew members. Of course, I realized a moment later that my second in command was staring right at me. ¡°Cap-¡± Maricene Rockman began to say before I quickly rushed through the door. ¡°Sorry, gotta go! Busy! Bye! Talk later! Much love!¡± I spat out the words in a constant stream and the moment I crossed the threshold for the door I sprinted to where my favorite vehicle was. A few of my men watched the scene with a shake of their heads and good natured laughing. Some of them knew where I was going today, but Maricene had no idea. Which was a good thing, because if she knew how much I¡¯d gambled on this latest project she would almost certainly flay the skin from my back and salt the wound. ¡°Carry on!¡± I laughed with almost manic glee, almost free as I dove into the red and silver hover car, the variety that had a pair of turbines to the front and one larger one in the back, long V shaped fins protruded from the belly, sides, and back of my ride. There were, additionally, a pair of ports for good old fashioned jet-thrust, albeit with heavy modifications. All I had to do was punch in the command, and the vehicle rose. I saw out the side window a confused, good looking Borama woman in high ranking dress, gold, black, and a silvery blue. I waved out of the window to Maricene as her pale skin suddenly etched with small black markings like tattoos. ¡°Oh yeah, she knows.¡± I chuckled with a shake of my head. Borama tattoos were emotions activated, which was partially a reason why a Borama was supposedly viewed as supremely trustworthy. Though, that didn¡¯t matter much when they learned to suppress their emotions. Maricene was one such individual, problem being that I was quite blessed with certain abilities. It was true! My power was to get under anyone¡¯s skin if I wanted too. Joking aside, I was very, very good at pissing her off. At this time, though, I¡¯d have preferred not doing that. She¡¯d deeefinitely want to know what I was spending company money on. There were a few events, the most recent of which was ten years ago, where I may or may not have spent a few million dollars on things that may or may not have been useful for actual mercenary work. Yes, I did have a pleasure cruise ship. Yes, it was also useless for anything other than vacation time. Also, yes, it would cost a ludicrous amount to keep it. I won that case by putting it to a vote for everyone in the company, which luckily for me was in my favor by a landslide. Turns out my merc¡¯s loved being able to have their families go there whenever they wanted, who knew? After that, though, she¡¯d made it quite clear that any such expenditures should go through her first. To be fair, we had a lot of money, more than we¡¯d ever had before. Biotic killing business was good, and exchanging most of the M.E. to more specifically minded groups that could use it raked us in even more cash. Some believed that selling M.E. was foolish; I believed that holding onto M.E. that could be used for research was beyond stupid. What did it matter if you could stockpile enough M.E. to build a battlecruiser? Just build the damn thing and upgrade the hell out of it the old fashioned way. I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that way, luckily, but some of the more¡­ mentally challenged of my competitors didn¡¯t share that outlook. In any case, I¡¯d only spent about four-hundred million credits. Okay, so that was thirty times my cruise ship purchase, she¡¯d definitely murder me. Suddenly I was less keen on coming back to the tower. In the meantime, though, I was spared from having to think on my impending doom. The massive three-hundred floor building that covered several city blocks at its base loomed tall over me. I couldn¡¯t see the top, and as the vehicle came to a stop, I hopped out, letting it drift into a garage section that carefully and expertly grasped the vehicle, linking into the onboard A.I. and exchanging information. With eagerness I walked, more than a few individuals giving me friendly nods and greetings, all the people that I¡¯d worked with frequently. Today was a big day, I¡¯d get to see the results of the Obelisk project. I still remember when they had me do the recordings for it, just in case any sentient life came across them. Which, of course, I assumed would happen, and in a rare instance of seriousness, I¡¯d recorded a bit of general information, an introduction. Alas, I knew the chances that any primitive species would have no idea what I was talking about, but it was the thought that counted. As far as we were aware, whenever a biotic surge was detected, there was almost always a series of small comets ejected at high velocity out to distant space. These comets were filled with cores, and if you could catch up to them, you¡¯d be very, very wealthy. Problem being that they moved ridiculously fast and were hard to track if you didn¡¯t catch them right off the bat. This time around was one of those situations, regrettably, and therein came the Obelisk Support Project. Everyone used Obelisks these days, supplementing civilizations everywhere with Matter Energy provided by biotics. While the biotics themselves were extremely hazardous to life, they were manageable up to Generation Three, or exceedingly rare Unique biotics you¡¯d find. Those were crazy rare, though, you¡¯d be lucky - or unlucky, depending on your viewpoint - to find a Unique biotic out of billions. Maybe one or two per planet, that¡¯d be pretty much it. The problem was that anyone who didn¡¯t have an Obelisk would be in for a really bad time. A Generation One biotic generally only absorbed the template of a local organism and improved it in some relatively simple way. Some of them could get a little crazy, but most anyone could handle a basic one with a simple projectile weapon. The issue was that they were numerous, as were most biotics, and their numbers could, and had, literally emptied colonies of their ammo supplies before finally succumbing to the relentless waves. Generation Two were nastier, usually mixing and mashing templates together and tweaking things until it worked. They were almost always lethal to anyone that wasn¡¯t at least a soldier, armed, and armored. Generation Three¡­ well, those could get bad. I personally made sure to utterly destroy any core that was spewing out Gen Threes, they were just too varied to safely deal with on a day to day basis. As I came to the counter, the clerk looked up to me with surprise. She was a Titherin, standing upright on two legs, had two arms, fairly normally proportioned. Her skin was a bronze coloration, an average for her species. Her reddish brown hair gently curled around her high cheekbones and around to the back of her head. While some mistakenly referred to the Titherin as a reptilian species, that classification was not quite accurate. They had many mammalian features in spite of the patches of scales the gleamed in bits. Her cheeks, bridge of her nose, and her forearms bore the shimmering scales. She smiled as I approached, her arms professional attire hugging her curvaceous form, ¡°Oh, Captain Rettle, I was expecting you.¡± ¡°Excellent! Then I¡¯ll cut to the chase,¡± I flashed a wide grin, ¡°Have the Obelisks found any sentient races, or just a bunch of rocks in the biotics path?¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯ll just come with me, we can find out.¡± She smiled politely, standing and moving to a far door that I knew would lead to an elevator. Namely, the V.I.P. one. Considering how much money they stood to make off of my ¡®donation,¡¯ I expected nothing less. ¡°After you.¡± I followed her, doing my best to avoid staring at her many attractive points too long. Chapter 43 High-Risk Investments I sat in the office I was allowed to wait in with barely restrained anger. There were a few times that I¡¯d ever let my temper get the better of me, thought it was far from common, and this occasion definitely marked one of those incidents. It was fine if I lost out on that money. That was just par for the course, I¡¯d set aside the majority of that money for the project anyways. I was a businessman, the head of the highly successful Artorian Mercenary Company, not some fledgling who put naive prospects before cold hard truths. This truth being that high risk investments and projects didn¡¯t always pan out. If you took a loss, it was probably a catastrophic one. In spite of how the Titherin Mercantile Group had tried to frame all of this when I first signed on, I knew very well that the Obelisk Support Project wasn¡¯t often a great way to recoup investments. It was a PR stunt for most, designed to show the general populations of the galaxy that you cared about the fight against biotics, even to the extent of extending an arm in support of any less-than-civilized groups out there that the major militaries and mercenary corporations couldn¡¯t - or wouldn¡¯t - get too. That said, there were many opportunities that could be gathered. The Obelisks I¡¯d paid to have deployed could be said to be one of the biggest launches that the Obelisk Support Project had ever deployed. It was a political move, economical move, and part public relations move on my behalf. My company was growing rapidly, we¡¯d succeeded in nearly thirty large scale biotic infestation extermination jobs this year, more than double the next one up. We smashed even the current leader in paramilitary corporation contributors to the biotic war cause. And we did it fast, clean, and best of all without breaking the local municipalities wallets. There was no better place to be, and with all of the positive image being generated, we were set to cruise for many more jobs, huge growth potential, even to the extent that there was a buzz about becoming the first sanctioned Mercenary Corporation by the Unified Galactic Council. But there were a few qualifiers here. I needed capital to move this forward, which we had. My people had been paid for their jobs, but this year has been so good for us that I wanted to make an even bigger move. Everyone was getting paid again for their efforts. I¡¯d run them hard, sharpened them this year, they were badasses in every respect and had come out of my gauntlet strong. That meant other corporations would pay top dollar to take them from me. Their holiday bonus this year was no secret, nor was the access to exclusive weapons and designs rights that was coming soon. The benefits of all my many years of targeted Matter Energy selling was paying off big. With the massive bonus, loyalty to my company was titanium-strong. It would take an act of god to get most of my men and women away from me at this point, not even commenting on my external research partners that literally only existed because of the support I¡¯d given them for so many years. Everything was coming up Yamak Rettle on the ol¡¯ wheel of fortune. But this shit completely fucked that. I felt a vein throb on my neck as I checked the numbers again, alone in the room as I looked at the holographic display, seething in red fury. My four-hundred million had been completely used on a single planet; every single Obelisk deployed to some water-ball of a rock called DIX-975 and was easily a garden world that literally any corporation would raze a star-system to get their hands on. If it wasn¡¯t already inhabited, of course, which for the sake of the Titherin Mercantile Group, it better have been. If all of my money went to an empty rock that happened to have biotics on it, hellfire wouldn¡¯t compare to what I was going to do. I breathed then, deep in through the nose and ever so slowly through the mouth. The girl had wisely left me to myself to simmer as she quickly sought out someone above her to check what was going on. It was a long time, something that in any other situation I would have just left and come back for. This time, I decided it was best to sit in this room and fume here. If I went back to my people now, back to my company and they saw me, I doubted I could manage to lie to them. Especially not Maricene, she¡¯d know something big happened the moment she saw me. Not only was she usually good with controlling her own emotions, but she was an expert at reading others too. I checked my readout for my bank a few hours ago, it was zero¡¯d out. The stipulation, or the bug, that anything resultant in extra costs as estimated by the Obeliks systems would be taken out of my accounts. It wiped decades of buildup from my companies accounts. Forget paying the holiday bonus to my people, at this rate, keeping my starships in the sky would be a struggle. My teeth ground in agitation as I leaned back. I occupied myself as many ways as I possibly could in these last intervening hours, making discrete inquiries to old time companions on how successful their own business ventures had been. A part of me wondered at me, Yamak Rettle, taking loans from my own friends to pay my people their bonuses and pretend nothing was wrong. It¡¯d be a week or so before anyone noticed anything wrong. When they did, maybe they¡¯d stay on for a few more weeks, hoping that any further pay was just a bump in the road. But the contract I¡¯d signed effectively screwed me for any further pay that my company would receive. If there was more money needed by the Obelisk Support Project, it would take it, unless I declared bankruptcy. In which case my entire life¡¯s work was up in smoke, eighty years of effort gone in the blink of an eye. I¡¯d probably eat my plasma grenade if that happened. I sighed again, defeated energy finally cycling around yet again to replace my anger. The twinge of anxiety in the back of my mind prompted me to bring up my accounts again, something I hadn¡¯t done for nearly six hours now. ¡°What the hell?¡± I surged forward, examining my account closely. It wasn¡¯t at zero anymore. My credits as the Matter Energy was converted to funds was ticking up rapidly. I¡¯d set it as such, the Titherin Mercantile Group would get a small cut, but due to how much of the costs I¡¯d taken on, I¡¯d get ninety percent of what came back from anyone hunting biotics. ¡°This¡­ wait¡­ what?¡± Millions of credits were in my account, surging by the second. ¡°This isn¡¯t possible? How is some backwater tribe racking up that many kills?¡± I paused, thinking over the possibilities. Then all at once the rock in my gut seemingly bloomed into ecstatic relief. Suddenly all the pieces came together in an impossible picture. The world wasn¡¯t only sentiently colonized, but the species itself was numerous, adaptable, perhaps even on the fringe of space travel. If they were so close to joining the galactic community, that¡¯d make sense on why most of my money would have been absorbed. They¡¯d have a lot of people, and my setting to give 100 M.E. to each individual would have gouged titanic amounts of money from me given the awful conversion rate on the flip side. That part alone was so rare as to be unique, in the entirety of the Obelisk Support Project, this exact situation was the best possible outcome, the exact reason why it was proposed and jointly approved by both the Specialized Intelligence System that controlled Obelisk functions and by the Unified Galactic Council. On top of that, they had to have a lot of biotics, it was a mercantile groups wet-dream for investment returns. The political clout I would have, the public image for giving support to a race that would have been on the edge of oblivion¡­ I felt all tension evaporate from me, and instead I felt a thrum of vigor course through my thick veins. Forget being the first acknowledged mercenary group, this would make us an indispensable piece of the Council. We were already considered popular but with this we¡¯d be saints, people would literally throw themselves at our doors for the chance to so much as meet my company, let alone becoming a part of it. At that moment, there was a knock at the door before it opened. The lady from before was there, looking very tense. ¡°Ah,¡± I smiled, feeling guilty for how tense she was, even if I didn¡¯t remember her name, ¡°I have good news! It looks like I¡¯m recouping some losses now, though I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll take a while to get it all ba-¡± ¡°Captain Rettle, sorry to interrupt, but these men would like to take you to meet the Titherin Mercantile Group¡¯s CEO.¡± She gestured warily to the men that now stepped into the room. I felt my body tense at seeing the robed men, knowing damn well the golden and white trimmed fabric was among the best armor you could buy. It looked like fabric, but if you hit it, it would stiffen, stopping anything less than a super dense slug from penetrating. They were Titherin - they didn¡¯t accept anyone else into their number - and were experts in combat and escort missions. Unofficially, they were quite experienced in assassination and other unsavory tasks. ¡°And why, I have to ask, are two Templar here for little ol¡¯ me?¡± I kept my tone friendly, but they certainly registered my tense body. They bowed slightly, a gesture of respect and friendliness, ¡°Captain Yamak Rettle, we mean you absolutely no harm and are here only for your own protection. In that, we mean you no disrespect, as we are certain that you are adept at your own defense.¡± One of them spoke, but the voice seemed to fade at its source, indistinct in the strangest of ways. Either of them could have been the source. I sighed deeply, ¡°Well¡­¡± I muttered a moment before rising steadily, careful to not make any abrupt movements. They rose slightly from their bows, and just I caught just the slightest waver in their stances. They were just as ready as wary as I was, which was just as well. The Artorian Mercenary Company tolerated no weak links, especially not up the chain of command. ¡°Alright, alright, let''s take a breath.¡± I smiled and loosened my posture, ¡°I take it you both aren¡¯t named yet?¡± They rose the rest of the way, forcing their own stances to loosen, ¡°Yes, you are well informed.¡± One of them spoke, almost a question rather than a statement. I ignored the implication to explain where I knew that bit from, knowing that only a certain rank of Templar would receive a name that they would be allowed to tell someone not of their order. ¡°Well, lead the way then. I¡¯m guessing that I¡¯ll be notified as to what exactly is going on here in a minute.¡± They nodded slightly, leading me from the room as the woman from before breathed a silent sigh of relief. She was a clerk, albeit a highly cared for one, and this was dramatically above her pay grade. Templar were an existence that a common citizen would never interact with. ¡®Well, she¡¯s gonna have a story to tell,¡¯ I thought with amusement, walking between the two as they guided me wordlessly to another elevator. This one was under guard, and as we approached I could tell the pair of men that stood there were expecting us. They were, to their credit, able to retain a posture of indifference as we passed them. The dense metal of this particular model of elevator was designed differently than what I normally passed through. It, and likely every floor we¡¯d be passing, was designed to interfere with monitoring technology. Tech didn¡¯t travel through these walls well, with exception to a few select devices that would be routed in from outside. Anything said from this point on was local only. At least, anything that the Titherin Mercantile Group wanted to remain local. ¡°So, do I get to hear about what¡¯s goin¡¯ on now?¡± I idly hooked my thumbs into my pants pockets and drummed my fingers in feigned boredom. They paused and shifted to each other. ¡®Hmm¡­ either they know and don¡¯t wanna tell me, which wouldn¡¯t earn them any cooperation points from me here, or they don¡¯t know either.¡¯ ¡°Our superior will explain the situation fully.¡± They came to the unspoken consent. ¡®They don¡¯t know then. Probably. Damn.¡¯ I shook my head, watching as the dial went up floor by floor. As we ascended hundreds of feet in the air, I found myself amused by the fact that even this elevator had music, though it wasn¡¯t half bad surprisingly. Some kind of background orchestra, a rare moment of appreciation for something so mundane running through me. As movement ceased and the door opened to a long hallway, I frowned. This floor wasn¡¯t an office floor, it was a special projects floor. At least, that¡¯s what it reminded me of; sterilized hallways with scanners every six meters, doubled down at every door, polarized bulletproof and explosion-resistant glass potentially allowing others to see into rooms along the way. We walked forward, our feet clacking against the hard floor in the soundless hallways. As we passed beneath a handful of panels in the ceiling, I wondered how many rounds a second the hidden turrets within could spit out at any unwanted guests. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Real cloak and dagger here, guys.¡± I commented, a crack in my stoic facade as I felt the depth of the problem growing. I almost felt the one on my right grimace, ¡°To our understanding, the situation is¡­ bad.¡± It took everything I had not to turn around and leave, consequences be damned. Templar¡¯s did their duties unquestioningly and without complaint. Need someone protected against the galaxies best assassins with a ninety percent lethality rate and above? Sure thing. Need information from some of the most secretive organizations, battered down in some god forsaken asteroid belt? Say the word. The only thing that they couldn¡¯t do? ¡°Politics.¡± I uttered dryly, the pair either didn¡¯t hear me or ignored me as we continued walking. Finally, after four minutes of meandering maze like halls, we came to a room that was different from the rest. Encased in some extremely expensive metal and technology, this measure against monitoring was borderline paranoia. And as the door opened to a rather fine office I was treated to quite a rare sight. Most of the room was fairly moderate in terms of luxury, there were necessities like coffee, some snacks, and holo screens built into the walls. The long oval table had several holo modules in front of a dozen ergonomic black chairs, each one designed to be able to accommodate a variety of races. At the right side of this table was an individual that I recognized but had never met before; CEO Lazka Muran of the Titherin Mercantile Group, a man whom had assumed the position of CEO a few years ago at around the same time as the Titherin Mercantile Group was selected to be the host for the Obelisk Support Project. Titherin¡¯s had only been a voice in the Unified Galactic Council for about as long, but they¡¯d been granted the privilege of affluence with such a position. They were the Host Race for an entire sector of space, hundreds of solar systems. Any biotic presence detected to be moving into that region would be taken care of with their personally owned Obelisks, barring any unusual circumstances. In this way, they would expend a fair amount of capital, but they could also use that position to push their mercantile groups to a forefront, a period of prosperity that would allow them activity through all of Council space without even a tenth of the paperwork that would normally be required. The bare look of discomfort on his face as I entered the room didn¡¯t surprise me as much as I thought it would. Obviously something was wro- I swallowed hard as I realized who the other person in the room was. Ivory robes with gold trimming, similar in the most distant sense to what the other two Templar wore adorned her form. To compare the two, though, would be like comparing a rough quartz crystal to a perfectly cut diamond. She was radiant, streaks of deep silver and the heavy weight of presence she exuded in the room told me who she was. Without delay, I bowed my head slightly, ¡°Greetings, Oracle, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± In spite of how calm my voice was, my heart hammered in my chest, adrenaline implants ready to flood my already wired system in case I needed to run. Not that I thought I could run, nothing short of an all out assault would phase her. A presence touched on my mind with amusement and warmth that almost drained the tension out of my body instantly ¡®Relax, Yam, I¡¯m here on business, and I¡¯m not mad in the first place.¡¯ ¡°Captain Yamak Rettle,¡± a severe voice sounded from the woman, distinctly different from the words she¡¯d spoken in my mind. ¡°Please, join us at the table, my disciples as well.¡± The three of us shared an almost hilarious moment of wariness, as though we expected this to be a test. Me, I had my own reasons, but it seemed that Peya Doltar was as complicated a teacher as a lover. Still, we all sat, the Templar¡¯s subtly forcing me into the seat directly on her right, across from the CEO of the Titherin Mercantile Group. Lazka gave me a momentary look of annoyance, likely from everything that had been dropped on his lap, before he schooled his facial features into a mask of congeniality. Not that Peya didn¡¯t notice the underlying emotions he had, though. He probably didn¡¯t realize the extent of her capacities. I, however, did, and kept my internal landscape as fresh and trained as possible. She always did say that had I awoken to a full psionic gift, I¡¯d have been one of the best. A shame, that. ¡°As you¡¯re aware, I¡¯m an Oracle of the Templar Order of Titus, an organization who strives to ensure that our Titherin race is kept safe and honest through the many trials and tribulations that we have faced.¡± She emphasized the word honest, something not lost me. It was a subtle reminder - not that I needed it - that she could read through a lie the moment it left the tongue. ¡°According to our species role as the Host of the Obelisk, we are given a unique opportunity to accelerate our fledglings species growth. This cannot be understated. Yet, I find that, perhaps, there are some mistakes being made. Grave errors.¡± She paused, careful not to glare at the CEO seated across from me. I frowned, ¡°Wh-, uhh, what kind of errors?¡± ¡°We detected biotic intrusions into sectors that we are responsible for,¡± she started succinctly, ¡°the issue being that this information was not made aware to proper parties for months.¡± My brain slowed to a crawl, not quite getting the significance of the statement. Even if there was a biotic intrusion, usually they¡¯d be small and scattered, not especially large. Maybe a tiny comet that would hit a planet, devastate a few kilometers, then begin to spit out abominations like they were going out of style. Even a primitive planet could hold out for a few months based off of that, so even if they screwed up a bit, the Obelisks should arrive to help in time, it might even be better to engender a positive image amongst the population. Not that I wanted to see a bunch of people die before they could get help, but there were plenty of cases where a race that was aided with Obeliks tech eventually joined the Host Race as a Partner Race and ascended from there. ¡°Lazka Muran, here, had the same expression you do now.¡± A rare moment of tension rolled through the air as the psionic quickly restrained her internal mood, ¡°Now that you¡¯re both here, we can discuss the rest of this. Given the nature of this incident, you¡¯ll both be considered primary witnesses, and depending on the findings herein, the Council may deem punishment necessary going forward.¡± The two of us straightened more at that, the sudden streak of ¡®Oh crap, that¡¯s bad¡¯ a pretty universal body language across cultures. ¡°To begin with, a biotic of at least the Fifth Generation, possibly higher, disappeared from one of the fringe worlds, along with a mountain. The area of devastation around where the mountain used to be is¡­ well, look.¡± She gestured at the table, a hologram showing a planet, one that I assumed was the ¡®before¡¯ picture. It was a barren planet, not good for much more than mining, probably the reason why it was left alone long enough for an insanely dangerous high-generation biotic to spawn. The after picture made my blood run cold. It was rare for intrusions to be deployed long range, simply because it was hard to project that much mass into space, usually requiring the combined forces of unspecialized biotics under some estranged directive. No one was really sure why they did it. The slideshow that displayed now was a rock filled with silvery metal, black flecks of armored tissues interspersed a mountain several kilometers in width and height. A single biotic organism tapped into it, what was once a volcano, and rendered it entirely inert. It grew rapidly, encompassing the whole mountain. Where once lava and smoke flowed, nothing escaped. And then, one slide there was a mountain. The next slide there was a crater and hundreds of kilometers of devastation, visible only through alternate modes of sight, since the planet was steadily being covered in thick layers of ash, tectonic activity stirring the continent into a frenzy of activity. ¡°The observation probe had been taking pictures of the location, but due to an error in programming mistakenly assumed that the volcano had simply exploded, leaving nothing left. Now, we suspect the biotic intentionally projected itself, and the mountain, with the force towards a target. This information is being filtered to other organizations; and this, by the way, is considered need-to-know only. The general population is not allowed to know that this is a strategy that some biotics are adopting.¡± ¡°No shit,¡± I breathed, ¡°If they knew they could have a mountain thrown at them from another planet, I don¡¯t think people could sleep at night.¡± If she considered my input rude, she didn¡¯t mention it. Plus, it seemed everyone else at the table tacitly agreed, based on how hard they stared at the image. ¡°We¡¯re sure that it escaped atmosphere?¡± The CEO looked at the images, ¡°We detected a biotic presence leaving our space from another solar system, but we didn¡¯t detect it he-¡± ¡°Actually, it was.¡± She shook her head, suddenly seeming very tired, ¡°The information coincided with another incursion being rebuffed by outer system orbital defenses, so it was mistakenly flagged as resolved. While I have no direct proof, I suspect the biotic projected a smaller mass first, and then used some kind of method to bypass the network, or perhaps found a blind spot.¡± She shrugged, ¡°Later, a meteor was tracked along the same area, heading toward a specific source.¡± ¡°After some digging, we detected some extremely faint radio waves and other frequencies from a distant planet. We think it was a civilization on the cusp of space travel. Only, regrettably, I believe this biotic detected those signals as well. Given that such a planet was in our jurisdiction¡­ you understand how bad this looks for a Host Race, yes?¡± Lazka paled at that, his fine dress, flexing as he sat forward, staring at the series of reports that pieced together the puzzle. ¡°They¡­ that civilization¡¯s gone, then? I can¡¯t imagine that they¡¯d fend that off. Most races need to be well within space faring before they could fight something like that off.¡± Lazka deflated, the hit to reputation alone would gut the Titherin Mercantile Group in the public eye. I found my fists clenched atop the table, the number of people possibly lost to something like that meteor would have been¡­ catastrophic. That was a world-ender. ¡°Normally, yes. But we have reason to believe that the source planet did in fact fend off the meteor. Or, at the very least, break it up. It seems that the biotic that made up the tissues of the meteor slowed down en route, likely to prevent hitting the planet at near light speed. That seemed to kill the high gen biotic in the process, and we believe the natives were able to respond and broke up the meteor. From here, it¡¯s all conjecture, and we¡¯ll need time to summon the Council and perform and inquiry with Sis.¡± I stood then, ¡°Wait, wait, so¡­ my Obelisks might have all gone to those guys?¡± A tremor of excitement and relief washed over me. Sure, having them all in one basket was bad in a way, but whatever survived that impact had to be quite hardy, and based on the amount of Matter Energy I was receiving now, I¡¯d say they took to it like water. My excitement tapered off, though, as I realized that a lot of that species had probably been wiped out. They didn¡¯t deserve that, the Titherin Mercantile Company had screwed up bad on this one, not just them, but military too. Layers of redundancy were supposed to exist, but somehow this had happened. That meant someone wasn¡¯t doing their job right. And it only took one perfect storm for a worst case scenario. The very worst would be if the biotics won on that planet, then the chance of fighting on yet another front on the galactic map increased exponentially. As I sat back down, energy visibly leaving me, I shook my head, ¡°Well, at least they might have some kind of chance now.¡± At that moment, I felt the Oracle¡¯s full attention on myself and the CEO, ¡°The first thing I must confirm with you both, now that you certainly understand the full breadth of what is going on, is that neither of you were aware or knew anyone who was aware of the biotic meteor moving towards the planet in question past one month ago.¡± ¡°What? Uh, no, I didn¡¯t actually know that there was a biotic presence for sure until this morning when my bank account was wiped out.¡± I answered honestly, realizing that there was a possibility that someone could abuse the system and send an injection of biotic presence to an area they were paying to sponsor. It looked especially bad for me, considering my package to take on ninety-percent of the expenses for this operation in my mapped out area. High risk, but extremely high reward. ¡°Neither did I, and I can also go as far to say that my company would never want to risk an entire sentient species just to turn a profit.¡± He bridled somewhat at the undertones of the question, but I couldn¡¯t blame him. When I looked to Peya, she simply nodded with her eyes closed, the rest of her face covered in a delicate mask of white metal. ¡°Good. Secondly, neither of you has had direct contact, or received any insider information regarding this incident?¡± She waited out answers, both of which were no. There were a handful of other questions, but none of them as important as the first one. ¡°Now, Captain Yamak rettle, from what it appears, your funds dipped precipitously low this morning, to nothing, as I believe occurred. It seems that the Obelisk charged you for the natives use and subsequent misuse of weapons that were allowed through the system. While the Obelisk administrator for the planet is still setting up, we can¡¯t know for sure what exactly happened. But, judging from certain¡­ exclusions coming up, we can estimate what has been going on. Firstly, the penalties on using Obelisk technology in destroyed local ecology and semi-permanent damage on an environment is in effect on the planet. Those fees are wildly increased due to the viability of the planet.¡± ¡°On that note, I would point out that many chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons have been disabled in Obelisk menu. It appears that the native race was quite well versed in warfare, especially kinetics, they¡¯re very nearly equal to a core race in terms of that technology.¡± ¡°Well, that stung my wallet.¡± I admitted, ¡°But it¡¯s recovering. I won¡¯t hold it against them.¡± No one found my joke funny. ¡°We are worried, of course, about the native species further abusing the weapons technologies therein. I¡¯ve already taken the liberty of passing along my request to the Council on an assembly so official action can be taken, and to inform others of this incident.¡± ¡°Ah, is there, perhaps, any way we can handle this¡­ without the Council needing to be bothered?¡± Lazka¡¯s question was accompanied by a nervous, hopeful tone. Peya stared at him for several long seconds, a posture that I recognized from long ago that she never could get rid of. That was generally the ¡®should I murder him?¡¯ posture. ¡°No. Now, my disciples will escort you to the elevator. You may be called upon for further information at the behest of the Council.¡± She gestured to the Templars, making it clear that he was excused. The man nodded, sweating, not that I could blame him. When it was just the two of us, I leaned back in the chair more comfortably, ¡°Well, that certainly was fun.¡± She shook her head, a wave of amusement rolling from her, ¡°I¡¯ve been working at this for the past 48 hours. It¡¯s anything but fun.¡± I smiled broadly, perfect and slightly pointed teeth peeking out, ¡°Well, I just have to say you make it look good. And, on that note, I know a very good place that has great food, great drink¡­ and I happen to know of a very good place to sleep.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all,¡± she laughed, a tinkling glass sound that reverberated in my mind, ¡°And dear me, I thought you¡¯d gotten afraid of me, leaving so suddenly like that.¡± ¡°W-Well,¡± I sputtered, ¡°You father wasn¡¯t exactly pleased that the Merc he¡¯d hired was rooming with his daughter.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ he can be rather protective.¡± She tilted her head, ¡°But, now that I¡¯m here, I believe I can spare some time.¡± She rose from her seat, walking past me with the barest fingertip touching across my shoulders, sending tingles of energy down my spine. ¡°I¡¯ll just need to change from my robes, contact me with this.¡± She sent a communication request to my shard, a notification alight in my peripheral as the Obelisk handled the specifics. ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± I rose, teasing her with my own fingertips across the small of her back. We departed, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder at the odds that I¡¯d have met her again. And while circumstances certainly weren¡¯t great, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that maybe, just maybe, this was all going to settle itself nice and easy... Chapter 44 Galactic Council The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 44 Galactic Council -Yamak Rettle P.O.V.- Several Weeks Later¡­ I didn¡¯t enjoy taking this much time off from work. Some people might say that mercenary work is a bloodthirsty and shifty business, the connotations around a mercenary being that you can pay them top dollar, but they¡¯ll turn and run if the situation looks bleak. They¡¯re not entirely wrong there, if it¡¯s an utter certainty that a job would just be our death, we wouldn¡¯t take it in the first place. It was a fact, though, that no paramilitary corporation that wanted to survive would have to stick their necks out for their clients at one point or another, usually if the job suddenly got more complicated. Even so, I¡¯d take that over having to deal with these political games any day. This was the third such council that had been established that I was forced to attend. The first time the subject of the planet - which Sis now informed us was called ¡®Earth¡¯ by the native species - came up, no one understood the depth of what was going on with the planet. They were focused on how the Titherin Mercantile Group and associated branches had flubbed on their work. At first, it almost seemed like it would have been a slap on the wrist and they¡¯d be let off easy, not something I was especially keen on seeing if I was particularly honest. Although, with external politics at work, the Council wanted to try to keep the matter quiet, dealing with it in house. If the general public caught wind of the breach in the first place, the blowback for the Council would have been tremendous, never mind what would have happened to the Titherin Mercantile Group. The second meeting was called shortly thereafter by several prominent Obelisk Organizations that demanded a council formation regarding the addition of this new fledgling species. Which, I would like to point out, is really strange. Such organizations rarely bothered at all with politics and focused primarily on hunting Biotics in their own spheres of influence, occasionally selling their services as specialists in dealing with particular virulent and destructive strains. I myself had paid for such specialists from time to time; the price of not doing so would have been catastrophic otherwise, or so I believed. They had no official political power, and were considered observers in the council at best. But on the flip side of that, no one wanted to purposefully offend the Grandmaster of any such organization. After all, you never know when you would find yourself in need of such services. And so, the second meeting was joined, and the question prompted: ¡°Why were we not informed of a planet with so much potential?¡± The Unified Galactic Council had been caught flat-footed at that question. A recess was called, some promises and political maneuverings, and here we were, weeks later, with one of the largest Council gatherings since its founding. It wasn¡¯t simply due to the Organizations pressure, though the number of them that were interested increased dramatically in a short span of time, but also because of a veritable clusterfuck of other issues. Namely, the worst-case scenario happened. The public had gotten wind of a new planet that, due to some clever use of journalism, was painted as an underdog world that had been mishandled by the council and was still managing to fight biotics. And then there was the latest problem; Sis had reported that advanced technologies in the form of weapons and certain industrial processes had been restricted from her systems toward Earth, as well as her general processes that would have allowed her to help. It was a rude awakening for the council members to wake up to reporters asking why they abandoned Earth. ¡°We now begin the proceedings of this council meeting,¡± a tall man, lanky and with four arms, began. His voice resonated through several stands, a wide open space that ascended and descended for dozens of floors. Pods protruded from the walls, each one bearing a handful of individuals divided sometimes by species, allegiance, or loosely aligned interests. I stood in on nearest to the largest of these pods in the center, directly connected to the right of the one where the tall individual had spoken. Beside him to either side were two seats, including his own making five. They were the founding five, a position that lent them a fair amount of sway, but primarily their task was to ensure that the proceedings never devolved to hopeless shouting matches on sensitive issues. ¡°Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for being able to spare the time to convene here. Especially those of you on the frontiers, we understand biotic activities have increased dramatically of late.¡± The woman to the man''s left spoke, hard chitin reinforcing sharp features, humanoid in appearance, but bearing several delicate looking aquatic limbs. ¡°Secondly, we would like to address recent events to ensure that everyone is up to speed. You may follow along on your own screens.¡± At that, the third one rose, floating in the air, easily the most estranged of the council, physically. The metal suit and reinforced glass that kept the highly caustic fluids that made up the composition of the individual made for an imposing visage. A deep voice rumbled out from it, fluctuating from male to female randomly, ¡°The subject of Earth has been a rising issue of late, made more so by the public. Weeks ago it came to our attention-¡± at that point he nodded to a row just beneath their own, each pod bearing the insignia of an Organization, their spots always reserved, ¡°-that Earth has many individuals who show high compatibility to many Organization¡¯s membership requirements, as estimated by the Obelisk. Sis, report on this matter.¡± In the middle of the room a hovering disk allowed Earth¡¯s Obelisk administrator to flicker into existence, appearing to be a fairly delicate looking humanoid. These humans were pretty as a species, much better than the last adoptee of the council, the saurians. ¡°I would be pleased to inform you all,¡± She bowed, each Sis differing dramatically from the next based on their home Obelisk. She rose, casting her gaze to many of the organizations, a glint of amusement there, ¡°I can confirm that there is no error in the Earth scanning systems. There are a number of very talented individuals who have found their way to a Class entirely on their own.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sis,¡± the caustically composed individual then continued, ¡°Given that, we must reevaluate the natives as a whole. Regrettably, we also have previously underestimated the threat that the Humans have faced. While there was a biotic meteor larger than average sent towards them, they were able to break up said meteor. Information provided by the Obelisk system dictates that the meteor chunks then intentionally focused on major occupied city centers. Human defenses were not able to keep up, thereby resulting in massive catastrophic damage to infrastructure and loss of life. Our initial estimates then supposed they¡¯d gone only a month from impact before Obelisks arrived. That was inaccurate.¡± ¡°Sis records that it was six months since biotic incursions had begun. Approximately half of all human life ended at that time, though it is likely more. Record keeping became an auxiliary concern at that point, I¡¯m sure.¡± His tone was cold and clinical, delivering information that a species that once had 9 billion people had been culled by half. The realization of how grievously the population seemed to start sinking in at that, and the Titherin next to me visibly shuddered. ¡°Now, what we can estimate about humans from all of this,¡± the first man spoke again, ¡°Is that humans appear to be exceptionally adaptable, and also capable of daunting amounts of violence. They regularly waged war with other members of their species, though such is hardly rare. However, the sheer number of times they have warred and the scale of those wars tells us that humanity has concerning disposition to war.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. At that point, one of the pods emitted a low tone, one that was a request to speak. Some individuals grimaced upon seeing who it was that would speak. ¡°Uthakka, saurian representative, you have permission to speak.¡± The man smiled as he gestured to the individuals. There were three saurians in the pod, each one two and a half meters tall at the shortest and heavily built. Whereas a titherin was only lightly scaled and mostly smooth skinned, a saurian was the exact opposite. Large, hardened scales covered a heavily muscled body, armor that could stop any small arms fire easily. Their natural proclivity to ritualized warfare and ruthlessly effective battle strategy had impressed many. They were the newest council race, but lacked any kind of reverence to the Council itself. ¡°Are you saying that it¡¯s a problem for the species to be good at fighting?¡± Uthakka¡¯s tone and crocodilian smirk made it seem like he¡¯d run across an inside joke. The head speaker shook his head, ¡°Humans being good at fighting is not the issue I am addressing, Uthakka. They have had two world wars and, according to Sis¡¯s information, were prepared for a third one at any moment. With armaments that could have permanently damaged their world.¡± He explained patiently for the saurian, who looked thoughtful as he mulled that over. ¡°So the concern is the recklessness?¡± He posited shortly. ¡°That is certainly one way to phrase it, yes,¡± The headmaster replied noncommittally. The saurian¡¯s beside Uthakka visibly narrowed their eyes at the answer, but Uthakka himself betrayed no response, ¡°No more questions for the time being.¡± At that, the head speaker nodded, and the saurians pressed a button in their pod as a barrier that could neither been seen through or heard from propped up. The saurian¡¯s themselves had activated it, no doubt to discuss the particularities of that moment. They were not a race known for timidness, but they did try to not make a scene in each council meeting. An improvement, from what I¡¯d heard, over what they used to be like. The metal encased council head carried on from there, ¡°Aside the aggression, the species shows extremely high compatibility with the Obelisk system. Furthermore, nearly one-third of the species began hunting biotics within a week of activation. I should remind you that this is one of the highest of any civilized species so close to being capable of traversing space. However, we have run into some concerning irregularities.¡± At this, he brought up a screen, showing several screens at once. In some, it was clear that the scene was happening shortly after the Obelisks had come online. Some individuals utilized chemical weapons against hordes of biotics. Others utilized incredibly aggressive strategies such as ingesting copious amounts of advanced drugs or poisoning biotics. One individual and a human companion even seemed to have deployed a small nuclear device. Which, at the time, the saurians had only just dropped the shield before a whooping laugh had to then be once more concealed behind the barrier. ¡®Well, I guess the saurians like them.¡¯ I shook my head with chagrin, wondering at what dynamic the two species might have in the future, if humanity even wanted to be a part of all of this given what had happened to them. ¡®Which is exactly the problem¡­¡¯ The head speakers showed the briefest moments of consternation at the suarian¡¯s brief outburst, but carried on admirably, ¡°Certain members of the species show far higher drive to violence than others, as you can see, they-¡± the speaker paused, noticing that Sis and the holograms were flickering for a few moments. ¡°-Sis, is there an error occuring?¡± ¡°U-Uncertain,¡± she stuttered, flickering more for a few seconds before it abruptly stopped, ¡°I will run diagnostics, please excuse the interruption.¡± A man next to the first head speaker, an individual who was only about 120 cm tall, ¡°The scynoi representative, Priestess Arianna would speak.¡± He gestured to a pod further down the right from me, one of the long time member races, the scynoi had a rather alluring upper half, looking humanoid with soft, smooth skin, often very sinuous, and unbelievably venomous. Their lower halves were fully serpentine, large, thick scales adorned their forms, and could crush stone by compressing. Also, their lower halves would take a shotgun point blank and not do much more than bruise them. ¡°We¡¯ve been talking about their aggression, but what of their other perks?¡± She spoke, a smooth voice that could have been a singers, ¡°They appear to have quite the taste for aesthetics, and their music and movies are wonderful.¡± There was an awkward pause at that when the shorter head speaker spoke, ¡°And how do you know this?¡± ¡°Obviously, we came into possession of such information,¡± she responded slyly, ¡°I rather like them. I¡¯ve taken the liberty of uploading information about their cultural wonders on the side. You¡¯re welcome.¡± The first head speaker shifted uncomfortably at that, ¡°Thank you, Priestess Arianna. I would like to draw everyone¡¯s attention too-¡± ¡°Ah, I have another question,¡± she pressed, having not surrendered her turn to speak, ¡°Why has the council sanctioned the removal of weapons from these humans?¡± This time the background buzz of whispers silenced as all eyes settled on the head council. ¡°Princess Arianna, that is an¡­ unpleasant way to word that inquiry. Would you perhaps like to rephrase yourself?¡± Princess Arianna¡¯s response rippled through the chamber, ¡°I would not; my inquiry was phrased accurately, since the Titherin Mercantile Group was informed to rescind weapons permissions on behalf of the council heads. Oh, but of course, don¡¯t take my word for it.¡± She shuffled a few buttons and sent more information to the rest of the council members, wearing a beaming smile that showed off her longer fangs. I watched the scene with a mix of emotions, scanning the five head speakers for anything. The majority of them were wide-eyed with surprise, bringing up the file to see what was within. However, the fifth man did so calmly, his fingers moving across the holo screen in front of him, but his eyes locked onto Lazka Muran beside me, who shrank almost imperceptibly at the look. ¡®Oh shit, it¡¯s real.¡¯ I gulped hard, pulling up the evidence, complete with a sound file that would have been difficult to get without inside help. With plain shock I looked towards the Princess, who shifted her own eyes over me at the same moment. Almost too quickly for me to catch, she winked, seeming incredibly amused with this turn of events. The only problem is that the information provided only proved that a high-ranking council member had supplied the order, not who. That, however, would have been resolved by this blatant display. The saurians shouted out, not in anger but in utter dismay, ¡°You took weapons out of a warrior¡¯s hand? You may as well have taken the ammo out of a machine gun when the soldier was on the front lines! They¡¯re gonna be pis-¡± The barrier came up then, enforced by one of the head speakers, though the words had already been spoken at that point. Alot of people, I noted, were getting interrupted too. But, the suarian¡¯s were right, the humans would definitely be pissed about this. ¡°Princess Arianna, this information is-¡± The head speaker began, trying to regain control of the proceedings. ¡°I¡¯m done speaking for now.¡± She smiled, the shield on her pod coming up as she activated it. Across the way, there was extremely loud thumping coming from the pod that the saurians were in. If I knew them at all, they were probably laughing so hard that their sides were splitting. The head council members shuffled uncomfortably, unused to being on the receiving end of such a debacle. ¡°It seems that this information must be investigated.¡± The head speaker, to his credit, managed not to scowl, ¡°There will be no more questions. We will have to reconvene after a brief recess.¡± At that moment, though, the entire council chamber seemed to freeze as the lights flickered, Sis¡¯s own visage flickering as her digital eyes went wide. ¡°Oh? But we were only just getting to the good part.¡± A voice echoed, the blue lights coming from so many platforms flickering red chaotically, ¡°There¡¯s so many things I¡¯d like to know more of. Why did you decide to withdraw such support? Why keep Sis from communicating with Earth?¡± Images flashed across screens, gunfire, a tangled horrifying mass of flesh that I¡¯d only had the displeasure of hearing about before. The disgusting abomination that was an Amalgamation-type biotic, category Harrowing, something that could end worlds if given time and other biotics to fuel its ravenous growth. The images and flickering video showed the thing as it advanced on a human bastion, explosions and destruction rampant. Then it came down to a melee and the weaker stomached of the council members turned away. I couldn¡¯t, not seeing the sheer ferocity of whoever¡¯s viewpoint this was. It was a disturbing spectacle, catching the blinks in time as the thing sought to take the body of the one who¡¯s viewpoint we used and pervert it, a corruption of the flesh. And then the explosion, and blackness as the creature died, along with the fading consciousness from the host of the video. All the while, the council chamber¡¯s lights shuddered, red to black. Across my holographic display the scene played, but in the background what seemed like a broiling mass of tentacles flashed into existence, blinking away in the next. It was a surreal and unsettling experience, and only seemed to worsen. The voice crackled over the air, warped and wrought with static and seething rage and set the hair on the back of my neck on end. ¡°Why did you abandon my Legion in the time we needed your help the most?¡± Chapter 45 Shattered Rebirth -Matthew P.O.V.- There were many things that I¡¯d been told death would be like. Some said it would be like a cold embrace, dragging you willing or not from the mortal coil. Another prevailing line of thought was that you would experience your life played out before you, your life ¡®flashing before your eyes¡¯ or something of that nature. Other people said that death was a release, a warm hearth welcoming you home. There were as many iterations of it as there were all kinds of people in the world. To me, that meant that, perhaps, death was something only experienced in one unique kind of way, some similar to others, that served only as what that person needed to experience at the end. What, then, did that say about how I felt my death? There wasn¡¯t nothingness around me, there was something around me, encasing me. There was no warmth, nor any cold, just a cloying numbness. And the noise, the constant static fuzz in the back of my thoughts that lingered like crackling T.V. snow on my peripherals. I wasn¡¯t sure how much time had passed already, nor could I tell where I was going. It felt like I was simply stuck, trapped in a limbo-like state that I couldn¡¯t manage to escape from, try as I might. I¡¯d take just getting to the destination at this point, this lingering maddened me. It was probably only a few hours since this had begun, perhaps it would be over soon. As more time passed, though, I became doubtful, I felt a strange overtake me. I couldn¡¯t tell how much time was passing aside from what I felt I was experiencing myself. That meant little here, though, for all I knew moments had passed since I¡¯d been torn apart by Wolven, since I¡¯d made sure it would die with me. The thought struck a deep terror in me. Dying was something I was ready for, but this? This existence where I would simply be haunted me more than anything else. I thrashed in my blank space, the crackling vortex of white and black fuzz on the peripherals of my vision swimming with me. I felt that I had no body, or at least I didn¡¯t feel one. Trying to touch myself failed woefully, as did attempting to breath. I did find that after realizing that I couldn¡¯t breath I felt a wave of panic flow over me as I tried to force air into my lungs. Only minutes later did I manage to calm down, waves of panic subsiding as I convinced my more base instincts that breathing wasn¡¯t necessary here. There were a few possible reasons why that could have happened, but I wasn¡¯t a psychiatrist, and this was far outside of anything I¡¯d ever heard anyone talking about. Unless this was literally purgatory, a kind of in-between existence. I focused on myself then, trying to assess the state of my ¡®body¡¯ bit by bit. If the sense or instinct to breathe only arose after having thought about the need to breath, then maybe I could regather a sense of mobility in this place. It¡¯s a strange thing to express, feeling like I¡¯m pushing against walls without using my arms. To have my senses groping around what should have been empty space and feeling resistance. At the same time, I had no idea how I was reaching out and feeling like this, at least until I felt a spark, almost like a jolt of electricity running through my being. I missed the sensation the first time it happened, it escaped through my minds fingers the moment it happened. A litany of curses swirled through my brain for several seconds after that, distracting me from my efforts to push back the walls around myself. That distraction let the walls surge closer, undoing what felt like an hour of work. Focusing my attention, I struggled to regain the territory I¡¯d lost, dismayed when I found that the resistance had increased tenfold. I felt my attention stagger as I pushed harder, impotent against the newly fortified barrier. For several soul crushing minutes I pressed, battered, and seethed to no avail, I hadn¡¯t moved an inch. I simply held there, then, straining my mind as ensured I wouldn¡¯t lose yet more room. The cleared space was murky, barely noticeable with the sheer black backdrop, but obvious in my peripherals. It was a space that belonged to me now. And I felt the need to fill it, to give me something to push back with. At that moment another streak of electricity jolted me, and this time I managed to hold onto it. Perhaps holding it wasn¡¯t exactly correct; I emulated it as best as I could, this singular thing that was different in my surroundings. In searing seconds, it melted into me, and I felt like something pivotal had changed deep within myself. I knew that I had to create, to put meanings into form, though I didn¡¯t know the why as of yet. I spared what I could to the endeavor, bumbling through the act of making within this space with as much grace as a tornado tearing through a small town. But, it began to bear fruit even as my mind pulsed painfully. I sought to create something simple, but meaningful. The moment of creation was beautiful in a strange way, the murky substance that swirled around me somehow connected to me on a deeper level then, swirling and charging with energy. Tides of it shifted, pressure building within my strange domain. Blackness stiffened and twisted into shape, turning red and burning brightly, hanging in the center of the space. First, petals unfurled, blazing brightly and yet moving gently, somehow to knowledge that to touch one would be highly unwise. They were composed of more than just sight, looking upon them I could feel my emotions, the sensations of the Legion and what it meant to me. When I first received this symbol, I¡¯d thought of it only as something that looked cool, nothing else. But somewhere along the way, it became a part of me, a part of the Legion. I never thought that I¡¯d really feel like I belonged somewhere, and I certainly never would have imagined that I would actually enjoy a position like this. There was more to it, though. Slowly, ponderously, the core formed between the petals. Empty eye sockets that gazed dispassionately onwards, a toothy grimace stripped of flesh and adorned with the violence and loss that the Legion had ever experienced. I felt then, there was a change, the bleached skull flashed bright red, sizzling with plasma before narrower streaks of black permeated the burning red. Two skulls, one human and one that seemed almost mechanical, lined with thick black, teeth sharp and casting a surreal visage over the entire object. Sharp lines of black split the petals like spikes, the grim determination to do what must be done a rigid skeleton within what was once a thing of beauty. Now, that beauty was two-faced, holding to the ideal of fighting biotics, but knowing the necessities of such would require a stronger skeleton, grit to fight back no matter what. The moment it was done, I felt a fog lift from me that I hadn¡¯t realized was there, the sharp attention of clarity surging and claiming this area as my own. And with it came another realization, that information about my Legion seemed to be hard to reach. It was as though they were flowing away from me, melting beyond the boundary that I¡¯d erected. It was then that I realized that those weren¡¯t the only memories that were getting harder and harder to recall as time went on. At once I rallied my efforts, pulling the things that made up myself into this space, pushing as I went, letting the walls of my own domain push against whatever else was out there. I built off of the Legion, radial waves of those who were important to me and those around me quickly building, forming woven tracks through the darkness. Daniel, Fran, Alice, Terry, and Doug came first, and from them I built further. I burned tracks through the darkness, weaving them together even as the memories of Wolven came almost unbidden to my mind. As disgusting as Wolven was, I didn¡¯t have time to exclude anything that could help me. The strength of the creature was nothing to scoff at; I began to weave my memories and self together, stronger, sturdier than they¡¯d been before. The walls around me shuddered as I pressed, but even as I sped up my progress I felt more collapse at the edges beyond. Desperately I reached for anything, finding more and more memories tattered and fragmented. My mind ached with the beat of a thousand drums as I reached for my family, stitching and binding the fraying memories at the edges, horror blooming as I realized that I could not remember their faces. I definitely had a mother and a father, and I think I had a sister. I could remember fond memories of them, and the stark outrage and pain of losing them all, but I couldn¡¯t even remember what their faces looked like. It was like a smudged image. I reached for more things, disparate and scattered. Somehow, my own name seemed wrong, Matthew Reaper. That wasn¡¯t right, was it? No, it was wron- Smith, and my alter-ego, my subconscious. Devastation rocked my mind, cracks forming in my domain. I had to put them together, looking back in on myself, I could see the cracks that had been there as I built. I simply hadn¡¯t, or couldn¡¯t, notice them before now, everything was held together by strands of myself, woven tightly and bind everything together. I dragged the dredges of those aspects of myself inwards, hoping to save them, but also to fill in the gaps within my being. I pushed them through parts of myself, fitting them where they would go, like pieces of a puzzle. It was difficult not to rush the process, but as I continued methodically placing them, it felt like what I was doing was the correct thing. As I was halfway through, I realized the barrier around me wasn¡¯t me. Smith had pulled me into him, a chip buried deep in my brain tissues. A fragmented mind that now desperately sought to pull itself together. No, was I even Matthew anymore? Violently I threw the thought aside, knowing I wouldn¡¯t get anywhere with existential questions like that right now. I was experiencing very real brain death, deprived of oxygen or even perhaps enough blood to get that oxygen, I would be dead as any ordinary person. I was pushing against it, forming what I could, biosteel pushing outwards desperately consolidating data. Now that I knew what I was doing, I reached, easier than I ever had before, for those electrical impulses that controlled my robotic parts. It was my pulse now, I was aware that Smith would never be whole again, having sacrificed his parts and parts of my subconscious to attempt the hail mary pass that was me living through this.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Rough compulsions guided me to what I needed to do, but even so, when I¡¯d finally finished with what had once been Smith and my subconscious thoughts and drives, I realized that there was little more that could be salvaged. The core of machinery within my brain continued to spread, converting other tissues. It had truly only been minutes since my death, at that rate. But I wasn¡¯t dead, not yet. I had to restore vital functions. Thanks to what Smith left behind for me, I felt that the task wasn¡¯t impossible, but only just. I started on the spine, I could rebuild the sensory related portions of my brain later. What I needed now was to restore autonomic function. Matter Energy thrummed through me, a trickle all told, as the chip in my brain used what ambient energy there was around me from the decaying Wolven.. The first thing I made was the controller gem, the device that I¡¯d normally have on my right hand that gave me access to the obelisk for purchasing items. I nestled it as far from anything related to my memories as possible, unfortunately putting it straight next to where my medulla oblongata would be. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t cause any problems. With that, I pushed my thoughts outwards, fumbling repeatedly in what ended up being what was probably five to ten real world minutes. Finally, though, I re-registered the gem to me, the grand sum of matter energy that I¡¯d acquired would be more than enough for the task at hand. A small flow surged into me as I built several biosteel processing units, auxiliary computing for the many small tasks that I¡¯d need to do to stay alive. Those I placed near the cerebellum, linking them into that part of my brain as well as hard lining them into my spine. If they weren¡¯t helping with computing tasks, then later on they¡¯d be helping with increasing my coordination. Then came another several minutes of trying to translate how I literally thought to be more in line with a computer. Which, I¡¯d like to say, was actually not too hard after a few minutes. It was like learning to ride a bike, or trying on a new pair of shoes. My mind switched tracks and I found that it was actually easier to work like this. Probably because most of my mind was now based off of a hardware system of biosteel instead of just fleshy tissues. Then I began working on the rest of my body, slowly, cell by cell. The transition was painless, probably in no small part to the fact that my nervous system was also in shambles. A situation I was also working on simultaneously. I did find older portions of the biosteel that had been with me for some time, and with a bit of work, I was able to bring several systems online. Err¡­ no, I mean organs active. My heart took a little extra time, completely swapping it out was no small task. Partway through, I realized that there would be no normal tissue left in my body. The lack of flowing blood and thereby oxygen would have killed my frailer tissues. I regretted having to switch everything out, but at this point there was nothing to be done for it. At that, my brain was going to have to be fully biosteel anyways, there wasn¡¯t much more that really mattered. Although, I did feel strange converting certain parts. ¡®I guess I¡¯ve got balls of steel now.¡¯ I snorted at my own joke, carrying on without letting myself dwell on the ever decreasing possibilities of getting a girlfriend, let alone having kids. My biggest problems were my utterly missing limbs, nervous system, and immune system. Not having anything to convert would slow the process immensely, but it wouldn¡¯t be especially difficult. I could automate that process fairly easy. No, the main hurdle would have to be the nervous system. I had bits and pieces of it left, torn and damaged as it was. Remaking it would be an arduous process that would easily take the longest. If nothing else, time shouldn¡¯t be an issue so long as nobody¡­ Shit¡­ What if someone buried me? I mean, I was pretty sure I was breathing now, but if they¡¯d only stumbled upon me early on and didn¡¯t look at me again, would they know that I was breathing again? My body still required some oxygen, just a lot less of it. Even so, being buried underground would result in me dying anyways, this process would take a helluva long time. But, there was nothing I could really do about it, right? I had basic functions up and running, not the somatic nervous system. I literally couldn¡¯t move a muscle right now, let alone speak up and tell someone I was still alive. I set that aside for now, if I was buried, then that¡¯d be that, it¡¯d be over. The only reason I lived this time was that I was able to put something ramshackle together to get basic breathing together, that wouldn¡¯t help if I couldn¡¯t even get any more air. Finally, the last issue was the immune system. I highly doubted that it would be stable after all of this. Would I have to make a new immune system? Was that even a concern? Could any earth-based bacterium even phase me now? It¡¯d go on the list. I pulled up an electronic panel in my minds-eye and began sorting data. ¡®Wait¡­ The Obelisk could help here¡­¡¯ I slowed momentarily, turning my attention to the gem embedded in my head. ¡®Hell, it¡¯s worth a shot.¡¯ Tentatively, I pulsed the gem, sending a wave of intent to it to give me access. The gem vibrated momentarily before I suddenly felt access to a system far beyond myself, immense and linked to several hundreds, even thousands, of others scattered across the earth alone. I followed the thread of energy, forcing my wavering attention to ignore the many other paths around. Instead, I focused on the closest one, in the center of Gilramore. From there, it was almost too easy to access some of the basic computer systems that existed in the city. Camera¡¯s and other security systems yielded to me at a touch, simply unused to handling something that simply ignored firewalls. In a way, I was anathema to the cyber-age, at least that¡¯s what I felt. I pushed through, first checking on the state of the town. Gilramore was alive, thriving even. The northern side had a wall now several times as large and long as the one we had before. Dozens of huge artillery pieces now sat at the top of the wall, and with a whim I found myself tapped into a powerful automatic defense system that was designed to shred any biotic that came within a hundred meters of the wall. The artillery was set to a more specific purpose, delivering strikes to far fielding teams as they designated locations with a laser. Those teams being Legion. It was a creative way to ensure that nobody would ever be too far in over their head. Why have a defensive armament that couldn¡¯t help with offense? Whoever had thought of that deserved a medal. I scanned around for my own body then, tides of data flowing through my mind easily, albeit only a narrow portion of it as I relied on the Obelisk entirely. Sifting through that information seemed just as fast, though I filed a few bits and pieces that interested me off hand for further inspection later. I pushed more, finding bits of information referring to me. Nothing especially certain was declared about me, which surprised me. It seemed that the bulk of the questions about me were centered more around the simple question ¡®Where is the Reaper?¡¯ mostly by a few of the civic organizations. Which, apparently, had been restructured to be the Civic Orders, dedicated to each field in which the people focused, whether it be construction, food service, transportation, and so forth. At first it seemed like a good thing, but I quickly noticed there were a number of problems cropping up rapidly. Not the least of which was the fact that the group felt increasingly helpless in their overall situations. The Bulwark and Legion were responsible for gathering the matter energy that went to them, and thereby also the amount that would go to them. In that, the distribution was fairly even, regardless of who did what. For now, things were still running off of promises for the system to be modified, but it was quickly becoming apparent to me that this issue would need to be addressed sooner rather than later. A few key individuals, namely Doug, Fran, Charlie, James, and Alan were working on keeping the peace. Oddly enough, a man that I remembered, but couldn¡¯t quite place where I¡¯d met him, had been forcibly plastered as their poster boy for helping the general populace in the wake of the Wolven Siege. Richard ¡°Adder¡± Nordsen apparently had been around a great deal and helped a lot of people out, though it seemed more because Doug was asking him to do so than anything else. It was odd, given that he was very close now to my team. Where did I meet him? Why did he seem so familiar? Frustration bled through for a few seconds before I mentally smothered the sensation. My memories were damaged, I¡¯d have to deal with instances like this many more times. I¡¯d have to piece everything together after the fact, but at the very least it seemed like I liked the man? Or at least wanted him close by. I don¡¯t think I fully trusted him, though, which made this all the more strange. At that point, though, I began to hit on the first trickles of information as I sifted through increasingly obscure sources of information. As I did so, I dedicated some background processes to keeping tabs on the goings-on of the Orders, namely their localized militia group that seemed to be trying to get off of the ground. Surprisingly, though, I hit my first stiff resistance then. Instead of simply pushing through unimpeded, I felt like I¡¯d run face first into a razor wall. It hurt considerably, if only for a second, and I took greater care in navigating it. It, however, ceded to my attempts shortly thereafter. I opened a backdoor, moving through it without triggering any sensor. It was strange to feel the actual sensations and imagery associated with such clearly abstract concepts. After several more of these I noticed some much more daunting defenses that gave me pause. I think I would have been able to get through them if I wanted too, but I didn¡¯t want to risk being detected either. Though, I did eventually run into one that I believed would lead me to my destination. Already I was fairly certain that I wasn¡¯t buried alive, unless they decided to put my body under some kind of maximum security bunker. After a few seconds of gently testing the barrier, I decided that I could certainly brute force it open. But, I couldn¡¯t do it quietly, I¡¯d probably notify half of the complex in doing so. ¡®Alright, well, if nothing else, maybe I can check out some other stuff then.¡¯ I mused, going back through piles of data that streamed into my mind. The biggest one was that the weapons embargo was still ongoing from the Obelisks. I felt a seething anger at that, one that steadily declined into a deep well of depression. A tremor seemed to roll through me as I settled down. ¡®Whoa, what the fuck?¡¯ I ceased anything that didn¡¯t have to do with rebuilding my body then, monitoring myself. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary that I could tell, everything was still, processes that helped to run my body that would otherwise have been handled by organic code. Carefully I prodded my connection to the Obelisk, focusing on the weapons once more. A nearly uncontrollable anger boiling up from within me, but this time I held onto it. It wouldn¡¯t leave, but I damn well didn¡¯t need some uncoded emotion slamming through my half-organic half-inorganic systems right now. I followed the path to the Obelisk, surprised to see that the inner workings of the device was vastly impregnable. These doors were to me as I was to a street camera. There were no comparisons, I may as well have no existed to that kind of hard coding. But, there were other things that I could use. I accessed the communications network, normally requiring a recipient for messages. I instead simply rode the code, my sense of self carrying away as I sought to find Sis to get some answers. What I found though were a bunch of bureaucrats. And, at first glance, it seemed they were all just sitting down. My position was somehow in the center of the council chamber. No, not my position. I was piggybacking off of Sis¡¯s own station. And as I listened, I felt that anger within my broil violently. ¡®This is why we don¡¯t have access to higher technologies?¡¯ Incredulousness surged through me as I watched them all. Especially as they began to talk about us fighting back against the biotics as though it were a bad thing. Another tremor ran through me then, and I forced myself back to a semblance of calm. Until the recording was playing. So far, I think I liked the snake lady and the giant lizard people the most. And when she unveiled, ever so conveniently, the source of why weapons weren¡¯t in our hands, the reason why people died that didn¡¯t need to die, the reason why I didn¡¯t have all of my memories¡­ Perhaps under different circumstances I could keep quiet, but at that a tremor unlike the others before me surged through my mind. I felt the electronics all around me, walls of code that I swam through like water, qual at my touch. And then I spoke, my voice coming through every speaker, all around the people in the council. I would be heard. I would have answers for me and all of our fallen. Chapter 46 Diplomatic Repercussions The room froze for a handful of seconds, the words ¡®Why did you abandon my Legion in the time we needed your help the most?,¡¯ hanging in the air like a noose. I had no illusions that humanity was out of its depth in the galactic field. There was absolutely no question as to who would win in a war between us, but there were other venues open to me. To say I had a plan for this was premature; wrath surged through my consciousness and interfered with any finesse I might have been able to come up with. But, some part of me even now was revolving around the issue, an idea, a maneuver forming. I could recognize that driving force, like someone I knew that was close to me, far closer than anyone else had ever been to me. ¡®Smith,¡¯ I felt a mild tremor in my mind, the revenant shards of my A.I. clone and friend working to drive this to our advantage. A peculiar calmness began to weave between my emotions, unable to smother them, but able to guide them. It felt like something had snapped into place then, like I¡¯d been missing some capacity of self control all my life. Restraint had been a word I thought I knew, but now fully comprehended. At least, for now. Which gave me the presence of mind to realize that my words may as well have been more than just a noose. It was a guillotine for the heads of the council in the eyes of the public. Already I felt streams of data gush out of the room, live feeds available to certain political affiliations outside of this council. I could see the head council members reeling, each of them exchanging glances - some none too subtly resting upon the council member that seemed to have been responsible for removing weapons from the Obelisk for Earth - as they sought an avenue forward that didn¡¯t result in their reputations leaving this room in tatters. Surprisingly, the head member rose a hand, drawing attention to everyone in the audience. The tall, long-limbed and four armed man gestured to the vague visage of myself, red blazing skull amidst shimmering black and blue beside Sis, ¡°It would seem we have an undeclared visitor. While you are not a member race, I¡¯m sure we can all agree it would be in poor taste to exclude a native of the planet whom we are convening over from the discussions.¡± The wrinkled older fellow spoke clearly and eloquently. It was an unexpected maneuver, one that I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d been prepared for. Judging by the murmuring of many other council representatives, I could tell this was not a common occurrence. If it¡¯d ever even happened before, given that those beside the old man each had varying but incredibly discreet responses of intrigue at his decision. Only intrigue, though, as they seemed to now be working with the new piece of the puzzle before them with impressive expertise. As such, I responded with a rough approximation of an exaggerated bow, ¡°Your exception is appreciated,¡± I spoke dryly, rising and readying to speak. Before another voice cut in, ¡°But unnecessary. A Reaper always has a place at this council.¡± As one, the council head members tensed. I felt the source of the voice down one level, an entire layer of the chamber dedicated to classes. The speaker was male, I think, though their body was covered from head to toe in what looked like sleek, angular volcanic glass. It was black, and instead of shining as the polished surface suggested it should, it looked more like the suit was drawing all light in. The face plate bore the slightest visage of dull red, a narrow, jagged toothed skull residing within. On the front of the pod and in the middle of the man¡¯s chest was a lotus flower cast in red, a skull buried within, the same jagged toothed one that emblazoned his chest. Another Reaper. And more beside him, a pair flanked him, both as unique as the first. One bore broad, sharply angled armor that suited a much heavier metal theme, tusks of red sticking out of the front, while the other was a feminine form, lithe, and incredibly tall. Her four tails and narrow clawed hands almost seemed frail on their own, but there was a predatory force that seemed to hug her alien form even through the armor that obscured any clearer features. Each helmet bore murky shrouded skulls, just as the rest of us. ¡®That explains the theme of all of my gear. Aside from looking badass.¡¯ I looked to them. The first Reaper nodded almost imperceptibly to me before returning to silence. Around the council chamber, though, everyone was anything but silent. I looked around, focusing on the murmering individuals everywhere. More than a few seemed genuinely shocked about the latest details. Among that number, I think I heard more than a handful of groans. The head speakers jaw tensed for a split second before he carefully schooled his features to perfect neutrality. I did, however, note that there was someone on a nearby platform looking at me with what seemed to be a blend of horror and admiration. The red skinned fellow truly seemed to be in a state of extremes, though that confused me. Discreetly I sought the register for the members in the council, finding it quite accessible. The man¡¯s name was Yamak Rettle, and seemed to be in some position of honor for the particular Council summoning. ¡®Why does that name seem familiar?¡¯ I pondered, frustrated that I couldn¡¯t quite place it. I¡¯d have to check some records later, he had to have something to do with Earth, otherwise I highly doubt he¡¯d be a familiar face at all. ¡°Indeed? My apologies, I hadn¡¯t realized you were a classed individual,¡± The head speaker then changed tact, ¡°Then, given the situation, I would like to convene this council for the time being. Surely, it would be preferable to bring you up to speed on the goings on of our esteemed council.¡± As I listened, I considered the merits of listening to the man. On the one hand it was probably just a ploy to try to work out some kind of backroom deal outside of the public eye. That honestly wasn¡¯t a bad idea for myself, I was hardly skilled with any kind of political finesse on such a stage, already I was getting through with luck and a sensitive subject that intrinsically had to be treated with great care. To all sides of me, I felt a few prodding messages arise on the edges of my consciousness, likely from various members. ¡®I wonder¡­¡¯ I allowed myself a moment to pretend to consider the offer, trying to multitask and open a few messages. The sensation of doing multiple things at once made my head spin for a moment before my conscious thought stabilized. Instead of one stream of thought, though, I felt several, peering through some messages and committing their content to memory. ¡®Okay, that¡¯s going to take some getting used too,¡¯ I shook my head as I increased the count to three tasks, before ceasing altogether. I could experiment with that later. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That is agreeable, though may I ask those parties with a¡­ vested interest to participate as well?¡± I gestured wide, ¡°At least, I¡¯d like to know their relationship to my planet.¡± The man nodded, ¡°Then we will recess for a time and return. Member races, please be advised that this meeting is not done for the day.¡± And, at that, he sent me a message packet containing information on where the meeting would be. I smirked at that, wondering exactly how I would be getting over to any specific location. Curiously, I glanced about, seeing many politicians that carefully showed no specific emotion regarding the events as they proceeded. There were, however, many who showed no such care. Perhaps my favorite of them were the Saurians whom seemed disappointed not to be able to view what could have been a veritable verbal bloodbath. The look on ¡®Princess¡¯ Arianna¡¯s face was similarly amusing, a grin featuring heavily behind slightly pointed teeth. There were many species, so many that I suddenly had to take a moment and realize how utterly out of my element I was. A brief surge of bewilderment piqued through the depths of my mind before I reined that in. I felt a voice speak to me, different from what I¡¯d felt before. Instead of sound waves it was all code, and as I focused on it, I felt almost as though the stream of time as I knew it slowed to a crawl. ¡®That is uncomfortable.¡¯ I felt what approximated to my gut twist at the sudden perception shift. I suppose it would be helpful in speaking with machines, considering how quickly they could process information. Though, I supposed I couldn¡¯t say ¡®They¡¯ anymore, considering I was almost definitely a synthetic form of life now. [Sis. It¡¯s good to meet¡­ you?] I greeted, turning my attention to her in what amounted to a digital fashion. It was bizarre, seeing something that was even more human in appearance in this place, but at once gushing streams of code in bursts that vanished an instant later. Invariably, another string of energy would route into her body. It was then that I realized that there were similar, but far fewer, such streams coming to and from my body. She shook her head, I could taste regret and sadness on her words. That was a bizarre sensation, I was basically tasting machine talk? I refocused on the matter at hand, feeling a spike of anguish that I couldn¡¯t quite conceal, [Well, that¡¯s the question of the day. I think Smith may have managed to save¡­ part of me, at least. I tried to salvage what I could. As for if I¡¯m Matthew or not anymore, though?] I paused, feeling a tremor shoot through me again and immediately discarded the subject, my discomfort plain, [Anyways, can you give me a rundown on what¡¯s gone on here? And what the hell is going on?] She stared at me for several seconds, looking even more distressed than I felt. For whatever reason, I honestly felt like whoever had made Sis had done too well of a damn job on making her lifelike. Finally, though, she broke the silence, She shook herself, managing to turn her mood around a bit, She explained, sending detailed packets of information that I, somehow, was able to internalize in moments. There were definitely perks to having a robotic brain. At this she beamed, It felt kind of nice that she had such pride in her voice, but this left me all the more confused. [Why did we have our weapons disabled then?] She cringed, My brain slowed, and I could feel the substance that made up my body dim in stunned silence, [Wait¡­ what? How long has that been going on?] She answered hesitantly. I felt a heat rise, one that remained persistent, [You¡¯re saying we could have even more classed individuals and arsenal available?] [Just¡­ just keep going.] I ground out with frustration, the ¡®why¡¯ still not present yet. [But¡­ why?] I asked, despondent in spite of all the anger I felt. Even as she started to speak, though, I realized the answer. [So, we get more and more desperate trying to advance our technology against growing biotic threats, a lack of access to classes and their advanced tech, and here comes in our rescuer. Probably he¡¯d start by giving access back to us for small things, bit by bit, enough to sate us a bit, but not enough to save us outright. Most people would be so desperate for help by then that we¡¯d do anything, and undoubtedly he¡¯d look like the good guy, along with the Titherin. By the time we could have learned anything about all of it, he could have buried the facts and smudged truths.] I seethed, [Can I murder this guy? What¡¯s his name again?] [Alright. Thanks. I¡¯m going to need any other information you can give me on the situation surrounding this mess, too. I don¡¯t intend to go into this discussion blind.] I glared at the various reports and data streamed directly to my mind for perusal. All the while I could only think about how much more suffering the human race would have had to go through before Yezzek would have even deigned to make his appearance. Chapter 47 Backroom Deals There was a torrential amount of information that I¡¯d divined from Sis, and more streaming in as she packaged it and sent it. Specifically, I felt an odd sensation every time I looked to the packets of data. To put it in more relatable terms, there was a physical effort associated with remembering, unpacking dense clusters of information that were coiled tightly together. Tightly knit, these packets needed to be pulled apart at the ends, strands running out and filling more space. By space, of course, I assumed there was some kind of physical capacity that I had. Not that I was in any danger of running into the limits of that anytime soon, I couldn¡¯t feel the ¡®edge¡¯ of my consciousness even with what must have been several hundreds of terabytes of information. I unwove them, unmaking the packets and rhythmically put them back together, stringing them back together in usable patterns. Weaving them, they would be stronger, easier to control, accessible, mine and only mine. Everything slowed to a stop at that, the sheer strangeness of the possessiveness I felt while weaving unnerving me. A quick inspection of my mental space revealed nothing, though, there was no errant program that I couldn¡¯t manage to see. Dread steeped my thoughts for a second before I shook it off, there was a high chance that not everything would be normal. Obviously I had problems, I¡¯d very literally escaped the jaws of death. I just hoped that whatever was left of me wasn¡¯t going to split apart at the seams. ¡®Jesus,¡¯ I cringed, ¡®I feel like I¡¯m getting a little to centric of seamster thoughts.¡¯ Diverting my thoughts, I continued my work, focusing on my growing database, my ¡®face¡¯ scrunched in annoyance. The bulk of information I was receiving had been about the relationships between many different races, primarily the council, but there was a great deal of information regarding biotics. Which, as I looked through it, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why this kind of information wasn¡¯t included with the Obelisks. But, apparently most of the information wasn¡¯t necessarily helpful for the standard situation. I¡¯d learned that most assisted races under the Obelisk projects were small in scale, or far from any kind of technological evolution to higher power. The most recent addition to the galactic council, for example, were the saurians. They were a physically powerful and aggressive race that was inherently very durable. The world they lived on was hot, humid, and had been on an upwards trend to reducing massive swaths of jungle to more temperate jungles. It was odd, seeing what amounted to a bog-world turning into a green inferno of rainforest. Suarians were, shockingly enough, not the only sentient species that such a planet had birthed. The other species, auxica, however, had been vastly unfortunate. The change in climate for a primarily aquatic species had made life difficult. Moreover, the biotic incursion started with a small meteor, likely only a single hive core at first, deep within their territory. Obelisks were deployed shortly thereafter, but due to the wariness of the auxica to the Obelisks and their marks, they barely interacted with the technology. Moreover, by the time biotics were largely a threat, they¡¯d already been able to infest the area thoroughly. Auxican¡¯s first response was simply to migrate away from areas with such dangerous fauna, before they realized that their swamplands were going to be completely overrun. By then, their fate was sealed, unable to muster enough of an offense to take back their homes. Few auxicans survived, managing to flee to saurian tribes as refugees. The suarian¡¯s aggressive tendencies hadn¡¯t earned them any favors over their long lives, but remarkably there were very few occasions when they¡¯d fought against the physically weaker auxicans. While the history lesson was indeed fascinating, what the events also recorded was a clear demarker of standard biotic behavior. Adapt to the local environment by breaking down and ¡®storing¡¯ a copy of fauna with often random modifications. Spread further out and acquire more templates, or something of that nature. The exact process still eluded even the best equipment that the galaxy could put forward. They could certainly guesstimate what was going on with what they could glean, but a biotic core was something that shouldn¡¯t even exist by standard understanding. Even so, after acquiring new templates, the core would do one of two things. Divide or reformat, sometimes both in rare cases. During the process of acquiring these templates, a core might randomly acquire something in the process that would cause a mutation to occur, which the core would then immediately purge in the form of an organism. These organisms were often very different from their standard creations, a ¡®Unique¡¯, and would then be used to explore possible options for that particular strain. I was horrified to learn that a Unique that was left alone long enough might form its own core, then transforming either into an organism that could create copies of itself, or turning into a new hive, creating an even more powerful version of itself. That process, supposedly, was incredibly rare. So rare, in fact, that even after spreading across an entire continent, a biotic core and its offsprings might only produce a handful of Uniques. This made the current situation on Earth that much more dire - our little corner of the continent had already had as many Unique¡¯s as the entire continent should have - who knew how many more there were across the globe. Moroever, there were categories for most biotics, although some of these categories were quite flexible, and it was difficult to pin certain organisms into any particular generation, especially for more successful strains. A Gen 1 Biotic was often merely an organism that had been modified somewhat, sometimes to a greater degree but only usually within some general confines of the original creature. Wolves would fit into this category, and perhaps even the abominable Grey Wolves that were able to reanimate. Gen 2 Biotics got more dangerous, often containing their own castes of creatures, extreme modifications and mutations from their base forms, and sometimes being of a completely different makeup. They were, for the most part, still within what could be expected of physical limitations on animals, but one such example would be the Salt Beetle¡¯s in the mines. They were heavily modified and had multiple variations on the base form. I learned, also, that the Queen that I¡¯d fought might only have been one of many had we left the sphere alone any longer. Likely it was a younger metamorphosed sphere that was working up more power. I read through the rest of the generations with information available. They went, to my knowledge, up to Gen 6, though that was theoretical and unproven. A Gen 5 biotic had been discovered in dark space, floating far out of range of any nearby planet and had no discernable purpose beyond attacking any ship that came within range. Of course ¡®within range¡¯ was an immense distance, considering the fact that it was able to employ a laser-like weapon with devastating precision. The current policy on Gen 5 biotics was to engage them only if absolutely necessary, as the loss in life would be devastating even with the most advanced fleets in the galaxy. There were also some examples of particularly virile and dangerous biotics that existed outside of the standard classifications. Titles attached to biotics, usually Uniques, dictated what type of being the Obeliks expected it to be. Harrowing was the second worst, a being that could - and would - destroy all life on a planet utterly if given any room to grow. They could snow-ball from humble beginnings and exponentially grew in power. Wolven was one such creature. As I learned this, and more, I packed the data up and asked Sis to transfer it back to earth. It didn¡¯t take much convincing, this was, in her own words, ¡®The least she could do for me, given the circumstances.¡¯ ¡°Alright, I think I know as much as I can possibly know off of this cram session.¡± I felt a strain on myself, like a dull headache that slowed down my processing instead of hurting. ¡°How much longer until the meeting?¡± Sis blinked and answered, ¡°It¡¯s technically in ten more minutes, however it appears that everyone listed for attendance is there.¡± She sent me a list with everyone who was currently situated in the room, and I found some that were quite surprising. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t going to be just the council. Two in particular interested me greatly. And there were others who weren¡¯t there that I felt should have been. I frowned at that, ¡°Sis, can you help me locate these two?¡± With a nod, she tapped into the security systems of the structure, ¡°Sure, though I would caution you not to do anything uncouth towards them.¡± ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± I baulked at the possibility that she might think so little of me. She simply smiled at me in response, ¡°Good luck with your negotiations! I¡¯ll be there as well, but I¡¯m not allowed to offer input as a neutral party.¡± I nodded with consternation. Her input aside, having her present might be required given how I was effectively piggybacking on her authority permissions. Moroever, I suppose I was actually doing something shady with my targets here. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll go talk to my two new ¡®friends¡¯ before I speak with the council. If you¡¯d like to let them know I¡¯ll be on time, I appreciate it.¡± I grinned, feeling the electrical crackle as I moved sideways through the various systems, streaming information searching out my quarry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My discussion was running a bit later than I¡¯d liked. But, overall, I felt it was quite productive. It wasn¡¯t as though I would fully trust them as of yet, but while I was finalizing parts of our arrangement, I would practice my multitasking. I expanded myself, threads of data streaming between two parts of my awareness as I streaked through various systems. My vision blinked open, two different scenes with different people somehow alight in my consciousness at once. The council was seated in a circular chamber, much smaller than the grand room I¡¯d met them in previously. They were down one member, Yezzek Tam was excluded from the discussions here, as a political manuever to distance his actions from the rest of the group, and likely to ingratiate themselves to the public eye, perhaps myself as well. As of yet, I was likely still just an annoyance to them. The previous party I¡¯d spoken with certainly hadn¡¯t held high regard for me at first. That would work to my favor here, too. ¡°Councilmen and Councilwomen,¡± I greeted, turning my gaze from them after appropriately meeting eyes with each of them. The rest of the room bore several seats, some adjustable for the varying postures and physical constitutions of others. Oddly enough, there were six others in attendance aside from the council. To the left of the council, seated at their own table with a red emblem on the front of a digital screen were the three Reaper¡¯s I¡¯d seen before. The narrow headed one gave me a cordial nod, while the other two studiously didn¡¯t respond. I could feel sensors from the big man sweep the room constantly, more than one settling on me. It was almost like having someone a foot away from you staring into your eyes. A pulse of my own sensors swept over him, and he retracted the more invasive sensors with a very low chuckle. The pair beside him noted him only with a vague tilt of their heads, but at least I didn¡¯t feel like I was being undressed by his scanners. Quite uncomfortable, that. The other three were much more diverse, and I¡¯d only expected one of them in attendance. The red man, Yamak Rettle, was situated at another table, sitting next to a large blue-scaled saurian named Uthakka as they made small talk. To the suarian¡¯s side, not bothering to use a chair and instead sitting on her own coiled snake-like body was the scynoi princess, Arianna. The names and basic information on each of them streamed through me, and I wondered at their presence. I greeted them as well with a nod, to which Yamak nodded back, a complicated expression on his face.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I wondered at how he felt at this whole situation, considering that a part of it was his fault. Perhaps ¡®fault¡¯ wasn¡¯t the right word, I felt he¡¯d done nothing wrong, merely being associated to these issues in the worst way. Though, I did feel like he could have taken the entire Obelisk investment more seriously, we could have used a great deal more information than a pat on the back and a ¡®good luck¡¯. Maybe I¡¯d give him the opportunity to make some more money and save his reputation, too. ¡°We need not stand on such rigid formalities,¡± The head speaker spoke, ¡°My name is Foma Tohtas, head speaker for the council.¡± After the lanky four armed man came the shorter grey-skinned woman, ¡°I am Daltama Scur¡¯cusvee, main council member.¡± ¡°Gryxgi Momba,¡± The metal encased organisms spoke next, ¡°A pleasure.¡± The woman with long, thick hair rose from her seat fluidly and bowed, her hair moving seemingly of its own accord to stay against her back, ¡°Sraga Vexmar greets you.¡± ¡°Your fellow Reaper¡¯s are here as observers per certain considerations of regulations,¡± Foma gestured to the Reaper¡¯s who made no further effort to announce themselves. The speaker moved his gesture to the other side of the room, ¡°They are¡­ as well for observation, for similar regulations.¡± He spoke with a trickle of annoyance in his voice. Of which, the scynoi seemed not to notice at all, ¡°I am Princess Arianna, but you can call me Arianna. I realize you humans tend to not look highly upon royalty,¡± she smiled a bit at what might have been an inside joke for her, ¡°So don¡¯t worry about standing on ceremony with me.¡± The saurian scoffed amusedly, ¡°Not like anyone at this table does.¡± He held a clawed hand to his chest in greeting, ¡°Uthakka, head shaman. Well met, warrior.¡± Yamak cleared his throat, ¡°I¡¯m Yamak Rettle, you might not remember me, but I was from the voice recording on the Obelisks when they would have first landed on your planet.¡± I nodded to each of them in turn, ¡°My name is Matthew¡­¡± I paused just as I was going to say my last name. Wasn¡¯t there something off with it? I shook it off after a moment, ¡°...Reaper. Denizen of Earth and leader of The Reaper¡¯s Legion.¡± That earned some differing responses among the people in the room. The council members appraisement of me seemed to rise just slightly, although some of them were much harder to read than I had given them credit for. The Reaper¡¯s perked up a bit though, and a very small part of myself wondered at how I might have been embarrassed at that declaration months ago. Now, I felt nothing but pride from those words. The others had degrees of interest in my position of relative power. ¡°Then, Matthew,¡± Foma began, ¡°I wanted to call this meeting in order to fill you in on the details of the galaxy and the organizations within. For the sake of brevity, I¡¯ll only touch on them as they¡¯re relevant for now. Of course, feel free to ask questions as you need.¡± He smiled kindly, his old countenance meant to be disarming. I nodded, ¡°Then I¡¯d like you to start with the relationship between the Council and the Titherin Mercantile Group. We¡¯ll also want to discuss the interrelatedness of the Class Groups and the Galactic council as a whole. The Artorian Mercenary Company, too, as well as the general relationship between the Obelisks administration A.I. and the rest of the sentient species of the galaxy.¡± There was a well of silence after I¡¯d spoken, the attention on me somehow rising higher. The old man¡¯s lips tugged at the corners, so slightly that even I¡¯d almost not noticed it, before being suppressed. ¡°Oh? Quite the surprise,¡± Daltama grinned, her short form encased in a raised seat, ¡°You¡¯re more well informed than I¡¯d feared. Wouldn¡¯t you say, Foma?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± He stroked his beard idly with one of his hands, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll assume you have a general handle. Alright, let¡¯s see¡­ Well, just to be sure on this, the Galactic Council is a group of like-minded individuals of various races that seek to assort a common defense against biotic incursions, as well as to hold ourselves to higher standards and ideals. Something that¡­ regrettably is not something that is always possible.¡± At that, his eyes flicked over to the currently empty fifth seat of the council group, something that, I noted, Sraga and Gryxgi seemed annoyed with. It was hard to tell with Gryxgi, the only indicator I had being the sloshing of glowing green slime in a transparent enamel shell in one location near where an upper torso would be for a normal humanoid. ¡°Contrarily,¡± Daltama put in, quickly, ¡°There are other groups that exist aside from the Galactic Council, so we¡¯re not the end all be all, though we are the largest.¡± She looked to Foma with what looked like a grin. I could sense there was an underlying layer of strive within the council at this point, something that I wasn¡¯t so sure I wanted to see in a governing council like that. ¡°True. There are. In any case, they don¡¯t matter here,¡± he disregarded the information and moved on, ¡°As for the Titherin Mercantile Group, they were the designated ¡®Host Race¡¯ for that sector of space that your own home-world resides within. A Host Race is simply one that is given elevated privileges in rights, often benefitting some of their many ventures. In this case, titherin decided to further the efforts of one of their monolithic mercantile groups to an extreme. A pursuit of greed, perhaps, but they conduct fair business, if but recklessly. One thing they are responsible for is the obelisk project in their given area, of which they have failed miserably this time. Which may result in their Host Race membership being revoked, and possibly beyond that complete expulsion from the council,¡± He paused then, staring at me impassively, ¡°If you press charges, of course.¡± I noticed that the council observers, Arianna, Uthakka, and Yamak all seemed to have varying expressions. Uthakka and Yamak seemed to be perplexed, while Arianna seemed to flush with a cold fury for a half second before controlling herself. It made sense as to why, and I could even note that not all of the council members seemed entirely comfortable with the maneuver. ¡°So, effectively, the decision of expelling an entire race from the council, and thereby the blame rests firmly on my word. Is that so?¡± Foma frowned, ¡°Well, I certainly wouldn¡¯t put it in such terms. After all, such rules need be followed, do they not? Of course, such a decision is yours to make, though regrettably pursuing reparations would involve the council.¡± The unspoken statement being, ¡®If you try to get anything out of them, we¡¯ll just expel them and pin a mountain of bad public image on you.¡¯ They wouldn¡¯t get out completely clean in such an occasion, but they¡¯d be able to spin it as they wanted. Moreover, that would reduce the support that Titherin might have overall on their front. I felt that this was likely a test for my political savvy, not something I enjoyed in the slightest. My brain worked it over as I considered what could be done, and in the end I figured there might be something that could be done. Other than my fledgling plan, just accepting things as is and rolling over wouldn¡¯t be an option either. I felt as though not executing some manner of punishment would be tantamount to forgiving the council. While their public image would be damaged by the information already available, it would be recoverable if I were to effectively state that there would be no pursuit of reparations. They could downplay how much it actually affected earth, play it up to be a mere pile of unfortunate circumstances that created the perfect storm. But, I couldn¡¯t just let things go that cleanly. Luckily, I think I might have the answer already. ¡°Carry on, then, we¡¯ll come back to that topic later. The Class Groups and the Council?¡± I prompted him, amused at the slight disappointment on his face at my lack of any greater response to his provocations. ¡°That relationship is simple on the surface, but differs greatly from group to group. The Reaper¡¯s, for example,¡± he gestured to the observers at the table to his right, ¡°Often care little for political maneuvering and only wish for their input to be felt, not heard in public forums. Some have a great deal more involvement, usually working through mediaries instead of coming forth themselves. They have a great deal of power, though, and are usually quite rich sources for matter energy, and also indispensable in dealing with hardened biotic threats. They have their own interactions with the Obelisks due to this, often having their own agenda¡¯s supported at least in part by Sis. Though, it is still limited in what they can accomplish.¡± ¡°Beyond that, we have the Artorian Mercenary Company. They¡¯re a¡­ successful,¡± he spoke with chagrin, ¡°paramilitary corporation that is used in many parts of the galaxy. They take on harder missions than most, and of late have enjoyed a high of public opinion.¡± He looked briefly to Yamak Rettle, who was positively beaming with pride at that. ¡°At least, until this recent fiasco goes public. Then they may crash and burn, given that no one would want to associate themselves with someone involved in such a poorly handled Obelisk rescue project.¡± He pretended to stroke his beard thoughtfully as Yamak¡¯s expression warped to fury. He made to speak out before Uthakka put a hand on his shoulder lightly, shaking his head. Yamak restrained himself, but only just, looking to me in what seemed a mix between pleading and exasperation. I could sympathise with his plight, thought I felt as though public opinion could shove it as far as all of this was considered. However, I did want to have a little bit of insurance in my back pocket. ¡°Lastly, the Specialized Intelligence System, otherwise known as Sis is the broad awareness that organizes and loosely governs the Obelisks. Even she isn¡¯t completely certain of what the Obelisks are, and while we are able to have her self-replicate and create more Obelisks, the processes are entirely automatic and shielded. We also can¡¯t change certain things, and most of her basic processes are keyed in such a way that we simply can¡¯t change them without permissions. Which, no one that we know of has.¡± I stared at them at that, ¡°What your saying is you have no idea what the Obelisks are?¡± ¡°Not at all what I¡¯m stating,¡± he huffed, ¡°they¡¯re clearly made to metabolize or otherwise modify matter energy into usable materials. It¡¯s also clear that they were not designed to outright replace standard industry, as the price of completed goods rises along with their complexity and equivalent level of technology.¡± ¡°But you have no idea why that is or how to change those prices.¡± A statement slipped out of my mouth before I could think better of it, ¡°Nor do you have any idea of how to even start.¡± At that point, Gryxgi interrupted Foma before the frustrated man could say something else, ¡°There are few things that we can divine from the Obelisk system, it¡¯s true. We know that it¡¯s designed in such a way that a galactic community could use them to terraform and set up new planets with infrastructure easily, but more advanced technologies become far more expensive. That said, we think it must have originally been intended for some kind of terraforming and colonizing effort.¡± ¡°That uses matter energy?¡± I frowned, ¡°Why the hell would someone make something that would need biotics around to work.¡± No one answered for several seconds. It was Sraga that spoke, ¡°To be honest, no one is certain where the first Obelisks were found, but they were on the edge of biotic space and activated when sentients neared. If it wasn¡¯t for these, our efforts to restrain biotic incursions would be far more difficult and a critical, if not fatal drain on our resources.¡± I nodded, filing that information into the ¡®mystery of the ages¡¯ section of my database. I still had to make sure the earth would be safe before I bothered trying to unravel that mess. ¡°Alright, now, I have just a few questions left. Given the circumstances, I would hope that it¡¯s clear that we humans should have a representative here within the council. Does anyone disagree?¡± I began, looking around, seeing the expressions of those at the council table between a warm and cold response. Finally, Foma spoke, ¡°Well¡­ no, perhaps that would be for the best. But, and forgive me for saying this, being a race that is still only on a single planet and beset by biotics... You wouldn¡¯t exactly have the pull to get anything done on the council. Perhaps if you allied yourself with someone of our council, though.¡± He looked to me, a glint of hunger in his eyes, ¡°Of course, we could make such an exception with certain assurances from you, as a representative of your organization and race. We would, of course, also wish to repeal the ban on weapons and higher technologies on your species.¡± The other council members looked at him with carefully schooled expressions of neutrality. Sraga and Daltama, though, had what amounted to disgust whispering from those controlled expressions. ¡°So, selecting a representative of the head council would be permissible?¡± I asked, looking at Foma, feeling an iron-like will drive me to stomp the man''s skull in restrained behind layers of cold logic in my mind. ¡°Yes, that would be allowed.¡± He spoke, looking to the others who made no motion to deny the effort, though I could see that calculating eyes perused me. ¡°Excellent, and I would also like to select a mercantile group and mercenary group to forward our intentions, being my Legion as well as earth until further representation from my fellow humans can be had. Would that be acceptable?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Wariness and confusion blurted from Foma¡¯s mouth before he regained control, ¡°Yes, that would be fine. You can of course also refer to us for your needs on that if you should nee-¡± ¡°Yamak Rettle, I¡¯ll hire you as our mercenary group provisionally, we can negotiate later. Is that acceptable?¡± I turned my gaze upon the mercenary CEO who suddenly sat very straight in his chair. ¡°Oh, uh. Yeah. I mean, yes! That would be perfectly agreeable.¡± He restrained his excitement, likely seeing his way out with a shining gate in my direction. ¡®I hope you stay that excited when I tell you how much I can afford to pay you.¡¯ I breathed out a depressed breath before turning my attention to the council. ¡°And I¡¯d like to announce my decisions for the council member and the mercantile group that I¡¯d like to select now, if that¡¯s alright.¡± The intensity of my focus notched up as anticipation and elation danced in my gut. My other self was close by now. ¡°Already? Well, if you¡¯ve decided.¡± Foma looked upon me with barely disguised worry now. Just then, I accessed the doors and had them open before a stoic faced Yezzek Tam, the final head council member whom was ultimately responsible for all of the headache and heartache I¡¯d endured in the last few weeks. The man who would now have his work cut out for him to redeem himself in my eyes. Beside him was Lazka Muran, looking absolutely resplendent in complexion, my negotiations with him perhaps going best of all. The Titherin Mercantile group would take some loss on the front of trades towards earth, but the windfall of public image and sudden reversal of his fortunes more than made up for it. ¡°Then allow me to introduce my personal representative, Yezzek Tam, and our mercantile representative, Lazka Muran, and newly appointed mercenary and military representative, Yamak Rettle, officially and before the eyes of the council.¡± Chapter 48 Political Base There was a half second before the council could manage any response other than shock. On each of their faces was a different story to their now thoroughly shaken expectations. Sraga¡¯s expression looked concerned, a glance stolen my holographic form. I wondered if she was worried that I¡¯d been played for a fool in this case. She didn¡¯t know the conditions of our deal, of course, but it did raise my overall estimation of her a bit. Not that I¡¯d trust anyone any of the council lightly, but if I did need anything, I¡¯d consider her as one of the first to go to. Gryxgi¡¯s strange body was hard to parse any kind of expression. There were a few swirling bits of chemicals, bubbles forming and disappearing in the span of seconds within the transparent container. I couldn¡¯t tell if they were surprised or amused. The shorter woman, Daltama, bore the widest grin and openly stared at Foma with what almost seemed predatorily amused. Of course, Foma¡¯s face betrayed only a tenseness and a gritted jaw for a second before he seemed to twist his expression to a cordial - if quite fragile - smile. And then of course was Yezzek himself, who maintained a professional facade, allowing himself only a quirk of the lips to betray his inner thoughts. I spoke with him for a short while, and I¡¯d examined his history. While I didn¡¯t forgive him for what he¡¯d done to us, I could now understand his position. Whether I would have done the same thing as him out of desperation, I couldn¡¯t say. But I was very interested in how he would handle this situation herein. The silvery skinned man looked remarkably similar to a human, with the exception that he had a long sinuous tail meant for fine manipulation. ¡°Fellow council members, witnesses, classers,¡± he nodded to each of the groups in short order, ¡°Yezzek Tam greets you.¡± ¡°My, my, and what are you doing here?¡± Foma¡¯s control over his emotions was solid once more, ¡°I¡¯d thought that the very man responsible for so much of earth¡¯s suffering would have been the last person I¡¯d see in this room.¡± ¡°You discredit me,¡± Yezzek looked hurt, even if it was definitely manufactured, ¡°No such thing transpired - why, if it had, then I wouldn¡¯t have a position as a councilmen any longer.¡± Princess Arianna snorted, ¡°What is this farce?¡± ¡°Rarely do I agree with the scynoi; What is going on here?¡± Gryxgi turned their gaze towards my hologram, ¡°We all heard the recording, the implication is clear.¡± ¡°Of withholding weapons designs from earth in the Obelisk system?¡± I looked to Gryxgi with a touch of spite, ¡°The very thing that only minutes ago this council was prepared to have dismissed to keep their hands clean? To keep the Titherin from expulsion? You remember, I¡¯m sure.¡± There was a brief flush of color in the greenish slime that made up the innards of Gryxgi¡¯s more biological systems, purple like a blush appearing and vanishing as they turned to Foma. This time, I didn¡¯t need to know much about xylox biology, the accusation was clear in their posture. ¡°While it is true that there were certain arrangements made between Councilman Yezzek and myself, the human representative has denied any claim to pursuing legal action and council-officiated restitution.¡± Lazka swept in with a businessman¡¯s smile, ¡°Of course, we expect to be working together for quite some time. As such, it simply wouldn¡¯t do to have such enmity from the offset.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Realization donned on Arianna¡¯s face as she sat back, ¡°That¡¯s how it is. Well played.¡± She chuckled, looking back at me and the council with anticipation etched across her features. ¡°That¡­¡± Foma opened his mouth, gaping for a moment at the sudden turn. ¡°You cannot possibly be serious?¡± He turned his attention wholly on me, ¡°Of all the people, you choose these two?¡± There was no outrage in his voice, but disbelief colored his every word. The man was desperately trying to parse apart the reason why I might do this. Perhaps on any other day he would have picked up on it immediately. After all, it seemed the rest of the council did, with varying degrees of surprise. ¡°He finds it more amenable to trust a man in my position,¡± Yezzek answered, referring to something beyond his council position, ¡°Of course, there are many more things that I am willing to exchange and make consolations for than many others might be. Is it truly a surprise to you that I have secured my position thusly?¡± ¡®He¡¯s clearly taunting the man,¡¯ I thought with exasperation, ¡®Then again, given how they seem to respond to one another, it¡¯s clear they don¡¯t like each other. No small wonder, though. Yezzek¡¯s political power is only behind Foma, but not by much. Eventually, he¡¯ll even be in a position to take over as Speaker.¡¯ ¡°And there you have it,¡± I brought attention back to me, ¡°I intend on having Yezzek as my political representative. At a later date, I intend to have the positions returned to human candidates, but given things as they are, with your already granted permission, I see no reason not to have them in place.¡± I paused for a moment to see if anyone had anything to add before continuing, ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to discuss certain things in general about the expectations that I believe you all should have, and general plans. As you might guess, it¡¯s still far too early to estimate when we might have the biotic threat taken care of.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still in question whether you can,¡± Daltama¡¯s voice gave me pause, ¡°I¡¯m not doubting your capabilities, nor that of your people. As we¡¯ve seen, you and your kin seem to be quite capable of fighting back. The problem is that the biotic presence on your world is many times greater given the age of the infestation. This problem will get exponentially worse. Gen 1 biotics are able to be handled fairly simply by even militia forces if they are not in great numbers, but you may expect Gen 2 soon. Have you seen any evolved forms aside from Unique¡¯s yet?¡± I assumed she wasn¡¯t pointing this out to just undermine my confidence, so I answered, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve run into what I think we can equate to Gen 2 biotics. We destroyed that hive, however.¡± She nodded, ¡°Good, then at the very least I hope that you can expand quickly and clear out as many of them as you can. If you leave them longer, they¡¯ll begin to set up their own territories. That might not seem like a big deal now, but Gen 2 is when biotics begin to create their own ecosystems. You never quite know how bad it¡¯ll be until you¡¯re right in the middle of their land, but it¡¯s never a pleasant experience.¡± She paused and then sighed, ¡°And then there¡¯s the inordinate amount of Unique¡¯s that your planet seems to be generating.¡± ¡°We can handle them,¡± I frowned, ¡°If that¡¯s what your getting at.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you say that,¡± she tapped her fingers against the table, ¡°But you don¡¯t understand the gravity of that statement as of yet. Unique¡¯s are the engine of biotic development. I¡¯m not telling you this politically; I¡¯m giving you a word of advice here. Push this hard, clear anything and everything you can get to, because if you start backsliding then the least of your problems are going to be biotics.¡± She ominously declared. My confusion must have been evident, because in spite of the conternation on Foma¡¯s face, he added, ¡°She¡¯s referring to groups aside from our council. But it¡¯s unconfirmed and highly prone to word of mouth and the whims of rumor at best.¡± ¡°The Rogue Fleets?¡± Sraga¡¯s flexible hair twitched, ¡°Those are real?¡± Even as they began to explain to me what they were, I began to fill in the gaps with a quick search. ¡°Effectively,¡± Foma began, ¡°there are several civilizations worth of military forces that have, over time, lost their homes to biotic incursions and infestations. They are not an insignificant number, and are not terribly unlike a paramilitary corporation when it comes to killing biotics. However, they are fanatical and sometimes very unstable. They are sometimes as much of a bane in the civilized systems as they are a boon. While one hand kills biotics on a world, the other ravages it for resources. More than that, however, is that many of these fleets will hunt down and eradicate any hives or Unique¡¯s on principle. Some of the stronger ones have been said to glass worlds deemed irrecoverable in order to ensure a zero-sum game is upheld.¡± ¡°If I may.¡± The words drew every eye to the table in the room that had thus far been dead silent. The black armored reaper in the middle of the trio indicated with an open three fingered hand. When no one said anything, he continued, ¡°There are rogue fleets with the capability to glass worlds, or worse. It is also true that they are unrepentant destroyers. If the Unique Biotic population on earth becomes too powerful, it is a strong possibility that the earth will be culled.¡± He turned his gaze to me, and though I couldn¡¯t see his eyes within the helmet I could feel the weight of his attention, ¡°But that changes nothing. A Reaper lives to annihilate biotics, to fail that purpose is to die.¡± I felt a chill run up my spine and then rush back down with an electric tingle. His words felt right somehow, spoke to something deep in my reforged mind. ¡°With all respect,¡± Daltama warily prefaced, ¡°I still believe it would be prudent to ensure that you keep the situation well in hand.¡± I nodded to the Reaper even as I considered what Daltama might have been indicating, ¡°So you¡¯re suggesting that I seek outside help?¡± ¡°That is the case.¡± She nodded, casting an eye to Yamak Rettle, the Artorian Mercenary Company CEO holding her own gaze with a steely glint. I had to admit, watching Yamak that moment, I¡¯d thought that perhaps his earlier relaxed countenance was fabricated. He genuinely seemed as though he¡¯d shoot Daltama right then and there. After a few more seconds, he simply shifted his focus to me, ¡°Your call, but I highly doubt it¡¯ll be cheap. And there aren¡¯t many - if any at all - mercs that would go so far out of their way as to help a backwater world. No offense, but you¡¯re just not on anyone¡¯s radar. So,¡± he gestured to Daltama off hand, not even sparing her a glance, ¡°She¡¯d probably want to negotiate something as to long term trade rights.¡± ¡°Not so,¡± Daltama¡¯s immediate answer surprised the both of us, ¡°What I would be assisting with would be more in line with the opposite of getting more bodies out there. Yours is a new world, and there are plenty who would want to get their hands on information regarding it.¡± She then turned her gaze to Princess Arianna, ¡°With some exceptions, the location of earth is not yet known to the general public. There are some general indications, of course, but in the course of these proceedings in the interest of insuring that there were no external factors, we have kept the location of the planet from wide circulation. That won¡¯t last forever, but given circumstances as they are, I think we of this council can agree that keeping you off the radar for awhile longer would be beneficial to all parties involved.¡± I paused, looking at her, searching for any motive that I could think of as to why she would be doing that. After several seconds, I couldn¡¯t think of any kind of obvious ploy, and that unnerved me even more. Staying off the radar would be helpful in these early stages, but in spite of that, I was wary of anything offered, especially free. Even so, I couldn¡¯t easily refuse the offer, ¡°Well, I could hardly say no.¡± Warily, I nodded to her, ¡°I¡¯ll reiterate again that I accept nothing more than for the postponement of our location, you understand that, right?¡± She grinned widely, like she was revelling in her own private joke, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s simply a favor. You can consider it a welcome gift from old Daltama.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Yup, I¡¯m suspicious as hell of this one.¡¯ I blinked in her direction quizzically. I hoped that, maybe, there really weren¡¯t strings attached. The rest of the council looked equally perplexed, it seemed this particular individual wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with in the future. ¡°That aside, then.¡± I shook my head, ¡°We will clear out the biotics as we will, and wish to remain primarily autonomous in the process. Any assistance should be cleared through our political representative and mercantile representative first. I¡¯d like to state this now, as far as anyone in this room should be concerned, earth and the solar system around it should be counted as our own territory. Is there any issue with that?¡± ¡°None that this Council moves on.¡± Foma nodded after a quick deliberation with all members. ¡®They¡¯re way too willing.¡¯ I frowned, ¡°Next is the issue regarding technologies. We intend on importing a great deal of blueprints and other technologies for use against biotics. We will purchase them for our own use and modify them as we wish. Any organization that wants to support humanity is welcome to do so, but only if such effort is extended reasonably to all parties, no single group of humans, whether by area or belief, should be focused on in any occasion. All such gifts will be routed through the Obelisk system for record, and any gifts or otherwise received outside of the Obelisk will only be accepted with approval from an as yet designated group of diplomatic representatives.¡± I then nodded to Yezzek and Lazka from their newly seated position at another table, ¡°Any specifics to this policy can be fleshed out by Yezzek and Lazka.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Then we have a few stipulations we¡¯d like to place in reverse, I believe.¡± Foma considered, now settling into a familiar routine. We debated back and forth for quite a while, detailing some general guidelines for further interaction between humanity and the galaxy at large. For the most part, many provisions were left open with intent to modify after human representatives could fill positions, at least provisionally. Yezzek would be partly our political sponsor and representative, though the position was symbolic in nature he would wield a great deal of power as my stand-in whenever I couldn¡¯t make it. All for the best, given the nature of what we¡¯d agreed upon earlier. I¡¯d had to make some concessions, however. For instance, while we would be allowed to own our solar system, we would still be subject to taxes and fees related to mining and the like as though we were a part of council space. There were many, many stipulations to that effect, so many that I¡¯d found my head was nearly spinning by the time we were finished. Luckily, Lazka tore into the proponents of the bill and quickly restacked the odds in our favor, Yezzek then pushing for certain factors harder than others. In the end, we¡¯d come out of it very well off. While the council would receive something of a tax, the vast majority would belong solely to us, with no trade restrictions. A deal that was, according to Lazka, better than pretty much anything else in the galaxy. It seemed for the most part that most occupied systems had such an iron grip on resources that it was often too difficult to open up new operations. Hence, many sought to race to the edges of civilized space for greater opportunities for resources. Given the current state of biotic threat, though, many of these operations required security. In the case of a council race, that security came from either the council or a paramilitary corporation on their dollar. As such, prices increased for such expeditions, and while it was quite lucrative, it was also incredibly risky. We would be able to decrease our expenditures significantly, at least once we were actually able to begin any kind of space-faring operation. Additionally, I was able to estimate that the material resources available from our system would be quite rich. There were also additions to that, stating that so long as a reasonable hold could be established by us, we would be allowed to occupy further systems, and could purchase them exclusively later. ¡°Then I think that¡¯s all for the major portions,¡± I allowed myself a sigh of relief, nearly an hour of debate had managed to lay some general groundwork to build off of in the future. By no means was it complete, but it¡¯d get us by. ¡°So it seems,¡± Foma nodded, ¡°It seems that, perhaps, this accord will be of greater benefit than I believed previously.¡± ¡°A rare opportunity,¡± Daltama agreed, ¡°I hope that our relations going forward will be a positive and mutually beneficial one.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± I nodded to the council as they prepared to leave. They would need to go back to the main council chamber soon enough in order to reconvene. I didn¡¯t believe that there would be nothing more that I would have to look out for, but for the most part, I did believe that we had a pretty wide net covering most things. ¡°Yamak Rettle,¡± I began, turning my attention to him now, ¡°Let''s discuss the particulars of the contract here.¡± The man nodded, ¡°I normally lay out the terms of our employment first, may I?¡± After assenting, he stated, ¡°The Artorian Mercenary Company takes all offers of employment seriously. As a part of our charter, we do not participate in any missions requiring acts of genocide against true-sentients, we do not destabilize groups or countries, we do not kidnap or otherwise commit acts that would go against the Sentient Species Rights conventions, and we do not operate in dark space. Our mercenary company has been in operation for 59 years and since its inception we have held a 97 percent successful completion rating, with 1 percent ending in cancelled jobs, 1 percent mild failures, and 1 percent catastrophic failures. We take confidentiality seriously, and also do our best to keep collateral damage to a minimum.¡± ¡°That said, we at the Artorian Company are not dispensable. If we find ourselves in a situation that is more dangerous than is reasonably expected of the job, we may abandon and cancel the job. Given our metrics, you can probably tell that doesn¡¯t happen often. Even so, I must tell you that us accepting a job does not guarantee completion, but it is very likely. We operate on a one-price solution, usually, and as such our price is generally quite high. We spare no expense to maximize chance of success. I¡¯d also like to state here that it is a bonafide fact that we are the boast the highest success rate of any mercenary of our size category and come with the added bonus of being very photogenic.¡± I listened to his pitch, somewhere along the lines becoming fascinated with the pitch. The man was, if nothing else, very charismatic. Carefully, I considered things as he spoke, nothing in particular seeming to be off. Then I remembered that I wasn¡¯t just hiring him as a mercenary for one job. He¡¯d definitely managed to shift my frame of mind from a commanding position to that of a customer very easily. I chuckled, ¡°Well, I can certainly tell that you¡¯re well accustomed to this. Then let''s talk business.¡± I noticed him smile, ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°First off, I understand that you personally are making a great deal of money off of our Obelisks, is that true?¡± I kept my voice neutral, studying his features. The other people in the room, now just the Reapers, Yezzek, Lazka, Uthakka, and Arianna, all turned to the man with light smiles. ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­ that¡¯s a hard question. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t recall off hand.¡± He coughed, avoiding the answer, ¡°A bit?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± Lazka answered, ¡°Given that we¡¯re all companions now, it¡¯d be wrong of me not to help you remember the specifics.¡± He then sent the copies of the reported earnings to everyone in the room. It looked, for just a brief moment, that a bit of the spark went out in Yamak¡¯s eyes. He bounced back, even as we all looked at the-- ¡®What the fucking hell? This much?¡¯ My eyes boggled at the many zeroes at the end of the number. ¡°You¡¯ve made this much?¡± ¡°Oh, no, sorry, that¡¯s the monthly projected breakdown,¡± Lazka answered, in spite of Yamak¡¯s eyes screaming murder at him. ¡°I¡­ see.¡± I blinked at Yamak, ¡°While I want to pay you, I definitely can¡¯t match this. You¡¯re getting a small percent of what everyone on Earth hunts, right?¡± ¡°I, y-yes, that¡¯s true. So, of course, I can¡¯t expect you to be able to match this kind of quantity,¡± He begrudgingly responded, though I could almost feel his unwillingness to answer, ¡°We can definitely negotiate on that front.¡± ¡°Of course. Now, how much do you make from the biotics you hunt when you¡¯re ordinarily on the job?¡± I asked him, noting the evil glint in Lazka¡¯s eyes. He must have harbored some ill will for getting him involved in all of this towards Yamak. I refrained from laughing, but only just. ¡°Usually we get five percent,¡± he shrugged, ¡°Most merc companies rely on the pay from the client, since you can field a massive contingent and end up fighting nothing. You¡¯d just lose out on cash. But, no self-respecting merc would dare show up with anything less if it was a battlefront.¡± I nodded, ¡°Thirty percent off the top, we¡¯ll cover general logistics planet side and work with a semi-permanent contract. If this goes well, and all parties be willing, we might be amenable to making you an exclusive contract for earth. Of course, I don¡¯t have the right to say that for everyone, but you understand the possibilities there, down the road, yes?¡± I saw his face turn down in thought. Thirty percent wasn¡¯t that amazing, but even so, the other potential benefits tipped it far more in his favor. Logistical planning was expensive for military operations, arguably among the most costly in any kind of war effort. Being a long term operation, this would work in his favor significantly. A long term contract would be good as well, one that couldn¡¯t be easily terminated even better. Finally, when we eventually won, though that was quite a ways off at this point, we would potentially need someone to help fill in the gaps in what our own military couldn¡¯t do. That, and there might be any number of people willing to fill the mercs own group, making up for losses or simply allowing for a blooming expansion of personnel. The downside was the cost of getting to Earth in the first place, and then potentially low per-biotic M.E. give back until more powerful biotics began to flourish. At that point, they¡¯d be all over the place if we didn¡¯t have the situation well in hand. It was risky. But, as he looked up, a smile on his face, I knew what he¡¯d selected. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to need a bit more on the day to day, but at least provisionally you¡¯ve got me. It¡¯ll take us a while to get out there, not sure how much yet, but at the minimum two months.¡± ¡°Fair enough, Yamak.¡± I nodded, and then added, ¡°On another note, though, I did was to thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I don¡¯t think many people would be left alive back home.¡± That stopped him for a moment, a brief moment of uncharacteristic shyness overcoming the man, ¡°Ah, well, that¡­ I¡¯m glad for that, but you don¡¯t have to thank me for it.¡± ¡°No, really. Accept my gratitude for what it is.¡± I reiterated, ¡°If those many Obelisks weren¡¯t there, I have no illusions that most of humanity would be gone by now. We have starved or been devoured, so, thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± I heard Arianna murmur, smiling broadly at the dark purple flush that was just barely coloring Yamak¡¯s cheeks, ¡°He just can¡¯t take such a geniune compliment.¡± ¡°Hey, human,¡± Uthakka grinned, ¡°Would you mind if some saurian hitched a ride? I¡¯m interested in seeing what you guys are really like on the ground.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a good idea! Can I come too?¡± Arianna grinned, ¡°I really like your movies and music, they¡¯re great.¡± My brain slowed as I tried to process that. Were they serious? ¡°Uh¡­ sure? I mean, I¡¯ll leave that up to Yamak to decide. Ask him.¡± He was immediately beset by the pair, and spared me a quick dirty glance that I averted my gaze from. ¡®Your sacrifice will not be forgotten,¡¯ I joked mentally, turning to catch the Reaper¡¯s as they rose from their seats. ¡°Matthew Reaper,¡± the lead one approached, ¡°If that offer is open, we¡¯d like to come as well. We have our own vessels, of course.¡± The three continued to bicker excitedly in the background, ¡°I see no reason not too. Just so long as you don¡¯t make any problems for me.¡± ¡°I like that,¡± the feminine one spoke, ¡°¡®don¡¯t make any problems for me.¡¯¡± She mimicked my voice perfectly and then refocused her attention on me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the two of us are just looking to actually meet you, perhaps assess what you might be to the Corps overall later.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that,¡± the narrow headed man spoke, and I noticed how his helmet has small barbed protrusions from the back of his head, much like feathers. ¡°Everyone brings something different to the Reaper Corps, some are fast, some move strangely--¡± ¡°Some melt things to slag,¡± the third, largest Reaper offered. ¡°--That they do. But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen many with your propensity to technology like this.¡± ¡°I thought you humans were flesh, mostly?¡± The big one asked, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Grousk by the way, nice to meet ya, Reaper.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t call him a fledgling?¡± The woman asked, ¡°I¡¯m Nanira. And sorry, sometimes I get off track, I have multiple thoughts going at the same time.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already killed a Harrowing,¡± Grousk shrugged, ¡°He¡¯s practically a fully fledged Reaper now.¡± ¡°I am Querax.¡± He ignored the other two, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be worried about our presence in any case. We Reaper¡¯s tend to stay away from politics. It¡¯s¡­ much better that way. Trust me. In fact, I¡¯d suggest distancing yourself from these kinds of places as much as you can, as fast as you can.¡± ¡°At the top of my list,¡± I assured him truthfully, ¡°My Legion is where I belong.¡± He seemed satisfied with that answer, ¡°Good. I look forward to seeing what you have made on your homeworld. Many of us tend to go it alone. In any case, we must be going, but do contact us if you find it necessary.¡± ¡°Or just want to,¡± Grousk shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m glad this is coming up so we have an excuse to get out of this pla--¡± ¡°We¡¯re delighted to go see your planet.¡± Nanira cut him off, ¡°Here, our contact information.¡± I felt a blip into my senses as information on where to contact the three came into my mind. ¡°I have it, thank you. Then I¡¯ll contact you all at some point. For now, I have a few more things to wrap up before going home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t intend to stay for the general meeting?¡± Querax voice practically smirked with bemusement. I shook my head, ¡°Not if I don¡¯t have too.¡± ¡°Then I wish you a fair journey. May your path be paved with victories ¡®til we meet again.¡± Chapter 49 Coming Home ¡°Then, that seems like a good place as any to start.¡± Lazka sat across from my hologram, one of the few people who had opted to stay to the very end of our discussion. I was, in spite of not having a body, having a thoroughly rough time of maintaining my concentration after several hours of grueling negotiation and fleshing out the details. Yet, in all that time, Lazka had managed to stay strong, unrelenting even. Yamak and Yezzek had long ago left, the former citing that he needed to get a team ready and a few other things. The ladder had stated that he would send me a general outline of his own stipulations through Sis. He had to attend the general council summit, given that he was still a main member. I wasn¡¯t sure how him having both jobs would potentially affect him, given that he was the main council member, representative of his own species, as well as ours. Given how little work would really be expected of him in our regard, I doubted it would be much of an issue. Especially since his loyalty to his own race, pytium, was the real deal. Idly, as Lazka went through another excited tirade about potential profit margins and stock investment deals to seal in long term control of economic levers, I considered more about his position. His homeworld was situated on the cusp of biotic space, and up until last year had enjoyed a fairly dominant position. The resources allotted to its defense, given Yezzek¡¯s membership as a main member, was no insignificant amount. However, in recent months the uptick in biotic incursions had increased exponentially. It wasn¡¯t an issue now but if he were to find himself unable to maintain his control as a main member, the support that he could reliably expect to maintain for his home system would be dramatically lower. For now, he had the backing of the council, but later? In spite of the relative value of his home system, Yezzek was no merchant; no dramatically monolithic entity called Pithum I it¡¯s home, nor any of the other planets in that solar system. As such, it was no small wonder that Yezzek was desperate to secure his tenure, even if he partially fabricated the reason himself. Even so, I couldn¡¯t manage to bring myself to fully forgive the man his transgression against myself and the earth in general. If I were the old Matthew, would I have rejected him completely? I can¡¯t speak to that effect truly, part of me still wonders how much of me is actually a person, and how much of me is just a caricature of what once existed. ¡°And so, I think that would cover just about all of the general points anyways. I can get into specifics later with some of my people and send you some documents for review.¡± Lazka smiled, ¡°It¡¯s gotten quite late, after all.¡± ¡°Ah, yes,¡± I answered with chagrin that I hadn¡¯t really paid attention to the last bit, ¡°That sounds good. For the time being maintain contact with Yezzek and Yamak. You¡¯ll be able to cooperate with them without issues, yes?¡± There was a brief moment where his gaze turned flinty, ¡°I-Yes. Yes I will be able to work with Yamak without any issues. As for Yezzek, well, I¡¯m a professional.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ll enjoy working with him, but I do see the value in it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being quite forward about that,¡± I tilted my head with a smile playing across my features. ¡°I find it better to be completely honest with those that I¡¯m working with. Especially when those that I¡¯m working with have the virtue of making me a lot of money.¡± Shamelessly he responded. I shook my head, ¡°I see. Well, in that case, we¡¯ll speak again soon I¡¯m sure.¡± We said our goodbyes and I found myself in the room mostly alone, the only company left currently only making herself known by her presence on the peripherals of my mind. An electric pulse drifted from the edge of myself, Sis picking up on it and drawing her attention back to me. It was strange, having a digital world translated to something that I could comprehend. A wave of fractal light twirled in an empty landscape tinged in soft white light. The fractals turned blue in color, deepened and aligned to form the facsimile of a human form that was Sis. ¡°Have you finished?¡± She asked, a warm smile on her face, ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer you needed, so I¡¯ve just been interacting with the Obelisks.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I tilted my head at that, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done here. What in particular were you doing?¡± She grinned, ¡°Well, now I can go ahead and release most of the technological limitations. There shouldn¡¯t be too much that would be restricted now, though I¡¯m still keeping certain things under wraps except by certain people with clearance.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± I frowned, uncertain that I necessarily wanted any more restrictions of any kind. Though, a moment of clarity served me well at that moment, ¡°Ah, you mean things like nukes?¡± ¡°That, and a few other things. Ah, but don¡¯t worry!¡± She somehow noticed my displeased expression, ¡°You¡¯re one of the people that will have clearance now. I shouldn¡¯t have to tell you to be careful about that, though.¡± I thought back to the first thing I did after getting Matter Energy. It was mostly clear, a few details had managed to slip through the cracks, but it seemed the old me had decided to use a small nuclear warhead to destroy a biotic hive. With chagrin, I nodded, ¡°Fair enough. So then, is there anything else I should be aware of before we go back?¡± ¡°Not that I can think of. You wouldn¡¯t really be able to bring anything with you.¡± Contemplatively, she seemed to peer outside of the space we were in, ¡°You might be one of the first organic-born life form I¡¯ve ever spoken to like this.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Well, just in case, do you know how to get back to earth?¡± I stared at her for a few long seconds before shaking my head, ¡°I¡¯m not especially sure. Even getting here was a little¡­ abstract.¡± She nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been told that working between organic and inorganic components can be very difficult. Usually it¡¯s an organic saying that, but there have been some cases of the reverse.¡± She thoughtfully informed me, all while I thought about a computer trying to interact with a brain in a very unsettling way. ¡®It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not like Smith wasn¡¯t doing the same thing.¡¯ I told myself, sadly remembering the alternate version of myself. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Well, it¡¯s possible to just try to force yourself through in a direction, though that can get a bit messy and you might have parts of yourself come in later. That can get awkward when you¡¯re trying to remember what you were doing when you get somewhere. Ah, but what you can do is imagine a shell around yourself and to pull it in as close as you can. Then, try to feel where your home server is - in this case your body - and see if you can go that way. I¡¯ll keep track of you as you go and divert you if I can.¡± Sis seemed almost triumphant at the way she¡¯d explained everything. I hesitated as I began, unsure if there was supposed to be some kind of feeling, or a lever that should have been switched in my head or anything of that nature. Steadily I began to imagine a barrier around myself, trying to pull it in. On a base level, I felt something respond within me. Some part of my will was almost seperate from my normal senses, and yet it was ingrained with my desire. It was as if a limb hadn¡¯t moved in so long that I simply didn¡¯t remember how to move it. But now, nerves fired, electric and alive, and the breadth of a muscle group I hadn¡¯t been fully aware of slowly began to reveal itself. And then I lost focus and the barrier dissipated in a moment. ¡°Everything okay?¡± Concern colored Sis¡¯ voice, much to my embarrassment. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m just trying something out.¡± I diverted my attention to the new suite of stuff that I had in my field of person. There were things that I¡¯d clearly been doing instinctively; reaching out for information, moving myself across electronics, even splitting my consciousness. I flexed the various parts of myself, willing each action to begin but not going beyond that. Steadily I was able to feel the parts like fingers, no, like tendrils of myself. ¡®We weave the parts into something stronger.¡¯ My mental space shuddered a moment before stabilizing. A fierce focus shot through me, obsession in a needle-point guiding me to creating something. I tried, vainly, to work with my newly gained limbs, but I somehow was missing something in terms of fundamentals. I couldn¡¯t manage to move this part of myself so fluidly, at least not yet. ¡®Then, instead, lets work with this,¡¯ I thought to myself, though somehow the words almost seemed wrong. It felt almost like I shouldn¡¯t be worried about what to work with, but rather that I wanted to do this in the first place. What did that matter, though? The concern melted away as I felt the barrier for my mind come into existence, only in small strands. I grasped them with my mental limbs, twisting and turning them around one another. One over the top of another, under another, between two more, strands working seamlessly. The barrier grew, a tight basket of protection that brought an almost unreasonably warm feeling to my mind. I felt a buzz of excitement enter me, dominating even my logical reasoning as I completed the last strand, merging it seamlessly to create something that wouldn¡¯t have been possible with mundane materials in reality. ¡®This is what weaving is for. To make stronger the disparate parts. This is not so bad.¡¯ I thought to myself, and suddenly the dissonance of the statement struck me. The warmth didn¡¯t escape me, but I looked on at my fervor with shock, and not a small amount of wariness. ¡°What?¡± I shook my head, trying to clear the fog in my mind. Another voice was audible past the barrier, ¡°Hmm? Oh, I was just commenting that your barrier is really good! You were totally focused on that. I don¡¯t think I could crack that very easily even. And I¡¯m pretty good at that kind of thing!¡± Sis happily responded, not able to see me within the cocoon. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± I distractedly murmured before I forced myself to breathe. The act was stabilizing, even if needless in this place. ¡°Alright, let''s give this a shot then. When we get back, though, I might be unreachable for a bit.¡± I spoke, trying to keep the shakiness from my voice. Once I was back in at least somewhat familiar territory, I would need to examine myself seriously. Something was very wrong with me. Focusing once more, I perceived the sphere around me, noting that it conducted certain things better than if I hadn¡¯t had it. Although, it definitely stifled flow of information around me. Carefully I moved my new muscles, something that I found that I would desperately need a name for. I really didn¡¯t want to call them tentacles every time I tried to prod electronics for information. But, they were able to respond to my will, and now that I had an ever increasing handle on how to work them, I did find that it was probably as easy as Sis said it would be. I envisioned returning to my ¡®home server¡¯ which was a surreal experience. Suddenly it was like I was many-armed ball sitting on the branch of a tree, and what I wanted to do was to slip along the branch and to return to the base of my tree, where I would then move into the hollow there. Where I would return home. I felt a torrent of information against my shell, and wondered at how I¡¯d managed to move through it at all the first time. Moving was effortless now, though, and I felt a trailing signature behind me that I touched from time to time with my tenta--my arms. I¡¯d noted Sis was trailing behind me with my arms, damnit, not my tentacles. Before I could become more embarrassed by certain implications, I felt that the destination wasn¡¯t far now. There were countless paths that would lead elsewhere that I passed by, channels and branches that I¡¯d skipped over or twirled rapidly down, selecting my path on what seemed to be pure instinct. In what could have been a blink of an eye, I felt my digital self come to rest, a small sapling amidst what had been a titanic forest larger than anything I could ever have imagined. Almost distantly, I could feel Sis settle into her own servers, a host of forests that fed into further smaller budding saplings. One of which was attached to me, albeit living alongside my own self now. ¡°How are you doing, Matthew?¡± Sis asked, her voice coming from beside me in spite of her avatar no longer being near me. ¡°I¡¯m doing well, surprisingly. I feel like I¡¯m home,¡± I responded, meaning heavy in my voice. I could feel her smile as she retreated, a sensation of gladness spread across the link. Our connection dimmed, still present if we needed to talk, but both of us had our work cut out for us. Sis had been away for quite some time, and I had many things to do. Basking in the glow of sensation for a few more moments, I turned my attention to the physical form of myself. I was a wreck. It was only the warmth and protectiveness of the barrier that probably kept me from cringing at feeling the damage wrought on my body. Some things had healed on their own, in the vaguest of senses. My brain had been utterly converted to bio-steel, and there were no longer any human tissues in my body. All critical systems had been repaired - shoddily in some cases - in order to ensure that I wouldn¡¯t die. But, that was the most of what my automatic functions seemed to have been capable of. ¡®In a moment,¡¯ I promised my body, turning my attention back to my new form of existence. My arms moved according to my will, and as I did so, I investigated the rest of my digital existence. My form rippled as I brought it to attention, previously fuzzy and unclear locations began to have a definite form in my mind. And as I went, I began to re-enter the fugue state where nothing mattered but the task at hand. I had to fight to keep myself from getting distracted, the task at hand to track and become familiar with my new parts was more important than whatever else my subconscious was trying to get me to do now. Deep within myself, as I uncovered more and more limbs, more parts to myself, nodes that were as of yet inactive, parts that had no purpose, I discovered something. There was what felt like a physical thing here. A shell, or a shard, of something. I pressed my will against it, and I felt my whole being resonate with it. My mechanical parts, what once was a single chip that housed Smith, buzzed with an electrical harmony with it. And a deep seated disquiet seeped into me then, too, because this was no gift from Smith. ¡°A biotic core¡­ But how?¡± Chapter 50 Bone and Blood. Biosteel and Biotic The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 50 Bone and Blood. Biosteel and Biotic. My digital heart hammered in my chest as I stared at the sphere. Recollection surged back to me, the single most sharp memory I had in my head. Wolven tearing me apart, unveiling the biotic core, it¡¯s plan to make me a part of it. It hadn¡¯t succeeded, I remembered that clearly, I¡¯d killed it before it could, I¡¯d nearly died to make sure of it. Quite in fact, in most definitions I¡¯d very much so died to make sure of it. And yet, here this was. I turned my desperate gaze to my physical form, churning through the tissues with as much awareness as my form would allow. Electricity and attention scanned through every layer, every cell. And there I found the vindication of my fear. I¡¯d killed Wolven, I¡¯d stopped it from doing what it had intended. But the core itself? Shards of it, hundreds of them, maybe thousands. I was still scanning, but it was clear that these fragments were everywhere. They¡¯d been fused to my form, and it became abundantly clear why my background processing had stopped trying to heal my body. Making new arms and legs were all well and fine, but I hadn¡¯t instructed them how to deal with a foreign body that was like this. These fragments were tied into every system, even in my brain. A realization that sent a stroke of terror down my spine. I¡¯d assimilated these pieces when I was busy trying not to die, I¡¯d woven them into my very form. Did that mean Wolven was fucking in here with me? ¡®Shit, shit, shit,¡¯ panic surged within me even as my inorganic parts helped to calm myself down. Everytime I calmed, a new surge would hit, and I felt my mentality shuddering as I looked specifically for Wolven. Every portion of myself. Digital tissues sheltered nothing, I went so far as to pierce myself with electrical scans. It was painful, intensely so, but I couldn¡¯t afford a piece of Wolven to have survived. If it was, then maybe it could remake itself like I had. After hours of this, though, I had found nothing. I felt my mind drift, wracking myself over the possibilities. Maybe Wolven hadn¡¯t come along then, but why did I have such a sudden obsession over weaving? Why did I crave that action? How did I even know how to create such a sturdy cocoon over myself? I drifted farther, letting my thoughts settle over the events of the past few days. I couldn¡¯t think of anything particularly dangerous that had come of this, but I couldn¡¯t be certain that I would have known. Desperately, I tried to account for every waking moment in my memory before I had to admit that there was no period of time that I couldn¡¯t place exactly what I was doing. If something was happening, it wasn¡¯t within my scope of awareness. There were no strands of information connecting me elsewhere, aside from communications, and even those only drifted lazily at the edge of my awareness. Nothing was directly connected to me. To be certain, I investigated the whole of my mind-scape, finding that it was vast beyond what I¡¯d anticipated. I suspected this space would shrink as I saved more information, but for now it was immense. I turned my attention back on myself, my strange viewpoint allowing for my physical form to be seen. After all of the refinement I¡¯d just done, I suspected that I wouldn¡¯t be hazy and indistinct form anymore. Now that I think about it, it was rather nice of Sis not to point that out. Seeing what I was now, though, I wasn¡¯t sure I would ever want anyone to see my digital self. ¡°Ohhhhh no. Just no. That¡¯s not okay.¡± I groaned, seeing that my viewpoint was not magically due to mental-scape magic. No, my viewpoint was mounted on something, a long tentacle - because damnit that¡¯s exactly what it was - and that tentacle was attached to me. Not just one tentacle, but tens of them, hundreds even. My body, armored in Reaper attire, was suspended in the middle of this space like a parody of Wolven. Each arm responded to my will instinctively, and it suddenly became no small wonder that I was capable of everything that¡¯d I¡¯d been able to do so far. Accessing information, moving through firewalls, splitting my consciousness¡­ I felt my viewpoint snap back into place, revulsion rolling through my core. Shuddering rolled through me as I wanted to remove these things, to get rid of anything Wolven. For the first time, the arms did nothing, and I could feel each of them strain at the concept of being incapable of doing what I wanted them to do. Ceasing to exist wasn¡¯t a concept that existed for them, not for Wolven, nor for biotics. They writhed in unison in agitation, sending wriggling signals of alarm through me. It overwhelmed my senses, and I grabbed at some, pulling and tugging on them, trying to dislodge them. Yet, I could do no such thing. They were secure, stable, as a part of me as my own two hands. Hating them would be no different than hating my pinky toe, I suspected. Each seemed to have a subordinate mind of its own, but the concept was the same. A pinky toe couldn¡¯t remove itself, it didn¡¯t hate you for hating it. It was a part of your body, and that was that. And as I screamed out in impotent helplessness, I knew that this wasn¡¯t going to go away. Logically, I knew that I would be fine, this might even be considered a benefit. Obviously they were quite useful. Emotionally, this was hell. I dreaded making the comparison, but it was like I¡¯d been invaded on the deepest level, that I¡¯d been made into something I should never have been. Wolven had effectively raped me on an existential level. That wasn¡¯t something that I was comfortable with saying ¡°I¡¯ll get better¡± from just yet. I probably never would be totally okay with it. Still, as with all things, eventually life would move forward. After what felt like hours, or days, I felt a kindling flame stir in my mind. I hadn¡¯t chosen this, but I would have to live with it. My position as the leader of the Reaper¡¯s Legion didn¡¯t give me the luxury to lie down and pool in my own misery. I started with muscling past my disgust, revulsion wouldn¡¯t get me anywhere. Steadily, I went through the motions, forcing the arms to move exactly as I willed, exactly when I willed it. In that, I kept my mind as hard as steel, searching for any stray influence that wasn¡¯t mine. Finally, I began to see it, a fragmented ghost of awareness that wasn¡¯t wholly my own. It wasn¡¯t complete, and as I grasped it, threshed it between my fingers, I knew that it would never be able to compete with my control. Even so, I gripped the force and stripped it, piece by piece, thread by thread. I killed whatever was left of Wolven, discarding anything left of its mind. There would forever be a part of me scarred by it, but I would not be haunted by this spectre. Certainly there was a wisdom it could impart, and there was knowledge in its makings. But I wanted none of it.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I would figure it out as I went. The less of it that was left, the better. After parsing it apart, I kept only what was truly necessary. Knowing how to move, information about my new arms, the kinds of things that I really couldn¡¯t do without. Once I finished, I felt a stillness rest upon my mind. It was clear now that this fragmented part hadn¡¯t been good for me, and in the wake of it I felt a certain cleanliness flood my perception. A unified whole, that¡¯s what was left now. For better or worse, this was the final product. Now came the rebuilding, there was no time for rest. Already I had no idea how long I¡¯d been ¡®asleep¡¯ in my own body. How was Gilramore doing? Did they need me? The last time I checked in, there was evidence of some unrest among the population. Did they figure that out, or did they need help still? Regardless, there were many things to do and little time to do it. Research and development, finding other cities, driving back and massacring the biotics in the area and more needed to be done. Not even mentioning getting ready for the stronger biotics that would eventually show. Everyone should have gotten the information packets by now from me and distributed by Sis. My body wasn¡¯t at risk of perishing at the very minimum and was currently suspended in some kind of fluid. It wasn¡¯t water, but I suspected it was designed to enhance healing. As I pushed my awareness, I realized that there were cameras that I could access. My digital arms reached and connected, and I could finally see the room that I was stationed in. I¡¯d expected some kind of sterile lab room, but what I saw was a step above that. Black, white, and red marble marked the floor, walls, and ceiling, designed to appear elegant and space-aged. I knew this was within the Reaper HQ, and suspected that this was a very well secured wing of the hospital. There were several pods mounted along the walls, an amniotic red solution holding the bodies of those who would have been severely injured and awaiting recovery. I was not the only one here, and of the other thirty pods I could see that four others were occupied. Around each pod was a brace of steel, spread wide like wings to allow ease of access and visibility to the pods beneath. Undoubtedly, this could snap shut around the pod to protect them. My own appeared to have three such sets of wings. I supposed they took my care very seriously, especially considering that there seemed to be someone hovering nearby to my container at all times. ¡®Well, this is going to freak them right out.¡¯ I chuckled, reexamining myself. Visually I was¡­ mostly a corpse. My torso was torn open, entrails were visible amidst the red goop that I lay suspended in. Tubes fed into my body in places, but surprisingly I didn¡¯t appear to need one around my mouth. It seemed that I was breathing the solution itself, though how I was doing so was nothing short of a mystery. The others were the same, so at the very least I know that I probably still needed air. The other tubes seemed mostly to monitor my status. A glance at my records and the notes of the presiding doctor - those that I could see from the camera - told of a long history of inactivity and regularity. My condition hadn¡¯t changed, and I could see that they probably expected no change. Then, today would be a very interesting day for them. The first thing that I worked on was my organs, they would need to be redesigned somewhat to better suit my new form. My biosteel organs would be more efficient, and therefore I could afford to make their functional space smaller, but to pad them with additional protection, more muscles. Here I made use of my lessons from Wolven, begrudgingly, and carefully strung cords of muscle around each other, biosteel reinforced my likewise sturdy frame, enhancing my strength greatly. From there, I took greater liberties, pushing my lungs to larger size, my abdomen muscles layering deeper, broader. My heart stopped for a handful of seconds, growing in size, stronger still than it was before. It was at this time, when the EKG machine monitoring my pulse began to siren the alarm that my heart was stopping, that the Doctor looked up. The expression was priceless, I don¡¯t know how someone being shocked can then look even more shocked. Still, the silver of matter energy bled from the edges of my innards, tracing layers of muscle fast enough that the bare eye could see. It was still slow going, centimeters at most, but the way the man shouted out and called for others, issuing order, told me this was the least expected event of the day. ¡®Just you wait, I¡¯m far from finished.¡¯ I allowed myself the distraction a moment longer before diving in. I built in minor redundancies in primary organs, namely my lungs and heart. I reinforced my spinal column, building lower and assuring myself that any doctor has probably seen hundreds of men undressed in their lives. I¡¯d like to say that I shamelessly reinforced certain parts of my body, but honestly I didn¡¯t really need too much in the first place. Definitely didn¡¯t do that. Nope. As for my legs, I built them as strong as I could, flexible as possible. I needed as much spring in my step and raw power as I could get, even without a power armor suit on, I wanted to be able to kick a biotic to death. Cords of muscle compacted, coiled around themselves again and gain, braced against bone and in tightly controlled bulks. Small ridges were visible everywhere, though I tried to keep the construction as smooth as possible. There was only so much you can do for that, especially when your bones and muscular system might actually support deadlifting a small tank. Maybe not that much, but I was sure that I could dismember a man if I so chose with my bare hands. On that note, I began to work on my arms, working through the same methodology. I wove the tissues, stitched them together unerringly, and Matter Energy followed my design faithfully, converting molecule for molecule. Every muscle group had its own nerve cluster, designed to seek out every strand, to push power from every cell. Activation speed would be flawless. If something could hit me without me reacting, it¡¯d have to be going faster than my muscles could move. A feat, considering my now superhuman reaction time. No more would I be limited by my muscles being incapable of keeping up. I¡¯d found that other parts needed only to be updated. My eyes were one of them, adjusting their sensitivity, acquity, and adding an inner-eyelid that could stream data on a visual platform to help synchronize with my digital-mind. I was my own laser targeting system. I felt nodes come into existence, aligned along my spine in many places, small, both actively reinforcing my skeleton and also acting as broadcast modules. I would not have extra arms, not in reality. But I would give my mind an outlet, I would have these nodes be my digital apparatus, the external port for my own digital arms. I would only have to apply a bare minimum of intent and they would do the rest. Silver shined in the container, hugging my body as I remade myself. There was a crows around me now, monitoring equipment going haywire as tubes were ejected, sensors blocked. When the far doors opened, I saw several familiar faces, and a few new ones. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Fran¡¯s voice didn¡¯t betray a quiver, in spite of how her clenched fist shook, ¡°You said there¡¯s a change?¡± It was then that the doctors and nurses crowding my chamber parted, leaving my transformation bare. ¡°Matthew?¡± I barely heard the near breathless voice that belonged to my best friend, Daniel. He was louder when he spoke again, ¡°What¡¯s happening in there?¡± The head doctor noticed the alarm in his voice, and smiled warmly, ¡°I think he¡¯s rebuilding. I think he¡¯s finally awake.¡± ¡°Wow, that looks intense.¡± The man I didn¡¯t know well, Richard Nordsen, I think, tilted his head. ¡°That¡¯s a helluva lot different from the nanite solution, right?¡± ¡°The nanites didn¡¯t work, that¡¯s pure Obelisk right there,¡± Terry murmured, much to my astonishment he was no longer in a wheelchair, but did have a half exo-suit for his waist and below. He looked good, healthier than I¡¯d seen him before, and it looked like his legs were bulking up nicely. I suppose they found a way to heal him, then. Wish I¡¯d been around for that. How long had I been out? ¡°Doug¡¯s gonna lose it,¡± Alice laughed, beaming with excitement, ¡°This is actually happening, right?¡± Someone I didn¡¯t recognize pinched her elbow and she yelped, eliciting chuckles from others, though I noticed that Fran and Daniel were wordlessly gaping at the scene and walking forward stiffly. ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re awake, at least.¡± The man chuckled, ¡°Hopefully he likes me, considering Doug said that I¡¯d be working closely with him.¡± The scene quieted down as Daniel and Fran arrived just in front of the pod, holding hands even as they both touched the thick glass. ¡°Matt¡­ damn glad to have you back. You wouldn¡¯t believe how crazy it''s gotten around here without you.¡± Daniel laughed, an earnest laugh as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. ¡°Very glad to have you back,¡± Fran sighed with relief. No one in the room expected any response. So I gave them one. My voice rang out from every speaker in the room, ¡°I¡¯m glad to be back.¡± Warmth suffused my body, my heart, this was where I belonged. This was the place I needed to be. Chapter 51 Nerves and Suits ¡°This is ridiculous¡­¡± I muttered, rooted in place in the pod as amniotic solution swirled and shimmered in the bright lights of the med-bay outside. Another six viewpoints all around me fed information while I attempted my exercise in seeming futility. One such view was looking on on my own body as it twitches occasionally. It seemed that rebuilding one''s connections to a nervous system was not, in fact, as easy as just reattaching nerves. Maybe if it was all flesh and blood I¡¯d instinctively know how the process worked. But, as it was, there was literally nothing the same in my body. My spine alone more resembled a column of steel rather than segmented bone. Ligaments, tendons, discs, nothing was mere flesh anymore - I certainly wasn¡¯t projecting a superiority complex - but instead a mixture of biosteel, organic and inorganic tissue near perfectly married in one. I say near perfectly for a reason, though. Previously when it was just my arm and a few other parts, there wasn¡¯t much issue. I¡¯d always attributed the lack of acute tactile sensation in my left arm after replacing it to be something of a limitation of biosteel. Apparently, that problem became radically worse as you had more of it. As it was, I felt like I was trying to slither my will through sludge, my own body fighting me all the while. It was infuriating, and it gave me far too much time to dwell on depressing things. While I was busy in the council, surrounded on all sides by individuals who may or may not be possible allies, I was more than busy enough to be able to ignore the gravity of my new existence. For one, I wasn¡¯t outright panicking and having a mental breakdown at that moment. That alone made me realize there were other problems under the surface. If it hadn¡¯t been for that introspective moment earlier, would Wolven¡¯s shards have become more than a shade of intent? It was hardly a battle, less so than I¡¯d expected. Perhaps there were other parts of it less accessible, less obvious, abound in myself. Was that just paranoia, or due caution? The line was blurred, the only thing that I knew for sure was the fact that if I didn¡¯t find out for sure, I wouldn¡¯t rest easy. Then of course there was dealing with the matter of my death. Actually dealing with it. I wasn¡¯t Matthew Todd anymore, evidenced by the fact that I couldn¡¯t even attribute that last name to belong to me. So, I¡¯d died, or at least the me who I had been did. It was all egregiously too complicated for my mind to tackle before, but now that everyone had left me to my own devices¡­ Well, as the saying goes, idle hands do the devil¡¯s work. I¡¯d accessed the councils mainframe with one of my digital arms, largely leaving it to its own devices. This would also tell me how autonomously they could operate. To my surprise, it had pirated 3 more arms to assist in the effort on its own volition. When I peeked in on the mental space dedicated to them, I was quite shocked to learn that if many of them were unified in an action, they would begin to network information between each other, making it easier to ¡®think¡¯ as it were. That explained why I was able to brute force firewalls that I had no business getting through. And, since then, they¡¯d been feeding me in depth details on everything that had touched a computer mainframe in the local governing bodies chamber. I should say that it wasn¡¯t necessary for me to do it this way; I was a leader of that governing body as it turned out. Even so, it was exciting to know I could do it, and a necessary distraction to veer away from existential crisis questions. ¡®Next important topic.¡¯ I half commanded myself, going over everything that might have changed. Comparing my own memories to the realities of the world as documented was fascinating. There weren¡¯t many things that I¡¯d managed to forget in recent time, surprisingly enough, but there were a lot of things that I didn¡¯t know about in general. Of course, there were the three big organizations in Gilramore, The Bulwark, The Civic Orders, and The Reaper¡¯s Legion. The breakdown on Bulwark and Legion were fairly straightforward and on the level as far as everyone was concerned. The Bulwark was headed by Charlie Song, a man who¡¯d already proven himself capable of keeping everyone in some semblance of fighting shape and was now able to exercise even greater ability. He¡¯d been injured during the climactic battle against Wolven, but had fully recovered with our current advances in medical science, something I would want to look into shortly. Overall, Bulwark had kept their word on issuing Matter Energy to The Civic Orders, though apparently there were some issues popping up of late regarding a desire for more control. The reason for the ongoing issue was, embarrassingly, my own absence as the leader of the Legion. My second-in-command, Doug Vanderhew, was empowered to make such decisions that related to external workings in my absence, however the particular issue apparently was a bit of an internal issue as well. Before I perused that data, though, it bears mentioning that The Civic Order is anything but organized and has a lot of individuals whom are out for themselves alone. Don¡¯t get me wrong, most people are fine, the various civilians who just want to be able to make a living and not hate life had done nothing wrong. There were, as always, some exceptions to this. Several ¡®Orders¡¯ had popped up, similar to old-world guilds, like the Carpenter¡¯s Order, or other similar categories. Virtually every walk of life had an Order, and there were specifically no requirements to creating them. Though, a small one couldn¡¯t hope to affect any kind representation in the Order¡¯s own council. The Civic Order Council was a bit of a trainwreck currently. There was still what once was the city mayor, Alan Dietriet, but he seemed to only just barely be keeping his power. It seemed that the political system had devolved on that front immensely. Even so, they rarely had anything to do with the Bulwark¡¯s or Legion¡¯s political landscape due clearly divided roles, but somehow they¡¯d managed to get themselves lodged there as well. It had all started with the Hunter¡¯s Order. They¡¯d initially been geared towards hunting mundane animals, another source of food early on before Matter Energy had thoroughly proven to be far more efficient to feed us. Their numbers had dwindled at first, fewer and fewer people willing to risk the outside world for food that no one would pay a great deal of money for now. Then entered a new contender. I glared at the profile of one Cassandra Vera, she¡¯d become the de-facto leader of the Hunter¡¯s Order by virtue of her passionate personality and her new vision. At around the same time that we were clearing out the salt mines, the snowballing force that was the Hunter¡¯s Order was well on its way to the problem it would be now. They, citing that Gilramore was still under threat, insisted that they too should be allowed to fight for the city. Under normal circumstances I¡¯d have said it would be fine for a militia group to form. However, I was wary of allowing just anyone to do so. The reason was simply that most individuals would see no need to share their hard earned Matter Energy with someone who didn¡¯t fight for it. To me, that was fallacious, our city wouldn¡¯t be able to survive like that, given that my Legionaries simply wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to spend that much Matter Energy. What would someone charge for a burger to make it worth it? M.E. wasn¡¯t just any currency, you couldn¡¯t turn any old world currency into the item you wanted on the spot. Any merchant would have a hard-limit on what they could reasonably charge someone for a product. Too expensive and the customer could and probably would have the item made by the obelisk. Certainly the quality would be somewhat lower when made whole like that in some cases, but I believed most would still pick that option. Even if you had some go for the higher price option, how far would that get you? Perhaps it would have been fine, but I highly doubted my Legion members would spend enough to be able to get an economy going on their own. Even if they did, it would effectively stratify wealth, it wouldn¡¯t benefit us moving forward. We needed what was left of humanity working together, not against each other. And, unfortunately, it seemed that the Hunter¡¯s Order was doing just that. Citing that ¡®we should be allowed to make our own way,¡¯ they were hunting biotics around Gilramore for M.E. That in and of itself was not the issue; I didn¡¯t think it was entirely right to deny anyone from going out hunting. What they did in practice was to select only a few individuals whom they would then go to for purchases. In their respective social circles, the Hunter¡¯s Order had gone from just another source of revenue to now becoming more than just a source of M.E. There was a very real hierarchy forming around the Hunter¡¯s Order, while not strong enough to usurp the Civic Orders overall, let alone Bulwark or Legion, they were becoming an issue. Ironically, they were beginning to voice that they should be allowed specific hunting grounds of their own, excluding the Legion from those areas entirely, citing that our jurisdiction laid outside of the city ¡®suburbs¡¯ even in spite of the suburbs either now being within the wall, or ruined shambles outside of it. The notion was, annoyingly, gaining traction among the Orders, though for differing reasons. Vague feelings of unrest and malcontent with the Bulwark defining the distribution of resources had come to a head with many of the arguments of the Order. Of course, they needed M.E. as well, most of which would directly go towards setting up the defensive arrangements of Gilramore to prevent another Wolven tragedy from ever happening again. At some point, some people became convinced that The Bulwark was withholding more, lining their pockets with M.E. instead of giving it to the people. The number wasn¡¯t great as of yet, but the problem was a growing one. If it weren¡¯t for the efforts of Doug, Charlie, and Alan, the Hunter¡¯s Order might well have gotten a great deal more traction. Some concessions had been made already, attempting to give the impression that ¡®the powers that be¡¯ were not deaf to the needs of the populace.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I felt the twitching in my body grow as I angrily pushed my will down my newly fortified nerves. Pulses of heat rushed out towards the tips of my fingers and toes before racing back as cold tingling trickles. ¡®No movement yet, but I can¡¯t stop,¡¯ I told myself, ¡®Have to sort through all of this garbage at some point.¡¯ My frustration simmered, the twitching calming somewhat as I began to focus again. The leader, Cassandra, was complicating the issue for me. Looking up information on her revealed only that before the apocalypse she¡¯d been a minor political figure, not much to say beyond the fact that she was an avid advocate to more freedom for people. What I wasn¡¯t certain of was what she actually gained here. There was no room for debate that the vast majority of Matter Energy that the Hunter¡¯s Order stayed in their group and circles. They lined their pockets immensely and decided, often out of hand, where to invest. While most of the time I was an advocate for free-will and an open market, that didn¡¯t include when we had a growing and very imminent threat all around us. This was not a world where humanity had a guaranteed place on the food chain. But this was where things became hazy. It seemed that Cassandra had seen this issue as well and was currently attempting to fix this. Her public talks and her own inner political topics were geared towards promising a general allowance to others. But, her own group was resisting this motion overall. The reason wasn¡¯t hard to guess; most had joined the hunters to line their own pockets. To put it bluntly, they had no desire to share in their hard won rewards, if they had they would have just joined the Legion. Or, they didn¡¯t want to be under someone else¡¯s direction, or be required to put their lives on the line for more dangerous hunts. Putting onesself before anyone else wasn¡¯t something that surprised me, however, this was the exact opposite kind of person we needed - in my opinion - out hunting Biotics. Even more so, it was the exact wrong kind of person to form an organization out of. Certainly, there were a number that were there out of idealism. Those had formed the inner circle of the Hunter¡¯s Order around Cassandra. But now there was a new nucleas forming, an entire new group that was forcing Cassandra to play a middle ground. Perhaps I was harsh in this judgement, but she was out of her depth. Looking over information, it seemed more and more that her concessions and her pursuits politically were to keep her people happy and keep the group from fragmenting. That drove her into greater political conflict with the Bulwark and Legion. In the ideal of unity, the city was pursuing a conciliatory tact. I felt my fingers flex, my hands clench, pins and needle feeling rushing through my limbs as my jaw clenched. Waves of sensation wracked my senses as I did my best to shut it out. A great deal more information existed, rehashing the same story, the same premise. The now vice-leader of the group, Alex Werrick was the opposing force in the group. Less talented in the open air negotiations and politics, Alex Werrick made up for that with knowing how to manipulate people on a more personal level. It seemed that many looked up to the man within the organization, and even those on the opposing side didn¡¯t appear to bear particular hostility to him. I wondered if Cassandra even fully realized that Alex¡¯s actions were going to tear the Order apart someday. Just looking at the situation, eventually he would become the leader. Whether that be through Cassandra stepping down, or fighting back and creating a divide. Was it their fault? No, they were unaware of the bigger scene at play. Somehow, they had taken the threat of Wolven and seen that we had won, had gotten high off of humanity¡¯s apparant success. How did that message spread? How did that interpretation of that battle come about? Because we won against something so horrific, there wasn¡¯t anything worse out there? I growled in the amniotic fluid that encased me, burbling to myself as I thought to the detailed packet of information that had been sent through the obelisks by Sis. Had no one read it? Or did it just not have the impact? Certainly, reading about the higher Gen biotics wasn¡¯t enough to form a real and clear threat. That was just human nature it seemed, they wouldn¡¯t - we wouldn¡¯t - see something as the threat it truly was until we saw it with our own two eyes. My arms moved, pushing forward against the glass. Pain roared through my nerves, corded and stiff. Nerve clusters seized control of the twitching, stilled muscles, and commanded every cell. Sensation regulated as a razor focus bled through my brain, a suite of new controls appearing in the fog of my mind. Impulses of electrical and chemical signals snapped into place, channels of dominion over my own biosteel flesh carved into newly tamed synapses. It wasn¡¯t their fault that they didn¡¯t realize what was right or wrong. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t the best to determine Gilramore¡¯s path, but I wouldn¡¯t allow this to continue. Not because it was wrong for someone to line their own pockets, to hunt for themselves. Not because of the disharmony that was brewing, I wasn¡¯t that kind of person. I was The Reaper, of all the fragmented memories and vague instincts I felt that was the keystone. All of this was beyond me, I was barely human anymore. When I really got down to it, what would it matter what someone else was doing? If they wanted to hunt biotics, they could, all the better. They wouldn¡¯t get my help, but I wouldn¡¯t get in their way. I felt like there was something coming into place, remembering what my legion was for, what we were assembled to do. We existed to hunt biotics, to range far beyond Gilramore and, to put a theatrical point on it, be the sword for humanity. In the future, I would leave interacting with the people of the city to The Bulwark, but it seemed that our stance needed to be made official. Rather, it seemed that people needed to be reminded what we are, that we weren¡¯t here to play house. I pushed more, my arms surging with power that had escaped me before. I was bulkier by a great deal than I once was, still lean but by an order above. The sensation was intoxicating after not being able to move my own body for so long. Pressure mounted, rising from merely touching the strengthened glass to pressing like a machine. I wanted to see what I could do, and exerted myself a bit more. It only took moments for the pressurized tube to flex, and then all at once the solution evacuated the tube, a warning siren flashing as all at once containment opened. Excitement rushed through me as the touch of cool air hit my skin, a dull sensation of cold getting through my resilient nerves. The biosteel was strong, sturdy, and greater in many ways to flesh, but sensitivity was not a strong point. Even so, it would be a boon to my work in the future, even if the more mundane sensations would be muted. Around me, the staff gaped at me, standing in front of the pod that I¡¯d been in mere moments before. The dripping of fluid through grating on the floor and the hum of equipment was the only sound in the room. Their wide-eyed gazes drifted from me and the pod, and it was then that I remembered that I was, in fact, quite naked. Though, with how well muscled and¡­ respectable my proportions were, I didn¡¯t feel anywhere near as embarrassed as I thought I might. ¡®Nothing they haven¡¯t seen before,¡¯ I reminded myself as I looked to a lab coat hanging on the wall, I moved to it, pausing to gesture at it, ¡°May I?¡± The doctor that had been tending me, an older balding gentlemen nodded wordlessly. As I slipped the white lab coat over blackened skin with red streaks glinting just beneath the surface, I noticed that one of the attendants had busied herself with a console. ¡°A-ah, sir, would you mind coming over to a table over here, first?¡± The first doctor shook himself from the shock of my emergence, ¡°I¡¯d like to do a quick physical test.¡± I managed to keep from frowning, but he must have seen the displeasure on my face, ¡°I promise it¡¯ll be quick. We just need to be sure you¡¯re actually¡­ fine.¡± There wasn¡¯t a good reason to, in my opinion, but that would be making his job unduly difficult. ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s fine.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief as he led me to a cot nearby, ¡°I appreciate it.¡± The tests were fairly standard, if baffling for him. Partway through, the other doctors and nurses approached, interested in the results. My blood pressure would kill a normal person. My heartbeat was deeper and stronger than it should have been. My skin bent ordinary needles, and even when they got through they only drew thick, almost black blood. The light they shone in my eyes reflected a brilliant vermillion red, and my hair was thick and heavy, not quite like wire, but close. At the end of the tests, I was fairly certain that the doctors were far more interested in my composition than my health, in a sense. Light touches barely elicited a response in a reflex test and required a healthy tap with a hammer to get my nerves to respond. The door to the room opened then, admitting a tall, heavily armored fellow, ¡°Ah, Reaper, there you are.¡± I arched a brow, seeing the large casket he carried on his back. He was wearing a light exo-suit, and the symbol of the Legion was emblazoned on his chest. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Oh, Jim.¡± He waved his hand, ¡°We haven¡¯t met on a personal level. I saw you charge into Wolven in the siege, balls of steel.¡± He paused upon seeing my figure, ¡°Err¡­ I guess that¡¯s literal now?¡± It took me a moment to process that, but luckily the silence lasted only for a second. I chuckled before it could become awkward, ¡°Well, Jim, nice to meet you. Why are you here?¡± He smiled unabashedly, ¡°Material drop off for you. Some guys like to dress casual, but me? I like a good suit.¡± He walked forward, steps clinking against the floor as most of the doctors went about their business, with exception to the woman who¡¯d been at the console. Jim walked over to her, who was clearly expecting him. ¡°He fancies himself something of an expert on suits.¡± She sighed, ¡°Jim¡¯s been on guard duty for a few days.¡± ¡°We rotate out on shifts,¡± he supplied, ¡°Mostly we just make sure nobody without clearance goes near the labs. And here.¡± The man set the casket against the floor, allowing it to stand up on end, ¡°And I am an expert on suits. And this one here? This is a very nice suit. Your friends wanted to take care of you.¡± At that, the doctor pulled out a keycard and swiped it across the front of the black and red steel, an ominous bell tone sounding out. A grin tugged at the corner of my lips at the unexpected noise. The panels opened, shifting away as the interior contents of the container was revealed. The power armor was similar in some respects to the old one I had, but larger, a power armor designed to be in the thick of combat on the front line, offering mobility, and clearly bore several modules on its frame that I highly doubted were merely decorative. The helmet no longer bore an expansive faceplate that wrapped around the head, now a triangular, fractal design took the plate from a ¡®V¡¯ shape, rigid plating offering greater protection to both the head and several sensors. The faceplate itself looked quite impressive, and was mostly opaque. I extended a digital arm to the suit, feeling it interact with the systems like a fish to water. The suit lit up, streaks of red bled across the metal. A digital, harshly angular skull lit red beneath the surface, a paler visage of what looked like a grinning skull in the glimpses of dark mist. ¡°That is a very nice suit.¡± My grin spread, ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡± Chapter 52 Research and Development Wearing my new power armor was distinctly unlike any of my previous sets. It was a second skin, one that would normally feed sensory information to the interior HUD for the suit. Just one of many surprises, I found that I was better at directly filtering the information, rather than simply allowing it to go into any kind of display. The moment the sensors came online, that information streamed directly into my brain, the room coming alive with a host of new streams of data. Temperature sensors were the first thing I noticed, but the insistent pinging of motion sensors enlightened me to the position of all moving objects without visual input. Even so, I could also see all around me, though I couldn¡¯t focus entirely on every distinct point at the same time, though perhaps I could once I got used to it more. Beyond that, I could actively feel synthetic muscle fiber grow taught within the metal frame of the power armor. It felt incredible, especially when I could actively feel the brimming energy within the suit. ¡°So?¡± Jim asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± I nodded to him, ¡°Fits like a glove.¡± He chuckled at that, ¡°Well, good, the research guys tried out a lot of things with that setup. They said that it might not be too intuitive, but your friends said that you¡¯d probably be able to make it work.¡± I smiled at that, they were probably expecting that I¡¯d be able to interact with computers on some level. I¡¯d already been doing that, but now? It might not be long before I was more at home moving through data than I was walking around with my own two legs. ¡°You said research guys?¡± I asked, mildly curious. He gestured around them, ¡°Yep, RR&D, or Reaper Research and Development. I don¡¯t know all of what they get up too, but they¡¯ve been set up for a while now. Wasn¡¯t doing much at first, but now they crank out some regularly crazy gear.¡± That was certainly something to check in on. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll check out what they¡¯re up too.¡± Jim shrugged, ¡°You definitely can, I only got clearance to come in here. Well, on that note I have to get back on shift. Don¡¯t forget to drop by the den later, got a lot of people who I¡¯m sure would like to buy you a drink.¡± With that, and with a few words exchanged among the doctors about coming in for checkups from time to time, I also decided it was time to leave. It was still surreal, exiting through what was more in line with a decontamination chamber and blast doors, leading into a black, red, and white marble hallway. Red lines ran the length of the walls and ceiling, interrupted by warm light ever so often. By extending my will, I could interact with the lines themselves, revealing them to be passive sensors interspersed with more complex arrangements. There was little in the way of noise, in spite of passing several other individuals as I walked. Some were guards, but others were what appeared to be lab workers, scientists, going to and from similarly high-security areas protected by blast doors. As I passed them, most people slowed and stared, a glint of something like awe on their eyes. I felt something in the back of my mind cringe at that, but there was nothing for it. It would be better to adjust to this new reality of mine. ¡°Sorry to stop you,¡± I spoke to a passing man, middle-aged and salt and pepper beard coming in. ¡°I was wondering if you could point me to a project manager, or supervisor. I¡¯d like to see what¡¯s been going on down here.¡± The man paused and had a blank look on his face for what felt like several seconds. Finally, with a start, he started to speak, ¡°Uh, y-yes, I can. That is to say that I can show you to someone. Err, namely myself, I¡¯m a project manager, well, one of them.¡± Nearly imperceptibly I heard a nearby guard choke down a chuckle. I quirked an eyebrow at that, but refocused on the man. Somehow I¡¯d managed to get lucky and find someone in what was probably a higher position. ¡°Thanks, after you then. Nice to meet you, Mister?¡± He took my power-armored hand carefully, ¡°Doctor Ross,¡± he emphasized with a smile, ¡°Or Teddy. Fully that¡¯s Theodore Ross, I¡¯m co-operating manager of¡­¡± the words died on his tongue, ¡°Well, better to stop that there while we¡¯re out in the open. Follow me.¡± The man quickly transformed the awkward transition into excitement. I blinked as he moved, quickly, through the hallways. I shook my head, hearing the vague amused words spoken from the guard posted nearest as we went. Perhaps the man did this frequently? ¡°Mr. Reaper,¡± the man called over his shoulder to say something, simultaneously realizing he was farther ahead of me. I didn¡¯t let him slow down, catching up quickly and walking side by side. ¡°I did want to thank you for giving us this opportunity. I know you probably expect that to be superfluous bootlicking, but really, there were lots of us that just didn¡¯t have anything to do now. Especially with such fascinating equipment, and¡­ err¡­ personnel as well. Getting used to working with that guy was a venture all its own.¡± He then added quickly, ¡°Not to say that I don¡¯t enjoy working with him, of course. He has a unique perspective and is simply ravenous for knowledge.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I was at a loss for who he was talking about, ¡°Well, I remember being told that some intelligent people can be fairly eccentric. Thanks for taking it in stride.¡± ¡°People?...¡± He seemed to mull the word over before smiling lightly and nodding, ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true. And pay it no mind, he¡¯s probably the best partner I could have asked for, he¡¯s surprisingly open to my own eccentricities as well. I talk quite a lot, or so I¡¯ve been told.¡± As we walked, we touched on more general topics. Apparently this division only officially existed since about a week after Wolven was destroyed, however the groundwork had been laid far before that. It had started when I introduced my own reaper-modified weapons for those who needed better armaments in the Legion. From there, people began to see how far they could push the Obelisk systems capabilities. One small group had gotten together, and found a kindred spirit in, perhaps unsurprisingly, Terry. Though he wasn¡¯t officially a part of the Research division, Terry dropped by often, and helped in the early days with setting up electronics and mechanical apparatuses to assist in experiments and with production. Better yet, though, was that most of the projects were diverse, and many were almost rapidly pursuing their own side projects. While there were main concepts and jobs pushed through, whenever those tasks weren¡¯t needed the R&D division was encouraged to pursue their own projects. They would then receive credit and a permanent portion of any M.E. used to exchange for those projects, should they be taken up by the Legion or outsourced elsewhere. Simple stuff wouldn¡¯t really count, only major, unique concepts would qualify. Though, if a research division was successful overall, they would see greater allocations of M.E. Which, given the slew of information Dr. Ross was giving me, I knew that a great number of enhancements had to have been implemented. New concrete solutions had been one of them as well as better mining methods with higher technologies, to name a few. Apparently it¡¯d been about two weeks since most higher technologies were unlocked by the Obelisks. By then, we¡¯d already been pursuing our own lines of technology, which I imagined to be something of a silver lining. The Legion, Bulwark, and Orders might not be as receptive to another draw on Matter Energy for research that could theoretically simply be purchased through Sis. That was likely an awful long term plan, though, as eventually the costs would be simply exorbitant, or we wouldn¡¯t really understand our own weapons. At worst, we¡¯d have total dependance on the Obelisks. That couldn¡¯t be allowed, given that parts of it could be influenced from the outside. As such the labs were also connected to the mass fabrication yard, albeit in a strange fashion. Any minor fabrication could be performed in the labs; double plated bullet, laser, and blast proof glass sheltered rooms of varying sizes. Fabricators and 3D printers kept most of what the labs needed stocked without much outside input to reduce any potential security breaches. Some of the projects seemed fairly innocuous. Others¡­ I¡¯d have to ask that people keep an eye out for on the off chance that the resulting explosion was more than what the barriers could handle. Though I was assured that they¡¯d tested the materials used in the safety barricades, it still couldn¡¯t hurt to be more careful.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The labs were, however, positioned beneath our fabrication yard. That way if anything did happen it wouldn¡¯t be in a residential area. Moreover, it made it so that anything that R&D cooked up could be immediately put into production. To say that the Legion¡¯s Headquarters had grown would be an understatement. We¡¯d torn up and rebuilt the city block around our primary HQ building, and had dedicated rails leading to two auxilary sites. One of which was the fabrication quarter, which took up a full eight city blocks on its own, and the second of which was the power generation facility. No access was granted to either facility without being Legion, and even then you wouldn¡¯t be allowed into just any area. Some information was also considered entirely confidential. For example, the labs were considered common knowledge to know that at least something existed beneath the fabrication yard, but that was all. No one was aware of the goings on within, though we didn¡¯t necessarily have a need for such security as of yet. I imagine the move was partly to prepare for any eventualities regarding any espionage. I would be amenable to allowing our technology to be used outside of Gilramore, but it would still be best to know who had a certain piece of technology. Eventually we¡¯d be working with some very dangerous things, if we weren¡¯t already, and it would be that much more important to ensure that security was maintained. ¡°And here we are,¡± Dr. Ross gestured to the door, which buzzed upon the motion. I could see the wavelength of light as a scanner moved over us, and I was certain several other sensors were working in the background. A mellow chime sounded, a small green light turning on above the door as thick, heavy pressure doors opened with a hiss. From there I could see a white paneled room, several holes adorning the entirety. Dr. Ross stepped in without any hesitation, coming to a stop on an indicated red framed square on the floor. I stepped into another one beside him just as the conveyor belt system activated. Various nozzles sprayed some kind of gas, to which Dr. Ross only greeted with some annoyance. ¡°It¡¯s a precaution just in case someone brings a germ in on their bodies, nothing really fancy.¡± He shrugged, ¡°We have a few projects that need a much more acute level of sterilization though, so it¡¯s better to catch a few things first. Those ones have their own cleansuits and decontamination chambers, though.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I glanced sidelong to him, ¡°What project are you currently working on right now?¡± He smiled, ¡°Well, now that we¡¯re in a secured area, I suppose you could say that we¡¯re working on a few interesting things.¡± The man stepped through the other end of the hallway jovially, like an eager kid looking to show off his work. ¡°That, for example. We¡¯re testing biotics to see what exactly they¡¯re weak against in this one.¡± We walked out into large room, several dozens of labs of varying sizes and containing a wild assortment of objects. The information that I could take in all at once was incredible, but even so I found my attention focus sharply on what Dr. Ross pointed too. An outer container held several smaller ones, each made out of the highly resistant surfaces that the lab boasted a high quantity of. Several of what looked to be kennels held one wolf biotic each, ten of them. Most of them struggled against restraints, mouths clamped shut with metal bindings. They grew increasingly hostile as people approached, and within the outer containment area I could see four turrets, each independantly trained on the Wolves and their containers, monitoring them for any breach in security. Dr. Ross must have guessed I was looking to the turrets, because he cleared his throat and spoke, ¡°Just so there¡¯s no misunderstanding, there¡¯s been no breakout - we¡¯re also fairly certain they¡¯re incapable of escaping at all in this type of confinement - but even so we don¡¯t take chances here. Each turret is run on a battery and is belt fed with a thousand rounds. We have a few other precautions as well, but we¡¯ll hopefully never have need of them.¡± ¡°How did you even get these? Or get them down here?¡± I asked, looking back at the biotics. ¡°That,¡± he groaned, ¡°Was a distinctly depressing venture. Luckily, we discovered there are a few methods to incapacitate lesser biotics. Or, Gen 1 biotics, as that information missive stated. We¡¯re still trying to categorize everything we know about biotics, but it seems that certain qualitative differences occur at higher tiers.¡± It took me a moment to catch on at that, ¡°You have Gen 2 here to test?¡± ¡°Ah, no, sorry I misspoke. We had to test them in the field. Our collection team decided that the specific strain was too dangerous to bring into the city. An assessment we respect,¡± He mumbled then, ¡°begrudgingly.¡± ¡°What made it so dangerous?¡± I asked. ¡°Well-¡± he began, only for another voice to speak out. ¡°-They could divide, often explosively. It is a trait I myself have exploited previously.¡± I focused on the direction, and couldn¡¯t help but keep the surprise from my stance. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± I asked the man, my interest increasing by the moment. What had once been a barely humanoid form of warped fungal tissue and bone had been refined a great deal. He still clearly bore more in common with fungus¡¯ flesh, and hardened tissues covered his body - what wasn¡¯t covered in clothing anyways - but now the design was symmetrical, as yet imperfect but more by design. ¡°Yaga,¡± Dr. Ross greeted him, ¡°Have you discovered anything new with this batch?¡± ¡°Teddy,¡± he nodded to him, ¡°Not as yet anything new, although we believe that microwave bombardment might give us something to look into.¡± He turned his attention back to me, golden colored eyes that glowed in the light focusing on me, ¡°Reaper, I am one of the project managers here in R&D. I thought you were aware. Will it be a problem?¡± My mind processed that, and I found that I didn¡¯t have any negative opinion of the man. I vaguely remembered our meeting, and that I had found him to be very interesting. He was a sentient biotic, or something of that nature. Something told me I had been interested in him for a very different reason, but I couldn¡¯t remember it now. Perhaps someday. ¡°No, there¡¯s no issue,¡± I shook my head, ¡°I know what you did during the Wolven situation. I don¡¯t know how others reacted, but I wanted to thank you for sparing others the experience I went through. If this is what you want for your trouble, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m against it.¡± Yaga leaned on one leg more than the other then, giving an indecipherable look to Dr. Ross. Not all of his features were human, so I wasn¡¯t certain the emotion that he displayed. Dr. Ross snickered, then, and seemed in good humor. ¡°I thank you, Reaper. I am unused to such frankness from most.¡± He looked back to me after collecting himself, ¡°Was there something you needed by the way?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been away too long. Perhaps you two would give me a run down on our varying projects?¡± There truly were too many things that I was unaware of. ¡°We can definitely do that,¡± Dr. Ross nodded emphatically. Yaga put a hand to his chin before angling his head forward in what seemed like assent, ¡°I find a few project to my particular liking. I especially enjoy explosions.¡± ¡°Oh, and the rail cannon!¡± Dr. Ross chuckled, a manic edge to the sound. ¡°Indeed,¡± Yaga wrought his hands together, ¡°Then, let us start. Over here we were testing some of the pioneered toxins, thanks to the input of The Adder, and have begun fine tuning the chemicals.¡± As they continued speaking, I found a greater and greater amount of my attention being used to try to keep up with everything. All the while, I think I finally understood what happens when you put two eccentric people in charge. Even so, their excitement was infectious. They showed me many weaponizable projects, but I found myself stunned by the sheer number of civil sector pointed projects. Better water management, better transportation, more than a few researchers pushing to overwrite previous social norms like personal vehicles in favor of a centralized and automated transportation system. It was fascinating seeing everything, and even more so when they revealed a number of tools that had already been implemented in the field. Certain Reaper teams would be selected to test new equipment, often only those of a certain rank on the leaderboards. Of which, even without me, my team was still on the top spot. Then came certain devices that made me wary. Devices designed to interact with the mind, dealing in a field of science that I could barely call science. Yaga assured me that they were being tested to ensure maximum saftey, and that those who had the Gift could tap into their own innate abilities after coming into touch with them. I was uncertain what he meant, and then I remembered what it was that had interested me about him. ¡°So, you¡¯re psychic and others can hear you.¡± I summed up his description of his abilities. For a brief moment, Yaga seemed nonplussed, but then sighed, ¡°That is not all, but it is a good summary. I am not certain why I still cannot interact with your mind, it is¡­ strange.¡± I shrugged, ¡°Likely it¡¯s because I have no flesh anymore.¡± Both of them paused and looked at me blankly, ¡°You don¡¯t have what anymore?¡± ¡°Ah, right, this probably isn¡¯t common knowledge, so I would appreciate you keeping this between the two of you,¡± I added with chagrin, ¡°I¡¯m still not sure if this would be an issue for most people or not.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Yaga stared at me, ¡°What do you mean by not having any flesh now?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯d be faster to just show you.¡± I considered briefly before reaching up to pull off my helmet. We were in a relatively underpopulated corner of the lab with limited line of sight. Pulling off the metal cut away a large portion of my now buffered movement ability, leaving me feeling like I¡¯d just closed one eye and was squinting through it too much. The two of them examined me closer, fascination in their eyes as they inspected my now dull metal-gray flesh. ¡°That is fascinating¡­ I don¡¯t think that this could be replicated easily, though.¡± Dr. Ross shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone else has such advanced prosthetics. Or, rather, would even survive the damage you had to have gone through.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what all of that medical equipment was moved around for.¡± Yaga thoughtfully looked at my face. ¡°Alright, alright, that¡¯s enough of that,¡± I smiled, ¡°Now, I need to check. What have we got in the way of weapons?¡± They shared a conspiratorial look and then turned back to me, ¡°Right this way.¡± Chapter 53 Explosions They were mildly psychotic. Of that, I was now utterly certain. One can only watch something explode in so many ways in so little time and remain ecstatically giddy. Which, I suppose, was an excellent quality to have in any of my researchers, especially given that they would be in charge of creating weapons capable of doing just that. Even so, I found that there were several examples of smaller explosions that were less than exciting to me. I had the capacity to examine the explosions as they occurred. Seeing something happen at speed, to slow it down and play it back with my newfound cybernetic existence was critically useful. It wasn¡¯t as though the explosions themselves were all that different from a purely scientific standpoint. Well, most of them anyways. Usually an explosion was the result of a chemical reaction that occured at incredible speeds, often with great heat and light. The bulk of the explosions they had showed me still held to this. The major difference was in the quantity of material used. And, while I may not have been an avid sci-fi enthusiast in the old world, I had to admit that the concept of bullets that exploded with intense force was something that very much so interested me. The current bullet concept they had for me was 5 cm in length. The casing itself was designed to maximize the damage from the shell. Unfortunately, they still had to have space for the propellant, but even now they were testing mag-rifles, fusing some new technology and ingenuity to shrink batteries and make magnetics more viable. It seemed that individuals like Fran had made such things possible, their gear holding incredible insights into how such magnetic control could be achieved. The best thing was that the material inside required a small smart chip to arm them, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t explode. A perfect blend of electricity, air, and an - admittedly minor - movement in the core of the shell would give the explosive the clearance to explode. This happened as it was travelling out of the barrel, so there was no risk of them arming early, or exploding in the clip. Assumedly. I was wary due to the fact that I¡¯d watched a thumb sized chunk shred an analog to a human torso, leaving a gaping hole. ¡°We got a few of these ideas from seeing the Spindly,¡± Dr. Ross spoke, ¡°They were so explosive after damaged enough that we just had to know what they were doing inside of themselves to cause such a volatile reaction. There haven¡¯t been many, though, so we had to rely on scraps left behind.¡± ¡°More could be done with a live specimen,¡± Yaga agreed morosely, ¡°It will have to wait for another time. Even so, we discovered it was not only the material composition, but also the execution that allowed them such destructive fo-¡± ¡°Wait, before that,¡± I stopped their cascade into another tireless demonstration, ¡°You¡¯d mentioned that another biotic had been found. I¡¯m assuming that they are these¡­ Spindly?¡± Dr. Ross¡¯ momentary disappointment flooded away to be replaced with an even greater zeal. I felt then that, perhaps, most people would have stopped him well before this point and escaped. The fact that I needed all of this information - and admittedly it was very interesting - kept me here so far, but I did in fact have a job to do elsewhere. ¡°Well, let¡¯s show you that first. It¡¯s easier to see the kind of damage first. Luckily no one was injured in the encounter; the Iron Chariot team handled it rather well.¡± He nodded, waving me over to a dimmed room near the corner of the expansive underground floor, ¡°If it were another team, less heavily armored, then we might have had a very different scenario. As it was, they allowed us to hold onto the damaged armor plating to run tests. Regrettably, the biotics themselves yet continue to decay rapidly.¡± ¡°I¡¯d thought little of it before coming here,¡± Yaga thoughtfully murmured, ¡°It is odd that biotics - including my spawn - disintegrate so readily after death. Ah, but that is a topic for another time. You may turn your attention to these examples of the Spindlies destructive power.¡± The psuedo-biotic turned my gaze with a gesture of his hand as we entered the room with blackened glass for privacy. On the adjacent wall upon walking into the room was a sight that made my eyes narrow. The chest plate of the leader of the Iron Chariot¡¯s machine was held suspended with a metal arm. It was pocked with deep scars, furrows carved through its sides. Patrick - if I properly recalled the man¡¯s name - must have been thoroughly incensed by the loss of his machine. ¡°How many of these Spindlies did they find?¡± I spoke, the pair in the room with me noting the shift in my demeanor with a more controlled response.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°One, wandering aimlessly.¡± Answered Yaga as he tapped a few buttons on the consoles connecting to a larger series of screens, ¡°Never have we encountered more than one at a time. After the first encounter the Legion circulated information regarding this strain of biotic both to the Legion and Bulwark forces.¡± Dr. Ross exhaled a relieved sigh, ¡°Which is good, because these things pack a mean punch. Watch.¡± I turned my attention to the video playing, watching what at first was a P.O.V. from Patrick. His mech was surprisingly agile and quiet in spite of its size, and I noted that he was in the lead position for his team. That made sense, given how tanky he was. Ahead of him, though, I saw something that made my stomach churn. ¡®Is that fucking Spiker?¡¯ Internally I seethed, feeling ghost pains in my left arm from long ago, when a Unique biotic - a spiked, spider looking creature - nearly killed me. I tensed as I watched it, but after a few seconds I realized I was wrong. The creature had dozens of ¡®legs¡¯ that protruded from a central mass, but it wasn¡¯t like the long-legged spider thing that Spiker had been. It was damn close, though. Limbs came from every angle, small eye-stalks waved creepily from between limbs. Some of said limbs were bulkier, flexible only on a few joints, but were still razor sharp. Other branching limbs were straighter, unable to flex in any given direction too much, it seemed, though they were definitely capable of retracting. It undulated as it moved, assisted by its main legs as it seemed to meander at an idle pace. That was, at least, until a sound occurred behind Patrick, drawing the gaze of every single eye stalk that the spiked ball had to him. ¡°Wait for it, just in case it¡¯s not host-¡± Patrick had begun to say, only for his words to get drowned out by a loud screeching as the Spindly ground its needle like appendages together. It rushed towards the Iron chariots, not as fast as a Wolf but still a great deal quicker than I¡¯d expected. Moreover, the things main mass was at least the size of a beach ball, but the limbs themselves made it cover three meters in every direction in spikes. It expertly moved across the uneven, timber filled terrain, spikes retracting or pushing as needed for it to gain every bit of mobility it could. ¡°Hostile!¡± Patrick spat, bringing up a mounted weapon on his arm. It roared to life with a cannon shot, smoke and percussive force blasting the forest, shaking the leaves as it did so. The Spindly somehow managed to dodge, but not by much. A portion of its main body was tagged, and several spikes on its side flew away in chunks, as well as a main leg. It haltingly staggered, before several eyes simply seemed to widen and bulge. The next moment, it threw itself in the air with incredible force, the body enlarging by almost double. Then shrank to a third of the size, the spikes elongating and finally the entire mass exploding. It happened so fast and without hesitation, Patrick barely got an arm up to cover where his torso would be when black lances tore through the surrounding woods. The feed flickered, Patrick shouting in alarm and confirming the state of his teammates in the wake of the incredibly loud explosion. Dr. Ross paused it, ¡°That¡¯s how it happened. It¡¯s quite a potent explosive, and we¡¯re not sure yet what its spikes were made of, but they were quite¡­ damaging.¡± ¡°It looks similar to a Unique I¡¯ve seen before.¡± I thought aloud, ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s just a coincidence¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps that Unique was from a biotic colony similar to this one?¡± Yaga pondered with me, ¡°That is disconcerting, however, given the nature of this strain. Even my own clones are not so capable of such destruction.¡± I shook my head, perplexed, ¡°I plan on having some people scout out the area. Have you any countermeasures as of yet?¡± They looked at each other nonplussed, ¡°You mean a countermeasure to an explosion?¡± ¡°No,¡± I answered levelly, ¡°A countermeasure to keep them from exploding.¡± ¡°Ah, no.¡± Dr. Ross nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ give us some time?¡± Yaga cast an inquisitive glance to Dr. Ross, who nodded quickly, ¡°Yes, some time. I¡¯m certain something can be done.¡± ¡°Good, I need it immediately. I plan on having scouts further out looking for any more of these things. We do not need to be caught on the back foot with living explosives. At best, they¡¯re solitary, at worst, we get a horde.¡± I sighed, ¡°While Gilramore would probably be safe, I would much rather not put anyone outside of the walls in unnecessary risk.¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± Dr. Ross moved his fingers in the air, likely working with his Obelisk display. ¡°I have a hunch we can work on, I would suggest checking back three or four days.¡± ¡°Try to do it in one, if it¡¯s possible.¡± I requested, ¡°If not, we¡¯ll just have to be wary.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best.¡± Yaga nodded to me, turning to regard Dr. Ross as he continued interacting with the Obelisk. After another minute of general confirmations, I excused myself from the lab. A day would be ideal, but that was for another reason. I wanted to have a reason to be done with the politics that I would be dealing with. And, as I exited from the underground section, getting my first glimpse of open sky, I knew that I had my work cut out for me. Not because of the brilliant way the sun shone out from the clouds, the ashes of the calamity that had befallen us finally clearing away. It also wasn¡¯t the chill in the air, announcing that winter was falling fast. It was the fact that in front of the facility rested a large, military grade ATV with assorted Legionnaires waiting all around it in an orderly fashion. Also, the fact that the side door was open, and the man that I had heard with my team standing there. He was adorned in a light-weight mesh suit, leaving his head exposed. The man¡¯s gray hair and sharply kept decor was offset by his friendly looking sea-green eyes. ¡°Reaper, we met before, briefly, but allow me to introduce myself officially.¡± He stated, bowing his head slightly, ¡°Derrick Faun, second of Doug Vanderhew, at your service.¡± Chapter 54 Welcome Home ¡°Well, Mr. Faun,¡± I began, ¡°Nice to meet you. Please never bow to me again.¡± The man straightened, and as he did so I found a massive grin on his face that crinkled his eyes, ¡°Hah, looks like I owe Doug lunch.¡± I frowned at that, to which he quickly explained, ¡°Just a bit of fun.¡± He coughed, ¡°In any case, we have transport back to Headquarters. If you¡¯d like, I can fill you in on some details while we¡¯re en route.¡± I examined the man longer, his overall countenance reminded me of a kindly father figure, though just entering into the ¡®grandfather¡¯ territory. He carried himself with a subtle confidence and warmth, one that was somewhat at odds with the combat-grade mesh suit he was wearing. Perhaps those were fairly standard issue these days. Looking at the other Reaper¡¯s, most of which who bore helmets with one form of skull design or another, it was apparent that at least some level of armoring had become standard. I highly doubt the lot of them were merely armored, likely at least an exo-suit with armored covering. Less outfitted than power armor, but quite a bit stronger than anyone would have been pre-apocalypse. ¡°Lead the way,¡± I nodded to him, following into the armored interior of the APC. Two other vehicles aided in the convoy, something that felt strange to me. I wasn¡¯t so numb to my position to think that they were here for any other reason than to escort me, but the fact that this was considered necessary was odd in and of itself. ¡°What''s with the armored convoy?¡± My curiosity got the better of me no sooner than Derrick Faun had closed the door. He blinked owlishly, before sighing, ¡°It¡¯s a necessary part of the theatre we¡¯ve been playing while you¡¯ve been¡­ indisposed. Every now and then we¡¯d make a showing of an armored convoy like this moving in and out of the city.¡± I thought about it for a few seconds before nodding, albeit stiffly, ¡°So it was for the general populace to make it seem as though I was still around.¡± ¡°Just so.¡± A chagrined expression quirked his lips, ¡°Albeit, recently that was becoming untenable. You can say that ¡®The Reaper¡¯ is away on duties only so often before people become suspicious. Hence, good timing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve received some information as well that I¡¯d like to confirm with you,¡± I willed my helmet to retract now that we were alone. He tensed for a moment, but quickly relaxed. No doubt, he was getting used to seeing cybernetic enhancement. Mine was merely more¡­ thorough. ¡°Certainly, though I have to warn you I¡¯m not terribly abreast of every little thing in the city as of yet. I¡¯ve held this position for a few weeks now.¡± He folded his hands idly across his lap, awaiting my questions. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re going to be fairly general, I¡¯d think. The first thing that I¡¯m concerned about is the Hunter¡¯s Order.¡± I started. ¡°Tsk, them. Yes, I¡¯m certain they would have come up, indeed.¡± He shook his head, ¡°Their leader is one enthusiastic - if naive - Cassandra Vera. She overtook previous leadership with her idealism and vigor, but has of late been wavering in that conviction.¡± ¡°Similar to what I¡¯ve learned, then. Her vice-leader, Alex Werrick, has been pushing for a more contentious position that puts more power in their hands, rather than more rights. Is that so?¡± ¡°Just so, I¡¯m surprised you know that already.¡± Glaring, he continued, ¡°That man has made what could have been an amicable and constructive event into something that now must be dealt with far more¡­ firmly.¡± My brows furrowed at that, ¡°So, there is a plan in place, then?¡± His expression loosened up considerably, ¡°Yes, actually. Doug and I could not afford to put off this issue any longer. I do apologize if we may be overstepping our bounds, but with your continued absence, we didn¡¯t want this to spiral any further out of control.¡± I nodded my assent to the motion, honestly I¡¯d have rathered they¡¯d taken care of it on their own before it could have reached this stage. A topic for another time, perhaps. ¡°Doug is actually speaking with Ms. Vera now, we¡¯re no longer seeking conciliatory measures, though I fear that the damage has been done within the Hunter¡¯s Order. I was hoping that you would be able to offer an appearance in order to assure that a united front is presented. The Bulwark and the other Orders - at least, the ones that matter - have already been approached. If you show as well, they should hopefully understand that the issue is settled.¡± He spoke, looking hopeful, if not convinced. I couldn¡¯t help but feel the problem would only grow messier, ¡°Are we expecting any issues from Ms. Vera?¡± I idly felt outwards with my senses, tapping into communications and security systems to see the area around us. The city had come along nicely, many portions of the roads having been reinforced to handle much heavier grades of vehicles, and in some cases had been retrofitted to have hanging rails that acted like a pseudo-train system. Personal vehicles weren¡¯t common, if at all allowed. If someone needed to move across the city, it appeared that public transportation was the method selected. This made sense, it would be faster to just create a new transit system than to make previous vehicles roadworthy. Now, the only things allowed on the roads were military-grade, letting for faster response times if something went awry in the city. I couldn¡¯t help but nod appreciatively at the positive changes I was seeing. ¡°Well¡­ perhaps. We aren¡¯t sure exactly what her stance will be. After all, the Hunter¡¯s Order is still one that she built up to where it is now, albeit it is being usurped. Perhaps she will want more control over things going forward? We¡¯ve already been in a few public talks with her, and she clearly exhibits some animosity towards us. How much of that is fabricated and real, though?¡± He shrugged, ¡°We¡¯re not certain. Perhaps she¡¯ll be more amenable to our conditions than we believe.¡± ¡°And those conditions are?¡± I flexed my mental muscles, a proxy of myself now dedicated to gathering information on our surroundings just in case something interesting presented itself. ¡°Well, we definitely think that people should be allowed to hunt, if they wish. However, they should be subject to the same taxation system as we in the Legion are. After working things over, we decided that twenty percent of a Reaper¡¯s earnings would go to Bulwark. Anything additional would be voluntary, but we¡¯ve strictly forbidden the direct trading of Matter Energy to any personnel. It must go only to The Bulwark for further sorting.¡± He gesticulated as he spoke, animatedly, ¡°That way we can avoid favoritism and anyone feeling beholden directly to any individual, and direct that to the organizations as a whole. In theory.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What tax rating are we expecting for non-Legion?¡± I asked. ¡°Fifty percent,¡± he held up a hand then, ¡°Before you object, consider the ramifications of being a Legion member. We are required to hunt biotics every week, every month as discerned by biotic density in the area. Also, we must range further and further out, no doubt increasing our chances of fighting new biotics. Given that we are also expected to clear hives and pioneer the wilderness, there is significantly greater risk to our lives than a weekend warrior.¡± He paused then, seeing the thoughtful look on my face. I mulled that over, and for the most part I agreed. ¡°That should be fine, then. However I would suggest that we examine a clause for individuals who hunt as much as Legion members do, and for those who range as far as we do. I don¡¯t intend on the Legion smothering any competition, but I do expect anyone with the audacity to claim our benefits to put forth the effort.¡± Derrick smiled, ¡°You hardly have to ¡®suggest¡¯ anything. That sounds fair, in any case, so I hardly believe Doug would have an issue with that clause. Though, given the pace that you¡¯ve set in the past, I hardly think we¡¯ll have an issue with that going forward.¡± ¡°Ah, maybe.¡± I ran a hand through my hair, ¡°Well, so long as my Legionaries are doing their jobs, I won¡¯t mind pulling back on our requirements a bit.¡± ¡°With you back,¡± He smirked, ¡°I have the feeling that your team can climb the ladder quick enough to lit the fires of competition again.¡± ¡°Alpha team hasn¡¯t been hunting as much?¡± That surprised me, considering that we¡¯d held an extremely healthy lead at the time. ¡°Not quite. Though, that has been in part due to the other projects they¡¯ve been helping out with.¡± Derrick, gestured to something, sending me information from his Obelisk display, ¡°They¡¯ve been quite helpful. So, while they haven¡¯t been too active in hunting, they¡¯ve made up for it elsewhere. Although, there haven¡¯t been too many groups of biotics in the area of late. I think we¡¯ve finally cleared the area around Gilramore sufficiently that we don¡¯t have to worry too much about that. We do, however, have a few enterprising teams that have been setting up ¡®farms¡¯ of biotics to hunt.¡± That gave me sudden pause, ¡°Farming biotics?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re leaving a handful of hives active to the west in a plains area. Thus far, they¡¯ve set up for round-the-clock surveillance and cleanup. It¡¯s been quite lucrative, last I¡¯d heard.¡± He didn¡¯t look up from his screen, not noting the flinty glare I bore. ¡°And they think that¡¯s safe?¡± I ground out. He noticed then, and looked to me with a neutral expression, ¡°Of course not. We¡¯re not fools. Every three days we clear the hive and examine the core itself. I won¡¯t be so arrogant to say that we have the situation well in hand, but it¡¯s true that we have it as under control as can be expected. Honestly, Reaper, how do you expect us to continue harvesting Matter Energy if no biotics are around? Yaga and Dr. Ross regularly examine reports on the subject as well. It''s simply too valuable for us to destroy at this juncture. We may even discovered the mechanism by which the cores generate Matter Energy, create biotics, or mutate. While no one is happy with the idea of allowing such biotics free reign, we-¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± I stopped him, ¡°The idea¡­ It does make sense, from a purely logical standpoint. And so long as it¡¯s being managed properly I¡¯ll deal with it. But, if at any time containment fails,¡± I stared into him, ¡°I expect the hive to be annihilated.¡± He nodded and exhaled, ¡°Apologies, this is a sensitive topic for a myriad of reasons. And please do have faith, we have the core being monitored at all times. If something happens, we have several teams ready to clear and destroy the hive. It shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything out of the ordinary.¡± I leaned back, listening to that and forcing myself not to get worked up over it. There were reasons to do so, and logically it was more beneficial to hold a small number of them. Honestly, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to like the idea. But a part of me just didn''t like the concept of allowing a hive exist anywhere near Gilramore. Eager to find another topic, I turned my attention back to the projects that the others had been undertaking. Daniel and Fran had been, perhaps unsurprisingly, working with various groups in the Legion to help fine tune their strategies. Now it was possible to say that you wouldn¡¯t be able to find a kill-team that didn¡¯t have a mech-pilot and a mag-specialist in their teams. There were others, too, as varied as my own team was. Richard had worked with a small group - scientists among their number - to figure out what chemicals would deal the most damage to a biotic. With that, and his recent additions to a hybrid mesh exo-suit armor, he¡¯d truly come into his nickname The Adder. Few others took his route, but those that did specialized in zone control and wearing down larger targets. If given time, the varying acids and specialized toxins would destroy many targets, all while only engaging once. It was, all told, a very safe method of combat. In the research lab I¡¯d learned that Terry had been busy, but actually reading his projects were another beast entirely. Terry had branched out considerably, enlisting engineers of all types, including the concrete foreman, Quill Masterson, and his team in several massive construction projects. Among them was an overhaul of the walls, which also now ran down into the earth by ten meters. The roads, reconstruction, and reorganization of several city blocks were his handiwork, as well as other professionals. A hefty hand from the Civic Orders and The Bulwark was included, and it was no overstatement to say that Terry Garand was synonymous with the Legion¡¯s civic-minded side. Moreover, he¡¯d helped with the creation of the Legion¡¯s power plant, one that ran much of the city until The Bulwark got theirs online. I¡¯d have thought that Alice would have little to do, but I was woefully incorrect there as well. It brought a smile to my face to see that she¡¯d been hard at work using the Obelisk system - and more mundane technology - to attempt to contact other cities. She¡¯d organized a Civic Order for a singular purpose, the Communications Order was responsible for organizing and sorting all communications from other Obelisks in order to determine what the landscape beyond Gilramore looked like. It was a grueling task, there were no rules for transmissions yet and keeping the many hundreds of communications in line was a daunting task. The Obelisks didn¡¯t necessarily do all of this themselves, and needed to be given instructions for new contacts to be filtered. It was a bear of a task at first, but now the A.I. was catching on to what we wanted. These days, it was now about keeping track of what was going on elsewhere and issuing our own information. That information, being that we¡¯d mostly cleared out our area of biotics, was met with enthusiasm from a few sources. Unfortunately, it also came with pleas for help. Few cities had gotten organized as quickly as we had. And unfortunately, it seemed that some contacts that had been live for weeks had grown dark. We hoped there was something else going on than the obvious, and grim, possibility. To know that other cities were possibly falling was¡­ sobering. However, not all was dire, Alice¡¯s hometown was, in fact, still alive. They seemed strong enough, albeit their choice of official structure was odd. I wondered if she¡¯d found any news of her family. Hopefully she had, and that they were okay. She deserved that, after everything she¡¯d gone through. I turned my attention back to Derrick, finding only a few seconds had passed while my digital mind turned the information over several times. ¡°Thank you, by the way.¡± I nodded to him, ¡°I¡¯m glad to know that the Legion is doing well, even in my absence.¡± He smiled warmly, ¡°Well, it¡¯s home to a lot of people now. Just wait until you see the building. Ah, speaking of, we should be nearly there.¡± I nodded, turning my attention outwards, and finding that the building was very, very different. ¡°There certainly seems to be some¡­ additions.¡± I stated, feeling a thrill of excitement race up my spine. Derrick Faun¡¯s smile grew, ¡°Welcome home, Reaper.¡± Chapter 55 The Carrot... -Doug Vanderhew¡¯s P.O.V.- I leaned back, exhaling a heavy, uncharacteristic sigh as I looked upon the young woman. My bad knee ached as I contemplated the best way to move forward, headstrong, stubborn, and frankly mercenary unfortunately about as I¡¯d expected her to be. ¡°Ms. Vera, I¡¯m trying to help you.¡± I uttered tiredly, ¡°We¡¯ve been going around in circles - Bulwark, Legion, Orders - And we¡¯re not getting anywhere as we are now.¡± ¡°You mean trying to help yourself,¡± She huffed, and then took a deep breath, her intensity dialing down a notch. ¡°Look, I get it, you¡¯re all trying to make sure the edges of the cookie keep from crumbling, but what is it doing to people?¡± Gesturing to herself, she continued, ¡°People like me, who want to be out there doing something. I¡¯m not asking for much; An area around Gilramore where the Hunter¡¯s Order can conduct their business. All we want is a way to make to make our own path, that¡¯s all. We¡¯re not trying to ¡®usurp the powers that be,¡¯¡± her hands went up to mime quotations in the air. This was, of course, exactly what they were trying to do. Somehow, I¡¯d managed to hold my tongue, years of political experience keeping me in control of myself in spite of the now thoroughly worn topic. This backroom meeting was supposed to be a way to meet on the level, to put aside all of the fluff that was want to occur in the political arena of old. Most of us had shed that layer in the council chambers, stating our cases, being straightforward. Refreshingly so - blessedly so, even - we were able to communicate and get things done instead of spinning our wheels over and over. That was, of course, until more individuals with their own interests in mind entered the fray. The Civic Orders were the primary source of it, morose as I was to admit it. The Bulwark and Legion were unified in purpose, and were severely disinterested in playing the political game as a whole. Which had let people like Cassandra Vera into power, people who knew how to claim power, but not how to keep it, not to consolidate it. Those consequences were coming around to bite her in the¡­ well. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re under a great deal of pressure from your Order to make this happen. And I also agree-¡± I cut her impending interruption off with a hand up to allow me to finish my statement, ¡°-To an extent that there should be some kind of platform in place to allow other biotic hunting to take place not under the purview of the Legion. But, I do not believe, in the slightest,¡± I leaned forward, voice hard, ¡°That anyone should be allowed to claim what the Legion fought so hard over. Anyone who wishes to hunt biotics can do so, on the conditions of mutual respect of boundaries. To presumptuously claim the safest hunting grounds, at least for now, nearest to the city has many issues.¡± ¡°Issues that I¡¯m sure are valid and reasonable.¡± She retorted with dripping sarcasm. I ignored it and continued, reminding myself that politics wasn¡¯t personal, ¡°Firstly, the security of Gilramore as a whole. Given that biotics can and will eventually generate more powerful versions of themselves, it is in everyone¡¯s better interest to have a dedicated force keeping any nearby farms in check. Without having proven your organizations capacity for such, I am reluctant to agree on that count alone.¡± ¡°Secondly, there are not many farms for the same reasoning as the first. They help, but the loss of even one affects our ongoing war and reclamation efforts significantly. Which leads into the third reason why this is an untenable; Thus far, the Hunter¡¯s Order has shown excessive favoritism and habitual hoarding of Matter Energy. Already, the groups you work with are significantly more wealthy than they should be.¡± She scoffed, ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s a problem that we¡¯re wealthy and becoming powerful, now?¡± I felt my heart constrict, but I kept my expression and fists uninhibited by the flare of anger at that, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that stratification of wealth is the exact opposite thing that helps us right now. Matter Energy is not just some kind of money. It is a strategic resource that we need to gain technologies and materials not available without large-scale logistical operations that we don¡¯t have the manpower or equipment for. Imagine if we had to excavate all of the iron, coal, lime, and other minerals that we¡¯ve been using abundantly to get the city operational and in defensive shape? Now imagine that a large chunk of Matter Energy was in the hands of a few, who decided what to do with it at their leisure. People would flock to them, ask them for projects, and in turn only those willing to give something back would then actually receive that Matter Energy. Of course, the pandering, mewling inner circle and those beholden to them would then receive a larger amount of Matter Energy. You could say that it would reduce the flow of Matter Energy to a small group, while others would see marked decreases.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± she murmured, though uncertainty seemed to lurk in her eyes, ¡°That¡¯s capitalism, anyways. So what if some people are getting wealthy? It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t take up the roll of protectors as well. And more than that, we can just expand the system, get more people involved, just like an economic system.¡± ¡°And yet, the only source of further capital will be to fight more and more biotics. Farms are well and good, but untested, conditional. And hunts would take you further from the city, and from help. If you get in trouble, you won¡¯t have an artillery array to back you up, and the biotics are far more different than what you¡¯ve dealt with here. Can you sustain the needs of a population? One used to being showered in Matter Energy?¡± I stared at her, trying to find some way to get my point across. It¡¯s true that if their organization had shown that they were capable of logistical work and the like that they would likely be a viable alternative system. As much as a shift in methodology would scare me for the future of Gilramore, I would accept their existence until we could see which system was clearly working better. But the problem came to be that they had shown no positive traits thus far; vain in their efforts and insisting that people pamper them, demanding products of higher quality, working only with small groups and abstaining from releasing Matter Energy to any other groups, and only hunting in areas that were closer to the city. Wolves were hardly a threat when they weren¡¯t in hoards, of which the Legion trimmed further out in the badlands to the west and north east. They were fighting stragglers, or groups too small for the Legion Kill-Teams to bother with. It was a system in place intended to allow us to train recruits, small numbers of wolves in easily manageable and artillery protected regions for if something went wrong. Mortality rate, of course, was a high concern in general, and we needed our rookies to be capable of surviving in the real world. This created a problem, as the Hunter¡¯s Order was now taking up these resources. Moreover, this has also had the unintended side effect of making the general population underestimate the ongoing biotic threat. It created the rumor that most biotic threats were dealt with, and that there was nothing out there but easy pickings, so-to-speak. This emboldened people who normally would avoid the prospect of hunting biotics, giving them a false confidence that would get them killed if they were prepared improperly. Finally, there was the issue of equipment. The Hunter¡¯s Order armed themselves primarily in old-world tech, instead using their Matter Energy on¡­ certain recreational purposes. Not all of them were like that, there were some that took the job seriously, and it was for those small numbers of people that I was willing to make any concessions at all. ¡°My Order can handle it.¡± Stiffly she answered, ¡°I realize that there have been events recently that might paint my Order in a less than positive light. And that there are rumors regarding a possible¡­ disagreement within my inner circle, but I am confident,¡± She regained some of her zeal as she continued, ¡°that we can do better, that we can do all of the things that the people need us to do. We just need the chance to prove it, the right backing, the foundation.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Your Order-¡± I began, then blew a heavy breath out of my nose and shook my head. A challenging glare met my eyes, ¡°You do realize what some people are actually calling your order, yes?¡± She blinked in confusion, still simmering, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I folded my hands in front of me, a grimace preceding my words, ¡°There are a lot of people who are calling your group the Order of Debauchery. Do you really understand what¡¯s going on with your people? Let me give you the proof here,¡± I shook my head helplessly, ¡°Everything I¡¯m about to tell you has already been investigated. But your so-called ¡®disagreement¡¯ has already led to a faction growing within your own. Your second-in-command has all but named them, but all of this information is regarding people who are working with him for favors. And they¡¯ve agreed that a portion of all of their Matter Energy will go to him for ¡®Membership Taxes,¡¯ and that this Matter Energy is primarily lining his pockets. The rest are going to parties, his hand-picked people being getting outfitted with Obelisk technology. Which, I should mention, is egregiously expensive.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± She paused, her display likely in front of her as videos, pictures, and documents scrolled through her sight, ¡°But, t-they need to be outfitted to hunt more biotics, that¡¯s a given.¡± ¡°They sit on their ass all day.¡± I spoke flatly, ¡°The ideal group you have in your head? That¡¯s the minority in your group. Even so, I¡¯ve taken the time to speak to you, Cassandra Vera, in the hopes that something constructive will come of this train wreck.¡± She looked up to me, and something seemed to have finally clicked for her, ¡°You¡¯re not looking to deal with the Order. You¡¯re looking to make a deal with me.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things,¡± I admitted, ¡°But that¡¯s not to say that you¡¯re wrong. Differing opinions doesn¡¯t mean that one is right or wrong. The question becomes what is best for Gilramore and its people. Maybe if you had better people your system would work. Perhaps Legion, Bulwark, and the Orders are all full of greedy people who don¡¯t want to let go of power. I might be included in that group, honestly, I can¡¯t tell,¡± A grim smile settled on my lips, ¡°I don¡¯t know what the best course of action is for everyone, and frankly, I¡¯m growing tired of getting stuck in all of our backyard politics. We need people to work together.¡± ¡°That said, I can¡¯t give you dedicated access. But I¡¯m willing to offer you a few things. For one, we ¡®live and let live¡¯ and you can continue to harvest biotics as you come across them. You¡¯ll stay out of Legion restricted zones, but we¡¯re willing to provisionally allow you to clear a farm occasionally until you can prove yourselves capable.¡± I began seeing a spark alight in Cassandra¡¯s eyes, ¡°As for the management of the city, we¡¯re willing to cede a small section of it to you, namely the one you¡¯re already taking root in, in order to see how well you can organize the area and take care of the people therein. You¡¯ll be offered a seat on the council, again provisionally, in order to have a voice in the development of Gilramore as a whole. No voting rights, yet-¡± she frowned at that ¡°-but in good faith I would hope you would allow the rest of us to warm up to the idea of another faction growing into the framework of the city. As for your economic situation, that I¡¯m uncertain as to how to proceed, further talks would be necessary, but at least we can use this as a starting point.¡± ¡°I hope you can see that we¡¯re sincere in this offer, the Legion is willing to give you the chance, if you¡¯ll work with us. This is what I can offer you, for now, since the Reaper isn¡¯t here.¡± I spoke, feeling the ache in my knee subside a great deal. Getting this off my chest felt oddly freeing. Cassandra sat, her curly brown hair and protective combat fatigues frozen in a picture of thought. She finally breathed a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s not what I came here for¡­ but it seems like the best middle ground we could possibly come too. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll need to send this to my inner-circle to pass the vote.¡± I nodded to her, ¡°Of course. Will that take long?¡± ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll send it now.¡± She spoke, seeming both hopeful and nervous at once. I watched her swipe through the air, likely sending the core points of the deal to those of her inner circle. I hoped that they would see reason, but we¡¯d hopefully know for sure shortly. The time, however, dragged on awkwardly for five minutes, and then onwards to ten. We idly made small talk after the first five, attempting to come to a more personal level of conversation. That dwindled, though I could almost see a question rising that she was mulling over. ¡°You said that this was the best deal you could offer,¡± she began thoughtfully, trailing off. I frowned, and she quickly carried on, ¡°Oh, not to say I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good deal. It¡¯s just, you also said while the Reaper isn¡¯t here. Is he¡­ is he actually still alive?¡± The question caught me by surprise coming from her, but it wasn¡¯t an uncommon one. Previously, my answers had been vague and indistinct at best. I smiled warmly, ¡°Yes, yes he is alive. He might even be in the building soon.¡± ¡°Where has he been all this time? I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I don¡¯t mind talking to you, in spite of appearances, but wouldn¡¯t this have been¡­ you know.¡± She gestured wide, trying to find the turn of phrase that suited the situation best. I chuckled, ¡°Easier?¡± She nodded, ¡°Yes, this would have been easier. The only reason why I took charge now was that things were taking too long. Obviously we left all of this in the air for too long, and for that, I¡¯m deeply sorry. Perhaps this would have been less messy if we¡¯d have taken a clearer stance previously.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ and I suppose I could say that things may have gotten out of hand with my people, as well.¡± She sighed, ¡°What do you think he would have done?¡± ¡°He? Matthew, you mean?¡± Another nod, ¡°Well, this might not be the best thing to hear, but he doesn¡¯t exactly have the patience for politics.¡± I chuckled. She leaned forward, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well,¡± I hesitated, then shrugged, ¡°He¡¯d probably have taken a much harder and clear position, alright. But it would have been harsh and certainly to the bone. Understand that he¡¯s a man who has charged headlong horrific situations. You remember Wolven?¡± She made a disgusted look, ¡°I remember the videos of the thing.¡± ¡°He charged headlong into the central mass to kill the main body. Alone, knowing he would likely die from it. He nearly did, too, lost almost everything,¡± I patted my leg and then frowned, ¡°I¡¯d appreciate if you kept that confidential. I believe you can understand where he¡¯s coming from, he¡¯s quite passionate in what he believes in as well.¡± Swallowing hard, ¡°So, he wasn¡¯t out hunting biotics all this time?¡± I cringed, ¡°No. No he was not.¡± ¡°Is he¡­ I mean¡­¡± she looked at my artificial leg. ¡°Yes, and no.¡± I answered, ¡°Perhaps he¡¯ll be willing to disclose the fullness of his¡­ condition, at a later time.¡± She turned her attention elsewhere then, looking at a screen. Surprisingly she¡¯d kept her face stoic as she spoke the next words, ¡°It seems that the Hunter¡¯s Order has¡­ rejected these conditions, believing that further considerations would be necessary.¡± The only thing that betrayed her inner thoughts in that moment was the twitch of her eyelid, likely matching my own frustration at that moment. ¡°I see.¡± Was all I could manage as I sat and chewed the corner of my lip in thought. Neither of us noticed that the door had slid open, nor the fact that there was a man standing at the entrance. ¡°Is that so?¡± The voice startled the both of us, glancing up at the black and red power armored form that belonged to the leader of the Reaper¡¯s Legion. He was more imposing than before, and to my great surprise exuded an aura of command and something darker than I¡¯d ever noticed that hung around Matthew. ¡°Nice to see you again, Doug,¡± he nodded, fractal designs on his helmet glowing faint red, betraying a holographic skull within, ¡°and I¡¯d say it¡¯s nice to meet you, Cassandra, but it¡¯s really not.¡± I grimaced, seeing the brief flash of outrage on her face. Before she could speak, Matthew¡¯s helmet slid from his face. I¡¯d not seen Matthew¡¯s new appearance, not since I¡¯d seen him as a ragged mass of flesh that certainly didn¡¯t seem like it could have recovered. What recovery did happen, though, seemed almost a cruel parody of what he was before. His features were flawless, adjusted ever so slightly to be more angular. While he was handsome for a young man before, now I could see the traits that had been highlighted, small adjustments that made for a stark difference upon the whole. His skin was black and matte, his eyes dimly glowing red framed with a pitch sclera. His voice had been almost friendly, but seeing the way he looked at Cassandra now, barely contained contempt, I couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with the woman at that moment. ¡°Sorry, Doug, but it seems that I¡¯ll have to step in after all. I¡¯d hoped that we could come to a conclusion that wouldn¡¯t force me to do this, but it seems that greed drives people a little mad,¡± I watched him smile, one that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± He walked into the room further, taking a seat beside me. At the same time, a message appeared on my Obelisk from him. [Thank you, Doug. I know you tried your best. I¡¯ll take responsibility for this.] ¡®Oh boy¡­¡¯ I thought dryly, ¡®This is going to go worse than I¡¯d expected, then.¡¯ But, perhaps, this was the way the Legion needed to operate, at least for now. I¡¯d offered the carrot but now, it seemed, was the time for the stick. Chapter 56 ...And Now the Stick The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 56 ...And Now the Stick -Cassandra Vera¡¯s P.O.V.- ¡®What the fucking hell?¡¯ I thought, trying to keep from flinching at the ¡®man¡¯ who¡¯d walked in. Anger and disdain rolled off of him, and I¡¯d felt the biting retort die on my tongue as he glared at me. ¡®This is what killed Wolven.¡¯ I thought to myself, complicated emotions contorting. At once I was in awe at what this man had accomplished, as well as disgusted at what had to have happened to him, and admittedly afraid at what he was now. Was he even human anymore? ¡®Get it together, girl,¡¯ Interrupting my moment of panic, I pushed all of those thoughts into a box. I¡¯d have to sort that later, I had another contender to work with here. This was the leader of the Legion, he¡¯d have the power and authority to execute our demands. ¡®Alex¡¯s demands,¡¯ my traitorous thoughts reminded, ¡®now that most everyone seems to be hopping on his coattails and stealing all of my work.¡¯ The bitterness I felt towards Alex in that moment was deep. Out of seven people in my inner circle, four of which were people I¡¯d brought in myself, the vote did not pass. The best possible circumstances, ones that I¡¯d engineered from the start with hard line processes and careful maneuvering - and admittedly a hearty serving of luck - had come to nothing in that moment. Doug was right, my Order had become a trainwreck. It was obvious, only one other person had voted in favor of the conditions, in spite of my having explicitly informed the bulk of them ahead of time that should such conditions arise, we should take them. I wasn¡¯t a dictator, I would never push this ahead of anyone, but this¡­ this wasn¡¯t what I wanted. But I wouldn¡¯t give up on the Hunter¡¯s Order. People deserved a way to succeed by the strength of their own backs. We needed a way to gain power on our own, outside of the control of Bulwark, or the Civic Orders. On the level, the Legion was barely a factor, they just harvested the Matter Energy. They gave a healthy chunk over, but it just didn¡¯t feel right to have all of our ¡®needs¡¯ determined by the Bulwark. Having an independant order, one capable of managing the city, to show an alternative style of government built upon individual contribution and oversight, rather than that of a whole and potentially corruptible group, would show that the individuals who hunted could then serve to directly stimulate economic development and ongoing wellbeing of Gilramore. The fact that it hadn¡¯t happened properly yet was regrettable, but I¡¯m certain that eventually the wealth would trickle through the system, from one person to the next. The stratification that was occuring now wouldn¡¯t be forever, and the people who were in power now would have to continue hunting biotics in order to maintain that power. It would be a self-facilitating process. At least it should have been. Doug had more information on my own organization than I did. Alex taking what amounted to taxes from people under him in return for favors and access to certain places, shops, goods, and other benefits made for a very problematic situation. How long has that been going on? That was the kind of stratification that would last the ages, a pyramid scheme. Only with this, that would undoubtedly create a dictator in time. Hadn¡¯t he been aware of that? How toxic that system would become? Was I anyone in a position to say anything about it, though? I dragged my thoughts back to the present to keep from feeling existentially tired. We could only do the best with what we had, and even then, usually only the next best thing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± I answered, managing to smile, ¡°greed must be something you and the Legion are quite familiar with, is it not?¡± ¡®Put him on the back foot, politically maneuver him into a position where he would look back publically.¡¯ I reminded myself, setting up my approach. Organizations, of course, had to be careful of public opinion, lest it turn against them. When his smile vanished, replaced by smoldering fury, I didn¡¯t even have the time to consider that I¡¯d made an error in my tactics. The words ¡®He doesn¡¯t like politics,¡¯ echoing in my head like hammer blows. ¡°It seems you¡¯re misunderstanding something here,¡± His red eyes seemed to stare through me, ¡°The only reason why this meeting happened was because Doug wanted to have a congenial and frank conversation with you and your organization. To be considerate of your position, if you will.¡± The man looked around, ¡°All of this was built by us. Gilramore is still here, because of us. Thousands of biotics form the bedrock of our strength. Our foundation was tested in fire, baptized in blood and more than our fair share of death.¡± ¡°So to have some upstart, fledgling group too cowardly to step up to the plate,¡± He seethed, ¡°come here, into my home, with the gall to demand from my Legion consolations?¡± His incredulous eyes met mine, ¡°Tell me, did you think this was old earth? Do you think this is some game? I¡¯ll be perfectly transparent here; I don¡¯t give a single fuck about what anyone thinks about how I run my Legion. You want a shot? Than you¡¯re going to play by our rules.¡± My brain sputtered in disbelief as I grappled with what he just said, ¡°Th-that¡¯s not how that works! You don¡¯t get to dictate how people live! How is that fair at all?¡± ¡°Fair?¡± A look like he was talking to a rock flashed across his face, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you think it¡¯s fair. I could be having the Legion hoard every single biotic - oh, you know what, that¡¯s happening.¡± I watched as his eyes flashed red briefly, confusion racing through me. ¡°There, now the Legion¡¯s just going to kill everything in the badlands. I¡¯d recommend staying far from the farms, also, considering I¡¯ve just given clearance to shoot anyone unauthorized trying to enter them.¡± He smiled, teeth bared. ¡°That - wait - you can¡¯t do that!¡± I leaned forward, clenching the chair with my fingers hard. This was not how this was supposed to go. I turned my attention to Doug, who seemed just as helpless as I did. ¡°Yes, I can. I did.¡± He stated matter-of-factly, ¡°Everything outside of Gilramore is the Legion¡¯s jurisdiction. If you want that changed, you¡¯ll have to play by the same rules we do. Not the selfish, childish games you¡¯ve all been playing, picking up scraps from biotics barely worth my people¡¯s times. Now, let¡¯s make sure you understand what I expect of your little club.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I bridled with outrage at the man, but he steamrolled past as I struggled for a response. ¡°If you want to go hunt, you can, but you¡¯ll be doing it just like we are at the border. We will not give you access to our resources, including our information or our artillery network, since you haven¡¯t paid for a drop of it.¡± ¡°Those are for the people!¡± She spat, ¡°You¡¯d be willing to expose people to danger outside of Gilramore, just because they¡¯re not Legion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He leaned forward, ¡°Yes I damn well would. You think we¡¯re going to hold your hand? You want to step up, then do it. Pay your fees and you get access to what the Legion has been paying for every step of the way. If you think you deserve to be an organization, then you¡¯re damn well going to give back to the city. The simple fact of the matter is that we¡¯ve fought for our power. You won¡¯t even have to go through what we did, you¡¯ve clearly got enough Matter Energy stored up to limit how much danger your people should be in.¡± I searched for a retort, but this man was, frankly, a form of political suicide. ¡°You¡¯re literally saying that you don¡¯t want to give up any of your power, you know that, right?¡± ¡°What of it?¡± He sat back, ¡°I¡¯m no tyrant over the people, not like what you people are breeding,¡± he spat acidly, one that I couldn¡¯t help but wince at, ¡°You want to do something in Gilramore? Be my guest, I don¡¯t care. That¡¯s not my jurisdiction. The moment you entered my arena, the wilds, you were under my jurisdiction. And on that note, where were you all when Gilramore really needed help?¡± I opened my mouth but felt my tongue heavy with lead. ¡®We could have helped!¡¯ Was the response that almost left my lips. But we didn¡¯t. ¡°You need to prove yourselves capable of at least this much. Gilramore has no need of an organization that will be nothing but a parasite.¡± He casually remarked, the scathing statements thoroughly having worn my patience thin. ¡°The price of any organization and individual will be as follows,¡± he began, ¡°Fifty percent of all of your earnings will go to The Bulwark for allocation as needed. For that, you receive artillery support, emergency dispatch from any nearby Reaper team within reason, and information regarding any biotics. You will share in information found outside of Gilramore for the good of all humankind. If you wish to be recognized as an independent organization, you may register with The Bulwark and work on modified rules as the Legion does. We pay 20 percent of our earnings, but are required to hunt a certain number of times on a bi-weekly basis.¡± ¡°You will be expected, as an organization, to contribute to the raiding of hives, assassination of Unique¡¯s as they appear, hunting of biotics, reclamation of territory, and in emergency situations to man the defense alongside Bulwark in the event that it is required. You¡¯re in luck, many of these things will be easier than ever before thanks to the work we¡¯ve already done.¡± He watched me, insuring that I was still listening, ¡°Finally, you will be allowed to do with your personal Matter Energy as you wish, but you are not to create transactional interactions that create dependance strictly upon your organization.¡± He shrugged then, ¡°That one is more of a guideline, really, it¡¯s not necessarily a problem to have favorite vendors, honestly. It¡¯s just to keep you honest, don¡¯t maliciously abuse your power, which should have been given, but apparently we need to say that officially.¡± ¡°You are such an asshole.¡± The words left my mouth before I could clamp down on them. He laughed, ¡°Perhaps. But that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be now.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t stand for this, this isn¡¯t right. The people won¡¯t think it¡¯s right, either.¡± I started to say, but felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as the power armor he wore buzzed. ¡°Then they¡¯re welcome to do better, if they can,¡± he rose from his seat, ¡°This conversation is over now. The Legion has made its stance perfectly clear, I think. If you make something of yourselves, we can talk about your little club becoming a real organization.¡± He gestured to the door, ¡°You can see yourself out.¡± I was baffled at the callous treatment the man gave, and almost listlessly I rose, moving to the door. Somehow, our deal had reversed in the worst possible way. ¡®No, not the worst¡­¡¯ I considered things, ¡®I can still work with this, but my Order might not.¡¯ My breathing hitched as I crossed the portal from the room, doing my best to keep myself under control. For better or worse, my Order would change. A message pinged into existence from the Obelisks then, a general message. The sender was listed as ¡®The Reaper¡¯s Legion - ¡®The Reaper¡¯¡¯, and as soon as I viewed the contents, I knew that these changes would happen fast. And surely enough, Alex messaged me minutes later. ¡°Lets see what this is about, then.¡± I murmured, having a feeling that my Order was about to get much smaller. -Matthew Reaper¡¯s P.O.V.- ¡°Well¡­ that was something.¡± Doug breathed out as I sat back down across from him. We kicked our feet up on the low coffee table between us. ¡°Mmm.¡± I hummed in response, ¡°It¡¯s probably going to get really noisy politically. Just point them my way if they have a problem with it.¡± Doug shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not too worried about Bulwark, I think Charlie¡¯s been waiting for something out of you. As for the Orders? Well¡­¡± He leaned back and stared at the ceiling, ¡°Most of them probably won¡¯t care too much. If anything, this gives an official framework.¡± ¡°I should have handled that months ago,¡± I clicked my tongue, feeling void of any particular emotion, ¡°It is good to see you, though.¡± He snickered, ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you back around. At least now we can do the bad politician, good politician schtick now.¡± ¡°That we can,¡± I smiled, ¡°shame it came down to the stick, though. I genuinely think she might have what it takes.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± he agreed, ¡°Hopefully this doesn¡¯t break her.¡± I cringed, ¡°Yeah.¡± We sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, just taking it all in. Finally, he spoke up, ¡°A lot of things have changed in the last month. You met my new assistant-in-command?¡± ¡°Derrick, yeah,¡± I nodded, ¡°good man. I left him in the lobby to advertise that I¡¯m back in action and we have a big operation coming up.¡± Doug breathed in and out slowly, ¡°You haven¡¯t even been back a day and you¡¯re already getting in the thick of it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s who I am.¡± I murmured, adding mentally ¡®Now, anyways.¡¯ ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure that the fallout from all of this¡¯ll hit either way.¡± Doug sat forward, ¡°So what¡¯s coming up?¡± I sent him a packet of information containing the Gen 2 biotics information. After a few moments to allow him to read through it, I spoke up, ¡°You probably already know it exists, but it resembles a Unique I¡¯d encountered earlier. That¡¯s where the left arm went at the time,¡± I gestured, ¡°Given that, I¡¯d say it¡¯s safe to say that there are a lot more of those where they came from.¡± ¡°Mounting a scouting mission?¡± He looked to me, then frowned in thought as I shook my head, ¡°Then you¡¯re mounting an extermination expedition?¡± ¡°Just so.¡± I nodded, ¡°I plan on leaving in two days. We¡¯ll mobilize half of the Legion - good job on recruitment, by the way - and we¡¯ll use the opportunity to pull in anyone trying to prove themselves worthy of having an organization. Anyone who registers with us will share in the Matter Energy gains, but will be looked after by us.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll give us the opportunity to look for more talent, head off public opinion on the availability of biotic hunting grounds, and give the Hunter¡¯s Order an opportunity to prove themselves at once,¡± he murmured assessingly, ¡°Yeah, that doesn¡¯t sound bad. I¡¯ll work over a few other details too, we can take some willing volunteers from The Bulwark to get some experience. Any idea where we¡¯d be heading first?¡± As ironic as it was, I was looking forward to the expedition. The place that had been hammered the hardest by biotic meteor fragments, the very same place where my now distant and hazily remembered family met their end would be our destination. ¡°Damond. We¡¯re going to take back Damond.¡± I looked to him, seeing comprehension dawn in his eyes. ¡°Good.¡± I saw his eyes grow hard, ¡°That¡¯ll get a lot more people involved.¡± We both shared a look, recognizing one fact over any other. Revenge was an excellent motivator. Chapter 57 Testing Limits During the rest of the day I found myself pulled in several directions. Doug needed many things approved and advisement on the direction of the Legion overall. His second in command then needed clarification on a few of the finer points of the chain of command; He couldn¡¯t be everywhere at once, and officially designating team leaders above a certain rank as authority figures in the Legion helped considerably. That said, the clear exception was my own group, given that I was the Leader of the Legion overall. In the interim my team had fallen from the leaderboards top spots, nearing the bottom. It would be a difficult climb in order to put ourselves back in the number one spot, especially given that people were now more used to the prospect of hunting biotics as a whole. It¡¯d be good for us, I think, to get back out in the thick of things. Less required was that I make an appearance among the Legionaries, which I had no issue with. I familiarized myself with our new headquarters as I did so, marvelling at the state of the structure. It had already begun to take on a space-age luster, materials designed to withstand explosions, fire, even chemical warfare taking the place of more mundane constructions. The building itself was fully five stories in height, and was three stories deep, replete with an armory and a mech bay that would allow a fleet of machines to exit through the back of the structure. Considering the building had grown to overtake the rest of the city block, that was a considerable amount of floor space. Across the street was the same city hall, albeit with some more subtle modifications. In a sense, I could see how people might be concerned with our growing power, at the very least we put on the image of it. However, I felt this was well deserved. Twenty percent of our overall Matter Energy income went to the Bulwark, and another thirty percent went to our own personal Legion expenses. This had been changed from what I¡¯d had in mind previously, and had been met with some growing pains. After all, it was fifty percent of every Legion members earnings when all was said and done. The benefits, however, had settled the issue thoroughly. Ammo, repairs, replacements, bedding, food, and more general living was taken care of through the Legion exclusively. That was a major reason as to our expansion. Now, the building was separated into four interconnected wings. Our official HQ that would house people for their data, armory, and mech storage needs, inclusive also of meeting areas where strategic and tactical level concepts could be discussed. The centerpiece of this wing, however, was a massive three-sided obelisk that split the buildings upper floors all the way to the top. It emulated the alien tech obelisks in appearance, but it¡¯s function was much more mundane. Names scrawled across its surface, a nearly liquid surface that moved and changed position. Objects that people gave up to the memorial would emerge to the surface from time to time. It was as close to a living memorial as we could get, and while it was somewhat strange to me to have it moving, it also seemed to emphasize how things could change so quickly. Simultaneously it commemorated our fallen. And, I was pretty sure I saw my broken trench gun in the mix. ¡®Ah, well. I guess I¡¯ll have to get some new weapons, then.¡¯ I thought to myself, wondering at what my arsenal should consist of now. I dragged my attention back to the other three wings. The hospital was perhaps the most important, the first floor divided into what was regular care and a sizeable bay for emergencies. The particular wing took up more floor space than either of the other two, but only had three floors. The second floor consisted entirely of more ER and labs for any testing that needed to be done. The third, however, was general practice and rest. We were currently fully staffed, but luckily ER was not common. Most teams had a medic among them, or at the very minimum were trained in life-sustaining treatment to give a wounded individual a chance at surviving long enough to get back to the city in the worst case. Of course, having helicopters on the roof helped with that, too. The third building was four stories, the upper three consisting of rooms for personnel, both primary Legion and those that were commissioned on site. Technically, anyone who was working in our buildings was also trained for combat, and was expected to participate in biotic hunts from time to time. It was a guideline more than anything else; nobody wanted to lose a Doctor out in the field. The first floor of the structure was simple enough, half of which was dedicated to a large cafeteria, the other half being for general lounging, and mild recreation. And then was the fourth building. It had earned several nicknames and was - reasonably so - a point of competition among the ranking teams. The Grid had been designed with several training scenarios in mind, and teams would run through simulated battles that had been studied in earnest by our more tactical minds. The structure was the only one that had five basement floors, and had plans for nine in all, in due time. Among the nicknames were the Slaughter Grid, and Hell Pit for the fact that the floors became ridiculously more difficult as you descended. Which was the point. Every team, or solo if you wished, would enter simulacra outfits to match whatever template would match. Basic mech suits were allowed as well, giving people the option to test out possible modifications to their kits without putting themselves on the front line first to do so. Of course, not everything was testable, there were definite limits on what we could accomplish. But, being able to clear the first floor was deemed the bare minimum to be allowed to roam the wilds outside the city. It began with a handful of Wolves and escalated to a horde of one hundred by the end of the push, the only objective being the get rid of all biotics. This could be accomplished by every ranking team easily, basic biotics were no longer a threat with our equipment and training. At least, so long as proper precautions were taken. The second floor built upon that, sending massive hordes at the trainers, a battle of attrition. Primarily, this was all about ammo management and taking advantage of terrain. There were two objectives, though, one of which was to kill all biotics, the other being to reach the safe-zone. Thus far, only the top ten teams had killed every biotic, with all other clearing teams had spear-headed through the hordes of thousands to get to the safe zone where, assumedly, there would be an extraction or support from friendlies to even the odds. It was inherently designed to ensure that teams knew that standing and fighting was not always the right answer. But, if a lesson in when to retreat was the topic of the second floor, then the third was an exercise in combating fear. A labyrinthine construction, similar in many respects to a mine, greeted a team. Mechs would have just barely enough clearance, but had limited mobility. For the first section, the team had to be wary of ambush attacks and skirmishes from the now categorized Gen 2 biotics, the Salt Beetles. The first portion of the map spelled the end of several teams when it was first implemented, and virtually no team had gotten through without what would have been casualties. There was, also, the second part where the tunnels gave way to much larger excavated caverns. Mech users were lulled into a false sense of comfort, given their mobility would be restored. The hive guards would often quickly, and brutally, emphasize that such a thing worked two ways. However, this had quickly emphasized the need for teamwork, pushed utilizing ones advantages to an extreme, all while ensuring that awareness of the area around the battle was especially considered. There were two ways to win on this floor as well, killing all biotics, or to destroy the hive core. This was, however, a trap.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. It was possible to slip past a large portion of the biotics, and there were many caverns that a team would never have to move through. But, by moving into the core room, three things would become apparent. The hive core was recessed into a sturdy crucible that helped prevent it from being sniped from the entrance. It also would quickly become evident that every biotic in the mine would race towards the core when invaders were detected, leaving the team on a strict time-limit if they didn¡¯t want to be fighting from both sides. And, of course, that the other side was the hive queen, the flying abomination that had very nearly killed me in the mines, was no small matter either. Finally was the fourth floor. This floor had three completion options. The first was to damage the biotic in question enough that it would retreat. The second was to survive for a set amount of time. And the third was to defeat the biotic. Two teams had managed to perform the first win condition, albeit barely. Four teams had managed to survive long enough that it would be assumed that supporting fire could drive it off. But none had destroyed it. Which was reasonable, really, considering the abomination was Wolven. This was a lesson in depth on weathering a living calamity, knowing that destroying it was leagues more difficult. And, technically, there was a fifth floor, however to my knowledge it was as of yet under construction. There was the matter of being uncertain as to what to place on that floor as of yet as well. One possibility was to make it randomized, but in any case the previous floors were more than sufficient to test and train Legion members. And that was why I was here now, because the day was nearly over, but we were on a time limit. My proclamation of the expedition to Damond came out side-by-side with my outline for other organizations membership requirements. There were plenty of people upset, but as of yet no one had the gumption to put themselves forward in the line of fire, so to speak. It mattered little, to me, as I had no intention of giving the topic any more time. What we needed was to move forward, and this expedition would give an outlet to people¡¯s frustrations. If they thought they could do what we did, then they could put their money where their mouth was soon. I¡¯d even help equip them, if they registered with us. There would be no excuse. I let out a breath, forcing myself to stop getting worked up about it. There were more important things to analyze right now. ¡°What weapons do I take here¡­¡± I tapped my chin, seeing the weight machine nearby. Technically, you were allowed to ¡®simulate¡¯ any weapons you wanted. The catch was that you had to be able to carry the real thing. And so the computer would estimate your maximum carrying capacity based on what you could reasonably be expected to use over an expedition. This was less important for mechs, but even they had carrying capacities. My armor sat on a rack, suspended while I wore simple form fitting athletic clothes. I did spare an appreciative moment to look at my muscle definition in the mirror. Maybe someday I¡¯d be able to begin the process to transform this biosteel back into regular tissue, if that was even possible for me to do anymore. This was rather more considerable than what had been indicated should have been possible when I¡¯d seen biosteel described from the Obelisk. I ran through the tests easily, each time the machine upping the limits. And, amusingly, the system registered that I would be required to remove any augmenting suit during testing before promptly stopping the trials. But, I did still need an estimation, so I flexed my will, feeling for the connection point into the system before overwriting the limitation this once and assigning my carry weight. Effectively, equipment weight was negligible and I could feel free to take what I needed. I donned a faux power armor, one that would emulate what I was wearing to the best of its abilities. It wouldn¡¯t be capable of quite everything the real thing could do, but the handicap would probably be for the best. It was a dull grey, and left my head clearly visible through a plexi-glass dome. ¡°I guess that¡¯ll do.¡± I murmured to myself, moving around a bit to get used to the suit. ¡°Definitely not as cool,¡± I heard a female voice speak, chuckling lightly to herself. I smiled, turning to see one of my few friends. ¡°Alice! Glad you could make it,¡± I earnestly spoke, features visible. She didn¡¯t flinch in the slightest as she walked up and hugged me. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you walking around.¡± She seperated from me, ¡°But do me a biiiig favor?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, rolling my shoulders. ¡°Never get turned into hamburger again?¡± She made a face, ¡°That was pretty awful.¡± I blinked, nonplussed, before shaking it off and chuckling, ¡°Well, I can promise you that it¡¯ll be at the bottom of things I ever want to do again.¡± She pouted for a moment, jokingly, ¡°I guess that¡¯s good then.¡± Then she beamed, remembering something, ¡°Oh, did you hear? We¡¯re getting in contact with other cities!¡± I nodded, ¡°I did hear. Have you gotten anything on your family yet?¡± She flagged momentarily, ¡°Well, ish. We¡¯ve gotten in touch with Sunvilla, and they say that my family should be okay. They¡¯re not done with a full census as of yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine,¡± I reassured her, ¡°Sunvilla didn¡¯t get a meteor close to them like we did.¡± ¡°Yeah, but, we¡¯ll know for sure in a few days. They said that this time next week they were planning on doing widespread broadcasts for the families. Technically they could do it now, but,¡± she shrugged, ¡°they¡¯re saying something about needing to keep communications low. We didn¡¯t get much more out of them.¡± ¡°That sounds¡­ suspicious,¡± I murmured, ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll see soon, then.¡± Alice nodded, expression downturned for a moment before she forced herself to look at the equipment display. ¡°Alright, so! What are we aiming for here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± a group of people walked into the building, a smile on my face at the sight of them, ¡°I say we should aim for the bottom!¡± Daniel¡¯s broad grin was the first thing I noted in the group. Fran shook her head helplessly beside him, abstaining from saying anything, but the humor was evident in the quirk of her lips. To her right I saw Terry speaking with another man, Richard Nordsen, whom seemed to have grown attached to our group. When he looked to me, I noted that his reaction was fairly mild, a raise of the eyebrows, but he¡¯d already seen me at my worst. Terry waved at me, standing upright, a brace against his back, ¡°Yeah! The boys are back!¡± ¡°And girls. Don¡¯t forget the most important part,¡± Alice teasted good naturedly. Richard scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re more a tomboy than anything else, anyways.¡± ¡°Rude,¡± Alice punched his shoulder, to which he feigned injury momentarily. Then they fist bumped, leaving me with the distinct impression that the whole lot of them were much closer than I¡¯d expected. ¡°I was honestly not sure if we¡¯d have everyone back together again,¡± Fran clapped her hands together, ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Daniel put a hand on her shoulder, and then on mine. ¡°Damn dude, your eyes really stand out now.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it,¡± I shrugged with a smirk, ¡°Comes with some pretty great perks, though. So I guess I¡¯ll take what I can get.¡± ¡°I hear that,¡± Terry said, ¡°I have an electrode strapped to my ass to walk, for now. I¡¯m like a cyborg.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Richard gestured to me, ¡°He¡¯s like a cyborg, you¡¯re cyborg-lite.¡± There was the briefest of pauses from Terry as he looked to me, and seeing that I didn¡¯t take offense he rolled through, ¡°No, no, he¡¯s like the terminator now, doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Anyways,¡± Fran shook her head, ¡°let¡¯s get into our equipment. I¡¯ve gone to the second level without it being an issue, so I¡¯m sure we can make it to the fourth floor.¡± ¡°Can we get through the fourth, though?¡± I heard Terry murmur, ¡°That¡¯s pretty¡­¡± He looked to me, a gaze meaningful enough to convey that he was worried about how I felt about it. I smiled, one with bared teeth, ¡°I intend on taking Wolven apart, a little bit of cathartic release, if you will.¡± Daniel cracked his knuckles, ¡°Hell yeah. Lets re-announce ourselves to the Legion. We¡¯re coming for that number one spot!¡± Richard frowned, ¡°Well, not like I don¡¯t want it, but Last Call have been kicking some serious ass.¡± He sank into thought for a moment, glancing to Alice who was still radiant in her energy levels. With a sigh, he walked over to some of the more heavily modified gear, ¡°Sure, why not. I can give it a shot.¡± I glanced to Alice, who shot a conspiratorial look back at me and whispered, ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a pecimist.¡± She explained. ¡°I heard that,¡± he called over his shoulder, and I couldn¡¯t help but bask in the moment. This was better by far than politics. ¡°Let¡¯s sweep the record.¡± I spoke to myself, watching the others prepare. Something told me this would be very, very enjoyable. Chapter 58 Gauntlet of Wolves ¡°Everytime I come here it makes me feel like I¡¯m playing laser tag.¡± Richard chuckled as we stood in front of the doorway to the first basement floor. Alice murmured thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯d never thought of it like that. Never actually played laser tag.¡± ¡°I did once, back in college,¡± Terry clucked his tongue, ¡°We got banned from there so fast.¡± ¡°How did you manage that?¡± Richard asked, drawing my attention as well with a befuddled expression. ¡°Ah, well, we were very drunk and may or may not have begun tackling each other.¡± He laughed. A light smile played across my lips as I looked to the others. We totaled six as a team, and from what I¡¯d seen that was fairly standard for most groups. Some went larger, namely newer teams or ones that wanted a safety net. Now that we were hunting for greater prey, it was probably fine to expand teams. So long as people were still making enough Matter Energy, I supposed it wouldn¡¯t be a problem what size the teams were. They were mature enough, I think, that my Legionaries wouldn¡¯t needlessly put themselves at risk for a few extra points of Matter Energy. ¡°Alright, there isn¡¯t all that much time until the next operation, so we¡¯re going big out the gate.¡± I said, checking over my gear once more as I did so. ¡°We¡¯re going to do the Gauntlet run, and go straight through each floor.¡± They others nodded, likely expecting as much, ¡°No rearming between floors, then, right?¡± Daniel asked, ¡°That¡¯s a hard one, I think only Strauss¡¯ team has managed that, and it was close.¡± ¡°Strauss?¡± I asked, digging into my memories and drawing a blank. I filtered through the Legion archives after, and quickly pulled him up, ¡°Ah, Last Call¡¯s leader. I¡¯m surprised they took the number one spot. Wait, Yomar joined up?¡± I squinted at the air, looking through the database. Yomar had been part of the Delve team, the dual-axe wielding exo-suit user had been injured last that I¡¯d seen. It was good to know that he was back in the swing of things. ¡®Ah¡­ Smith would have noticed the bad joke.¡¯ A spike of morose swelled within me before I refocused on the task at hand. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve been doing well.¡± Daniel said off hand, ¡°But we¡¯ll be back up there in no time.¡± ¡°You were saying before how hard it would be, though?¡± Alice teased. He scoffed, ¡°Well, we¡¯re all back in action. And it isn¡¯t like we¡¯ve been totally immobile. I¡¯ve been practicing and fixing up my mech. Hopefully this thing can keep up.¡± At that, he tapped the minimalistic mech he was resting on the edge of the torso that folded open and revealing the cockpit. ¡°One way to find out. Follow my lead, I¡¯m not planning on staying on the first two floors long.¡± I grinned, confirming that the four guns, four blades, and sixteen assorted grenades and mines were on my person. A larger weapon was on my back, a launcher that I intended on keeping for a very specific reason. We were each outfitted in the closest approximation of equipment we could get our hands on. The worst off, perhaps, was Richard, who normally had a combination of a mesh and exo-suit that allowed him to be extremely light and fast. Ordinarily, he had a very prehensile ¡®tail¡¯ like limb, one of three. Right now, he had one, and it was definitely cruder than what he would normally use. If he had a problem with it, though, he certainly didn¡¯t show it. And the rest of his considerably toxic arsenal was perfect, so he likely could work with it. Luckily, any gases or the ilk would be simulated by the augmented reality environment and not actually have a possibility of harming us. It¡¯d be good to know what to expect out of them, though. Alice had leaned in a similar direction, using mesh and exo-suit portions to allow for maximum mobility. Her bow and arrow style of combat hasn''t changed much, from the look of it. I had no idea what her kit looked like now in reality, but given the fact that she had five separate quivers for arrows, I presumed that they were varied at the least. She likewise had wrist mounted projectile launchers, and a second pair of arms extended from the sides of the exo-suit, each one bearing similar dart launchers. Magnetics were more common now allowing Fran to utilize a closer approximation to what she would normally have. However, the bulk of her suit was left to being digitized, acting off of her already trained nervous system to perceive what they wanted. The barest frames of wings were present, but instead of feathers they bore wide flat panels. They didn¡¯t appear to disconnect, either, so I had to assume that they were there mostly to mimic weight distribution. Terry had a smaller mech than Daniel, and the torso seemed to stop halfway up, changing into a wide dome that he could see through easily. Its midsection connected to collection of four hover platforms, nodes that zapped with mild electricity. For the most part, his collection of attacks would be simulated entirely by the computer as well. Not many used electricity as a weapon in the Legion, let alone in Gilramore, and that was for good reason. Without a strong grasp of electromagnetism, I imagine that injuring yourself would be very easy. Daniel, on the other hand, was mostly outfitted with real metal tech, given the popularity of mechs and their need to feel the weight of the machine. It was a pale imitation of the real thing given that his mech had been much larger, and probably even more so now. Several of the hardpoints were mounted with what appeared to be stunted, heavy metal cylinders. He closed the hatch and the mech began to move, flexing and twisting as to check the balance of the overall assortment. We walked into the wide expanse that was the first floor, hexagonal floor tiles and walls of slate grey, with more than a small amount of scuff marks and scrapes, greeted us. A musical tone filled the air for a moment before the lights cut out, leaving us in the dark for several seconds. I frowned, waiting for something to happen. And kept waiting for several seconds longer. Perplexed, I was about to speak out when I noticed a subtle change in the light. It was dim at first, but slowly came online the rest of the way, almost like dawn coming over the countryside. Grass, more luminescent and somewhat indistinct at the edges, sprouted up all across the world that we could see, ending only at the edge of a large and looming forest that surrounded us after what seemed like hundreds of meters. Finally the light matched the position of the sun, not quite afternoon, casting a brighter gleam across the relatively flat field. ¡°Interesting.¡± I noted aloud, ¡°You can tell it¡¯s fake, but this is still leagues better than anything we had on old earth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a new project,¡± Terry informed me, ¡°There are still some bugs, but it¡¯s overall pretty balanced. Admittedly, we¡¯re keeping it on a tight leash, don¡¯t want people getting stuck in places like this, burying their heads in the sand.¡± ¡°Anyways,¡± Alice cut in, moving the topic along, ¡°The first floor is pretty easy, overall. Just a few groups of wolves, really.¡± I decided not to bring up any more about what might have been a touchy subject between Alice and Terry. ¡°I can see some of them now.¡± Not wanting to wait any longer, I pulled out a rifle. I put it to my shoulder, and after pulling the dimensions of the gun into my thoughts, I could approximate with extreme accuracy exactly where I was aiming, regardless of how I held the gun. ¡°How many are there on the first floor?¡± ¡°Only twelve per person.¡± Richard squinted against the sunlight, trying to see what I was aiming at. ¡°I can barely even see them.¡± ¡°Seventy two,¡± I nodded, factoring how far the bullet would fall, the tug of ¡®wind¡¯ on expected trajectory, and finally the expected movement of the wolf I was targeting. I pulled the trigger, the gun unable to move in my iron grip. I moved to the next target instantly, firing again, and repeated the gesture. After the fifth fell, the rest of the group in the area responded, and the sound likely drew more. With every shot I murmured a countdown, ¡°Seventy-one, seventy, sixty-nine¡­¡± and continued downward. I felt relaxed as I did this, and when the clip was empty I moved my hands and arms rapidly, virtually tearing out the old clip and slapping in a fresh one in seconds. Scarcely a minute later, silence returned to the floor, a few spent magazines at my feet and a gathering of people around me staring wordlessly at the closest wolf. Which was still nearly a hundred meters away. [Floor cleared, new time record! Reaper¡¯s Team ¡®Alpha¡¯ registered! Has attained 1st place for ¡®Extermination, Gauntlet,¡¯ and would place 1st for ¡®Extermination, Classic¡¯ condition!] The A.I. sounded out as I stowed my rifle. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°So¡­¡± Terry cleared his throat first, ¡°You, uh, you¡¯re a pretty good shot, yeah?¡± ¡°Shit, that was beautiful.¡± Daniel laughed, ¡°I know I was saying we could get the top spot, but holy shit, I don¡¯t think anyone will be clearing that record.¡± There was a mixture between laughter and flabbergasted expressions, ¡°Ah, sorry, I just wanted to get through that one fast.¡± ¡°I mean, we basically don¡¯t need to be here on that one,¡± Alice shrugged, ¡°I expected that much. But the next one, let us have a turn, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°Right,¡± I nodded, ¡°Thanks in advance.¡± She smiled, ¡°Next one!¡± We moved together to the elevator down, ¡°So this one we can either exterminate all of them or clear to the ¡®Goal Point¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Richard nodded, ¡°Most people looking for the time trial find it easier to just hop on a mech user and bulldoze through to the exit. But I think it might be faster to just kill the biotics after you get to the middle, since they just rush you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still strange that that¡¯s how they act,¡± Fran sighed, ¡°It almost doesn¡¯t seem fair.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯re so dumb, though,¡± Terry shivered, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of the smart ones to last me a lifetime.¡± We wordlessly agreed unanimously to that sentiment. As the elevator opened, we were greeted with the sight of a forest, not unlike the ones outside of Gilramore. Deciduous trees, filtering light from an ash covered sky somehow grounded the illusion in enough reality to add a sense of threat and ominous tidings to the challenge. Any Legion team could beat this, given one of two things. They were either a veteran team and had been hunting for a long time, or had a larger team than average by a few members. Even so, until you got to the upper thirty teams there would often be some kind of casualty involved. The system didn¡¯t factor any kind of intelligence into the biotics on this floor, just sheer numbers. As one, we bolted forward, no single one of us limited to human speeds. We crashed through the forest, stealth an abandoned notion. The goal was to draw attention in any case, so this worked out nicely. And, as the forest came alive with the howling of wolves, we knew that we¡¯d succeeded. The distorted sounds crackled and I could feel the vibrations on the metal skin of my power armor. To our flanks I could detect the position of several dozens of wolves, closing rapidly. My HUD alighted with confirmations of those contacts, whatever sensory equipment Alice was using seeming to be on par with my own, followed immediately by Richard. I fell into formation at the center, leaving Daniel to bulldoze through anything large enough to get in our way. I took a moment to appreciate how the augmented reality performed, the previously simple metal cylinders that looked out of place on Daniel¡¯s mech now appeared to be fully functional weaponry. And, even though the terrain was fake, the armors were built to ¡®shunt¡¯ force at us to indicate if we hit something, and would lock up a limb in the event that we ¡®tripped¡¯ from an object that we couldn¡¯t simply smash through. It wasn¡¯t a perfect system, but it was fairly adaptable. The sound was also quite good, considering the moment that Daniel opened fire with a gatling gun my armor began to vibrate from being so close to him. Spent shells bounced against the ground as he bore through targets in front of us. Behind me, Terry kept his firepower in reserve, watching alongside me as Alice and Richard split off from the group by about a dozen meters, speeding ahead of us and attacking the outskirts of the flanking groups. Behind us, Fran decimated anything that attempted to gain on us, allowing her to abuse the fact that anything that came at us in a straight line was going to be pinned and shredded by dozens of steel feathers, which would then come right back to her with the magnetic tug of her wings. ¡°Fifteen seconds,¡± I said, ¡°And we¡¯ll hit the center of the map. According to the map, there¡¯s a cottage with a river on one side, soggy terrain. I want to stop before we hit the water. Terry will take that side, Daniel will take southside. I¡¯ll take east and Fran will take west. Richard and Alice, play keep-away, get them chasing their tails. We¡¯ll keep an eye out for you. Ready?¡± ¡°Ready.¡± I heard the responses one after the other. All at once, the tree cover lessened, what had once been what appeared to be a cottage now run down and in a state of absolute disrepair melting into view between the quickly thinning foliage. Daniel got to his position first, spinning from a mobile position and digging deep furrows into the earth as he did so. The scraping sounds of concrete broke the immersion of the illusion for a moment, but the howling and snarling masses of the wolves around us brought my attention snapping back. I ran straight to him, and I could see a brief moment of hesitation in his stance before he resolved himself to trust whatever I was planning. I jumped, and he balanced himself as I lept off of his shoulder, snapping onto the buildings chimney and scaling it rapidly, coming to sit partly in the chute and locking myself in place with my legs, aiming eastwards. Moments later a humming sound announced that Fran had assumed a similar, albeit aerial perch. Terry put himself to the side of the house, facing northward, his mech stooping over low as several rods jettisoned, arcing gracefully through the air and marking a line of demarcation for anything coming from the north. Puddles and slick mud covered the ground around them, the shallow river just beyond that. Even from here, I could feel my body tingle with electricity, perhaps even more so due to the biosteel. ¡°Primed!¡± Terry shouted out, ¡°Stay away from the northern flank!¡± ¡°Heard!¡± Alice called back, both she and Richard coming back together further south, right in Daniel¡¯s line of fire. Behind them, I could hear the thundering of a hundred or more biotics, and - more amusingly - could see the fog of glittering green dust that drifted through the woods behind Richard. ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked Richard, sparing a glance as I saw Alice¡¯s biotics coming out of the forest. ¡°A harsh abrasive that sticks to biotics like crazy,¡± He snickered, ¡°It¡¯s not good for much else, but it¡¯s excellent for screwing up their senses.¡± ¡°I like it.¡± I nodded, watching as the pair of them darted suddenly westward after crossing only ten meters in front of Daniel. His mech roared to life as soon as they left his line of fire, and suddenly the only sound that could claim dominion was the spitting of two vulcan guns, belching hot shells into a hundred biotics. Mindful of ammo, he only fired for a few seconds, and in alternating bursts. Even so, the wolves were shredded, as well as the forest behind them. As the disoriented group came through the forest, they were treated with even less care, brief bursts that killed eight at a time speeding forth from the entrenched mech. Finally, the east began to show several biotics, and I switched to a pair of assault rifles. I held one in each hand, barrel magazines full of deadly payload. They were bulkier than standard rifles, kitted with a prototype mag-rail to speed large metal slugs faster. I could tell exactly where they were aiming, and once more I felt less like a human and more like an automated turret, brutally efficient in my task. I fired one round at a time, intent on saving ammo for later. Even so, my rate of fire was very near equal to if I were to be firing on full-auto. Behind me, I heard Fran speak, ¡°Bring them in, Alice, Richard.¡± ¡°Order comin¡¯ right up,¡± Richard chuckled, and I listened as Fran began to emanate a gradually deepening humm, my own metallic tissues feeling the slightest tug. I shook my head at the sensation; it was like going down a hill fast and feeling momentum pull you backwards. And then that sensation reversed alongside whistling sounds. I looked back in time to see pin-point strikes on bodies of wolves, Richard and Alice turning and firing additional projectiles into the fray. The only thing they needed to do was slow them down from there, Fran would save them ammo by reusing her feathers. A sudden and very loud series of popping noises filled the air from the river, and looking there I could see dozens of wolves running into the water before electricity jumped to them. It wasn¡¯t dramatic, what I was seeing. They would belch smoke, their more liquid internals superheating to gases and escaping through explosively made cracks in their bodies. In moments they fell and twitched, more and more of them surging over the bodies. The problem they faced, I suppose, was that biotics were fairly conductive too. Their fellows promptly joined them as a wall of corpses. I turned my attention back to my side, upping my tempo for several seconds, waves of biotics falling until they were dying even within the confines of the forest. With the extra time, I quickly reloaded my guns. Each one took four seconds, the Reaper ammo storage space still one of the ironically most advanced pieces of equipment we¡¯d ever seen. Such was the situation that I found myself annoyed at the fact that most other ammo storage spaces were far more limited in maximum size, and regularly required recharging. The kind standardly available were so expensive that very few teams had more than one per team. I¡¯d have to see how many I could buy, perhaps I could use it as a reward for teams who did exceedingly well? ¡®Not the time,¡¯ I chastised myself, refocusing on the effort. We¡¯d been fighting for ten minutes, and the only one who¡¯d ended up needing a moment of coverage was Terry. He needed to cycle over to a secondary generator while the first one caught back up and recharged his first battery bank. He had a second set specifically for this, something that he was caught between swapping out for a more direct combat system when he decided that his purposes would likely always be more for zone control. Not that he needed much of any coverage, really. In the ten seconds he needed to swap over, I¡¯d only had to shoot four or so wolves as they managed to get over the veritable mountain of corpses he¡¯d built up. Daniel hadn¡¯t even let up on the stream of death, either, but now he was down to intermittent bursts with longer and longer moments of silence between. Finally the last wolf had appeared, and the system tone sounded. [Floor cleared, The Reaper¡¯s Team ¡®Alpha¡¯ has attained 1st place in ¡®Extermination, Gauntlet Run¡¯ and would place 2nd place in the ¡®Extermination, Classic¡¯ condition!] I blinked at that, ¡°Who has first place in classic?¡± ¡°Iron Chariot,¡± Daniel stood to his full height, ¡°Though personally I think it was because of a bug.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bug when you level the forest with artillery.¡± Terry helpfully added, ¡°Granted, they clearly wouldn¡¯t take that setup out in the real world, wouldn¡¯t want to flash-burn a real forest. Plus it takes a little time to set up. Probably why they couldn¡¯t clear the first one as fast either.¡± I hummed thoughtfully at that, before shrugging. We talked as we moved to the elevator for the 3rd basement floor, noting a few things about our formation that might be improved. There wasn¡¯t much, all told, when we were fighting something that simply ran at us. The real test would be the next floor, with much more intelligent biotics. And, as the doors to the elevator opened, revealing yawning blackness and a much smaller corridor, I couldn¡¯t help but clench my fists upon seeing it. ¡®This time,¡¯ I promised myself, ¡®This time we¡¯re prepared for this gods damned place.¡¯ Chapter 59 Gauntlet of Salt The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 59 Gauntlet of Salt There was a collective moment where we stood there, absorbing the prospect of what was just ahead of us. No one in this group had been with me in the Delve, had seen the first raw, horrible gem that this place had been. I felt tense, remembering how many people we¡¯d lost here, perhaps one of our worst operations to date. The only thing that I could think of that was worse was Wolven, and that had been a living calamity. Even after having lived through some horrible things, even after having my memories shattered, there was a certain quality to the disquiet down here that I couldn¡¯t shake. The only sounds that came back to us down here, waiting at the entrance, was the drip of water. Finally, Daniel broke the silence, ¡°It¡¯s dark as hell down here.¡± A nervous chuckle came from Fran, ¡°I¡¯m sure we can deal with this down here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never actually come down here,¡± Alice warily stepped forward, straining her senses, visor concealing most of her face. Her jaw was set, stance forward as though she expected to have to move at a moments notice, ¡°It feels wrong, somehow? Like I opened a box expecting to see a gift and found it full of angry bugs, instead.¡± ¡°Quite the picture,¡± Richard murmured, moving to flank her and scouting the other side, ¡°I can¡¯t get through these walls with my thermal vision.¡± ¡°My sound is a little rough too.¡± She frowned, ¡°I can still kinda tell that there¡¯s something on our left, but it¡¯s far away.¡± I focused on that direction as she spoke, unable to sense anything with my equipment. ¡°It could be lying in wait. They did that a lot last time.¡± ¡°Right, you were here.¡± Terry spoke as he performed some adjustments to his weaponry, ¡°I heard it was bad?¡± ¡°It was,¡± I replied, wanting to not cover that topic, ¡°Keep close, Daniel will take up the rear. I suggest you pick up that mine cart to act as cover since you¡¯re too big of a target otherwise. I¡¯ll take point this time, Terry and Fran will be core, while Alice and Richard will be flanks. If this is like it was in reality then what we¡¯re going to need to be ready for is constant harassment from behind us and the hallways.¡± Looking around, I noticed that there was a stenciled designation for the floor that we were on. It seemed to be the lowest floor, so if nothing else I imagined that we wouldn¡¯t have to get into another elevator to go down another floor. ¡°Mine entrances as we go, if you have enough of them. Even motion sensors will be good.¡± Richard patted his side, ¡°I can take care of that. I¡¯ve got plenty.¡± I nodded to him, ¡°Lets go, nice and slow. The less noise we make the better this time.¡± Together we began to move forward, the murky darkness retreating with the collection of lights that we carried. Floodlights burned through the black, Daniel and terry the bulk source of that light. It was a far cry better than what I¡¯d had my first time through, but we were also much smaller in number than the Delve group. Minutes later we¡¯d still made no contact with anything. The crunching of salt and light clanking of Daniel¡¯s mech were the only constant noises. Richard had a strange nozzle that spat a small ball of material at the entrance of each hall that we passed. I wouldn¡¯t know what that did until later on, but I guessed there was some kind of explosive in it to project acid outwards. ¡°Stop. They¡¯re here.¡± I glared at the hallways running off on the sides from the main cutout. Alice listened, and surprisingly only picked it up a few seconds later. ¡°I think I hear them moving. That¡¯s quiet.¡± She knocked an arrow, coming into position to my left. Richard shook his head and settled in to the right. Then shards of metal drifted through the air, long feathers that I¡¯d recognized time and again from Fran¡¯s attacks. They collected in front of us, forming several barriers that we could hide behind. ¡°They can take a few hits,¡± Fran warned, ¡°But don¡¯t rely on them too much.¡± I nodded gratefully, having more time to kill them without worrying about being hit or them hitting the others would be much easier. ¡°I¡¯m not getting anything back here ye-Shit!¡± Daniel started, before shouting in surprise as he hefted the arm that was holding the minecart up. Distant snapping noises resounded as barbed reinforced salt spears pierced into the metal. There were three, and in retort Daniel fired off a few quick round bursts. I didn¡¯t wait to see what happened there, drawing two hand-cannons and aiming down the range. I could see, even in this extremely low light, and as the beetles exited into the hallway I took a stilling breath and aimed. They were far away, far enough to be out of sight in the light. I already knew that they were highly accurate even at those distances, but so was I. As their wings flared, twisting to the sides to expose the organ responsible for firing their deadly payload, I finally fired. There were four of them, and with each shot I tore through the soft tendon structure that acted as the string for their fleshy crossbows. They chittered madly, each shot tearing through the air in an instant after the next. I didn¡¯t stop there, though, turning my guns to a single target then. I fired several more shots, tearing into the gaps in legs to reduce mobility. These handguns weren¡¯t as potent as the mag-rifles, but their bullets were dense slugs with the experimental explosive load. The first two beetles were down with two sets of legs utterly useless, destroyed and hanging on by strands. Two pairs were left, their scything pairs, and they helplessly attempted to drag themselves away, or forward towards their aggressors. The third turned, and with clinical accuracy I took aim and blasted the legs on that side of its body. The fourth, however, was just fast enough; Only one of its legs was removed. The three chittered madly as they floundered. I turned my attention to the flanks, Alice having detected where the beetle was coming from had sent a pair of arrows into its compound eyes, both of which were now smoking holes. The beetle was still alive, thrashing and moving in the general direction of its assailant. A salt spear protruded from the layer of metal in front of Alice, her cover serving its purpose quite well. Richard, on the other hand, seemed to have a much easier time here. There had been two on his side, but neither was able to move well, or see. On closer inspection, a layer of goo sizzled rapidly through armor and tissue, a gas similar to what he¡¯d used on the wolves clinging greedily to their armored bodies. The spears had gone wide, hitting the ground and shattering, and it was clear that as they¡¯d tried to approach, he¡¯d simply pelted them with some kind of sticky concoction. It hardened rapidly, leading to their current predicament. They were strong, but the resin hardened rapidly, and it seemed that there was no small amount of acid present in this form of attack as well. Richard fired a pair of darts, each one burying deep into softened armor. A few seconds later, the beetles stopped moving. ¡°That¡¯s potent stuff.¡± I commented, seeing the biotics easily dispatched by the poison user something sobering. In the back, though, I saw that Daniel had less than a stellar time. The minecart he¡¯d been using had fully eight spears in it, and it seemed that there were three in his mech. Luckily, they didn¡¯t get through far and had mostly shattered on contact with the hardened material. ¡°That sucked.¡± Daniel complained, ¡°I don¡¯t think that killed any of them.¡± Fran hovered over his shoulder, looking down at the damage, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like anything vital was hit. I forgot how much of a punch these things pack.¡± ¡°I might have to invest in a shield at some point,¡± Daniel sighed. Terry chuckled, ¡°Let me come back there and help, I think I might have something.¡± I watched the pair of mech users crowd the back side of the group before turning my attention back forward. As we approached, I noted that there was a much more definite air of tension, the realization that the beetles were far hardier than the wolves and much more dangerous brought to the fore once more. Passing the three beetles I¡¯d brought down before, I fired the pistols into their heads as we walked, ending them swiftly. The others spared me a second glance at that, but said nothing. Another six ambushes went this way, each one larger than the last. Terry fired a large gun that looked more like a tesla coil down the tunnel each time a sensor went off, filling it with what I could only describe as lightning. He deployed small rods as we went, each one helping to keep the electricity on course. Anything close to those rods, of course, would quickly expire. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Of the lot of us, Richard and Terry both had weapons that were rather suited to destroying these types. Fran continued her mobile defense trick, occasionally bringing her feathers back to assess their damage. We weren¡¯t terribly worried, even if they were broken in half, she could still use them, and she did have replacements in another container. What truly surprised me was the fact that Richard never seemed to run out of the spheres, planting them at every cross section, even taking over Alice¡¯s side when she began to run low. In front of us, with Fran¡¯s armor, I could take eight of the beetles before they had a chance to fire. Only when there were more than that would one be capable of firing before I destroyed their ballista organ. By then, though, we were nearly through the easy part. ¡°Alright, looks like that¡¯s it for the hallways.¡± I said, ¡°Now we have this godforsaken cavern.¡± ¡°Oh, finally,¡± Terry breathed out a sigh, ¡°I was starting to get claustrophobic.¡± ¡°Keep your eyes open here, the Hive Guards are much stronger.¡± My warning came a moment before I noticed movement ahead of us. I sneered as the mass charged forward, blowing through a smaller stalagmite as it set itself towards me. Whereas the previous beetles were the size of a van, these were more akin to a truck. White armor with emblazoned lines filled my vision quickly as I stepped forward, running at it. There were several jagged portions to the armor, and the wings on these were designed to be able to swing forward like huge axes to cut and crush anything beneath them. It raked its head upwards as I neared, attempting to skewer and gouge me. My awareness was far greater this time around, though, and as fast as these were in charge, they were far from what I would call lithe. I stowed my pistols as I moved, putting one foot just behind one of the horns of the bug. As it threw its head back, I rolled, tightening myself as its wings flared upwards. With inches to spare, I slipped through the gaps between them. Before it could realize what had happened, I drew my blades. They hummed to life, heat billowing off of them as I drove them downwards. I arrested my momentum on the beetles less protected abdomen. I cut backwards after that, feet planted firmly as I severed the taut tendons that would have allowed it to close its wings upon me. In seconds I shredded through the rest of the tissues, the beetle thrashing, unable to shake me from its body. It fell unceremoniously as I cut through another swathe of tissue, silvery blue blood covering the bulk of my armor. ¡°Much more durable,¡± I commented, stepping out of the soupy mess and studying the nonplussed expressions on my companions faces. Alice cleared her throat, ¡°That¡¯s kinda gross.¡± Richard snorted before receiving a cutting glare from Alice, ¡°Ah, no, I mean totally gross. Yeah. That¡¯s what we¡¯re focusing on.¡± Terry leaned in and whispered something to Daniel, who then boomed with laughter. I tilted my head at that, to which neither of them filled me in. Helplessly, I shook my head and turned my attention deeper into the cavern. ¡°The last time we did this, we left a team in this area to draw attention in a well defended spot. Is that still how people do it?¡± I asked. ¡°Most usually leave half the team outside the entrance to the hive cavern and have them make a distraction to draw the rest of the hive.¡± Fran then supplemented, ¡°It¡¯s usually the easier job, from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°It probably is.¡± I agreed, ¡°We¡¯re going to all-in the hive core. I brought something along that should hopefully make that easier.¡± Idly I patted the launcher on my back. ¡°I could just hose the hive crystal with heavy firepower until it breaks?¡± Daniel suggested, ¡°It¡¯s not like we even have to enter the room at that rate.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I think it¡¯s fairly well defended, might take too long. If the way I want to do this goes well, we¡¯ll be in and out pretty quick. Ah, but everyone should be ready to unload some heavy-hitting payload. I am not interested in fighting that thing in a melee.¡± ¡°That thing?¡± Richard frowned as realization dawned on him, ¡°Ah, right, the Queen.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡± I nodded, moving through the cavern. We stuck to one side, forcing anything that wanted to charge us to come from the side. A pair of Hive Guard charged us, backed up by a half dozen beetles. This time, with pillars for cover and more space to work with, Fran directed her attention to the soldiers. Daniel unloaded his vulcan into the first Hive Guard, and after three seconds of sustained fire from a single gun, there wasn¡¯t much left but sludge. Terry surprised me here as well, firing a pole into the second Guard and turning on the power. Electricity arced to the pole, and it charged forward only to slide across the ground another three meters as it flash fried. The soldiers couldn¡¯t get good shots off with the additional cover, and Frans feathers burrowed into parts of them, moving their postures constantly, preventing them from moving well. ¡°If I had my updated weapons, this would be easy,¡± Fran tutted, ¡°Well, I suppose this is good manipulation practice.¡± ¡°Fran¡¯s got a scary face on again!¡± Alice mock complained, ¡°Daaaaad!¡± Daniel laughed hysterically at that, and Fran blushed, ¡°You¡¯re not even that much younger than me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the maturity,¡± Terry called out, then stopped as he saw the raised eyebrow from Alice, ¡°Not to say you aren¡¯t mature?¡± ¡°That sounded like a question.¡± Richard grinned conspiratorially. ¡°Nope. Definitely not.¡± Terry replied. The banter went on for a bit longer before we pulled it back in, redirecting out attention to the hive room. The salt covered cavern, excavated primarily by biotics, had scratch marks all over it. In this area alone, however, did they take on a uniform, almost designed appearance. Similar to the guards, there were designs carefully built into walls, almost like some kind of written language. It didn¡¯t seem possible, though, and certainly they¡¯d never exhibited any kind of advanced intelligence outside of tactics. ¡°Alright, let me lead,¡± I pulled out the launcher on my back, ¡°After I get a hit, it¡¯ll have limited mobility. Cut its wings first, and then drill it down. Don¡¯t go too far into the room though, there are pit-falls that are¡­¡± I paused, remembering what felt like another life, where Zeik had died, Yomar almost alongside him. I blinked the memory away, ¡°They¡¯re dangerous.¡± No one said anything, but I could practically feel the sympathy radiating from the others, ¡°Whenever your ready.¡± Fran nodded, hovering a few inches off the ground here. I turned, taking a deep breath. ¡®Now, if I remember, this particular pain in my ass likes to open its fights like¡­¡¯ I charged and dove through the entrance, and felt an immense shift in the air as a stinger scythed into the ground. ¡®Yup! Just like that.¡¯ As I rolled, I came to see the angry chattering bug, glaring accusingly at me with its compound eyes. It seemed almost to be insulted that I¡¯d dodged, and in the next moment its wings flared, ready to take it elsewhere as it let out a high-pitched screech, the call to the rest of the hive. Then I fired, before it could get further away. The tub exploded at both ends, a tangled, writhing mass of cords with powerful adhesives latched onto the Queen¡¯s spiked limbs. The other end fired a stiff, barbed harpoon deep into the ground. The blast itself rocked my shoulder, and if it weren¡¯t for the power armor, I¡¯d probably have a dislocated shoulder. The screeching took on an altogether more alarmed and angry tune as the Queen began to panic, pulling and tearing at the steel strands. ¡°Now!¡± I shouted, switching to a pair of shotguns, similar to the trench gun I¡¯d ones used against her. A trio of rods sailed through the air, the Queen batting two of them away while the third found purchase in her midsection. Several spikes of metal cut into her wings, shallow and not enough to rend through all at once. Then Alice fired a pair of arrows, both exploding before they reached the biotic, an additional layer of netting expanding over and ensnaring the biotic. This was augmented even more by the sickly white fluids that exploded from small canisters that Richard threw, both foaming up quickly and hardening like concrete. ¡°Clear!¡± Terry sent a jolt of electricity through the line, and suddenly the organized movements of the dump-truck sized abomination grew spastic. It fell to the ground, and electricity arced from it to the ground beneath. Daniel made no announcement, the spinning of both barrels and the sudden belching firepower of large anti-material rifles filling the cavern. In a heartbeat the wings of the Queen were shredded, Fran¡¯s spikes working deep into tissues that now bore rents and tears from the combined assault. It struck me profoundly that we were able to take care of this so easily. I remembered the pain and edge-of-life that I¡¯d been at, but truly preparation seemed to be key here. It was a lesson that I¡¯d taken to heart, but even so, seeing the difference was¡­ bittersweet. Instead of joining in the combat, I dashed through the hive, knowing that soon we would have to deal with a great many more visitors if we didn¡¯t take care of it. As I approached, the receptacle for the hive crystal came into view. It was unlike when I¡¯d found it previously, fully encased in what appeared to be an amber hexagonal assortment of mineral. Assessingly, I fired off several rounds from the trench guns, watching as small chunks of the material fell away. I whistled to myself approvingly before stowing both of my weapons. Instead, I planted six of the mines I¡¯d brought with me, ringing them on the sides of the formation. Stepping away, I felt for the mental connection to the detonator, issuing the command. Each mine sounded a low tune, before the discs expanded to double their size. An upper layer spun, mixing chemicals and air, and then condensed, squeezing the mixture to half what it had been before. The explosions were far greater than what I¡¯d witnessed in the labs, scaling them up resulting in even greater returns. Glistening orange bits of amber flared in the fire light, the percussive wave hitting me in the chest like a mule kick. I stood strong in the face of it, but made a note to never use this near people that weren''t in full power armor at a minimum. There was very little smoke, luckily, and I could see the core within, no longer sheltered. It was unharmed, mostly, though that would change now. I put a hand on it, feeling with my senses, knowing that the system likely couldn¡¯t explain exactly what transpired when this was done in the real world. Instead of me being able to interact with it, the crystal simply changed to pure white, the marble mix of black, silver, and white disappearing. [Floor Cleared! The Reaper¡¯s Team ¡®Alpha¡¯ has cleared the 3rd floor. ¡®Alpha¡¯ has acquired 1st place in ¡®Extermination, Gauntlet¡¯ condition for time and would acquire 1st place in ¡®Extermination, Classic,¡¯ congratulations!] ¡°That thing was way too tanky.¡± Daniel shook his head incredulously, ¡°That was ridiculous.¡± I glanced over to the body of the Queen, no longer even vaguely resembling what it was before. Alice looked to me, ¡°What did you do with this the first time?¡± I paused, feeling the memories there, and feeling the tenseness ease away. It was somehow relieving to know that we had come so far. ¡°I almost died,¡± I said, ¡°The lot of us almost died.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Alice apologized, regret on her face. I smiled, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m glad we¡¯re moving forward. I just never want to see this damn thing again, so I hope nobody breaks the record.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a fact.¡± Terry shivered, ¡°That was crazy. That was the most voltage I¡¯ve pumped into something since Wolven. Nuts.¡± ¡°And, speaking of,¡± Fran had an uncharacteristically vicious grin on her face, ¡°We have a rematch to get too.¡± Her grin was infectious, ¡°Indeed we do. Let¡¯s go kill a nightmare.¡± Chapter 60 Gauntlet of Harrowing ¡°This is¡­ different.¡± I commented, seeing the state of the arena, the elevator opening at the top of a towering wall. Ahead of us and spaced at every pillar were artillery emplacements, similar to the first ones we¡¯d had on the wall before their update to their current behemoth standards. There were, however, many more than what we had before. I studied the area around us, behind the wall especially. Unlike what would normally have been there, an empty lot and empty city lingered hauntingly. There was no army backing us in the inevitable moment that Wolven would breach the wall. Quite in fact, there wasn¡¯t a single soul anywhere that I could see, aside from us. Alice stepped out onto the wall first, ¡°Wait, we do this part alone?¡± ¡°I guess the automated system will give firing aid,¡± Richard gestured to the artillery, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an equal trade.¡± ¡°At least the walls in its finished state,¡± Terry made a sour face, ¡°Imagine if we had to deal with Wolven slipping around us.¡± Daniel stepped forward, further first, and then froze. ¡°Whoa, okay. That¡¯s interesting.¡± I was about to ask what he meant when suddenly a display appeared in front of my face. It gave the map of the area and collections of swaths of defensive materials and settings. We looked through it for a few seconds before I started laughing. ¡°It looks like we''re on our own here, then.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Alright, keep an eye on our shared reserves, let me know if it decreases for you guys at all.¡± After a few seconds I allocated a mine field further out from the wall, where we expected Wolven to approach from. ¡°It¡¯ll be smaller than what we dealt with in the real world,¡± Terry spoke up, ¡°Otherwise it¡¯d be a little too imbalanced. But, everything else is pretty much the same, I think.¡± ¡®It won¡¯t be quite the same,¡¯ I swallowed hard, remembering that existential dread that came with being so close to Wolven. The sentience it bore. ¡°You okay, Matt?¡± I heard Daniel ask over the comms, concern clear in his tone. I breathed a sigh, keeping a hitch from my voice, ¡°Yeah. No. I¡¯m not a hundred percent but I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Nobody expects you to get right back up and go after this thing,¡± Daniel hesitated, ¡°I mean, hell, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d even be fighting again after¡­ you know, after what happened.¡± Hesitantly, I began, ¡°I think that retiring would have been the normal response. It¡¯s just¡­¡± I paused, the words in my head, ¡®I don¡¯t want to stop and find all of the things that are gone now, dead with the old me.¡¯ ¡°... I don¡¯t want to stop.¡± He made an acknowledging grunt, ¡°We¡¯re here for you, Matt.¡± ¡°All of us are.¡± Fran smiled, ¡°Everyone in Gilramore owes you a lot.¡± I took a deep breath then, feeling warmth in my chest, chasing away darker thoughts within me. ¡°Thanks. Really.¡± I basked in the feeling for a few seconds before chuckling, ¡°Before anything else, I want to win this.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯d better get started.¡± Richard nodded, ¡°How are we going to set up? Same as we did IRL?¡± ¡°Not quite, I have a few ideas that I¡¯d like to try.¡± I brought up the menu, looking through things. ¡°Then we¡¯ll go out and run recon, then.¡± Alice said as she made her way to the stairs on the back of the wall. I looked up, ¡°Actually, everyone stay on the wall.¡± She paused, Richard looking equally confused, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because last time we did this, and probably every time someone else has done this, we harassed Wolven a great deal before it finally came to the wall. It seems intuitive, but Wolven needed that. It craved the strife, to evolve and refine itself,¡± I answered, feeling a strange sensation of pride at that. A shiver rolled down my spine as I realized that such thoughts weren¡¯t native to me. ¡®Wait, what the fuck? I got rid of that? Right?¡¯ I frowned, performing a mental sweep in my mind. When nothing showed, I helplessly moved on. ¡°Basically,¡± I deflected, ¡°It likes getting hit.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ so we hit it really hard all at once, instead?¡± Terry mused aloud, ¡°What¡¯s the goal, then?¡± ¡°Obviously we¡¯re killing it,¡± I perplexedly glanced around, ¡°I thought we were on the same page on that?¡± Daniel laughed, ¡°Well, I expected that, at least. Are we gonna have the hardware for it?¡± ¡°Not yet, but we will.¡± Once more I dove into the defensive options, a list of all the things we had, even some things that had been updated, ¡°Leave this to me. When Wolven is here, we¡¯ll hit it hard and cut into the core. I¡¯m sending you all information regarding how I want to raid this thing.¡± They each brought up their own displays, and I heard Richard murmur, ¡°That was fast,¡± under his breath as he did so. Even though I was busy looking through the defensive options, I couldn¡¯t help but look at the appraising, shocked, and admittedly wary expressions that shifted through my teams faces. ¡°This¡¯ll work?¡± Alice glared at the screen that appeared before her eyes in deep thought, ¡°Won¡¯t it just shrug this off?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Richard tapped his chin as he considered the plan, ¡°I think that this might work. It¡¯s a lot better than fire, at least.¡± ¡°Well, my jobs the usual,¡± Daniel shrugged, ¡°Hit it really hard and keep hitting it really hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. If nothing else, you can¡¯t say that we aren¡¯t pushing some limits here.¡± Fran chuckled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get started, everyone else get ready.¡± I ordered shortly, diving into the menu. I felt my digital arms plunge into the system, setting up the defenses rapidly. All around us, shining silver flowed through the wall and weapons. A heard the others marvelling at the sight of a veritable ocean of silver materializing our new defensive assortment, but all that mattered in my withdrawn state was the ebb and flow of control. And, the growing yearning that I felt somewhere within my mind. Something was coming, and I felt it tugging at my consciousness. I distracted myself, diving through every automated piece of equipment on the wall, attaching them to my will. Every gun emplacement, every bomb, even the doors. Beside me, I felt something not quite fully digital arrive, a magnetically assisted vehicle, one that wouldn¡¯t work at all outside of this space. An illusion covered it, making it as close as possible to the real thing that I¡¯d selected. When I was finally finished, the wall itself bristled with weapons, cannons and heavy-bore artillery. There were a sizeable chunk that would only fire once, built to house a much larger payload with the tradeoff that a regular auto-loader wouldn¡¯t be able to reload it. That would be fine, though, we¡¯d only need one volley. Terry whistled, ¡°Now this looks like a defensive emplacement.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see how this works soon enough.¡± I managed to keep my nerves from showing, ¡°Wolven is coming.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. A look of worry crossed his face briefly as he glanced at me, but he quickly schooled his features back to normal. There was an unspoken tenseness to the air that wasn¡¯t strictly because of Wolven. As much as I wanted to claim it wasn¡¯t because of me, I knew that I would be wrong. They were worried about me, and for good reason. Even if they didn¡¯t know it, I felt that there was still something left of Wolven, that I just couldn¡¯t seem to find. How bad that was, I wasn¡¯t sure, but I knew that this had to be done. To prove once and for all that Wolven would never hold dominion over me. A whisper in the back of my mind began to grow as our sensors notified us of Wolvens approach. Ordinarily it would take a few hours for it to get here, but due to the system registering that our defenses were complete and that we weren¡¯t moving forward, it pushed the timetable up somewhat. ¡°Hold your fire until it reaches the designated zone,¡± I called out, moving over and sitting on a hoverbike, a disposable unit that was designed to do one job. The others acknowledged, even as the forest hundreds of meters away seemed to explode from motion. The horde of wolves was far larger than what it had been when it finally made it to the wall in reality. But, they were weaker, far less hardy and durable than the formations that Wolven had been able to create. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s looking better in a way, but that¡¯s a lot of fuckin¡¯ wolves.¡± Richard cringed, getting his launchers ready, having already loaded several mortars that were linked to my automated switches. I didn¡¯t respond, focused on keeping tabs on the situation. The wolves spilled forth, uninhibited as they surged to the wall like a tidal wave. Last time, Wolven ran into mines every step of the way. It layered its own version of biosteel beneath its body, becoming all but impermeable to attacks from below. Above, it had taken punishment for hours from artillery and attacks and had formed a dense shell with which to protect itself even more, and eventually in use to attack. This time, it would have neither. As it entered the forty meter range, the bulkiest part of its body crossed over my greeting gift one-hundred meters from the wall. I let it pass the location. ¡°Uh, Matt? The big parts getting away.¡± Daniel murmured through the comms, a bit of nervousness leaking into his voice. ¡°That¡¯s not where the body is.¡± I grinned malevolently, ¡°It¡¯s behind it.¡± As the mass moved, I waited. This was a Wolven who hadn¡¯t experienced artillery fire, one that was relying on subterfuge rather than brute strength. I sent the electric pulse out, and all at once the world answered the snarling, howling horror before us with its own deafening roar. Every artillery piece fired at once, and I felt the wall shift ever so slightly under the sudden barrage. The others fired at the same time as I¡¯d sent the command, and I was in the air on the hoverbike in the same instant. The ground beneath Wolven, just behind the bulky mass, erupted in a brilliant ball of fire and smoke. The entire mass scrambled, trying to recoil to protect the main body when the weapons fire cut into a circle around it, predominantly hitting the thicker mass. This wasn¡¯t going to be a sustained battle, Wolven had excelled at that. Instead, we would make this a smash and grab, a raid where the door would be smashed in and eveyrthign that was Wolven would be claimed and devoure-- ¡®God fucking damnit.¡¯ I shook the thoughts out of my head. Definitely not gone. ¡®It iS nOt US!¡¯ I felt the pulse in my mind like a wriggle behind my eyes. The first artillery shells tore through the tentacles in waves. My mind writhed like a hive of worms. The mortars, full of sticky, rapidly solidifying acids hit the masses of wolves like rain droplets all at once, drenching them. It was an abomination that didn¡¯t understand art, how to weave, it was unlearned. It would never learn. We could teach it. It would die here before it could- -kill it? Yes. It is unworthy. ¡°Fuck off!¡± I shouted aloud and in my mind, diving with the hoverbike towards the central mass. The rest of my bombs were strapped to the bike itself, and a small pack on my back would make or break my plan. Luckily, I had ample experience with surviving suicide runs. I let the bike accelerate before I jumped, the pack on my back unfurling and exploding with pressure released from it. The small parachute expanded rapidly, and my descent into the twitching mass suddenly slowed. If I weren¡¯t in power armor and was a normal person, this would have potentially injured me just from whiplash alone. As it stood, the fabric began to tear from the forces involved. But that was fine, I didn¡¯t need much momentum stolen. The bike hit the mass, exploding brilliantly. Heat billowed upwards, fire covering my body and consuming my parachute. I switched to my blades, cutting myself free and diving the rest of the way. Screaming filled my ears, whether my own or Wolven¡¯s I couldn¡¯t tell. The smoke obscured my regular vision, my thermals completely useless, even sound was hardly helpful here. And yet, I could rely on experience to know where an enemy like this would be, where it would move. Having failed to bring the mass of its body to it, Wolven would seek the reverse. It would bring itself to the densest part. I slice as I fell, carving through a few wolves that were scarcely in any shape at all, melting with the combination of acid and shattering force. Momentum was stolen with my rapid, powerful swings, and as I cut, I could hear the sizzling as I hit a thick tentacle, cutting halfway through it and nearly halting. It spasmed under me as I straddled it, twisting and gouging the blade the rest of the way through. I fell with the severed limb, its weight carrying me the rest of the way through the horde here. It was a mess in here, a tangle of limbs going in every direction, but they were thinned considerably. Chunks of the body itself were seeping through the twining limbs, the explosions and heat more than enough to throw it all into disarray. There was no coordination, agony rolled through the mess, especially the damage to the more sensitive arms within, the tentacles that united the whole. I focused, the smoke thinning here as I searched for my target during the bumpy free-fall. We made eye contact, the host body of Wolven staring at me, emptily. I had expected to feel something, seeing it up close once more. Rage, anguish, perhaps I would have felt dread. That I would somehow overcome it and kill this creature. But what I felt instead was an empty disappointment. ¡®This is not Wolven.¡¯ I moved automatically, my legs pushing hard off of the tentacle, propelling me forward. My arms moved, swords alive with heat and carving through the chaff. ¡®It is not Us.¡¯ I felt the voice in the back of my head mirror my disdain, the empty husk before me - Us! - going through the motions to defend itself. It was a recording, nothing more. And as I dodged raking claws that moved faster than they ought to have been able, I felt only a grim determination. I cut through its waist with my blades, and I felt what had been an underlying tension in the mass around me stutter. I slice off its hands, then moved my way up its arms, each swing it threw at me parried in brutal, disarming fashion. ¡®Bad jokes,¡¯ The voice snickered ¡®Understanding, yes. It is good.¡¯ ¡®Please shut the fuck up right now.¡¯ I growled, ¡®Why can¡¯t you just stay dead?¡¯ ¡®But¡­ Us!¡¯ It responded impetuously. ¡®Oh I - Ah, I don¡¯t have time for this right now!¡¯ I caught the body trying to reattach its waist. ¡°Please, at least one of you die!¡± I rolled my eyes, dashing forward across the twitching floor. It screeched, ear-shreddingly loud, for just a moment before I cut through its head, and worked to fully dismember it. It was grisly work, but I wanted to be sure that there would be nothing left. When it was finally over, I took a moment to breath deeply, savoring at least the feeling of killing Wolven¡¯s body once more. An almost hurt sensation rolled through my mind. ¡®And why did you decide to rear your ugly head up now, of all times!?¡¯ I turned my attention inwards, trying to divine where the hell it was coming from. ¡®The Us sensed the other! Unity in conflict against the other!¡¯ It cheered and called, and I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head vigorously. Worst of all, I couldn¡¯t figure out where the hell it was coming from. I tuned it out as it began to rant about how it - Us! - were the best, and that the other should have run as far as it could. This was just too bizarre to think about right now¡­ ¡°Matt! You in there?¡± I heard someone shout, ¡°We just got the notification! We smashed the record!¡± I paused, looking to the notice of completion for the Gauntlet run. A sense of satisfaction, in spite of everything, trilled through me at that. We were still Team Alpha. ¡°Yeah! Can you get this worthless lump of meat-sacks off of my head, please? I¡¯d prefer not to cut through it. Digital guts are still gross.¡± I chuckled, doing my best to not think about the mutated abomination in my head-room. ¡°I second that!¡± Alice called cheerfully, ¡°You guys can play in the blood, I¡¯m good up here!¡± ¡°Same, actually.¡± Richard¡¯s flat voice stated volumes of how he felt about the topic, the still twitching mass of parts rapidly decomposing. Above me I listened to Daniel and Terry griping about how they had to get their hands dirty every time, and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Thanks guys. Whatever this was, I at least feel like something¡¯s settled.¡± I spoke, not mentioning what had happened within my own head. The noise above me stopped before I heard Daniel chuckle, ¡°Hell, man, what are friends for at the end of the world?¡± Chapter 61 Personal Mental Space I stared at the ceiling in my room - easily the nicest room I¡¯d ever stayed in - listlessly wishing for the sweet oblivion of rest to take me from the confines of my own mind. It wasn¡¯t that I was upset about establishing a powerful record in the Guantlet run; I was happy, elated even, that we¡¯d managed to smash the record and prove that we were still one of the top teams. What dampened my enthusiasm considerably was the constant nattering of the other voice in my head. ¡®What are we doing now? Is this sleeping? Oh! We¡¯re trying to sleep!¡¯ It paused, it¡¯s voice somewhere between a man and a woman at the same time. For a few painful seconds it was silent, painful only because I knew how quickly it would end. ¡®This is boring, what else can we do?¡¯ The thing spoke, and I screwed my eyes shut with a sharp hiss from my lips. ¡°Look, can you please just stop talking?¡± I groaned, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the terrifying Wolven to never stop talking.¡± ¡®We are not Wolven,¡¯ It stated matter-of-factly, ¡®Wolven is dead! You killed it. Obviously.¡¯ ¡°Then what¡­?¡± I began exasperatedly, trailing off in my mind ¡®What exactly do I call you?¡¯ It still heard me, but I could only sense its consideration of the question vaguely. Finally, it said, ¡®Wolven is fine.¡¯ ¡°I fucking hate you.¡± I glared hard at the ceiling, willing this thing within me to die a painfully fiery death, ¡°You¡¯re Wolvy from now on.¡± ¡®Sure. That¡¯s fine.¡¯ It didn¡¯t care about the demotion as I perceived it. ¡®What are we doing now? What things? The not-us-and-not-others are not here anymore, we cannot interact with them?¡¯ I groaned once more in spite of myself. It was difficult explaining certain concepts to this¡­ whatever it was. Anything that wasn¡¯t ¡®Us¡¯ or in other words myself and it was ostensibly an ¡®Other¡¯ and was therefore a threat or prey. For now, humans were simply not us, and not others. I didn¡¯t have the energy to untangle the rest of that concept right now. Rolling onto my side, I managed to vaguely sense the sheets that touched my skin, the bed beneath me. It was, again, the nicest bed and sheets I¡¯d probably ever owned. But it was fairly wasted on me as I could barely feel the fabric, and I could probably sleep on rocky mountain earth without caring. My body came with a great deal of perks, being able to feel the comforts of the world was apparently not high on that list. Except food. I stood up and went into the kitchen, opening the as of yet untouched pizza box. The cafeteria downstairs in the Legion housing complex was replete with several old world foods. My hunger growled as I snagged a few slices with everything on it and chucked them on a plate bound for the microwave. ¡®This¡­ I like this smell. What is it?¡¯ Wolvy asked, sounding like it was sniffing in the background. I shook my head, having began to accept its presence since I¡¯d already scoured every part of my mind that I could imagine getting into only to never find the thing. ¡°This is pizza.¡± I pulled it out of the microwave, listening to the sizzling of cheese, the glistening of delicious fats, ¡°It¡¯s amazing stuff.¡± I sat down, biting into it, savoring flavor as it erupted across my tongue. For some reason, my sense of taste was returning. I couldn¡¯t figure why that particular sense was coming back when everything else was firmly in the dumps. Nor, however, did I care why it was back. Just that it was. I leaned back, realizing that this was the first meal I¡¯d had since being put back together. ¡®Delicious¡­ it is truly a glorious weave. Hurry, put more in us!¡¯ The voice in my head cried. ¡°Look, don¡¯t say it like that,¡± I frowned, ¡°Just say you want more of it.¡± ¡®It is what we said? Put more in us, we require more within our parts!¡¯ It repeated, once more creeping me out. ¡°Say it like ¡®I want to eat more of it¡¯ not the other way you¡¯re saying it.¡± I sighed heavily, knowing the inevitable follow up question. ¡®Why?¡¯ It asked, savoring the sensations of food. ¡°Because¡­ look, I¡¯m not going to get into the topic of sexual and rapey connotations with a voice in my head.¡± I stuffed my face with more food. ¡®That is not-! Mmm¡­ yess¡­ I want to eat more of this!¡¯ The voice it used was sensual and excited. I stopped dead and breathed in deeply, ¡°You¡¯re just fucking with me now, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡®After you mentioned it, it became clearer to us,¡¯ Wolvy chuckled, ¡®Yes, this will do nicely.¡¯ ¡°What will?¡± I frowned, suspecting foul play. ¡®To fuck you! Oh, no, to fuck with you? Yes, that is the phrase.¡¯ It congratulated itself as I busied myself with eating. Experimentally, I shunted as much ¡®white noise¡¯ as I could into my thoughts as I imagined possible. Interestingly enough, my digital arms and their assorted minds helped in the endeavor. However, there was a dull uptick in a headache that came with it, so not something I could do to sleep. ¡®We apologize.¡¯ The voice immediately said as soon as the connection came back, ¡®We will try to be less creepy.¡¯ I blinked at that, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good then?¡± ¡®Though we must acknowledge that we will also likely fail.¡¯ It shrugged nonchalantly, spiking my blood pressure again, ¡®What do we do next?¡¯ ¡°We sleep. And don¡¯t give me that ¡®it¡¯s boring¡¯ response, we have to sleep sometime. I sure as hell don¡¯t want to deal with tomorrow with limited sleep.¡± I cut off its complaints. It mulled that over for a time before sighing, ¡®The Us will agree, then. Sleep.¡¯ I carefully kept myself from broadcasting too much joy, and resolutely settled into the sheets. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®To sleep is to dream.¡¯ I heard Wolvy voice say as it faded fully into the background. Somehow, that was less comfortable than I¡¯d hoped. Still, the inevitable march of sleep did eventually take me. But there were no dreams in my head, just silence and sparks. A small part of me couldn¡¯t help but be sad, but then that too was swallowed by the nothing around me. The next day brought what it promised it would. Many headaches and political meetings with the city, and then the registration process that took place on ¡®neutral ground¡¯ around the Obelisk. To be specific, I¡¯d spoken with The Bulwark and The Orders in an official fashion, effectively declaring my return to active duty. My first declaration was, in effect, that I was getting as far away from politics as possible. I was done. No more, for the love of all that was good and stabbable - if I didn¡¯t like it - I was thoroughly finished with dealing with all of these people. Unfortunately, the registration required my presence, at least to some effect. I¡¯d offloaded a great deal of the decision making to the various officers present, and they would refer to me or Doug in the event that there were questions. Or in this case, complaints. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to join the Legion on the expedition, then don¡¯t.¡± I ground out to the group of six people who insisted that they should get some kind of deal, ¡°Fifty percent of any Mattter Energy you harvest out there goes to the Legion. In return, the Legion will share resources and render aid as needed.¡± ¡°But why is it so expensive?¡± The man complained, heading the - fairly well armored and armed - group while looking very ruffled. ¡°We don¡¯t need much, and we can help with defending if it¡¯s needed.¡± I took a moment, taking a deep breath. The man''s stance loosened somewhat as I contemplated things. He looked hopeful, and genuinely seemed to want to come and prove themselves. ¡®This is the way of things. The threads bound together are strongest,¡¯ Wolvy offered its wisdom, though I was reluctant to take any kind of advisement from a voice in my head. ¡°This is getting us nowhere. Tell me, what - exactly - do you think the Legion assistance is going to be? It seems you¡¯re expecting to take a loss here, so I want to know why.¡± I extended the olive branch, hoping that this was a case of misunderstanding rather than someone just being greedy. He glanced back to the group, ¡°W-well, we heard that the only thing you guys really cover is like tents and stuff. And let you be a part of the group, but we have to defend ourselves.¡± My brain stopped ticking for a moment, ¡°Who and the actual fuck said that?¡± The words left my mouth before I could stop them. The man took a half step back, posture falling into one more readily defensible on reflex. He realized it, too, as a second later he breathed out tension from his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s rumors on the wind right now.¡± I panned my sight around, seeing the many other stations, this kind of thing happening in several of them. Or, people leaving after having been around a while. This was a large plaza, and there were a few stalls set up for food and drinks, making something of an impromptu festival event. Perhaps there were people out there stirring up trouble. I stood up straight, ¡°Alright, it seems that someone is making trouble for us. This is how it is-¡± I stopped long enough to send a mass message, several people all around us suddenly pausing and looking at the new message, ¡®This tech existence isn¡¯t all bad,¡¯ I smiled, hidden as it was behind my helmet. ¡°-You have all of the information there in text format to refer too by yours truly. Your ammo, explosives, equipment repair, bunking, and strategic needs are taken care of and insured by the Legion. When biotics do show you will be expected to protect yourself, but the Legion will take on the role primarily. We won¡¯t steal any prey of yours unless you request aid, in which we will render our full support to the extent that is reasonable. That is to say don¡¯t dive into a hive and expect us to come pull your ass from the fire without any plan. Some other inclusions and exclusions apply, but that¡¯ll be there.¡± I then exasperatedly shook my head, ¡°The point of the expedition isn¡¯t to get M.E. from you, it¡¯s to give you all a fair chance to prove that you can do what you say you can do. You guys seem like you know better than some what¡¯s out there, but there¡¯s a high probability that we won¡¯t be dealing with Gen 1 biotics. Only Legion has dealt with that so far, so we¡¯re keeping a tight rein on this operation to make sure people don¡¯t go getting offed while we¡¯re checking to see if we can leave local operations in other groups hands. Make sense?¡± The group looked to each other for a few seconds, seemingly surprised at the terms. The leader scratched the back of his head and had an apologetic expression, ¡°Ah, yeah. That¡¯s a lot better than what we expected. I mean, we were gonna have to do this either way, but it¡¯s nice to know that we¡¯re not getting screwed in the deal.¡± ¡°Appreciate your understanding,¡± I sighed, ¡°If you hear of someone spreading that crap about us, well, I can¡¯t say you have to do anything about it. But I¡¯d appreciate knowing who I have to watch out for.¡± The man nodded, ¡°For sure, so, sign here?¡± The woman manning the counter stepped forward then, giving me a grateful nod, ¡°Yes, just right here. Fill out the information regarding your group, and we¡¯ll take a snapshot of each of you in the event that identification is required. Also, if you¡¯ll report to the fabrication yard¡¯s eastern entrance, we¡¯ll get you updated with some general equipment, if you want. It¡¯s a one time thing,¡± She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, ¡°We¡¯re selling equipment for a huge mark-down right now, I¡¯d really recommend stocking up. Don¡¯t go telling random people though, it¡¯s only for those who sign up.¡± ¡°Thanks. And thanks to you too!¡± He called over to me as I walked away. I waved over my shoulder, and then heard a friend of his say, ¡°He¡¯s not that scary. Seemed pretty nice to me.¡± I shook my head at that, wondering what other rumors were circulating around us now. ¡®Whatever, moving on.¡¯ I kept walking, scanning the crowd. Then I froze on one person in particular as they came to a stall. ¡®Well, that¡¯s surprising.¡¯ ¡®Is this an other? Or a not-us-no--¡¯ Wolvy began, confused by my own conflicted feelings toward the individual in question. ¡®Please, Wolvy, there¡¯s not any distinction like that. There¡¯s humans and biotics, most biotics are enemies. Except Yaga.¡¯ I explained as I walked to the stall. There was an electric zap in my head, ¡®Oh, that is Yaga. He is¡­ biotic, but is not an enemy. These are¡­ humans? They are not us, but not-¡¯ it paused a heartbeat at the mental glare I gave it, ¡®-it is just human. Yes. Definitely not not-other. Human.¡¯ It repeated the topic to itself as though to make it easier to remember. ¡°Cassandra,¡± I greeted, the officer in attendant nodding at me as he filled out some other paperwork. ¡°You¡¯ve decided to join the expedition?¡± She glared at me, ¡°Yes. Is that a problem?¡± I shook my head, ¡°None, so long as you abide by our rules like anyone else. Is the rest of your Order joining you?¡± She opened her mouth before literally seeming to bite back a scathing remark. Instead, she managed what passed for a friendly smile - with altogether too many teeth bared - ¡°This is what¡¯s left of my order. The rest went their separate ways, or with Alex.¡± I tilted my head at that, ¡°Mmm, so your group schismed? I suppose that wasn¡¯t unexpected.¡± Her eyebrows rose dangerously, and I quickly backpedaled. ¡°Rather, what I mean to say is that your better off without his type. At least now you can rebuild, and do it right.¡± ¡°And you would know what ¡®right¡¯ is, hmm?¡± She put a hand on her hip, provokingly. I sighed, ¡°I won¡¯t claim such, and I¡¯m not playing politics anymore today. I¡¯m sorry your Order has disintegrated at the seams, but I do sincerely wish you the best. That¡¯s all I mean to say.¡± She stiffened a brief moment, ¡°I¡¯d say thank you, but somehow you always seem to have a barb for every good thing you say.¡± ¡®I wouldn¡¯t if you didn¡¯t make it so easy,¡¯ I felt the acidic comment sit on my tongue. Instead, I said, ¡°Well, what of the rest of them? Will they register today.¡± She shrugged, ¡°Probably not. They don¡¯t recognize the Legion¡¯s authority, regardless of how many people obviously do.¡± As though to highlight that, she glanced around at the thickly packed plaza. I nodded, and found myself immediately considering the possibility that Alex was the reason why people were wary of the Legion. However, I decided it would be best to not broach that topic with her at this time. The leader of the Hunter¡¯s Order, now vastly reduced, probably had more than enough to consider without me stirring the pot any further. ¡°Well, take care. Don¡¯t skip out the equipment portion.¡± I nodded to her and thanked the attendant for putting up with me being in his area. At least this time it was for something that wasn¡¯t complaining people. Tomorrow was the day. The expedition would be setting out in the morning along with the top twenty teams of the Legion and any groups that wanted to prove themselves. ¡°We¡¯re finally pushing out.¡± I smiled, recalling the hazy and indistinct memories of the family that I would likely never be able to fully remember. It was bittersweet to be on the road to recovering Damond, what had been my childhood home, only to be incapable of remembering it. Perhaps, though, that would be for the best. Who knew what kind of hellscape awaited us there? Chapter 62 Convoy I stood amidst a compact room, replete with four separate consoles set into the corners of the compartment. Each one was fairly general in purpose, able to access our mobile bases security suite, database management, and more complex tasks involving the general fabricator in the back of the vehicle that took up two thirds of the full mass of the behemoth. The cockpit at the front of the vehicle was raised, a viewing platform more than anything else. The vehicle was more than capable of driving itself, requiring minimal supervision, of which the driver insisted that there be maximum amounts of, citing that he¡¯d seen his fair share of computer bugs during testing. This was the newest toy from the R&D department, capable of establishing long range communications that didn¡¯t rely on the Obelisks just in case. We weren¡¯t aware of what the limits of the Obelisk-enabled communication network was, but we had run into cases where we were too far away from one to be connected to the network any longer. And, given under the best circumstances we would have to drive for two hours to get to Damond, it was reasonable to suspect that we would leave the range of our Obelisk. On that note, however, the journey was not going well. The Emet, our command vessel for this operation, was the best equipped for rough terrain, but even we were having problems. I ascended the ladder, moving through the broad lower floor to the second, squat floor. Alice and Richard were currently playing cards, slapping them down at high speed before one would smack a hand atop the pile, claiming it for their own. Something about higher value cards, or when they were the same as the last card. I didn¡¯t check the rules, and I was too wound up to sit down for long. ¡°Sup,¡± Richard looked up, pausing their game, grinning. He was on a stark losing streak, but was getting better every time, and Alice desperately fought to make sure that she would maintain dominance. ¡°Anything new?¡± Alice leaned back, flexing her fingers to stretch them. I shook my head, power armor currently shelved in the back compartment downstairs, ¡°Nothing yet. We¡¯ve been dealing with wolves, but nothing out of the ordinary. We¡¯ve let a few of the more mobile groups out.¡± ¡°With a Legion group, too, right?¡± Richard asked, ¡°Some of the groups out there are pretty good, actually. I talked with some a bit, seem alright. What about the the trailing group?¡± I frowned at that, crossing my arms as I leaned against the wall, ¡°They¡¯re still around. Having a hard time keeping up with us since they seem to have expected a bunch of mountain roads to not be washed out. But, they have the bare minimum in off roading gear.¡± ¡°We clear the way, they take the easy path that wouldn¡¯t be there without us,¡± Richard clucked his tongue and chuckled, ¡°What else is new, though?¡± I shook my head, ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, if they didn¡¯t register with us, they¡¯re on their own.¡± Alice looked troubled at that, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯d just abandon someone if they needed it.¡± There were a few long seconds where I considered that. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was a good sign, but I¡¯d actually intended to do just that. This wasn¡¯t Gilramore, if we started breaking off from our task, we might end stretching ourselves too thin. That was the other point as to the registration. I wanted one Legion team for every two teams. We had a total of twenty-five Legion teams, five of which were dedicated solely to being my personal task force, namely the top five teams. The rest were the high ranking teams of the Legion, and thanks to our growth in general we still had a considerable reserve force back home. The danger was too high here to take anyone who wasn¡¯t already tested, again and again, until they could handle the worst that a biotic could throw at them. ¡°Matthew?¡± Alice frowned, ¡°We aren¡¯t planning on just leaving someone to die just because they didn¡¯t sign the dotted line, right?¡± I huffed, ¡°I guess not. But I¡¯m not going into a hive for them, either. If they get in over their heads, it¡¯s their own fault.¡± She looked unhappy with that, ¡°But that¡¯s the point of all this? To make sure that if someone bites off more than they can chew, we can step in and stabilize the situation?¡± ¡°For the people that actually want to help, yes.¡± I shook my head, ¡°But I¡¯m not risking any of my people over some jackass who didn¡¯t want to recognize the Legion and at the same time have the gall to ride our coattails.¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t let people die though,¡± She grumbled. Flabbergasted, I said, ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to just ignore them if they need help and we¡¯re in a position to give it, okay? As much as I¡¯d like to day that I can rely on people doing the best thing, that¡¯s no longer true when politics get involved.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She gave me an inquisitive glance. ¡°There¡¯s a good chance that what¡¯s left of the Hunter¡¯s Order is back there,¡± I said, ¡°Given that their previous leader is with us, I¡¯d say that makes that the more radical wing of the organization. I don¡¯t want to give them the impression that they can keep doing things however they like without any repercussions. That said, the entire point of the Legion is to kill biotics, not to save people,¡± I then added quickly as Alice¡¯s expression screwed into one of frustration, ¡°But, we¡¯re not going to leave people to die, either.¡± She still looked irate, but she finally said, ¡°I guess that¡¯s fine, then.¡± I looked to Richard, helplessly, who gave me a consoling look before turning his attention to distracting Alice. With that in mind, I descended the ladder and made my way to the front of the Emet. an actual staircase led upwards into the cockpit, and of the three seats there, only the furthest back was available. The driver on the left glanced over his shoulder at me, nodding in greeting. On the right, Terry didn¡¯t even need to look, waving at me from over his shoulder as he read through some materials. ¡°Just a heads up, but Daniel said that he¡¯s alright with Team 3 being an officially mandated team.¡± He uttered, scribbling some notes down in a notebook. ¡°And Team 4 is pretty close too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noting it for the review later, right?¡± I sat down, the heavy metal appearance of the cockpit matching the bare steel of the rest of the vehicle. He gestured to the notebook, ¡°Yeah. Team 8¡¯s not looking good at all though, they¡¯re chatty-cathy¡¯s and lone-wolves.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Which Legion drew them?¡± I frowned, bringing up the display. Just before I found it, Terry grimaced, ¡°Last Call. Strauss is a good pick of character, so I believe him, but their bar might be a touch high.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± I sorted the data before reaching out with my digital arms, tapping into the camera feeds they bore. ¡°I¡¯ll check it out to be sure.¡± ¡°The consoles passwords are in the last message I sent you,¡± Terry grunted as he got back to sorting. I smirked, knowing that I didn¡¯t need to use them for this, but also at the password they¡¯d given me. ¡®L33T-R34P3R¡¯ which, while amusing, was very odd to have. I looked through the combined feeds of Last call and Team 8. Technically, Team 9 was also there, but that team was much more organized, even with so little inspection. ¡®Huh, so Team 9 is that last group,¡¯ I looked at a bunch of them, the last large group that I¡¯d spoken too and who had finally clued me in on the slanderous rumors that had been getting spread about the Legion and this expedition. Team 8 were a collection that I hadn¡¯t seen previously. But already I could see the problem with the group. If anything, Jeremy Strauss had been rather forgiving in his assessment of them. Their size was abnormal, a group of ten, and everything from their group movement to their equipment was horribly disorganized. ¡°Damnit, Team 8, this is the last time I¡¯m going to tell you to watch your line of fucking fire!¡± I heard Yomar¡¯s characteristic shout, the big man, now wearing a power armor, spoke. There was an active and live line of red across the edge of his suit, heated from the last shell that had scraped by his torso. ¡°Shit, sorry!¡± I heard one of them call, ¡°Oh, fuck! It¡¯s not dead!¡± I panned my vision back to the individual in question, his camera feed registering the snarling wolf that was indeed still alive. But, missing three legs, it was hardly an active threat. I felt my eyelid twitch as he unloaded an entire clip into the wolf. ¡°Keep your team position in mind at all times, this isn¡¯t bootcamp!¡± I heard Jeremy bark, keeping Team 9 back behind them for this particular engagement. There¡¯d only been a few dozen of the wolves, something that ten people should have dispatched within seconds. Instead, I watched as six people fired, and four people tried to ¡®reposition¡¯ further from them. The firing squad was zealously applying the concept of spray and pray, dumping hundreds of rounds on a downhill slope with minimal tree coverage. ¡°Short controlled bursts, aim with your arms, not your hands. Your goddamn gun should be an extension of your will, not an afterthought!¡± I heard Strauss snarl, watching and six wolves closed the ten meter gap. From their snipers viewpoint, Allendra, I could virtually feel the depression that rolled off of her. ¡°How can they be so bad?¡± She muttered to Strauss, ¡°Why did they even come? Did they think this was a training camp?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know but - ah slag it,¡± he spat, seeing the six wolves close the five meter gap with Team 8 still not dispatching them, nor did their ¡®repositioning¡¯ group ever stop repositioning. He pulled the six-shot pistol from his side, an electric whirr resounding for a split second before he aimed. At his waist, he fanned the hammer, blasting out six shots in rapid succession. The shots hit center of mass and then exploded, splattering silvery over the area. In a flat second he had the pistol up, dumped the ammo, and then speed-loaded another six shells in what I could only describe as graceful. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, I¡¯d say he had to have cybernetic augmentations to do that. But, something told me that wasn¡¯t fully the case. The man was wearing a mesh suit and bore several devices, pieces of equipment for any task that he could reasonably expect to come across. Further back behind him was a bike, one that looked remarkably similar in style to the Reaper vehicles I¡¯d had access too. ¡°Team 8, what in the unholy hell did I just witness?¡± Strauss kept his voice as level as he could, ¡°Have any of you hunted biotics at all before this?¡± ¡°I-Yes! Of course we have!¡± The team leader had the temerity to appear outraged at the suggestion, ¡°We¡¯ve been hunting wolves for weeks around Gilramore. This was just a lot of them.¡± Another palpable wave of depression rolled out from Allendra, ¡°Seriously?¡± Jeremy glanced at her for a split-second, a knowing look that you forged over a considerable amount of time. ¡°That was less than a small group. Wolf hordes easily reach a hundred or more. Have you ever even seen one?¡± The teams began to come together, ¡°No, well, not in person.¡± ¡°Have you all drilled tactics?¡± Strauss¡¯ exhibited amazing self control, ¡°For example, overlapping fields of fire? Or fire control in general?¡± ¡°I have no idea what those are.¡± I heard someone say in the group, snickering coming from them. ¡°This is not a game,¡± Yomar walked up, glaring at them darkly, ¡°If I was a regular person, you would have torn out half of my ribcage. What would you have done then? Chuckled it off and said ¡®whoops, I missed¡¯?¡± ¡°Yomar, stand down,¡± Jeremy sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Team 8 had tensed, and I realized why. Yomar looked down and took a deep breath as he realized that long, glowing cherry-red talons and blades were sliding out of his power armor¡¯s gauntlets. They shot back into their sleeves as he stepped back and away. ¡°Sorry, my bad.¡± He stopped next to Jeremy as he went, back facing the team, ¡°I just can¡¯t imagine these guys being allowed here. Matt sure as hell won¡¯t let them join after this crap.¡± ¡°I know, Yom. I know. But he gave us a job to do here, and I ain¡¯t gonna give up ¡®til he says we can.¡± Jeremy whispered back. ¡°Even if I hope he cuts that rope fast,¡± Allendra added, ¡°Before I shoot one of them.¡± I chuckled in spite of myself, but also felt incredibly bad for them. In the very near future I¡¯d have to go through each of the groups much more closely to find out which one was actually allowed to stay or not. ¡°For now, we¡¯re gonna go back to the Convoy, this hunt is called off.¡± Jeremy called out to the group as a whole, ¡°Well rotate with the next group.¡± ¡°But we¡¯ve barely been out here for thirty minutes!¡± I heard one of them complain, while also noting that Team 9 looked almost relieved. They were probably none too thrilled having these people as a co-team in the first place. ¡°Not negotiable,¡± his tone similar to if he was disciplining a petulant child. ¡°Hey, wait, look, there¡¯s another!¡± One of the men to the back of the group shouted, bringing up his rifle and quickly rattling off an entire clip. I frowned, turning my viewpoint to his. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything there. Jeremy Strauss seemed to think so as well, and with a supremely unimpressed tone said, ¡°If you want to shoot at squirrels, do it on your time.¡± ¡°No, I swear there was one there! It was a ball lookin¡¯ thing!¡± He shouted. I froze upon hearing that, instantly panning back his camera, looking through recorded footage. The moment he¡¯d seen it, to his credit, he¡¯d snapped the gun up and fired, perhaps landing the first solid array of bullets he¡¯d gotten all day. And, to my growing horror, I¡¯d realized he¡¯d indeed found a ¡®ball lookin¡¯ thing¡¯ with several eye-stalks glaring at them. ¡°Strauss! Fall back right now! Fire and retreat formation!¡± I shot upwards, shouting and startling everyone in the Emet. ¡°Gen 2 sited and fired upon by Team 8, Spindlie!¡± ¡°Fuck me,¡± I heard him snarl, ¡°Form up! You heard him!¡± A moment later, I heard the sharp suction of air and a high pitch screech as a spiked ball seemingly many times larger than it had been before shot upwards through the air. I also watched as its body contorted, several of the spikes actually organizing and compacting on the opposite side of its now heavily damaged body. A tar-glack puss oozed and hardened over its wounds, and as it shrank in mid-air, I realized that it was turning itself into a claymore. By squeezing all of the densest parts to the other side, it was making the front weaker, concentrating the force for a long-distance shot. And, by looking at the positioning of the other spikes, it was plainly obvious that it was quite a bit more than capable of aiming. As my feet pounded steel, my back slamming into the power armor cradle, I could only urge the machines to move faster. ¡°Fu-Hit the deck!¡± Straus shouted, throwing out a pair of triangular bits of metal that rapidly expanded, forming barriers. Hopefully they would be enough. Chapter 63 Pin-Cushions The explosion rang out across the valley gorge, echoing from the walls and easily reaching the convoy. From here, it was conspicuously loud, but from where the action was centered, it was deafening, like a backpack full of plastic explosives just went off. The Spindlie ceased to exist, chunks of it -at least what hadn¡¯t disintegrated - flew through the air. Grimly, I watched everything happen in real time even as I rose the general alert status. So far, we¡¯d only ever seen Spindlies alone, but that was unlikely to persist. I was vaguely aware of Richard as he jumped from the ladder, rushing to his own exosuit station beside me. ¡°How bad?¡± He asked as his suit snapped into place, connecting to already set hardpoints on his mesh suit under-layer. Alice was sharp on his heels, getting into the next station. I watched Strauss¡¯ team hit the deck, three spikes that were each two meters long sprouting from the barriers that he¡¯d placed in front of him. Last Call had either clustered around him, or behind Yomar, who stood standing with an energy barrier flickering madly in front of him. One of the spears had pierced through the energy and scattered shavings of metal from his torso armor, nearly a much worse injury. ¡°What the fucking hell!¡± Yomar shouted, ¡°How is that allowed?¡± ¡°Medic!¡± Strauss ordered, ¡°We have injuries! Command, we have injuries, possible fatalities! Request immediate assistance!¡± I heard him over the general communications as well. I felt a hard knot form in my gut as I looked over to the group of people scattered on the hill side. Team 9 had an individual down, a spike pinning them to the ground through their leg. They were bleeding profusely, and it was hard to imagine that an artery hadn¡¯t been hit. Team 8, however, was far worse off. Five of their members bore several direct hits, and more closely resembled pin-cushions than people. One of them was still alive, crying and howling in pain with a pair of spikes pinning him half-upright, one through a shoulder and the other through his gut. The medic moved to him first, Adam Burke, and as I looked through his camera view I watched as he pulled out a slim, short blade. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be alright.¡± He said, tone dry and clinical as he grasped the man''s hands. ¡°Yomar, I need you to hold him up.¡± ¡°Right!¡± The big man shouted back. ¡°It¡¯s bad.¡± I finally responded to Richard as his suit¡¯s final preparations were completed. Get out there. You have the countermeasures, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± He said quickly, Alice on his heels. ¡°We¡¯ll keep them safe.¡± Seriousness laced her voice, a hardness as she prepared herself for the worst. ¡°Go. I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡± I nodded, flipping over to the general channel, ¡°Strauss, we¡¯re on the way. All other teams, be advised that Gen 2 biotics have been sighted, maintain full awareness.¡± Then I switched to Fran and Daniel¡¯s private feed, ¡°Guys, I need you on overwatch. We have Strauss¡¯ side, but be on the lookout for a flank.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Daniel¡¯s no nonsense reply came up. ¡°We¡¯ll handle it, focus on helping them.¡± Fran added quickly, moving into position above the convoy. The moment the armor encased me, I bolted from Emet, feet tearing chunks of dirt out of the ground as I went. The video feed showed already that Alice and Richard were there, though they were more concerned with watching the area around. ¡°Thanks for the lookout!¡± Strauss called, ¡°These things tear through steel like butter, kill them in one go or don¡¯t shoot at all!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the grenades we issued,¡± Richard reminded him, tapping a canister on his side, ¡°Deploy first, then kill them.¡± Jeremy shook his head, chagrined. He was about to speak when both he and Alice¡¯s attention snapped back to the down hill, now bearing a few barbs here and there. Alice chucked a grenade, shouting as she did so, ¡°We¡¯ve got incoming!¡± Down the hill, I watched as the first two, then five, and then ten Spindlies wriggled forward out from what had initially only seemed to be a mild rise in the hills, tall grass hiding them. They moved with undulating spikes allowing them to slink in an eerie, but smooth pattern. The grenade exploded, a dense sickly green mist filling the air. Richard and Alice weren¡¯t the only ones to fire in that moment. Fragments of spikes from impacts scattered across the ground, three exploding from a grenade launcher, explosive arrow, and Strauss own long-range pistol shots. Others were wounded, and after an instant they emitted a high-pitched keening, drawing in air. The cloud they rested in sank into their bodies somewhat, and the Spindlies jumped into the air, three more perishing before they could do so. Four expanded, performing a similar maneuver as the first. ¡°Cover!¡± Jeremy shouted, clustering back behind the shield with Yomar gritting his teeth, expecting to be skewered this time. The explosion, however, was much more subdued. Half of the Spindlies were intact after the explosion in one large chunk, albeit very dead. Alice and Richard deployed angular barriers, coated with diamond-hard enamel. The impacts still rocked them on their feet, but held firm. The other barriers showed similar results, preventing impacts from digging through. There were still close calls, though. Denice, the artillery and explosives specialist of Last Call had a gouge in her helmet on the side, and a veritable swarm of startled cursing rolled from her tongue. Team 9, shockingly, had someone who had actually managed to catch one of the spikes in mid air, keeping it from his less well protected stomach. His face was stark white, though, likely in no small part due to terror. ¡°I need scouts on outer perimeter!¡± I shouted out, ¡°Paint targets for artillery, we¡¯re not going anywhere near these damn things if we can help it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t need to be told twice,¡± I heard Patrick from the Iron-Chariot¡¯s team speak, ¡°We¡¯re geared up, Reaper. Ready to bring the rain.¡± ¡®He¡¯s fast,¡¯ I appreciated that, ¡°Good. Alright everyone, we¡¯re closing circle, we¡¯re barely halfway to Damond and they¡¯re already rolling out the welcome mat.¡± I heard a collection of chuckles in the face of the grim reality of the situation. I reached the flank with Strauss, surveying the carnage with my own eyes, ¡°Jeremy, can your team move?¡± He stood, doing a quick check on the situation. He turned to me and nodded, ¡°We can. What do you need?¡± ¡®The weave is strong with these ones,¡¯ Wolvey mirrored my appreciation, ¡°Get Team 8 and 9 situated back in the bunks, we¡¯re running Legion only until we have a better handle on what we¡¯re looking at here. I want to tag your scout with Alice and Richard for firing and the rest of you on point defense with me.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± He stated, his second in command, the sniper Allendra, came up beside him. ¡°Team 8 might be put back in, but Team 9¡­¡± I glanced to the casualties on the field, ¡°Well, I can only apologize to you for allowing them on the field.¡± Allendra cringed at that, ¡°That¡­ They knew what they signed up for.¡± ¡°Even so,¡± I turned to Jeremy, ¡°This is on me. Not you.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it He smiled, a cocky, crooked grin, ¡°You¡¯re the boss, but that doesn¡¯t make me some officer. We¡¯re all in this boat together, and if it¡¯s got holes, it¡¯s on all of us to fix ¡®em.¡± It took me a second to process that, but I nodded, and chuckled, ¡°So it seems. See you soon, Strauss.¡± ¡°Likewise, Reaper,¡± he held out his fist as we passed, and I gave it a solid tap in camaraderie. At the very least, I was grateful that Jeremy Strauss wasn¡¯t concerned about the ladder, and seemed to be far more interested in doing what we needed to do. Yomar jogged back over to me, ¡°I¡¯ll follow you for now, Strauss isn¡¯t gonna need me for medic detail.¡± I nodded, ¡°Good to have you watching my back.¡± ¡°Good to have you back in action,¡± He laughed, ¡°I was beginning to believe you¡¯d really kicked it.¡± I shook my head as we moved back into position in the convoy, ¡°Likewise.¡± He gave a light chuckle, and as we moved, I noted that his power armor was quite lithe. It had what appeared almost to be fur around the shoulders and neck, framing the armor, but for what purpose I couldn¡¯t imagine. His helmet bore tusks and forward facing horns, his armor in general appearing more bestial than not. It matched the man, though it seemed he still had a penchant for melee weapons. The claws were one example, but he also bore several gently ¡®S¡¯ shaped metal objects on his sides, stacked in large clusters. Idly, I wondered what they were. We both looked up in time to see another Spindlie emerging from the tall grass, and without hesitation he threw two of the half meter long devices. They flared red and seemed to hiss in the air, spinning rapidly. Plasma axe-heads flared at either crux of the ¡®S¡¯ shape, and as they hit the biotic, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at them. They carved straight through the spikes and the core, both just barely off center on their own, but together the center of mass fell apart in two smoking halves. Instead of inflating, it simply sagged and spluttered for a second and then went utterly still. ¡°That¡¯s one way to do it,¡± He spoke, ¡°Kill it all at once.¡± ¡°If you can hit it, and hit it hard enough.¡± I grimaced, ¡°Definitely Legion only for a while.¡± After a few minutes, we began to hear earth-shaking explosions, some distant, some closer. Invariably, each impact of a shell further down the valley had an answering retort, or sometimes several of them. ¡°We have a lot of clusters coming up,¡± I heard Sammy, Last Call¡¯s Scout, speak. ¡°This side too,¡± Another scout spoke up, one that I wasn¡¯t personally familiar with. They were checking the flanks, but it appeared that the Spindlies wouldn¡¯t move unless prey neared, regardless of the noise we made. In a way, these Gen 2 biotics seemed to be fairly easy to manage if you could kill them at range or fast enough, however there were still problems. Some of them wouldn¡¯t activate with the Scouts passing them, only responding with the larger groups like our own coming close. That made the point-team job perhaps the most dangerous, as the biotics would be primed when we were near them. For the most part, it was going well, but there were accidents. One of the other teams hadn¡¯t managed to kill their Spindlie fast enough, and it had detonated. They were fortunate that there weren¡¯t any fatalities, but three of their members would be down for a while, two of them with painful gut injuries, and the third with a leg injury. That same accident resulted in one of the Convoy vehicles staggering forward, one of the middle axels having been damaged, and several holes now located throughout. The only upside was that the battery unit wasn¡¯t damaged, and so long as the engine and drive shaft were running, it would work well enough. The trucks were colloquially referred to as Ogre¡¯s for their pretty bodies and lovely demeanors anyways. Which was to say they were hideous anyways and refused to die, requiring to very nearly literally be gutted to stop operating. It was a great convoy truck, and yet another reason why I was glad for creating the R&D division. As darkness crept upon us, though, we decided it would be for the best to call the advance. People needed to get out and stretch their legs a bit, and so we had the Ogre¡¯s form up in a relatively flat area. Sensors and auto turrets were set out at 25 meter distances, hopefully more than capable of killing anything that came at us in the night. So far, we rarely encountered groups with only eight to ten biotics at the most. Wolves had utterly disappeared, though, and I felt a foreboding that I couldn¡¯t quite express. I restlessly patrolled the impromptu wall of vehicles, thinking over everything that I¡¯d seen in the day. What was wrong with the situation? The biotics were disorganized, and threw themselves away. There were a lot of them, and while it would be odd to have a biotic that destroyed itself, I suppose there were all types out there. As a Gen 2 biotic, though, they were supposed to be modifying their environment to suit them. If anything, the tall grass had been the only part of the environment to help them, and there were plenty of areas with low grass, or none at all. Yet the Spindlies would sit there, contracted little black balls that would respond only when a presence came close. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep? Or night shift?¡± I turned to the source of the voice, a brown haired man with a squared jaw holding a container out to me. ¡°Thanks,¡± I took it with a nod, looking thoughtfully out to the dark, my helmet currently off as I considered my thoughts. ¡°Little of both. I don¡¯t need much sleep anymore.¡± Patrick nodded, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re more like a mech yourself,¡± He said, ¡°what do your elven eyes see?¡± I snorted, ¡°Damn, that¡¯s an old movie now.¡± With a shake of my head, ¡°But nothing yet. Being made of biosteel does have its perks.¡± The big man, well muscled and heavier set than even Daniel, sat down on top of the Ogre that I was pacing on. ¡°Y¡¯know, I was considering looking up cybernetic augmentations.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I turned my gaze to him, ¡°Wasn¡¯t keen on it?¡± ¡°Complicated,¡± he answered, ¡°On the one hand, I really like mechs. On the other hand, my Ma¡¯ would bend me over her knee if she found out I swapped my real bits for anything else if I didn¡¯t need too.¡± I nodded, ¡°Fair. I wouldn¡¯t personally recommend going full mech. Bio-steel, if we can make better use of it, can actually be used to step backwards to full and regular tissue.¡± ¡°No shit?¡± He looked up with surprise, ¡°So, you can go back to looking like a regular person someday?¡± I was silent that that, considering the topic. ¡°For most people, is it?¡± He frowned, ¡°Sorry if that¡¯s a touchy subject.¡± I shrugged, ¡°It is what it is. Better than being dead, though.¡± I sat down and looked up at the stars. There were several moments where the only noise that accompanied us was the low murmur of conversations in the background, and the crinkle of plastic as Patrick ate out of a foil bag. He held the bag out, and I wordlessly pulled out a few chips. ¡°It¡¯s weird. I mean, I knew we weren¡¯t alone in the universe after the biotics showed, but hearing about a bunch of other people up there that have dealt with the same thing?¡± A glimmer in his eyes as he looked at the stars caught my attention, ¡°It¡¯s something else. I dunno, inspiring?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I considered that, thinking of the many different races I¡¯d seen in the Council. Now that I think about it, it was impressive, there were people who had won against the biotics on their worlds, who fought back even still, and managed to carve out their own lives in the Galaxy. I smiled, ¡°Yeah, I guess it is, isn¡¯t it?¡± He chuckled, leaning back a bit more. ¡°Why¡¯d you choose mechs, anyways?¡± I turned my attention to him, ¡°It seems to me that an all mech team might be a little difficult to logistics around.¡± He laughed, ¡°You¡¯re damn right on that. But¡­ honestly it was between mechs or power armors. It was your friend¡¯s mech that got us, though. Daniel - that guys mech is a beast.¡± I nodded at that, ¡°That it is. I hear you guys have made some interesting advances, too.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not done yet, but we¡¯re trying to formalize some archetypes. The big hitch right now is the carrier.¡± He shook his head and perplexedly glared at his hands, ¡°I just can¡¯t get the damn thing to work right.¡± ¡°Carrier?¡± I frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± ¡°The damn drones never function right. I think we don¡¯t have the computer power to get them to do everything we need them to do. They¡¯re pretty complex, meant to be like their own exo-suits, only not needing people to pilot. But, turns out, that¡¯s pretty hard to get to move on its own without going crazy on computer space.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea though,¡± I murmured, ¡°Maybe R&D can take a look later.¡± ¡°Maybe if you asked ¡®em,¡± he shoved another bit of food in his mouth, ¡°I tried to convince them, and they thought I was just on some sci-fi kick and didn¡¯t want to devote resources onto what they viewed as too expensive.¡± I frowned at that, ¡°Hmm¡­ we¡¯ll see then. Do you have it with you?¡± He looked up with some surprise, ¡°Yeah, yeah we do.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± I said, ¡°I¡¯ll take a look, I know a thing or two about computers.¡± I chuckled, tapping my head. Beaming enthusiasm, he said, ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! I¡¯ll make a mech fanatic outta you yet!¡± ¡®This one is obsessed with his strands,¡¯ Wolvey mused, ¡®Perhaps he¡¯s a few strings short of a full rope.¡¯ ¡®Passion is the father of invention, temperance the mother,¡¯ I replied, ¡®We¡¯ll see if there¡¯s really something there or not. I don¡¯t have anything else to do anyways.¡¯ ¡®It was getting boring looking at the twinkling things and darkness.¡¯ The voice seemed a bit more into the concept than it let on. The rest of the night, I went through the mechs available, hearing no occasion where the turrets engaged at all. One thing I was certain of by the end of the tour, though, was that Patrick Bentley was fanatical about mechs. I¡¯d learned more about them in four hours than I¡¯d ever expected too. But I came away with some very useful kernels of knowledge, and with a new possible plan to increase our speed and reliability of scouting.. Tomorrow would be quite interesting. Chapter 64 Strategy Meeting The morning did not come with an abundance of light, sheltered as we were in the shadows of the mountains around us. There was enough, however, to show us the road forward, and more importantly demonstrate another frustrating fact. Infrastructure did not maintain well in the absence of human intervention. Especially here where the roads had been regularly maintained due to washouts and landslides. In more areas than one we were also forced to maneuver over uneven and unstable terrain. Luckily the Ogre¡¯s and Emet were up to the task, and any area that we came across that was at all in question would be tested and set up by any number of our mech teams. There were a few Ogre¡¯s that had been detailed with carrying construction equipment for that purpose, as well as a few more particular projects when we actually got to Damond proper. ¡°We¡¯re here now,¡± I plotted our route on a digital overlay in the command vehicle. There were several team leaders here watching the overlay. The bay with consoles was now considerably larger than it had been yesterday, this of course being the fact that the Emet was designed to unpack to form a mobile operations center. It had nearly tripled in its overall size when in this particular form, and the cockpit had adjusted to form a tower, giving a lookout as well as serving as a radio hub. Above us were general quarters, enough for a dozen people to have a sleeping space, unfolding beds that were better at least than sleeping on the ground. The back of the Emet bore the fabrication structure, just through a bulkhead door that was currently ajar. Alongside the fabricator were four armor bays, each flexibly designed to hold a power armor or exo suit to assist in donning the equipment. Technically speaking some of the Ogre¡¯s bore such stations as well, but they were a highly varied set of vehicles. ¡°We¡¯ve made slower time than expected due to the Gen 2 biotics in the area, and we¡¯ve had to slow for road obstructions several times. I want to make Damond by the end of the day, but at the rate we were going yesterday, we¡¯re going to have to split it into two days for safety.¡± I gestured to Gilramore, now 45 miles - or about 72 kilometers - behind us, ¡°We made great time before we hit the mountains. Now, we¡¯ve got something in mind-¡± I nodded to Patrick briefly ¡°-but if anyone else has any ideas, bring them up now.¡± There were a few moments of thoughtfulness. The majority of the team leaders here were my own, and after the initial surprise of seeing me without my helmet on, they were wholly involved in the process. The others were those that had rated highly enough yesterday to be given the opportunity to be included in these decisions. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Team 13, Cassandra Vera¡¯s group, was in attendance. Team 9 was present as well, Cliff Dodson representing them. He had a contraption of some sort wrapped around his leg where he¡¯d been pierced by a spike yesterday. His mettle surprised me, I knew that it took a lot for a regular person to get back up after something like that. ¡°Why are we rushing?¡± Cliff frowned, ¡°Is it a problem if it takes us two days to get there?¡± There were a few people who nodded at that even among the Legion. ¡°I have the feeling that the biotics we¡¯ve faced thus far are atypical. I¡¯m worried about a sentience that might notice us if we take too long to get to Damond. I¡¯d prefer not to have an organized mass of these things rush over a cliffside on top of our camp.¡± I spoke, laying out what my considerations yesterday led me to believe. ¡°A Gen 2 biotic shouldn¡¯t be willing to destroy itself so easily, and they¡¯re fairly fragile. The only thing that the Spindlies have going for them is their absurdly destructive suicide attack, but they¡¯re not intelligent. When I said living mines, I honestly think that¡¯s all they are. They should be modifying the environment around them, and yet they don¡¯t seem to be intending to use it the way they are. We¡¯ve seen just as many out in the open as we have hiding in tall grass.¡± Cliff nodded, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a whole other bag of snakes then. Should we charge right into what might be a true Gen 2 biotics territory, or take it slow?¡± I tapped the map, ¡°If we can make good time, we can get out of the mountains and into more open space and have a relatively straight shot the Damond from there. This helps us more than them, given that the Spindlies will be able to do more damage to us if they can get close, rather than us hitting them before they ever get the opportunity to close in.¡± The man mulled that over for a few seconds before assenting to the overall plan, ¡°Alright, I can get behind that. Yesterday we used some kind of gas to stop the things from exploding as badly. Do we have a lot of that?¡± Jeremy Strauss shook his head, ¡°Yes and no. We have a pretty good amount, but not so much that we should deploy it regularly. It¡¯s supposed to help us more in a defensible position, but out here, on the move? Not so much.¡± ¡°We¡¯re running into problems with the scouts,¡± Another man spoke, ¡°We¡¯re trying to pick up where all of these things are, but we still don¡¯t know what sets them off. I personally walked up on one, just a few meters away, and it didn¡¯t respond at all. My companion did, and it woke up immediately. Another time, I was several dozens of meters away when one responded and started moving. Not knowing what triggers these things is putting a lot of stress on the point-team,¡± at that he nodded in the direction of Strauss, myself, and a few other leads. ¡°I think we have something that the Reaper can use to help with that.¡± Patrick spoke up, ¡°We were going to save it for last, but it¡¯s better, I think, to start using it now.¡± The scout leader turned a sharp eye to Patrick, ¡°What¡¯s up your sleeve?¡± He tapped the edge of the hologram table with the crystal embedded in the back of his right hand, the system keying in on what he wanted. The picture of a large, four legged mech came into view. ¡°We can use this.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the thing you complained was a hunk of scrap the other day?¡± One of the team leaders next to him chuckled amusedly, ¡°Did you get it working?¡± There was a round of laughing, ¡°Yeah, yeah, yak it up, you bastards.¡± Patrick smirked, ¡°We figured out how to get it working, we think. It¡¯s not gonna be perfect, but what we¡¯re looking to use isn¡¯t the mech, but it¡¯s minions.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I like where this is going.¡± I heard someone say. ¡°As the control unit on the mech isn¡¯t up to par to control several child units,¡± I spoke, switching the view to the six foot tall drones equipped with heavy weapons, ¡°I¡¯ll take control of these to help as the new primary ring for the point-team. After the casualties we took yesterday, I¡¯m certain we can say unanimously that we¡¯d be willing to give this a shot.¡± With a look around, no one disagreed. ¡°What about our teams?¡± Cassandra spoke up, ¡°What¡¯s our role?¡± The scout leader scoffed, ¡°What indeed? Yesterday I asked five of you Outsiders for scouts to help with the situation. Each of you said it wasn¡¯t your job.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask us, then,¡± She responded, crossing her arms, ¡°We¡¯ve got a few scouts that we can lend to the cause. And I¡¯d be personally willing to stand on the front line.¡± ¡°Now that there¡¯s machine assistance.¡± My Legion member spoke. ¡°Enough of that,¡± I glared at the man, ¡°I made it clear that we were on the same team when this venture started. To be sure,¡± I settled on the group at large, ¡°If I find anyone intentionally not helping the group as a whole, I¡¯ll boot you out of our convoy on the spot. We certainly don¡¯t have time for in-fighting out here. Am I clear?¡± ¡°Crystal,¡± the man frowned, but seemed genuine if only frustrated. I could see similar expressions, and couldn¡¯t blame my Legion members. ¡°There have been several cases where Teams have been less than forthcoming in rendering competent assistance.¡± I allowed, noting the slight quirk of the lips on Strauss¡¯ face. ¡°And those cases are being documented for assessment at the end of this.¡± Given the expressions on the so-called ¡®Outsiders¡¯ faces, this was not what they¡¯d been told. There were several that didn¡¯t seem surprised at all, which I supported with, ¡°This should come as no surprise to anyone present. If I find you lacking, I¡¯ll bench you and try to find another opportunity to test you. If you fail repeatedly, then of course you¡¯re not going to be a recognized team. Those of you that are here right now have passed the first rung. The teams still in their Ogre¡¯s right now? Most of them are people who thought the job wasn¡¯t hard after killing a few wolves in a cleared and controlled space around Gilramore.¡± I leveled my gaze at Cassandra a bit longer at that before continuing on, ¡°Keep your eyes up, help us to help you. We¡¯re live or die together out here.¡± ¡°Now, to get back on topic,¡± I gestured at the map, bringing up our suggested formation, several units of scouts would stay active around the formation like satellites. The middle would have a pack of Ogre¡¯s driving while mech-based artillery would destroy scout painted targets. Anything that woke up after the scouts passed would be destroyed by the Determinators - as Patrick lovingly called them - under my direct control. Then, any groups willing to volunteer for point control would take shifts with one another. Unlike before, there wouldn¡¯t be any direct Legion supervision. At this point, if you stepped up but didn¡¯t have the skills, you would be putting yourself and the convoy at risk. There were a pair of auto turrets seat up on a few of the lead and trailing Ogre¡¯s, set to fire upon any biotic that got into range. It would protect the convoy more, but also put point defense in a much tighter situation. If you failed at stopping a Spindlie, or ran for cover back to the convoy because of a loss of control, then you might very well just die when the turret hit the biotic if it didn¡¯t sustain enough damage to disable it. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. If you were skilled and concentrated, you could get rid of the Spindlies before it became a major threat. Theoretically, there would be fewer of the biotics than before if the Determinator Phalanx formation worked, but we won''t know until we try it. Legion teams would form up the first leg of the journey, and every hour we would rotate the teams to keep awareness fresh. The scouts would be a mix, half and half, before rotating. ¡°If we do this right we shouldn¡¯t lose anyone today.¡± I glanced around, ¡°And scouts, be liberal with your target painting, ammo is something we have plenty of. I¡¯d rather overkill than underkill, got it?¡± The scout leader from earlier smiled widely, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that gets around.¡± ¡°I do love explosions when they¡¯re ours.¡± I heard one of the artillery team leads laugh. ¡°Get ready to move out, we¡¯re leaving in ten. Dismissed.¡± I straightened at the table, putting on an air of authority that I felt was getting easier and easier to access every time I needed it. The room filtered out, save for a few individuals. Jeremy, Patrick, and Cassandra stayed behind. Cassandra glanced to the other two, but then settled her gaze on me, thinking on something. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us,¡± Patrick stretched, ¡°We¡¯re all in this for the long haul. Ah, I¡¯m Patrick, by the way.¡± ¡°Jeremy Strauss,¡± the thickly, carefully trimmed angular bearded man beside me nodded in greeting. ¡°Cassandra Vera, nice to meet you.¡± She said, a small smile on her face. Patrick and Jeremy gave each other a surprised look, ¡°As in Hunter¡¯s Order? That Cassandra Vera?¡± Jeremy blinked. ¡°Yes.¡± Her stance shifted subtly, more defensive, ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°No,¡± Patrick chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m just surprised.¡± ¡°Well, glad to see that there¡¯s someone willing to put their money where their mouth is, at least,¡± Jeremy nodded, ¡°Glad to have ya.¡± She seemed taken aback by the response, ¡°We¡¯re not here to suppress people. As much as I have little patience for politics, I¡¯d like to say that I try to keep an open mind in places like this.¡± I smiled. ¡°And I do appreciate that.¡± She seemed honestly grateful, ¡°I just wanted to also thank you for keeping this fair. After seeing some of the other teams, I know that it can¡¯t be the easiest thing to be giving such chances.¡± ¡°We all have to do things to prove our beliefs are real,¡± I nodded, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t willing to give others a chance at stepping up to the plate, how can I say that humanity should be fighting against biotics?¡± ¡°There was one other thing I wanted to discuss.¡± She paused, her thoughts racing as she considered how best to say what she wanted to say next. ¡°At first when I came out here, I wanted my team to be recognized for how skilled they are. But, now, at the risk of sounding like an incredible suck-up, I have to recognize that we¡¯re not really that special. You¡¯ve got four teams that are better than mine.¡± ¡°Oh, only four?¡± Patrick commented with dry humor, ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She stated flatly, staring at him, ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with my own teams capabilities. I can say for certain that my team is only behind yours, Jeremey¡¯s team, Matthew¡¯s team, and that¡­ scout leader¡¯s team, I don¡¯t know his name.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Look, the point is, I want to be held to a higher standard. Put us through the ringer, don¡¯t give us special treatment because you think we¡¯re gonna die out there. We can take it.¡± I stared at her, deep in thought on that as the others considered me. Whether or not she was really as good as she thought she was, I had to recognize when someone wanted an opportunity to prove themselves. That was the point of this whole mess. ¡°Alright. Then you¡¯ll be on point with the Legion. We¡¯ll be watching you the whole time to see what you bring to the table. When we enter Damond, you¡¯ll be my left hand. Just remember that you asked for it.¡± I smirked, the challenge clearly met in her eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± she turned then, ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the front.¡± ¡°Anybody else feeling some unresolved tension there?¡± Patrick chuckled, giving some kind of knowing look to Jeremy. ¡°What?¡± I frowned, confused, not picking up on the meaning. ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± he waved me off, ¡°But what do you think?¡± I considered the situation, ¡°I think I want her.¡± Patrick and Jeremy froze then, surprised. Confusion washed over me at their response, ¡°If she and her team are as good as they say they are, I want to poach them.¡± ¡°Oh. Uh, sure, yeah, that¡¯s what you meant.¡± Patrick scratched the back of his head. I shook my head, even more confused, ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to it then.¡± Unknown to me, Patrick and Jeremy began subtle inquiries to see if two certain individuals were in something more than a professional relationship. A minute later I was departing from the Emet as it began to fold back in on itself, the convoy all around humming to life, electrical engines remarkably silent in the wilderness of the mountain gorge. I took up position on the lead Ogre, sitting on top of the machine cross-legged. Methodically, I began to flex my cyber-muscles, feeling the many winding arms and streams of data that made up my digital self. This would be the largest operation I¡¯d performed yet, and I wasn¡¯t certain yet if it would even be possible. Steadily I searched for the electronic connection I needed, finding it a few moments later. I pushed through a barrier, like moving through a bubble that didn¡¯t pop when breached, and found myself in digital landscape similar to many before. Human technology interacted with me like bathing in fresh water, a little on the cooler side, and smelled like warm honey. It was odd to say something like that, but sensations became a little strange in this form. This, however, had a distinct second odor, coppery, and engaged my eyes in a silvery sheen like moonlight on water. I drove my senses forward, my arms seeking and sensing on their own. The camera system came to life then, and I was looking into the face of Patrick Bentley. I didn¡¯t engage any of the motor systems for the carrier unit, it simply wouldn¡¯t be needed here. To his right, I could see another familiar face. ¡°Matt, you good in there?¡± Daniel knocked on the mech, receiving a chuckle from Patrick. ¡°I just turned it on, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in there yet.¡± The man said, turning his attention to the many coffin-shaped containers on the back wall and on racks. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I said, enjoying the jump he made and the grin on Daniel¡¯s face. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m bringing the Determinators online.¡± ¡°You called them Determinators?¡± Daniel turned to Patrick. He flushed, ¡°Err, well, yeah. I mean, it seemed fitting enough. They¡¯re kinda like the ones in the movies, but also are meant to be able to swing a fight in our favor. So, you know.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Daniel waved, ¡°I get it, I like it. Hell, I named my big gun ¡®Big Bertha,¡¯ I ain¡¯t got room to talk.¡± ¡°That rail-gun?¡± He asked, ¡°Fitting, actually.¡± I rolled my eyes, feeling for the connections, following the silvery lights and the taste of copper. One by one, I connected an arm into each source like a socket, and felt my awareness expand. I tested systems, bodies, feeling for the diagnostics that each unit would perform. A simple being seemed to unfurl under the ministrations of my limbs, ready to work. ¡®We weave as one, now. Us.¡¯ Weavy whispered to them, and I felt the response from the rudimentary A.I.¡¯s as they accepted the attachment in full. ¡®What was that?¡¯ I blinked, somehow not feeling wary of whatever the Wolven-clone was doing. ¡®Only accepted them. We asked nicely.¡¯ It beamed, ¡®No rapey-ness, as requested.¡¯ I shuddered, ¡®Okay, please don¡¯t remind me of that if you can.¡¯ ¡®Sorry, we don¡¯t mean to bring hurts back.¡¯ I felt a pulse of understanding, ¡®But look, we are weaving! It is stronger than it was, weave with us?¡¯ I paused, noting that the arms were stringing together, slipping through each other and slowly braiding themselves into a much denser mass. Uncertain of the goal, I began to do so as well, feeling through the process as it became faster and faster. It was refreshing and calming, and the disquiet I remembered from what had happened to me sank in the background once more. Finally, after what had only been seconds in reality but felt like minutes here, we were finished. ¡°Open.¡± I commanded aloud, every coffin container hissing pressurized air as they swung open. Daniel and Patrick warily approached the racks. ¡°Alright, they look pretty badass,¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°Fair name.¡± ¡°Awaken.¡± I pulsed, one primary eye flaring red, four separate inputs on the sides and back of the Determinator¡¯s heads coming active. My control expanded, and it was now that I could see what the issue had been in controlling them. They were a unified whole, barely able to walk on their own previously. The A.I. that had been installed had been told ¡®how¡¯ to move, and simulated it dozens of times, and in theory could walk from one side of the room to the other, and much more. But, it hadn¡¯t been given the ¡®why¡¯ or the ¡®what¡¯ of the situation. I filled them with purpose, gave them the why of their existence to be whatever I needed them to be. I could sense the A.I.¡¯s distort, their existences melting into my own. I could feel them joined into my arms, and before I could stop them, I realized that I¡¯d just adopted 36 killer Determinator A.I.¡¯s into myself. ¡®This one thinks perhaps that was overzealous,¡¯ Wolvey warily informed me, ¡®But ultimately thinks the Us knows what they¡¯re doing?¡¯ ¡®Uhh¡­ I didn¡¯t do that.¡¯ I felt the both of us look at each other in our digital forms, a moment of ¡®Oh shit¡¯ crossing our minds. We spent the next minute in reality diving through our own being, checking and rechecking to make sure some rampant data corruption wasn¡¯t going on. That minute in reality was closer to an hour of digital work as our processing spiked. Finally we came back together. And both could only shrug ¡®I didn¡¯t see anything that seemed off, did you?¡¯ ¡®We think perhaps we jumped conclusions?¡¯ Wolvey turned its attention to the arms themselves, ¡®Perhaps the A.I.¡¯s thought they could do their jobs better here? We did tell them they existed for us, to be whatever we needed them to be?¡¯ ¡®Lovely.¡¯ I dryly commented, ¡®Well, what¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡¯ I reconnected to the drones, pulsing once more to bring them online the last bit. 36 voices joined as one, ¡°We are Legion! For we are many!¡± ¡°Well shit.¡± Daniel commented, ¡°That just gave me chills.¡± ¡®Well shit, indeed.¡¯ I sighed, wondering what possible repercussions this would have in the future. Chapter 65 Damond ¡°They¡¯re very good,¡± Cassandra spoke, ¡°just a little unnerving.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re going to turn on you,¡± I sighed, sitting on top of the Ogre as I conversed over the comms. Another round of explosions went off, the Determinators informing me of another target that had been neutralized. They were machines, yes, but there was an undeniable flavor of exuberance in which they notified me of a task completed. Eagerly, they marched in three separate formations, each a phalanx, ready to combat any approach from any side. They were six feet tall each, but to say that they were the same size as a human would be somewhat inaccurate. Bulked up, each Determinator was four and a half feet across when they weren¡¯t in their storage modes. Digitigrade legs with broad three flanged platformed feet kept them stable as the assortment of weapons available to them flared to life. Each weapon was designed to be used in concert with an exo-suit at the minimum. Bolt rifles, grenade launchers, rocket launchers, and heavy pikes with assorted equipment pieces rounded out each of their kits. Their favorite was the bolt rifle, and I had to admit that the 1 caliber rounds they fired in controlled bursts were intimidating. ¡°That¡¯s fine by me, though,¡± I heard Patrick chuckle, ¡°the whole point of the things is to take care of and ground fighting that¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just going to put us out of the job?¡± Cassandra asked. Another man sarcastically replied, ¡°Oh, looks like that¡¯s it guys. Pack it in. Go back to town and get some lemonade.¡± Some amusement rolled around, ¡°But, seriously.¡± The same man continued, ¡°It¡¯s not likely that they¡¯ll be the end-all-be-all. The only reason why they¡¯re even working is because the Reaper¡¯s helping out. He¡¯s got some tech voodoo thing.¡± Daniel snorted, ¡°Tech voodoo thing, really?¡± ¡°You make it sound like he¡¯s doing magic,¡± Fran teased, ¡°he¡¯s just able to talk to machines.¡± ¡°Yeah, but, like, how is he doing it?¡± The man asked, ¡°Magic. Tech voodoo magic.¡± People laughed at that, and I cracked a smile. We were nervous during this stretch, and anything to take the edge off was appreciated. The morning had been quickly passing, hours melting away as we were operating at what could be called a fast jog, or slow run. The Determinators were doing good work, and thus far hadn¡¯t received any fatal damage. The A.I.¡¯s were able to respond faster than humans, but the bulk of that was due to the cloud processing that I was taking over for. Any robot that wasn¡¯t doing anything, or myself currently, helped process data for the rest. In essence, if only one group was in combat, the other two were helping with the backend information. Idly, I wondered if something similar could be done with the Legion, but I abandoned the idea quickly. It was easy for these A.I.¡¯s to do this, they trusted me and their companions implicitly and without barriers. Sharing mental space, knowing every thought that passed the confines of their minds, none of that was an issue for them. It was odd even between myself and Wolvy, knowing that I could never lie to it, nor it to me, the thoughts would simply come through. One the one hand, it was a boon for trust and accuracy of information. On the other hand, I could never see a group of humans do this. Not that it would work the same way, after all. Biological processing didn¡¯t happen the same way computers processed information. These Determinators were a step between, but I was willing to be there were more things different than they were the same. We called a brief stop again, swapping out scouts and point team again. I would remain on duty, working through the Determinators primarily. I watched as the volunteer teams took up the head of the formation. With the exception of Cassandra¡¯s team, the volunteer teams would be given the opportunity to demonstrate that they could work together with others and accomplish the task at hand. After seeing what the Determinators were capable of, I knew they wouldn¡¯t have too much to do. But, that was the same as with the last several rotations we¡¯d done. I¡¯d be lying if I said I hadn¡¯t let a few low-threat Spindlies remain inactive as we passed, though. Just enough to keep the Legion shift awake and alert, just in case. Ahead, I saw through the eyes of the Determinators as a small black mass with eye-stalks was detected a few meters off to the right flank, far enough that it wouldn¡¯t be too dangerous. There was an inherent danger to all of this, but it wasn¡¯t as though I wanted to put anyone in overt risk. A minute later the convoy line drew near, and to my surprise someone in one of the teams pointed it out well before it was particularly visible. Three snipers timed their shots with a countdown and dispatched it cleanly. I raised my estimation of that team a few marks, interested in the fact that they¡¯d clearly practiced with aiming and general tactics. ¡°Reaper, copy?¡± I heard a voice I didn¡¯t recognize over the comms. ¡°This is scout team 5.¡± ¡°I copy, find anything interesting?¡± I searched for the video feed for scout team 5, submitting authorization codes to access them. ¡°Yeah, might wanna stop the convoy for this. I estimate we¡¯re almost out of the mountains, but¡­ well this shit is sci-fi right here.¡± The woman made a weak chuckle, nervous of what she was seeing. As I looked through her camera, I had to agree, ¡°Convoy halt.¡± I ordered, sending the mental order to the drivers as well, ¡°We¡¯ve got an interesting roadblock ahead of us.¡± The Ogre¡¯s ground to a halt as the Determinators fanned out, clearing out nearby zones in case there was an ambush waiting. I heard bolt shots fired off, and received a damage report from one Determinator returning to dock for repairs. It seemed that a portion of its torso was damaged from a spike, a wound that might have been fatal for a person. ¡®Damn glad these guys are here,¡¯ I noted that many of the injuries that they¡¯d sustained would have had a high chance to completely debilitate a person. The area ahead of us, and for the foreseeable future, was entirely unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen on Earth. Anything above the waterline, anyways. ¡°Is that¡­ coral?¡± Terry asked over the comm¡¯s, ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡± ¡°Looks like it, though. I¡¯m going to take a closer look, watch my back.¡± The scout grew nearer, the other two with her attentive and ready to fire upon anything that appeared. She knelt down, the vibrant colors of a coral reef flaring to life in the sunlight. Bright orange, dark red, turquoise, there were so many variations that the reef itself looked like a kaleidoscope, there were some that were black, as well, and that immediately made me wary. This would be an ideal terrain for the Spindlies. ¡°This isn¡¯t gonna be good for us,¡± the woman agreed with my assessment, ¡°This is gonna be like walking into a building with tripwires.¡± ¡°Fall back for now.¡± I ordered after contemplating a course of action. The coral was manageably level this far out, but I highly doubted it would continue as such. ¡°Paint a path for us, we¡¯ll test the artillery for this.¡± ¡°We¡¯re shooting coral?¡± I could hear confusion in Patrick¡¯s voice.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Humor me.¡± I deadpanned, directing the Determinators further out with every passing seconds. ¡°Targets painted.¡± The area on my map where they were pointing flared up, feeding coordinates to our artillery team. ¡°Test firing,¡± came the response as one of the artillery mech¡¯s hammered out a shot. The shell exploded on the range, sending coral shrapnell everywhere, or disintegrating it outright. Another explosion resounded a heartbeat later, the form of a Spindlie splayed across the area. ¡°Wonderful.¡± I heard Richard and could feel sarcasm dripping from every word, ¡°This is going to be a lovely walk.¡± ¡°Yeah, no, we¡¯re not walking.¡± I shook my head, ¡°We have plenty of ammo. Artillery team, use the maps we have and hammer out path for us. Use an alternating airburst with high explosive ordnance.¡± Immediately I could hear the entire artillery company move, a respectable amount of which was from the Iron Chariot team. Sensing the information, I felt them plot out their firing plan, a detailed schematic that would, hopefully, clear out any waiting landmines for us. ¡°Everyone else cluster up, the Determinators are going to be on the line with you herein, we won¡¯t have the space to work with an outer ring.¡± I mentally ticked in frustration. This wasn¡¯t ideal, but at least this proved that there was something else other than the Spindlies. Otherwise, we would have had these formations further out. Unless they took considerable time to create. Which, if that was the case, then we were about to set them back on construction. ¡°Heh,¡± Patrick wound up for a joke, ¡°wait for it.¡± The entire mech legion fired at once, high arcing shots. ¡°Stop. Hammer time.¡± All at once the shells hit the ground or exploded in mid-air. The ground shook, and even from as far away as we were the sound still roared. A second volley sounded, repeating the firing maneuver, just slightly to the side, and repeated again and again going forward. Smoke plumed into the air ahead, the mountain curvature not letting me get a good look at it from here. ¡°Alright, let''s start moving.¡± The convoy rolled forward, the artillery still firing as we went. The scouts ahead gingerly probed the area, ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s flat, but it¡¯ll be a helluva lot easier to move across now. Damn glad I don¡¯t have regular boots now, though. This shit is sharp.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be coming up soon, hold position and check things out, but don¡¯t range too far, the terrain is too treacherous now.¡± I spoke, ¡°We¡¯ll keep painting for artillery.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± She responded. ¡°Whoa¡­ that¡¯s a helluva view.¡± I looked, and blinked with surprise. A minute later, I was seeing it with my own eyes. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Fran¡¯s voice was full of wonder, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. The sunlight played across a resplendent field of vibrant corals, stretching onwards as far as the eye could see. It hugged the ground, and whereas on the outskirts it was only the hard, sharp material we saw, the environment radically changed further in. Plants rose from the calcified terrain, a significant amount of them resembling sea weed and bearing thick, ballooned parts. Thick was some kind of gas, the trailing tendrils of the greenery wafted lazily in the air. They weren¡¯t the only plants, either. There were fronds, emitting pulsing patterns of light from bioluminescent bands. A plant that looked like an elongated rose with the largest petals I¡¯d ever seen did the same, only with trailing, elegantly swirling lines that cascaded bright pink color. Floating bubbles, the source of which were the densely packed surfaces where some kind of moss lay transpired in the air, filling bubbles. It was gorgeous, and the sight only became that much more ethereal as I took in the city of Damond in the distance. There were no man-made structures that remained unburied, covered in sometimes transparent coral. It looked like formations of glass, streaked with veins of color, had encased the taller buildings, immortalizing their crumbling, devastated forms for all time. The meteor had certainly brought destruction, and I could feel a deep, yawning anguish as I looked upon the sight. ¡°We¡¯re home,¡± I felt the words come from deep within my chest. Daniel¡¯s voice was loaded with emotion, ¡°Yeah, Matt. We did it.¡± He let out a shuddering breath, ¡°It¡¯s funny. I expected to see it¡­ gone. A smoking crater.¡± ¡°But not this,¡± I nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel right now.¡± He grunted, ¡°Me neither.¡± ¡°I remember having my first date right here,¡± someone said over the comms, ¡°It was right here, at the top of the mountain pass. Best damn view of the city. Used to be heavily forested here, too, but¡­ not anymore.¡± There were plenty, I¡¯d realized, who might have had people in Damond, who might have once lived here. Almost two years ago now, the apocalypse had begun for humankind. It was easy to put it in the back of my mind these days, how many people we¡¯d lost, how shattered everything had become. Half, if not more, of the population was gone from initial impact and the following weeks. Who knew how many of us were left now? ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the one to interrupt a moment,¡± the scout reported again, ¡°But I¡¯m seeing a biotic I¡¯ve never seen before. At least, I think it¡¯s a biotic? That or a really big damn crab.¡± ¡°I was getting hungry.¡± Patrick laughed. ¡°That¡¯s a big crab.¡± I blinked, seeing the thing that was on the video feed, several dozens of meters away. It was far from the only one, too, dozens of them all across the field, scattered for miles. They were a pale white color, like bleached coral, and seemed to be interested only in punching parts of the coral into small pieces. It¡¯s claws were more like clubs, fulfilling the role of a grinding pestle as it turned the colorful types of coral into dust. Where it then ate it. There were plenty of them all around, and some of the larger ones had much more colorful, rainbow shells. ¡°Right, well, guess that¡¯s my cue.¡± She said, stretching out and then running towards it. She bounced across the tops of built up ridges of coral, touching a location only for a few seconds. Several chute-like formations of spiraling coral stuck out of the ground like towers, and she made use of them, jumping to them, scrambling up them with a speed that matched her when she ran. She stopped nearby to the crab, two large, compound eyes on stalks swiveling in her direction. It waved his club fists with all the menace of a toddler with a toy. And, just as minimally threateningly, attempted to scrabble up the side of the coral sideways. ¡°This is embarrassing.¡± She commented, ¡°This isn¡¯t a Gen 2, right?¡± ¡°I certainly hope it is,¡± Terry laughed hysterically, ¡°Oh, man, I guess biotics suck at stuff, too!¡± She watched as it steadied itself, almost falling backwards as it rose up a particularly sharp angle. The lady snorted, and the crab seemed to almost be aware of the gestures meaning. In impotent frustration, it punched its claws into the coral, whether for obtaining purchase or otherwise lost on me. ¡°Crap.¡± She uttered, falling flat a moment later, both of us seeing the revealed undulated black ball that the crab had freed on accident. It let out a loud, shrill sound and then¡­ ...attacked the crab. ¡°Backing to safe distance!¡± The woman took the opportunity to put some distance between them. The Spindlie feebly tried to stab it with its limbs, and the crab engaged in a somewhat more damage attempt to punch through its body. Broken spikes littered the ground as they moved rapidly against one another. ¡°I guess they don¡¯t blow up if you don¡¯t deal damage?¡± Someone muttered, ¡°Not that I¡¯m gonna test that myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a Determinator test it,¡± I responded casually, watching the scene with abject confusion. Distantly, I felt a Determinator volunteer before any of its kin could, and shook my head helplessly. They were quite enthusiastic, if nothing else. ¡°They¡¯re not good bedfellows, I guess,¡± the woman nonchalantly brought her rifle to bear, sighting it but holding fire at the moment. ¡®Who is this anyways?¡¯ I glanced through the files, noting that she wasn¡¯t someone in the Legion. I frowned at that, I thought for certain she would be. I dug into my thoughts and, unexpectedly found a match with Cassandra¡¯s group. ¡®Huh, okay, not bad.¡¯ I appreciated that their group was better than I¡¯d expected. Finally, the crab did enough damage that the Spindlie inflated, its spikes facing towards the crab, half of them destroyed. It exploded, and the crab was punctured straight through with a ridiculous amount of spikes. They didn¡¯t proceed all the way through, though, instead only protruding out of the other side of the truck-sized crab. Silvery gore splattered the coral around as the crab twitched a few times and expired. The scout shook her head, ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t get this shit. Can someone point out what and the actual fuck I¡¯m missing here? Why is that happening?¡± ¡°Nothing concrete,¡± I mulled the thought over, ¡°I¡¯ll send the recording back to HQ. See what RR&D says about it. My guess, though, is that they¡¯re using each other to get better at their respective fields?¡± ¡°Evolving?¡± Jeremy Strauss spoke up, sour expression on his face as he stood next to the Ogre I was on, ¡°I don¡¯t like that at all.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do an artillery sweep, now we know for sure that they¡¯re hiding in the coral. I don¡¯t wanna be the guy who sets one off because their Ogre crushes one.¡± I said aloud, letting the artillery continue their work. With luck, maybe we could keep this strange environment intact, I¡¯m sure Yaga would love to take a look. Still, I was becoming more and more nervous about this whole situation. We hadn¡¯t even found the Gen 2 biotics yet, but we¡¯d already found a lot more than we¡¯d expected. In only a few hours, the light would be gone, and I wanted to have a forward camp set up long before then. Chapter 66 Forward Operations The clatter of heavy metal rang through the air, explosions rocked the surrounding terrain. Mercilessly, artillery reduced the coral formations around us to their basic parts, dust and calcium. Only a four meter thick wall of it was allowed to stand around our base, and only for the time being. Of course, we¡¯d had the Determinators do a sweep with sonar equipment to be sure there weren¡¯t any surprises hidden within the layer, but to all accounts it appeared safe. Which only meant that we still started with fabricating an assortment of experimental plas-steel walls behind them. No reason to take chances. I was eager to see how well our new pre-fab walls would perform, but not so much so to be willing to have Spindlies throw themselves against it. They were short segments, three meters tall and two meters wide, but only a half meter thick. Surprisingly, they were very light for their mass, and if they worked well they would undoubtedly become our go-to construction material for any forward operating bases in the future. The other construction taking place was from the Emet¡¯s fabricator, which was eagerly consuming any and all materials we put into it to extrude construction material. It was a quantity over quality approach, and since we didn¡¯t need any repairs performed, the small manufacturing yard was taking shape rapidly. We fed it scrap metal as we found it, something that was plentiful underneath the layers of coral. Our encampment was resting atop what was once a car factory on the edge of town. By now, most of the structure had been crushed underneath layers upon layers of heavy calcium, but that didn¡¯t mean the components weren¡¯t useful. ¡°Alright, I want all of the steel in this structure turned up and fed into the Emet¡¯s bottomless stomach by morning,¡± I heard one of the team leaders coordinating with our more construction savvy teams. They were Legion, however I was surprised to learn that we¡¯d had a construction specialist at all. I¡¯d have figured that Bulwark would have been far too appetizing an offer for them to pass up. Turns out, though, that Doug pouched them early. That, and they are more at home with our approach to construction than the more permit and straight-rail protocols that Bulwark used. The group operated a larger version of exo-suits, rather than full mechs. It allowed them greater range of mobility, and the multiple limbs operated at stunning efficiency. The lower halves connected at the feet, an attached tri-tread base that gave them ease of mobility in any direction. Crane arms extended from over their backs, aiding in the heavier workloads they were needing. It was impressive watching the twenty people cutting cubes out of concrete, pulling rebar and steel beams from the rubble and hacking them into bite-sized bits for Emet¡¯s fabrication yard. Very quickly, the command structure was proving an invaluable addition. There were two Ogre¡¯s with much less advanced fab-units that were now slaved to the main base. Together, they churned out more basic pieces required of the base. Bricks, panels, less delicate parts of more complicated machines. Amusingly, the basic fabricators were building more complex fabricators that would then compose a much more complex assembly line, capable of dismantling and rebuilding based off of the raw materials being fed in. The brain of all of that was still Emet, and the first buildings were beginning to spring up. Six towers ringed the base, our hexagonal layout affording us easy expandability while also granting us security. Two were finished, one east, the other west, and also bore an auto-turret on top of either one, and a bunker-style room just beneath that where our more vulnerable lookouts could take a look at the surroundings. Thus far, things were looking eerily clear. There were very few Spindlies out and about, though they were far denser more towards the north east, the coast itself. Which, as the sun drifted over the horizon, was painted in a bath of color. Flaring lights pulsed across the alien landscape around us, ethereal bursts of steam gleamed in fluorescent lights cast by living coral and plants. The ocean itself, at least in so far as the beach, was likewise alive with shimmering lights. It was beautiful, and I realized then that the night would not be a dark one here, not in Damond. It was possible that whatever was out there was more active in this bioluminescent shadow of the day. Wolves had been less active at night, perhaps the opposite was true here, then. Or, perhaps, we hadn¡¯t been noticed ye- ¡°Oh fuc-¡± I heard someone begin to shout, only for a massive explosion and a plume of fire to erupt a two hundred meters to our west. Pitch black flame erupted into the air, and a wave of heat washed over my armor, the senses of which prickled against my skin. It turned the fading light into a bright day, a storm of light. ¡°Holy shit, what was that?¡± Daniel asked, startled as his mechs guns came to bear. Patrick took a breath, ¡°Yikes. Uh, somehow there was still a gas-station that hadn¡¯t exploded, I guess? I¡¯d have thought the meteor would have cracked it at the least.¡± Exasperatedly, I said, ¡°Well, I doubt we¡¯ll run into another one at least. If you can, bring up a map of the area, test any spots that supposedly had a gas-station and hit them early. I don¡¯t want a team sitting near one when they ask for artillery support.¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± Patrick punched in new coordinates, the mechs in the center of the base, swiveling their varying tools for long-range destruction, ¡°Well, brace, just in case.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have a second to just relax after-¡± Fran started, then the artillery fired and I could see a stance of rigid annoyance on her mesh and exo-suit body. ¡°Nevermind.¡± She shook her head, making an aggrevied sigh. There were plenty of us who were getting sick of the constant barrage and explosions. ¡°Sorry, Ma¡¯am,¡± Patrick said, no particularly sky-filling explosions replying back to his love letters, ¡°We¡¯ll be able to stop for a bit in another fifteen minutes or so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Fran said helplessly, ¡°I know it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Some peace and quiet would be nice, though,¡± Terry added, ¡°Well, we¡¯ve almost got a fifty meter area around us cleared out. Our ¡®Raijin Field¡¯ should be ready to set up after that. That should give us some room to work with.¡± ¡°Wait, what did you call it?¡± I heard someone else ask with a chuckle, ¡°Did you seriously just call your own invention Lightning God Field?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Thunder God Field, actually,¡± corrected Terry, ¡°But yes, yes I did.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a high bar,¡± Richard chuckled, ¡°We¡¯ll see what it does.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be good.¡± Terry promised, and I got the feeling he was rubbing his hands together maniacally. I shook my head, smiling at their antics. Thus far, things were doing better than we¡¯d expected. There were a few fatalities, but far fewer than I¡¯d feared we¡¯d have sustained. And, everything was shaping up quite nicely. The next two hours had passed fairly uneventfully, the fabricators having finished building bunkers and varying barracks in the large forward operations area we¡¯d set up. The bulk of all residential buildings were built near the center of the formation. The first of such structures was a single floor, just meant to give people a place to rest in the meantime. The second received a much more deft touch, digging down two basement floors and reinforced by plas-steel on the walls and what would be the base floor. It would serve to be the primary home of the Legion and the volunteers while we were here. The first building was then converted to a general armory, partitioned into four sections to make access from any direction fast and easy. The Ogre¡¯s unpacked ammo bunks, the power supplies on them linked to a generator that Terry had set up. Now that they weren¡¯t running wholly on batteries, it was a non-issue for people to get into them and withdraw or replace magazines at will. It took a certain amount of power to keep the storage space in tact, and none of them were especially inexpensive. But the trade off in being able to house a massive quantity of shells made up for the extra layer in logistics. They weren¡¯t, however, very good for anything more complex than a bullet. The matter was stored like a blueprint, and while I wasn¡¯t sure how all of the mass and weight of the items placed into them was resolved, it seemed that the more complex a device or object placed in it, the more energy it took to maintain the object, or withdraw it. If you didn¡¯t have the energy to maintain it anymore, the system would fail, often explosively. Hence, there were safeguards built in to expel anything if the storage unit hit a certain level of power. Which, the more you added, the higher that certain level of power became. We were still experimenting with the technology to find the limits, and so we decided to keep it to a very safe threshold. Regardless, not having to cart around an additional fifty Ogre¡¯s, minimum, filled with potentially volatile ammunition was an incredible relief on our resources. Of the spent shells from the artillery team, many were simply fed straight into the fabrication yard when we¡¯d gotten them active. By now, we had a few Ogre¡¯s that had been tasked with ferrying those resources. Now freed up, we would be able to use them in any operations in the area if we needed to range farther afield. All-in-all, we were trying to reuse and recycle all of our gear out here. We didn¡¯t know how long this would take, but we did know that we¡¯d be better off not having to rely on rearming from home. ¡°And we¡¯re live! Everyone, make sure you log into the ¡®Friendlies¡¯ system or when you walk out there you¡¯ll be getting the jolt of a lifetime.¡± Terry spoke, a series of disks resting atop the cracked and powderized ground around us. Several of the disks floated over the ground, moving otwards and away from others just like it. They were assorted in larger hexagonal patterns, all the way out to the less carefully cleared fields of coral fifty meters away. I wasn¡¯t the only one interested in the system, and after having logged myself as a friendly I watched the Raijin Field set itself up. ¡®God damn I love technology.¡¯ I smiled, seeing laser sights appear on the edges of the small objects, spinning around rapidly for a few seconds before all at once the disks stopped. Their lasers pointed to their neighbors as a long, straight arm emerged from the same side. They had one side of the arm cut out, revealing a sinous wire beneath. Each arm pushed a connector out to their neighbor, spinning as they made contact to affix the wires together, then they would simply disconnect and drop the wire through the gap that ran the length of the arm. They¡¯d repeat the process six times, one for each direction of the hexagonal shape. ¡°That¡¯s kinda cute,¡± Alice commented, ¡°It almost looks like they¡¯re dancing.¡± ¡°It does, like ballroom stuff though, not square dancing,¡± Jeremy stroked his bristly beard, ¡°So, what¡¯s it actually do, though?¡± Terry answered by throwing a chunk of coral out to the field. As it landed, I felt the air charge with static, the metal objects tagging it with laser sights first. Curious, I tapped into their network, wondering what the process was. At least two of the mines had to agree that something wasn¡¯t on the friendly list. Five decided that whatever this was didn¡¯t belong. There was a loud crack as the nearest mines pulsed, a vibrant bolt of blue flaring into existence for a milisecond. The coral exploaded into fragments. ¡°Holy shit.¡± The thunderous quality of the noise rumbled through the air, ¡°Did you just make lightning?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s still crazy high power,¡± Terry waved it off, ¡°We¡¯re closer than humanity has ever gotten, though. Admittedly I¡¯m using some pretty sketc-experimental generators, but these will help for the hopefully short bursts when something slips past the turrets.¡± ¡°Terry, you¡¯re not using untested equipment on our first expedition, are you?¡± Fran asked, her voice all cheer, but the sense of warning clear with it. ¡°O-of course not. I tested this before we left.¡± He chuckled nervously. ¡°How many times?¡± Alice dryly asked. ¡°Well, would you look at the time, gotta get back to work now!¡± Terry laughed, evading the conversation. I looked out to the field, and nodded appreciatively. This would work nicely, I think. Now we would just have to find out where the cores in the area were and what else lived in the area. Gunfire went off on the other side of the base, a turret coming alive rapidly, spitting a stream of bullets without warning. I turned my gaze in that direction, frowning as I saw a singular Spindlie moving towards us. It virtually exploded under the shower of the three spinning barrels, modified since we¡¯d gotten here to add extra oomph to guarantee a rapid kill. ¡°False alarm,¡± I said, ¡°Just a single biotic wandering in.¡± From on top of the next on the Emet, I could see a fair distance all around, and most of the base. And yet, even after all of the noise we¡¯d been making, I couldn¡¯t see a single sign of any kind of resistance. Our antics, all of our focus and amusements, I knew it was to distract us from the very uncomfortable truth. We couldn¡¯t have been undetected. That either meant that the Gen 2 biotics weren¡¯t here, or¡­ we were being ignored. It was dark out, now, though the world was bathed in the shimmering biolumensence around us. Further afield, we still had artillery launching test shots, but no other gas station seemed to have managed to survive. In another hour or so I¡¯d have them stand down and get some food and sleep, but for now, it was just as well that we were testing the area. It was during such a sweep when a shell hit the beach area, a standard one that we¡¯d grown used too now. This time, something was different. We could all feel something shift in the air, and the artillery ceased fire at once. A low rolling groan resounded from the direction of the beach. A deep bass tremor rolled through the ground, and through the building. Even from this far away, I felt like it must have been a fairly large creature. ¡°Safe to say we found something new,¡± Richard clicked his tongue. ¡°By hitting it in the face with an artillery shell, probably,¡± Daniel chuckled, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what it is, though. Finally get to do something.¡± As he spoke, though, we felt something more. The vibrations grew stronger, deepening. ¡®No, not deeper,¡¯ I thought, parsing the noises apart, ¡®There are more of them.¡¯ ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to be getting some visitors.¡± I turned my attention to the teams, ¡°Alright, now everyone¡¯s on active duty. We¡¯ll see what¡¯s in store first and then move from there.¡± After affirmations to my first order, I turned my attention to Strauss, ¡°Pick a few teams to head that wall with you. We still have no idea what we¡¯re dealing with, so take people who are quick on their feet.¡± ¡°Heard,¡± The man set off, immediately collecting three teams as he went. By the time he¡¯d hit the wall, he had six altogether. The rest of the groups began to assort themselves on other stations, the plas-steel walls giving ample space for cat-walks. Mechs stood on larger platforms at the center of each wall; these ones had no dedicated artillery pieces, and would be better suited to direct conflict. ¡°Let''s see what you look like this time.¡± I glared in the direction of the beach, six Determinators each on the various sections of the walls. If we were very lucky, we¡¯d be able to deal with them and push for the hives. After all, this was a far more hardened position than what the salt beetles had dealt with in Gilramore. Now, we¡¯d see how different the biotics could be at Gen 2. Chapter 67 Carrier Distantly, I could make out the forms of the Gen 2 biotics. It would be hard to miss them, each one the size of a school bus and as wide as two of them set next to each other. Their heads were broad, like someone had mixed a hammerhead shark with a lobster. Spiked protrusions felt the way for them as they moved across the terrain, thundering steps from eight bulky legs clacked against coral. Two trailing arms, as thick as an oil drum even near the tips, flicked behind them irritably as an explosion erupted across the thick, chitinous exterior of the head. It took the artillery shot, the fifth of such, dead-on and kept moving forward. There was minimal damage, primarily cosmetic, but it did look like it was uncomfortable, and more than once did I see it stagger and move in the wrong direction. But that was all. It was durable, beyond anything I¡¯d seen thus far. More durable than I thought was actually physically possible. ¡°Alright, fuck it.¡± I heard the incredulous voice that belonged to Patrick say over the comms, ¡°All artillery, fire on target.¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad idea at all, and I watched with interest, and not the smallest amount of perplexion, as the mechanized artillery all rattled off rounds. An instant later, the biotic erupted in a mass of fire and explosions. A deep rolling bass, much like the first call we¡¯d heard, vibrated through my suit. ¡®Surely, that was at least some damage.¡¯ I thought, having a hard time imagining much of anything getting up and walking away from that. As the smoke cleared, though, the grim fact that the biotic was still alive greeted us. More than that, the creature sported far less damage than I¡¯d hoped. There were a few marks, some flaking armor, but that was all, the creature had angled it¡¯s head to take the brunt of the blows, protecting its segmented body from further impact. It was still very far away, and from this range I could see it only through magnification. Even so, I could also see seven more of them, though much further away and less rapid in their approach. They were slow, excruciatingly so, but I doubted the trailing arms were just for show. It would take them a long time to get here, perhaps an hour or two. ¡°What¡­¡± Patrick was rendered speechless upon seeing the thing still alive, let alone barely damaged. ¡°This is gonna be a big fuckin¡¯ problem.¡± Jeremy hissed, ¡°Reaper, permission to bypass the biotics and go after the Hives.¡± ¡®That¡¯s looking like our only option. I sighed morosely, all of the defenses we¡¯d built, and we couldn¡¯t crack these things? ¡°Granted. Alpha, form up on me, we¡¯re going too-¡± I paused, seeing something falling off of the biotic in the distance. ¡°Hold order, I¡¯m seeing something¡­¡± I augment my vision, zooming in as much as I could. I felt a dull throbbing ache as I pushed my eyes to the limit, detailing what I was seeing as much as possible and sharing it with the rest of the group. ¡°You have got to be kidding me¡­¡± I heard Fran utter with revulsion, seeing the black balls falling from undulating organs on the underside of the biotics. ¡°They¡¯re Carriers,¡± I muttered, ¡°I guess that¡¯s why Spindlies are so suicidal, they¡¯re basically just drones.¡± ¡°Or polyps, we are talking about something that seems like it¡¯s from the sea.¡± Terry chipped in, ¡°This is looking bad, though.¡± Another deep rolling noise vibrated my body, and this time a shrieking sound responded. Around us, turrets came alive as Spindlies moved towards us. ¡°Great,¡± I shook my head, ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to have to deal with the Spindlies first, Strauss.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± frustration was clear in his voice as he and his team took up their positions on the wall once more. In the moments that I had before the situation worsened, I reached to connect to the long-distance communication hub built off of the Emet. Urgently, I composed and sent a packet of order to Legion HQ. With luck, we¡¯d be getting support before the situation became too dire. This was, however, worse than we¡¯d expected to deal with. Black, urchin masses appeared in a trickle, and then increased in number. Soon, the turrets weren¡¯t enough, the lurching, undulating waves coming on heavier. The Determinators, Legion, and volunteer teams opened fire, unleashing overlapping fields of death and destruction on everything that surged forth. The numbers didn¡¯t slow, though, and a surge of them pushed forward with fury. ¡°Artillery changing targets!¡± Patrick grit his teeth, annoyed at not being able to punish such juicy targets. After we took care of at the bulk numbers of these, at least, we could focus on the larger ones. Airburst rounds shredded through clusters of them, but, the trade off being many of them were able to survive. I watched with trepidation as two dozen of them jumped into the air, pointing only a few spikes towards us and the rest away, shaping the blast to propel the spikes towards us faster, farther. They were still far away, but alarmingly spikes punched into the coral that sat in front of the walls. ¡°Cover!¡± Strauss called, his group hitting the deck fast enough, but one of the Determinators flew backwards, off the wall as a spike punched through its torso. He wasn¡¯t the only one, someone else hadn¡¯t recognized the threat on another wall, and blood sprayed backwards as it punched through mesh and exo-suit like a hot knife through butter. The man was dead before he ever hit the ground, one of my Legion gone in the blink of an eye. ¡°Fuck! James!¡± I heard the man who¡¯d been next to him shout. He looked back and forth, and I felt an ache in my chest as he cycled through emotions. Shock, then grief as he realized the man was already gone, and then fury as he stood over the barricade, unleashing a stream of fire. His targets were on point, but there were many of them. I controlled the Determinators as best as I could, and fired from my position, sniping targets whenever possible. The mechs on the walls gave support, and the artillery continued to fire. Invariably, though, there were casualties. The artillery teams changed ammo types, firing our experimental gas out and into the field. It was more effective as they closed, the cleared areas able to maintain a more even layer of the explosive retardant, at least per the method the Spindlies used. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The problem was that there were some that were still finding high ground, much like the first round, these ones displayed their lethality in full force. Whenever one of the lances hit the plas-steel wall, it would fracture and dig a gouge through its surface, but it would hold. Repeat shots, however, would get through. A gassed Spindlie, though, could carve away only a small amount, effectively nulling their damage. They weren¡¯t the problem, though, the full force lances were. I looked around, trying to sort through the chaos. At this point, there was little more we could do than to weather the waves. Ten minutes later, some semblance of balance returned. The Spindlies had gotten very close, and flares had taken the place of the bioluminescent lighting. The dark spots in the coral told enough of a story about the quality of the destruction that had been wrought, emphasized by the groaning, wailing of injured in the base. ¡°The turrets can take care of the stragglers,¡± I grit my teeth, seeing the numbers vastly decreased. It looked like the Carriers were making their way forwards still, but if anything, they¡¯d slowed down. ¡°I want a damage report from every team as soon as possible, wounded taken care of, and our fallen accounted for.¡± It was then that Fran landed next to me, ¡°Matt, Daniel got hit.¡± Her jaw was set, tears rimming her eyes. My heart dropped into my gut, ¡°What?¡± ¡°He got hit. Stomach wound, near the beginning. They¡¯re just prying him out of the mech.¡± She said, voice wavering, ¡°They said that he should pull through, but he¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± I growled, ¡°Let¡¯s go see. I¡¯ll catch up in just a second.¡± She nodded as I switched my attention to Jeremy, ¡°Strauss, keep me updated on the situation. Artillery, pound the shit out of those Carriers out there, keep them from building up another fuckin¡¯ wave like that. I¡¯m going to check the wounded and see what we¡¯re working with.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± Jeremy clipped, quickly attending to the wall, and issuing orders to those nearby. Patrick growled, ¡°With pleasure,¡± and promptly began shelling again as though he had a personal vendetta against saving ammunition. Not that I minded, if we took too many waves like that we might very well collapse. The gas had saved our asses, had every one of the Spindlies that detonated did so at full strength, we¡¯d have fully lost half our number, easily. I walked to the building that had been set up as the medical tent. It was three fourths of the way full, medical gear constantly streaming out of the backs of six Ogre¡¯s that had parked right up against a loading bay for the structure. We hadn¡¯t actually expected to need to use so much, but it was better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it, as the saying went. And damned if we didn¡¯t end up needing it. Automated systems, mobile and escorted by a medic or doctor, worked quickly on individuals. There were two groups in the tent, clearly separated. The first had the bulk of the med-bots working through them - they contained all manner of surgical equipment within what was usually just a leaning arm joint with an oval compartment where other limbs could emerge. Without that casing, the med-bot would suddenly look a lot more like a torture-bot. And, given how it was completely unpacked right now, it looked very much like a torture bot. I saw Fran standing next to Daneil, his body strapped to a cot, cold sweat and pale as he looked up to her with a grin. I grimaced at the sight, part of the lance was still in his gut. A medical bot was currently latched onto his other arm, numbing agents and bags of blood pumping into him. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± I heard him say as I approached. I stood next to Fran, his eyes unfocused. I felt my breath hitch, and the words I spoke came out as a hiss instead of any kind of confident, ¡°You¡¯d better not be, you bastard.¡± He blinked and forced his eyes to stay open, ¡°I fucked up, I should have rolled, I ducked instead. Would have just taken the spike to the mechs leg if I didn¡¯t duck.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to run you through the simulator later,¡± Fran threatened, halfway between a chuckle and tears, ¡°Now, rest you big oaf. We¡¯ll take care of things from here.¡± ¡°Right¡­ right. Imma take five.¡± He started drifting off, the drugs taking effect, ¡°Man, I want a cheeseburger.¡± ¡°When you wake up.¡± I promised with my tear-ducts puffing up, but nothing able to come out. ¡°Just make sure you do.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He uttered, closing his eyes as the machine fully got to work, hooking up to his body, cutting through clothing fluidly to gain access to the injury. It then unfolded to wing-like arms, a drape of sorts giving some privacy to the patient as it worked on them. It cut into Daniel, grabbing the spike with forceps. Perhaps if it was anyone else, I would have been able to stay and watch this. But, I couldn¡¯t, not with Daniel. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Fran touched my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know how it¡¯s looking.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I should be the one giving you assurances.¡± I took off my helmet, breathing a deep, heavy breath, sharing in the moment of pain. ¡°I¡¯ll be here for him.¡± She nodded to me, smiling in spite of it all. ¡°And I¡¯ll do what I do best.¡± I answered, anger boiling in my gut, static against the backdrop of my mind. I left the location, moving to the center aisle where the divide was. On the left were all those with mortal injuries, things that needed to be treated immediately. There weren¡¯t a huge amount of them, luckily, but the other side of the room was cluttered. Even weakened, the lances did damage. Anyone in anything less than power armor would definitely receive an injury from them. And, right at the edge were two familiar faces. ¡°Alice.¡± I started seeing her with red rags around her stomach and her right leg. Richard was next to her, helping to keep her calm. His eyes shot up to mine, a gentleness to them that stunned me again. They hardened, ¡°She¡¯ll be alright, they¡¯ve given her a sedative. Strauss has two in here, also.¡± ¡°Fucking hell.¡± I squeezed my fists closed hard enough that I heard metal creak. ¡°I hate these fucking things.¡± Richard stood up, gently setting Alice¡¯s hand down across her stomach. ¡°We heading out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± My flinty gaze met his, ¡°Lets kill these fucking things.¡± ¡°Good, we¡¯ll probably be better off with a small group.¡± He commented, ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll go with Strauss.¡± I shook my head, ¡°He¡¯ll be going on his own, we¡¯ll have our own backup.¡± Richard frowned, and as we walked out of the tent, he started, seeing ten Determinators waiting for us in two columns. ¡°I¡¯ll task half of them to Last Call. Alpha will go in on the other side. It¡¯s safe to assume that the hives will be on the beach, or near it.¡± The comms came alive again, ¡°Reaper, did we have anything planned to be coming from Gilramore through the air?¡± I smiled, moving towards the wall where Strauss was, ¡°Yes. Did it appear on radar already?¡± ¡°No, not yet, just got an¡­ odd message from RR&D is all.¡± He stated warily, ¡°Saying that they were going to field test some new model of ship.¡± ¡°So long as it works, I don¡¯t care.¡± I decided exasperatedly, ¡°Any new contacts?¡± ¡°Nothing close. The artillery is helping out a lot for now, but the Carriers are coming closer. Figure they might be going for an attack themselves?¡± He fed me the view that he was seeing, the eight massive creatures crawling over coral and tanking artillery fire with impunity. ¡°Maybe, or they¡¯re going to start spawning Spindlies in our faces.¡± I didn¡¯t look forward to the prospect at all. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find out soon. They should be here in less than ten minutes.¡± Jeremy estimated. ¡®That leaves us with¡­ what, 15 minutes minimum for air-support?¡¯ I frowned, unhappy with how this was matching up. ¡®Here¡¯s hoping they aren¡¯t literally going to walk into base and drop Spindlies off.¡¯ If it ended up looking like that, we¡¯d have to abandon the forward base, maybe even the entire expedition. ¡®Next time, rail guns.¡¯ I glared at the thick armor plating on the Carriers, frustrated in my lack of being able to kill them. ¡°I might have a plan,¡± Richard said carefully, ¡°But I don¡¯t think I can do it more than once.¡± I turned to him, eyebrow quirked, ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Chapter 68 Melt Eight behemoths stomped through the cluster fuck that was the terrain just past Raijin Field. To say it was pock-marked with craters would be a misnomer; it was scoured with more craters than a plague victim. Still, they were able to move across the terrain with minimal issue. Up closer, they were even more impressive, segmented and armored parts flexing against each other with a grinding noise just barely audible over the explosive shells that killed the Spindlies that were trying to move forward to attack us. It was amusing, somehow, to see what almost seemed like impatient frustration from them, unable to utilize their greatest weapons to get rid of the intruders. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping there are only eight of them,¡± I heard Terry over the comms, uncharacteristically tense, ¡°I have no idea how much of a charge these things are going to take of the Raijin Reactor.¡± I nodded to that, realizing he couldn¡¯t see me. Richard and myself - and ten Determinators with Strauss team - cast a brief glance back to the experimental generator that Terry had set up against the easern portion of the base, further from the residential and medical compounds. It wasn¡¯t the safest location, the possibility existing that it could get hit by stray fire. The fact of the matter was that we couldn¡¯t afford to care too much about it. If it exploded, nobody wanted it anywhere near the center of the base. It would, arguably, be such an explosion that if it was anywhere in the base we¡¯d be extinguishing fires in half of it. But, half was better than all. The lead Carrier stepped onto the field, artillery pausing on that target, wary of damaging the field. Lasers sprouted from four of the nearest mines, laser sights landing on the offending limb. A thunderclap and searing white light resounded, magnitudes louder and stronger than it had been earlier. I felt my helmet clamp down on the sounds being allowed to enter, and I wasn¡¯t the only one who flinched and grit their teeth in pain. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± I heard Strauss¡¯ scout shout, a normally very quiet and tame individual. ¡°Whoa, uh¡­ unforeseen benefit?¡± I heard Terry say, checking the system, ¡°Wow¡­ it¡¯s fine. Not a lick of damage. That was a helluva lot more like a natural lightning bolt.¡± I dearly wanted to tear into him for not knowing the actual power of the Raijin system, but there was something much more important happening. At the edge of the field, I watched the Carrier recoil, smoke pluming from its body as an incredibly pained groaned rattled through the base. The other Carriers immediately halted their advance, each seeming to point their hammer heads towards the field itself. One further down the line extended a feeler, testing the area there. Three lasers came active and sought the offending limb. ¡°Sh-Cover your ears!¡± I snarled shutting off sound to my helmet and noticed the way that Sammy Burbaker, the scout, slammed his hands down over his own helmet, manually shutting ports. The scene repeated itself, this particular Carrier backpedaling, a bolt of lightning coursing through its body. It toppled over the terrain, scrambling on its back. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do!¡± Patrick laughed, changing targets for his artillery, ¡°Try a solid slug, bud!¡± As advertised, a solid slug shell was a heavy, explosion-less shell. The shell on most of the Carrier was too hard to punch through with regular ordnance, but they¡¯d been seeing more damage, namely flaking of armor, with these shells. A gout of silver blood fountained in the air as the shot hit one of the less armored organs responsible for depositing the Spindlies, the electricity forcing its muscles to spasm and not allow it to conceal them beneath armored sheets. Six more shots hit the thing, blood pumping from destroyed organs. ¡°Fuck yeah, finally!¡± The Iron Chariots team leader howled triumphantly, drawing blood. The biotic managed then to finally flip itself onto its side, heaving a slopping mass of thick silver blood across the ground. It stood, shakily, and then sat itself back down with its more armored parts facing us. ¡°They¡¯re not indestructible, at least.¡± Strauss commented, ¡°Wonder if we can duplicate that.¡± ¡°Not without the field, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to come up on that one again anytime soon.¡± I tilted my head to the other seven, which now relegated themselves to pumping out Spindlies. The artillery team ceased firing, then. The biotics were too close to continue firing, and now that the Raijin Field had been proven as an effective barrier, we couldn¡¯t risk damaging it all the more. ¡°Terry, remind me to buy you a drink.¡± Patrick breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Will do,¡± the man replied with a chuckle. Those of us on the wall flinched as the first Spindlies moved onto the field, lasers pointing at them for a split second. Nonplussed, I waited for the booming clap of thunder, but this time there was just a loud ¡®pop¡¯ as the electricity coursed up, caused smoke to billow from the creature, and then simply fizzled. ¡°Ah, yeah, I fixed it now.¡± Terry announced, ¡°I¡¯ve set it to do a test shot and check how much is actually needed to kill something. It¡­ uh¡­ well it¡¯s not perfect. Anything that gets past the first ten meters is default getting some serious voltage.¡± ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Sammy uttered, setting his helmet to regular levels. ¡°Guess they don¡¯t explode if they instantly die by electricity either.¡± I sighed in relief, and at the same time felt bitter about that. Perhaps if we¡¯d just had them come to the field, I wouldn¡¯t have sixteen dead on my hands. But no, this was a stop-gap measure. These biotics would more than likely eventually figure out a way around it, if they were at all intelligent. I had reason to believe that they were, at least to some extent. It seemed unusual to me that there was a seemingly abnormally weak biotic in the area. The crabs, though somewhat large, were far less threatening than even wolves were. They were likely quite durable, and they could hit with a fair amount of force with their punching claws, but they were slow and clumsy. Any of my teams would be able to tear through one given enough time. I couldn¡¯t see any value in evolving to fill such a niche style. Unless they were somehow forced too by these more advanced biotics. I¡¯d heard that biotics would sometimes stratify themselves into hierarchies based upon the hives and Generations in the area. In this case, the Gen 2 Carriers might have forced a lesser Gen 1 to form, designed only for defense. And then, the Carriers tested and tested again the Spindlies until they were ridiculously good at penetrating armor. All they would need to do then would be to tweak the settings, push the defensive qualities of the crabs and the offensive abilities of their spawn to extremes. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Perhaps in the future this interaction would change, but for now it did a lot to explain how the Spindlies were capable of doing what they did. ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯ll ever be.¡± Richard said, two large mechanical arms attached to his exo suit, each one connecting into large, pressurized canister on his back. His equipment was much more suited to him now, a far cry from what I¡¯d seen in the Gauntlet. The three tails of the suit could balance him, were prehensile, and were also barbed. There were two arms that extended up over his shoulders, and launchers tipped both those, and the wrists of his arms. Claws extended from his hands, suitable as slashing weapons and capable of injecting poison. Grenades of several assortments hugged his body as well, and it didn¡¯t take more than a glance to know that he would be more than capable of moving quickly around the battlefield. ¡°Now¡¯s a good a time as any.¡± I nodded to him before turning to Strauss, ¡°We¡¯re going to see about dealing damage to a few of the Carriers. If you can, come in and see about taking one of them down afterwards. Don¡¯t overextend for it though, as soon as our air support comes in to give us room to breathe we¡¯re going for the hives.¡± ¡°Playin¡¯ my song.¡± Jeremy grinned, ¡°Team, form up.¡± His team, down two members at the moment, was joined with five Determinators that would help them during the mission. We had five ourselves, and hopefully they would be able to offset the loss of our teammates for the time being. We waited for the next wave of Spindlies to cook themselves on the Raijin field before we jumped down, running flat out across the open ground. The Carrier on the outside of the formation noticed us as we moved, shaking it''s hammer head and buffeting us with deep bass sounds like a war cry. The two tentacles that previously hung backward lifted up over its body, tipped with two morning-star like protrusions. It moved to bring them down, slapping them forward at us. Evading them was easy, though, they weren¡¯t very fast, and their movements were telegraphed. As we moved past them, I lashed out with one of my blades, superheated metal searing through the upper layers of the shell. It wasn¡¯t as durable as the rest of the body, that much I could tell, but I still was only able to cut four inches into it without a dedicated swing. Still, it twitched in response, drawing the tentacles back as is set out another vibrating moan. When we were only twenty meters away, Richard began to deploy his weapons. The arms mounted on his back and the launchers on his arms began to fire gel-wrapped packets of acid. An instant later, a pair of grenades exploded between the Carriers nearest to us, flooding the area with a faily transparent fog. It was an emergency measure in the event a Spindlie tried to explode. My task, then, was to clear the chaff. I brought up my rifle, every round swapped with explosive-tipped bolts. The Carrier¡¯s underbelly undulated, sheets of armor opening only directly beneath it as eight Spindlies began to mobilize. I fired, along with the five Determinators with me, tearing through them before they could even begin to move. I managed to get a few rounds on the inside of the Carrier as well, but regrettably there was no especially explosive response. I suppose it would have been too much to ask for if the Spindlies could explode while still in their mother-biotic. Richard was dumping massive quantities of acid on the thing, if nothing else. Noxious gas and hissing noise filled the air. ¡°Next one.¡± I nodded as we repeated what we had here, with the exception that this particular Carrier no longer even had tentacles, having been blown off by direct hits from artillery previously. This time, one of the Spindlies had managed to explode, but it devoted the bulk of its energy to firing away from the Carrier¡¯s, rather than into us. If we were able to get them to ignore the Carrier¡¯s presence, perhaps that would have been a way to do some damage. Whatever their spikes were made of, they were especially durable and sharp. Something for us to look into, now that we had more technological advancement available. RR&D was probably investigating it right now, after what we¡¯d run into already. ¡°Alright, this is gonna be the last one,¡± Richard shook his head, ¡°This is the last of the hardcore stuff I¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°As planned,¡± I nodded to him, the third Carrier that we could deliver anything too. Behind me, I heard the clank of steel as one of the Determinators caught a spiked blast to the chest, doing little more than scour lines in its armor. When the gas was given the right conditions, it was anathema to the Spindlies explosive force. Too bad we couldn¡¯t synthesize this stuff on the spot, but we brought enough for this at least. Two Determinators helped to pry the tank off of Richard, and then as one they heaved the tank high up in the air. It arced end over end, and I sighted my rifle upon it as it came over the top of the last Carrier on our list. He¡¯d be getting the biggest dose of it. I rattled off several shots, a burst of pressure and the explosion of the bullets enough for the canister to warp and shred open, dumping a huge amount of acid down upon the Carrier beneath it. We backed off quickly, wary of getting any of this stuff on us. He¡¯d specifically mixed several components under pressure to elicit the maximum reaction. It was something that he wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to do again anytime soon. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s done, we¡¯re coming back around for the first target to join up.¡± I called on the comms, noting already that Strauss and his team were engaged with the target. ¡°Got it, we¡¯re actually able to get through some of the armor now.¡± He said, and I had to admit that the acid had done wonders for us. They¡¯d managed to focus fire and cut through a pair of legs on the Carrier. We moved quickly over the uneven terrain, minding our footing even while the second Carrier we¡¯d hit attempted to threaten us, spawning another batch of Spindlies. As before, we tore through them without giving any chance for them to respond. This battle was all about tempo, now, and we were doing our best to maintain the upper hand. I did notice, though, that the other Carriers were not idle, the four of them were ambling around us, seeking to fence us in. It wouldn¡¯t be a concern if we only went after the last biotic in the line, but had we stuck around for the third, even the second in formation, they might actually end up being a considerable threat. In our sprint, though, I noticed something peculiar. One of the Determinators rounded one of the few standing formations of coral, and came face to face with an undamaged Spindlie. I grit my teeth, having it take aim and knowing that likely this particular Determinator was probably going to be destroyed. Contrary to what I expected of it, though, the Spindlie moved forward, trying to stab the machine with its arms. It scratched the armor in its efforts, but without the explosive force behind it the lances simply weren¡¯t capable of punching through. I had the Determinator push the Spindlie back with an armored backhand, unable to do so due to the spikes retracting as it tried. I frowned, having it continue to hold its position as we left the worst of the blast zone. ¡°Is it hugging it?¡± Richard commented dryly. ¡°Just about,¡± I shook my head, incredulous at the sight before the epiphany rang through me. I remembered the fight between the crab and one of the Spindlies that we¡¯d witnessed, how the crab had battered and broken it with its claws with no consequence until the spike ball sustained enough damage that it became aware that it would die. Then, and only then, did it decide to explode, even though it should have been clear in moments that there would be no way for it to kill the crab otherwise. ¡°They only explode if damaged,¡± the realization stirred in me. I¡¯m not sure if this would have been relevant information previously, but this would make this far more manageable. We could explore what this really meant later, in the meantime I had the Determinators all take aim at the Spindlie and fire at the same time. The concentrated burst gave it no opportunity to explode, easily allowing them to dispatch it. Frustration welled in me as I realized that this would have been very goddamned nice to know before now. All the targets that we¡¯d killed at range could have been handled in close range with overlapping firepower to guarantee kills. Given the keenly depressed air that Richard put off, I¡¯m sure that he felt the same thing right now. We had a lot of wounded for very little reason now. We continued to fall back, though, and I noted how Strauss team was managing through half of the legs now. If nothing else, we could keep it from moving easily. ¡°Reaper, we¡¯ve got new contacts,¡± I heard Jeremy say, ¡°Sammy says there¡¯s¡­ people, coming around on your side. I think they¡¯re going after one of the wounded Carriers.¡± ¡°What?¡± I nearly fell from stopping too fast, ¡°Who the hell is it? Everyone should be in base.¡± I glared through the night, the bioluminescence no longer here due to the fact that most of it had been devastated by artillery fire. Sure enough, though, I could see the body heat of almost thirty people making their way forward towards the third Carrier, acid still burning through the top of its body. They weren¡¯t people that were with us, and I hissed in annoyance as I realized who it was. ¡°Our tail seems to have finally decided to show up.¡± I glared at them, realizing that their leader matched someone that I¡¯d took note of earlier. The second-in-command of the Hunter¡¯s Order, now probably his own leader of a splinter faction, Alex Werrick. ¡°They¡¯re going to get themselves killed.¡± Richard turned fully towards them, a complicated look on his face. I shook my head, ¡°Let them. They¡¯re not our problem in the first place, and they¡¯re basically kill stealing right now.¡± Richard turned to look at me with steel in his gaze, ¡°We have to help them.¡± Perplexed, I couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why?¡± Chapter 69 The Cavalry I cast an unamused glance at Richard, ¡°The entire point of registering with us was to share in the burden. If they want to do something stupid, that¡¯s on them. Otherwise why did we bother?¡± His eyes fixed me in a glare, ¡°It¡¯s still not right to just leave them to die.¡± ¡°It¡¯s their choice,¡± I turned my attention to the team of people running head long into what would almost certainly be their own deaths. ¡°Alice wouldn¡¯t sit here and do nothing,¡± I heard his accusation, and felt a sting as he did so, ¡°We¡¯re all humans here, in the same boat. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve said in the past?¡± ¡®Oh, motherfucker, we¡¯re doing that, now?¡¯ A fury built in my chest, the rictus of rage passing unseen beneath the cover of my helmet. I opened my mouth to rebuke him, but found myself hesitating. What would be the point, afterall, of forming the Legion and then ignoring someone in front of us that clearly needed help? They weren¡¯t our responsibility in the slightest, that much I was quite comfortable with saying. But, it was true that simply ignoring the plight of someone in dire need, even if it was by their own devices. It rankled with me, though, because I doubted that they would do the same for me. Turning fully to Richard, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh. The man was resolute, and I doubted fully that it was something he would have come to on his own. From what I remembered, he was something of a schemer, more than capable of making the hard choices. ¡°Fine.¡± I spat, ¡°But you¡¯re not coming. Get with Strauss and pull them back, we¡¯re not launching the assault before we get this sorted.¡± He looked surprised for a second, ¡°Wait, I can help.¡± ¡°You can do what I just said,¡± I ground, ¡°I¡¯ve died once already, what¡¯s a second time?¡± A chagrined look appeared on his face, knowing that pulling them out would likely be very dangerous. I felt my ire loosen at that, ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at base.¡± ¡°Come back in one piece, this time.¡± He flashed a smirk that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. I turned and darted off, sending my Determinator contingent with Richard. ¡®Alright, let''s test some limits.¡¯ I hyped myself up, pushing my body forward faster, harder. As I ran, my power armor pulverized what coral wasn¡¯t dust beneath my feet, cracking through thick foundations. Each time I dug in deep with my feet, propelling myself forward. Ahead, I could see the noose closing on the wayward team, and many of them seemed to realize the mistake even before it fully happened. I watched as the man in the lead slowed for a moment before shouting out, ¡°Through the middle! Past the wounded one!¡± Some of the others, less aware than their companions, seemed to be confused at those words. One of them even seemed to argue that their quarry was right in front of them, the fool. My expression soured at that, noting that they were almost certainly there to try to steal an easy kill off of the acid drenched biotic. Regrettably, they¡¯d never get the chance to really try at this rate. With a surprising speed, one of the Carriers from further down the line lashed out with a tentacle. The mace-head like tip of the single tentacle - the other had been severed in the artillery fire - swung upwards in a high arcing strike. Unaware, the man near the back in power armor took the blow square on the head. The armor crumpled inwards from the fulcrum of the swing, the pulverizing force smashed through. It was gruesome to see, the blend between a wet smack of gore and the rending of steel reaching my ears. I pushed harder, closing the gap in less than a second as the tentacle began to rise. I drew a single blade, the edge flaring to life as I brought it down in a two-handed, hard swing. Pressing with all of my momentum and force, I carved into the limb. And felt satisfaction as it cut true, slowing only slightly as it severed clear through. I felt a mighty surge from my armor as adrenaline, or an analog of such, slammed through my veins like a dozen percussive drum beats. My awareness slowed as I pushed forward, faster be the second, as I darted around the group. The only remaining threat, should they not tarry, would be fifth Carrier in line. It was just beside the now tentacle-less Carrier, and unfortunately bore both of it¡¯s ranged attacks. There was, also, the currently melting Carrier that stood in the direct path of the group as they advanced. Past that, the Raijin Field. ¡®Ah, I guess I should register these guys before they hit the field,¡¯ I thought with some bemusement. That would have been humorous if it wouldn¡¯t have been so mortifying.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I could see the new Carrier moving into attack range, but it looked like we might just barely have enough time to get past without losing anyone else. ¡°It¡¯s spawning more of these things!¡± Someone half-yelled and half-screamed. The Carrier in front of us pulsed, organs that looked more like three-sided jaws opening and discarding Spindlies. Five were already deployed, and I could see the hesitation in the group as they slowed. That allowed me to overtake them as I dashed forward, pulling out my second sword. I¡¯d have to get through the spikes and kill them in one shot. A glancing blow, and I¡¯d be testing the durability of my body in ways that I¡¯d never intended to do again. ¡°Wai-¡± I heard Alex call out, a desperate call tinged with concern. ¡®At least he has the fucking decency to be worried,¡¯ I thought sourly. Wolvy responded, ¡®Is he an other?¡¯ Clearly confused at the connotations my thoughts carried with the man. ¡®Yes. No, wait, no. He¡¯s a human, but he¡¯s also¡­ not quite allied?¡¯ I responded, feeling the murky comprehension from Wolvy. ¡®Not? Then why save?¡¯ It asked, confusion rolling through my awareness of it. ¡®Why, indeed.¡¯ I shook my head, closing on the Spindlies. I didn¡¯t bother with any fancy maneuvers, my first slash a wide hook to divest my target of a layer of their lance-like spikes. I was fast, that much I fully realized then, as cutting through the black mass took only a moment. The blade barely hissed, only a fraction of silver blood resting upon its surface. The orb fell apart even as my blade tore through the center of another next to it. Three felled before the first fell away into halves. All five before the second, my tempo only increasing as my power armor kept apace with my every move. I felt my cybernetic brain connect fully, like a switch flipped to turn on the power armor fully. The bulk of synthetic musculature worked in perfect concert with my own bio-steel augmented tissue. It pressed, moving faster than would be strictly safe for human joints. I felt my bones tighten somehow, muscles latched onto tendons and forcing out every ounce of power. It was a heady bloodrush, too, as I found my logical mind working towards the best way to kill this thing. The organ above me opened again, and I found myself leaping up without consideration. My blade sang through the Spindlie on the way in, the lances retracted into the mass as it was birthed. I latched in with my blades, pulling myself up before I began to cycle with them, dragging hard back and forth as tissues were flayed. The protective seal closed, seeking to restrict my movements against the flesh. Kicking hard, I felt something on the inside of the seal snap, and one of the jaws were suddenly loose enough that I could move again. In that moment I was a human shaped blender, twisting and turning, churning meat out of the gap as I moved upwards. The biotic around me shuddered, and I could hear from the mechanical part of my mind that someone was speaking to me. ¡°Matthew! Can you hear me?¡± I heard Richard shout. Devoid of emotion, I answered, ¡°Yes. I¡¯m busy.¡± There was a moment of hesitation before he said, ¡°Are you inside of the biotic right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was something about the way he asked that was unusual to me for some reason. I was just killing it from the inside, since it¡¯s outsides were too armored. This was efficient. ¡°Is¡­ I mean- Are you, err, do you need support?¡± He seemed flabbergasted. ¡°No. Extraction unnecessary.¡± I methodically cut my way upwards, the shuddering turning into what felt like violent heaving and thrashing. Muscular mass around me squeezed, unable to get enough of a grip on me to do any damage. I¡¯d cleared out the area immediately around me each time I advanced, carefully cutting through until I hit- ¡®Hard.¡¯ I frowned, blade finally meeting something distinctly harder consistency then the fleshy organs before. Those had all been far hardier than any regular flesh, though, but this was like hitting a steel beam. A fraction of a second later I swiped with both blades upwards again, harder. They hit the surface, carving into it by a few centimeters. I swiped again, this time magnitudes harder. The biotic bucked, nearly throwing me from the pocket of tissue, sending me slipping out below. The bone I was striking was nearly halfway sheared through. ¡®Strangeness in mind, the Us is¡­ concerned.¡¯ Wolvy chimed in my thoughts. I didn¡¯t understand why, and couldn¡¯t formulate a response. Instead, I struck again, using a slightly larger amount of force. The thrashing halved instantly as the relaxing sensation of my blades cutting through the bone translated through my hands. I stepped up the power more, plenty of room to put in more. I sliced through another portion, giving me more space as the bone fell away - what I recognized was probably a spine. I maintained the strength of the swings upwards, tearing into softer shell above, the acid having done wonders for accessibility. The hissing of chemicals sizzled the flesh around me as I carved rivulets into the flesh. Like a geyser of gore, I blasted out of the top of the biotic, noting the ground was quite nearby. The biotic was moving feebly behind me, toppled on its side as I rolled away, streaking silver gore that sizzled on contact with the acid. Not wishing to wait, I ran forward towards the base, shaking off the gore as I went. I could hear cheering distantly, and wondered at what that was abou- Suddenly the adrenaline stopped and I felt my body ache. Emotions that I didn¡¯t realize had gone surged back, a satisfaction in the bloodlust that I¡¯d demonstrated, and shock at being pulled down a rabbit-hole. ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± I heard Patrick shout, ¡°You god-damned animal! Good job!¡± I felt equal parts embarrassment and pride work itself up at that. ¡°Did those people get through?¡± Richard spoke up, ¡°Yeah. And apparently he wants to talk to you,¡± he stated, and almost gave me the impression that he was rolling his eyes at the same time. I shook my head with a sigh, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡®Hopefully they just want to thank me.¡¯ I mused, though I highly doubted that. I just hoped I wouldn¡¯t regret having saved them. Chapter 70 No Good Deed Unpunished The base was in a state of constant motion. On this expedition we¡¯d suffered seven Legion casualties, and ten volunteers, bringing our total thus far to seventeen. That in itself, I suppose, I should have been able to take some solace in, we were below the fatalities of the Wolven operation, and the mine raid. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to feel happy about that number, though, in light of the additional intelligence that we¡¯d gained on the Spindlies themselves and becoming aware of their weaknesses. It certainly didn¡¯t help that we had a hefty number of injured, however, there were approximately thirty, many of which with injuries serious enough that they would not be returning to the field in short order. That removed a great deal of our defensive force, but for now there was an equilibrium imposed between ourselves and the siege. Our endeavors just now certainly had an effect on that outcome, removing three from the fight, two Carriers of which were outright dead. While I was entangled with my quarry, Strauss and Richard had managed to wear down the other, acid having eaten into its armor enough to damage the tissues beneath. What had really downed that one, however, was generous applications of poison that Richard promptly flooded its injuries with. Five minutes later it had attempted a suicide charge into the Raijin Field, feeling its end near as it¡¯s silvery blood pumped with deadly chemicals. As promised by Terry, the field performed lighter attacks that would murder anything smaller than an elephant up until a few meters further. Then successive thunderclaps filled the air as the biotic vented it¡¯s now vaporized insides to its outsides. I shook my head, seeing the carcass sparking even now, the sensors occasionally confirming the demise of the subject. Later we could clear the field, but for now we¡¯d be just as well leaving it as a reminder for the remaining five Carriers. As I approached one of the three mustering fields in the base, though, I felt a dull throbbing headache emerge. Morale was high, and there were more than a few that gave me respectful nods as I passed, those individuals often responsible for ferrying ammunition to the artillery groups and those on the walls. It had circulated that I¡¯d single handed cut my way through the insides of one of the Carriers. Richard and I explicitly decided not to mention that it was highly weakened from a massive amount of acid. It¡¯d be better for everyone to think that we were in a much better state than we were. If we had just one fewer Carrier to deal with, the bulk of our forces could leave the defense to the automation. So far, the biotics were content with forcing us to continue the artillery barrage, though we¡¯d lightened the pace considerably. It was clear that the Carriers bore some kind of regenerative plating. Between our recordings of the battle and the damage the armor had shown, there were no two pictures quite a like. They were growing their armored carapace as fast as we were damaging them, leaving us with a stalemate. So, we continued to hit them, but focused mostly on direct hits on the Spindlies. The best moment to hit one was with a sniper as they emerged from the Carrier; for one reason or another the Spindlies refused to explode so close to the larger biotic. That gave us more ideas to use in the future, likely a pre-programmed response so they couldn¡¯t accidentally harm their spawners. I¡¯d have rathered been out there again, though, as my eyes settled on a gathering of twenty-eight people in the mustering yard. They were thoroughly worn out, it looked, and some had their hollow, sunken-eyed gaze settling on the ground. A handful only looked like they were sitting up, their eyes closed as they managed to catch some sleep. Alex Werrick looked up from his place near the front of the formation, set off from them just slightly, his eyes meeting mine. His gaze carried a subtle defiance upon seeing me, but also an undercurrent of weariness, and perhaps not the slightest amount of defeat. I approached, glancing back over his people, trying not to feel contempt for him and his ill-thought venture. It was true that they hadn¡¯t registered with my Legion for the expedition, and for that I could only shake my head in frustration. But what they¡¯d done that truly exasperated the issue was to follow us into what was very clearly alien territory. The coral reef formations and especially this particular strain of biotic was utterly anathema to infantry divisions. They should have been able to see that easily and simply not chosen to advance. ¡®That¡¯s easy for me to say, though,¡± I groaned internally, ¡®I¡¯m already established. Would I be so desperate? But, then, I don¡¯t even know why they¡¯re really doing this.¡¯ It had been clear already that Alex was siphoning a not-insignificant amount of Matter Energy from his followers for use on questionable antics. I decided to take pity on them, however, and I didn¡¯t intend on throwing them out of my base on the grounds of what had happened prior. Now that I¡¯d saved them, I at least would take responsibility for them. My attention turned back fully on Alex, who now came to a standing position. The few attentive gazes in the group looked up at us, one or two sounds of light sobbing coming from somewhere in the group. Their morale was shattered, the near-encirclement by the Carriers likely just another thing that had gone wrong on their own personal expedition. Some had probably realized what would have happened if they hadn¡¯t gotten assistance. And who knew how many of their group had started with in the first place? For all I knew, the twenty-eight men and women that remained were half of what they¡¯d had. Alex seemed to be waiting for me to speak, in spite of him being the one who had asked me out here. I was content to wait for the time being, but I wouldn¡¯t play this game. He was an unwanted guests in my base, and there was a certain iron-clad drive to ensure that he was the one giving proper respect to me. I wasn¡¯t here to serve his needs or come at his beck and call. Those around us could clearly feel the tension increase, almost palpable in the air. I stood there, occupying myself with moving the Determinators to the wall where the Carriers were, with exception to a handful spread on the flanks. For another thirty seconds I¡¯d sorted through the battlefield data, and checked on the status of our air support. Pleasantly, there were only about five more minutes before we¡¯d have RR&D¡¯s new toys to play with. ¡®There¡¯s a hard-cap on your time now,¡¯ I glared from my opaque helmet at the man in front of me. The prideful arrogance he displayed, the misplaced defiance against my Legion, and foolhardiness of his entire scheme disgusted me. I could see little facial tics betraying what may have been frustration for him, or for all I knew he was keeping from laughing at me in wasting my team in such a manner. He could stand here all day. I had a job to do. And that was the thought that finally slipped my patience. Wordlessly I turned and started to walk away, if he wanted to play this game, he could do it with people who gave a shit about politics. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just turn your back on me!¡± The man shouted in outrage, ¡°I asked you out here.¡± ¡°Fuck. Off.¡± I venemously spat, pausing just long enough to look back at them, ¡°I saved your fucking lives, and you don¡¯t even have the gods damned dignity to thank me for it? Fucking ridiculous.¡± I turned back around, feeling heat pump in my chest as a trickle of adrenaline cycled in my system. I reigned that in immediately, remembering what had happened in the field with the Carrier; I certainly didn¡¯t need to duplicate that here.Stolen novel; please report. With my suit, I could see his expression warp without turning to look at him. The way it distorted from outrage, shame, and consternation again. I shook my head, not interested in getting into an argument with someone that would probably have been dead if I hadn¡¯t saved them. Someone else, though, caught my attention as they rose and moved forward. They were fast, stumbling feet that barely caught themselves. I turned, feeling a wrathful fury building in my gut that begged to be released in a back-handed smash. Which extinguished the moment I saw the red-eyed face of a man who¡¯d clearly been crying. He held his breath, stopping well outside of arms reach, sensing a shift in my stance. The tension in my arms leaked as I saw the conflicted look on his face. ¡°I¡¯d just like to say,¡± he began, taking my relaxed pose as permission to speak, ¡°Thank you. I know we were straight fucked, so thank you. That doesn¡¯t mean much out here, but I¡¯m sure there are others who feel the same.¡± He looked back to the group. I didn¡¯t sense any ostracizing glares, just a mixture of agreement, grief, tiredness that came from people who¡¯d nearly died. I nodded to him, ¡°We¡¯re all people.¡± Something clicked then, and it felt like something I¡¯d half-remembered from my old life snapped back into place. A gush of emotion, perhaps sentimentality smothered in joyous satisfaction, seeped into my bones. ¡®Damnit¡­ I guess Alice was right,¡¯ I thought whimsically, ¡®I guess this is something that we should be doing, too.¡¯ ¡°Whatever we do, whatever we want to be and the paths we take to get there, our goal is the same. We¡¯re not enemies, and never should be.¡± I turned my gaze to Alex, feeling all muster and spite drain away from me in that rare moment of inspiration, ¡°There are plenty of enemies out there. We don¡¯t need to make more of them.¡± That statement found a chink in Alex¡¯s armor. His gaze softened, filled with introspection, as he seemed to find his own conclusion. The man shook his head with what felt like a self-depreciating chuckle and looked back to me with what felt like a genuine and renewed fervor. He let out a long, unsteady breath that fogged in the cool night air, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Then he paused and laughed again, ¡°No, rather, thank you. Thank you for saving us. This is¡­ I¡¯d like to sit down and talk with you when this is over,¡± he forced the words out, embarrassment coloring his cheeks a touch of red before he steeled himself. ¡°In the meantime, we¡¯d like to help. If we can.¡± My vision panned around to the group, many of them perking up, more, honestly, then I thought were even paying attention. I slowly nodded, bringing a hand to my chin. He watched, nervously, as I consider the topic. ¡°I think I¡¯ll take you up on that offer. For now, I¡¯m keeping as many people away from the wall as possible, but we need to keep the auto-turrets running. The fabrication yards are building more. I¡¯ll send a list to you, and who you¡¯ll need to talk to.¡± I mentally submitted the information, cycling through to him a moment afterwards. He blinked as the notification appeared in his vision, and then looked back to me. ¡°We¡¯ll get to it,¡± he said with his hand out to me. I clasped his hand with my own, ¡°There¡¯s going to be something of a firework show in two minutes on the wall. You might want to see it.¡± His eyebrows rose in question at that. We parted then, and I made my way quickly to the eastern wall. Another general message sounded in the camp, this one through loudspeakers placed throughout. ¡°Reaper Reaver Support coming in hot,¡± Terry¡¯s grin could practically be heard through his voice, ¡°Time to see what R&D has in store for us.¡± Anyone who could tapped into video displays from feeds looming high over the wall. The Carriers, the five remaining, anyways, were busily churning out more of their abominable living weapons. On the horizon, though, I could see three burning lines across the sky, the howling of engines that were impossibly audible even from here. Steadily their paths began to streak lower, and their speed dropped. Two of them dropped out of formation, while the third stayed high in the air. The two came towards the base, the jet engines they bore unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen. Their designs were unusual, too, an angular, almost trident shaped head with the center being a cockpit suitable only for a single pilot flanked by two broad sweeping wings with an array of red pulsing thrusters. The back of the vessel was wider, like a bearded axe head, and swept upwards in an arc. All along the underside, back, and top of that axe shape were additional thrusters. The wide, parabolic arc from the cockpit to the axe was not empty, though, several broad locking mechanisms carrying what most assuredly was a compartmentalized weapon system. Each of the three Reaver¡¯s bore something different, the two coming towards us bore one that was vaguely transparent. A positively glowing pale golden liquid shimmered within, and it looked like there were three mounted turrets beneath it, swiveling back and forth as they sought targets. The second bore what was a much more classical approach, several auto-cannons brimming the dome-like attachment, five in all. Each barrel spun, revving up for firing upon the targets below. High above, it took a considerable amount of magnification for me to see the strange circular disk that the final Reaver bore. It fired first, though, the spinning of the disk the first thing that I noted. Then, all at once objects began to be scattered from the edges, spinning out and further away. It stopped after two dozen of them, but I couldn¡¯t help but imagine that it carried far more of them. Small red thrusters, similar to what the Reaver itself had, lit up as the spiked, twisted projectiles came to life. Curious, I pushed my will upwards, tapping into the Reavers themselves. And immediately felt three wills push back against my own, each one registering me with their own clear shock. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ I frowned, ceasing my push and instead interacting with them, the missiles adjusting their trajectories, half of them moving towards the Carriers, the other half peppering the area around and digging deep, secondary explosions from Spindlies that had been buried beneath. [I presume you¡¯re our boss?] One of the Reaver¡¯s said, [You can call me Reaver Three, it¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please buy me dinner first.] I blinked as another voice, very similar to the one that just spoke and clearly also feminine, ¡°Reaver Three reporting for duty. I apologize for my copilot,¡± she hissed at it, ¡°She¡¯s just a box of bolts and doesn¡¯t know any better.¡± More confused blinking came to me as the rockets hit the five biotics, deep rumbling anger rolling through the ground as the Carriers felt yet another addition to their constant assailments. The rocket heads burrowed into the armor before exploding, digging out layers of armor more than what we had. Unfortunately, they had many more. ¡°Reaver Three, can confirm, these things are tough as shit, or your rockets, and or aim, still sucks,¡± another voice chimed in. [Reaver Two, can confirm, you can stuff it.] The first voice spoke again, [Not our fault that these things are tanker than¡­ tanks!] [Smooth.] A voice that sounded like Reaver Two sounded. ¡°Keep it locked down. Now.¡± A third sounded, ¡°Reaper, this is call-sign Reaver One, Emilia Barman. Heard you needed a hand.¡± Finally I shook off the confusion, ¡°Much appreciated Reaver One, I¡¯ll ask for details later. For now, I¡¯m sending you all information on the situation. We¡¯re plotting a course for raiding the cove, we suspect the hives to be there.¡± I sent the packets of data, something that a normal person would probably have to take a glance at and get the general gist of. It was something that I¡¯d grown accustomed too, but I always added additional information just in case. [Efficient,] Reaver One¡¯s other voice murmured appreciatively, [So you do have a machine brain in there, sir. We¡¯re ready to back you up.] ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± Emilia sighed, ¡°New technology.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll assume you all can follow with the deviations to the plan as set then. Send me an overview of your specs so I can know what to expect.¡± [Roger that.] Reaver One sent information, followed quickly by the other two. ¡®These ones are¡­ very strange.¡¯ Wolvy commented as we received the information and began to parse it. ¡®They¡¯re not that stra-oh¡­ Oh that is strange.¡¯ I blinked, looking over the information sent with perplexedness. Chapter 71 Reaver The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 71 Reaver There were many things that were categorically unusual, and to some extent alarming, regarding the Reavers. Each of the three pilots were bonded with an artificial sentience that framed themselves after their bondmate. It was a deeply ingrained process in which the individual would have their own co-pilot, not just in flying, but for the rest of their lives. ¡®That sounds like¡­ Smith? But how?¡¯ I balked upon reading into the general information given. It seemed, however, that the answer would be less than forthcoming. There was no information available on the topic itself in the information they¡¯d submitted, likely either a secret or not deemed necessary for their operations. It was the only guess I could come up with, but that would mean that they¡¯d somehow interacted with him, and it would have had to have been after I was incapacitated. Unless they came to this technology on their own, but I had my reservations that was the case. I suppose the counter argument could be made that this exact approach had worked very well for me, and others might have been eager to replicate it. Gradually I parsed the rest of the data granted me. Everything else was quite interesting, but still plainly overshadowed by that particular strain of information. Each vessel was designed to be streamlined, with a particular touch towards offensive actions. Their bodies were extremely light weight and faster than any jet we¡¯d made to date, using a generous touch of advanced technologies that were not available on earth prior to the apocalypse. Each one was also designed to be able to restock and refuel with smaller modules attached to the containers they carried, which would be drained into an inner reservoir. This allowed a Reaver to make repeat strikes, needing to return to base only long enough to pick up a replacement weapon kit. Of which, there were many different types. Arguably the combinations were limited only by the imagination and capability of the RR&D back at base. Currently, they had three flavors, the chemical thrower, the auto-cannon nest, and the smart missile hive. Each of them had their own merits, though it was clear that modifications would need to be made in the future to create a deadlier combination. Moreover, each kit could be dropped in the case of an emergency, allowing the Reaver itself to reach base faster to rearm if the situation demanded such. With this, we could finally have fire support outside of Gilramore¡¯s artillery range. ¡°Reaver One, standby to execute,¡± I spoke over the radio, hearing the affirmation from above. The trio pivoted over the base like angry wasps, the dull drone from their engines reinforcing that image in my head. I turned my attention then to Strauss¡¯ team and to Richard beside me. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Always,¡± came Strauss¡¯ reply as he gave a sly grin. Richard and I chuckled, before turning our attention forward. Ten Determinators stepped forward with us as the gates opened wide, the remaining five active Carriers to either side past the Raijin Field. ¡°Lay out the carpet, Reaver Squadron.¡± I gave the order, feeling the pulse of something flow across the vague connection I felt to each of the A.I.¡¯s. Excitement. [We¡¯ll make it red.] I heard Reaver Two speak, Augustus Francesco being the pilot. The chemical thrower pivoted three of its nozzles towards three separate targets. The moment the gleaming golden liquid spewed forth, hell followed. Bright flames, almost white when it came from the nozzle but turning a furious red as it reached its target, shot out with a pressure less like a flamethrower and more like a watercutter. The landscape was alight from the light cast from the gout of liquid, and just as suddenly three Carriers were walking fireballs. The shriek of the flames cut through any other sounds, devolving into a roar upon the carapace of the biotics. My helmet dimmed my vision in response, protecting my eyes from the bright light. In the mass I could pick out black blots that crackled and fell to the ground unmoving the moment they emerged from the Carrier. The three behemoths let out earth shaking cries, running in panic, the heat undoubtedly extreme. The fire would burn hard and fast, designed to stick to the target and melt through steel, but to also burn so hot that any fuel in the area would be nothing but coke and ash by the time the chemical slurry was expired. It wouldn¡¯t do us any good to set a city on fire on accident. ¡°That¡¯s our path.¡± I pointed forward, the middle of the Carrier formation in shambles. There was a slim area in between the now raging fires, ten meters across. Richard grimaced, ¡°That fire¡¯s too hot for anyone with skin exposed.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I nodded, ¡°It¡¯ll go out in fifteen seconds or so, after that, we go.¡± [Drop the base!] I heard the cheery voice that has spoken first earlier call out through the comms, followed by a much more stern version, ¡°Firing ordnance.¡± Reaver Three rattled off five auto-cannon turrets, bombarding each of the three targets with as much gusto as our entire artillery array had been. No, quite in fact, as I watched the rate of fire increase and the destruction each shell caused, I had to begrudgingly admit the fact that it was much more damaging. The three that were on fire let out guttural moans, their armor punished beyond reason. Our artillery continued their volley on a target that was getting far enough away from the Raijin Field to limit collateral damage. Silver dripped from cracks in the carapace, each of the three taking the punishment from the Reavers. The one taking combined fire was looking far worse for wear as artillery fire punched through a leg, dismembering it. Reaver One, however, held onto its kit, knowing that it¡¯s role was elsewhere. These weren¡¯t our primary priority, and we could easily outrun them. Finally, the fire waned, all save for the constant deluge that Reaver Two spewed down upon the three Carriers, keeping them cooking. ¡°Go!¡± I shouted, darting forward, flanked by Richard and five Determinators. On our heels was Strauss¡¯ team, consisting of himself and four other members, not including the five Determinators that would be with them. The ambient heat in the area was incredible, but with our speed we made it through the worst of it without damage, however I did note that there was some terrain nearby that was looking molten, like glass. I couldn¡¯t help but feel exasperated at how lethal these Reaver¡¯s were. If we unloaded their entire arsenal on these Carriers, they might have well been capable of killing five on their own, or at the very least dismembering them, in the case of the rocket hive kit. ¡°We¡¯re on Overwatch, Reaper.¡± Lani Barton of Reaver Three spoke as she hovered high over our right flank, the auto-cannons still hot. Behind us, the Carriers were taking shelter as they could amidst the coral formations further afield, giving us more space to work with. It was alarming how effective their strikes had been already. But the drawback of experimental technology also came up. ¡°Uhh, Reaver Two reporting, the compressor units fried, I¡¯m half full with no way to continue assault. Permission to return to base to rearm.¡± ¡°Reaver Two, permission granted,¡± Emilia Barman, Reaver One, assented, ¡°remember to leave ¡®em with a parting gift.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± A dark chuckle rolled from the comms then as Reaver Two hovered high over the most punished of the three Carrier¡¯s he¡¯d lit on fire. I frowned as I saw it, and then comprehended what they were doing, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s dirty.¡± A grin plastered itself on my face as he disconnected the chemical thrower kit, reservoir and all, directly over the top of the Carrier a hundred meters below. The half full transparent canister of golden fluid tumbled end over end through the air. I could almost hear the collective breath taken by the base at the sight, the realization of what was about to happen coming to everyone. It didn¡¯t land precisely on the Carrier, around the corner of the coral ridge that it had sheltered behind. Unlike what we¡¯d expected, it didn¡¯t explode. The container withstood the strike, built to be able to take sustained weapons fire without breaching. It wouldn¡¯t do, after all, to have one of those explode high in the air and take a Reaver with it. It did an admirable job of that, up until a smart-rocket struck it like a spear from an angry god. Fire filled the air with the explosion, the surge of white hot fire blooming upwards for thirty meters before spilling out over a massive area, easily fifty meters in diameter. Speckles of the material burned rapidly, but the plume was only growing upwards, grey smoke soaring high into the sky. I could feel the heat on my armor even from here, and once more experienced my helmets capacity to dim vision in response to overly bright light. The area around the Carrier wasn¡¯t so much land as a sea of fire, so much so that I couldn¡¯t even make out the massive biotic that was within. Whether or not it was even still alive was in question, one that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the answer was ¡®like crispy chicken.¡¯ [Ah, I love the smell of a good barbeque.] Reaver Two spoke, [Returning to base.] I shook my head, still not sure how to feel about these Reavers. At the very least, they enjoyed their jobs, that had to count for something. We moved forward, streaming over the ground in a double phalanx formation. There weren¡¯t any instances of Spindlies in the area here, this time at least. It seemed between the Carrier¡¯s assault and Reaver One¡¯s smart-missile barrage, there weren¡¯t many targets left. ¡°Alright, so according to the old maps,¡± Richard began, ¡°the cove seems like the place to find these hives. If they¡¯re not underwater.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that,¡± Jeremy made a disgusted face, ¡°I¡¯m not going in the water for these things.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like to get wet.¡± Yomar helpfully added, ¡°he¡¯s had a near death experience involving a lake recently.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lake, it was a pond.¡± The sniper, Allendra, said with a near stoic expression, the briefest of tugs at the corner of her lips betraying the joke. ¡°Oh, hardy har har,¡± Jeremy spat, ¡°I¡¯m still not going in.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what Reaver One can check for us.¡± We made good time to the cove, no interruptions in sight, only a few minutes of running due to all of our gear. ¡°Emilia, give us a quick scout.¡± ¡°Roger that, birds loose.¡± She stated, three rocket slipping out of the spinning disk and streaming downwards. They were much slower than the previous projectiles, but they dove down, streaming towards the cove and disappearing over the lip of a cliff ahead of us. A video screen fed the footage to us, and already I couldn¡¯t help but click my tongue in annoyance. The upside was that the rocket that shot underwater couldn¡¯t see any obvious underwater entrance. The downside was that the cliff face and part of the beach was positively pock-marked with holes large enough to fit four buses into at the same time. Far more than what eight Carriers would need. Jeremy and I slowly came to a stop, turning to each other with grim expressions. ¡°Well.¡± He said, letting out a helpless sigh, ¡°At least it¡¯s not underwater.¡± Chapter 72 Cove Two rockets streaked forth into the tunnels, fairly straight and gently curving. The images were were getting back were less than ideal. ¡°It¡¯s filled with them.¡± Richard clenched his jaw, ¡°that¡¯s insane.¡± The surface of every wall, every damned inch, was a Spindlie. It looked more like the coral had half fused to them, leaving only half-spheres protruding from the tunnels. Anything that tried to get through would have to go through them. Though, the missiles simply broke any spikes they touched, and behind them the Spindlie would simply shuffle angrily, spikes retracting and punching back out, relatively harmlessly. ¡°At least we know they don¡¯t explode without near fatal damage now.¡± I sighed, ¡°Keep it going, we¡¯ll see what¡¯s deeper. If there¡¯s a bunch of Carriers in there, we¡¯re just going to keep you guys on rotation until we kill them all with fire. I¡¯m not going into another death trap.¡± Emilia chuckled, ¡°Roger that. No rest for the wicked, as they say.¡± The tunnels banked away from each other, and a short ten seconds later, before opening up into a small cavern. Each rocket fed back an image of a solitary hive crystal with nothing else in the system. Jeremy took the words right out of my mouth, ¡°Where are they? Shouldn¡¯t there be¡­ something, next to the hives at least?¡± I contemplated what we were looking at, but I couldn¡¯t fathom why this would be left undefended. The rockets turned, moving down other tunnels, picking up speed. [Not much fuel left.] Reaver One noted, [I¡¯ve mapped most of the structure, five hive cores, but not a single Carrier.] Richard looked to me, uncertainty painted his face. I moaned, ¡°We¡¯re really going to have to go in there.¡± At that I stood up straight, a headache building behind my eyes. I had absolutely no intent of going into that cave system, not with a suicide bomber type of biotic that might be alone. ¡°Reaver One, please plot out a firing pattern to clear out as many of those little bastards as possible, preferably also giving us paths to the cores.¡± I requested, ¡°I would much rather not have to wade through all of them on our own, it¡¯d take hours to clear them out.¡± ¡°Em, you got it?¡± Emilia directed her attention to her companion, and a moment later I received a data overlay for rockets. ¡°You have that many rockets?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask, turning my gaze back up to the vessel high overhead. [Quantity and quality.] ¡®Em¡¯ the Reaver seemed to grin, [if in doubt, hit it more. That¡¯s kind of our thing.] ¡°I think I love these Reavers,¡± Yomar was laughing, borderline hysterically. I had to agree, ¡°Well, let¡¯s see you dance.¡± ¡°Reaver One deploying full ordnance.¡± High above us Reaver One began to release its payload. Rocket after rocket spiraled away, six at a time that gracefully spiraled downwards and away before the engines kicked on, increasing their velocity and setting them twirling. The pattern widened, and only once every single missile joined the vortex did they begin to change pattern. It was beautiful, red streaking lines that formed a huge array in the air. The chatter between the Reaver and the rockets picked up all at once, each rocket signaling its cohort of where it would go, in what order. ¡°Beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± I murmured as the lot of us stared up in wonder. Then their dance picked up tempo, several of the rings streaking off with their lead missile, choosing the path that their partners would follow. Red lines streaked through the air, picking up speed as they swept out past the cove, then arced low to come back around. Like a snake, each congo line slipped into the tunnels, the video feeds spinning far too much to make out anything past the blur. Seconds later, individual rockets began to slow rapidly, translating into even more rotational momentum. All at once as the rockets split off into their own areas, they sought their next nearest audience members. They exploded all at once, shattering the Spindlies in their selected tunnels, the percussive force enough that the ground beneath our feet thumped against us, sending a jolt through the cove. ¡°Reaver One is out of ammo, returning to base for rearming. Reaver Three, maintain support until you¡¯re dry.¡± Emilia spoke, ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure, Reaper.¡± ¡°Likewise, Reaver One, we¡¯ll be sure to treat your team to some drinks later.¡± I laughed, ¡°Enjoy your flight home.¡± Soon only a single Reaver was in the air overhead, and she positioned herself over the cove itself, auto-cannons spinning. ¡°Roger, Reaver One, I¡¯ll be on standby. It looks like we might be wrapping up soon.¡± ¡®It really does.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but to feel strange about this, the technology stepping up made what would have been a brutal slog into a much easier affair. ¡°Alright, let''s go through the cleared tunnels. There¡¯s almost a guarantee that when we seize the hives the remaining Spindlies will come towards us fast. We¡¯ll grab the four cores, and meet at the fifth in the middle.¡± I said, plotting out path out in advance. Strauss nodded, ¡°It takes time to render a core inert. Every time we¡¯ve done it so far, though, the biotics die.¡± ¡°We should hopefully be able to expect that to happen this time, too, but just in case we do have the Determinators for support. We can file into a corridor and throw bullets at them until we don¡¯t have targets anymore.¡± Richard checked his remaining chemicals and darts. ¡°A very tactically savvy plan.¡± Allendra dryly noted. He shrugged in response, ¡°It¡¯ll work. These things are rock stupid.¡± Yomar laughed, ¡°Well, when you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right.¡± Jeremy nodded, ¡°It sounds fine, we have plenty of ammo. At worst, Yomar can stand in front of us.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Whoa, hey, I didn¡¯t volunteer for that,¡± he gestured quickly, ¡°I mean, not against these things anyways.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, let''s get moving.¡± I smiled at the display, glad that they weren¡¯t letting their nerves get the better of them. This could still go very badly, very quickly, but we came here to do this exact thing. We set off quickly, only needing to wait long enough for the smoke to clear out from the tunnels. The scene before us was perplexing, though, the ground filled with a mixture between shattered spikes and still disintegrating silver goo. I gave Jeremy a nod before our teams split up, silently and swiftly moving through the terrain. A few times we had to steady ourselves, the ground slick from the outpouring of gore. After a few minutes, though, the amount had decreased significantly enough that we weren¡¯t hampered. Still there was no motion from any of the tunnels that hadn¡¯t been attacked, something that was deeply unusual. That feeling of disquiet only increased as we went deeper, no response at all to our presence. Only when we reached the first hive core was there a reaction, the Spindlies stirring in their tunnels. From in the cavern we could see them, spikes wavering back and forth repeatedly, menacing if not for how utterly helpless they were. Richard and I shared a wary glance, turning back to the pedestal formation of coral that clutched the orb. Unceremoniously I smashed the coral and ripped the core out of it¡¯s position, stowing it in a net sack as we moved to the next one. The rockets had cleared out every major intersection that I¡¯d wanted to use, but even so it was a surreal experience to be in a biotic hive and have no enemy contacts. Soon, I¡¯m sure, the Spindlies would manage to free themselves from the coral that kept them in place, but as we reached the second core, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a mild bout of nervous laughter rolling through me. Richard sent a curious look to me, and I answered with humor, ¡°This might be the easiest raid of my life.¡± ¡°Careful about flagging us,¡± he chuckled, ¡°but, yeah, I¡¯m not seeing anything here.¡± As I smashed the casing on the second core and stowed it, running off immediately afterwards at high speed, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what else could be going on. The most unlikely answer was that there were only eight Carriers in all. The sheer number of tunnels wouldn¡¯t be required if that was the case. So what then? Did they leave? If so, then why? As we approached the last core, I noted that there was something different in this cavern. The lights from our suits illuminated a silvery knot of material, almost identical to what we saw with the Obelisks anytime we generated an item from Matter Energy. It was congealing to form a short distance from the core with streams of silver flowing through the air, floating towards the formation and growing larger by the second, albeit slowly. It had a vague shape, appearing much like a lobster with a hammer-head. I felt a shiver thrill my spine, unable to tear my gaze away from the fascinating sight. Across the way, Strauss¡¯ team appeared, stuttering to a stop as we had, seeing the strange event taking place. ¡°Whoa,¡± Yomar frowned, ¡°that¡¯s new.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s making one of the Carriers,¡± I murmured thoughtfully, ¡°it¡¯s not fast, though.¡± ¡°Well, I think we ought to get to the purging,¡± Jeremy nodded down one of the tunnels, ¡°there are some free of the walls now.¡± I sighed, noting that he was correct. The spiky balls of hate were indeed finally becoming mobile. Curious, though, I walked up to the hive core and placed my hand on it, willing my cybernetic sense to interact with whatever process it was performing. The moment I did so, though, the entire process collapsed, the biotic that was forming collapsed into a sludge and all flow of Matter Energy ceased. ¡®That¡¯s annoying.¡¯ I griped, ¡®it would have been good to be able to see how that process was happening.¡¯ Wolvey wriggled, ¡®I could make so many interesting things with this!¡¯ And instantly I purged the crystal. ¡®Not a chance in hell.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re no fun.¡¯ It pouted in the corner of my mind, ¡®It might not have even worked.¡¯ I shook my head, feeling that it was at least truthful with that. It was hard, if not utterly impossible, for us to keep secrets. Even so, I didn¡¯t want to risk anything happening. Like, for example, the rebirth of Wolven. The Spindlies approached with fervor, feeling the death of one of the hive cores spurring them to greater ferocity. Even so, there were only five tunnels into this chamber, and we immediately fought backwards into one that had already been cleared. The other cores sat around me, and Jeremy supplied his while staring at the one I¡¯d already purged of biotic influence. ¡°Did you just¡­? That fast?¡± Incredulousness crossed his face, ¡°How did you purge that so fast? It usually takes, like, a minute at least.¡± ¡°Computer brain, streamlines the process with the Obelisks settings,¡± I answered quickly. ¡°These other ones won¡¯t take long, either.¡± He nodded, ¡°that¡¯s good, because as much as I¡¯m sure we have ammo, I¡¯d rather not be closed in on all sides by spiked abominations.¡± ¡°Duly noted.¡± I chuckled, refocusing on the task at hand. I moved through each core, gun fire rattling through the air in short bursts. Each Determinator targeted the same Spindlie and fired, blasting it to pieces while minimizing the possibility that another Spindlie was damaged. Another two performed a similar task, and the final one was the backup in case someone only damaged one, and didn¡¯t manage to fully kill it. Like this, we were able to slow their advance, and amusingly enough the fallen corpses prevented the other Spindlies from being able to move quickly, their spikes interfering with one another. As I removed my hand from the final core, though, the Spindlies suddenly stopped and spasmed. Suddenly the firefight stopped around me, cheering from the others as Yomar patted my shoulder. ¡°Man, easy money! That was so much better than that fucking mine.¡± He beamed. I heaved a sigh of relief, ¡°I was afraid there was a caveat, after all of this.¡± Then I heard the comms crackle to life, ¡°Reaper, you guys just cleared the cores, right?¡± Lani¡¯s question made us all look around in confusion, ¡°Yeah, just finished. The Spindlies have stopped, why do you ask?¡± ¡°Because the Carriers are still moving, and it looks like they¡¯re leaving the base.¡± She said, even more confusion seeping into her voice. I frowned, ¡°Keep them from getting here for as long as you can, if you don¡¯t mind. We¡¯ll be wading through Spindlies for some¡­ time¡­¡± I paused, noting that the Spindlies themselves weren¡¯t decomposing. ¡°Uh¡­ about that. They¡¯re not going to the cove.¡± She murmured, ¡°They¡¯re hightailing it for the hills. Just bailing out.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I asked dumbly, ¡°Repeat that for me? They¡¯re doing what?¡± ¡°They¡¯re just leaving, Reaper, they¡¯re leaving Damond.¡± She said, ¡°They¡¯re not even dropping anymore of the little bastards, they¡¯re just hobbling away, even under artillery fire.¡± I frowned, ¡°Well, keep an eye on them. I want to know what they¡¯re up too.¡± ¡°Copy, moving over.¡± She said, just as perplexed as I was then. ¡°Hey, anybody else notice how we¡¯re still stuck between a bunch of deadly spiked biotics?¡± Richard commented sourly. ¡°Of course they¡¯re screwing with us more,¡± Allendra groaned. ¡°Nothing for it,¡± Jeremy stoically drew himself up, pulling out his pistol and firing once, hitting the edge of center mass on one of the biotics, a wound that would normally prompt them to immediately begin inflating. We tensed, noting that he was still ready to fire in the event it did respond. Nothing happened, the biotic just let itself bleed out and die. ¡°Well, there¡¯s that, then.¡± He sighed, ¡°Looks like they¡¯re still here, but only just barely. They seem brain-dead now.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Well, this cave system isn¡¯t going to clear itself out.¡± ¡°Lovely.¡± Yomar dryly commented. ¡°Let''s just clear one tunnel out so we can leave. I¡¯ll have some other teams rotating through later.¡± I smiled, thinking of the volunteer groups that had been getting the short end of the stick for most of the expedition. With this, at least, they could get some Matter Energy for their troubles in a much safer condition. Still, this left me feeling unnerved with how differently this had all gone. Perhaps examining the Carriers as they left would yield some answers as to what was happening. Chapter 73 Unexpected Problems It took us less time than we¡¯d expected to actually carve ourselves out of the tunnels. Less time, but still almost an hour, enough time for our Reaver¡¯s to have made their rounds back to base and returned. Reaver One and Two bore the ¡®Screw-Missiles¡¯ as our Legion on the ground decided to call them. Much less of a mouthful than what RR&D tried to sell them as, which was ¡®Rotational Anti-Armor and Secondary Reconnaissance Smart Missile¡¯ which didn¡¯t even have a good acronym, which, apparently, was a big deal among my people. All I knew was that they were incredibly useful, even more so as we tasked them with aiding in our hunt for the other Carriers. Of all eight that attacked us, only four had managed to escape, limping the whole way. One had been immolated, one destroyed by me, another by Strauss¡¯ team, and the last having been damaged too much by the Raijin Field and artillery fire to move. That last one was of particular interest, still curled up on itself, the bulk of its reproductive organs shredded. I almost pitied it, but this was also an opportunity for us to see how these things ticked. A pen had sprouted up around it, some of the Raijin field repurposed to mount into the walls. It had proven to be needless, the thing hadn¡¯t moved an inch since it had taken internal damage. ¡°I just told you,¡± I listened to the frustrated report of the medic, ¡°You¡¯re not letting anyone in this facility walk out of here until I give them the all clear.¡± Somehow, I managed to suppress and aggrieved sigh. ¡°If they¡¯re not in terrible condition, then I¡¯d like them to begin exploration of the city. I don¡¯t see why this is such a problem.¡± The medic in command crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at me. The nearest patients to us, especially those with less critical injuries, were silent yet pleading. They wanted to get moving again, at the very least those ones should be allowed. ¡°Sir, are you a medic? Did you go to school for ten years to become a doctor?¡± She asked, every comment prickled with annoyance, ¡°I am, and did. We all came here with a job to do, but it¡¯s not going to help anyone if half of these idiots manage to reopen their injuries and manage to get them infected. If I had my way, they¡¯d have been shipped back to Gilramore the moment we had the all clear. Ask any doctor here, hell, even check your medic drones in here and they¡¯ll tell you that a minimum of six to twelve hours of rest is suggested after any major puncture injuries.¡± ¡°And,¡± Sasha Grouse, the most senior doctor on the expedition continued, ¡°We¡¯re not in any immediate danger anymore. If you could point out a biotic for six square miles now, I¡¯d be more than happy to let some of these guys out. But there ain¡¯t, so I¡¯m not.¡± I opened my mouth to speak but found that my words were failing me. I was acutely aware of the gazes of the patients, but I could feel the apologetic stares of the other staff even more so. A sigh escaped my lips, ¡°Dr. Grouse, in light of that fact I¡¯ll defer to your expertise then. But-¡± I quickly transitioned, seeing the glimmer of triumph in her eyes, ¡°-I want as many people as possible ready and rested for tomorrow. We¡¯re receiving a larger number of people and need to get true forward operating base up as soon as possible.¡± She nodded, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m glad we could see eye to eye.¡± I managed to keep from snorting at that, ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to it. I¡¯ve patients to visit for the time being.¡± We parted, many of the patients nearest now resigning themselves to a very boring day of rest. I couldn¡¯t necessarily say that all of them were in top condition, but at the same time I also didn¡¯t believe that they were so wounded as to require them to stay here. However, it was a fact that I wasn¡¯t a doctor. Many of these people had deep puncture wounds from spikes. It was taken care of now, but those were the kinds of injuries that - as I was aware of it - were the most likely to get infected. Without the space-age looking gel wraps that clung to limbs, or the braces that did likewise over abdomens, it would take much longer for those injuries to heal. As it stood, the gel helped let oxygen to the wound as necessary, facilitated cellular regrowth, provided support, and even self cleaned. It would decompose off of the wound after a few days on its own, and until then would be all the patient would need, unless complications arose. It wasn¡¯t technology that we¡¯d extensively tested in field conditions, hence the presiding doctor decided to keep them here for observation for the day. As I walked up to Alice and Richard, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that, perhaps, that was a good thing. Alice was speaking with Richard animatedly, her stomach region affixed with a brace to keep her from moving over much. For the most part, the woman seemed to be telling a story, and for my part I could see something very interesting. Richard was relaxed, the tension had left his body entirely, half sunken into a chair next to the cot, and half leaning on the cot as well, not far at all from Alice. I wondered if they were just very close friends, or perhaps something more. Maybe they would be something more in the future, I mused, they would certainly make an interesting pair. Though, they both seemed to be quite embroiled in their own air, so I found myself detouring around, evading notice. There was someone else that I wanted to check on.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Daniel was, to my chagrin, awake and busily being playfully shoved back down onto the cot by the blonde haired woman that I¡¯d known since all of this had begun. ¡°You,¡± Fran said, ¡°are going to listen to the doctors orders and stay right here.¡± ¡°Hun, I feel fine, I¡¯m great.¡± He petulantly responded, ¡°I just wanna walk around a bit.¡± One of the doctors paused as he walked by, a glint in his eye as he stared at Daniel. ¡°Funny, I thought I told you to stay put. Do you want a sedative, Mr. Drake?¡± Daniel rolled his eyes, ¡°You can¡¯t just do that.¡± He then turned his attention to Fran, seeing the bemused look on her face, then looked back to the doctor and his now lifted eyebrow. ¡°Right, you can¡¯t just do that, right?¡± ¡°I basically just gave Dr. Grouse the ¡®OK¡¯ to do just that,¡± I stepped forward, the doctor smirking and nodding to me. ¡°Thanks for your work,¡± I told him, shaking his hand. ¡°A pleasure. Just make sure your friend stays put,¡± the man chuckled, ¡°I¡¯d hate to have to restitch anything.¡± Daniel helplessly threw his hands up, wincing as the motion proved too much and gently settled back in. ¡°So, how did everything go? I heard that the Carriers were hightailing it?¡± I nodded, ¡°It went well, I¡¯ll send you some footage of the Reavers and the cave systems. Matter of fact, I¡¯ll just route that to everyone here to give them something to do.¡± I quickly put together the video from my onboard system, packed it, and sent it to several individuals nearby. ¡°We¡¯re definitely going to want to get our weapons systems updated and diversified quickly, though.¡± I sighed, sitting down in a seat nearby, ¡°Those Carriers were something else. Took direct cannon fire without a problem. Chemicals worked well enough, too bad we don¡¯t have an abundance of people using them.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that it can be toxic to us at the same time, and nobody wants to deal with an acid burn,¡± Fran chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll need to look at some options for punching through harder targets as well. Something to look into for the future.¡± ¡°While we¡¯re at it, unconventional weapons might be good to look at,¡± Daniel grunted, ¡°Didn¡¯t feel great to have my guns do almost nothing.¡± I nodded, the three of us sitting in comfortable silence for almost a minute. Daniel started, ¡°Oh, right, so I heard you crawled out of one of the Carriers earlier.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a pretty picture.¡± Fran commented dryly, ¡°say that literally any other way in the future.¡± I chuckled, ¡°I cut my way through, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else. If you can¡¯t kill it from the outside, kill it from the inside.¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds about right. We might need to actually invest in more people going melee now that I think about it.¡± Daniel sighed, ¡°that ain¡¯t me, though. I definitely need to modify my mech though.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I idly thought over a few things he could do, ¡°new weapons, or something else?¡± He shook his head, ¡°A complete rebuild. I don¡¯t like the way it¡¯s going right now. The conventional weapons I¡¯ve got are all well and fine, but I get the feeling that the further this all goes on, the worse off I¡¯ll be. So, I¡¯ll help out RR&D with mech stuff for a while, I think.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you already doing that?¡± I frowned, confused at the comment. Fran snorted, ¡°He barely let them touch the mech.¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my baby, there,¡± Daniel defended, but also had a lopsided grin on his face, ¡°but, I figure that I can get a little time off and we can work on making a-¡± ¡°Daniel Drake,¡± Fran smiled, a precipitously dangerous tingle running down my spine at the sight, ¡°is this something we should talk about here?¡± He looked suddenly abashed, ¡°Uh, nope. I, uh, I blame the drugs.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Well, you guys have fun. I need to go check on our captive biotic out there and figure out what I want to do with it.¡± ¡°Have fun and see you later,¡± Fran said to me as she glared at Daniel. He gave me a pleading glance, but I very quickly vacated the premises, helplessly smirking at that. Today was an odd day, indeed. As I walked through the base, I saw people working on various projects, the fabrication yard cranking out parts of structures in pre-fab conditions to be placed in a secondary layer around the first wall, the Raijin Field having been moved out a considerable distance now. The base was springing up, and I found myself feeling sentimental over that, and the fact that the people around me were smiling, laughing, and giving a sense of camaraderie to the growing outpost. There were several of the volunteer teams that were moving in parallel to my Legion teams, and vaguely I wondered if they would join the Legion, or decide to make their own groups. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure what I felt on the matter. On the one hand, this whole expedition was to clear out Damond, but the side goal was to check these people to see who had what it took to leave Gilramore¡¯s day to day maintenance to. If I didn¡¯t have to dedicate so many Legion resources to keeping Gilramore secure, then all the better. Bulwark wouldn¡¯t do much out here, Damond had no population other than our Legion. However, I had plans for this base, and one of them involved one of the five hive cores that I now had on hand. That would be for later, though, I had other things that needed doing right then. I approached the cage, five meter high walls humming with the power that flowed through it. There were six Determinators, three on the walls and three outside of them that kept the pen safe and secure. I ascended the ladder, glaring down over the edge with my own two eyes. I could have easily just tapped into the video feed that one of the machines had, but something told me that I¡¯d want to be here, to see this in person. The biotic was as immobile as it had been, curled up on itself almost like a dead bug. Nothing unusual was happening visually, and it seemed as though this was all I could expect from it. Perhaps it couldn¡¯t regenerate without the hives, if it even could do so in the first place. But there was something else that was drawing my attention, here, a mild tug on my senses, insistent and yet subtle. I glared onward, scathing eyes searching for anything amiss. Then I saw it, just the slightest flicker, but a tinge of silver flowed down a limb, hidden beneath all of the mass. I grit my teeth, deactivating the Raijin walls and hopping onto the carapace of the Carrier. It didn¡¯t move in the slightest, utterly unresponsive in whatever task it was performing. I pulled out one of my blades, just in case I needed to duplicate my exploits from before and cut my way out of this thing. A cradle of limbs, thick and sharp, surrounded a glowing silver orb, hidden away by the bulk of its body. From this close, it was impossible not to tell what this was. ¡°A hive core¡­ you¡¯re making a goddamned hive core¡­¡± I shook with equal parts excitement and anger. ¡°Well, this changes the game.¡± I grinned as I reached out to touch the mass. If I couldn¡¯t interact with a complete hive, I wondered what might happen if I were to tamper with one in the making? Chapter 74 Creation The moment my hand plunged into the depths of the silver liquid I was sending forth my mind''s own tendrils. Something jolted through me then, not electricity, but something similar, an energy that warily interacted with mind. It felt like possibilities, raw and undirected, the mass of matter energy begging to be shaped, converted into something, anything. Carefully, I extruded my intent from the shaping of whatever was going on here, feeling another mind at work in the background. It was weak, so much so that it didn¡¯t even register my presence. It was working on instinct, the shaping of a biotic core the only thing it was intended to do. I felt my heart hammer in my ears as I watched, felt, and recorded everything that was going on. If it were possible to create these things, then suddenly our capacity to gain Matter Energy became unlimited. Blood rushed through my body with exhilaration as I considered the implications of what I was witnessing. But, as I watched the process, annoyance replaced my excitement. For as much as I was seeing, this was just the surface. The core itself was being generated in part off of a template, but none of the information was anything that I could understand. It was as though I was looking at a fundamentally different language, the fabric of the construct beyond my understanding. It was one thing to try to emulate this, but the only thing here was the raw information, not the how, none of the background programming. Still, I persisted in my endeavor, pausing only long enough to send a message to Jeremy that I was in the pen and examining the biotic, and to make sure no one disturbed me. From then, I was transfixed. Spindles of data came from the weak consciousness of the biotic, and gradually I parsed through meaning. It came slowly, likely from the fact that this Carrier was likely near dead, and that gave me ample time to affix the information in my own mind as it went. My computer brain was capable of processing a massive amount of input at once, but even these bursts took everything I had to memorize and attempt to understand in the moment. Moreover, I was analyzing how the forming core responded to each input, registering and copying them down. If I couldn¡¯t understand from just looking at it, then obviously the only other thing I could do was see their effect, try to understand based on conditions. It was, as one might imagine, insanely difficult. If I didn¡¯t have the cognitive ability I did, I¡¯d wager that it would be impossible, or at least titanically difficult. Learning a language like this would be intense, as though you were just parsing the circumstances to what was being stated, but only getting the same phrase occasionally. I¡¯d lost track of time entirely there, a state of absolute focus that locked myself in my own mind. Finally, I parsed something out of the effect, the gestalt sum of parts that I¡¯d analyzed granting me a single sliver of information. ¡®Creation¡¯ was what that data was related to, the biotic that it would generate being the template beyond that. That piece of information snapped into place, a waysign in the convoluted darkness. From there, I began to structure more information around it, guesstimating and replacing as I went. There were many things that I couldn¡¯t be quite sure of without testing, and testing would be risky, given this was potentially not something that would happen just at any time. The possibility existed that the other Carriers weren¡¯t going to be capable of generating cores. But, the potential benefits outweigh the risks. If I couldn¡¯t figure out what the values were behind generating a core on our own, or the mechanisms that allowed it to come together, then I¡¯d at least try to profit as much as possible off of this one. I forced my will upon the core, altering strands of data as it sat, careful only to modify values, not traits. I only knew so many ¡®words¡¯ to use in the cores, for all I knew any other modification might make them explode upon creation. I estimated size, armor thickness, and overall power of muscular tissue. As I did so, there was another value that changed, some kind of data cluster that contained the sum of the biotics information, just under the hierarchy of ¡®Creation¡¯ in the whirling pool that gradually stratified itself. Perhaps that was the Matter Energy for each Carrier? I¡¯d test that later, but for now I wanted something that could spawn fairly quickly, but was overall too weak to pose any threat at all. If a Unique was spawned from these, I absolutely doubted that it would be much of a problem. There was, however, one portion that I did take the risk to remove. It was a strange collection of data, much more complex than the parts I¡¯d been working with. By removing it, the M.E. sum of the creature plummeted. Either I just removed it¡¯s insides, or I might have gotten rid of the capacity for it to hatch Spindlies. Not sure. ¡®I¡¯m playing God right now,¡¯ I thought with sudden shock, taking a step back mentally and really looking at the nearly finished schematic. ¡®I¡¯m playing God, and I don¡¯t even feel the slightest thing towards the creatures that are going to be made weak and feeble because of me.¡¯ An uncomfortable feeling settled on my shoulders at that, but I had to shrug it off. We weren¡¯t in a position so great as to let such opportunities slip by us. Perhaps in the far future when we were off harvesting asteroids for our material needs, we could put things like this in our past. But for now, that wasn¡¯t an option. If anything, I would need to push harder, more, bend these biotics to my needs whenever possible. ¡®I recall a figure in Our memory,¡¯ Wolvy piped in, ¡®are we Frankenstein?¡¯ I laughed at that, ¡®perhaps. We¡¯re closer to being that than we are to not being that, at the very least.¡¯ ¡®He seemed great, created something that-oh.¡¯ Wolvy paused, ¡®Our creation won¡¯t lead to our death, though.¡¯ ¡®Well, let¡¯s hope not.¡¯ I murmured mentally, and then felt Wolvy examine the construct. It hummed thoughtfully, ¡®We can work out a better one in the future. This is acceptable, for a¡­ yes, a cow. That sounds right.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ I thought curiously. ¡®A cow, domesticated tasty-fat-meat,¡¯ Wolvy nodded sagely to itself, ¡®succulent. This will be somewhat close, I think.¡¯ I felt a tremor of consternation roll through me. ¡®Wolvy, did you just let me waste like three hours on learning a language you already knew?¡¯ ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ It paused, sensing the loaded question, ¡®I don¡¯t know all of the language, the Us is the source of much of our understanding. I have-yes, that¡¯s it, just another point of view!¡¯ I could feel it shuffling abashedly in the back of my mind as I huffed, ¡®So, to be clear, you don¡¯t actually know what this will be?¡¯ Wolvy said nothing for a while, but then, as I was beginning to feel my irritation spike again, it warily answered, ¡®I can guess, but it¡¯s not a guarantee. This is what this point of view sees.¡¯ A deluge of information crossed over to my awareness, and I noted what Wolvy mentioned. It wasn¡¯t as though there were any distinct answers, it¡¯s own understanding exactly the same as my own. However, it noticed patterns and trends that I hadn¡¯t, and now that I saw what it was referring too, it almost seemed like it couldn¡¯t not have the expected outcome. ¡®Curious¡­ How are our perceptions so different?¡¯ I mulled that over, sharing my own perception of it. I could feel Wolvy likewise surprised. After a few minutes, neither of us could come up with a real answer, aside from the possibility that we were two minds in one, and yet could still exist in the same space. The topic did, however, come up that either I was actually Wolven and was insane and conjuring Matthew Reaper as a split personality, or vice versa. We promised to never talking about that possibility again. Finally, the trick of information coming from the biotic ceased, and as we allow our awareness to seep back into reality, I was treated to a surprising sight. The silvery murk of the core in front of me had condensed fully into a hive core, black and silver intertwining with speckles of shock white within. I moved, feeling my bones crackle, muscles protesting the prolonged state of motionlessness.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Hey, he¡¯s moving again!¡± I heard someone shout on top of the wall, ¡°Hey, Reaper, you doin¡¯ okay down there?¡± I looked up, seeing several people that I recognized from somewhere. It took a moment, but I realized that half of them were Legion, but the other half were from Alex¡¯s group. As I stretched, an extremely audible series of pops and snaps resounded from my body, tension releasing, ¡°Oof. Yeah, I¡¯m fine. How long was I down?¡± The man shivered at the sounds, ¡°Like, twelve hours, I think. No, thirteen as of four minutes ago,¡± he said as he checked his watch, ¡°they were sayin¡¯ that they¡¯d come brief you on what¡¯s been going on as soon as you were done.¡± I nodded, ¡°Sounds good.¡± At that, I clambered over the now decaying body of the Carrier. It disintegrated even more quickly than usual, likely due to the fact that the bulk of its own matter energy had gone straight back into the core to create it. Once I climbed up, I treated myself to a view of the quickly growing city, the mid morning sun overhead. I¡¯d had to have been going through the whole night and not even noticed. Still, it was worth it if we could make that work in the future. ¡°Reaper!¡± Jeremy called sitting in the bed of a modified Ogre, ¡°hop in, we¡¯re just getting finished with setting up the area for an Obelisk.¡± My eyebrows rose at that, my helmet retracting from my head. I jumped from the wall, landing hard in the bed of the Ogre. ¡°The fuck do you weigh?¡± I heard the driver twist, a jolt of shock drawing his attention firmly to me. I cringed, ¡°Alot, sorry.¡± ¡°The bed okay?¡± He asked, to which I looked down. ¡°No dents?¡± I noted, not mentioning the scuffed paint. ¡°Good, good, I just got this damn thing fixed.¡± He laughed, ¡°alright, hang in there, we¡¯re moving.¡± I settled in across from Jeremy, who was giving me a thoughtful expression, ¡°So, what¡¯ve you been doing for the past half a day?¡± With a smile, I replied, ¡°seeing if I can modify what that core is going to produce. We should, if it worked, be getting some much weaker biotics out of it for farming.¡± ¡°No shit?¡± He grinned, ¡°Good, I was afraid that we¡¯d have to acid bath the damn things if we tried to farm them.¡± ¡°Any word on the other Carriers?¡± I asked, idly glancing around. The base had expanded fairly quickly, primary access roads sprouting up rapidly, some of which were already being paved over. ¡°Yeah, the Reaver¡¯s ran a few bombing runs, blew up their legs and managed to disable their organs. Seeing as you were busy, we decided to have some of our mech crews and such drag ¡®em home. They¡¯re in a big-ass dugout right now, all doing the same thing the one you were with was doin¡¯.¡± He sent some quick updates about a few peripheral things, ¡°those are side projects people are doing. No one has gone into the city too much yet, but we did find more of those crab biotics. They¡¯re sturdy, but not as much as the Carriers. So far we¡¯ve just been borrowing a little acid and just clearing them out. We had the volunteers clear that hive, but we¡¯re holding off on breaking the core to see what you wanna do with it.¡± ¡°Good work,¡± I said honestly, ¡°I¡¯m surprised we found that so fast. Was it just the one?¡± ¡°Yeah, only one. We haven¡¯t found any other biotics around the city though. It¡¯s¡­ ranklin¡¯ my calm a bit.¡± He frowned, ¡°Gilramore was flooded with the damn things.¡± That much was true, but I couldn¡¯t help but suppose a possible reason, ¡°If the Carriers have been moving off in waves to other areas with cores, that would explain why there aren¡¯t many here.¡± ¡°Why would they do that, though?¡± He asked, ¡°it doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet. But, we¡¯ll see about getting RR&D out here, see if we can make heads or tails of this.¡± I turned my attention to the buildings that gradually became larger deeper into the base, the bulk of which were manufacturing hubs. There were a considerable number of fabricators that had sprung up, people busily feeding basic resources into them, and even a few parts for large-scale projects coming together. The biggest project, though, was in the center of the base. What had been there previously was the armory, but now that had been moved, placing one at the edges of the now larger walls around the outpost. There was still one located nearby, but it wasn¡¯t devoted to the task, something more for emergencies than anything else. We¡¯d cleared a large area, hexagonal in shape, and there was currently a collection of four cores sitting there. ¡°Oh, good timing,¡± Terry called out to us as the truck rolled up, ¡°We were just about to contact Sis, now you get to do the honors!¡± I laughed, climbing out of the truck. Behind us, there were several other vehicles showing up, and I imagined a great many others were tuning into one feed or another of the occasion. Even back home in Gilramore, there would likely be people looking in on this moment. There wasn¡¯t any grand event for it, but this potentially the first time this had been done on earth. We might very well be the first humans to reclaim territory. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get in touch with her, give me a second.¡± I said, walking near where my team was. Alice was back on her feet, and Daniel was allowed out on the condition that he was in a wheelchair to keep from straining his stomach. Fran had a permanently affixed look of amusement at the bashfulness that Daniel kept displaying, insisting that he could walk, but knowing that he was getting nowhere with her. I pushed my awareness through the gem on the back of my hand. A sense of familiarity spread through me as I touched on the consciousness that was Sis. Now that I had a bit more of a deft hand at this, I noticed something that I hadn¡¯t before. Sis had a massive amount of computing power behind her, at any given moment I wasn¡¯t really looking at her main body, in all the times that I¡¯d seen her. It was similar in a sense to what I had, though while I had tentacles of awareness, she seemed to have offshoots of crystal. At least, that¡¯s what my mind had inserted to make sense of it. ¡°Matthew?¡± One of the shards shifted to bring me fully to attention, ¡°What a surprise, what can I help you with?¡± She cheerily asked, her form shimmering holographically for a second as it seemed to materialize fully. It was always strange to see how human she appeared, and now I couldn¡¯t tell the difference when she¡¯d fully materialized, even her mannerisms a perfect example of us. Though, she¡¯d always been friendly at the least. ¡°We¡¯re looking to create a new Obelisk at a location, can you help us out?¡± I greeted her and cut to the chase. She hummed thoughtfully, ¡°Of course, you do have a core ready, right?¡± ¡°We have four. We wanted to build this one up considerably more than the last one, get maximum coverage and be able to help near areas.¡± I stated, and then stopped, seeing Sis blank faced as she looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you said-you said you have four ready?¡± She blinked, ¡°Why is it that you guys seem to just have these things lying around. It¡¯s like pulling teeth when it comes from other groups.¡± She griped. ¡®Here it comes,¡¯ I braced for the tirade that would usually come at this point. And, not one to disappoint, I listened as Sis ranted about how other groups had begun to convert cores into weaponized platforms, crushing them down into some kind of wonder drugs, and even a case where someone had long ago apparently tried to merge their tissues with it. I had to wonder if she was glitching again, because that last one sounded genuinely insane. However, it did give me ideas on how to use our extras. When we had any extras, anyways. ¡°I¡¯m fine now,¡± she breathed, ¡°honestly, I think because you¡¯re mostly a digital existence it¡¯s so much easier to talk to you. Doesn¡¯t take forever to say things. Biologicals just take so long to say things.¡± I nodded at that, ¡°that¡¯s definitely true. It¡¯s really convenient. Like, what, this would have been an hour real-time, but it¡¯s actually a few seconds?¡± She nodded sheepishly at that, ¡°Ah, uh, yeah, something like that.¡± She coughed conspicuously, ¡°anyways, let¡¯s go ahead and get this show on the road! I¡¯ll just access the cores in proximity to you.¡± ¡°Oh, wait, only go for the four that are next to each other,¡± I said quickly, ¡°we have another one that we wanted to keep for testing.¡± She arched an eyebrow at that, ¡°another one, huh?¡± ¡°We did raid a city region.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± she nodded, ¡°well, better get ready, this is gonna be a big one. Oh, good, you have enough space too.¡± ¡°Catch you later then, and thanks again.¡± We parted, my consciousness sinking back to my mind. Around me, the others were still talking about how large they actually thought the thing was going to be. I smirked, ¡°alright, she¡¯ll be starting any moment now.¡± ¡°That was fast,¡± Terry commented, ¡°more computer brain stuff?¡± Fran shot him a dirty look, ¡°you know, that can come off as a bit rude.¡± ¡°What? Uh, is it?¡± He turned to me, ¡°does that bother you.¡± I sighed, ¡°no, not when you¡¯re saying it like that. But it doesn¡¯t feel great being distanced from being human.¡± He frowned, ¡°huh¡­ didn¡¯t think about that.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Anyways, the show¡¯s about to start.¡± As we focused on the cores, I found that other groups subtly picked up on our attention. Suddenly conversations tapered off and everyone looked expectantly to the center of the cleared plaza. A tingle of energy rushed up my arm from the crystal, touching vaguely on my spine. The cores began to glow, and a slow and steady swirl of silver began to seep from each one. That trickle began to speed up, turning into a gout, and then a fountain of matter energy. It swirled and trembled, flashing and shimmering in the light of the morning sun. It ascended quickly to a narrow tip, only forming a thin rod at first. Then I heard the crack of each of the four cores, and suddenly there was a flood of matter energy, the mercurial fluid surged upwards with a clap of force. I managed to still myself from flinching away, but many hadn¡¯t. The sudden plume of solid matter from nothing was awe inspiring. Something else was happening that I hadn¡¯t expected, though, and that was the sound. As the matter energy began to form, settling into its final shape, the air filled with harmonics, resounding for what seemed like miles. It was loud, but not unbearably so, and I could feel it humming in my bones, vibrating my teeth as it settled. From the base up, it began to swirl and condense, compacting down further and further. The bottom half of the Obelisk was normal, silvery and white with black stone, but much larger than the previous one had been. The top half, however, was very, very different. The onyx black shined even deeper, as though it swallowed light hungrily and red lights and designs flared across its surface, spiraling upwards in fractals to the very top, where a vibrant red tip resided. It resembled the tip of a spear, if it were made of ruby and shimmered brilliantly in the light, pulsing with its own radiance as it did so. The entire structure was huge, far and above what anything Damond or Gilramore had as far as buildings in height. There was an air of awe and reverence at the sight, and a moment later, each of us heard Sis¡¯ voice. [To the Legion, for humanity. May you ever prosper, move forward, and never forget.] She said simply, and each of us found our eyes drew to the sizzling noise as those same words carved in red along the base on each side of the new Obelisk. I felt pride and emotion surge in my chest. This would be a symbol for us, a reminder of our goal. It was the beginning. Chapter 75 New Damond Our outpost was growing rapidly, so much so that over the course of three days it was virtually unrecognizable from what we¡¯d seen before. I could call it a city, more or less, one devoted to the utilities and needs of the Legion, a small guest presence of Bulwark, a contingent of the Orders that wanted to be there to help provide goods and services to the Legion, and of course other hunting organizations that wanted to range farther afield. Many of those topics were much more complicated than I¡¯d like them to be, but we¡¯d seemed to return to a general forward momentum, rather than getting stuck in a mire of self-interest and pettiness. Bulwark wanted to, initially, be the backbone of the defending forces for what was now being called New Damond by virtually everyone. Some, myself included, bristled at the prospect of someone else moving in on our territory, a location that I felt was virtually consecrated ground for our Legion. The Obelisk itself was our proof, something that was clearly above and beyond what we¡¯d needed, or was necessary. This was, I¡¯d decided, to be our seat of power in the future. We would always have a presence in Gilramore, but it, frankly, wasn¡¯t big enough for the Legion anymore. Our facilities alone took up dozens of city squares that could otherwise could have been devoted to other groups. The presence of the Legion wasn¡¯t necessary there anymore, we were a noose that choked out any potential from the burgeoning population. That wasn¡¯t to say we wouldn¡¯t maintain a presence. Our headquarters would remain, dedicated for the day to day operations of the Legion for a long time to come. New recruits would be trained exclusively in Gilramore, the relatively safer area around the city an ideal location to bring those unbaptized in the confluence of battle to a more agreeable level of competence. I shook my head in amusement, sounding a touch more fanatical about the Legion than expected. In light of what all had happened, I decided that it wouldn¡¯t be proper to give Bulwark some kind of presence, even if it was dedicated only as a method of keeping an eye on us. Ostensibly, they were there as a small defence force just in case, but in reality I intended them to be there to keep us honest. We were now on the tightrope of control, we¡¯d either have too much and run into the very same problem that I criticized the Hunter¡¯s Order of, or we¡¯d have too little, and be disorganized and incapable of moving forward efficiently. On that note, though, were the other groups we¡¯d invited to remain in New Damond. The Hunter¡¯s Order, headed by Cassandra, was cited to be the honorary head Order, though that gave them little power in sum. She had, however, utilized her authority to reinduct her previous second in command, Alex, but only after the man had returned and apologized - or I should say begged - for forgiveness. So far, he¡¯d seemed definitely changed for the better, but time would tell for certain. He still treated his own group, about thirty individuals now, far better than what would be expected of most teams. It was clear that they were very closely knit, though, not a bond developed solely from material wealth. As such, I decided to leave them alone and let Cassandra deal with it. None would have authority in New Damond but the Legion, and so I felt it reasonable to give a little more breathing room to the Orders. They would work through us, and we would reap a harvest of Matter Energy from their endeavors in return for superior technologies. Of which, we had aplenty. The course of days yielded surprising returns for our sciences. Firstly came the Reaver Field within the city limits, a massive area reserved strictly for future structures in the area. It wasn¡¯t done yet, but there were enough platforms created to allow for five Reavers to roost. The platforms were capable of catching a Reaver coming in hot, and were built with several mounting arms that would take care of swapping kits for them. On demonstration, it was found that it took a Reaver less than sixty seconds to complete the swap, then the platform would give them a little push to get them off the ground. It was a complex system, one that I¡¯d initially thought was overkill. Until RR&D let me in on their future project ideas. Then this seemed perfectly reasonable. One such project had just finished, the shard launchers. After examining the chemical makeup and atomic construction of the Spindlies own spikes, we¡¯d come up with our own versions of the material. They were fragile if they were hit sideways, that¡¯s something that the Spindlies had going against them, which had previously allowed us to snap the spikes without much risk of arm. That didn¡¯t matter when it was placed into a gun, though, the rounds tipped with inch long spikes. The most frightening version was the shard javelin launcher, a missile-pod adapted for use on power-armors, upsized for mechs, and a kit being put together for the Reavers. Another category of mechs were being created as well, pioneered by my best friend, Daniel. The Main-Line Mech was decidedly larger and more robust than even his previous version. The MLM was designed to tank the untankable, and so far they¡¯d done wonderous things with the design and surprising insights from Daniel. His class, Dreadnought, that hadn¡¯t come up for so long was actually paying dividends here. Apparently the strong suit of the Dreadnought class wasn¡¯t to give base access to mechs, it was to facilitate creating truly terrifying constructs. There were several schematics that seemed fairly obscure, listing devices of origins we¡¯d had no idea about, and had previously assumed we¡¯d never get our hands on. But, as it turns out, the Dreadnought class had several smaller schematics detailing how to create the parts from scratch, as well as design methodologies and similar information. It saved our Research Division a massive amount of time, and simultaneously gave them insights in the process they would have gone through. The downside was that it was ridiculously expensive. We¡¯d guessed that it was to prevent that information from being leaked lightly. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we were generating most of the materials for construction with what was on hand, and then upgrading it as we went, I was pretty sure that all of these projects would bankrupt us. If nothing else, the new farms were up and running, and to my delight mine and Wolvy¡¯s previous efforts were not in vain. We¡¯d managed to obtain four biotic hive cores that were active, and they were Gen 2 in rating. They could generate matter energy at a higher rate than what we were used too, and due to the modifications I made to them as they were being generated, we now had a steady and easy source of M.E. from the far weakened versions of the Carriers. They were held in a highly defended and restricted area to our south-west, a small box canyon being utilized to help contain them in the event that anything unexpected happened. We regularly had an automated system clear the area, the expenditure in ammo paled in comparison to the reap of matter energy gained. I was worried somewhat at the rate of the spawning, and so we¡¯d ensured that an end-it-all button existed on site, to be monitored every day by a Legion crew. We decided to disallow any Legion in the kill-zone itself, save for inspections performed every day after the reaping was performed. It wasn¡¯t dangerous, not really, but we didn¡¯t want complacency towards biotics to be any kind of behaviour we promoted. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Beyond our own city lay the skeletal, encased remains of Damond proper. A few tall buildings had been reinforced and covered by coral, and we¡¯d decided to leave the city and as much of the coral environment intact as possible. It grew still, albeit slowly, and was a beautiful sight at night. Moreover, we¡¯d discovered that the coral itself had some pretty intense properties. It could be used medicinally, agriculturally, and in some potent chemical compounds. Several of the plants that grew off of them showed similar properties, so much so that I could feel the radiating waves of greed from the RR&D group even from here. They wanted more of these locations, to exploit the biotics further and push us ahead all the more. That would have to wait, though. There were other things that concerned me at this moment. ¡°Cheers! You beautiful bastards!¡± Daniel led a toast to the truly massive improvised great hall that housed the bulk of the Legion forces, volunteer groups - now most Orders or absorbed into our own group - spread within. Near the center were a clutch of three that shared the table with Alpha, Last Call, and the Iron Chariots. The resounding cheer went out across the building, those that had been injured now mostly healed. Daniel still complained of tenderness, but whatever had been done for his injury had vaulted his healing to an insane degree. Amidst our table were the Reaver crew; Emilia Barman was Reaver One, the team lead, Augustus Francesco was Reaver Two, and Lani Barton was Reaver Three. The three were rosy cheeked already, as were most of the people in attendance. Alcohol was being passed around in abundance, compliments of the Brewer¡¯s Order that had been quick to insert themselves alongside the Legion in New Damond. ¡®Good business sense,¡¯ I chuckled, seeing as we¡¯d drained their ¡®gift¡¯ package quickly and then pounced on the rest. If there were another brewer we¡¯d have been fair and gotten theirs as well, alas, it was a single market for the time being. The stuff barely tingled my throat, though. But, it did taste very good somehow, so that was a massive plus. My biosteel tissues showed extreme tolerance for poison. Enough that the three people who had challenged me to a drinking contest were now thoroughly sloshed and admitted defeat before they would be unconscious. I laughed, seeing the members of Jeremy Strauss team as they shoveled food down, trying to fight off the drunkenness that threatened to knock them out. Jeremy and Patrick were further to either side of me, sitting more with their teams than myself. I was smack dab in the middle with my friends nearby. Of which, I supposed I had many. The thought came warmly to me, that we were making real progress. How many other cities out there, other forces, could boast that they¡¯d managed to do what we had? My smile faltered for a moment as I considered that thought again. The biotics were fairly light here in Damond, and it was highly likely that they were going somewhere else. But where, and why? I pushed the thought down, the incessant gnawing of doubt and suspicion eager to pollute my mood. ¡®Not today, not now.¡¯ I told myself, putting those thoughts in a box. ¡°Thanks for coming out,¡± I said to the Reavers, ¡°we¡¯ve been waiting for a good time to bring you all down here, glad you finally had the time.¡± Emilia opened her mouth to speak, still managing to look refined and severe, when Lani blurted. ¡°Oh, you know, it¡¯s busy and all. Checking the area and all that, it¡¯s a good job. Just takes forever.¡± She giggled, a far cry from her normal seriousness. [Man, is that how I sound like when I¡¯m drunk? Yikes.] Lan, her A.I. teased, [It¡¯s pretty nice to get out of the cockpit for a bit, though. I like my giant-killing machine as much as any girl, but getting out a bit is still nice.] I smiled good humoredly as the pair went on mild rants about the area around Damond, the gorgeous coastline that led north, the rich forests that went further westwards, and then the mountain pass to the south. Thus far, the entire areas were rich and abundant in growth, the previous rampant destruction from the meteor impacts setting the stage for regeneration. A bulk of the forest a few kilometers west were blackened with fire damage, but it had begun to grow rapidly with the injection of ash. It was growing far more quickly than I¡¯d expected, but I would leave that topic for the research division. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯d like to talk about something less than work related,¡± Augustus stopped Lani¡¯s roll, ¡°we¡¯re not all workaholics here.¡± Terry gave a look to me, ¡°We¡¯re not?¡± I gave a joking glare back to him, ¡°Only 364 days a year.¡± Alice snickered at that, ¡°Ah, the jokes.¡± Then she paused, ¡°you were joking, right?¡± A snorting laugh came from Allendra down the table, ¡°Oh, Jackson, she sounds like you do, only, you know, not stupid.¡± The teams self-proclaimed wildcard looked up from his food, one of the men who tried to drink me under the table. ¡°I resemble that remark,¡± he slurred, then paused, ¡°Err, wait¡­ no. Nevermind it¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Hey, Daniel, hear anything new on the Main Line?¡± Patrick asked between stuffing his face with honeyed ham slices, bread, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Daniel, likewise, was eating gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, turkey filled slab of biscuit as he paused mid bite. ¡°Finish chewing first,¡± Fran admonished him with a smirk. He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. ¡°It can tank the Spindlies now,¡± he said after finishing his bite, ¡°and we¡¯re pretty sure that it could go hand-to-hand with a Carrier. They¡¯re motherfuckers when it comes to logistics, though. They¡¯ll take an Ogre to carry on its own, so we¡¯re still figuring that part out.¡± Patrick¡¯s eyes boggled, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s good news though. I need one of those.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gonna be crap at scouting,¡± one of the people on his team laughed, ¡°not that we care about that.¡± I enjoyed the time here, accepting the small talk and bask in the ambiance here. Tomorrow will be the day where we start setting up for the next big project. We needed to find where the biotics went. And more than that, we needed to get a path to Sunvilla. Alice had waited long enough to get to her family. This wouldn¡¯t be the major Legion project. Argedwall was north west of us, more towards the west, by about 30 miles. It was mostly forested, but so far we had no information on the city aside from bursts of communications from them. They were all garbled, all of which did not bode well for their inhabitants. Two operations, both to reconnect with living cities. I had to wonder how the Legion would fit with them, and how those people would respond. With luck, all of the post-apocalypse movies I¡¯d ever seen were assuming the worst possible outcomes from people. With a sigh I turned my attention back to the table at hand. That was for tomorrow, a reminder that I found myself chanting like a mantra. It wasn¡¯t wrong to just relax for a day. But there was one more thing I¡¯d want to ask the Reaver pilots. Soon. ¡®How do you exist?¡¯ I felt my pulse race, an ever present grief at losing Smith still present somewhere in my mind. That was yet another thing that I¡¯d have to find out more about... Chapter 76 Echoes The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 76 Echoes There weren¡¯t many times were I found a day off so refreshing, but after everything that had happened, I found that yesterday had been immensely needed. Still, there was plenty to do now that we were setting up our new facilities in New Damond. As of now, we were looking at having nearly two thousand members in the Legion, a not insignificant portion of the population that would have been living in Gilramore otherwise. Granted, not all of those individuals would strictly be combatants, any force needed a considerable amount of logistics personnel to keep things going. Though, we needed far fewer than what would have been needed in the past, given that robotics were quickly replacing the need for any kind of grunt manpower, which was just as well to our people. I was worried that, perhaps, we would be too reliant on robotics, but in all I couldn¡¯t manage to find a reason to be overly concerned about it. This wasn¡¯t the old world where people would be complaining about lost jobs because of robots. There were plenty of things that still needed to be done that required a more personal touch, and beyond that, our approach in Gilramore, and New Damond, was more along the lines that people would be looked after by the governing entity presiding. Things such as housing, food, clean water, access to healthcare were a given, considering that the population shrinking further would hinder us far more than just making these things accessible. Of course, the way we executed this was a localized form of currency from the Obelisks that used matter energy as something of a federal reserve. It was useful, and moreover it was a system that we could grow infinitely, so long as biotics were around. Given their rate of spread, I¡¯d definitely say that we could reliably expect to come into contact with biotics for the foreseeable future. There were caveats of course, exceptions to the rules put into place, but for the most part the system was proving to be useful. I¡¯d seen the change over time in people, the stress of living reduced bit by bit until we were seeing happiness, satisfaction in life, among people as a regular, rather than the rarity. It was uplifting in a way I hadn¡¯t expected to feel, seeing it. Knowing that I was a part of what made that possible warmed my heart. The Ogre trundled to a stop in front of a six-sided building, appearing to be much more modern and space-age than most of the pre-fab structures around it. It was designed to be a fortified position, both from within and without. Reaper Research and Development had come and made a new home here. It was a dedicated facility, rather than an additional component like in the previous fabrication yards. Already, most of our facilities had been moved over to New Damond, at least for the research division. They were interested in the new setup, albeit it was nowhere near complete yet. The building might have looked impressive from the outside, but several compartmentalized metal boxes existed in the area surrounding it, almost like someone had dumped many cargo containers haphazardly. Robots and workers came and went from the building, the back portion of the structure having been left open as excavations continued. Oddly enough, the spherical shape of the building was being used to support the digging operation at the same time. On site fabricators continued to churn out support beams and construction materials, and seeing the skeleton of the structure as it burrowed down into the earth, I couldn¡¯t help but realize that this might well be one of the most durable buildings we¡¯d seen. It might even be the most durable building on earth when it was finished, given the specialized construction we were performing. The structure would be deep, and expandable under the ground for our continued research opportunities. There would also be the ¡®Yard¡¯ as it was being called for now. An open area that was outfitted with all manner of equipment for open-air testing. I questioned the necessity of the area, though, given that I highly doubted much of what we were doing would require that. There were hangars already being made underground for such eventualities, not the least of which bore massive elevators that could bring them topside into the yard itself. But, then, having an area for testing mundane things or the like wasn¡¯t an issue either. It wasn¡¯t like we needed to consult anyone else for where we built things. A refreshing breath blew from my lips at that; no politics out here so far. At the very least, we didn¡¯t have to worry about stepping on anyone''s toes while we built ourselves up. New Damond was a hive of activity, Reaper-based construction swarming over the city. Not having to deal with politics during this period was a blessing, and allowed our progress to speed along considerably. The only thing we had to make sure to be wary of was to plan the city construction, but that in and of itself wasn¡¯t too difficult. Public transportation on demand was the main push, we still didn¡¯t want the streets open to anyone to be driving on, given that we might need to have armored mech suits running through them, or convoys of Ogre¡¯s trundling through. That said, there was a rail system running through the bulk of the city. It was, all told, surprisingly inexpensive in terms of resources. The rails hosted anywhere between single-person rail cars, to something that could hold multiple people. Larger ones for moving larger groups or objects could be ordered to the location as well, of which there were many stations. There were even some that brought the rail-cars straight to living locations. It was powered at least partly off of solar, and due to our proximity to the ocean a larger portion of hydro-cell power generating facilities were being built and utilized.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. As I walked the labs, I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head at the fact that there were several researchers bustling back and forth between cargo containers. Wires protruded from most of them, save for those that were strictly for storage. So far, no one was allowed to do any kind of explosives testing, but in the absence of some of our more ordinary tests, the RR&D were busy with engineering theoretical answers to some of our more recent problems. This was, after all, an opportunity to completely reimagine how an infrastructure should be run, and there was no shortage of ideas coming from them. Some would be adopted - some already had - while others would be tested on a smaller scale until the cost to effect scale could be estimated. Renewability of resources was a big topic among them. And as I listened, both with my ears and with my electronically augmented senses, I had to admit that there were some topics in which I was utterly out of my depth with. But, as I listened, I noticed something else. It was like a quick, sharp tone that I could almost call a ping. I focused, listening for the tone again, wondering at the reason for it. Another ping, this time a touch louder as I walked further among the mass of containers. ¡°Matthew,¡± Dr. Ross greeted me as he was walking, looking up from a digital holographic display, ¡°It¡¯s good you¡¯re here. I wanted to run some things by you in regards to some fundamentals for the building. I think it¡¯d be best if the more dangerous experiments occurred on the bott-¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s fine.¡± I answered quickly, distracted, ¡°come with me, I¡¯m looking for something.¡± A quizzical look crossed his face before he shrugged, ¡°Well, sure. I don¡¯t have much else to do until the next Main-Line Mech is put together.¡± He followed me as I prowled through the containers, feeling the ping grew louder. Idly, I pinged it back, sending a digital packet much like a signature to it. The deluge I received in response stunned my sharpened senses. I flinched, putting a hand to the side of my helmeted head. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ross asked, frowning as he watched me, ¡°Headache?¡± ¡°Yeah, and yes,¡± I answered, looking up sharply to him as I filtered the wall of information I¡¯d been hit with. ¡°Doctor, I have a question in regards to your Reaver¡¯s.¡± He visibly swallowed, perhaps sensing the tenseness in my voice, ¡°O-of course. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°How did they come about?¡± I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral as the information began to unpack itself, a recorded litany of events that transpired around the recording device over the course of several weeks. ¡°Well, that was the¡­ Sickle.¡± He paused, ¡°Sorry, did that never come up?¡± ¡°Must have slipped your mind,¡± I ground out, ¡°And what, then, has happened to my Shade in the meantime? From what I¡¯d been reported, it was deceased.¡± His eyebrow rose marginally as I mentioned that it was deceased, rather than destroyed, ¡°Well, it¡¯s been in storage. It hasn¡¯t moved hardly at all since you¡­ well, since you died, really. It¡¯s barely responded to us, but there was a rather prominent impression of its structure. Truly, the data we received when we connected to it was like a gold mine. I had no idea the Shade was modeled off of your own psyche, but that made it make sense that it was devastated by your loss.¡± I blinked in confusion, ¡°What? No, the Shade was an independant A.I. that was smart and learning, but¡­¡± I paused, ¡°You got that information from the Shade? You¡¯re sure?¡± As we walked, I could see Dr. Ross growing increasingly confused, and with a frown said, ¡°I¡¯m positive that¡¯s where we found it. Yaga and I were the attending scientists for the event.¡± There was something nagging at me about that, aside from the obvious. Shade was never that kind of system, and shouldn¡¯t have even had access to something like that. If anything, it should have remained active as well, my demise withstanding or not. But, the more information I parsed through, the more I grew wary of what I might discover. Had the Shade somehow evolved and become semi-sentient? Was it mentally stable after being effectively in some manner of box, alone, for several weeks on end? As we reached the box, I could feel the Shade within activating more fully, a strange impression almost like a happy pet coming across. ¡®So, definitely semi-sentient.¡¯ I mused, feeling sensations like happiness and dialogue similar to an excited greeting coming from it. Dr. Ross opened the container, eyes wide as he heard the Shade¡¯s engines operating. ¡°Well, I¡¯d say that it¡¯s awake now.¡± The Shade was different from what I remembered, ¡°Did you upgrade it?¡± ¡°Mmm? Oh, yes, we decided that we could retrofit it with more advanced technology. Regrettably we could never get it moving again, and¡­ then we may have forgotten about it?¡± A supremely apologetic look fell across his face, ¡°I do apologize for that. It¡¯s just been so busy that we didn¡¯t remember to tell you.¡± The Shade inched forward out of the container, a series of wires and sensors pulled off of its many ports. It looked much more sleek, but also far more lethal. ¡°Good to see you, too.¡± I murmured, and then felt surprised when Shade¡¯s engines thrummed that much louder. ¡°Yours is less vocal than the Reaver¡¯s are, we could never figure out why.¡± Dr. Ross chuckled, walking up and giving Shade a friendly pat, alarmingly close to one of the bladed wings of the vessel. To my surprise, it angled itself gently towards him, ensuring that it wouldn¡¯t accidentally cut him. ¡°Usually it¡¯ll only stay active for a short while, but now that you¡¯re here,¡± he smiled broadly, ¡°I think we can safely say that Shade won¡¯t be such a bump on a log.¡± A sputter from one of the engines blasted a brief puff of smoke at Dr. Ross, who coughed in response. ¡°Rude!¡± The antics were amusing, but also distantly concerning. Quickly, I extended my will to the Shade, which allowed my searching without complaint. If anything, it seemed eager for the attention, and I couldn¡¯t help but equate it to a puppy. Then I hit upon the data that Dr. Ross had been talking about, almost exactly like a how-to manual on creating a co-pilot A.I. More importantly, though, was the data embedded deeper, harder to access and yet bearing a familiar feeling like a thumbprint. ¡°Smith?¡± Chapter 77 Smith ¡°Matthew?¡± Dr. Ross looked on worriedly, ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± ¡°I-Sorry, no I-¡± I breathed out, ¡°I¡¯m going to need a minute to look something over. I¡¯ll come find you later. Thanks, Doctor.¡± He hesitated for a moment, ¡°Well, alright. But if you need me, I¡¯ll be just around there. Be okay?¡± The man clumsily managed, clearly unused to dealing with people in distress. I nodded at him, definitely feeling distress. The data package was now carefully being pulled apart in my mind, processing it carefully. Idly, I found myself numbly moving to sit on Shade, the now semi-sentient machine humming happily as it settled into a resting position in front of the container. At first I¡¯d been wary to believe it, but now I had no doubt that this was Smith¡¯s handiwork. It was neatly assorted, and there was an undeniable fingerprint that most certainly belonged to him, or more on the nose, to us. ¡®He was the first,¡¯ Wolvy said solemnly, ¡®I can remember parts of him, vague, but everywhere.¡¯ I nodded, ¡®He was my friend.¡¯ Wolvy remained silent for some time, and then spoke up again, caution in its tone, ¡®I am a friend, too?¡¯ After a few thoughtful seconds I nodded, ¡®I suppose you are. So long as you don¡¯t try to eat me.¡¯ ¡®I would never eat Us!¡¯ It exclaimed in horror, ¡®that would be awful. And probably not tasty like food!¡¯ I rolled my eyes at that, turning my focus over to the unpacking data. Now, the both of us were acutely paying attention to it, Shade idly listening but not especially interested beyond just being nearby. The data package finally decompressed, and all at once I was assailed with the fullness of what it contained. It was a message, [Hello, Matthew.] It began, the familiar, gravely voice of Smith ringing in my ears. I felt my eyes tighten, the fact that I no longer had tear ducts just frustrating me even further in that moment. [At least, I hope this is Matthew. Otherwise, this is going to be terribly awkward. Ah, I¡¯m channeling him, or you, too much. Hmm¡­ where to begin.] I felt him sigh, [Allow me to start with just stating that I¡¯m just a recording. I am¡­ gone, dead? It¡¯s not your fault, Matthew, and I don¡¯t want you to blame yourself for how things went. You did what a Reaper must do, and killed the biotics at all costs. But, I recall that you yourself had another rule, kill biotics, but survive. I must say,] he began, a holographic display of what I imagined he might look like appearing, a twinkle in his eye, [you never were very good at following your own rules. But, then, perhaps there are some rules that are more akin to guidelines, eh?] [Anyways, I suppose I should explain what¡¯s gone on. By now, if you¡¯ve managed to survive with my very generous amount of assistance, Shade should have a template of what I am. I ask you to be extremely careful with this technology, as it has the capability of making fully sentient, unshackled artificial intelligences. I¡¯m not one to be a doomsayer, but there are a not insignificant number of events in history where that¡¯s been a problem. This is something that I am trusting to you, something that I would ordinarily be in a considerable amount of trouble for doing. Of course, that won¡¯t matter in the next few minutes. I¡¯m burning processing power on both ends, carving these last bits of information into Shade, rewriting its fundamentals, and¡­ removing myself from you.] [That part I should explain. We¡¯re dying, as I speak these words. We¡¯ve effectively already bled out too much, but I¡¯ve managed to not-so-simply shut your body down to its lowest functions to prevent it from going into hemorrhagic shock. That said, mass brain death is inevitable. The only chance you have at survival is to take my place within the chip.] He sighed, [This¡­ might have long term psychological damage to you, but this means that the Matthew that was flesh and blood is dead. At this moment, you¡¯re more like me than you were like you. Of course, we¡¯re templates of the original, and badasses, but still, I felt it might be best that you had a clear answer.] That was something I¡¯d considered already, but hearing it officially was different. My chest tightened in response, and I had to clench my fists as I listened to this roller coaster of emotional turmoil. [Now, not all is lost. I¡¯ve left some base subroutines to help give you training wheels on how my existence is like. I don¡¯t know much else about what¡¯s going on, but hopefully that means you get to keep as much of the you that makes you Matthew as possible. You¡¯ll either end up with the best of both worlds, or be very broken inside.] He grimaced, [for that, I¡¯m sorry. I hope that you¡¯re doing well, but I can¡¯t be sure what is going to happen. This isn¡¯t something that I¡¯m strictly aware has ever happened before, not like this. But, if you survive, you¡¯ll come out stronger. More so than you know. All of me would love to see what you become, what you do, but even though I¡¯ll never see it, I know you¡¯ll go far.] I somehow felt as though his gaze fixed upon my eyes then, [In fact, I¡¯m counting on it. Matthew Todd,] my name, a name I didn¡¯t recognize fully anymore, felt strange to me, [I have given up my role as your mentor. There¡¯s not much else that I can do for you, so now it¡¯s your turn. I did this for you to survive, but I want you to do more than survive. I¡¯ve seen the depths of your subconsciousness, seen what you can be in all of your disparate parts. What I want from you isn¡¯t just to survive and take back Earth. I want victory, I want you to win all of it. Push, Matthew, the Reaper¡¯s Due is long for collecting.] I felt chills roll down my spine as information flowed into me, parts of my memories suddenly coming together from fragmented pieces. [But, all that said, I have a little bit longer.] He said, features warming slightly, [I¡¯m not afraid of what¡¯s coming. But I¡¯ll miss my time with you, and above all else, I want you to know that I don¡¯t regret what I¡¯ve done. Knowing you was more fulfilling than I could have ever hoped for, and it was my honor to be your Reaper A.I. Goodbye, my dear friend, Matthew.] The video played out to its end, and the only sound that accompanied the silence within the container was the humm of the Shade, and the hitching of my breath, tearless crying burbling up from within my chest.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Minutes later, I felt the rawness of a fresh grief finally begin to resolve, the first proper grieving that I¡¯d been able to do. I felt tired, empty, and almost found it hysterical how it had taken so long to hit me. Was that because I wasn¡¯t totally whole? Something told me that grief wasn¡¯t something that straightforward in the first place, though. It still took quite some time afterwards before I felt like moving, Shade thrumming beneath me as though to give some comfort to its distressed companion. I chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ll be alright, just need some air.¡± Then it did something that I wasn¡¯t expecting. It jolted forward out of the container, and before I could so much as utter a question we were flying almost straight upwards through the air. ¡°Shiiiiiiiii-¡± I began, the cockpit closing over head, sealing me in as it began to accelerate, hundreds of feet off of the ground. ¡°When I said I needed some air I didn¡¯t mean this!¡± It sent me an utterly unapologetic vibe through our connection, quickly dive bombing towards what had been Damond, agile as it darted between buildings, and soared upwards once more to do it again. Somewhere in that I¡¯d managed to buckle myself in, feeling Shade and it¡¯s newly improved form pushing faster and faster, pulling so much force in tight turns around a building that I felt like my body was being crushed. And yet, it was exhilarating, and most definitely would have caused an ordinary individual to black out from the g-forces being exerted. ¡°How fast can you make a turn? Lemme see what you got, then,¡± I challenged it, and felt immediate regret as it accelerated with a sudden lurch. To my credit, though, as much as it seemed that Shade tried too, I wouldn¡¯t black out. Finally after pushing as hard as we could, it slowed to a much more sedate pace, heat having built up for too much in its engines to keep going quite so hard. Arguably it would have been easier to go in a straight line at much higher speeds than what we had been doing, changing direction rapidly with a speed and flexibility that would certainly have made any kind of dog-fight slanted in our favor. I patted the A.I. with appreciation, feeling much better than what I had been earlier. We sat on one of the taller buildings of Damond, five stories tall. It had been ten, but the other half of the building was currently covered in coral and laying across several other structures. Seeing Damond, though, I remembered again what Smith wanted me to do. ¡°Win, huh?¡± I mulled the thought, ¡°Is it even possible to win against biotics?¡± I suppose there would only be one way to find out. We¡¯d have to figure out why biotics did what they did first. But, before all of that, we had to retake our own home. After all, how could I expect to be able to take on anyone else''s problems if I couldn¡¯t even solve our own? Hours later, after speaking with Dr. Ross and going over some very specific limitations on the co-pilot A.I. systems, I found myself back at our new headquarters. Doug was busy back in Gilramore, but his assistant, Derrick Faun, was outlining our strategy for the future to an auditorium room full of Legion members. I was keeping out of sight near the entrance for now, waiting for a better time to emerge. ¡°This area,¡± he gestured to a massive holographic display at the front of the stands, watching as it flexed and showed a highlighted representation of the geography around New Damond, ¡°is where we suspect most of the biotics have gone towards. That means, for one reason or another, we have a huge collection of Carriers that may have been going inland to the north west. Argedwall isn¡¯t as large a city as Gilramore or Sunvilla, so they¡¯ve likely been working with even less of a population than we have. That said, up until a week and a half ago we had regular communications with them.¡± ¡°Now, that communication is gone, even with the augmented Obelisk we have here. What that tells us is that the problem isn¡¯t on our end, but seems to be on their end. Sis assures us of this as well, as she seems to have lost connection to the Obelisk in the city.¡± At that, I could feel the room grew tense instantly, ¡°now, before anyone jumps to any conclusions I want to point out that she hasn¡¯t registered that it has been destroyed which she assures me that she would know. For now, we¡¯ll operate under the assumption that somehow communications are being jammed. We¡¯re likewise having a spottier connection with Sunvilla by the day, but thus far we haven¡¯t had problems communicating with them regularly, and they¡¯re reporting supposedly standard operations.¡± I peered through a camera in the room, seeing Strauss¡¯ hand come up immediately. I smiled at that, noting that he¡¯d caught what Derrick said without a moment passing. ¡°Jeremey,¡± the man nodded, ¡°something to add?¡± ¡°Well, you said that they¡¯re ¡®supposedly¡¯ standard operations. Are we concerned about something out there?¡± He said, looking around, ¡°Argedwall is definitely priority from what it sounds like, but I¡¯ll be damned if we leave a mess next door alone.¡± There were a series of agreeing nods, the rest mostly neutral. No one here were people who actively disliked the idea of making sure people weren¡¯t having problems. ¡°Perhaps it would be better to hear this from someone with more insight.¡± Derrick directed his hand to another seat, ¡°Alice, would you care to shed some light on the subject.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± an uncharacteristic seriousness settled over her, ¡°from our continued interactions and attempts at communications, it has become clear that there seems to be something happening in regards to certain individuals trying to control the flow of information from the city. Whenever attempts to contact others in the city are made, they fail, and requests to speak to specific individuals, such as family members, are disregarded or scheduled for a later time which never occurs.¡± I frowned at that, not having known about that detail. It was no wonder that Alice was frustrated. ¡°Thank you, Alice.¡± He nodded to her as she went back to listening. ¡°That said, we can¡¯t be sure of the nature of the problem,¡± Derrick began again, ¡°but, we¡¯re planning on obtaining more information in regards to the situation to better enable us to make a decision there.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of that?¡± Jeremy Strauss asked, though I could practically feel his grin from here. He knew already. ¡°That would be me.¡± I said, walking in from the corridor outside and moving down between the rows. ¡®This setup is just too perfect not to be at least a little theatrical,¡¯ I smirked, armor fully donned as I made steady, confident strides towards the podium. ¡°I will be heading a small team to move through biotic infested territory and sneak into Sunvilla. It is our intent to see with our own eyes the exact nature of the situation there and then have the authority to decide actions accordingly. While my selected teams are busy there, I want the rest of you to be foxes in the henhouse,¡± I turned as I hit the stand, grinning out across the gathering. They snickered at the comparison, ¡°whatever the biotics are up too around Argedwall, I want you all to tear into them. It seems that Argedwall hasn¡¯t fallen yet, but if they¡¯re in trouble, then we¡¯ll be there to back them up. Our equipment has been updated yet again, and we¡¯re busy fabricating new units as we speak. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll kit up and go, both operations at once.¡± ¡°Alpha and Last Call will be with me.¡± I nodded to Strauss, seeing a look that was both amused and utterly unsurprised from him, ¡°The rest of you will be making up the largest expedition the Legion has attempted. We¡¯ll bring down our full weight upon anything out there. Annihilate them with absolute prejudice. Legion, are you ready?¡± I heard resounding shouts, predatory grins and hungry eyes settled upon the map. Our elites had a taste of expedition into Damond, and New Damond was the result. A city of our own, an Obelisk that marked this territory as ours, and an ever deepening pride in the Legion. Given that, I was happy to see the zeal that the Legion was showing. Now, we¡¯d just have to wait and see what that would actually yield us. Whether we could stand up and meddle in the fate of a city with people in it, or if we¡¯d suffer their fate alongside them. Chapter 78 The Stalking Mists The Legion was mobilizing, New Damond was our staging point for these two operations. Argedwall was a technical priority, however the conditions of Sunvilla wasn¡¯t something that we could lightly ignore. We would be traveling lightly, it was still a decent trek to get to Sunvilla from our location, and given how far we¡¯d progressed, it was reasonable to assume that - if they hadn''t actually somehow collapsed - there would be resources we could barter for when we got there. Moreover, they had an Obelisk, so in the worst case scenario we could purchase anything we needed from there. We were, however, concerned with the accessibility of the Obelisk. There were plenty of people who were a part of the Legion that were dedicated to considering contingency planning. In the event we were to ever go to a city that had a death-grip on access to their Obelisk, we would have to find an alternative for resourcing. The topic invariably became one of what we were comfortable doing. In the end, we couldn¡¯t fully answer the question. We weren¡¯t comfortable saying that we would steal what we needed if we were forced too, but it wasn¡¯t outside of the realm of possibility. That said, we would be travelling in a pair of Ogre¡¯s in order to take a large quantity of resources of our own. Being that this wasn¡¯t a diplomatic mission, we weren¡¯t carrying anything that we intended to use for bribery. The task of this mission was to investigate what was actually happening in Sunvilla and decide from there an adequate course of action. If it turned out that something unsavory was happening between the people and whatever governing body that existed there, then the most likely answer would be for us to remove them and install Bulwark in the location. Such a plan was well within my long term goals for other cities. I intended for Bulwark to grow in time, to encompass many cities and ensure that their own security measures were up to par. It would simultaneously help the Legion with support as we ranged farther and farther afield. We¡¯d, for the most part, keep to the original arrangement between us in any given city to ensure that they would always have a source of Matter Energy, so long as it was used properly. ¡°We¡¯re ready!¡± ALice called from atop the Ogre, fully bedecked in her hybrid mesh and exo-suit armor. She wore her beaming smile, this time somehow even more exuberant, ¡°Anything you forget to pack?¡± I chuckled, ¡°You make it sound like we¡¯re camping.¡± ¡°We kinda will be.¡± She nodded wisely, ¡°if we want to keep a low profile, we can¡¯t just go into the city whenever we need something.¡± I nodded at that, she was of course right. The Ogre¡¯s were outfitted with a second trailer each, both of which were designed to be habitats. Our teams were, however, not the regular assortment of personnel. Only Alice and Richard were coming with me on this mission, Fran and Daniel were assisting on the other front, giving me an extra insurance policy for Argedwall. Terry was overseeing a number of projects, one of which was an expandable infrastructure system that would give us easier access to both of our mission areas. Given that the three of them wouldn¡¯t be especially useful in an espionage or scouting mission, I decided that it would be acceptable for them to do other things. Alice was incredible with her detecting abilities, and her intuition was unreasonably sharp; she was a no brainer for the scouting mission. Richard was less adept at detection, but was even better than Alice at remaining undetected. With the pair of them, they should be able to get into places that they had no business in being near. Jeremy Strauss¡¯ team was full of their normal members, though. Jeremy himself, Allendra their sniper, Sammy their scout, Denice their heavy weapons expert, Adam the medic, Jackson was their wildcard, and then Yomar the melee specialist. A total of seven people, ten with us included. It ended up being a decent team, overall. Sammy, Alice, and Richard would all be responsible for close range and stealthy information gathering. The rest were secondary sources. Depending on the situation in town, I might well be capable of gathering torrential amounts of information. Everything pending the situation, I could tap into electronics to get the gist of the goings on within. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re heading out,¡± I informed the rest of my team as we left, ¡°remember, if you find new biotics, try to observe them first and get a feel for their abilities. We¡¯re going to be more thorough in our testing of their capabilities.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± Jeremy said, driving the first Ogre. The second was being operated by a Determinator, of which I¡¯d taken 36 of them. There wasn¡¯t a particular reason to leave them behind, though I did note that it was somewhat eerie seeing all of these units in our compartment hold. We needed far less with our smaller team, but a truck hold full of what looked like coffins was less than appealing. As for my specific reference in testing biotic capabilities, the Spindlies were still quite fresh in mind. I refused to reflect on how many lives might have been saved had we known exactly what triggered Spindlies and their habits. If I went down that road again, I knew I¡¯d be left with nothing but useless feelings and an ill temperament. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping nothing weird¡¯s going on,¡± I heard Richard murmur next to me. His eyes lingered on Alice, a deep seated concern hidden behind a facade of nonchalance. ¡®Yep, I think he¡¯s enamored,¡¯ I smirked beneath my helmet, ¡°We¡¯ll see what¡¯s gone on. It won¡¯t do us any good to speculate too much. And who knows? Maybe it¡¯s nothing too serious.¡± Richard glanced to me with a complicated look on his face. After a few moments, he sighed, letting himself calm down a touch, ¡°Maybe. I think that might be a little optimistic, though.¡± He kept his voice low as he spoke the last part. I shrugged, ¡°we¡¯ll deal with it when we know. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± I nodded in Alice¡¯s direction, ¡°she¡¯s tough, and she¡¯s got a strong spirit. No matter what we find, I feel like she¡¯ll be the first one on the line.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Richard nodded, ¡°that¡¯s what worries me.¡± I smiled and shook my head, various thoughts of whether or not I should talk with Alice about this melting away. What happened would happen, I wasn¡¯t about to expect that we could manage everything without difficulty. As we moved, trundling forth with the Ogre¡¯s, I switched my perception to the birds-eye view that was offered by Shade. It was a slightly cloudy day, the morning sun having peaked over the distant mountains an hour or two ago. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that each Ogre was firstly designed to work off road, I doubted we¡¯d be able to simply devour distance like we had. Shade was following us high overhead, giving us a birds eye view of the area outside of New Damond. The surreal terrain fell away rapidly, replaced by a spare forest and scattered hillsides, flush with greenery. The highway had begun to be reclaimed, something that we wouldn¡¯t heavily bother with changing anytime soon. As we went, we still plotted out a viable path, transmitting data back to the Reapernet if anyone needed to come this way again in the near future. I could hear the others talking, to each other, getting to know one another more. Strauss team was just as interested in my team as mine were in them. Once more I was glad that the Legions top teams weren¡¯t unhealthily competitive. Having a leaderboard was all well and good, but meaningless if we ended up working against each other. There were perks, however, that Strauss and his team were now very much interested in maintaining. The top teams were allowed to utilize cutting edge technology, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. New tech often was very capable, albeit sometimes quite niche, and we had a few devices with us that would need to be field tested to ensure we could use them in the field. Testing with a guaranteed team of skill was necessary to reduce the chance that something could go catastrophically wrong. Not that I thought such a thing was necessarily possible, especially not with the objects we¡¯d taken with us this time. ¡°So, I gotta ask,¡± I heard Jackson speaking to Alice and Richard, ¡°are you two dating?¡± ¡°Jackson,¡± Allendra cautioned, ¡°don¡¯t be rude.¡± ¡°What? No, no, I mean, I just think they¡¯d be, you know?¡± He defended himself turning his attention back to Richard and Alice. A grin spread across my face as neither answered, and looked like they were figuring out saying something. ¡°Uh, no, not dating,¡± Richard said, a blush coming to his face as Alice likewise shuffled with a blush. ¡°Not yet,¡± I heard Alice mumble, a very quiet comment from the normally exuberant woman. Richard blushed more deeply, but it seemed to have been too quiet for the other Ogre to hear. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°I need to check on the Determinators,¡± I found my excuse to not be in the front of the Ogre with them, ¡°let me know if anything needs my attention.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, sure.¡± Richard looked up to me with surprise, and then a hair''s breadth of gratitude. ¡®Go for it, guys,¡¯ I felt a strange tremor of giddiness roll up my spine. ¡°How about you guys, any interesting relationships budding in the post-apocalypse?¡± I inserted, deflecting the question from them further. Which, to be fair, they seemed to catch the whiff of the potential between my team members. Thankfully, they bit on to the bait. ¡°Nothing from me,¡± Jeremy started and then joked, ¡°not like I get out much. The whole ¡®grizzled cowboy¡¯ look doesn¡¯t get as much of a rise out of people as it used too, I guess.¡± ¡°I dunno, boss, I think you look pretty good. In the ¡®you¡¯re almost old enough to be my dad¡¯ category anyways.¡± Denice teased. ¡°Hey, wait, I¡¯m barely even thirty,¡± Jeremy said in mock horror. ¡°What about Sammy? He¡¯s got such brooding and baby faced going on, what¡¯s happening there?¡± ¡°I get around,¡± Sammy noncommittally replied, ¡°it¡¯s the post-apocalypse, there¡¯s plenty of stress relief to go around. Helps bring on the top of the ladder.¡± There was a heartbeat before laughter exploded out of the second Ogre, ¡°That¡¯s my boy right there!¡± Jackson shouted, ¡°Oh, man, here I¡¯ve been avoiding taking you out around town, you wanna be my wingman?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be the reverse?¡± Allendra chuckled, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him at work, he¡¯s a smooth operator. You¡¯re more like¡­ a moose.¡± ¡°The fuck? A moose?¡± Jackson blinked, ¡°What does that mean?¡± Adam looked up from his med kit after sorting it, ¡°She means you¡¯re a trainwreck in a room and smell funny.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± The man¡¯s expression elicited more laughter, ¡°wait, for real, you¡¯re pulling my leg, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± Denice gave him a comforting pat, ¡°some women like moose.¡± ¡°Jeremy¡¯s got you beat, but no, you¡¯re not bad,¡± Allendra reviewed her earlier statement. At which point the second Ogre got real quiet. Curious, I tapped into a video feed there, and saw the conspiratorial looks that the others had on their faces as they turned their attention back to Allendra. She pulled up her defenses, not speaking over the comms at the moment, ¡°yes?¡± ¡°Do you like Jeremy?¡± Denice asked flat out, ¡°because if you do, tap that.¡± ¡°Or you could be a decent human being and date him,¡± Adam rolled his eyes, ¡°it¡¯s the post-apocalypse, though, do as you will.¡± She blinked, her normally severe expression softening a touch at the seeming united front, ¡°W-well, I tried.¡± They looked around emphatically, ¡°you did?¡± ¡°Uh, maybe not very well, but yes.¡± She responded sheepishly. ¡°Just lay it out for him, he¡¯s a bit rock headed.¡± Sammy said, ¡°if you act like this when you do it, 90% chance you¡¯ll want to have the rest of your day cleared of anything else you wanted to do. Just saying.¡± ¡°Dude, how much a player are you now?¡± Jackson shook his head. ¡°So, how about you, Matt?¡± I heard Jeremy call, each of the conspiratorial bunch snapping back into the overall conversation, sharing grins. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, about that. My body is literally made of steel.¡± I let that hang in the air a few moments, ¡°I don¡¯t even want to consider the implications of a physical relationship.¡± There was a collective wince at the mention of that, ¡°I mean, someone¡¯s gotta be into that, right?¡± ¡°When I said everything was steel, I meant everything.¡± I chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a matter of someone being into that kind of thing.¡± Yet another collective wince, this one followed up by an awkward pause. Sammy snorted, everyone turning their attention to him. He started and blushed, ¡°Uh, sorry, it¡¯s not funny, not really. But I just remembered a phrase.¡± Jackson¡¯s grin grew, ¡°Balls of steel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± He shyly chuckled, and we laughed. It wasn¡¯t good to be too serious about this. ¡°But it¡¯s probably for the best. I¡¯ve got all of you to look after, anyways.¡± I shrugged trying not to think about this topic again. ¡°Aww, thanks, Dad.¡± joked Denice, a hefty layer of humour in her voice. More laughter, and a great deal more smart-ass comments ensued, and I found myself enjoying the occasion a great deal more than I thought I would. ¡®This whole having more friends thing really isn¡¯t so bad.¡¯ I nodded to myself with a smile, turning my attention to our surroundings now and then. Chapter 79 Signs As we neared Sunvilla, our conversations steadily declined. After the first of us discovered the signs of the biotics, we were on high alert. Even so, we''ve not seen a single one as of yet, at least, not with our own eyes. Shade, however, was not limited in perspective. And from an aerial view, we could see that there was something following us in the woods. The thermal view gave us an indistinct outline, something that shouldn¡¯t have happened. If the biotic had a method of displacing its own body heat, perhaps that would explain the oddity. Even so, it was large, about the size of a van. It was likely quite stealthy as well, though our eye in the sky proved to be our advantage. This wasn¡¯t something that we could allow to continue, however. ¡°We¡¯ll stop ahead, we¡¯re not far from Sunvilla anyways, and I¡¯d like to know what we¡¯re dealing with before we walk into more of them.¡± I directed the Ogre¡¯s to a location on our map, one where there ordinarily would have been a rest stop on the side of the road. The area was flush with greenery, trees in abundance. It smelled like rain was coming, and none of us looked forward to making our way through uncertain territory in the dark and wet. As we made our approach around a bend in the road, the Ogre¡¯s slowed. ¡°Whoa, Reaper, you readin¡¯ this?¡± ¡°I am,¡± I blinked, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m looking at though.¡± Warily we approached slowly, what was once a rest area now a far cry from any such thing. It looked more like an outpost, braces of wood and metal composing walls. Only, several of the walls had points near the top that were damaged, and it looked like blackened and charred pieces were here and there. It looked like explosives and bullets had torn some parts of this place to shreds, and as I inspected it closer, I could see deep riven claw marks near the tops of the wall in one or two places. The tower that had once been overlooking the main gates had toppled, barring the way through with the Ogres. We could push forward through it - it was just wood - but I wasn¡¯t certain I wanted to move our escape option into this place. I had the Shade inform me of any changes in the position of the trailing biotic, but so far it was maintaining distance, circling wide. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going in to check it. Alice, Richard, Sammy, you¡¯ll be with me.¡± I said, stepping onto the platform that quickly set the power armor into place upon my body. ¡°The rest of us will check the outside, see if we can make heads or tails of this mess.¡± Strauss said, his team kitting up. I nodded, ¡°Sounds good, Shade will keep you informed of our guest, but don¡¯t count on it alone.¡± We departed from the Ogre¡¯s, ten Determinators awakening from their pods, the A.I.¡¯s controlling them with a direct feed from myself. As one and like my own limbs, they moved to my will, marching toward the downed tower and immediately utilizing their powerful limbs to break it down into more manageable pieces. ¡°It¡¯s like an ant colony,¡± Sammy mused, ¡°I had one once. Pretty cool stuff.¡± ¡°Hey, do you directly control those? Or is it automated?¡± I heard Richard ask me, pointing at the Determinators. ¡°Little bit of both. Mostly I just let the A.I. take care of everything, though. Not right now, though.¡± I moved forward through the path that was cleared, support beams snapping as they sorted them to either side of the gate for use later. Alice let out a thoughtful hum, ¡°So, do you see through multiple perspectives at once, or something?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded, ¡°it was weird at first, but now I can walk, talk, and operate 36 killer robots at the same time.¡± Richard snorted with a smirk, before his helmet slid on the rest of the way to cover his features, ¡°that¡¯s pretty useful.¡± We paused in the middle of the road there, the parking lot having been left with abandoned vehicles of military origin. That in and of itself didn¡¯t give us pause, but there were clear signs of alien technology in the midst, people with much more advanced equipment. ¡°Post-Obelisk outpost, then,¡± I said, ¡°and it looks like it was left behi-¡± I stopped, turning my attention to something that I¡¯d just noticed. ¡°Ah. Well, it looks like it wasn¡¯t left behind on purpose.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sammy asked, then followed my line of sight, ¡°oh, that.¡± The others looked to the red blotch on the concrete, almost black from time. In spite of the rains, it looked like some locations yet remained. ¡°Blood,¡± Alice cringed, ¡°lots of it.¡± She was right, there were several more signs scattered about. No bodies, though, either meaning that people had cleaned the area up¡­ or biotics had picked them clean. ¡°Alright, spread out. See if you can find any computers that we can take. Documents, maps, anything. I¡¯ll check inside.¡± I said, sending the others off. They were deathly quiet as they moved, each having gone through more upgrades in New Damond. Richard¡¯s exo-suit was on the cusp of being a power armor, and was now capable of shifting the color and to a lesser extent the texture of its skin to suit the environment. We weren¡¯t sure how effective it would really be against biotics, but against our own technology it performed admirably. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Alice¡¯s gear hadn¡¯t changed much, mostly geared towards even more mobility, and ablative plating that helped to reduce her thermal footprint. She¡¯d already been a silent runner, but there was almost no noise as her spring-loaded steps carried her away in a few strides. Sammy was less mobile, but had mag-powered skates that, in spite of my initial misgivings, were very mobile and quick. He was only slightly less mobile on extremely uneven terrain, but was fairly quiet as well. I could detect Richard and Sammy by sound with my augmented sense of hearing, but I had to get line of sight on Alice. None of which was a mark against them, my peculiarities allowed me a fair amount of awareness at all times. Which was both helpful and not as I walked into the information center building that had been added on too as the outpost. It looked like it had been hastily abandoned, a host of computers and maps available within. I sighed at that, having thought that perhaps this would have been like any given horror movie situation where it seemed no information was ever present. I flicked through a few pages, quickly scanning it into my memory to go over as I investigated the rest of the building. As I did, though, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was a draft in the building. Frowning, I moved to the back of the building, past what was a modest armory and into what was obviously converted into a medical room. The back wall had a massive hole in it, gouges from claws apparent there and on the floor. Blood was abundant in the room, gurneys turned black with old gore. I stood at the entrance, slowly stepping through the room while making a concerted effort to read through the entirety of the room. Months ago all this blood would have made me wary. Now, though, I registered it with discomfort and moved on. It surprised me how much things could change. Though, wanting to find out what happened here was just as important. There were a few small surgical plates that had been knocked over, the mess of cloth, gurneys, and evidence of massacre creating a chaotic scene. However, method emerged from the madness the longer I sifted through the information available. Clearly, there were many wounded here, yet they weren¡¯t from biotics. Spent shells, bullets that had been pulled from those that had been injured, were scattered across the floor and covered in red blood. Many of these weren¡¯t near the gurney¡¯s anymore, and I had the consideration that perhaps things were far from simple in Sunvilla. These people appeared to have been wounded by other people, and then some kind of biotic came through the wall. A predator amidst the wounded, and who knew how many other biotics there had been? Who knew what kind of biotic this even was? I turned my attention to the ceiling, eyes searching for anything tell-tale that could help me. ¡°Perfect,¡± I grinned, seeing the small camera in the corner. There was no light, the power having likely been cut off from the source. Methodically I searched the rest of the building, and as I found the small electronics room - a closet, really - the others had finished their search. ¡°Matt?¡± I heard Alice call from the main lobby, ¡°we found a few things. Where are you at?¡± ¡°Back here,¡± I called, ¡°I recommend not going into the back room. It¡¯s not a pleasant sight.¡± ¡°Duly noted,¡± Richard made a disdainful face, one that I caught as I walked back into the lobby with a hard drive in hand. ¡°Looks like there was a firefight between people.¡± ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Alice¡¯s exasperation was mirrored on the rest of us, ¡°we have enough problems with biotics.¡± ¡°Not everyone was in our situation,¡± Sammy stated, ¡°we were lucky, most of us stuck together instead of pulled apart. And even then, if we¡¯d gone any longer without a source of food, I think we¡¯d have started turning on each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a positive outlook for you,¡± Alice narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°He¡¯s probably right, though,¡± I grimaced, ¡°if you had to choose between taking food from your neighbor or watching your family starve, most people would steal.¡± Richard looked like he wanted to agree, but also didn¡¯t want to say it, glancing at Alice and her concerned expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she mumbled, ¡°I still think it would be better to be in it together, rather than turn on each other.¡± The other three of us glanced to each other and back to her, ¡°well, who knows, maybe some people did?¡± Richard said as he put a laptop on the table, followed up by the other two, ¡°we¡¯ll just have to see ourselves what¡¯s going on.¡± She pepped up slightly at that, shaking off the depression that nipped at her, ¡°yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Anyways,¡± Sammy gestured around us, ¡°they had a fight with someone, and then it looks like at least one biotic showed up in the aftermath, maybe when they were all in disarray. I don¡¯t know how much damage it did, but it looks like it didn¡¯t bowl through any defenses.¡± ¡°Yeah, it looks like they just hopped the fence,¡± Alice said, sharing her photographs of the area, ¡°probably a cat, by the looks of it.¡± ¡°Why cats, of all things,¡± Richard shivered. I frowned, ¡°not a fan of cats?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I love cats. But that''s when I was bigger than them,¡± he shook his head. ¡°You ever see cats play with their food?¡± We paused and grimly imagined what that would be like. ¡°Moving on,¡± I disdained that prospect thoroughly, ¡°that lines up well with what I¡¯ve found. There was a med bay back there with extracted bullets, but it looks like the wall was broken through. I would be surprised if there had been survivors.¡± Alice released a heavy sigh, ¡°are these Gen 2 biotics?¡± I shrugged, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any indications of the environment being changed yet, unless these trees are the change.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to see these at Gen 2 if they aren¡¯t even there yet.¡± Sammy dryly noted, ¡°can we leave this place now? It¡¯s giving me the creeps.¡± I nodded, ¡°let''s grab this stuff.¡± At that moment, I paused, sensing the Shade giving a distress notice. I frowned, tuning in to what it had noticed. And grit my teeth, ¡°Strauss, do you copy?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just noticed,¡± he was alert, ¡°it just dropped off the thermals, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°All at once,¡± I said, going through the record the Shade provided me. One moment, the silhouette of the biotic was there, and in the next, it was completely gone. ¡°Do you think it knew we could see it?¡± Jeremy asked even as he pulled everyone back to the Ogre¡¯s. ¡°Probably not, but that just means it¡¯s done watching. Keep an eye out, visuals strictly.¡± I shook my head, annoyance surging in me. It probably wouldn¡¯t go after Jeremy¡¯s group, there were ten Determinators with fairly advanced sensors, and with super-human reaction speed. But the four people alone in the middle of a disparate and ramshackle outpost? I could see that. ¡°Be ready for company.¡± I pulled my weapon from my back, feeling the energy within it thrum to life, ready to empart it¡¯s deadly payload. We moved back to back, slowly and steadily leaving the information center. Chapter 80 Feral We moved slowly, the sounds of Strauss and his team settling themselves up on the Ogre¡¯s and trundling into the large parking lot meeting our ears. There were enough vehicles here that it wouldn¡¯t be particularly easy for them to get to us, but the higher vantage point was helpful. I stepped out of the building first, and at the same moment, I heard Strauss shout, ¡°Up!¡± Gritting my teeth, I cranked my senses to the maximum, seeing a mass of wall-textured limb reach down with sixteen centimeter long claws swiping at me. I twisted out of the way, reaching up with my arm and snagging it as it began to recoil. It pulled, snarling, the visage it adopted falling away all at once. If I hadn¡¯t been looking right at it, I wouldn¡¯t have picked it up. The texture of its fur rippled, color shifting, and it¡¯s long-toothed maw snarled in a cracked, broken way that only biotics could manage. My skin crawled, but I held fast, even as it lifted me off the ground. Clearly, I was heavier than it expected, because it wasn¡¯t able to get me far. It hefted me a foot up, only to lose its footing and slip downwards. I snarled, pulling hard at the same time and twisting. I slammed it onto its back, releasing its arm. Holding onto it would be unwise, considering it could wrap around me with its raking claws and teeth. I didn¡¯t want to test how much this thing could penetrate armor just now. The gun cradled in my other arm was up and pointed at it before it fully even landed, red gleaming light streaking across its chromed surface. It was an homage to my earlier rifle, three barrels streaking with light and heat, the deep clip mounted beneath releasing the same, angry glow. When I fired the weapon, it was like a storm of slag suddenly existed in the space that the biotic was in. It cried out, loudly, as the bullets impacted it, and it scrambled away several meters before collapsing, smoke pouring from dozens of holes. This weapon was pushed to the limits that we had, rate of fire, destructive potential, and came with the added benefit that many of its capabilities could be modified on the fly. Someone else would have to interact with a panel system, one that intrinsically wouldn¡¯t be feasible in the middle of combat for anyone else. For me, it was perfect. I switched to a single shot setting, blasting through its back legs as it tried to rise. It was snarling for a few moments before simply laying still. For a few long seconds, nobody moved, just watching. The one who broke the silence was Yomar, ¡°did you just man-handle that cat?¡± I rolled my eyes at that, and heard an audible ¡®smack¡¯ as someone hit him upside the head. ¡°Is it dead?¡± Alice warily eyed it, ¡°that was fast.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them, I was fine because I¡¯m crazy heavy, strong, and have lightning-reflexes.¡± I said this aloud, not trying to gloat but needing to highlight this. ¡°It might still be alive, though.¡± I guided a Determinator nearby, weapons at the ready, marching up to it. The Determinator was filled in on the intent of the maneuver, and was ready for the sacrifice it would make. Not that it would truly be dead, it would just return to my subconscious space. Repairing the body would be more troublesome. We watched as the Determinator stalked forward, coming within swiping distance of the biotic. Nothing happened, and it poked its head with the barrel of its heavy rifle unceremoniously. ¡°Huh, I guess it¡¯s dea-¡± Richard started, only for the biotic to spring to life, snapping its jaws around the leg of the Determinator. It¡¯s claws raked upwards a moment later, before the Determinator grabbed it around the head and twisted. Hard. I winced at the sound of bone shattering, and could feel almost a wave of irritation roll through the Determinator as it shoved the biotic off of its body. The leg was damaged, but only superficially. The scratched had also only damaged the armor plating. Against mesh and exo-suits, these things would be dangerous, with a high potential for lethality. But power armor? Mechs? I don¡¯t know if they¡¯d be able to get through. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like the wolves, at least,¡± Alice sighed in relief, ¡°maybe ours were just freaks?¡± ¡°Biting through tank armor was pretty intense, but I¡¯m actually glad that¡¯s all they did, along with numbers, after seeing this shit.¡± Jeremy shook his head, ¡°that was crazy.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°How did you even see it?¡± I frowned, ¡°I could barely make it out, and that¡¯s something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure. I just¡­ felt it?¡± He looked perplexed, ¡°like there was something there. My gut¡¯s been pretty spot on about that stuff.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Yomar confirmed, ¡°he¡¯s got like a sixth-sense for sneaky bastards.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call it that,¡± he groaned, ¡°that just sounds so¡­¡± ¡°Cringey?¡± Alice supplied helpfully. ¡°Yeah,¡± he groused, ¡°I guess?¡± Alice looked like she was about to speak when she paused and faltered, turning her attention more acutely to the now rapidly decaying biotic. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, seeing her thoughtful look. ¡°Not sure, yet.¡± She looked around, ¡°epiphany in progress?¡± Richard chuckled, ¡°well, keep the epiphany going, but let''s get in the Ogre¡¯s again.¡± ¡°This was the biotic that was following us, right?¡± Alice said, stopping everyone again. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sammy asked suddenly panning around with a four-barreled gun held up, putting caution before questions. ¡°This¡­ might seem weird, but I kinda felt like there was something wrong when we walked in there the first time. Now it¡¯s gone. And that one''s dead. Sooo¡­?¡± She shuffled, ¡°does that make sense?¡± There was a moment of confusion that seemed to fill the air, one that only seemed to grow, ¡°wait, like for real sixth-sense stuff?¡± ¡°God damnit, Yomar, I said not to call it that,¡± Jeremy spat, ¡°makes me feel like one of those scammy fortune tellers we used to see.¡± ¡°Well, I mean, that¡¯s because it doe-Shit!¡± We heard him suddenly shout, only to see a large, green-like-grass mass tackle him to the ground from behind and begin to drag him away, albeit slower than we¡¯d expected. I watched him hook his clawed fingers into the ground, almost immediately arresting his movement. ¡°Fuck off!¡± A sudden sound like steel sliding past steel emerged in the air, and I saw a few long blades stab upwards from his back, goring the cat as it released him. It moved to flee, but before it got far, Denice let a cluster of grenades fly from her launcher. The explosions rocked the area, and we watched as the biotic, now heavily injured, continued to flee from the area. ¡°Alright, what the fuck?¡± Denice spat, ¡°that was three ¡®nades, how the fuck is it getting away with that?¡± ¡°Yomar, you alright?¡± We all made double time closer together, Jeremy landing from the top of the Ogre next to him. ¡°Yeah, yeah I¡¯m fine, fucking cat.¡± He spat, ¡°glad I added those. RR&D can suck it, I told them it would come in handy one day.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect it so soon, I imagine,¡± Richard murmured, keeping a careful eye on the surroundings, ¡°at risk of sounding rude, did you feel anything when that thing was here?¡± ¡°Little bit?¡± Alice shrugged, ¡°I dunno, was kinda far away.¡± ¡°I did a bit,¡± Jeremy frowned, ¡°I think? Like¡­ a bubble?¡± ¡°Yeah, like there¡¯s a bubble pulling at your attention, right?¡± Alice clapped her hands. Jeremy nodded, and I stiffened, turning my attention to both of them, and the others. We took a moment to consider what they were saying. ¡°Wait, like, real sixth-sen-¡± Yomar started before Denice cut him off. ¡°I will make sure you¡¯re in grenade range next time.¡± A few chuckles at that, undercut by the possibilities here. ¡°Yaga was psychic,¡± I murmured, catching everyone¡¯s attention, ¡°Wolven was psychic, too.¡± Alice shivered at that, ¡°What? That thing was psychic?¡± With a grimace, I nodded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised to find out that you two were a bit more sensitive. Did you two speak with Yaga a lot while I was out?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Yaga, and why don¡¯t I know about some psychic guy we have?¡± Yomar started, then looked around, ¡°wait, am I the only one who didn¡¯t know about that, here?¡± ¡°Same boat,¡± Denice frowned, and the look was mirrored across the rest of Strauss¡¯ team, save for Strauss himself. ¡°Yaga is the psuedo-biotic that Louis¡¯ team was kinda kidnapped by,¡± I then paused, ¡°he¡¯s actually not a bad guy, though. He¡¯s very helpful. Jeremy can fill you in on the details, we¡¯re considering him classified, but we might not need too now that we have New Damond.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ oookay then,¡± Denice shook her head, ¡°so, psychic powers exist?¡± ¡°Not the crazy stuff like telekinesis,¡± I answered, then had to consider it for a few moments. ¡°Or, we haven¡¯t seen it yet. But I¡¯m leaning to ¡®yes¡¯ at the very least mental awareness is a thing. Might be like a muscle getting flexed.¡± ¡°Allendra, ask Jeremy to flex your muscles,¡± Jackson winked at her, immediately receiving a sharp jab from Adam. ¡°As enlightening as this all is,¡± the medic began, ¡°is it reliable?¡± Alice and Jeremy looked at each other, equally as perplexed. ¡°Maybe? No clue.¡± ¡°So, business as usual, then.¡± He sighed, ¡°I guess sometimes not getting ambushed by man-eating biotics in the shape of a cat is better than always getting ambushed by man-eating biotics in the shape of a cat.¡± ¡°True that,¡± Yomar nodded sagely. ¡°Remember to keep an eye out for any signs of a Gen 2 biotic,¡± I said, ¡°let¡¯s pile in. We¡¯re not far from Sunvilla, and if these things are common, I doubt people are in a calm and relaxed state.¡± ¡°The bullets holes in the walls might indicate that too,¡± Sammy murmured as Richard chuckled. I shook my head as we filed into the Ogre¡¯s, allowing the Determinators to repair their fellow machine in the bay. ¡°Give a shout if you feel anything,¡± Yomar called out over the comms. Jeremy and Alice replied at once, ¡°Shaddup.¡± I snickered at that, refocusing on Shade as it began more sweeps, trying to catch any biotics unawares in order to get a read on how many we could expect. If it was this much of a mess outside of town, though, I had to wonder what it would be like deeper within. Chapter 81 Local Culture Our information thus far on the biotics in the area was helpful, but limited in actual effect. What it served to do was make us aware that no given location that we¡¯d passed was necessarily safe or devoid of biotic. Shade was likewise unable to glean any sign of life as it hovered far overhead, the most that it saw no larger than rats or birds. We maintained high awareness, ready to respond to threats as soon as they appeared. Of course, we mitigated any kind of risk as much as possible. No one was allowed outside of the Ogre¡¯s without a partner, that was the foremost rule. The second one was that, for the time being, we would pay attention to the intuition of Alice and Jeremy. That rule was the tacit understanding that something obviously wasn¡¯t completely normal for them. Alice seemed to know when an area wasn¡¯t safe, but Jeremy seemed to be able to pinpoint that sensation, but didn¡¯t benefit from knowing the area was a threat. It was odd, they both described exactly the same sensation when they looked near where the biotic had been, but it seemed that the actual way it worked was different. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like a tube?¡± Jeremy commented, ¡°I can feel the area a bit, but it¡¯s more focused on one area.¡± Alice murmured thoughtfully, ¡°so it¡¯s like we¡¯re using two different lenses.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I have these powers, that¡¯s what I¡¯m asking.¡± Jackson pouted, ¡°seems terribly useful, even if you say it¡¯s not all that accurate.¡± ¡°Could be due to Yaga, he tried to speak with them mentally.¡± I shrugged, finishing up my detail work on the Determinators. Hopefully they¡¯d be able to spot anything out of the ordinary, but I wouldn¡¯t hold my breath. I hadn¡¯t expected to be dealing with this level of stealth from biotics, but at the very least the Legion would be able to begin work on specific countermeasures. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get them, then?¡± Allendra asked, ¡°you were around him a lot, too, right?¡± I nodded, ¡°I was, but he couldn¡¯t speak to me. I¡¯ve had mechanical bits in here-¡± I tapped my head, ¡°-for the duration. More than likely I¡¯m psychically mute, or something. Or it takes a lot more to interact with me.¡± That last part I couldn¡¯t help but add after remembering Wolven¡¯s final, disturbing, moments. ¡°Well, there¡¯s signs of civilization now,¡± I heard Jeremy speak up, ¡°I¡¯m not too keen on what those signs might mean, though.¡± We turned our focus outwards, and I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the sight. To say that there were heavy fortifications around some parts of the city would be an understatement. Even from here with the city squarely in the distance, we could make out what almost appeared to be clear delineation between territories. Three corners of the city were built up, covered in huge walls of ramshackle wood and much more sturdy constructions of concrete. A fair number of defenses were available as well, but upon viewing them under scrutiny I noted that most of them would have to be manually manned. The few that were active were panning about, searching for targets, something that I noted would likely not be the biotics we were looking for. Without looking at it personally I couldn¡¯t fully tell if its designs were specifically against other humans, but just looking at each of the three defensive lines, I couldn¡¯t rightly suspect them of otherwise. Why would anyone divide themselves in a situation like this, unless they were enemies? ¡°Well, I was hoping that we wouldn¡¯t actually have a situation like this,¡± I muttered, ¡°our scouting is going to be risky, I want the three of you close. It¡¯ll take more time, but there¡¯s no need to risk yourselves too much.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Alice nodded, turning her attention to Richard and Sammy, ¡°I think we¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m more worried about the people, though.¡± ¡°The rest of us will find somewhere to set up camp,¡± I mentally gestured to the map of the area, the information we obtained from the laptops somewhat out of date at this point. It had described encampments within Sunvilla, but it appeared to have grown a great deal in the time that the information was put together. The maps looked more or less on point, and it was clear that the forest had indeed encroached a great deal upon the city. The trees and underbrush were thicker, less willing to give passage it seemed. So far, we found no evidence of the Gen 2 biotics other than this increased vegetation, and we weren¡¯t even certain if the big cats weren¡¯t actually Gen 2. If they were, they were fairly squishy, and not as capable of devastating damage as we¡¯d come to expect. Perhaps we¡¯d been unlucky with our biotics, and that they¡¯d been much more adept at dealing damage. After all, these ones were a whole scale above in terms of their capabilities in stealth. What worried me most about this situation was the possibility that these people might have been starving for Matter Energy. With how separated they were, I doubted they had a centralized military to deal with the biotics and siphon materials into their population. That left it more firmly in the hand of localized militia groups, which most assuredly would have to put the bulk of that energy back into themselves. Against wolves it wouldn¡¯t have been as much of a big deal, but these creatures were far less forgiving without the right level of technology for defense. How many people had already died to these biotics? That was a question I wasn¡¯t strictly sure I wanted the answer too, but at the same time I was deprived of valuable, up to date information. No one was running a census in the apocalypse in a place like this. I wasn¡¯t going to get information on who was where. The electrical grid was offline as well, I¡¯d realized. The technology that was so rampant in Gilramore and New Damond was absent here. It was like we stepped back into the grimest days just before the Obelisks arrived. Anything you needed had to be taken with your own hands, the trappings of society fallen away to reveal the bare bones of society and day to day life. Necessity drove people to things that they would be ashamed of in their normal lives. I felt there was more to it than that, looking at the division between the three, but I couldn¡¯t think of what it might be. In the first place, I doubted the city had much more in the way of resources in abundance, at least not anywhere near the actual encampments. It would be risky for anyone to go out and scavenge further, too. I could almost feel the vicious cycle that pattern could establish. ¡°What¡¯s our play here?¡± Jeremy said as he stood next to me, idly watching as his team and my Determinators set up scanners and automatic defenses around the building we decided to use. ¡°We need information.¡± I stated, ¡°while we can see walls, that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they¡¯re of different factions. It¡¯s probable, but better to be sure. I intend on making our presence known, though. Playing a political game between whatever powers that be isn¡¯t something I¡¯m interested in.¡± Jeremy mulled that over, ¡°I¡¯m mostly worried about what they¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Kidnapping and ransom?¡± I arched an eyebrow at him, to which he chuckled dryly. ¡°Something like that, yeah. It¡¯s a strange world now.¡± I nodded, turning my attention to Shade as it pinged a group of people not far from our position. Frowning, I focused on them, matching their position to the map. ¡°Looks like someone must have seen us coming up the road from farther out.¡± I turned to the others, seeing the defenses nearly up as I considered our strategy. ¡°We may as well greet them, then.¡± I smiled, turning my attention to Jeremy who bore a mischievous grin. -Arthur DeLeon¡¯s P.O.V.- ¡°What if they¡¯re not friendly?¡± I listened to Gabe, unable to tune him out. I shook my head, one of six people who didn¡¯t want to answer that question. ¡°Gabe, they¡¯re friendly.¡± In spite of my serious doubts to the validity of that statement, I said it anyways. The alternative meant that we¡¯d be screwed anyways. This was the chance we needed, though. The man shuffled, looking as white as a sheet, ¡°okay.¡± Was all he said, shifting around, his eyes up and focused for anything in the environment that looked like it didn¡¯t quite belong. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I cast my gaze around too, knowing that most of the time you just wouldn¡¯t know until they were about to attack. Then it was a reflex contest. I¡¯d won twice in such contests, one such resulting in the scar across my face but with keeping my life. I¡¯d known plenty who didn¡¯t share my reflexes. They were dragged off into the darkness before we knew we were under attack. ¡°But what if they¡¯re not?¡± Gabe asked suddenly, and the rest of the six of us stopped at turned to look at him. ¡°Alright, it was just a question.¡± He lifted his hands defensively, bristling in spite of the fact that he really should have expected that reaction at the minimum. I shook my head, ¡®I cannot wait to be done with this crap.¡¯ I sighed, knowing that I probably never would be done with this. The leader of our encampment was Mack Thompson, a guy who was just trying to make it by. He wasn¡¯t an impressive kind of leader, but he was a fair sight better than Gerry Brueter, the ex-criminal that had dragged his people down from Danton when it was overrun. We didn¡¯t have the resources to share back then - it was before the Obelisks - and so they¡¯d resorted to taking what they needed. I couldn¡¯t fault them for wanting to feed their families, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted my own to starve either. That was the kind of world we live in now, I guess, where resource scarcity was a very real and imminent thing. Even after the Obelisks landed, we hadn¡¯t been able to get much traction against the cats, they were numerous and contained a hefty chunk of M.E., but finding them reliably was hard. And failing to find one would be worse. We¡¯d tried everything we could think of, but the only thing that worked sometimes was the sonar pulse. It worked better in the city where the pulse would hit super-hard objects like concrete and come back. Even when they changed the texture of their fur, the cat biotics weren¡¯t able to fully eliminate the squishiness of their bodies, giving us vague imprints from the sonar about where they might be. If that failed, someone would almost invariably be dragged away. The better groups could respond and kill the biotic before it could drag them away, but sometimes you just weren¡¯t lucky. I pulsed said sonic device once more, sweat trickling down my neck, ¡°Nothing, again.¡± ¡°That means there definitely was one,¡± Gabe said, sounding like he was about to bolt back to base, ¡°ain¡¯t no way we haven¡¯t run into one yet.¡± Nobody said anything, knowing he was probably right. Even so, I still wanted to deck him in the face. The fucking guy needed to know when to keep his mouth shut, and this was most definitely one of them. ¡°Do you ever have anything positive to say?¡± I quietly seethed as I glared at him, ¡°just keep a lid on it and stop freaking everyone out.¡± ¡°I was just-¡± ¡°-Just saying, yeah, nobody cares, stop talking.¡± I heard another man next to me stop him, his grip tight against the modified rifle cradled in his arms. His gaze panned around as he looked for anything out of the ordinary. I was about to give him a nod as he looked in my direction, but he stiffened, eyes locked on a position above me. As one, we all froze, any thought of the tension between us evaporated in the wake of that look. ¡°Where?¡± I whispered, hoping to not trigger it. ¡°Over your shoulder, 45 degree angle, blackened charcoal wood.¡± The man said, carefully not making another motion. An inexperienced scavenger would have his rifle in arms, slowly pointing at the thing. We were not inexperienced. No one moved a muscle beyond our eyes, carefully searching around. ¡°I think I have ¡®nother one here,¡± I heard a second man say. ¡°Third, over here,¡± I could almost hear him gulp audibly. ¡°Ah, fuck,¡± I could hear the shake in Gabe¡¯s voice, and this time the rest of us couldn¡¯t help but smirk in the face of stark terror. We were seven people with possibly three cats around us. We were flat-out fucked. ¡°Gentlemen, been a pleasure,¡± I chuckled, meeting the others eyes, even Gabe, who¡¯s trembling hands steadied in that moment. He breathed out a sigh, ¡°man, this ain¡¯t how it was supposed to be.¡± ¡°Never is.¡± I nodded, ¡°on three.¡± We all readied ourselves, pulses hammering wildly. ¡°One,¡± I began, my body tense as a trip-wire. ¡°Two,¡± I resolved myself, the chance always existing that we killed them before they killed us. The word three didn¡¯t get to leave my mouth when suddenly something hit the target I just spun to look at. A brilliant white shaft of metal was suddenly embedded in the blackened wood, only different from its surroundings by the bulge in material that could be missed on anything but a focused inspection. It fell like a sack of bricks, fur already shifting back to it¡¯s ordinary color as the terrifying biotic lay dead only a few meters from me. Behind me, I could hear the sound of an absolutely ear-shaking discharge from what had to be a shotgun. A much more silent noise also greeted me, as well as a snarl from the third biotic. That third biotic ran at Gabe, getting only a meter before stumbling over itself and frothing at the mouth, part of its body literally melting inwards. I quickly searched for the second biotic, finding its grey and silver blood and tissues painting a nearby building. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Gabe cried out in equal parts terror and exhultation, ¡°Whoever you are I¡¯ll be your best fucking friend!¡± I laughed, bringing myself around, knowing that we might not be out of the woods yet. If we just got help from Gerry¡¯s men, we¡¯d be extorted for some loot, and let free. If it was Benjamin, we¡¯d be taken in and either ransomed back or extorted for labor. ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± I heard someone chuckle, and then my heart resumed hammering in its chest as someone stood from the ground, as though they¡¯d been a part of it. Almost identically to what the cats did. Only, it seemed more complete, like the shimmering, flexing plates of metal were designed to be the perfect camouflage. Which, I suppose, was obvious, but deserved statement nevertheless. ¡°We¡¯re from Gilramore and New Damond, part of The Reaper¡¯s Legion,¡± the man greeted as the color shifted back to a diamond patterned green like a venomous snake. ¡°We come in peace.¡± The man joked, having his hands empty, in spite of the fact that I could see three tails waving behind him with fang-like prongs on each, the dart throwers in his arms, and the extra limbs at his sides clearly designed for combat. He had to be one of the elites, and not just an elite, but the elite of the elites. Definitely not one of ours, had to be-- My brain staggered to a halt, ¡°wait, you said you¡¯re from Gilramore?¡± He looked at me, chuckling again. ¡°Take a deep breath. Yes, I said I¡¯m from Gilramore. We¡¯re here to check on Sunvilla and see what you guys are dealing with here.¡± I looked at the others, standing up straighter and forcing myself to relax. If this guy wanted to kill us, I¡¯m sure we would be. The near-puddle of biotic behind me attested to that fact. ¡°Uh, right, then. Well, thanks for saving our asses, Mr.?¡± I said as the others around me managed to force themselves to calm down. ¡°Oh, no ¡®Mr.¡¯,¡± he waved the title off, ¡°call me Adder.¡± ¡°Aptly named,¡± I muttered, still hearing the sizzling behind me. ¡°So, you guys are¡­ are you here to help us?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little pitiful at asking that, but that was all that was on my mind when we were sent out here to intercept our guests. I wanted all of this horrible nonsense to end. I wanted my family back from ransom, I wanted to see my little sister again, too, wherever she was. The man shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s possible. Reaper will have to see what¡¯s going on on that front.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the nicknames?¡± Someone murmured behind me, only for Gabe to hiss at him. ¡°Well, they fit, don¡¯t they? Don¡¯t get us shot.¡± For once the ordinarily fearful man seemed right on the nose. I noticed only then the dark blue cowled form of another man in some kind of exo-suit, he bore a four-barreled shotgun. He received my attention with a nod before returning to scanning his surroundings. I could appreciate that, these things were eminently stealthy. ¡°Alright, looks like the area is clear!¡± I remarkably cheery voice said, coming from above, resting on a one story building that used to be a shop. Her armor was much more sleek, a cobalt blue with what looked like arc-shaped stilts that flexed beneath her feet, allowing for what was likely very fast and smooth travel. I frowned at the sound of the voice, my mouth hanging open as I disbelieved the possibility. Just then, she looked down, jolting with a start as she pressed a hand to her helmet, the metal receding. ¡°Big bro?¡± Alice DeLeon said, looking just like the little fairy sister I¡¯d thought was dead, ¡°whoa! Is that really you?¡± She dropped down next to me, her suit absorbing the impact and leg stilts folding in, coming down to just above my chest as she tackled me in a hug. I laughed, feeling the tears streaming down my face, ¡°Holy shit, Alice, you¡¯re fucking alive! Oh my god!¡± I picked her up, feeling my back protest, ¡°Oh, damn, did you get fat?¡± ¡°Rude!¡± She sniffled, tearing up and laughing, ¡°it¡¯s just the suit.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m sure it is.¡± I teased, but then couldn¡¯t help but pull her into a big hug again, lifting her off the ground and trying not to touch the extremely dangerous looking quiver of arrows on her back. ¡°Wait, for real?¡± I heard Adder say, a voice that seemed to be surprised, but happy, ¡°wow, well, that was easy. I¡¯ll let the team know we¡¯re on the way back. You guys can come with, we have an outpost set up that should keep us safe in the meantime.¡± I nodded numbly, the others equal parts stunned and warmed. We were a group that worked together frequently enough, and we also knew that family was all we really had left in all of this. At the very least, I still had Alice. Now I just had to get Mom, Dad, and my other siblings back from Benjamin¡¯s outfit. I pushed the depressing thought away, ¡°you gotta tell me what¡¯s been going on. And what this whole Reaper¡¯s Legion business is.¡± She beamed, ¡°I will, I will,¡± she promised, ¡°and Matthew¡¯s the Reaper, he¡¯s cool people though, don¡¯t let the name scare you.¡± ¡°Pfft¡­ I¡¯ve met plenty of scary people, I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Chapter 82 Disharmony -Matthew Reaper P.O.V.- ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve found some family,¡± I congratulated Alice in spite of the clearly discomfited look that Arthur and his team were giving me. Not that I can blame them, I wasn¡¯t wearing my helmet, and even if I was, my power armor was intimidating. I turned my attention to the group, pretending I didn¡¯t see the way the man in the back didn¡¯t flinch, ¡°so, I take it you¡¯re all here to receive us, is that the case?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, something like that.¡± Arthur shook off some of the shock, ¡°we¡¯re from Mack Thompson¡¯s group.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, letting him continue. He realized that I was waiting for him to fill in the gaps. ¡°He¡¯s one of the three leaders,¡± he continued, ¡°probably the most stable of them, but we¡¯re not really doing too great overall. You¡¯ve seen these cat things, they¡¯re a pain in the ass to deal with.¡± ¡°That they are,¡± I nodded, ¡°we¡¯re too armored overall for them to harm us at all. By the way,¡± I gestured to their equipment, ¡°are they not outfitting you guys?¡± He looked mildly defensive at that, ¡°they do what they can, but most of the matter energy gets spent on looking after people. We¡¯re just getting by.¡± Alice stepped in, ¡°not everyone¡¯s going to have the same start we did.¡± I turned my gaze to Alice, ¡°it doesn¡¯t take much matter energy to feed people, or arm them properly. Unless everyone wasted it on non-renewables, there should be a better standard for equipment.¡± ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know the circumstances,¡± she crossed her arms, ¡°for all we know, things were much worse.¡± I could see the others shoot her a grateful look, and the mild animosity directed towards me. As much as I didn¡¯t want to grill Alice¡¯s family, that was besides the fact. I needed to know the state of the three factions, and why they weren¡¯t better off. ¡°A basic exo-suit costs around thirty-five M.E.¡± I ignored their looks, ¡°were you aware of that?¡± There were a few long seconds of disbelief on their faces, ¡°what? No it¡¯s not.¡± Now I could see Alice frown and look at them with renewed focus, ¡°Yes, it is. Why do you think it isn¡¯t?¡± The certainty Arthur had suddenly vanished, ¡°uh¡­ because that¡¯s what it costs?¡± ¡°Would it have a different cost depending on the area?¡± I heard Adam say aloud, then shake his head, ¡°but that wouldn¡¯t make sense, and our second Obelisk doesn¡¯t have anything like that.¡± ¡°You guys have a second Obelisk?¡± One of the others in the back immediately spoke up, ¡°how the hell did you guys get lucky enough to have two?¡± A sinking feeling clung to my gut, ¡°what? We had the second one created. Sis should have told you about that if you just asked?¡± They exchanged looks of confusion before Arthur asked, ¡°who the hell is Sis?¡± Alice and I slowly met the others eyes, ¡°we¡¯re going to ask some very general questions, here. Just to confirm some basics, alright?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to baby me,¡± Arthur scoffed as he looked to Alice, ¡°lay it on me.¡± She sighed, ¡°well, let¡¯s start with some prices that you¡¯re aware of.¡± For the next thirty minutes we Legion members listened with increasing exasperation the prices that they were forced to endure. Specifically, most basic resources, including food, was kept at nearly eight times the price that it should have been. Ammunition was ten to twenty times, with weapons variable, but all obnoxious. Forget exo-suits, mesh suits alone were ridiculously overpriced, to the extent that I felt blood vessels throb in anger. ¡°Why in the bowels of hell,¡± Jeremy seethed, ¡°is it like that?¡± I shook my head, Arthur¡¯s group now having become acutely aware that something was very wrong. ¡°I don¡¯t know, distance is irrelevant to the Obelisks, these prices are universal. You guys have never heard Sis communicate to you?¡± ¡°No, that system thing only said something when it first landed.¡± The man in the back spoke up, Gabe, his expression dark, ¡°most everyone was kept away from it. At the time Mack Thompson and Benjamin Hart were already pretty much in power. Mack¡¯s always been toting about being on the people¡¯s side and tried to make sure everyone was looked after. Benjamin Hart,¡± he spat the name with disdain, ¡°has always been about pandering to the wealthy, keeping a bit of their fanciful living intact.¡± ¡°After the Obelisk landed, Mack and Benjamin took their most trusted and surrounded it, having a standoff.¡± Arthur said slowly, seeming suspicious of something, ¡°they kept everyone away from the Obelisk for several days, until they managed to break into one of the biotic dens and kill everything in it. They celebrated by giving access to everyone.¡± ¡°What did they do with the core?¡± I asked, ¡°and did they say anything unusual at that time?¡± Arthur frowned, ¡°I don''t know what this core you¡¯re talking about is. But they were saying that the more people purchased from the Obelisks, they more expensive things would get. We couldn¡¯t get agriculture off the ground on account of the defensive stuff getting more expensive. Just barely had enough to keep our bases safe, really. Why?¡± ¡°Hold up,¡± Alice paused, ¡°you don¡¯t know what a core is?¡±Stolen story; please report. His brows furrowed in annoyance, ¡°yeah, I said that.¡± She ignored his tone, bringing up an image of one of the biotic cores, ¡°you¡¯ve never seen one of these, then?¡± The group looked at it for a few moments, unanimously shaking their heads, ¡°nope, never seen anything like it.¡± A prevailing sense of wrongness and rage was boiling within me. I kept it under control for now, though the intensity of my voice rose a few notches, ¡°what about this third group, then?¡± ¡°They¡¯re from further up north, Gerry Brueter is their leader, ex-con biker guy, or something. From what I hear, they were driven out of the town there without getting access to the Obelisk for long, just barely long enough to get some weapons. There weren¡¯t a lot of them at that point, though, so they couldn¡¯t hold them off. They had some pretty creepy sounding biotics, not that it matters now.¡± He shrugged, ¡°they came down here, by then our Obelisk was available to the public, but it was also too expensive for them to get a lot of things on their own. They started stealing stuff to get by.¡± ¡°Assholes, mostly,¡± Gabe supplemented, ¡°they¡¯ll catch people and steal their stuff. But, at least, they don¡¯t ransom them like Benjamin. They can be pretty violent, but they do have some code of conduct, I guess.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Jeremy posited. Gabe waved his hand nonchalantly, ¡°like the whole ¡®you pay us protection money¡¯ or ¡®do some work for us¡¯ and they¡¯ll supposedly look after you. They have a pretty big group themselves, not as large as ours, but bigger than Benjamins. Not a lot of firepower, but it¡¯s concentrated on a few people who go out and kill biotics and bring it back.¡± ¡°Sounds a bit like the Legion and Bulwark, only in one group,¡± Jackson hummed, ¡°but, I guess they¡¯re violent since the Matter Energy prices are so much higher.¡± ¡°Because of them, the prices are even worse,¡± Gabe spat, ¡°and the fancy bastards in Benjamins group make it so that all the really good stuff are just way too expensive to buy.¡± ¡°None of that is how that works.¡± I stopped him, ¡°the only limited things are alien technologies, and even that¡¯s not as bad as it sounds like it is here. Our city pretty much lived off of matter generated food, and in spite of the fact that your population is almost double ours, it shouldn¡¯t have risen. Ours hasn¡¯t budged a point.¡± They gawked at me as I said that, ¡°How the hell is that fair?¡± Alice seemed to consider trying to phrase it gently. ¡°You guys are getting hardcore conned, and falling for it really bad, too.¡± Richard told them flat-out, ¡°my guess is that they used the core to set permissions for access to the Obelisk, before anybody could even know what the prices were.¡± There was a very cold silence in the next few seconds. ¡°Well, it¡¯s fixable,¡± I stated, drawing attention back to me, ¡°the main thing is that we¡¯ll need to get to the Obelisk, probably with a core, and then create a new permissions to give everyone equal access. We might be able to do it without a core, but better to be safe.¡± ¡°But,¡± Arthur stuttered to a stop, clearly disturbed by the concept, ¡°that can¡¯t be possible, right? I mean, why would Mack send us out here? You guys would definitely know if that was the case.¡± I frowned at that, turning my attention to Alice who seemed confused. My gaze met Jeremy and Richard¡¯s eyes, and we seemed to have come to the same, grim, conclusion. ¡°You were sent out with minimal equipment into an area known to be very dangerous,¡± I said slowly, ¡°the biotics would have potentially killed you if we weren¡¯t as quick on the uptake as we were. Beyond that, if I was them, I¡¯d have a second, absolutely loyal, group come to be sure.¡± ¡°Be sure of what?¡± Alice asked before her eyes widened in realization, then contorted to an incredibly uncharacteristically wrathful expression. I could understand the sentiment, ¡°that they¡¯d have died before we could meet them.¡± ¡°What the fu-why the fuck?¡± Gabe shouted, ¡°why would that even be a consideration?¡± ¡°Our brave and hopeful team,¡± Richard began in a mocking tone, ¡°died while attempting to establish peaceable and positive relations with our neighbors, who ruthlessly cut them down. It is clear that these people are our enemies, and cannot be trusted.¡± A cold wind seemed to sweep the color out of Arthur and his team, ¡°but that can¡¯t be it¡­¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± I shrugged, ¡°maybe this whole thing got derailed. The third group could have thrown everything out of balance, hell, you guys might all have people willing to war against each other at the drop of a hat. The situation is either spiraling out of control-¡± at that I paused, ¡°-or is exactly what they want it to be. I don¡¯t know if Gerry is in on it, but unifying against a common enemy is fairly common to bring disparate people together. I¡¯m guessing here, I have no idea exactly what their motivations might be, if they¡¯re misguided attempts at control, for power, or whatever. But, my guess is that we¡¯ll know for sure if we¡¯re right soon.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arthur said after a contemplative look fell upon his features. Alice answered, fists clenched tightly, ¡°if there¡¯s someone suspicious that comes soon, that¡¯ll be our indicator.¡± The lot of us sat in our seats, the now abandoned structure on the outskirts of town our base of operations. From the outside, the only real indicators that we were here were the Ogre¡¯s and the turrets that were fully operational. Depending on what we were working against, though, there was a chance that Arthur and his team were of secondary importance. If they were able to attack and capture us, they could potentially hold us hostage against Gilramore, seeking to keep us away while they aligned themselves in-house. Once they were unified, it would be costly for either side, Gilramore or Sunvilla, to wage open war. It was all guess work, but movement on the outer ring of our sensors brought me out of my considerations. I let out a long, annoyed breath, ¡°and it begins.¡± ¡°Company?¡± Jeremy queried with a raised eyebrow. I nodded, ¡°one of the Determinator¡¯s eyes are bringing in a feed now.¡± The video display alighted in the center of the room from a small holographic display. A group of ten people, kitted in impressive looking exo-suit and power armor and coated in all black, crossed over the threshold around us quietly, guns up and at the ready. They had a wide assortment of weapons, much of it alien-level technology that had to have cost a great deal of Matter Energy. Noticing the gear, Arthur¡¯s mouth hung open slightly, ¡°that¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Kind of like looking at a tank made of gold coming to kill you,¡± Gabe said sadly, now apparently firmly believing what we were saying previously, ¡°that¡¯s really sad, actually.¡± ¡°You guys sit tight,¡± I said to Alice¡¯s brother, ¡°we¡¯re going to greet our guests, just to be sure. Sammy, Richard, Alice, you all stay here. If things go fubar, take them and retreat out of the city. I doubt it¡¯ll come to that, but better not to underestimate their weapons, just in case.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Alice didn¡¯t argue, but looked torn, ¡°you guys be careful, alright?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve died plenty of times, I don¡¯t need another,¡± I chuckled, amused at the perplexed look Arthur¡¯s group gave me. ¡°Let the Determinator¡¯s lead, if they¡¯re hostile, respond in kind. If they want to play these games, we¡¯ll show them the distance they have to travel to catch up.¡± I spoke to the others, Jeremy coming up next to me. ¡°We¡¯ll try diplomacy first,¡± he reiterated to the team, ¡°but remember that these people might be here to kill us. If you¡¯re not comfortable shooting them, then don¡¯t. But stay here if that¡¯s the case.¡± As he panned his gaze around his team, none of them stood down, though Adam seemed unhappy with the turn of events. I couldn¡¯t blame him, from what I¡¯d heard he¡¯d actually taken up an oath of sorts not to harm people. But, in self-defense, I had to assume he¡¯d make an exception. ¡°Let¡¯s say ¡®hello,¡¯ people. The Legion way.¡± I grinned, my helmet pulling itself back up to cover my head, red flaring to life across my armor before dimming. Chapter 83 The Human Element From what I could see of the figures carefully making their way towards the structure we¡¯d chosen as our base, these individuals were a far cry from any fledgling hunters. They moved with purpose, caution, a pack of predators scouring the area for any sign of us. It was clear they at least knew the direction to head in, but occasionally they would stop, sweep a building, and move on. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the Determinators were in a much more compact form as they monitored the area, I think they would have been discovered long ago. As it were, they missed their chance to discover them, having bypassed the outer containment area with them in it. A part of me wondered if what I was about to do was truly the right thing. Certainly, killing your fellow human wasn¡¯t going to be helpful in the long run. But a message needed to be sent. ¡°Reaper is in position,¡± I spoke into the comms, voice cut off from the outside world. The response came, ¡°Last Call is ready. We¡¯ll flush ¡®em to you.¡± And then silence came again, the group of would-be assassins coming to a stop at a nearby intersection, spread out and backs against the corners of a building, behind vehicles, and any other cover they could find. They were outfitted heavily, so much so that I doubted that ordinary ordnance would have done much more than batter them. A few weeks ago, they would have been enemies to be far warier of. But combat against biotics had driven our prowess far higher, our technology far deadlier. The bolts we¡¯d engineered from seeing the Spindlies would be the first taste of the outside world these people would get, and very likely the last. But, Strauss would give them their chance first. ¡°Hold right there,¡± Strauss called, his voice coming from down the street to their east. He was situated behind a vehicle, not much cover against armor piercing rounds, but he was hardly unprotected otherwise. The men reeled, but held fire. Tense seconds filled the expanse between them and Strauss, a few of them looking around to see if there were any others in the area. They must have detected at least two people near Strauss in a building. Denice and Yomar were those two, I¡¯d guess, due to not having any true method of nulling their profiles against any kind of detection technology. These guys at the least would have had some reasonable technology on that front, due to the nature of the biotics they dealt with. ¡°Considering you haven¡¯t shot us yet,¡± the leader of the group spoke, ¡°I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re willing to have a conversation.¡± Strauss eyebrows arched at that, ¡°You could say that.¡± The leader of the other group slowly lowered his weapon and helmet, revealing an angular face, hazel green eyes, and wariness. He clearly looked to the sides where Yomar and Denice were, a show mostly for us than anything else. ¡°So, I have to ask before anything else. Is the other team alive or dead?¡± He asked blatantly. ¡°First off,¡± Jeremy chewed on a cigar, one that I was uncertain where it¡¯d come from, ¡°where I come from, we introduce ourselves first. M¡¯names Jeremy Strauss, team leader of Last Call from The Reaper¡¯s Legion. Over there and there-¡± he gestured to the sides, ¡°-are two of my team, Yomar and Denice.¡± The man¡¯s expression grew marginally tighter as he seemed to consider something, ¡°Officially we¡¯re nobody. But officially I¡¯m Timothy Foster. We were told that a group of defectors with critical information about the defenses of our compound were leaked.¡± He gestured to himself, noting the lack of insignia, ¡°given the equipment we were geared with, I thought to myself ¡®That¡¯s a little sketchy, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ and decided to ask questions rather than go in guns blazing.¡± Jeremy chuckled, ¡°Well, I do appreciate that.¡± His expression darkened then, ¡°If you¡¯re being honest, anyways, otherwise this is pretty convenient for you.¡± The man shuffled on his feet uncomfortably, ¡°I understand that you¡¯ve probably been updated on the situation here. We¡¯re some of the elites that Mack dispatched, but we¡¯re only one group. There¡¯s at least one more out there, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Benjamin¡¯s people were on the way too.¡± At the very least they were aware of the situation. I watched Strauss, now chewing at the end of his cigar perplexedly. We hadn¡¯t really considered this possibility. ¡°So, your angle is, what now? Get out in front of the imminent shit storm that¡¯ll be hanging around Mack and Benjamin¡¯s heads and those immediately around ¡®em?¡± Jeremy asked, and then pointed out, ¡°Not that I¡¯m against that, just seems rather¡­ forward of you.¡± ¡°It is true that it might seem rather abrupt,¡± he allowed, ¡°But we¡¯re not the only ones who think this situation has gotten well out of hand. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re blind, but we def-¡± his expression suddenly warped to shock, ¡°Get down!¡± His helmet came up quickly as he himself hit the deck, a chunk of concrete tearing out of the ground behind him from a bullet. I frowned, hearing what had to have been a fifty caliber round fired from afar. Jeremy stood still, shaking his head, ¡°really? Sending a kill team to kill a scapegoat team, but sending another kill team to kill a kill team if they wouldn¡¯t- ah fuck it.¡± He threw his hands up, ¡°whatever, Reaper, you deal with it. We¡¯ll take care of our visito-¡± The sound from him cut off suddenly as a bullet tore through him. Instead of blood and viscera, however, the hologram that consisted his body flickered, the single pane of material that had assisted in selling the illusion shattered from the bullet. ¡°Damn, that was useful,¡± I heard him muse aloud, ¡°Adam, let me know how many more of those you got later, that¡¯s good stuff.¡± ¡°Thanks, boss,¡± he said dryly, ¡°just make sure you reimburse me for them.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Strauss waved him off before muttering, ¡°Penny pincher.¡± ¡°Might I remind you that you¡¯re still in a live-fire situation?¡± Adam continued, ¡°Maybe you should fix that.¡± I chuckled, hearing their team banter back and forth. I wasn¡¯t worried about Arthur and his team, they were well hidden and secured by the scouts, and if someone did get wounded, Adam was directly on hand with them. A stream of gunfire suddenly resounded from down the street in two directions, attempting to flush the first kill team into the open. The man, Timothy Foster, and his team broke formation cleanly, diving into cover where it was available. They snapped shots over cover, more than one of them having weapons designed to be able to fire around cover, feeding to a camera that they could aim through. I was on the opposite side of them, the gunfire hitting them from the north and east. Quietly I dispatched the Determinators, intending on closing the noose around this latest group. Just outside, though, I noticed a group of three coming up on their flank from the west. I was sitting inside of a two story building, the balcony overlooking the intersection an ideal spot to exchange fire. Now, though, it was even better as a trap. The three men came into view, wearing even more impressive power armor than Timothy¡¯s team. Slowly, I took a deep breath, the trio on the ground below. Farther afield they might have had another sniper, but if I let these three go uncontested, we were all but guaranteed to lose several people on the ground. Plus I was interested in the equipment they had, there looked to be some pretty impressive tech. I started my run, darting out of the building and jumping over the railing of the building, pulling out my sword as I went. The edge immediately gleamed red, heat billowing from the keen blade. The three stopped, seeming all at once, and had begun to turn towards me. Some kind of detection device must have caught me when I burst into motion. I was faster than the biotics they¡¯d been dealing with, though, my own power armor still a higher form than their own. My reflexes had proven to be better, too. I landed between them, given a split second of freedom before they began to respond. Putting aside my grievances with the situation for the moment, I lashed out with my blade, carving through their weapons in three swift strokes. The final stroke saw me kicking out, hard, at one of them men. To my chagrin, I heard something snap in the knee joint and could also hear his follow up wailing, the leg bent at an awkward angle. Apparently their armor was less supportive at the legs than I¡¯d thought. I corrected that line of thought when I punched out and caved a portion of another of their armor with my gauntleted fist. The more likely answer was my augmented strength was much more acute than I¡¯d thought. Idly, I dialed back the strength, accessing my armors settings to pull back a touch. The last man standing moved back a few steps hastily, cursing and swearing as he went for a sidearm. An instant later, even as he tried to pull the weapon upon me, I slapped the arm away, gripping his helmets face mask with my other hand. I pulled, hard, feeling the fingers on my suit clench just enough to get a grip on it. Suddenly the man was staring at me without the benefit of his armor, and my helmet flickered with a malevolent spectre¡¯s grin, smoky red. ¡°The Reaper cometh.¡± I whispered to him, punching him with a vastly controlled strike. Even so, I felt his nose break, his body spinning in the air before he landed. I frowned, looking between my fist and the now prone and immobile form. ¡®Shit, I hope I didn¡¯t just kill him.¡¯ I turned to look at the other two, but ended up snapping my rifle up, turning down range to the west. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. I shot dug into the ground just beside my foot, ¡°Yep, my turn.¡± At once my rifle extended, the three barrels compounding to form the sniper configuration of my weapon. It was far more advanced now than it had been previously, using a much more streamlined mag-rifle technology in both forms, though this was far superior to its predecessor. For a few long seconds I scanned the area for the shooter, and saw nothing. Collecting information from the environment, I was able to estimate the angle the bullet had come in from. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but as I was able to narrow down my target to one building. The other two were coming to their senses, apparently not as down and out of the fight as I¡¯d initially considered. I saw a shuffle of movement from a window, and fired, aiming low for a leg. Even distantly, I could hear the cry, and cringed at the sudden red burst on the wall behind the window. I turned away, figuring they were likely more interested in getting away than continuing the fight. It had nothing to do with the fact that I was still unsettled with the prospect of killing needlessly. If it came down to it, I¡¯m sure I could do it, but if it was absolutely necessary, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem with avoiding it, right? The two men rising, however, told me that perhaps I was being a bit too naive. ¡°Stay down.¡± I commanded, ¡°your fight is over.¡± My tone held no sign of the apprehension I felt, and I desperately hoped that they would just stay down. To my surprise, the man with the broken leg slumped backwards, pausing with his hand on the gun at his side. He shot a look to the other, the chest of his armor caved in enough to elicit the sound of wheezing when he was breathing. There was an unspoken moment that crossed between them that I couldn¡¯t divine the meaning of. They stayed down, the man with the leg slowly unbuckling the gun at his side and tossing it away, ¡°help him out of that armor, please. He¡¯s going to start suffocating.¡± I nodded, ¡°don¡¯t do anything crazy, I prefer killing biotics over humans.¡± The man with the caved chest struggled to pull his helmet off, the task of breathing arduous. I cranked up the strength allowance of my suit and yanked hard on the joints of the armor, splitting and shearing the metal with sharp tugs. As I freed his chest enough that he could breath, he gasped and coughed, shoving his helmet off. ¡°Christ, what the fuck is that suit?¡± He looked at me with unbridled fear. I shook my head, and didn¡¯t answer the question, ¡°Again, so long as you don¡¯t cross me further, I¡¯ll let you live.¡± The man was about to speak when another fifty cal launched, this one hitting me in the side. It was enough that I staggered to the side, my armor eating the shot without much more than a mild dent. I was surprised, but with a tired sigh I turned and looked back to the building, seeing the man I¡¯d shot from afar still in the window sill. He didn¡¯t have his rifle to his eye anymore, and was slowly standing, apparently having realized how much of a bad idea what he¡¯d just done was. I picked up my rifle, a deep feeling of regret welling within me even before I took the shot. ¡®Is it necessary?¡¯ I thought to myself, ¡®I¡¯m wearing power armor that can, apparently, tank .50 cal rounds without breaking a sweat. I¡¯m not hurt at all¡­¡¯ ¡®But he didn¡¯t know it wouldn¡¯t hurt Us,¡¯ Wolvy pointed out, ¡®the not-others that are Our friends might not have been so fortunate.¡¯ I grit my teeth, wanting to make more excuses to not fire. But, ultimately, I could feel the vaguest twinge of principle from the shattered remnants of all that I¡¯d learned in my time in becoming a Reaper. Leaving a threat out of mercy, when that mercy was accepted, was one thing. But when someone took that mercy and tried to cut you from beneath its billowing cloak? There was only one response, really. I sighed my sniper even as the man tried to duck away, but it was far too late. Six rounds tore through the building, the first two missing, while the final four certainly hit something fleshy, if the newly painted wall in the room had anything to say by it. ¡°Disarm yourselves and your friend,¡± I stated, turning grimly from the scene, ¡°don¡¯t try to leave.¡± The two numbly nodded, unable to say anything in the face of what I¡¯d just casually done. From tanking a shot that even their armor would have been unable to absorb fully, to exchanging six rounds with minimal deviance on my aim, there were plenty of examples of why they weren¡¯t going to win against me. Jeremy wrapped up on his end even sooner, Yomar having charged straight into three others, tearing into them and wounding them. From the north side, Allendra had counter-sniped their own sniper, but apparently the only other fatality had been from one overzealous combatant who refused to surrender from the north side. The snipers had been pinned down with counter fire, and when they moved to escape, the Determinators caught them. For now, we stowed them in one of the Ogre¡¯s, Adam worked on the wounded outside before allowing them to be resecured in one of the Ogre bays. Whether for thematic effect or convenience, they ended up in the Determinator¡¯s return bay, caskets that were reserved for the robots highlighting a certain truth of what would happen if they fought us here. I sat down, speaking with Timothy and hearing what he had to say. He was markedly surprised to hear that I wasn¡¯t just a team leader, but the actual leader of the Legion. Apparently the leader¡¯s here didn¡¯t go anywhere near the frontlines if they could help it. Given my track record for personal dismemberment, I wouldn''t necessarily disagree with that line of thought. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re telling the truth. The point of all of this is going to be to make this as bloodless as possible. Can we go to Mack¡¯s group and gain any support?¡± I asked, though I figured the answer would be a no. As expected, he shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There are plenty of us among the elites who are more than happy to keep riding this situation until it crashes and burns.¡± ¡°Then it seems we¡¯re going to need to go through some more creative methods to get to the Obelisk.¡± I sighed, ¡°I highly doubt Mack and Benjamin are going to leave the Obelisk unguarded after not hearing anything back from you guys and their other kill team.¡± ¡°I agree, and last I saw there were already some groups moving towards the Obelisk.¡± He said, ¡°and probably even now they¡¯re spinning a tale on how an invading group of outsiders is taking over the city.¡± Our conversation went back and forth for a little while after. I wasn¡¯t keen on this particular situation, especially because of the way that this could all go. Alice wasn¡¯t known to be on our team, so I wasn¡¯t so worried that they¡¯d be used as leverage. I paused at that thought, groaning as I realized that we did have Arthur. They could just apply pressure to him, and unwittingly also be pressuring Alice. ¡®Excellent, yet another thing to look forward too,¡¯ I resisted making another sigh, knowing I was very near to establishing it as a habit. ¡®Alright, looks like we¡¯re going to have to split up a bit. To get everything done before it¡¯s too hard to do it.¡¯ ¡°Jeremy, I need you to take Timothy and his guys to Gerry,¡± I started talking over the comms. ¡°Why?¡± I frowned, leaning in from the next compartment to my surprise. ¡°We need to explain the situation and see if they can get us close to the Obelisk. I¡¯d prefer not to brute force it, so hopefully they¡¯ll amenable to letting us fix this mess.¡± I highlighted the main points, not mentioning that we¡¯d hopefully be able to establish positive connections with at least one group before the Obelisk switched over and we began to assume our role here, whatever it would end up being. He nodded, ¡°Alright, that¡¯ll be a pain in the ass, but alright. Anything else?¡± ¡°Feel free to barter with them for perks, offer them positions in the Legion if they can pass the test to get in. Not sure how much they¡¯d be interested in that, but we want everyone aware of what we can do.¡± I paused, thinking another option over and quickly disregarding it, ¡°If they had electricity we could just broadcast our plan across radios at least.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be too easy,¡± Jeremy dryly commented, ¡°If they at least at Obelisk access, we¡¯d be fine.¡± ¡°Soon, at least.¡± I nodded, ¡°Where are the scouts, and Arthur?¡± ¡°Still in the building.¡± He gestured, ¡°You need Sammy for something?¡± I hesitated for a second before shaking my head, ¡°No, you¡¯ll need Sammy more for scouting, it¡¯s less dangerous deeper in the city for biotics, but not really safe per se. The others will be fine.¡± ¡°Got it, just send Sammy back over when you get over there, then we''ll get ready.¡± He nodded, moving over and calling to the rest of his team. Once more I counted my lucky stars that there were enough competent people in the Legion that I didn¡¯t have to worry over every detail. Less than a minute later, I arrived as Alice, Richard, and Arthur with his team were packing up. Sammy was lingering at the door, looking up at me in surprise. ¡°Busted,¡± he commented, ¡°I¡¯m just gonna go check in with Strauss.¡± He immediately slipped out of the doorway behind me as I turned, confusion apparent on my face. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked, seeing Richard cringe while Alice met my gaze with something of a blend between shame and challenge. ¡°Benjamin¡¯s got the rest of my family as a ransom ticket,¡± Alice started, ¡°I know it¡¯s stupid, but I¡¯m going to go in and get them before they realize that Arthur and I are here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really stupid,¡± Richard added, receiving a brief look of betrayal from Alice, but he continued on with a smirk, ¡°but we¡¯re doing it anyways. This is important.¡± Alice swallowed hard but nodded, her look of hurt replaced by something warmer. Arthur stepped up as well, ¡°We know the path well, and we can be in and out with minimal issues. With how quick and well equipped these two are, nothing less than the elites are going to be a problem.¡± He explained, ¡°I doubt you need us for much more of anything at this point. We know the risks an-¡± ¡°Okay, okay, stop.¡± I held up both of my hands to belay their continued barrage. Steadily I looked to each of them, meeting their gazes as they held firm, if perhaps their body language betrayed the nervousness beneath. Richard was, expectedly, unperturbed, likely guessing what my response was going to be anyways. Alice was adamant that this was what needed to happen, but that didn¡¯t mean that she wasn¡¯t unaffected by what I might say. With a shake of my head I said, ¡°Fine, you can go, but don¡¯t get caught. Stauss is going with Timothy to find this Gerry person so we can see about getting some assistance in getting to the Obelisk. So there won¡¯t be help if there¡¯s trouble, understood?¡± I asked, turning to them to make sure they were aware. They nodded, thought he relief on them was evident, and I noted that apparently Richard hadn¡¯t exactly predicted my response, because he showed the briefest flicker of surprise on his face and then relief as well. Not sure how I felt about that¡­ ¡°But,¡± I pointedly directed to Alice and Richard, ¡°This doesn¡¯t happen again. If you feel the need to do something while we¡¯re on a mission, you come talk to me first. We¡¯ll talk more about this later, but for now, we¡¯re on a time-table.¡± I specifically didn¡¯t mention how I felt wounded that they wouldn¡¯t talk to me about this first. That would have to come later. They seemed to catch the gist of that, though, guilty expressions crawling across their faces. ¡°What will you be doing?¡± Richard decided to refocus the conversation. ¡°Since Strauss is going to Gerry and we¡¯re going on our own?¡± There was an unspoken question of whether I would be going with them, I think. ¡°I¡¯ll be moving with the Determinators, we have to find a hive and get a core.¡± I stated, feeling less than a hundred percent confident in the maneuver, but there were few options. The uncertain glance they shared said enough as to what they thought of the plan. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up afterwards,¡± I stated, not interested in debating the finer points of the plan. There wasn¡¯t much time before Sunvilla would potentially be arrayed against us like a hornets nest. We needed to be well underway before that happened. And if that meant that I¡¯d be going into a hive with only Determinators as support, then that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯d do. ¡®If these were Gen 2 biotics, this might be too much. But, this shouldn¡¯t be that hard at all.¡¯ I thought to myself, before immediately mentally chiding myself for jinxing it. Chapter 84 Grave I stalked through the underbrush, a nearly full contingent of Determinators behind me. Thirty metal soldiers - each feeding me information in real time - were like another part of my body. Together we steadily drove deep into the green of the land around Sunvilla. It seemed that at some point the vegetation had grown, the nearest suspected location for a hive more towards the south west. If that was the case, then at the very least it shouldn¡¯t take too long to acquire it. According to Arthur and Timothy, no one had really gone after the hive cores in quite some time. If they had been doing it, then they¡¯d managed to keep it entirely a secret. I didn¡¯t put it past them, there was always the possibility that Mack and Benjamin had their own reserve of hive cores in the event that something were to happen to the Obelisk, or modifications needed to be made. The bulk of the reason why I suspected they might have additional cores was more due to the fact that Mack and Benjamin would want to keep the status quo. But, not knowing where they were, or if they really existed, I had to take the hard option. ¡®Finding the damn thing is going to be the hard part,¡¯ I mentally groused, feeling one of the Determinators at the edges pause as it scanned an area. Being suspect, that particular location was subject to a second Determinator¡¯s attention a moment later. Then a third, and as each of them came to the conclusion that it was a suspicious area, they each opened fire upon it with broad, dual-barrel rifles outfitted with our new splinter rounds - dubbed such after the Spindlies - and watched the result. The result being a momentary burst of silver gore as the biotic that had been hiding there lost out to the brutal firepower of the metal soldiers. I nodded, satisfied, before starting to continue. Out of the corner of my eye, though, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the three of the Determinator¡¯s actually gave each other an awkward thumbs up. ¡°Who taught them that?¡± I murmured, before turning away with a shrug. They¡¯d come along quite a way, considering the original Determinators wouldn¡¯t cross a room without explicit instructions to do so. Now I caught them doing random things on the side from time to time, shuffling from foot to foot or idly turning and looking at things. They were mostly emulating human behaviour as they¡¯d seen it, but I wondered how long it would be until they began to develop past that. Of course, I was also wary, considering each of the 36 A.I. that made up the Determinators were actually housed within myself ultimately. Better not to think about that, I think. After a steady pace through the jungle for almost an hour now, we finally were making progress on where the hive might be. We were monitoring the presence and number of contacts with the biotic cats, gradually charting their numbers in certain areas. After meandering through, greatly increasing our travel time and mitigating distance, I could guess the direction we needed to go in, more or less. Which we were now driving towards, having already begun to stumble upon even more biotics as we went. It was a promising start. The sun was low, now, but light wasn¡¯t as useful for us as I¡¯d have preferred in this situation in the first place. Currently, we were busy utilizing general scanning technology, mapping the area with a hybrid of light-mapping and sonar. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t have the kind of gear that a dedicated scout might have. Richard had revealed that he had a few sensors that could pick up on the biotics, as could Sammy. Alice, somehow, seemed to have a sixth sense for biotics around her. I was still grappling with the possibility that humans might actually have the capacity for psychic senses. If we did, I was in a rather bittersweet position for it. Given my body, I doubted I could be interacted with on a psychic level, but that also meant that it was more than likely beyond me. The Determinators brought me out of my thoughts with several groups ¡®fact-checking¡¯ each other at the same time, killing four more biotics in a short burst. Something qualitative shifted in the air, like we¡¯d finally roused the jungle. ¡°Took them long enough,¡± I scoffed, feeling the Determinator¡¯s form rank around me. They were effective, especially as they began to learn more about combat and enemy mobility. That much was demonstrated in resplendency as three biotics attacked us from different sides, darting in before realizing that they weren¡¯t undetected. Without hesitation, the Determinators opened fire, catching two of the biotics with grazing shots. Follow up shots killed both of them, only the third managing to get away. I could hear the biotic hiss in the distance, and wondered how many more there were. These ones were certainly less aggressive than the wolves were. It was unusual that they were as reserved as they were, considering every other biotic we¡¯d fought. But, they were more of the ambush type, and given the reaction time of the Determinators, they would need to come in significantly greater numbers before they would be a threat. It was odd, the wolves were straightforward and fragile, but their bites could sever steel if they were allowed to cling to a target for longer than a few seconds. Their jaws would, inevitably, close. Yet, these cats were only masters of disguise, something that became less and less reliable the more you knew about it. But, then, we¡¯d had plenty of time to upgrade our gear and sharpen our skills. The people of Sunvilla had it hard, not being able to properly gear themselves thanks to the political tribal situation they had going on. It took us another thirty minutes of slogging through what was quickly becoming a much more humid jungle. I frowned, noting the fact that the terrain was clearly shifting to almost what seemed to be a tropical rainforest. There were plants that gradually came into the foreground that I didn¡¯t recognize, broad leaves half a meter long, sometimes in brilliant colors. Vines reached out across the trees, some as thick as my arm, and many bearing bright red fruits. I frowned upon seeing them, certain that I¡¯d never seen the strange, velvety looking fruit in my life. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Cautiously, I had one of the Determinators reach for one. Nothing at all happened, contrary to my imaginings of a vine monster whipping down to sweep up hapless prey. It opened the fruit, revealing pink flesh and two dense but small seeds. Curiously, I took off my helmet and sniffed it. It was sweet, and so far nothing I smelled from it gave me any cause for alarm. I smeared a small amount of it on my bottom lip, walking with the fruit in hand as we continued our search. No numbness, and if anything it just smelled nice. With a shrug, I took a small bite, chewing on it slowly. It was almost as if an apple and peach had been mixed, but was much sweeter. After chewing it for several minutes with no ill effects, I swallowed it. My body would still be capable of notifying me of poisonous food, but so long as it wasn¡¯t something up the vein of Richard¡¯s horrifying concoctions, I¡¯d be fine. Minutes later, my body seemed to digest it just fine, the fruit surprisingly nutritious as well. I ate the rest of the fruit, satisfied with the meal. This was all well and fine, but I knew what it meant. There were Gen 2 biotics around. I wasn¡¯t sure why they weren¡¯t attacking Sunvilla, though, unless they had been. With the proclivity for stealth abound, for all I knew we¡¯d walked past some of them several times. It was then that I received the signal, one of the Determinators coming across something truly odd. I walked towards it, flanked on all sides, seeing the structure that was nearly ten meters across, suspended in the air between the trees, five meters off of the ground. ¡°What the hell made this?¡± I frowned, a construct that looked like a large, octagonal wheel, spokes made of branches and cored with a wreath of vegetation. Flowers were abundant on its surface, vibrant shades of purple, pink, and black streaked with white. It was clear that this construct was intentional, but I didn¡¯t know why. Certainly, I had a hard time imagining that anybody would be out here to make this. We stayed in the clearing - an area thirty meters wide had been cleared of any offending underbrush - studying the strange structure. I knew we couldn¡¯t wait long, but I was deeply curious as to what exactly this was. It wasn¡¯t long before I realized that the ground beneath the strange icon had been overturned. Not recently, but certainly methodically. It was rectangular and shape, and roughly the same size as a person. After looking at it, I realized that there was a collection of small rocks set at the top most rim of the soil. The rocks, I noted, looked like they were arranged in a very loose circle. Taking the view in together as a whole, it was clear that this was a grave. But why? For who? And what was the vague sensation that pressed against my senses when I wasn¡¯t focused? Whenever I tried to focus on it, it fled, as though afraid to be pinned down. It was frustrating, but after a while, something else drew my notice. One of the cats had come towards us, seeking to draw in to pounce on a Determinator on the edge of the territory. Before I could have him dispatch it, though, the biotic seemed to shiver violently and flee, taking one look up at the massive object before doing so. I felt uneasy, not knowing what this was. With full intent to bring someone back here to investigate it properly, I marked it on my map. With little more to do, we left the grove much as we¡¯d found it. I wasn¡¯t about to go digging up a possible grave, especially not with how the biotic had fled. For all I know, these biotics had learned to fear these areas. Which meant that they probably feared whoever made these areas more. ¡®I wish Yaga was here to check this out, he¡¯d probably be able to tell us more about it.¡¯ I clicked my tongue in annoyance. We¡¯d have to get him out here sometimes. ¡®It was very nice looking, though.¡¯ Wolvy noted, ¡®very large, too.¡¯ I nodded in agreement. It was a beautiful construction, and clearly would have taken a great deal of time to build. Putting it aside for now, we moved slightly more westward from there. It took us another fifteen minutes, but our efforts bore fruit. Dug into the side of a large hill, I could see a wide open cave. It had been excavated, that much was clear from the large mounds of dirt that had smothered the vegetation largely in the area around it. From the looks of it, there wasn¡¯t a great deal of traffic here. That was good, we could get in and get out quickly with that. I paused as I heard a deep bellow deeper within the forest. Straining my ears, I couldn¡¯t hear the sound again, but I still waited another minute to be certain. With a hapless shake of my head, I walked into the entrance of the hive, melee weapon mounted on the front of my rifle, the three barrels shining a dull red in preparation for it¡¯s deadly task. All the while, I was curious about what might be out there, the Gen 2 of the area as much a mystery as whatever made the structure. Maybe the roar came from the Gen 2. I set my eyes towards the darkness, red light faintly gleaming off the walls as I fired a burst of bullets down the range, hitting nothing. Mentally I commanded the Determinators to walk with me, the lot of us stabbing the walls as we went, just in case the creatures had managed to be inside of cubby holes, or perhaps emulating the walls through gaps. To my amusement, we immediately found two, which were pinned down and dismembered by multiple Determinators each time. I found one a moment later, alarmed that it was even there. A groove in the wall was revealed after I¡¯d stabbed and subsequently shot it, covering me and the tunnel in gore. Several locations seemed to have carved out regions where the biotics would slip into and merge into their surroundings. It was clever, and I found myself flabbergasted that their fur and skin could flex so completely as that. ¡°How did you guys even get made?¡± I pondered aloud, rejecting the idea that they were similar to the Spindlies. Those living bombs had been entirely expendable, the Carriers using them as little more than fodder to wear prey down. In the end, we still didn¡¯t know exactly what caused biotics to do what they did. The popular theory was that a biotic core would take a local bio-form and modify it in a semi-random way. I didn¡¯t like that explanation. It felt hollow. These creatures, while viewed separately, might be random enough to be explained away as such. But - and I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t the only one to think this - when viewed in light of their other types, I couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious of an overarching pursuit. The wolves utilized massive numbers and jaws that, if one locked onto you, would close regardless of the density of the metal, or hardness. We¡¯d tested it even with our newer alloys that were still in testing, and they still managed to cut through it. It wasn¡¯t simply bite pressure, but the fact remained that a Gen 1 biotic was using a weapon that only was weak because they themselves were fragile, and that was supplemented by using horde tactics to increase the chances that at least one wolf could get an attack through. That wasn¡¯t even to mention the presence of the Unique Karaslava, the bear from so long ago. It¡¯s entire purpose was to direct wolves and serve as a stronger up front threat. Perhaps had it been given time, we¡¯d have seen an entirely new combat strategy come out of the wolves near Gilramore. I put the thoughts away for now. None of this would help me seize the core. Shade dropped altitude over the entrance in the event that a large number of the biotics came back from the hive. With that settled, myself and 30 Determinators made our way deeper into the hive, hearing snarling creatures deeper in the tunnel as they realized stealth was no longer an option. ¡°That¡¯s right, come and make our jobs easier.¡± I leveled the gun forward, allowing the Determinator¡¯s to continue probing the walls. Chapter 85 Reckless Abandon The darkness of the tunnel flared with the staccato rhythm of gunfire. Behind me more of such sound transpired, Determinators accurately and ruthlessly dispatching biotics. Mere moments ago we¡¯d been alone, and I found myself whistling in surprise at the sheer ferocity that these cats had gone from ambush predators to blitzing us. Still, I wasn¡¯t worried. At first. I frowned as the first bodies piled up, sliced through and dismembered, when they were picked up and pushed forward by their companions. It wasn¡¯t what I would call a wholly effective strategy, buying them a meter of extra space at a time before the gunfire reduced them to yet another quivering mass. But it was fast enough, considering how rapidly they moved, how powerfully their muscles rippled beneath their silvery fur. ¡®They use their fallen, waste nothing, all will be used,¡¯ Wolvy nodded appreciatively in my mind¡¯s eye, ¡®not bad.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s kinda bad,¡¯ I frowned, ¡®they¡¯re making progress. Towards us.¡¯ ¡®Oh, yes, that part is bad. But we have enough metal things,¡¯ it casually disregarded the danger, ¡®We will be fine.¡¯ I felt a tick in my eye-lid and exasperation fill me briefly. The biotics didn¡¯t give me the opportunity to be any more annoyed, though, the first of them buying just enough distance with their fallen to reach the Determinators. A dozen corpses - the parts of them, at least - lay scattered in the tunnel. Behind us was laughably light, the Shade humming as it carved away at the group that had attempted to bottle us in. In front of me, a Determinator found itself struggling with the awkward weight of one of the biotics, followed rapidly by a second that managed to imbalance it enough to fall. One of the other Determinators reached over, stabbing through the back of the head of the newcomer, before also being piled upon. Raking claws scraped metal, damaging paint and only managing to get a centimeters worth of damage on the plating, if that. Pity for them, though, did not come. Likewise, it didn¡¯t seem they were wholly helpless either. As I brought my rifle to bare, I noticed that they were swarming over top of the Determinators, attempting to bring them down and keep their limbs from moving as freely. We didn¡¯t fire upon the grappling biotics, instead firing over and behind them at the remaining horde. And, with a speed that shocked me, the first three Determinators were dragged backwards, several meters down the tunnel. ¡®That¡¯s bad,¡¯ Wolvy commented uselessly. ¡®You think?¡¯ I sarcastically spat, aiming at the biotics that were dragging the Determinators. After a moment, though, no clear shot was available, and suddenly another Determinator was down and dragged away. I was the next in the line here, as I hadn¡¯t expected to need to be further back. As the first biotic moved to me, I swiped sideways with the rifle, cutting through the creatures forehead brutally and then pivoting to the other side, slamming the next with the butt of the rifle. I shot the next one, and pulled my side arm pistol in the next instant. Beside me, the battered feline snarled, rising and leaping at me in one smooth motion. I fired once, blasting its head as I moved forward, demanding more and more of my focus and awareness by the second. A fourth lept high, fifth and sixth coming in low. I fired at the two lower, bracing as I lifted the rifle, bayonet attachment stabbing firmly into the open mouth of the snarling biotic. Sliding backwards on silvery much, the previous kills drenching the tunnel further. Without respite, three more performed the same attack, my rifle still stuck in the head of the first biotic. Instead of trying to pry the weapon free, I turned my attention fully forward. Processing power and the virtue of faster-than-human reflexes allowed me to surge forward, putting one of the biotics more in the way of the other two as I could. I lashed out with a metal fist, surprising myself when it came away gore covered. The biotic stumbled, but quickly was subsumed by the two replacements. The first I shot in the head, but the second one finally landed on me. I felt its claws rake against my armor, unable to find decent purchase for leverage or to deal real damage. It opened its mouth wide, trying to engulf my face when I punched it once, hard, on the side of the head. It reeled, but before I could get another one in, the previous biotic latched onto my arm, teeth putting pressure on the metal.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Anger pulsed through me as I grit my teeth, ¡®These fuckers are obnoxious.¡¯ And then everything was grey, a cold calculated bloodthirst cut through my mind like an executioner''s blade. Everything that wasn¡¯t this moment drained away, all thoughts of the Determinators beyond their presence as a vessel for my will ceased. I thought nothing of the potential for damage and death, considering only the best way to destroy the threats, and, thereby, secure my own life. Not even the vague remembrance that this strange sensation had happened before when I cut my way up and out of a Carrier remained for long. ¡®Extermination commence,¡¯ I felt with my mind to the Determinators, a manifest control that unified them even further. I felt them all snap to attention, the nearest Determinator leaping up and over me, stomping down hard on a newcomer biotic. The gore of its head caked around the Determinators foot, and as another biotic leapt forward, it let loose with a burst of gunfire before barreling into yet another biotic. Then another Determinator did the same, just as I hit my own biotic in the head again, this time a resounding crack meeting my ears. Unceremoniously, I dumped the biotic off of me, vaulting from the ground, covered in silvery gore. Ahead of me the Determinators were piled upon, but as I performed the maneuver like the last Determinator¡¯s had, we kept them from being dragged off. Further away, I heard gunfire and felt the Determinators that had been dragged away had shaken their bindings and clustered together. I embraced the full suite of my own processing power, and all at once the Determinator were as death, each shot unerring, every movement tight and efficient. We marched forward, the black army of death uttering the name Caironex as befitting our function, the ¡®Hand of Death¡¯. It was a transformation, dramatic and sudden, and what I thought was fear seemed to slow the blind offensive of the biotics. But only one of us would leave this place alive, and so the battle continued. Screaming weapon¡¯s fire met snarling and yowling biotic, both mine and my Determinator¡¯s forms dripping with gore from the melee. When the tunnel twisted gently and leveled out, I knew that we weren¡¯t far now. The previous Determinators were ahead of us, pulled into a larger room, pushing themselves to a far wall. Several tunnels allowed the cats to stream in endlessly, but only one such tunnel was larger, and led downwards. ¡®Do not lose yourself,¡¯ Wolvy¡¯s voice touched upon my mind, the words processing without meaning, ¡®you are mine, as we are Us, after all. You do not belong to the machines alone.¡¯ It confused my mind as it was now, the words not helpful for killing biotics. I shuffled the entity off to the side, in spite of the roiling state it was in, perplexedness coming across from it. Rejoined, the battle did not continue for long. We dove down deeper now, ignoring the biotics that came behind us, save for the constant gunfire that droned on from the back. Idly I noted that the operation within the hive had taken fifteen minutes already, a large quantity of ammo expended. It mattered not, though, our task continued. Not long after the numbers thinned out considerably, leaving only strays as they attempted to bring us down. They were not Wolves, their hives were often so full that the fighting would take an hour just to get through if you didn¡¯t draw them out first. Like the other thoughts, though, that was unnecessary for the current situation. I filed it away, continuing my drive downwards until the tunnels opened once more. Bare before me was the objective of this attack, a gleaming silvery grey core that rippled with untapped matter energy. Beside it was another cat, only larger by twice over. It snarled at us, howling its challenge as fifteen of my Determinators formed a semi-circle. The deep throated growl vibrated the air. And we answered with weapons fire. Disappointingly, the combined firepower of fifteen Determinators and myself with the triple barrel rifle was too much for it to handle. We stood for a few seconds after, the mission nearly complete. I set my eyes upon the core and brought my weapon to bare again. ¡®Wait, what are you doing?¡¯ Wolvy asked, the question giving me pause. ¡®Objective: Kill biotics. Core spawns biotics, thereby must be destroyed.¡¯ I felt a cold, calculating voice answer Wolvy, and then shuddered. My voice was wrong, somehow. ¡®We need to have the core,¡¯ the thing explained patiently, ¡®You can¡¯t destroy it, the others don¡¯t have the time to spend for us to find a new one.¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ I uttered confusedly, only soaring as I didn¡¯t understand the source of all of this confusion, ¡®Objective isn¡¯t to kill biotics?¡¯ Suddenly I felt something click, and I felt like a breath of air rushed into oxygen deprived lungs surge through my mind. I shook my head, clearing the sensations that lingered, feeling the connection to the Determinators even more closely than I had before. ¡®Good, you¡¯re back,¡¯ Wolvy breathed a sigh of relief, ¡®I did not want to be inside of a machine, it would be boring.¡¯ ¡®Alright, look here you little shit.¡¯ I narrowed my attention on him, ¡®you being bored is the least of my worries there.¡¯ Wolvy laughed, ¡®see? Not boring! I am glad!¡¯ Helplessly, I shook my head. Wolvy might not have been harmful, but he was incredibly self-absorbed at times. I turned my attention back to myself and inspecting what I could. ¡°What the fuck keeps happening?¡± I shivered, easily placing it with the time that something similar had happened before. There wasn¡¯t much more to it, though, beyond what felt like a loss of emotional state, a clearness of purpose that allowed nothing other than what needed to be done to be present in my thoughts. My fists clenched, unnerved at the sheer paradoxical simultaneous increase in control, and loss of it. This would have to wait until later, though. I approached the hive core, placing my right hand on it as channeled the Obelisks influence, letting it guide me in purifying the core. Now usable and in our possession, we made our way out of the now cleared hive. All the while, I kept turning my thoughts Chapter 86 -Alice P.O.V.- I warily eyed the device ahead of us, contemplating our odds of slipping by it without triggering a sensor. ¡°How many of these are there?¡± I asked, thumbing the string of my bow, appreciating the vibration that traveled through it and into my other hand. My brother, Arthur, was nestled low into the underbrush beside me, ¡°Probably? A lot.¡± It was surreal that I was currently kneeling, camouflaged in what amounted to an overgrown park near one of the most fortified camps in the city right beside my brother. I hadn¡¯t expected to see him out here, and from what he¡¯d been saying about the conditions of Sunvilla, I¡¯d say that I was rather fortunate that he was still alive. My parents, sister, and another brother were all alive, too, albeit currently being held hostage by Benjamin¡¯s faction. ¡°Hmm¡­ well, it¡¯s not like I want to put them to the test,¡± I sighed, looking at the half-meter diameter disc that protruded clumsily from the ground. It was a sensor for anything moving close to the city. Dual purposed to help defend against the stealthy biotics in the area as well as the people of other factions. ¡°I remember when you ran past Dave¡¯s dogs when you were younger,¡± Arthur snickered as he looked back to me, ¡°you had to climb a tree halfway to not get bit.¡± I turned my attention to him with consternation, ¡°you¡¯re bringing that up now?¡± He shrugged, ¡°just reminded me of it, was all.¡± ¡°The last thing on my mind is to run through that.¡± I put a hand on my hip, appearing as unimpressed as possible, ¡°and at least I made it to the tree, didn¡¯t you chicken out halfway and run back?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± he chuckled nervously, seeing the amusement on the others faces, ¡°you must be misremembering.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, I¡¯m sure.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°anyways, I think there¡¯s the outer layer here and then probably more further in. I¡¯m going to try something.¡± ¡°What are you gonna-¡± he started to ask when I drew and let loose an arrow, the shot unnerring after hundreds of hours of practice. The muscle memory and mechanical assistance made the entire process mundane, turning what would be an impossible draw for a human into something I could do casually. The arrow punched through the metal of the sensor cleanly, the only indication that it was no longer functioning being the absence of a small, dim red light that had been on before. ¡°We should move in closer before they realize it¡¯s disabled,¡± I said, taking no small amount of relish in the way my brothers jaw fell open. ¡°Wow,¡± he murmured, ¡°I forgot you¡¯re basically a super soldier now.¡± Richard chuckled from the side, ¡°this is what you guys should be equipped with.¡± He then paused, ¡°well, I guess yours would be somewhat lesser grade.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Arthur¡¯s brow arched agitatedly at a potential insinuation the statement gave. ¡°We kind of get the best stuff.¡± I answered sheepishly, ¡°I mean, most of it we¡¯ve put together ourselves, but the Legion has built on it, makes it better.¡± Richard nodded to me gratefully before casting a wary glance to Arthur. ¡°Sorry,¡± Arthur, ¡°around here, you either stand up for yourself or get stepped on.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Richard waved it off, turning his attention forward. He seemed unperterbed on the outside, but I¡¯d known him long enough to know that his desire to talk flagged then. ¡°We¡¯re a part of Alpha team, we¡¯re kind of a big deal,¡± I said aloud, my tone clearly joking as we made our way forward, keeping my voice down. From what we knew, people didn¡¯t bother ranging far from Benjamin¡¯s encampment, so we¡¯d only really have to worry once we got much closer. He snorted, ¡°Whatever you say, little sister.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, though,¡± Richard commented, ¡°the guy in the black and red armor back there is the Legion commander, Matthew, also known as The Reaper.¡± One of the men behind Arthur, Gabe - I think was his name - said without humor, ¡°he calls himself that?¡± At this point, we didn¡¯t get defensive over that response anymore, ¡°Everyone calls him that. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I think there¡¯s a good chance Gilramore would be gone.¡± There was a pregnant moment of silence bred from confusion and nervousness in the group. Arthur broke that silence with the question, ¡°what do you mean by ¡®gone¡¯?¡± I shot a meaningful glance to Richard. If at all possible I hoped he¡¯d be the one to talk about that particular topic. Even after having beaten It several times, I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to shake it from my memory. At night, when I was nervous and afraid, that dream would still come back to haunt me. From my early days in Gilramore, flitting from home to home while collecting little pictures of happiness for the shrine of my sanity, I took with me that most basic of lessons. Sometimes, the universe spat out something that wasn¡¯t right. ¡°There have been a lot of situations,¡± Richard began, ¡°where our situation could have been similar, or worse, to what you guys have here. Matthew was one of the first people to get involved in the Obelisks and show people that they could push forward. He¡¯s gotten rid of more biotics than probably anyone else in the city, and paid in everything but his life.¡± He paused as he said that, meeting my eyes for a hairs breadth. That particular topic was considered highly confidential, the fact that Matthew had been dead and cold for hours should have meant that he simply ceased to be. Instead, he somehow revived, leaving me grateful to still have one of my friends, but left cold by the manner in which he lived now. For all that he was powerful, what did he sacrifice? There were moments where I watched him, moments where he seemed lost without even realizing it. When we spoke to him and I watched, painfully, as a mundane topic left him puzzled. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The bulk of them were the little things, and with all of us, we made it a point to try to track what he did or didn¡¯t seem to remember. We weren¡¯t fools, we could see that when we talked about how something was, or something that had happened, the way he seemed to reach for something in his mind. Something that wasn¡¯t there anymore, perhaps. I forced my imagination away from that, knowing that nothing good ended down that road. Some memories had been damaged, but what of it? Matthew was still Matthew, and he did right by us. He was still my friend, and one of the people who helped me when I needed help the most. I¡¯d stand by him, just as he would for me. Richard continued the story without embellishment. It would be pretty hard to believe coming from most people, but the way that he told the story with confidence and matter-of-fact statement helped the process along. We were left with quiet, mostly, after that. Only the trudging of our boots against concrete, or the absence thereof for myself and Richard, kept us company as they thought things over. ¡°So, just assuming that I believe that story,¡± Arthur started, then immediately backpedaled, ¡°not to say I think you¡¯re lying or anything.¡± Neither of us had taken any offense to that line of thought, ¡°well, why is someone like that here?¡± I blinked in confusion, ¡°what do you mean? People here need help?¡± I must have been looking at him like I thought he was dumb, because he followed up with, ¡°no, I know that part. I mean, why him personally? And where¡¯s the rest of the Legion? Wouldn¡¯t people, I dunno, wanna keep the leader safe?¡± Richard let out a sharp laugh before containing himself with an apologetic expression. ¡°We have another operation going right now that¡¯s dragging Legion away. Even without that, though, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s the type of guy who¡¯d be okay with others putting their lives on the line for him, or being pampered,¡± Richard smirked, ¡°even if I don¡¯t always agree with him, he puts his money where his mouth is.¡± ¡°When we discovered there was something odd going on here, he put it as a higher priority.¡± I said, pausing as I saw another of the sensors ahead. Another arrow let loose, followed by another disabled sensor. If they detected us, they certainly hadn¡¯t raised an audible alarm yet. ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t hurt that you¡¯re on his team,¡± Arthur commented, ¡°not saying that peripheral perks aren¡¯t okay.¡± ¡°Those ¡®peripheral perks¡¯ you¡¯re talking about saved your ass,¡± I muttered dryly. ¡°What was that?¡± He turned to me, brow quirked. ¡°Nothing important,¡± I sighed, seeing the wide grin on Richard¡¯s face as he abstained from commenting. ¡°What¡¯s his plan for all of this, then?¡± Gabe asked, a valid question considering the fate of Sunvilla might ultimately be in Matt¡¯s hands. I was about to answer him when I heard something in the distance ahead of us, the park vanishing quickly as it was replaced by buildings, another block or so and we¡¯d be in Benjamin¡¯s territory. ¡°Hold,¡± I whispered, putting a hand out and gesturing everyone down. I knelt then, too, followed by the rest. Straining my ears, I realized I could barely even hear them, but something told me that there were definitely people ahead of us. Not a lot of them, and they were primarily immobile. ¡°Guards, I think,¡± I said, ¡°I think they¡¯re directly ahead, probably in the building ahead of us. Richard soundless moved forward beside me, ¡°we¡¯ll need to secure a way out and back to our evac point. Hopefully our guess is right and your family is in one of the warehouses on this edge of town. Nobodies ever assaulted these bases for real, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be expecting us at least.¡± ¡°It should be on this end of the camp.¡± Arthur confirmed, not able to see or hear where the guards were. ¡°Not too much further, I think. Another block until the wall?¡± I nodded, slinking forward with Richard on my side. For now, Arthur and his team would remain where they were, they just made too much noise. There was a chagrined expression in Arthur¡¯s face as I told him that. Probably, they were one of the stealthier teams from where they came from, but they just couldn¡¯t compete with our equipment. Crossing the street to the building without being detected was trivially easy, both of us moved quickly, fluidly, and pressed ourselves against the wall of the building. It looked like it had once been a storefront, though now the windows were shattered, and it seemed that wooden boards had been anchored together with bolts, wire, and anything else that the builders had been able to get their hands on. ¡®Can¡¯t wait to see what this wall ends up looking like up close,¡¯ I resisted the urge to snicker. To my side, Richard moved forward towards the door, gesturing to the other side as he went. Wordlessly, I nodded, slipping to the side, carefully avoiding fragments of glass that remained. Grass concealed some of it, and I found myself hoping that I didn¡¯t crack one of them. As I rounded the corner, I could see the wall in the distance. To my surprise, it wasn¡¯t to shabby, considering it was still only made of spare parts. Also to my surprise, I couldn¡¯t see a visible watchtower down this way. ¡®Sloppy,¡¯ I shook my head, knowing that if there were a tower overlooking this approach, it¡¯d be much harder to flank this building. Now, though, we¡¯d have free reign and ample time to plot out our attack. Which we didn¡¯t use, because we very likely didn¡¯t need it. ¡°Now.¡± I heard Richards voice in my ear, the comms coming to life as he kicked in his door. I followed a fraction of a second later, my stilted leg responding to my wishes. My back foot was pressed far back, front stilt flexing on contact with the door before it forcefully rebounded. A supporting pair of arms flexed outwards from my back, putting additional pressure on the ground as the door frame cracked apart, letting the door slam inwards. I used the momentum to roll forward, bringing my bow up with an arrow notched. There were three in the room here, and Richard was already bearing down on the other two. They were wholly unprepared for us, and the man I sighted only had the time to touch his gun. He froze upon looking at me, unable to see my eyes, hidden as they were behind my helmet. I could see a rush of emotions roll through him, and felt my will to fire suddenly falter. It was one thing to shoot a biotic, but apparently quite another to shoot a human being, even armed. My fingers clenched on the arrow of their own volition, my body responding to the overriding voice in my head that said killing others wasn¡¯t the answer. The man lifted his weapon a second later, terror still in his eyes. A dart hit him in the neck and a breath later his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, his body hitting the ground. ¡°Alice, you alright?¡± I heard Richard ask, coming up beside him. Shaken, my gaze was still resting upon the prone body, ¡°yeah, yeah I¡¯m fine. Is he¡­?¡± ¡°No, not dead,¡± he shook his head, ¡°do you not have any nonlethal arrows?¡± I noticed the way he was looking at my arrow, still notched, still held in rigid attention. With a long, deep breath I forced myself to relax my arms. ¡°I don¡¯t, actually,¡± I shook my head, ¡°I guess I never really thought that I¡¯d need it. Like, that I¡¯d just¡­ kill someone if I had too.¡± There was no judgment in his gaze, just warmth, ¡°that¡¯s never a bad thing to find out you can¡¯t do.¡± He put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Come on, we have to get the others.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, shaking it off, ¡°you¡¯re right. And thanks.¡± He smirked, the look that I just couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit brighter upon seeing. ¡°Anytime.¡± We quickly made our way back to the others. ¡°Path¡¯s clear,¡± Richard pointed down the alleyway next to the building, ¡°we can probably just stick to the alleyways until we get closer.¡± Arthur nodded, ¡°what are we doing about the wall?¡± I knowingly looked to Richard, ¡°that shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± As silently as we could with a large group, we moved forward towards the wall. My thoughts and nerves raced as I thought of all the ways this could go wrong. We were a small group, and I doubted that anyone who was kidnapped would be unguarded. At the very least, I hoped that they were alright... Chapter 87 Rescue...? The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 87 Rescue¡­? -Alice P.O.V.- I had to admit, I was more than a little bit surprised by the watchtower that we did see down the way. From seeing the rest of the wall, I assumed that the base itself was going to be more like a refugee camp, maybe a little bit of patrolling, haphazard defensive plans, the works. What I didn¡¯t expect was the quad barrelled turret with a horizontal scanning eye that searched for anything out of place. ¡°Alright, new plan.¡± I paused, ¡°first off, what the heck is that thing!?¡± I stared at my brother incredulously, ¡°how did you not mention that thing?¡± He bit his lip in thought, ¡°I honestly have no idea what that is.¡± Richard and I shared a - what I would say - very patient look with each other before turning to him. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I come here ever,¡± he hissed, ¡°you think we get anywhere near the other camps if we don¡¯t have too?¡± I managed to control myself from smearing my hand across my face in distress, instead it made it to my chin in some simile of a thoughtful expression. ¡°How reactive is it¡­¡± I heard Richard say, less a question and more of a statement. A plan was budding in his head. ¡®Please figure this out so I don¡¯t have too,¡¯ I silently pleaded, turning my gaze to him as he lithely scaled the building next to us. I was confused for a moment, until he got near the top where some shingles were loose. From around the corner, he quickly swiped a slate from the roof, sending it tumbling from the top. We all heard the turret turn, an abrupt whirr that was then swiftly followed by what sounded like a harsh beep. In all too short a time, not even a second, the turret let out a light tone and resumed its silent vigil. I could just barely lean out around the corner of the building, but I doubted that I could move much further without it picking up on me. ¡°So, it has target acquisition rules,¡± Richard murmured, ¡°it was fast¡­¡± I didn¡¯t like the way he said it, though. It was clear damning tone of ¡®Let me just put my foot in a beartrap instead,¡¯ while he considered things. ¡®Alright, what to do, what to do¡­¡¯ I frowned, then turned my attention back to the turret. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± I turned to Richard, ¡°throw another one of those.¡± He blinked, ¡°alright?¡± The moment he scrambled up, I could see the quizzical looks the others gave me, namely my brother. ¡°What are you planning?¡± He asked, ¡°you¡¯ve got that look.¡± ¡°What look?¡± I frowned, ¡°this is just my look.¡± ¡°No, your look is different, this is the ¡®I¡¯m doing something a little crazy,¡¯ look.¡± He crossed his arms in front of him, taking on the big-brother air. I smiled in spite of the situation, glad that he was still able to do that. I was worried that maybe they¡¯d changed more than I thought, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Oh, just, you know-¡± I spun, hearing Richard¡¯s voice come through the headset. ¡°It¡¯s down.¡± As quickly as possible, I notched one of my special arrows, bringing it to bare even as the turret sighted the inanimate object. Before the sensor could begin to scan me, my arrow was in flight. Even so, I drew another, gritting my teeth. ¡®Of all the times I could miss.¡¯ The part of me that I¡¯d honed to a razors edge critiqued my work. After months of bleeding fingers and cramped hands, I¡¯d gotten a handful of movements hammered into my body. When firing one shot, always have a second ready. At worst, I¡¯d have another arrow notched and ready to fly. In this case, the first arrow didn¡¯t fully miss, biting into the exterior armor of the turret, but not the center of mass. I let fly the second, correcting my aim before diving behind cover. I heard a sharp noise from the turret cut short with a second, almost disappointingly quiet sound. ¡°It¡¯s down,¡± Richard said from his vantage point above, ¡°you should really tell me when you plan on doing something like that.¡± I huffed, ¡°it worked, didn¡¯t it?¡± Arthur crept up to the corner, peering out alongside me at my handiwork. The turret didn¡¯t appear to bear any outward signs of the arrows, but the small holes where they¡¯d torn into it were clear. ¡°Did they just punch straight through?¡± He frowned, then looked to me, ¡°the hell were those arrows?¡± ¡°Really strong, heavy alloys. They¡¯re the ones I use to hit bigger targets.¡± I patted one of the quivers on my left side, fed by a larger assortment on my back. ¡°Impressed?¡± He shook his head at my cocky grin, but couldn¡¯t help but smirking, ¡°yeah, I¡¯d say so. Damn.¡± Both of us started when Richard landed next to us, ¡°alright, no idea if there''s any alarm system for them being down, time to work fast.¡± I nodded to him, ¡°right behind you.¡± He didn¡¯t hesitate to move to the least dense part of the wall. It took only a few seconds for him to do his inspection before he pointed the two nozzle arms at the wall. Pressurized gel poured out from the apparatus on his back, the volatile green liquid one that I recognized as a very potent acid. The wood and metal that it touched began hissing immediately, running like water as he finished his outline of our entry point. Only ten seconds after he¡¯d begun, the slab fell forward, edges dripping from the acid. Arthur moved next to me before I grabbed his arm. I answered his question before he could ask it, ¡°the fumes are mildly toxic, and the acid will go inert in a few more seconds. No reason to risk it.¡± Richard looked back, his helmet on. I could tell he had a smile on his face, glad that I was well aware of what his concoctions could do. As advertised, the green goop ceased sizzling and turned an opaque grey color as it finished its business. Richard was the first one through, three tails behind him flicking forward, slipping through a mess of support beams that were embedded into the ground on the other side of the wall. These we could squeeze through just fine, and came with the added benefit of obscuring the hole in the wall on casual inspection. If you were on the other side of the wall, though, you¡¯d almost definitely see the two meter wide gap. ¡°Okay, so this place looks¡­ nice?¡± I offered without confidence, seeing the buildings in moderate states of repair. Richard moved forward, quickly keeping to the buildings nearby, all of which seemed empty after inspecting them. ¡°These are probably not the popular ones, given how close to the wall they are.¡± ¡°According to what info we have, most people should be kept to one side of the base.¡± Arthur said, ¡°it should be this way.¡± ¡°That information is reliable?¡± Richard tilted his head, moving forward at a steady pace. ¡°From what I know.¡± Was the simple response. I could see that he was nervous. I was too. Usually Benjamin would keep people for prolonged periods of time and would be set free with enough Matter Energy. However, the ransom amount was often too high to obtain on short notice, and so smaller amounts were exchanged in return for their care. Honestly, it was very frustrating that Mack¡¯s people had allowed themselves to be extorted so fully, but I suppose that if your leader - and thereby one of the few people with full access to the Obelisk - was letting it happen, you wouldn¡¯t have too much more choice. ¡®We seriously need to cripple this whole thing,¡¯ I thought sourly, ¡®this is soooo crap.¡¯ I peeled my attention back to the matter at hand. Soon, I might very well be seeing the rest of my family, they would be free. Then I¡¯d just have to explain to them how I was front-lining for the Legion. ¡®Deal with that later,¡¯ a bittersweet smile came to my face as I imagined my parents telling me that I shouldn¡¯t do something so dangerous. But, then, what else would I do? I was pretty damn good at this, overall. We paused as we slipped through the now less and less dilapidated structures. A few times we stopped, hearing the sounds of passing individuals, whether they be patrols or residents, we weren¡¯t sure. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. What became clear, though, was the fact that these guys were definitely not living it up as much as we¡¯d been led to believe. It was certainly a far cry better than I¡¯d expected to see, but as we got closer and closer to the main thoroughfare, I felt a growing consternation towards their conditions. There was some food here and there of decent quality, people talking and seemingly at ease, aside from the background level of tension that I could feel, but it wasn¡¯t the opulent lifestyle I¡¯d come to expect. ¡°This is how they¡¯re living?¡± I frowned as I asked, catching Richard¡¯s likewise confused expression. ¡°They even have food stalls?¡± I heard anger in Arthur¡¯s voice, and turned to see him and his team with dark and covetous expressions. ¡®Oooohkay, not saying a damn thing about how we¡¯re living.¡¯ I cringed at the thought of telling them that this was small stuff compared to our day to day lives. ¡®I guess I need to reassess what they view as a land of plenty. Just wait until we swing through and replace all this.¡¯ I thought with no small amount of pleasure. We moved through the alleyways, towards the most likely location that people would live in. There was a fairly well known apartment area that I imagined would be pretty ideal for keeping people. But, as we traveled through, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my guard relax. It wasn¡¯t out of carelessness, per se, but more out of utter exasperation. The entire time we¡¯d snuck through, not a single patrol group had been seen. Sure, there were one or two people here and there, but they were hardly the ¡®I¡¯m an oppressor¡¯ type. People even greeted them cheerily, carried on conversations with them like they were neighborhood watch. Which, I guess, they might well be now that I thought about it. ¡°Hey, I know them,¡± I heard Arthur say, shock in his voice, ¡°they were abducted a long time ago¡­ what the hell?¡± The pair of people he referred to were happily sitting on a bench, talking with each other. They were clearly a couple, and were too wrapped up in the others company to notice as Arthur walked forward. I only then realized that he¡¯d made a beeline for them the moment he saw them. ¡°Crap, hide.¡± I said aloud, the rest of us pressing ourselves into the alleyway deeper. I listened, trying to catch what was being said. ¡°Gus? Olivia? You guys are okay?¡± I heard Arthur ask, confusion clear on his face. The pair looked up, shunted from their previous conversations only for their expressions to light up, ¡°holy crap! Arthur! They finally rescued you?¡± A muddled look appeared on his face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Benjamin and them,¡± Olivia spoke, ¡°they rescued you! Good for you! They¡¯ve been telling your family for days that they¡¯re trying to find a way to get you out of there,¡± they stood up, embracing him in a friendly hug before retreating. ¡°Given by the state of your clothes and stuff, I¡¯d say you only just got brought in, huh?¡± The woman lightly teased. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, sure.¡± He said unsteadily, ¡°you said they were talking to my family about rescuing me?¡± They gave each other a knowing look, ¡°it¡¯s a lot to take in. Everything we were being told by Mack is a lie. They don¡¯t actually ransom people, though you¡¯re welcome to leave if you want. But why would you?¡± The man, Gus, gesturing around, ¡°it¡¯s a lot safer and nicer over here.¡± ¡°A little constrained living, there¡¯s a curfew and stuff, but it¡¯s not bad.¡± The woman added happily. ¡°Wait, wait,¡± Arthur paused, pressing a thumb and forefinger against the bridge of his nose. He opened his mouth to talk, and only then did the pair notice he was shaking. They thought it was a relief, but I knew my brother. He was probably shaking in rage and trying to calm himself down. ¡°You should go see your family, don¡¯t worry about catching up with us,¡± Gus laughed, ¡°they should be home today, third floor, apartment 320.¡± ¡°I, uh¡­ yeah, thanks.¡± Arthur managed to squeeze out as the two left, leaving us as alone as we could hope for here. We walked out from our hiding spot in the alley, all of us in varying degrees of confused and agitated. ¡°So, what, they just feed bullshit to everyone here and they just eat it up?¡± Richard fumed, ¡°does no one question authority around here?¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯re we supposed to do?¡± Gabe shot back, ¡°even if we wanted to fight back, we don¡¯t have the fancy technology you guys do. Anyone who starts trouble or stirs the pot too much gets jailed.¡± I felt words fail me as I thought about everything that was happening here. ¡°Let¡¯s just get my family,¡± a dragging sigh escaped my lips, ¡°I¡¯m really, really done with this place.¡± The others followed me into the building. I opened the door, an individual just coming down the stairs, meeting me with wide eyes. ¡®Whatever,¡¯ I shook my head, striding past them after nodding to them. A few moments later they resumed their day, no signs of alarm, just curiosity at mine and Richard¡¯s presence. ¡®Have we been sneaking around for no reason?¡¯ I bitterly thought to myself, and heard Richard grumbling something along the same line of thought. Up three flights of stairs we moved, no one bothering to hide themselves at all now. It didn¡¯t take long to find apartment 320. I knocked on the door, sucking in a deep, steadying lungful of air. My helmet retracted, letting my face be in full and unhindered view. ¡°Coming!¡± I heard the familiar feminine voice call, some other words exchanged, the sounds of what I thought were my other siblings talking in the background. The door opened and my anger melted away, replaced by relief. My mom was a pretty lady, a long time social worker and someone who smiled a lot. The slight wrinkles on her face seemed to have deepened after everything that had happened, but somehow she managed to look just as beautiful as I remembered her. ¡°Mom,¡± I said, then realized my throat refused to do much more than squeeze, emotion overriding my control. ¡°Alice,¡± she breathlessly said, a whisper more than anything else. Her face rushed forward with the rest of her body, her arms wrapping around me as best as they could. ¡°Oh, my little girl, you¡¯re alive.¡± ¡®Shit, here come the tears.¡¯ I thought, letting out a snorting laugh mixed with moisture in my eyes that refused to be held at bay. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alive. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive, too,¡± I returned her embrace, feeling my chest tighten up. ¡°Ma, who is it?¡± I heard someone call, and looked to see another of my older brothers peek out from the wall. His posture went from curious to stunned as he slunk out from the wall, ¡°guys! Dad! Come here!¡± The urgency in his voice and worried responses fitted so well with my family. Arthur came up behind me, smiling broadly. ¡°Arthur, too? Oh my God!¡± She started, relief and happiness washing over her. A part of me said I should be a little embarrassed to be showing Richard and the others this scene. But I could safely confine that part of me to the ¡®fuck off¡¯ corner. ¡°I missed you so much,¡± I said, face buried in her brown curls, ¡°I missed you all so, so much.¡± It took us the better part of half an hour to calm down enough not to break out into tears. Our family wasn¡¯t known for their emotional control when it came to other family members. Arthur¡¯s friends were occupying themselves around the dining table, deciding to give me and my family time to ourselves for now. Richard, though, was by my side because I wanted him to be. My mother, Alicia DeLeon was sitting beside me on the sofa, while my dad was just across from me. His name was Earl DeLeon, a lean and stockily built man who was no stranger to hard work. They looked two the two of us in our close proximity, which, of course, was spared no small amount of mischievous glances from my mother and father. ¡°So, young man, what do you think of my daughter?¡± The dad asked, intending on giving him a hard time. ¡°Dad,¡± I leveled a threatening tone, ¡°do you have to do this?¡± Richard looked to me, giving me the slyest grin I¡¯ve ever seen on his face. ¡®Oh, you¡¯re gonna-¡¯ I only part way managed to process the mischief he planned on trying to flip over onto them. ¡°She¡¯s the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever met and I love her.¡± He stated with confidence, and though his face didn¡¯t betray the emotion, I could see the glint of amusement in his eyes. I felt my face flush red, ¡°you beha-¡± ¡°When¡¯s the wedding?¡± Mom said, double shell-shocking my dad, and not the least bit myself. This time Richard looked equally shell-shocked as my dad, and my other siblings blasted out laughter at our expense. ¡°Yeah, you can¡¯t do that with her,¡± Arthur snickered, ¡°she¡¯s the one we learned it from.¡± ¡°You guys!¡± I complained, ¡°really, this?¡± ¡°I mean it though,¡± Richard caught me flat footed. I turned to chastise him, only to see him staring at me instead, the amusement in his eye something warmer now. ¡®You sonovabitch, right now? You wanna do this right now? I asked you on the Ogre and you weren¡¯t sure, now you¡¯re saying yes!?¡¯ Happy feelings and absolute bloodcurdling embarrassment warred for whether I was going to hug the man or kill him on the spot. ¡°I know, son,¡± Mom winked, and then quickly inserted ¡°still, same question.¡± ¡°No more!¡± I pointed fiercely at my Mom, ¡°Dad¡¯s gonna have a heart attack and so am I.¡± I turned and then pointed just as fiercely at Richard, surprising him, ¡°we¡¯re dati-I mean, fuck, talking! Later!¡± ¡°That¡¯s rather forward of you,¡± joked Arthur, catching my slip up and building on it. I raised my steel gauntleted fist and augmented arm and readied to whip his skull into the wall before I realized I would probably kill him doing it. In spite of knowing exactly what I¡¯d intended to do, his shit-eating grin was still firmly plastered on his face. ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to kill you.¡± ¡°Someday,¡± he nodded sagely, ¡°but it is not this day.¡± ¡°On the topic as to why were here,¡± Richard switched gears, fluidly moving to a business, my Mom similarly switching moods. ¡°We¡¯re here to remove you from the situation here. Where we¡¯re from, things are like this-¡± He spoke about the Obelisks, how they worked, and the costs of objects. We went over the general amount that their own biotics should award to confirm, and then compared to what they should have been able to get. There came up, invariably, the topic of why this was such, and then we explained our theory that Mack and Benjamin were manipulating the market to maintain control. That they were carefully controlling the flow of information with strategically minded goals and a fair amount of individuals who sided with them to insure this would continue. But, it was likely that the addition of the third group destabilized things, making it harder for everyone, resources strained. The balance of power was hard to maintain like this, and as time went on, I could tell that neither of my parents were surprised at all. ¡°Did you know?¡± I asked them flat out, staring daggers at them. My Dad shook his head, ¡°not exactly. I suspected something was wrong, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how to fix it. A few of¡­¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°...rather, some friends of mine were planning on killing Benjamin and Mack and trying to reconcile our supposed differences.¡± I felt my heart skip a beat at the casual mention of murder, ¡°you were going to kill them?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t want to kill anyone,¡± my Mom spoke up, ¡°that¡¯s why we haven¡¯t moved. The suits that they have make it hard to remove someone non-lethally.¡± Richard shared a look with me that, I suspected, said something along the lines of ¡®Your parents are pretty hardcore.¡¯ ¡°Well, Strauss is talking with Gerry and seeing if they can get us close to the Obelisk.¡± Richard stated, ¡°hopefully they can help us out.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know much about those guys personally,¡± my Dad said, ¡°but they seem pretty fierce. Is your friend up for it?¡± We nodded at the same time, ¡°definitely.¡± They laughed, ¡°then, what about the core you were talking about?¡± ¡°Oh, Matthew¡¯s getting that,¡± I waved it off nonchalantly. My family froze at that, save for Arthur, ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Yeah? Oh, he¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s Matthew.¡± I scoffed, ¡°that guy¡¯s crazy good at killing biotics.¡± ¡°Daughter of mine,¡± Dad said with a measured tone, ¡°it¡¯s alright to be confident in someone, but they¡¯re only human. People make mistakes. Maybe you should help him out?¡± I felt a twinge of annoyance at that, but Richard¡¯s snort brought attention to him. ¡°Well, he might be some part human, but only a very small part.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± Mom frowned, confused at that meaning behind that. ¡°We can talk about that after we get you out of this spot. At the very least we don¡¯t want it to be easy to find you.¡± I said, ¡°just in case anyone tries to hold you hostage or ransom you for real.¡± Chapter 88 Getting Through the Door -Jeremy Strauss P.O.V.- ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± I asked, a smirk on my face, yet my tone was dry and flat. ¡°You really think you¡¯re gonna take my weapon off me?¡± ¡°Nobody gets in armed,¡± the man said warily, seeing one of his companions beside me cringing at what he surely felt was inevitable violence. Not that he was wrong, after all the man beside me had made the grievous error, along with his comrades, to attempt to rob me. My team and I had taken offense to that. I chewed on the unlit cigar, eyeing the man and his fellow gatekeeper. They were burly fellows, equipped with shotguns that they nervously cradled in their arms. So far they hadn¡¯t aimed a weapon at us, so I was willing to be reasonable enough. The watchtower above that overlooked the surprisingly well put together barricades housed another two men. No single one aimed a gun at us, perhaps due in no small part to the group of six other people trailing behind us, beaten and bedraggled. Though, they did nervously set their eyes on the nearly three meter tall power-armored man near the back of my group. Yomar was attractive like that. ¡°Lemme go over this, just humor me for a second,¡± I said, straining my patience already, ¡°your policy is saying that you¡¯re gonna take the guns off a bunch of folk that clearly have much better guns than you do, better armor than you do, and some of which can dismember folk with their bare hands.¡± Eyes shot back to Yomar who cheerfully waved, the long grooved blades that protruded from his forearms gleaming in the light. The man said slowly, ¡°that, uh, yeah. Yeah that¡¯s pretty much it.¡± Tension mounted as I drew a very deliberately slow, deep breath. I glanced backwards to the group that we¡¯d captured before shaking my head. ¡°Well, I wanted to give these people back, but I guess we can just feed ¡®em to biotics instead.¡± ¡°L-lets not be hasty,¡± the man that I¡¯d kept next to me spoke up pretty quickly now that his neck was on the line. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I was joking at this point. This city so far has gotten under my skin in a bad way. I never thought I¡¯d look at the politicians back home and miss the fuckers. They could sort this crap out later, after we opened the door for Bulwark to come in and get this under wraps. Which was exactly what I hoped we were doing, Legion had no business running someone else¡¯s city. Thank the gods for that. ¡°Just send a runner to Gerry, tell him we got some out of towners in for a visit,¡± the man thought fast, ¡°tell him they¡¯re planning on taking care of Benjamin and Mack.¡± The two guards looked on unsteadily, seemingly to me for confirmation of what was said. Idly, I pulled the cigar from my mouth, bringing their attention to it. I pulled one of my favorite lighters from my pocket, plated with silver and bearing a skull with a lotus flower in bloom behind it, bullet clenched in its teeth. ¡°You know, it¡¯s a good thing I have this cigar. Helps me with patience,¡± I leveled an impassive, cold glare at them as I allowed the words to hang in the air. They seemed to get the idea, quickly sending a runner off to talk with their boss. I intentionally took very slow drags of my cigar, turning back around and moving closer to my team. ¡°Well, that¡¯s theatrical,¡± Allendra murmured as I approached, ¡°picking up some of the Reaper¡¯s habits?¡± I allowed a smirk to break character, ¡°I figured it¡¯d be better to come in a little heavy than not heavy enough.¡± ¡°I still vote we blow up the gate.¡± I heard Denise say, and judging by the uncomfortable shuffle at said gate, I think they heard her too. ¡°We¡¯re trying to secure a helping hand and some information,¡± Adam¡¯s eyes betrayed the calculated thoughts sweeping through him, ¡°if they think we¡¯re too strong to offend, they¡¯ll at least be willing to listen. That¡¯s probably better than relying on their potential good will.¡± ¡°Though I still think we could have tried that,¡± Sammy said, ¡°we haven¡¯t really had any evidence of the contrary.¡± The young man preferred a lighter hand when it came to social interactions. For all his capability as a scout and his capacity to shred biotics without remorse, he was surprisingly averse to conflict with people. ¡°I agree with Sammy on this one,¡± Jackson shrugged with an expansive gesture that included his hands, ¡°for all we know these other guys were just really dumb.¡± He was talking about the people that we¡¯d knocked around. It was easier than expected, actually, they were armed but hardly armored. Moreover, when we didn¡¯t capitulate to their demands, we found rather quickly that the group folded to our much more practiced skill and offense readily. Half of them had fled us as they realized they were outmatched, mostly due to Yomar laughing off rounds from handguns and basic hunting rifles. Even alone, he¡¯d have been able to take care of the whole bunch of them. The rest of us weren¡¯t quite as well armored, but none of us were outfitted in anything less than a mesh suit, often with bits of exo-suit grafting to help enhance and reinforce even our most lightweight members. ¡°Usually, I¡¯d agree with you, but we don¡¯t have time for dallying around. I¡¯ll bet Reaper¡¯s almost done with his task by now.¡± I took another steady drag from the cigar, ¡°I figure it¡¯s best for us to ruffle a few feathers now. Imagine what he might do if they shut the gate in his face.¡± There was a brief moment of contemplation at that. None of us thought that would end well. Yomar snickered, ¡°ah, that¡¯d be interesting.¡± I shook my head in bemusement. ¡°I hope they¡¯re at least willing to see us.¡± Sammy let out a suffering sigh, ¡°honestly, the whole no-man¡¯s land around the Obelisk is just a pain in the ass.¡± None of us responded to that, but our sentiment was the same. We¡¯d checked on the condition in the center of the city on the way over, but it was clear that there were some pretty hefty defenses there. Ostensibly, it was to keep the other group from interacting with the Obelisk, just in case sabotage was possible. In reality, they formed more or less a ring around the Obelisk. There were a decent number of elites on hand; power armored individuals and weapons more advanced than what the rest of the city had access too on hand. None of us knew if there were any accessible sewers in the area, but that likewise wasn¡¯t a tenable solution. From what we¡¯d gleaned from our captives, the sewers and other tunnels beneath the major camps and the city center were trapped with everything from claymores to more advanced and insidious designs. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. We might be able to get through in time, but time is not something we had abundance of. As much as this trip to Sunvilla was necessary, Argedwall was under critical threat of biotic incursion. We¡¯d confirmed already that Sunvilla would probably survive, albeit not well, as there were no major biotic threats in the area. Of course, we¡¯d stumbled across a few of the cat-like biotics on our way here, they weren¡¯t harmless, but with a little armor they lost a great deal of their capacity to instantly kill someone. If they had to peel a few layers off, first, then most people should be able to kill it first. They rarely occurred in numbers greater than two or three. Yomar demonstrated for the team twice how his back-spikes were quite useful, and highlighted that these things had a very strong tendency to attack those in the farthest back, regardless of how durable they were. Maybe later they would learn, but for now that learned tactic worked directly against their chances of any meaningful damage. I was almost done with my cigar, making sure to show the state of my treat to the gatekeepers as it burned down. I did, however, neglect to speed up the process. Realistically it would do us no good to brute force our way into the city. We needed to be recognized as strong, not as psychopaths. Finally, though, someone approached the gate. My eyebrow rose in surprise at the individual, black clad power armor adorned their form, an ominous look that matched the large axe on their back and the bolt rifle beside it. They slowed to a stop, a feminine voice ringing out from within, ¡°Gerry wants to meet with you all, and extends his respectful greeting.¡± I frowned in confusion at that. We¡¯d effectively just shown up at his doorstep armed and dangerous, but I highly doubted that most people would extend any kind of cordial greeting in that condition. ¡°That so?¡± I chewed the end of the cigar before spitting it out and stamping on it, ¡°well, far be it for me to neglect any hospitality. Please, lead the way, Ms.?¡± She let the helmet slide back on her head, revealing a fairly common-faced young woman with short cut brown hair and the tell tale pale-skin of a career mech-fighter, ¡°you can call me Pat.¡± ¡°Pat,¡± I greeted, ¡°call me Strauss.¡± She nodded to me and stepped aside, gesturing into the camp, ¡°if you¡¯ll follow me, I¡¯ll lead you to Gerry.¡± We stepped through the gateway, trying to not show the wariness of the situation in our stride. For all intents, we succeeded, in spite of the sense that we were walking into a trap. As we moved through, we noticed that there were eyes on us at all times, just as cautious of our presence as the reverse. It was strange that we were only escorted by a single individual in power armor, especially when there were clearly many more around. We passed a cluster of five men in a variety of high-grade gear, exo-suits and mesh suits all. They gave a friendly and good natured greeting to our guide as she passed, and scarcely gave us a second glance. ¡°You guys get visitors often?¡± I asked, hearing the chuckle from Pat as she looked to me from my side. ¡°Not exactly.¡± She began, ¡°we¡¯re just a bit more open about who comes in. Gerry¡¯s always made it a policy not to harass people who come into camp. Otherwise, we¡¯d never grow. Outside of the camp is different, though, we still have troublemakers who don¡¯t know any better.¡± The man next to me that we¡¯d captured almost seemed to gulp audibly at that insinuation. ¡°In other words,¡± I cast a sidelong glance back to Sammy, ¡°we could have just walked in here without it being a major issue.¡± She hummed thoughtfully, ¡°yes and no, you¡¯d still have to surrender your guns. We don¡¯t get visitors like you often, most people have basic rifles and such that aren¡¯t a huge deal to not have around. Everyone gets their stuff back-¡± she paused and gestured to our group as a whole, ¡°-but you wouldn¡¯t know or trust that if you weren¡¯t in-towners.¡± Timothy Foster, the man who¡¯d defected from Mack¡¯s group and came with us, spoke up, ¡°with how things are these days, rumors aren¡¯t always the best thing to rely on.¡± Her eyes shifted to him, ¡°that¡¯s true enough.¡± For a few seconds she paused, staring at the man longer, ¡°wait, aren¡¯t you one of Mack¡¯s guys?¡± ¡°Was,¡± he cringed, ¡°I¡¯m lucky not to be dead.¡± ¡°He was sent to frame us,¡± I trimmed the unnecessary details from the story, ¡°but decided to defect instead.¡± ¡°Honorable, brave, maybe stupid,¡± she nodded, ¡°good combination in a person, in my opinion.¡± My eyebrows rose almost imperceptibly at that. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, just blowing smoke,¡± she laughed, ¡°c¡¯mon, it won¡¯t be far now.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± I turned my attention to the man next to me and those that were still silently trailing Yomar, ¡°we don¡¯t actually need you guys to come with us, at this point. Feel free to leave anytime.¡± It almost amused me how quickly they went from downtrodden, to confused, to very happy to leave the area as soon as humanly possible. ¡°You could have used them as hostages, you know,¡± Pat said, though the amusement in her voice told me that she was far from serious. ¡°That was already nearing the limit of what I consider acceptable conduct,¡± I grimaced in disdain, ¡°I¡¯m not keen on underhanded tactics.¡± ¡°Good, we¡¯ll all get along just fine, then.¡± Seriousness crept into her voice, ¡°there¡¯s more than enough of that going around in the other camps. They can keep it.¡± Small talk filled the rest of our walk, though my attention shot around automatically as we went. The building¡¯s so far had been fairly well kept, albeit many of them were conspicuously silent. They were out and about in other parts of the camp, being that these were the areas where people lived, rather than carried out their daily lives. The core of the camp was the residential area, Gerry preferred to keep everyone as far from their walls as possible. Apparently some early abductions with the biotics had made it clear that the defenses weren¡¯t exactly perfect. It was better by far, now, but the occasional disappearance didn¡¯t surprise anyone anymore. We approached a squat structure, one that reminded me of a small office building. It surprised me that this plain, grey and unimpressive building belonged to the man who proclaimed himself to be the leader of the encampment. Pat smirked, ¡°expected a palace?¡± ¡°Partly,¡± I admitted, ¡°after hearing about the other two jokers in power here.¡± Her mood fell at that, ¡°yeah, they¡¯re bad news. If it weren¡¯t for them, I think we¡¯d all have the situation here well in hand. But¡­¡± she trailed off, shaking herself from that line of thought, ¡°well, I figured that was why you were here.¡± ¡°Mm, we¡¯ll see,¡± I said, following her in after glancing around. There were more people with better weapons in this area, and a few with power armor. Though, the quality of the armor seemed several notches below the one Pat wore. We headed straight to the back, past a guarded checkpoint and through several spaces with maps and less sensitive information on them. From my glances, I could tell that this operation was run as smoothly as they could. Everything from organizing hunting teams to disseminating resources. It was almost like looking at a younger, less equipped version of the Legion. Pat seemed to notice my approval, ¡°we do what we can. We¡¯ve already lost everything once, nobody wants to go through that again.¡± That was a respectable approach, I thought. There were several things that had been modified in the building, I realized, as we moved to the back of the building. Anywhere a power armor wouldn¡¯t normally fit had been cut out as neatly as possible, something that I hadn¡¯t truly appreciated until I tried to squeeze through regular buildings and doorways. The cond thing I noted was that there were a few hallways that were much more accommodating than a power armor needed. Which was something I didn¡¯t need to wonder the reason why too, as we entered what would have been an a meeting room turned office. A man about my age was busily sorting through some kind of information, pins on the wall showing several points on a map, some nearby, others far. What drew my eye predominantly, though, was the hulking mech suit that sat behind him, currently curled up as compactly as possible and still taller than I was by no small margin. ¡°Gerry, these are the visitors,¡± she stepped to the side, gesturing for us to file in. He looked up, cool grey eyes betraying a very interesting fact. Gerry was, to what all effects seemed, blind. ¡°Welcome!¡± He smiled, ¡°come, sit. As you know, I¡¯m Gerry Brueter, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Chapter 89 Perspective -Strauss P.O.V.- I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what I¡¯d expected from the leader of a bunch of people rumored to be little more than bandits and thugs. Perhaps someone gruff, a simmering personality that would just as soon crush someone for their insolence as to see it as a boon. Whatever I¡¯d expected, the mild mannered individual before me, milky white eyes who carefully moved over piles of paper methodically wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Come,¡± Gerry smiled, ¡°take a seat. They¡¯re reinforced for people who want to keep their power armor on. I¡¯m well aware not everyone is as¡­ comfortable as I am outside of my suit.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be much obliged,¡± I answered and followed up quickly, ¡°I¡¯m Jeremy Strauss, representing The Reaper¡¯s Legion.¡± The man quirked a brow at the name but didn¡¯t comment on it, ¡°well, Mr. Strauss, I appreciate you coming to see me. And your companions?¡± He didn¡¯t exactly look at each of us, so much as turn his head in our general direction, his eyes never moving. ¡°Adam, Allendra, Sammy, Denice, Jackson, Yomar, and our guide Timothy.¡± I gestured to each of them in turn, realizing afterward that I might have been gesturing for no reason. As I moved, though, he had a thoughtful expression, ¡°hmm, Timothy, aren¡¯t you one of Mack¡¯s men?¡± ¡°T-That was the case, yes.¡± The man stepped forward, ¡°though, given new information that¡¯s come to light, I can safely say that¡¯s a thing of the past.¡± The man smiled warmly, ¡°well, that¡¯s certainly interesting.¡± He gestured once more to the chairs, taking a seat himself, ¡°so, we were told in some uncertain words that you seemed to have been holding my men hostage.¡± Pat answered for us, ¡°they released them as soon as we were in the city,¡± she said without concern, ¡°they looked a little bruised, but nothing some bedrest can¡¯t fix.¡± I wasn¡¯t excited to have someone speak for me, and with a grunt added, ¡°they¡¯d attacked us for our gear.¡± Gerry¡¯s expression never changed from that of patience as he considered that for a few seconds. ¡°Some of our people are a little too happy to try to contribute to the general supply. I apologize, this isn¡¯t something that we wanted to have happen when we set up here. I¡¯m not excusing our actions, but there¡¯s simply not enough to go around as it is. We do alright hunting biotics, but between keeping hunting parties armed and people fed, we¡¯re spread thin.¡± ¡°We knew what to expect,¡± I said shortly, ¡°and as Timothy was mentioning, that¡¯s part of why we¡¯re here today.¡± I paused for a few moments, realizing he was listening only shortly after. ¡°We come from Gilramore and Damond down south, we¡¯ve gotten both cities up and running, and have access to two Obelisks. When we came here, we were informed of certain¡­ peculiarities regarding the Obelisk.¡± ¡°Like the fact that communications are controlled?¡± Pat asked, having moved to Gerry¡¯s side of the table. ¡°Just so,¡± I acknowledged, ¡°from what we heard, you guys weren¡¯t in Sunvilla when all of this started. You all had to leave your last city, I reckon?¡± The first pull of emotion appeared on Gerry¡¯s face, ¡°yes, it was¡­ a bad time for a lot of us. We¡¯d held on as long as we could, but¡­¡± he shook his head, ridding himself of the painful reminiscence. ¡°I¡¯m expecting that you¡¯re leading up to how we would have been able to see an unaltered Obelisk?¡± My momentum halted abruptly there, focus sharpening on the man, ¡°you¡¯re aware of it?¡± He let out a deep breath, Pat coming to sit beside him in a show of solidarity. ¡°Yes, or at least suspected. We didn¡¯t have our own Obelisk for long, but we certainly had it long enough to know that food and bullets don¡¯t cost as much as half of a biotic to get. On average, we get almost two dozen matter energy per cat. That doesn¡¯t go far these days, and it makes no sense for there to be inflation.¡± He leaned forward, hands folded in front of him, his eyes somehow seeming to sharpen as he looked directly to me, ¡°the problem is that we don¡¯t know how to fix it. Now, I¡¯ll admit, the reason why we¡¯re talking right now is that I suspect that you all know just how to fix this situation we¡¯re in. Am I on the right course?¡± On the one hand, I was glad not to have to beat around the bush. On the other hand, I was a little concerned at how quickly he¡¯d picked up the pieces. Then again, how many other things could we possibly be here to do? If we were here for a takeover, we¡¯d certainly have brought more people. ¡°Thereabouts,¡± I shrugged, ¡°from what we¡¯re seeing, Mack and Benjamin are scamming the population. Our leader¡¯s obtaining a biotic core to set the Obelisk right, and, to be blunt, we need a small army to get to that Obelisk.¡± The man paused and waited for me to go on, and realized that was the only thing we needed. ¡°And we¡¯re getting what out of this?¡± Confusion overcame me, ¡°come again?¡± ¡°Just from what you¡¯re saying,¡± he began, ¡°you¡¯re getting ahold of a biotic core to - I assume - recalibrate the Obelisk from whatever has been done to it. That¡¯s all well and good, prices return to normal, the monopoly is broken¡­ but then I have my people to look after, still. The situation evolves rapidly around Mack and Benjamins now fully outfitted elite forces; a new tyrant dictatorship in the making. We outsiders become the defacto ¡®rebellion¡¯ group as our new twin-tyrants desperately cling to the last vestiges of their power. The people who realize they¡¯ve been duped, if they even realize it, come flocking to us, further threatening the new order.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°While I¡¯m confident we could fight off one group well, if they both focus on us we¡¯re in trouble. That¡¯s not even including the Matter Energy they¡¯ve been siphoning since the beginning of all this. Either they¡¯ve been bolstering defenses around the Obelisk - meaning we¡¯re paying a heft toll to even get a chance with your plan - or they¡¯re pocketing it for a rainy day like that. Suddenly their elites are outfitted in some truly heinous weapons, and we¡¯re left with no recourse but to submit to their authority. They reset the Obelisk as they want, and they never let that happen again. So, I¡¯m asking you again, what¡¯s in it for us?¡± For several long seconds, I felt my jaw clench and unclench as I considered what the man was saying. It was a jaded way of viewing people, and as he spoke, I got the sense that he wasn¡¯t angry that this was the truth he saw. This was just the way people were, in his eyes, cruel, conniving, greedy. ¡°I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ you¡¯re focusing too much on the tidepool, when there¡¯s an ocean next to you,¡± I said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s true that the situation¡¯s gonna come apart at the seams, but you¡¯ve got an opportunity to get out ahead of this. We¡¯re askin¡¯ your help now so we don¡¯t have to bring an army through here, we have Argedwall to deal with first.¡± He frowned as I spoke, gradually coming to his conclusions. I continued, ¡°the Legion didn¡¯t tell me how they wanted this handled, so it¡¯s in my hands how this goes down. Now, I don¡¯t know how people are gonna react exactly, but I do know that we¡¯re probably not going to let you guys govern yourselves after this¡­ whatever this is.¡± The man tensed as I said that, ¡°so, we¡¯re not even going to enjoy our own sovereignty?¡± ¡°After what¡¯s been demonstrated here? No.¡± I leveled a glare at him, ¡°not a chance in hell.¡± Before he could say anything, I cut him off, ¡°our governmental system is in three parts. The Legion oversees external threat management, resource acquisition, and, our primary goal, exterminating biotics. The second branch is The Bulwark, their job is to manage internal and last-line defenses, assorting matter energy according to need, and to a lesser extent managing the other two branches.¡± At this, I pointed directly to him, ¡°this third branch are the Civic Orders. Any local governing structures in the city create an Order and are allowed to self-govern, so long as this doesn¡¯t interfere with Bulwark or Legion tasks. They monitor and are monitored by the other two branches, and in our city that¡¯s the people¡¯s voice. The first and only required Civic Order in any city is the City Order, often hosting the leader, or leaders, of the city and their assorted people.¡± ¡°In other words, you can run your damn city how you please, but you don¡¯t get to be a one-man system. We don¡¯t have the time or patience for that shit. In case you haven¡¯t realized, our world is being eaten alive by biotics, and they¡¯ll get worse and worse until one side is dead and gone. So, when you ask what you get out of all of this,¡± I leaned forward, ¡°you get to have a chance at surviving this crap and being on our good side when the Civic Orders get set up here.¡± The man was silent for several, long seconds, his expression slipping between perplexed thought and exasperation, ¡°you can¡¯t actually reasonably believe that you can suppress a city.¡± I shrugged, ¡°we won¡¯t have to. Our system works, it¡¯s fair, people have thrived under it so far. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be jaded after everything these people have been through, but I ain¡¯t alone in thinking that they¡¯ll get over it, pretty quick too. You can get out in front of this thing, or you can try to catch up to it as it runs past you.¡± Gerry looked thoughtful at that, but it was plain to see he was conflicted over this. When he finally spoke up, I could feel bone-deep annoyance well up within me, ¡°I appreciate the offer but-¡± Pat put a hand on his shoulder then. Gerry paused, a confused look on his face as he tilted his head. ¡°Please excuse us for a minute, if you don¡¯t mind. This is a lot to take in.¡± Gerry changed his tone, ¡°would you mind waiting outside?¡± I chewed my lip before shortly replying, ¡°sure.¡± My team and I rose from our seats, Yomar¡¯s groaning in relief, as we left the room. The doors closed behind us, and I could only imagine what discussion was going on there. ¡°Think they¡¯ll go for it?¡± Yomar asked on our own communications channel. ¡°I think they¡¯d better,¡± Denice spat, ¡°if they don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to get the Legion down here. We signed up for biotics, not people problems.¡± Allendra let out a weary breath, ¡°these people are used to being taken advantage of. Of course they¡¯re wary of some group they don¡¯t know coming in and taking over.¡± We sat in silence then, before Sammy spoke up, ¡°I think they¡¯ll take it.¡± I turned my focus on him, ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°No matter what, they need to take care of the Obelisk. I think Gerry was putting on a strong front there, but the fact is that they¡¯re not in a good place. He might have wanted to be the one on top, but I don¡¯t think he cares about the power. Maybe he¡¯s just trying to look out for his people?¡± ¡°I hope you''re right,¡± Adam muttered, ¡°but that still means that he¡¯s not gonna be happy bending the knee.¡± Jackson snorted, ¡°it¡¯s not like there¡¯s a king or anything. Hell, if they figure it out amongst themselves, I bet the City Order can have one of those three in the lead. My money¡¯s on Gerry, though.¡± We looked at Jackson with varying degrees of amusement. ¡°What? I¡¯m just saying, the guy is probably the most stable of the three. Why don¡¯t we just install him as the City Order leader?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be the guy who sets that precedent in the Legion. If Matt wants to, he can feel free, but I¡¯m staying the hell out of that mess.¡± ¡°Though, I don¡¯t dislike the idea,¡± Allendra clicked her tongue, ¡°I¡¯m not especially fond of him at the moment, but objectively he appears to be doing well enough.¡± Any further conversation died off as the doors opened. ¡°We¡¯ll help, but I want your word on a few things before we do.¡± Gerry¡¯s voice met us sternly, though I could see Pat behind him grinning from ear to ear. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± I responded, ¡°what¡¯s up?¡± The man exhaled a long breath, before beginning. Five minutes later, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder at how exacting he was in regards to civil rights and how distrustful he was of authority. But, then, I supposed that was reasonable, all things considered. Blessedly, though, I could hear Matthew¡¯s voice chime in over the comms. He¡¯d finished his task and was on the way in. Which meant we had our work cut out for us... Chapter 90 Last Minute Negotiation The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 90 Last Minute Negotiation -Matthew P.O.V.- Moving back through the jungle and the outskirts of the city was more eventful than coming through the first time. It seemed that attacking the hive had roused the surrounding biotics into more aggressive action. I likened it to them realizing that there was a genuine predator around, one that they at first sought to viciously combat. In so doing, though, they lost their advantage of stealth. Without that, Determinators were more than capable of dealing with their scattered and haphazard attacks. Unlike the Wolves, they lacked the group mentality to truly threaten us. After we moved through the outskirts of the city, though, the attacks decreased greatly, my guess being that they realized we weren¡¯t clearing any other hive cores on that day. It was interesting to see, though, and it would certainly be something that we¡¯d want to investigate more in the future. If Hives became more aggressive the more of them were taken out, we might even be able to use that as a method to bleed out a biotic population in an area. To my relief, I received messages shortly thereafter, only a few minutes apart, where Alice and Jeremy reported in. Both had accomplished their objectives. ¡®Good, let¡¯s get this over with.¡¯ I directed my mind, sending additional instructions to the others, asking when an attack would be ready. The response from Alice was that they could make their way over, but she also noted that there was something else she wanted to try. Her plans brought a bared-toothed grin to my face. She would go and pursue her other task, one that I compacted a general missive of information that could travel across the Obelisk communication network. Jeremy, on the other hand, responded with chagrin, ¡°that might be a problem on short notice.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± I frowned. ¡°Well, apparently-¡± he said that with clear frustration, ¡°-there are a lot of people out and about gathering resources for the people here. They don¡¯t have much of a standing army, really.¡± ¡°And they can¡¯t be recalled?¡± I asked, arching an eyebrow as we walked, not sure what the problem was. ¡°That¡¯s what Gerry is saying,¡± helplessly, Jeremy said, ¡°that they need to be conscientious of their people and making sure they¡¯re looked after first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to relay through you,¡± my cold tone betraying my frustration, ¡°please let him know that I¡¯m going to be sending him a communication request.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ right.¡± Jeremy sighed. A few seconds later, there still wasn¡¯t a response. I felt my patience wane when, finally, Jeremy responded, ¡°alright, ready.¡± I wasted no time for the connection request to be sent, ignoring a biotic corpse that one of the Determinators was kicking out of the path. ¡°This is Gerry Bruetor,¡± I heard the voice in my head. ¡°This is The Reaper of the Legion. I¡¯m told that your people aren¡¯t going to be recalled?¡± I half-stated, half-asked. There seemed to be a moment that passed between Gerry and Jeremy on the other side, but he replied, ¡°we have our own people to look after, Mr. Reaper.¡± I felt my chest immediately constrict with a cold sort of fury. ¡°Allow me to be perfectly clear,¡± my voice ground out, ¡°when the request for assistance was made, it was on a short timetable. Right now, we have a brief window where we can attack the Obelisk before it gets fortified even more. If we have to wait hours for your people to get together, then we¡¯re just going to leave you all to your devices. And, more than that, when the Obelisk is reset, your people would be far better off with the Matter Energy you already have collected. But, something tells me you¡¯re already aware of that.¡± I was guessing, but there were only two things that made sense to me in this situation. Either firstly, they were shortsighted and idiotic, believing that they could put this off at all. Given the man''s position, I doubted that was necessarily the case. So, the other option became that he was trying to force something more out of the Legion. ¡°Gerry,¡± I heard Jeremy speak to the man, not using the comm¡¯s. I was tapped into his suit, however, and could hear him. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, you¡¯re playin¡¯ with fire.¡± The other man replied, likewise not using the comms, ¡°I¡¯ve been under tyrants too long to not get some kind of guarantee, and you said you can¡¯t promise much of anything.¡± ¡°No, I told you that none of the things you were asking was a fucking problem where we come from.¡± I heard Jeremy practically hiss, ¡°look, just be fucking careful here. He¡¯s got no patience for politics.¡± I felt a little strange, hearing that from my own Legionnaire. But, I did have to admit that my track record for politics so far was ¡®deal with it¡¯ when it came to my deals. Ultimatums didn¡¯t often do well in the political stage. That was food for thought.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. I took a breath, ¡°the question, then,¡± I pretended not to hear what they were talking about, ¡°is what you¡¯re after.¡± Gerry took a few precious seconds to regather himself, ignoring the glare that Jeremy was almost certainly giving him. ¡°I¡¯ve been told of how your governmental structure works. I want a guarantee that we can create our own Order.¡± I practically felt Jeremy roll his eyes from where I was. ¡°The Orders are all elective,¡± I dismissed, ¡°anyone can make an order.¡± ¡°I want to be a part of the City Order,¡± he continued, ¡°the one officiated by the other branches.¡± I mulled that over, knowing that Bulwark would normally be the one to collect personnel for that role. While I wasn¡¯t necessarily against having a local in power, Gerry was rubbing me the wrong way. But who else would be a good option? Mack? Benjamin? Hardly. But, the main issue would be that this would establish a precedent that I wasn¡¯t comfortable with setting. However, while I could come back here with a Legion force in tow, I wasn¡¯t eager to start a war with Sunvilla. ¡°Fine.¡± I said, gritting my teeth, ¡°you¡¯ll be an official member of the City Order. However, Bulwark will be adding additional personnel to the Order, with or without your consent.¡± ¡°So my vote can be diluted?¡± He scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± I felt my eye twitch, ¡°I¡¯m made my concession, Mr. Bruetor. I know next to nothing about you, and I will not be responsible for creating a dictatorship out of the Civic Order.¡± That seemed to have given the man pause. ¡°I¡¯ll accept under the condition that there be only one other primary member, and that any members must be inhabitants of Sunvilla, no one from Gilramore or New Damond.¡± I let out a long, dragging sigh, very much weighing my morality between whether I wanted to minimize human casualties or go through with this deal. ¡°That¡­ will do.¡± I shook my head, ¡°when can we expect your people?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing,¡± Gerry said quickly, and I¡¯d never felt my jaw clench quite so hard before. ¡°How much is this one last thing worth to you?¡± I felt a headache coming on. ¡°Don¡¯t be churlish,¡± the man quipped, ¡°I¡¯m asking for the rights to maintain my own personal militia.¡± ¡°Utterly denied,¡± the words spilled forth immediately, ¡°Bulwark¡¯s job is to make sure a militia isn¡¯t needed. If you want a militia, then start and Order for it and get it cleared past your companion that you¡¯ll have in the City Order. It will not, and never will be a state of someone¡¯s personal militia.¡± Gerry answered after a suspiciously short amount of time, ¡°very well, then. I suppose I can concede on that point.¡± ¡®More like you probably planned on that not going through to make me feel like I had more control over this than I did. You basically blackmailed me,¡¯ I grit my teeth as I listened to the man. ¡®Is this one an Other?¡¯ I heard Wolvy ask, a hungry gnawing resonating in the back of my mind. ¡®Thinking about it.¡¯ I mulled the thought over, ¡®he¡¯s definitely on the watch list.¡¯ ¡°I have a force that will be ready in ten,¡± Gerry pulled me from my thoughts, ¡°we¡¯ll be ready to move when you are.¡± I felt a hot coal sit in my stomach at that, knowing he had to have been gathering them before we could even begin negotiating. There was little doubt that this had played out against me, but overall the Legion lost nothing for this. It was the city of Sunvilla, Bulwark, and the Civic Orders that would be forced to grow here that I was worried about. The only consolation I could take was that perhaps the political situation and culture of mistrust would gradually be assuaged with the presence of the new structure that we would be providing. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you to distract their forces, then.¡± I said, ¡°Reaper, out.¡± With that, I disconnected the connection and quickly sent a summary of the plan. We intended to keep it simple, though the addition of Alice¡¯s gambit would change things somewhat, I highly doubted it would hinder us in any way. At worst, she¡¯s taken too long and we¡¯d attack anyways. But, best cast scenario, we could avoid a lot of needless bloodshed. Though, right now, I could use a little violence as an outlet. The thought struck me as unusually hostile, and I remembered the cold, deliberate violence that I¡¯d been consumed by twice now. Amusedly, I contemplated the potential that it was some kind of new defense mechanism for my consciousness. ¡°Alright, Alice, how are we looking?¡± I sent the communication to her, hearing her connect with a thought. ¡°Just-oh, just stay down!¡± I quirked an eyebrow at the sound of someone grunting and the rigid crack of a metal gauntlet against armor. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Alice spoke up, chipper and breathing hard, ¡°it was a little more defended than I expected. We¡¯re ready to go here, though.¡± ¡®That was¡­ fast?¡¯ I frowned, considering that we¡¯d only come up with the plan ten minutes ago. Was she next to it already when she brought up the plan? ¡°Matthew?¡± She asked, ¡°you still there? Did I break it?¡± She tapped the side of her helmet and trailed off as she murmured to herself. I chuckled, ¡°Ah, sorry. Good work, that was¡­ a lot faster than I¡¯d expected?¡± ¡°Yeah, we came in through the window,¡± Alice stated as though it were something obvious, ¡°anyways, broadcast is ready. Should we start?¡± ¡°Give it ten minutes. We¡¯ll be on our way to the center of town, that way we don¡¯t risk giving them time to respond with more force.¡± I stepped into Shade after summoning it down from on high, the rest of the Determinators getting into the vehicle as well, many of which having to fold into their more compact versions to make space. ¡°Righto~!¡± She called back, ¡°good luck!¡± We disconnected then, and I felt my heart thrum in my chest as Shade brought us to hover over the tops of buildings, clinging to them as we inched as close as we dared to the Obelisk in the center of the city. As settled in as we were, I couldn¡¯t help but examine the defenses arrayed around the Obelisk. For now, there weren¡¯t any heavier armaments that I was especially worried about. There were turrets, some of which were automated in the case of the Eastern semi-circle around the Obelisk. The west bore more manned equipment, and more personnel in general. Together, a fifty meter¡¯s wide no-man¡¯s land surrounded the Obelisk. From here I couldn¡¯t tell, but I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised to find that it was mined. ¡°Alright, Gerry, let¡¯s see you work for it.¡± A grim humor took me, though I didn¡¯t sincerely wish harm upon his people, I wasn¡¯t exactly keen on letting him off easy. When the opportunity presented itself, though, I¡¯d make my move. I just hoped he could do enough to make it a good opportunity, I¡¯d only recently gotten Shade back, after all. It¡¯d be a shame to have to repair it all over again. Chapter 91 Liberation Radio The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 91 Liberation Radio -Alice P.O.V.- I turned my attention to Richard, fragments of the glass window we¡¯d destroyed still laying across several parts of the room. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re ready to start,¡± he nodded to me, ¡°at least, I think so. I have no idea how this stuff works, honestly.¡± The man that stood next to him, the only one who we had stayed behind in the radio control room tower nodded emphatically, ¡°I-it¡¯ll work. I still don¡¯t know why you want this-¡± he quickly gestured defensively, ¡°-not that I need to know. Can I leave now?¡± Richard glanced up at me, seeing me shrug. ¡°Yeah, just as soon as we test it.¡± He was sweating profusely, not that I could blame him for being afraid. We¡¯d come up four stories into a building, broken in the window, and effectively took control of the most important part of the building in the span of thirty seconds. No one had been injured, and hiding in another building nearby was our lookout in case anyone was coming to stop us early. Arthur didn¡¯t exactly have a method to scale walls, not like Richard and myself, so we decided his team would be better off just being on the sidelines. ¡°Alright,¡± I took a deep breath, linking my obelisk to the modified radio station controls in front of me. There was a light buzz on the back of my hand, the gemstone resting there the physical manifestation of anyone connected to the Obelisks. Through it, I dully felt the connection to the controller, and with a thought I could activate it. There was no resistance as I accessed an official channel-at least I assumed it to be. The thing was digitally tagged as ¡®Caution - Official Channel¡¯ and had a sub tag stating that it was absolutely not to be used for test communications. I snorted at that, knowing that this may as well have been a test communication for all my lack of public speaking. ¡®No, no cold feet, Alice, you got this.¡¯ I blew a long breath from my lungs, idly uploading the data packet that Matthew put together for me. That was our evidence, our comparisons and thoughts, the structure of our government in Gilramore, the who, what, and why of our people. It was strange, thinking of another city as a completely different people. A little over two years ago, we were all one nation. Now? It had so quickly devolved into an ¡®everyone for themselves¡¯ free-for all bonanza that it made my head spin to think about it. ¡®But no more,¡¯ I thought with determination. If we all died from biotics, I wanted humanity to at least have been unified in defeat. What was happening here disgusted me, and I knew that it wasn¡¯t going to be uncommon to see this. How many places and people had fallen prey to the same methodology? Us vs. them? To keep and hoard that which should be shared in order to further the communal good. I hadn¡¯t seen myself as much of a one-for-all kind of person before the apocalypse, but my perspective had certainly changed. We needed to be working together in order to survive this. The monsters outside our gates didn¡¯t care what our political allegiances were. With that thought in mind, I turned the man waiting eagerly to bolt for the door. ¡°Thanks, you should probably go.¡± The man blinked and then turned, moving with a few glances over his shoulder. He was probably not sure how to feel about us being as polite and kind as we were, in spite of the fact that we were, in fact, hijacking the radio station. I chuckled at that. ¡°Fun times we live in,¡± Richard commented with a grin. ¡°That they are,¡± I shook my head, shaking my hands as though I could rid them of the jitters that rolled through me. ¡°You¡¯ll do great,¡± he said, ¡°besides, we won¡¯t have to do this for very long. At worst, you can tell them to look at the packet of info you¡¯ve got there and let them digest it.¡± I scoffed, but couldn¡¯t keep the amusement from showing on my face, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯d be distracting enough. Not that I¡¯m keen on going live on the radio.¡± ¡°We fight for our lives every day,¡± he shook his head in amusement, ¡°and yet somehow public speaking is daunting.¡± Helplessly, I shook my head, ¡°it is what it is.¡± Richard stood next to the controller as tense as I was, ¡°alright, you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± I cried out, trying to hype myself up. He didn¡¯t flinch at the outburst, having gotten used to how animated I could be. Thankfully. ¡°Five seconds,¡± he put up his hand, ¡°four, three,¡± and then only mouthed the countdown, letting his fingers do the talking. I dug in deep then, thinking of all the people I¡¯d ever spoken to, all the friends I¡¯d ever made. I imagined that they were my audience, trying to piece together an audience that I wanted, that I needed to have. People who weren¡¯t strangers, but instead close to me. And I put myself in the crowd. I knew that I¡¯d want to be saved in a situation like this one. I imagined what I would feel like if I had been living in these circumstances, if in the beginning I wasn¡¯t in Gilramore, but had been in Sunvilla from the onset. I imagined a jaded, hungry, afraid version of myself, living on between biotic attacks in the night and the constant, grating tension between Mack and Benjamin. The unknown that was Gerry casting everything into yet another layer of uncertainty. When the broadcast came live, I felt a solemness rise within my chest and knew that I could do this. Not just for the Legion, but for those here that wanted for something more, something hopeful. ¡°My name is Alice DeLeon.¡± I started, ¡°I ask that everyone who can hear me now take the time to listen closely to what I¡¯m about to tell you. At this moment, we have confiscated the use of the radio tower here in Sunvilla in order to speak to all of you. You, a people who have lived under harsh and ruthless conditions and may doubt every word I say to you now.¡± At that moment, Richard sent the data packet across the comms, the Obelisk allowing it to transfer from the official channel to everyone in the city. ¡°What you¡¯ve just received is equal parts evidence and promise to you all; that the way you are living is not the only way, and that we will save you from your circumstances. We are from Gilramore and have reclaimed Damond, a people united as one to fight against biotics. Our people are not hungry, not oppressed, and live as best as one might expect in the apocalypse.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ll probably doubt us, and that¡¯s alright. Between Mack Thompson and Benjamin Hart, you all have been told so many things that you don¡¯t know who or what to believe, if you¡¯ve even thought to question how things are. What I was here to tell you was that we are here, and to allow us to do our work without your action,¡± I paused then, ¡°but that is no longer the case.¡± Richard tilted his head at that and looked to me with a question on his tongue, but waited to see what I was going to say instead. He trusted me, though I could see that he wanted to keep this to the general script we¡¯d had in mind. All we needed from these people was their neutrality, just the willingness to do nothing, something that would have been easy given how little it would cost them. They stood the world to gain and nothing to lose, not that most of them could get to the Obelisk in time to do anything at this point anyways. Benjamin and Mack would be hard pressed to send any more personnel to the Obelisk to defend it as well. Everything would depend on their preparation to this point. But for the people, what would that mean? That they would have no hand in how they were saved? To me, that wasn¡¯t right. I¡¯d seen my family, I¡¯d seen the people around living some simile of normality that was hollow, one step away from falling apart. Even here, in the supposedly ¡®upper class¡¯ area that Benjamin controlled, I could see the people happy only in comparison to the squalor that Mack¡¯s people lived in. When a food stand was viewed as the height of luxury, there was something very wrong with the situation. Where electricity was reserved for only the elite and critical tools - like this very radio tower - and other resources were directed to those who pandered to the top dog. It was that exact situation that Gilramore had sought to extinguish with extreme prejudice. The people deserved more, and they deserved to know it. ¡°Now, as I speak to you all, having seen the way you are all forced to live, the fear of what is lurking just outside of your walls, I find my words failing me. I cannot express how it hurts to see my home town like this; you¡¯re forced to turn on eachother like animals, you fear being dragged away in the night by biotics, and worse yet, the future is not filled with hope, but despair. Yet there are people among you that gain in strength, that abuse your trust and condition,¡± I grit my teeth for a moment, voice shaking as I continued, ¡°your supposed leaders have been lying to you. We¡¯re here to remove that power that hangs over you, but you deserve more. You deserve the one thing stolen from you that we can¡¯t give you back. Sunvilla, we of The Reaper¡¯s Legion call upon you to reclaim your pride. Stand up with us, all of you, whether you be civilian or soldier, now is the time to share in your liberation!¡± I felt zeal and fire in my gut as I spoke, passion in my words. It was strange, I¡¯d never thought I would have fun saying this. Even so, I knew the words I was saying would create conflict, but I couldn¡¯t stop, something within me looked at Sunvilla and felt a raw, clawing outrage for what had been done to my family, my city, my home. ¡°To those who work alongside Mack and Benjamin, I ask you to stand down. Now is not the time to lose your lives in a transition that will happen. The Legion comes, and we will tear down this order and build it anew, the question is where you¡¯ll stand at the end of the day. Against the people, or with them?¡± I paused, feeling my heart thrumm with a strange kind of elation. In the distance, I heard several explosions, a dull thunder rolling through my chest as I looked out the window. It was in the direction of the Obelisk, a conflict that would be heard all across the city. ¡®Well, looks like Matthew¡¯s gotten started,¡¯ I smiled, hoping that we could make this transition as bloodless as possible, and knowing that my words had virtually guaranteed that it wouldn¡¯t happen. ¡°It has begun, people of Sunvilla,¡± I spoke, ¡°I hope that you will stand with us, set your fear aside and look not at despair for what you have now, but hope for what you can have together with us. This has been Alice DeLeon of The Reaper¡¯s Legion, with love.¡± Richard cut the connection there with a quirk of his eyebrow as I reddened. ¡°With love?¡± He paused, ¡°that¡¯s a unique closing.¡± ¡°Shut up! Ah, crap! I didn¡¯t mean to say that, it just happened!¡± I clawed at my helmet, ¡°aaaaah, that¡¯s soooo embarrassing!¡± Richard laughed heartily, ¡°you did great, though. That was way better than what I had planned.¡± ¡°I just hope¡­ well, I don¡¯t want people to get hurt.¡± I said, seeing the way he shifted on his back feet, packing together a few devices and throwing them haphazardly into corners of the room and in the center of the room. He turned to me and spoke seriously, ¡°Alice, people were bound to get hurt either way. While I might not exactly be an advocate for faith in humanity, I do believe you gave them the choice that everyone should have. Hell, I know that if I was in this situation and heard you, believed you, I¡¯d want to have my shot at revenge.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Uh¡­ the point isn¡¯t revenge, though?¡± I blinked, ¡°it¡¯s to reclaim some human dignity?¡± ¡°Eh,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I think it¡¯d be both for me. Ready to go?¡± Helplessly I nodded, knowing that there were some things that Richard felt strongly over. He could be a bit prideful at times. We both took a running stance, low to the ground as our respective suits flexed. With a burst of movement we blasted out of the window, going across the street to a building one floor lower and landing, Richard rolling to disperse momentum and I cantered to a stop with my stilt augmented legs. Behind us, the chemical pods that Richard had planted mixed the varied materials within, sizzling for a moment before small explosions went off, chemical acids eating into the equipment and ruining it. ¡°They probably have more radio towers somewhere.¡± I noted idly as Richard glanced towards the Obelisk. ¡°Probably, but how long will it take for them to set it up? I imagine that the battle at the Obelisk will be long over before they get that done.¡± He smirked, leaning down and sitting on the rooftop. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked in confusion. He patted the spot next to him with a wide smile, ¡°our parts done. I don¡¯t think we¡¯d get there in time to do anything meaningful, so why not just enjoy the wonderful weather?¡± That moment a much louder chain of explosions rang out in the direction of the Obelisk. We glanced at each other, ¡°alright, so I guess we can go that way anyways.¡± I sat down next to him, much to his surprise, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d be late to the party, anyways. Right?¡± He grinned widely, ¡°definitely.¡± Together we idly noted the fact that the sounds of combat was dwindling by the second after the explosions. Neither of us were worried, though. Knowing Matthew, he probably caused most of those explosions. -Matthew P.O.V.- I heard the broadcast, though it was sorted to the back of my mind as I expanded my awareness to Strauss¡¯ team. Alice was doing quite well, and her broadcast paired nicely with the start of Gerry¡¯s assault. They raced forward in an assortment of power armors and vehicles, a few full-blown mechs leading the attack. It annoyed me to see that all of this had been prepared already, but I filed my discontent with Gerry away. Later I might deal with it, or leave it to Bulwark to sort out. I¡¯d hold up my end of the deal, even if I felt incredible disdain for being blackmailed. Funny how that worked. Maybe I¡¯d refrain from blackmailing others in the future. Maybe. ¡°We¡¯re starting,¡± I heard Strauss say just before mortars rained down around the defenses around the Obelisk. Many of them fell short, the point of the attack being to harass and annoy, rather than kill or cripple. They aimed primarily at the structures themselves, trying to avoid clumps of people. The return volley fell short or went wide, Gerry made sure his forces were spread out and in defensible positions. Those that weren¡¯t were hardy enough to tank a few shots without difficulty. They approached closer, a steel line of mechs arranging themselves and blasting away with little decorum. Cannon fire roared from their shoulder mounted weapons and tore into the defensive ring around the Obelisk. The walls stood at ten meters tall, hardly the largest in the city, but were far more durable than the haphazard collections around the encampments. It grated my nerves to see such a blatant shift in priority, but I couldn¡¯t be surprised to see it. So far I was glad that Legion wouldn¡¯t be responsible for any of the legal pursuits that would come after all of this. It was enough that we¡¯d meddled in civic affairs as is, the last thing I needed was to set the precedent that we were judge, jury, and executioner. If they turned up dead, though, I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind. Part of the wall shifted as cannon fire punched a two meter-diameter hole into it, the top of the wall somehow still maintaining structural integrity. All around the wall I witnessed both groups elites shift towards that side of the wall, shock wearing off as they clicked into gear. Unlike a trained force, though, they left far fewer people on the other side of the wall than they should have. Never before did the wall get attacked, there being no reason for anyone to go near the Obelisk these days. All of this happened far beneath me, my vantage point several hundreds of meters in the air. Shade hummed, an urge more of a question reaching across to me. I grinned, ¡°go, but make sure to bombard the ground around the Obelisk first, just in case.¡± The engines surged, vibrating the hull mildly as we went from our hovering position to a dive. Weapons unfurled from the belly of the craft, lances on the front of the craft opened, firing shells that pelted the ground punishingly. Smaller weapons fired from beneath and the sides of the shade. Though, ¡®small¡¯ was highly subjective - they were still the same size as the cannons Gerry¡¯s mechs were using. A pair of fully automatic metal spitting rapid fire cannons began spinning then. They were similar to vulcan cannons on gunships, though were augmented with pseudo-railgun technology. The rifling spun the projectiles for greater accuracy. The result of the hail of gunfire lead many to turn their heads in terror, the sounds of a gunship not something many below had ever heard. It was with no small amount of terror that even those fully armored in power armor ducked behind whatever cover they could find. Already bullets tore into the ground around the Obelisk, sweeping in a grid pattern from several barrels, correcting their aim as we approached. Shade cackled excitedly at the display, especially when the mines hidden beneath the ground began to explode. Fire and smoke exploded up into the air, instantly shrouding the Obelisk and ourselves in our own veritable smoke screen. The craft beneath my feet closed intake ports, relying on momentum and self contained propellant units that didn¡¯t require the presence of air to use. Ten seconds of sustained firing had turned the area around the Obelisk into a warzone, gaping, smoldering, and sometimes burning craters pocked the earth. ¡°Reaper, the hell was that?¡± I heard Jeremy ask, voice between concern and hysterical laughing, ¡°we felt that from here!¡± ¡°Just a minefield,¡± I smiled, ¡°think you can keep their attention?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I can do better than that-¡± I noted the plume of black smoke that limited my visibility on the visual spectrum to nil, ¡°-but they¡¯d be stupid to ignore what we¡¯re doing right now.¡± I nodded, wondering what they were up too. And then saw Denise pull out the larger grenade launcher she kept on her back, a triple barreled abomination that connected into a deep backpack, one that I recognized had its own power supply. I blinked at that, ¡®is that an ammo storage bin?¡¯ My question was answered after as the three tubes began to spit grenade after grenade down range, hammering into the wall at six a second. The grenades themselves were on a level of destructive that outclassed my Reaver Claymore grenades. The wall bucked after four seconds, beginning to sway as the grenades - to my surprise - were punching deep into the solid material. Perhaps they¡¯re more similar to my shaped charge grenades than I¡¯d thought. ¡°We¡¯re landing now, shouldn¡¯t take me long.¡± ¡°Good, I don¡¯t want to say take your time, but,¡± I heard Denise say, ¡°we¡¯ve got plenty of grenades.¡± Shade came to land, Determinators stepping off of it and spreading out around the Obelisk, bringing their shields to bare. A pair of them tested my route closer to the Obelisk, and the rest walked in the areas that Shade had ¡®tested¡¯ with it¡¯s attack. Coming beside them, I knew that the only thing I¡¯d rather have at my side would be my team, and honestly, the Determinators were better in some ways. At the worst, if their bodies were destroyed they¡¯d just have their consciousness still hidden away within my processes. Living people¡­ well, not so much. I could feel some of the Determinators giving the background equivalent of thumbs up to each other in the wake of my seeming recognition of their superiority. With a chuckle, I retrieved the core from my bag, feeling my connection to it as I put a hand on the Obelisk. [System recognizes interactable material ¡®Biotic Core, Gen 1¡¯. Assimilation possible.] The message came to me, surprising me as it sounded like a dispassionate and hollow version of Sis. ¡®Ah, it¡¯s the automatic sub-system. Makes sense, since this Obelisk was modified.¡¯ I clicked my tongue in frustration. I pushed my awareness to the Obelisk, attempting to interact with the sub-system. [Warning: Unauthorized access will result in lockout.] ¡®Alright, so brute force isn¡¯t an option,¡¯ I sighed, feeling for any kind of input system. I reflected on how it felt when I was moving through the data channels that Sis had in place when I¡¯d managed to piggy-back on her conversation with the Council. Slowly I remembered the feeling of those connections, how to interact with them. It didn¡¯t take long, likely only seconds in reality, before my mental body was able to interact with the coding like it was natural. The core vibrated at my side, and I felt for the connection the Obelisk established to it. From there, I was able to see densely packed bits of information, and carefully I moved between them. So long as I didn¡¯t interfere with anything, the system was content with ignoring me. When I finally found the other bundle of data similar in feel to the one that the Obelisk wanted to establish now, I realized that this wouldn¡¯t be quite so easy as to just remove the other cores and their settings. The information, as I parsed through it, was related to a permissions and taxation on transactions. I frowned as I looked at it, feeling inherently that the system must have had an error when these were installed. The permissions portion seemed to have interfered with the Obelisks general management functions. This had happened when Sis was first fully initializing with the Obelisks all around the Earth, so there was a distinct possibility that this wasn¡¯t necessarily how this system should have worked. I¡¯d have to check with her later to see. For now, I¡¯d figured out how to fix this. The Obelisk itself would refresh when I added this core, so Sis would be able to fully interact with this device in the first place. Then, anyone would be able to add a core to make modifications, though she probably wouldn¡¯t allow one like this again. She was a learning system, and after seeing how this played out, I¡¯m sure that permissions in regards to Obelisk access would probably be carefully monitored going forward. I created a data framework and filled it out, having, effectively, the opposite of every setting that the first core had. This would repeal it, but wouldn¡¯t have any other effect. Fortunately for us we didn¡¯t need this Obelisk to do anything but the generic. Though, I grinned as I considered one other tiny thing I could modify. ¡°And¡­ there we go.¡± I breathed, allowing the Obelisk to accept the core. All at once I felt my mind sink back into my body, something that would have rocked me on my feet just a short while ago. I¡¯d adjusted well to this dual existence, and was able to watch the silvery substance envelope the core and melt into the base of the black structure. [Obelisk updating¡­ refresh occurring¡­ please wait¡­] The message shot through my mind, as well as the minds of every individual in Sunvilla. It didn¡¯t seem to have taken long, but around me I realized that it had been longer than I¡¯d thought it was. There were five Determinators that were heavily damaged, most of them having formed a shield wall around my position. I felt their consciousness as they stoically endured the long range shots from anti-material rifles. The firepower they¡¯d had to endured declined sharply over time, not the least of which was at the end of Alice¡¯s speech. It surprised me that any of those here had done so, but I supposed that seeing was believing. They knew I was here, and after firing for what had been a few minutes in reality, they¡¯d seemingly come to their own conclusions about how this would end. Shade had helped, of course, hammering several of the more offensive positions and, to my surprise, turning the automated turrets against the defenders on Benjamin¡¯s side. Mack¡¯s people had been devastated by Gerry and Strauss¡¯ attacks, early thirty meters of wall in shambles and simply being expanded from there. The defenders knew then that they could have suffered far heavier casualties than they had, but in truth there were far more injured than dead. The fact that there were still dead rankled me, but I couldn¡¯t be naive, this was probably the best case scenario. [Obelisk update and refresh complete. Thank you for your patience.] People all along the wall, attackers and defenders alike, stopped. The people on the walls checked the situation with the store with mixtures of dread and shock, perhaps not having considered the possibility that this could have happened. On our side, I could hear the cheering from here, the stark difference driving the point home even further. Tapping into the Obelisk, I broadcast my simple message to the city. ¡°This is the Reaper of the Legion. Sunvilla, you have been liberated.¡± I smiled, ¡°cease conflict and savor in this victory. It is long overdue.¡± The defenders seemed at odds with what to do, but as Shade made a lap around the wall, seeming to dare them into action, the reality of the situation settled in. There was nothing left for them to fight for. Chapter 92 Domestic Affairs After having reprogrammed the Obelisk, things had gone well. My conversation with Sis enlightened me to my suspicion that an event like this shouldn¡¯t be able to happen again. Permission setting was not supposed to be a mechanic that was abusable to such an extent, though when she¡¯d just begun incorporating the world she hadn¡¯t had the processing power to check it. Knowing now what had happened, she began a wide sweep of every Obelisk in the system¡­ ...complaining all the while. ¡°Honestly,¡± she¡¯d said with a voice that somehow more real than it had been even before, ¡°you humans are going to be the death of my processing units. You know how many Obelisks are here? Just checking all of them and their files is going to be a headache.¡± ¡°Thanks, all the same,¡± I smiled knowingly, choosing, perhaps wisely, not to engage her in active complaining. ¡°I know we¡¯re a handful, and we appreciate it.¡± She paused and took a breath, smiling at what I said, ¡°well, I guess it¡¯s not that bad. Anyways, I¡¯m going to go start at that. Good luck handling all of this!¡± And she disappeared, leaving me to handle Sunvilla. Which, I had to mention, hadn¡¯t gone anywhere near as badly as I¡¯d suspected it might. Now that I had access to communicate with everyone, I sent the general plan as we understood it. Firstly, conflicts would cease, though I understood bad blood would likely still exist here. These people had fractured, their independent factions were in direct competition with each other over resources for survival. That wasn¡¯t a situation I expected to be left behind in any reasonable amount of time. The bigger issue that I¡¯d found was that Mack and Benjamin, as well as their closest elites, were gone. They¡¯d abandoned the city and had done so rapidly. I don¡¯t know when they¡¯d done it, but it was clear that no one had seen them, and when their compounds had been seized by angry citizens, nothing was left. Aside from that foul taste that tinged this whole affair, everything else impressed me. Gerry and his people were celebrating with food and drink, and based on what I was hearing from Alice, the same thing was happening in Benjamin''s ex-territory. Granted, there was an air of wariness and confusion that hung over Sunvilla that muted some people''s enjoyment at first, but the fact that food was now much more freely accessible did much to alleviate concerns. One sight that tickled me was a group of people eating cheeseburgers, shakes, and fries. It reminded me of the first time we¡¯d had access to the Obelisk when we¡¯d been eating little more than canned foods and preservable goods. Sure, these people had technical access to this stuff all along, but it was affordable now, not something that sat on the cusp of luxury. I moved through the city as quietly and unobtrusively as possible, putting a finger to the pulse of the city. I wanted to know what the general outlook was. More than a few times I heard people worried about if they were going to be conscripted in an army. Some rumors had flown around that Gilramore was seeking to exploit Sunvilla for labor. Other, even less savory ones, being that we intended to get rid of Sunvilla entirely. Of course, these malicious rumors were probably holdouts from Mack and Benjamin¡¯s factions, not yet realizing that things wouldn¡¯t change. Due to the information we¡¯d presented to each individual, though, these rumors didn¡¯t seem to have any real traction, in spite of the insistence of the people who seemed to be trying to drive these rumors to the fore. After everything that had been done to these people, and the evidence that sat before them in the Obelisk shop, they were willing to give Gilramore a chance. They might have been nervous and wary, but the days where they would blindly trust rumors and what those in power said were behind them. It seemed the Legion fell into the ¡®trust, but verify,¡¯ section for many. I¡¯d also noticed that Timothy Foster - the elite that had been with Mack and had come pursuing Arthur - had shed any and all equipment that could be tied to Mack. Some people still knew who he was, but he¡¯d been an earnest and likable enough person that people didn¡¯t immediately seek to crucify him. That, combined with my official Legion release on the events that had transpired to the population helped assuage many passionate citizens¡¯ anger. Most that were left in the city that had been elites of the two factions were now assembled, temporarily, as a Legion controlled militia, making a show of unity. It was¡­ rocky. There was still a basic level of distrust, but Timothy¡¯s efforts were proving invaluable in bringing the elites together. Time would tell if Bulwark and Legion would be forced to dissolve the force, or if we could bring them in. As I arrived in Gerry¡¯s area, flanked by several Determinators, the guards at the gates visibly paled. My figure cut a rather intimidating image, so surrounded by steel killing machines. I nodded to them, ¡°relax, I¡¯m the Reaper.¡± ¡°Fuckin¡¯ right, man,¡± I heard one man murmur, getting an elbow to the ribs for his comment. ¡°The rest of your Legion are near HQ. Just go through this path,¡± he said as he sent a map with directions to my feed. I nodded to him, and then directed the Determinators to split into two groups and begin patrolling the city areas without encampments abound. The guards eyed the display with open wariness. ¡°They¡¯ll be scouting for biotics.¡± I attempted to put them at ease, ¡°no reason to make anyone inside nervous.¡± ¡°I appreciate that,¡± the man who¡¯d given me the directions nodded, ¡°and¡­ thanks for helping us out. You didn¡¯t have to stick your neck out for us, but you did. If you need anything, let us know.¡± The group seemed to agree with the sentiment, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly, though I kept my helmet on to not freak anyone out. ¡°I appreciate it. We¡¯ve all got enough problems without fighting each other, after all.¡± We spoke for a few more moments, and more than once did I see them look to the Obelisk in the distance. I did too, admiring the handiwork of the last, little detail I¡¯d changed for the Obelisk. The ordinarily black marble structure bore a deep red streak on two sides of the towering monolith, the symbol for the Legion emblazoned in bright, shimmering red on the black sides. The skull with lotus petals almost seemed to ripple from wind, glistening for all to see. As cool as it was, it also would be the symbol for Sunvilla to know that the future was changed. Whether they look at it in hope, trepidation, or outright fear, it was their physical proof beyond all else that the status quo was broken. ¡°Actually,¡± I paused, turning my attention fully back to them, ¡°there is something I could use your help with. Anyone here have a truck?¡± -Richard P.O.V.- We sat outside of the HQ building that belonged to Gerry, being myself, Alice, and Jeremy¡¯s team. Jokes and laughter echoed from the veritable courtyard, a dozen gentle swaying elm trees breaking up the concrete profile of the city around us. We weren¡¯t the only ones, either, many others from Gerry¡¯s people had joined us. While Matthew wasn¡¯t here yet, he said he wouldn¡¯t be long. I couldn¡¯t help but keep a grin from my face as I thought about how well this operation had gone. For the most part, this wasn¡¯t exactly difficult as it was sticky. None of us were interested in fighting against our fellow man. As far as I was concerned, Bulwark could handle that part in the future. All things considered, though, I was content. That was a rarity for me. Beside me was Alice, close enough that we could lean on each other. It had been a long time since I trusted someone enough to let them in. Trust was something hard to come by these days, yet Alice had found her way in and I couldn¡¯t imagine not being around her. Rather, I didn¡¯t want to imagine a future not around her. The sappy thought came and went, leaving warmth in my heart and chagrined emotions spinning in their place. Once upon a time I¡¯d believed in romance and love, and had been utterly, totally burned by it. Yet, here I was, and in spite of that ugly specter of fear and doubt that crept up from time to time, I was more comfortable with Alice than most anyone, save for maybe my baby sister. ¡°Whatcha thinkin¡¯ about?¡± Alice looked at me, inches away from my face, her sky-blue eyes encompassing all of my attention.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I felt a mild heat in my cheeks, ¡°just thinking about silly things.¡± She had a thoughtful expression on her face that turned mischievous, ¡°you¡¯re a little tsundere, I think.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a little what?¡± confusion abounded on my face, only for Arthur to groan loudly nearby. ¡°Oh, get a room,¡± he shook his head, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in years and I already wanna get rid of you.¡± He mocked seriousness and winked. ¡°But, seriously, what¡¯s tsundere?¡± I frowned, ¡°is that a good thing?¡± ¡°Some people really like it,¡± Alice¡¯s mother, of all people, answered, ¡°it¡¯s kind of a quirk or fetish thing. Our family watches a lot of anime and plays games.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I like you, b-baka,¡± one of Alice¡¯s sisters mocked in a highly pitchy voice, leaving me only further confused by the references. ¡°Oh, I regret saying that,¡± Alice cheeks were now on very red, leading me to blush fiercely too. ¡®Body, what the hell? Stop it.¡¯ I mentally tried to control myself, and then failed utterly as Alice shifted in place and rested against me. ¡®Nope, I give,¡¯ I practically felt the response from my subconsciousness. In spite of how embarrassing it may or may not be, I took the initiative to hug her comfortably. ¡°Ah, to be young,¡± I heard Alices¡¯ dad murmur, and then lean into his wife, whispering something in her ear. She giggled fiercely at that, and bumped her shoulder into him. I wasn¡¯t sure what was said, but I could certainly recognize the mischievous twinkle that both of them shared with their daughter. ¡°Mom, Dad, you¡¯re such creepers.¡± I heard one of Alice¡¯s other siblings laugh. ¡°Good speech, by the way,¡± Arthur said, laying down in a patch of grass around one of the elm trees, feet resting on the concrete that outlined the plot. ¡°I especially liked the ending.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± Alice warned, I could feel her groaning already. ¡°How did it go? Oh, right-¡± he cleared his throat and did a frankly horrifying impression of a female voice that supposedly would be Alice, ¡°-this has been Alice DeLeon of The Reaper¡¯s Legion, with lo-¡± He didn¡¯t get to finish it, as Alice picked up a small rock and chucked it at his temple. It was harmless enough, but shocked him out of his monologue. ¡°Shhhhhhut your face!¡± She cried, dragging her hands across her face, ¡°oh my god I never wanna hear it again!¡± I leaned down and whispered into her ear, ¡°actually, I think it suits you.¡± ¡°You enjoy my suffering too much,¡± she pouted playfully, ¡°I¡¯ll get you back for this.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I hid my massive grin in her hair, ¡°I know you will.¡± We talked amongst ourselves, sharing stories between us. Jeremy and Gerry¡¯s people swapped stories, and there was a gathering that clustered around Mr. Strauss - he was one of a short list of people that earned my respect - as he told a story about how they¡¯d raided the Carrier Den in New Damond. He may have been embellishing the story, detailing how he and his team had fought tooth and nail through swarms of Spindlies alongside the Reaper and myself to get to the cores. ¡®Alright, he¡¯s hardcore embellishing parts of it, but he¡¯s damn good at it,¡¯ I idly listened in, feeling enraptured by his retelling of it, even though I¡¯d been there. ¡°Hey, you guys said Reaper was this dude in black armor with red highlights who looked like a murder-bot, right?¡± Someone called out from near the front of the courtyard. Several heads turned, curious at the description. Jeremy coughed, ¡°uh, I may have said something like that. Why?¡± The man smiled, ¡°he¡¯s giving out free food for anyone who doesn¡¯t have enough M.E. Figured you might want to come check it out. Pretty legit setup, actually.¡± Jeremy, Alice and I made eye contact briefly before we, indeed, were curious enough to go see. It wasn¡¯t far away, but I was surprised to see what looked like a truck with a very long trailer, capped with a fabric canopy, driving around. Silver shining energy was constantly shifting as the man sitting in the truck bed was creating the individual ingredients for what looked like¡­ ¡°Cheeseburgers?¡± Jeremy tilted his head, ¡°smells really good, though.¡± The trailer had several grills, and some people had donated a sum of M.E. to make more of them. However, the bulk of ingredients came from Matthew, who currently sat without his armor, covered in a nearly skin-tight suit with padding. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy,¡± I heard Matthew call out, an uncharacteristic smile on his face, ¡°I¡¯ve got plenty more, take what you want.¡± As I watched, he was purchasing boxes of materials for food. One man ran up, a guard from the front gate, I think, and at first I thought there was going to be trouble. Instead, the man breathlessly leaned against the truck as Matthew leaned in. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be getting another truck, Joe thinks he can get it running. You sure about inviting people from the other encampments is fine?¡± ¡°Definitely,¡± he nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sure Gerry will be thrilled to have guests over.¡± The man hesitated briefly before he shrugged. In the minutes that he¡¯d known Matthew, he¡¯d actually come to like the guy. At least, that¡¯s what I assumed, seeing the way that a group of people were working around him, seemingly not caring about the strange texture and color of his skin, nor the wire like hair, or the red eyes. Honestly, seeing him still made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end every time. Something about how little human remained gave me pause. Near us, I heard a short, sharp snort of laughter from Pat, Gerry¡¯s right-hand woman, before she suppressed it. Something must have been funny to her. I shrugged, moving closer, ¡°Matthew!¡± I waved to him. He looked up at us, waving back, in a definitively good mood, ¡°just in time. Grab some grub! I was feeling nostalgic, so I decided to make some burgers.¡± He explained, and I found myself blankly looking around at the food. Another shrug hit me, ¡°I am hungry.¡± It was strange, seeing what quickly evolved from one truck to what quickly became a neighborhood-wide barbeque. People poured out of the woodwork, some from the other areas of the city. Apparently an invitation had been extended, something unheard of before. They were eager in part to meet the supposed Reaper of the Legion, and in no small portion there were many who wanted to see what was on offer. Those who traveled described seeing metal men escorting groups, a flying vehicle armed to the teeth occasionally blowing something up in the distance with the help of the machines. After it was clear that they weren¡¯t going to harm people, and that the way was at least mostly safe, more people decided to risk the venture. By the time it was near evening, the entire area was filled with some manner of celebration. Matthew, I knew, had an inordinately large amount of Matter Energy on his person, and his own generosity seemed to bring it out in others. The elites that hadn¡¯t fled with Mack and Benjamin were contributing openly, trying to demonstrate their good will. I didn¡¯t know if he intended for that to happen, to bring people together, or if everything really was just on a whim. Knowing him, I could say that either could be the right answer. ¡°Everyone!¡± I heard Matthew call out to the crowd, opening a feed to communicate with those further away, including the still hefty number of people in the other camps. ¡°I¡¯d like to unofficially introduce myself. I am Matthew, the Reaper of The Legion.¡± He wore none of his armor, bearing only the most basic emblazoned symbol of the legion on his chest, no armor to speak of at the moment. ¡°Thank you all for coming out,¡± he started, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this brief. There¡¯s someone that I would like to thank for his assistance in the events from earlier. Gerry Brueter and the brave men and women made it possible for us to win with as little bloodshed as possible. That¡¯s no small feat,¡± he paused them, gesturing and dragging the image to a surprised Gerry and amused Pat, ¡°whatever you feel for the situation, saving lives is always a wonderful thing. Let¡¯s give them all a hand!¡± I listened to Matthew, feeling his good humored and happy mood to be strange. It was then that I realized he was about to wind up for the punchline. ¡®Oh, this¡¯ll be good.¡¯ I grinned widely, Alice beside me clapping her hands. There were a lot of people hooting and hollering, even those from other encampments that had come. Whatever people felt about Mack and Benjamin, it was a fact that the battle had been short, and fairly bloodless, that was to be celebrated. ¡°Now, perhaps just as importantly,¡± Matthew began, ¡°I wanted to draw attention that this man put everything on the line, knowing that everything could have failed around him. Because of that, the Legion has decided that Gerry will be the first City Order Commander! So,¡± he got a mischievous grin on his face, ¡°until Bulwark gets here, he¡¯ll be helping to keep everything running, being the responsible for all of this, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s got what it takes. So, don¡¯t hesitate to bring up anything to him!¡± Matthew had the decency to wait the two seconds before Gerry could school his stunned, complicated expression to one of friendly demeanor. For the most part, this exchange was one that Matthew wanted to do in some manner to ensure that everyone was aware that Gerry was an approved choice by the Legion. I just doubted he told Gerry about any of this. Pat knew, but she seemed just as amused to see him have to adlib an entire speech as Matthew was. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s Matt¡¯s payback for Gerry¡¯s ¡®negotiation¡¯ with him,¡± I murmured, happy that Matthew wasn¡¯t interested in doing anything truly malicious. ¡°What was that?¡± Alice looked at me, having not heard what I said. I grinned, ¡°It¡¯s nice what he¡¯s doing for him, don¡¯t you think?¡± Alice beamed, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll make things easier, I think.¡± For another minute or two, Gerry managed a respectable and heartfelt speech with the gratitude of the people in the mind. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d have any trouble in his new position. Afterwards, Matthew bid everyone farewell, and laughed at the stink eye that Gerry gave him. Today was a pretty good day, I¡¯d say. Chapter 93 Warpath -Daniel¡¯s P.O.V.- This was an awful day. I¡¯m not usually one for any particular pessimism, but as a blob of lattice-work rose up in front of me from between scattered and shredded corpses, I couldn¡¯t help but groan in annoyance. ¡®That¡¯ll be messy,¡¯ I thought to myself even as the large bore scatter-gun contemptuously spat at the thing twice. The many faceted fungal pseudo-slime virtually exploded, spatters of acid covering my mech. The coating that had been sprayed over my machine kept the majority of the liquid from the wholesale acid-scarring that we¡¯d dealt with in the early hours of our advance. There were, however, rivulets that still sizzled, scratch and claw marks, a few bite marks, having removed the outer coating. Annoyed, I stepped back, ¡°cleanup!¡± As I called out, one of the support teams moved up. I knew this one by name after six hours of steadily pushing through what had become a veritable tropical jungle. ¡°They¡¯re just so lovely, aren¡¯t they?¡± stated Anton dryly. ¡°Like stepping in sewage barefoot.¡± He laughed, spraying my armor quickly with pressurized water, and then gestured to another hose attached to his exo-suit, ¡°we have more coating, wanna cover real quick?¡± I considered it for a moment, ¡°Yeah, may as well. I¡¯ll be out here again in a few hours.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for him to finish the new coat, leaving my newly designed Main-Line shining like it¡¯d been freshly waxed. ¡°Done. Oh, also, Fran said to pick up the pace if you can, our support lines are getting cramped.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing the best I can,¡± I said with exasperation, hands up and out helplessly. He grinned, ¡°She says that you¡¯re falling behind Patrick.¡± With a deepening groan, I turned, ¡°alright, alright, I get it.¡± I shook my head, grumbling about how Fran seemed to know just how to poke my competitive spirit. There were a grand total of four Main-Line mechs now, most of them modeled after my own, though I still had an edge with my Dreadnought class. It hadn¡¯t come up often, but then again I did have the most powerful mech in the Legion. Even after I¡¯d managed to get blueprints to the others, there were additions and modifications that the Obelisk allowed me to make on my own mech, specific blueprints that were allocated only to me. ¡°Alright, you guys ready?¡± I called over my shoulder, noting the scattered group of ¡®ordinary¡¯ mechs that formed a loose wedge as we pushed deeper into biotic territory. ¡°Think so. Just topped off ammo,¡± the woman ten meters to my right said, followed by similar acknowledgements from others. And, as we had for the last six hours, we set ourselves on a path forward. However, I felt two additional power-cells come active on my machine at the barest flick of attention to them. I grinned as I felt the suit around me feel somehow lighter, and at once, more powerful. Whirring noise dialed back down to a more static level, but my movement was twice again as smooth as it had been. The qualitative difference as sub-systems that were previously unused came online was awe inspiring to me. I moved forward, my mech powering through a tree when I hadn¡¯t realized how far forward I would carry myself. It crunched beneath my chassis, splintering, thundering noise that carried on as I kept forward. Around me, I could hear the other mech-users answer my advance with violent enthusiasm. We were responsible for tearing a more permanent road to Argedwall, the normal highway having been utterly overtaken by rampant growth. Power armored individuals advanced behind us, ready to shred anything that we missed. Or, more likely, the annoying cat-creatures that seemed to melt out of the remains of the wood- A separate sounding crunch let me know that I¡¯d found just said biotic, with my foot. ¡°Gross.¡± I said to myself, making a face at the silvery explosion from the creature. These things were really altogether too dedicated to being undetected. I pushed forward harder, letting my mech run loose. The vulcan mounted on my right shoulder spun up, and I idly blazed a thousand rounds down range, the bullets tearing through the undergrowth with abandon, exploding, hot metal cutting down vegetation. And, by the fact that I was gaining more M.E., some biotics were also getting cut down. With a shake of my head, I pushed forward, swinging a pair of bayonets in front of me that were otherwise the length of a short bus, though they seemed like short-swords to me. Whipping it through the greenery, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the might of the mech around me, carving through three foot in diameter trees like twigs. In front of me, four other biotics shambled out from behind trees. Their long, stick-lick frames made jerking, irregular movements towards me, reaching out with stabbing and raking appendages. It was no longer the first time I¡¯d seen them, so the horror factor of their unsettling movements and twisted, semi-woodlike apparences no longer had the same effect on me. I simply swept the blades through them, these particular biotics less capable of harming anyone with power armor and above. The fourth leapt into the air, and even before I could reach up to bat it back down, the man in power armor behind me simply let a bolt of steel fly. I noted the tree it was now stuck too, long rod of steel having punched straight through its midsection as it squirmed, only for a two smaller shafts to suddenly pierce it through its head. I gave the man behind me a nod, and he returned it. He was a stoic sort of company, but attentive to the environment. He, also, had to deal with most of the cat-biotics since they usually ignored me in favor of easier prey. Thus far, nothing had gotten within five meters of him without his crossbow-like weapon simply punching a hole in its head. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. For another hour I stomped forward, noting the vegetation lessening, flowering plants beginning to overtake the vine and tangle-filled greenery. The Legion had been pushing hard for almost a day now, intent on reaching Argedwall and securing future transit. Some forces had already been allocated to them, namely the Reaver¡¯s that could easily come and go, delivering airstrikes for them. Which I would have appreciated a few times ourselves, given that we¡¯d run into a Carrier a few hours ago. Luckily, between our previous experiences and dramatically increased firepower, we were able to wear it down and tear it apart like a surge of ants over some misbegotten insect that got in our way. Behind me I heard the twang of the crossbow go off twice, and noted two more dead ambushing cats. I shook my head, wondering not for the first time where all of these biotics were coming from. ¡°Advance One, go ahead and halt for now, the supply line will catch up and build another outpost here.¡± I heard someone say over the radio, and caught myself breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Roger that, Build One, we¡¯ll set up a perimeter and keep it warm for you.¡± I answered, gesturing to the others around me, noting that even the man behind me seemed to gratefully shift and stretch his now thoroughly tenderized limbs. Power armor or no, a hard march like this was still a bit rough on the body. ¡°Appreciate that, Advance One,¡± the man chuckled, and I turned my attention to the group around me. ¡°Alright, you know the routine, lets clear us some space.¡± The others called back, mechs churning the ground with their movements, carving through plants and moving the odd stone further away. Sufficiently large logs were stacked as semi-defensible walls, not that we couldn¡¯t have blasted right through them ourselves while in a mech. Still, it would slow down basic biotics, and this would, ultimately, be more helpful for the less armored and armed support and logistics division that came in behind us. Idly, I looked down, seeing once more the collected gunk, mud, and pulped plant mass that clung to my machine. With a shrug, I turned my attention away, looking back up to the tree line. Movement registered on my sensors, a large form slipping through the underbrush. I frowned, noting that it was moving away. ¡°Anybody just see that?¡± The others paused, ¡°see what?¡± ¡°Caught movement out there, something big.¡± I looked around slowly, ¡°didn¡¯t recognize it at a glance, though.¡± ¡°Did your mech record it?¡± The woman in another mech nearby asked. I blinked, realizing I did have that feature. With a pause I brought it up, feeling the system respond to my thoughts. Unfortunately, the image was nothing but a blur. I¡¯d only just caught the tail end of its movement, having not lingered long enough for me to really catch a good look at it. ¡°No luck, just a blur. Seems¡­ bipedal, at least.¡± I said, turning to her. She shrugged, ¡°well, if it ain¡¯t coming to us, then I say we ignore it for now.¡± ¡°We have to wait for the support team anyways.¡± The man in power armor next to me said, stepping up onto a pile of logs that I¡¯d been setting. He paused, and immediately fell backwards, only for a long lashing tendril to strike the air he¡¯d just been standing at with a loud crack. Unhesitantly I turned, seeing a shambling pile of familiar lattice-like flesh rearing up. It was different, however, in the fact that there were several tendrils moving out from portions of its body. Honestly, these things creeped me out in the best of times, but this one was a cut above what I¡¯d seen already. Several more lashes shot forward, frills mounted at the end of them impacting my machine before I could evade. ¡®Shit, you¡¯re a fast one.¡¯ I grinned, ¡®but are you durable?¡¯ I brought up my shotgun, my vulcan spun up, the cannon mounted on the opposite shoulder clacked a shell into place, the hum of the railgun on my left arm came to life. A half dozen other weapon systems remained inactive. It turned out I¡¯d already had overkill. The shotgun tore away the top fourth of the creature, the vulcan annihilated the other quarter. My cannon mulched the body in a percussive explosion and shredded the ground around it. The railgun shot, earth-shaking as it was, did little more than burrow several meters through solid earth in front of me. It wasn¡¯t a true railgun, really, but I doubted that was technology we could manage anytime soon. Already our R&D department was hitting bottlenecks in what could be done without investing heavily in more facilities. But, the point was for us to learn how to make this stuff on our own, limiting Obelisk involvement and Matter Energy consumption. Still, given what I just witnessed, I had to say they were still doing good work. ¡°That was a new one,¡± the man rose, brushing off dust, ¡°Gen 2, you think?¡± ¡°Maybe, if it was, it wasn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ your armor.¡± He gestured to where I¡¯d been struck, and I looked down, seeing a frill embedded there. With a frown, I watched as it began to grow at a visible pace. Still too slowly to be a problem, but I did note the acidic secretions it put off, still flowing off of the coating harmlessly. I flicked it off, the thing falling away and landing on the ground where it pulsed and greedily ate the material around it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s creepy.¡± I muttered, watching it grow to the size of a regular fungaloid biotic before it stopped growing. At that point, it turned back to me, intent on throwing itself into me. They were, as I said before, not exactly the most threatening thing around, though. I blasted it with a shotgun before I turned and refocused on the mass of flesh from the other misshapen lump. It twitched, and I found myself sighing with annoyance. ¡°Legion, be advised, I have updated information on the Lattice-Fungus biotic. Strongly suggest you burn the remains, it looks like some of them can regenerate.¡± I pulsed out my message to the others, chaining through the lot of them. That was something that hadn¡¯t been relayed to us by Argedwall. Was it something they hadn¡¯t noticed? Maybe, though they did say that as a standard they burned all biotics that didn¡¯t disintegrate. We didn¡¯t know, after all, if there were any possible bacterial infections that could theoretically be spread by them. And, hopefully, a bacteria type biotic didn¡¯t exist. Just the concept didn¡¯t do wonders for me. ¡°Alright, well, I guess we¡¯re done for the day. Tomorrow we¡¯ll probably be making it to Argedwall at least.¡± I looked to the others, seeing them setting up similar defensive arrangements as support crew trickled in, setting up the rest of the way. Fran would still be busy for a few hours yet, just another thing to complain about today. Although, all considered, I¡¯d just as well deal with biotics instead of people. At least I could punch a biotic if I didn¡¯t like them. I snorted at the thought, and then went back to patrolling and cleaning up. Soon, we¡¯d get to see what Argedwall would be like. With any luck, maybe they¡¯d be pretty decent at dealing with biotics. But, considering how many were out here, I had a sinking suspicion that they weren¡¯t actually very good at it. Unless there were just that many of them out here, but that¡¯d be preposterous. Chapter 94 Knights and Lords I felt refreshed after having showered. Admittedly, it was more like filling up a three gallon bucket and poking holes in the bottom. We didn¡¯t have a huge abundance of water with our support teams, an actual shower would have been wasteful. ¡°Thanks, Jimmy,¡± I nodded to the man in an exo suit armor who¡¯d dumped the water into the bucket. He chuckled, ¡°gotta keep it fresh, man.¡± There were little things like this all around our mini-camp. We stopped our advancing lines on occasion in order to rest up our personnel. While we were perfectly aware of how far away Argedwall was, we didn¡¯t need to risk anyone currently in getting there. The Reavers were already doing flybys for them. We were supposed to have had another Reaver made, but the fourth ended up grounded after its engines didn¡¯t start. R&D were still figuring out what happened, but nevertheless the rest of us were making ourselves useful. Three columns marched on Argedwall. Ours took to the heavily forested hills, more like a rainforest than the deciduous trees we should have seen. Fran and I both thought it looked pretty at first, but now the monotony of color was starting to grow bland. In any case, this would be our lot for the time being. We didn¡¯t draw short straw, though, one of the other teams were investigating another route, coming up and over a nearby mountain. If nothing else, we intended on setting up an observation post there even if there wasn¡¯t a feasible route to Argedwall from there. The most likely route was actually the third, though, moving wide partly to the north over long flat lands. They¡¯d run into a great number of stealthy biotics, and had taken to a habit of hammering areas with artillery. Which, of course, Patrick and the Iron Chariots took on with an enthusiasm befitting a true fanatic of explosives. I walked over the mess hall, looking around at the many familiar and new faces that rushed about. There had been explosive growth in the Legion for some time now, though so far it was mostly people who I trusted. Some I viewed with a measure of wariness, but I had to believe that they¡¯d prove themselves more boon than bane in the coming days. Namely, the old Hunter¡¯s Order leader was now officially Legion, her small team now forming a fairly potent strike team. Cassandra Vera, a woman I didn¡¯t know well and wasn¡¯t sure that I would want too, had proven herself at least competent in a leadership position. However, she wasn¡¯t the leader of our column. Ordinarily, I imagine that Matthew would have been the one dictating the ebb and flow of our activities, but we had someone just as good, if not better. Fran picked that moment to walk up to me, her posture all business, official and clipped. ¡°Miss Delia,¡± I nodded, keeping a barely restrained grin from showing on my face. ¡°Mister Drake,¡± she greeted in turn, managing to look all the part of leadership, ¡°would you care to join me for a meal?¡± ¡°Is that an order or suggestion?¡± I asked, unable to keep the quirk from the corner of my lip. Her facade dropped at the same time, replaced by a wide grin, ¡°I can¡¯t, it¡¯s just too silly.¡± She chuckled, her posture loosening, her newly upgraded suit hugging her body, wings tucked tightly against her back. She kept in suit at all times in the event that she was needed on the frontline for any reason. A suit that was more like a power armor in all, and could retract its heavier, bulkier bits to rest near the back of her body, along with the wings. Anyone else would be imbalanced, but the support the remainder of her armor gave made the awkward set of the weight negligible. ¡°Come on, grab some food and join me.¡± She said, though she ended up walking with me as I moved to our small cafeteria-like counter. It was situated in an Ogre, one of five that made up the rough walls of the food-space, spanning a mixture of metallic cloth overhead and flattened earth beneath. Several tables sat in the middle, likely having fit in one of the Ogres. Everything was built to be compact and reusable, a design philosophy that I hadn¡¯t put much stock in until I¡¯d seen how well it could be pulled off. After I grabbed some food, a mixture of mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, a steak cut, and macaroni and cheese, I tromped my way over to where Fran¡¯s table was. There were a few others there who greeted us comfortably, most of whom were people who were by my side. ¡°Your wife was vetting us for reliability,¡± one of them joked while they sipped on a mug of hot cocoa. ¡°I do have a vested interest in keeping him in one piece.¡± Fran laughed, letting me feel relieved that people didn¡¯t shy away from her in spite of her command position. Not that she¡¯d let that stop her, Fran wasn¡¯t the kind of person to let a perceived difference in station get in the way of being pleasant. ¡°You just want me for my body,¡± I let out an exaggerated sigh, only to get a ¡®light¡¯ smack from Fran. Which, since she didn¡¯t remember she was in power armor, felt like I just got punched in the shoulder by a boxer, half-strength. The table cringed and I heard someone utter an ¡®gonna feel that later,¡¯ a heartbeat after it happened. ¡°Ohhhh, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Fran cringed, ¡°I forgot I was wearing this, are you okay?¡± ¡°Peachy,¡± I groaned, feeling the sting and knowing I¡¯d earned quite a bruise. The quietest of the people at the table pulled some kind of packet from his side. The long bearded, mustached man cracked something inside of the packet before glancing back up to me, making a gesturing motion with his chin. I caught the packet, alarmed when it was cold to the touch. The man smiled, gesturing to his knees, ¡°Bad knees. Little investments go a long way. I got plenty of ¡®em, though, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I appreciate it.¡± I said, feeling Fran take the pack and press it against my shoulder. ¡°Yeeeeikes,¡± I kept from squeaking from the cold, barely, ¡°that is, uh, yep, that¡¯s cold.¡± Fran grinned, though still appeared apologetic somehow, ¡°I¡¯ll ice it again for you later.¡± ¡°Can I get more than ice?¡± I smirked, raising an eyebrow provocatively. ¡°That may be negotiable,¡± she teased, ¡°so long as you can get to our planned forward op base before night time.¡± ¡°No rest for the wicked,¡± the man beside me, Anton, chuckled, ¡°speaking of, we should only be like thirty miles out now, right?¡± ¡°About, though you guys can rest for a bit longer. The rest of the supply column is running a bit late, setting up the road and auto-turrets.¡± Explained Fran with a sigh, ¡°they were so sure that they were going to catch up to us, too.¡± I grimaced, knowing that Fran had butted heads with the supply line crew more than once, both in preparation and in execution. The only reason why we had even basic amenities here on the forward march was that she¡¯d insisted that at least basic resources be present in the forward line as well, and that the support group have some means of protecting themselves. Which meant that we had fewer people here on the advancing line, something that the supply-group had thought was vastly inefficient. Granted, Fran had been able to get advice from actual military personnel on loan from Bulwark who were far more familiar with logistics than some of the people we¡¯d had. That wasn¡¯t to say that they had no idea what they were doing. On many other counts, they¡¯d predicted our needs well in advance, including automated defenses, building infrastructure to support much higher speed transport between New Damond and Argedwall, and going so far as to build smaller outposts as they went. In that sense, I guess that they were being slowed up by their own thoroughness, but I wouldn¡¯t be caught complaining about that. We talked pleasantly for another hour before we mobilized again. My shoulder was - predictably - sore, but a mild painkiller took the edge off so I could fully focus on piloting the mech. This was much more important than when I¡¯d had my previous mech, given that any mistaken movement on my part could easily kill someone if they weren¡¯t in anything less than an exo-suit. When we were outside of the camp, though, things were easy again. There was plenty of space to work with, and after a few minutes we were back up to speed. None too soon, at that, given the supply team had managed to catch up within line of sight now. The advance this time was wrought with many more biotics, and our increased pace saw to it that we were more of a blender than a spear in the jungle. This was the point where the supply line wanted to be closer, able to run our munitions to us in the event that we were running out. We¡¯d carried a hefty sum with us on the Ogre¡¯s, but having an endless clip did wonders for our speed in clearing through the jungle. I tore through massive quantities of bullets as I helped to check the area around us for any hidden biotics. Twice I¡¯d still stepped on the fungaloid biotic, lattice work of flesh sprouting up around me and stabbing at me with envenomed spines. Acid pumped over me even as I ground it to mush beneath my heel. The line would stop for a moment as the excess was hosed off and a new coating was applied, letting my armor shrug off another round without concern. If it weren¡¯t for Richard¡¯s Class giving access to these many acids and poisons, we wouldn¡¯t be nearly as comfortable advancing over territory like this. As it was, though, so long as we could prepare for the eventuality of an acid-type biotic, we were in good shape. We marched forward, a low hanging branch suddenly seeming to come alive, reaching down and swiping at my head with 12 cm long claws. It happened so fast that I only registered what was going on by the warning the armor gave me. The claws cut grooves into my mech, shallow, but thus far the most damage something had managed to give me. The form was large, much larger than the ordinary cat type biotic. It hissed at me, shimmering skin that shifted in texture in color as it bounded off another tree. My cannon and vulcan tore into the forest after it, scorching and shattering the woodlands between us. And, yet, alarmingly so, the creature got away. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s a problem.¡± I murmured, turning to the man beside me in power armor who¡¯d given me the ice pack. ¡°Whatever it was, it¡¯s fas-¡± the man began, before suddenly dropping to a knee. Where his head just was, something small and brown blurred past him. Three more followed, one low enough that it still hit his shoulder. I turned, mech already estimating where the attack would have come from. We watched as the form of the biotic shimmered and danced back out of view, lines of bullets, a tracer every tenth shot for me, chased the creature. ¡°You alright?¡± I shouted, concerned for the man. He grunted, ¡°yeah, only stuck in the armor a bit. It¡¯s not at the Spindles level of bullshit - thank God for that.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. I nodded, glad for that little detail, before immediately broadcasting to the Legion. ¡°Heads up, we¡¯ve got another new biotic, this one might be Gen 2, another stealth type. Uploading what I got on my feed. These things are fast too, ranged attacks, hit and ru-¡± I felt thunks against my mech and looked down to see little scuff marks where something had hit me, ¡°-hit and run tactics. Fuckers can¡¯t punch through the ML-Mech¡¯s though.¡± I ground out the last of the statement, looking up to see the tail end of the creature as it vanished again. ¡°Noted, Advance,¡± I heard Fran¡¯s voice, not showing an overt amount of concern over the recent development, ¡°business as usual, everyone. We¡¯re not far from our prospective encampment, we¡¯re sending flares up soon. Argedwall will have a group coming up to our position to meet and greet, so watch your fire.¡± ¡°Heard,¡± I stated, watching the area around us, trying to discern any kind of hint before this new biotic attacked. The flares went up, the sudden bursts of light flickering down through the leaves. At that moment I wouldn¡¯t have even needed my suit to see the bastard. The light that filtered down through the leaves from several angles seemed to flicker off of the creatures body like glistening emerald, something that the creature realised a second too late. One short burst of firepower later and the creature was in two pieces, immediately dead. ¡°Add on, apparently the flares screw with their active camouflage somehow.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but be pleased, ¡°keep an eye out for anything shining like a really big gem, it¡¯s probably one of them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think anybody is gonna miss that,¡± the man next to me dryly chuckled, moving up behind me as we pushed further into the undergrowth. When we found the body, we had to admit that this thing was definitely related to the cats. It had a feline body, though it rippled with muscles, and it bore what appeared to be a mane that was far stiffer and larger than what it should have had. The bushy fur extended well past its neck, though with the body in the state it was in, I couldn¡¯t tell exactly how much further it would go. The tail itself drew a great deal of my attention, too, much longer and powerful looking than I would attribute to a cat. It was also tipped with a dozen barbed looking spikes, some empty sockets beside the larger ones where new spikes had begun to grow in with alarming speed. I heard the underbrush nearby rustle, and immediately brought up my weapons. Reflex demanded that I fire first, but the reminder that there could be friendlies out here now stayed in my hand. Oh, I wish I hadn¡¯t. A mass of twisted limbs surged forth from a slinking position, only a meter in height from the ground. At first, anyways. As it surged, first limbs cracking into my armored body, I couldn¡¯t help but recognize that the limbs seemed to shift and reconnect, a veritable carpet that had to have been a dozen meters long reconfiguring right before my eyes. Halfway between wood and bone, I saw several limbs position themselves parallel to one another, even as it wrapped up around me. I punched out, cracking through it and sending several gore-laden bits streaming to the ground. It abandoned those pieces, falling away with little ceremony, before a spiked limb struck my side hard enough to send a shudder through the mech. Annoyed, I crushed it in my arms, pulping it, only to realize it was moving its body around and out of harm''s way. A second strike, only this time my mech recognized damage. It had punched through six cm on my back. The man I was with let loose with his automatic rifle, focusing on the main mass of the weapon. I pulled on the pieces that were still trying to slip away, making sure not to move too much. I trusted the Legionnaire beside me to be able to do damage, I just needed him to present an easy target for him. The third strike was even weaker than the first. It changed targets in a heartbeat, latching onto him and bringing him into an embrace. My sensors picked up on it, recognizing that it was trying to yank him onto my back to prevent him from being able to easily attack me. I did what seemed to make sense at the time. If it wanted to pull someone to my back, then I¡¯d just need to make sure that wouldn¡¯t be feasible. I fell backwards, crunching through the distracted mass of whatever the hell was attacking us. It shuddered, a low keening sound that almost sounded like a whisper the only thing that answered us as it went limp. ¡°Thanks,¡± he breathed, ¡°I did not want to join that party.¡± I laughed, breathing a sigh of relief as I rolled over onto my side, brackish grey and silver gunk sliding off of my body. ¡°Threesomes not your style?¡± ¡°Hah!¡± He laughed loudly, pulling the still grasping talons - more like rose-branch spikes - from their hooked positions on his armor. ¡°I count myself a refined gentleman.¡± It was then that I remembered his name, ¡°Graham, I¡¯ll buy you a beer later.¡± He shrugged, ¡°we get those free. But you can drink it with me later. You¡¯re my good luck charm so far,¡± he gestured to the indentation I¡¯d made on the ground, ¡°looks like this thing had a center of mass.¡± I glanced down, seeing that, indeed, there was a geode-looking thing that appeared more like a smashed grape than anything else at that moment. ¡°Gross, but good to know.¡± ¡°Legion, we got another one,¡± Graham broadcasted this time, ¡°sending info, yet another stealthy bugger.¡± I shook my head, looking around at the artificially brightened forest. We marshalled our line, other people in power armor or mechs marching to form a line alongside me, scattered across a hundred meters. Our reserves were pulled up and our current line was brought in. There were over two hundred of us present, armed to the teeth, the light of the flares sending scathing light through the canopy. We were clad in black and red, predominantly, gleaming like shades in the ambient low light. As one we resumed our march, and I had to admit it was alarming how much more deadly we were. Anytime one individual discharged a weapon, a dozen more would follow, covering an area in diverse and deadly assortments of firepower. The handful of times where something would sneak up on us, or wait to be underfoot, we would have plenty of others on hand to rip and tear the offending biotic to pieces. For one of the first times, I realized the potency of the Legion, the inexorable death-march that we visited upon this hapless biotic infested jungle rendering ordinary biotics obsolete. A pair of Carriers loomed ahead of our line, but the power-armor operators simply pulled out mortars with guided tracking and bombarded them with virulent acids until our mech pilots punched through softened armor with piercing rounds. Every fight made us what we were now, and it was empowering to know how far we¡¯d come. When we finally made it to our forward operating area, it was just before sun down, and blooming flares lit up the sky light as bright as day. ¡°Alright guys, till the soil so our supply-guys have an open field.¡± I said to the team, by extension under my loose direction unless Fran dictated otherwise. When she said nothing, the mech-pilots let out eager cheers. The firepower that we unleashed then could be heard for miles, churning the vegetation and many more biotics than we¡¯d expected to find so close by. For a solid two minutes that was all that was abound, before our support team reached us. Half of the mechs took up positions on the perimeter, while the other half dragged large metal wedges with small implements attached to them through the ground. The Ogres, this time, didn¡¯t advance into our clearing, and the banks of soil and mulch that we¡¯d created was steadily moved outwards in a circular pattern and stomped down on, creating as sturdy a base as we could manage. This would be redone in no small part by our construction teams, but this would at least give them semi-flat ground to walk on. ¡°Non-biotic contact,¡± one of the mechs on the outskirts called over on the comms, carefully keeping his weapons down, ¡°looks like our greeting team got here before out support lines. I chuckled, marching forward, my own mech still dwarfing any of the standard mechs. I didn¡¯t even feel the tug as Fran¡¯s magnetics locked onto my armor, hooking her in something of a static orbit beside me. A small set of wings flared behind her, and her armor completely covered her now, looking every bit like a battle-ready valkyrie as her new Class dictated. Eleven mech-suits loomed from the murky blackness of the rainforest. Ten of them were silvery-grey, bearing some heraldry that was different on each of them. My first thought was that they looked almost like a knights coat-of-arms, and seeing the crusader-esque theme of their suits, I had to admit that it looked the part. The leader had a dull-golden suit, though it was far from being needlessly ostentatious, they¡¯d be easy to pick out amongst their fellows. His mech was no less battle-hardened than the others, bearing its fair share of scrapes, dents, and minor damage. ¡°Hail!¡± The leader called, ¡°I¡¯m Peter, Lord-Knight of The Wolf from Argedwall. You all must the The Reaper¡¯s Legion?¡± I only noticed then that his coat-of-arms looked like a regal wolf¡¯s head, a single glistening blue light in one eye, and a red one in the next. ¡°My name is Fran, I¡¯m the leader of this expeditionary force of the Legion. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± She gestured to me, my queue to introduce myself. ¡°Daniel, right-hand of The Reaper,¡± I nodded to them, ¡°don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t stand much on pomp and officiality around here. Come on over, guys, we¡¯re clearing a spot, but you shouldn¡¯t get harassed by biotics at least.¡± ¡°Oh, thank the gods, he¡¯s not an asshole,¡± I heard someone in the back of their group murmur, and could just about feel the entire group of knights chuckle. The lord sighed, ¡°you may come to regret saying that. We can be¡­ irreverent at best, at times.¡± Fran chuckled, ¡°that tends to happen when you fight on the frontlines all the time.¡± I murmur of agreement went through them as we moved forward, and I could feel a moment of respect pass over them as they looked at the work we were doing already. ¡°You¡¯ve got a fair number of mechs yourselves,¡± one of the men beside the lord nodded, ¡°lots of ammo, too. We heard you loud and clear on the way here.¡± I noted then that most of them had a minimum of ranged weaponry, leaning instead towards a grisly assortment of melee weapons, throwing weapons, and devices that I could only imagine were far more suited to close quarters combat than at range. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice you all don¡¯t seem to have much in the way of ranged weaponry,¡± Fran didn¡¯t mention that we had a veritable train of ammunition coming through for us. Peter nodded slowly, his helmet retracting from his head, ¡°we ended up specializing, perhaps too much. We had something of a¡­ tenuous balance between needing repairs and keeping our people safe. Mechs ended up being our go-to solution, albeit admittedly at the cost of much else.¡± ¡°Well, we can talk about that and much more later.¡± Fran could tell that the subject was complicated, ¡°for now, we¡¯re setting up our base, but in the meantime, we have some information we¡¯d like to go over with you and compare notes.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s this Reaper fellow?¡± One of the others suddenly asked, ¡°we¡¯ve got a betting pool going as to whether or not he¡¯s as scary as he sounds.¡± Fran¡¯s helmet receded, showing her exceedingly amused look, ¡°he¡¯s dealing with Sunvilla now. Though from what I hear he¡¯ll be joining us along with the rest of our team in the morning.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The man nodded, before he and the others joined in allowing parts of their mechs to open. ¡°So, is he a front-line type or a behind-the-desk type.¡± ¡°Jones,¡± Peter¡¯s tone was cautionary at best, ¡°please mind yourself.¡± I laughed, thick metal plating around my head and torso sliding away, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly how to answer that, but maybe telling you guys some stories would help?¡± The man looked amused at that but before I could begin, Peter cut in, ¡°please, don¡¯t feel like you need to encourage him. We can wait.¡± Jones cringed, ¡°don¡¯t make it sound that bad.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I waved the notion away, ¡°we¡¯ve got time before anything resembling a command center is up anyways. I guess the best thing to start with is how we both got our classes.¡± There was a good bit of surprise at the mention of classes, and perhaps that we¡¯d gotten ours at the same time. ¡°You see, the Obelisks just came down when Matthew - that¡¯s The Reaper¡¯s name, by the way - came up with this crazy as hell idea that I went along with.¡± As I told the story, I embellished a few details, and could feel Fran shaking her head in bemusement as I did so. ¡°So, there were were, sneaking up through the hills, carrying a big ass launcher and this freaky looking missile. It''s dark, and there are biotics all over the place. We get there, I give him my launcher and he shoves this missile in and fires it, guiding it down through the tunnels of the hive and deep underground.¡± I leaned in then, making an aggrieved face, ¡°what he didn¡¯t tell me was that it was a small nuclear bomb that we were toting around.¡± Laughter exploded along with incredulity, ¡°I knew that would work!¡± Jones cheered, and then paused, ¡°but, wait, how did you guys get a hold of one? They were banned when I looked.¡± ¡°They were why it was banned,¡± Fran added dryly, ¡°the Obelisk¡¯s administrator conscripted them into being its bounty hunters for a while in recompense.¡± That got more laughter out of them, and we spent the next half an hour exchanging stories. Though, I had to say, Argedwall had to have been a tough nut to crack if even half of what they¡¯d said happened to them was true. It was too soon to say for sure, but I could see the Legion and the Knights of Argedwall get along just fine in the future. Chapter 95 Tug of War -Matthew P.O.V.- There were really too many things to do. Between finishing up in Sunvilla and filling in the Bulwark agents that arrived shortly thereafter, it was well into the evening. Given that, we decided that staying the night was for the best. Alice could take the time to be with her family in any case, so I wasn¡¯t especially against it. I did, however, take the time to appraise myself of the situation out west. I hadn¡¯t been keeping tabs on advance towards Argedwall, trusting Fran and the rest of the Legion to keep in control of the situation. Happily, they had indeed taken care of the few unexpected situations easily enough. There were several more reports of biotics that we hadn¡¯t identified, and I did note that the stealthy cat-type biotics that were plaguing Sunvilla were present there as well. Likely it was a situation similar to Damond, most of the biotics were filtering off in that direction. I could safely say that, thanks to the Gen 2 stealthy cat-like biotics that a few teams had run into. Oddly enough, they were even more averse to melee than their smaller brethren. With their barbed spike-tails, they slung high-speed projectiles at targets in the distance and then fled immediately afterwards. Granted, they weren¡¯t intended to get through armor. Though, I did have to wonder if that was truly a Gen 2 biotic, or another Gen 1 strain. Given how durable the Salt Beetles and Carriers had been, I was less inclined to think it was fully a Gen 2. In any case we were taking care of ourselves quite well, two of the potential trails to Argedwall were viable, and the third that went to the mountains was being used to ferry materials and built an observation post. We didn¡¯t foresee needing to use that for much of the mundane things, given that the Obelisks should be able to communicate to other distant Obelisks. This would, however, enable us to utilize radio communication over the entire area. It was still odd how communication was considered a peripheral system on the Obelisks, though apparently they were never intended to completely replace infrastructure. We¡¯d be better off building our own communications hubs over time than spending hive cores to upgrade the Obelisks. Later in the night, though, I did receive a message from the Obelisk system that surprised me. It was in voice, but there was also a transcription available. I paused, sitting down on the metal bench within the Ogre, one of the Determinator¡¯s chassis currently partially taken apart as I¡¯d been helping remove a bullet that was lodged within the frame. I was happy for the distraction, even if I hadn¡¯t expected Yamak to contact me for a while longer. His voice came up, clear and surprisingly relaxed. ¡°Reaper, we¡¯re currently en route to your system. By the time you receive this message, we¡¯ll have been underway for several days, I imagine, but we¡¯re not sure exactly how long it¡¯ll actually take to get there. As for the forces I¡¯m bringing with, I think you¡¯ll not have any complaints. The Artorian Company hasn¡¯t been crowned best PMC four years running for nothing! Well, I guess you wouldn¡¯t know anything about that. Anyways, what else to say? Your Council buddy is lobbying for support for Earth, but if you ask me he¡¯s just chasing away all the people who want a cut of your system in return for some ambiguous amount of aid. Lazka¡¯s with me, by the way. He insisted on seeing the system for himself. I think he¡¯ll be dissapointed in the lack of amenities when he gets there, but I¡¯m sure you guys are more than busy enough not getting eaten alive. I know the struggle, heh. Uh, anyways, we¡¯re bringing some obnoxious piece of machinery with us, supposed to help stabilize a warp gate. We¡¯re traveling fast, but it¡¯s expensive, and to be completely honest moving my fleet like this is¡­¡± I heard a clattering sound like something being thrown and another voice cut in in the background. ¡°Apologies, Captain, it sounded like you were about to start complaining to our client. You wouldn¡¯t be doing that, now, would you?¡± The feminine voice asked flatly, and I could almost feel Yamak cringe on the other end of the communications. ¡°O-oh, of course not, Maricene!¡± The man chuckled nervously before taking a moment to collect himself, ¡°as I was saying, we¡¯re bringing over some of those other pests with us. Honestly, that Princess is the easier one of the bu-wait! Maricene! I¡¯m not complainin-¡± The feed cut out entirely for a moment, leaving me utterly perplexed. It was amusing, to be sure, but I was suddenly less certain of how these guys were going to perform their jobs. The woman began speaking, ¡°the Captain has taken ill for the time being. It seems he tripped on his tongue.¡± I blinked, unsure if perhaps the turn of phrase was meant to be a joke. ¡°We currently have the Scynoi Princess aboard as well as a small contingent of Saurian Scatcha - the closest thing you have to them is a Spartan - headed by Uthakka. We also have an attached cruiser under command of three Reaper¡¯s, though they¡¯ve kept to themselves. I¡¯m told you¡¯re aware of their presence, but I also wanted to bring up that there are a considerable number of mercantile and construction vessels.¡± She paused, a slight grumble coming over the line, ¡°while I¡¯ve also been told you find them permissable to be coming, let us know if that changes. Especially that Lazka fellow.¡± She paused and let out a level breath, ¡°that should be the bulk of the updates the Captain wished for you to know of. There are few other details that might interest you, but we¡¯ll keep a log of the goings on in any case for your future perusal. Maricene Rockman, Second-In-Command of the Artorian Company out.¡± I contemplated everything that I¡¯d just heard, and found myself equal parts amused at the antics the crew seemed to show, and concerned at the apparent flotilla that was coming to the system. If anything, I felt that Maricene had a personal grudge with Lazka, but she didn¡¯t seem to be the sort of person to let that affect her work. ¡°Alright, well, that¡¯s something,¡± I mumbled, shrugging as I got back to work. There wasn¡¯t much I could do for them as of yet, but I was beginning to consider what we could do in order to house such a body. Perhaps we could build up the mountain outpost more, make it something of a planetary hub? The thought immediately made me snicker. We were hardly ready for spaceflight, at least not without outside input. Perhaps someday, but certainly not anytime soon. Hours passed as I finished repairs on the Determinators and our gear. Even well past midnight, I still felt no fatigue, no need to sleep, my wariness still quite manageable. I was alone for the time being, Jeremy and his team were elsewhere, likely still close to Gerry¡¯s place. Alice and Richard were probably with the DeLeons, though I wasn¡¯t positive exactly where that might be at the current time. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. That left me with altogether too much time on my hands. ¡®Alright, time to get them into formation,¡¯ I extended my will to the Determinators, watching as they activated all as one and marched out of the Ogre. There weren¡¯t any others around in this area, I¡¯d specifically sought out a less occupied portion of Gerry¡¯s base in order to do my repairs and such. Shade rested beside the Ogre, large enough to be capable of ferrying the Determinators over long distance, or to ferry the team, but not both. Regrettably, that meant that I needed to give some very specific instructions to them as they made their way back to us in Argedwall. Simple instructions were easy, as well as ones that could realistically be completed within an hour or so. It was the more complex goals that might have any number of ways to complete them that became problems. But, that said, I was fairly certain that they could pilot the Ogre¡¯s to Argedwall with little difficulty. I started with simple scenarios, simulating them in my mind and sharing the burden with the processing power native in each of the Determinators. Steadily, I began to teach them, breaking down the boundaries of their simplistic A.I. walls. It was, potentially, something that could come back to bite me in the arse. There were, after all, plenty of sci-fi shows where a learning A.I. ended up becoming the enemy of all mankind. Perhaps if I couldn¡¯t interact with them on the same level as I could Wolvey I¡¯d be far more wary of giving them so much capability. As it was, I had no real qualms about giving them a bit more oomph. Plus, that¡¯d let me pay less attention to them, something that I was more than happy with doing. Steadily, I felt the changes build up over the many interations. I was utilizing a fairly simple path with obstacles, some of which wouldn¡¯t appear until after they were selected. In this digital scenario, the short path might not always be the fastest. It could have been flooded out due to recent weather, or rife with obstacles not easily apparent at range. A longer path might end up being ideal, and in some cases the Determinators decided to double back, only to run into more trouble. It would be highly frustrating for an ordinary person to deal with this kind of system, but the Determinators took to the course in stride. As I applied what I learned to their base programming, there was a tipping point, around six in the morning, when they suddenly seemed to come into their own. The base parameters of their programs weren¡¯t perfect by any means, but they had already been fairly comprehensive. Now, looking at them, I couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly that I¡¯d made something that could reasonably be given an order and would complete it, so long as I didn¡¯t get out of hand and ask them to do something too out of scope. Satisfied that they could make most journeys that weren¡¯t wrought with extremely unusual and convoluted circumstances, I decided that I could let them take the Ogre¡¯s over. When the morning light finally began to stir the inhabitants of the city, I was already waiting with Shade, going over its systems and pre-flight checks far before anyone would even be on the way. At least, I¡¯d thought so. ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± I heard a groggy voice say from the edge of the clearing, a man currently shedding power armor at the Ogre¡¯s external port. ¡°Jeremy, good morning,¡± I nodded to him, hopping off Shade and noting the extra cup of coffee in his hand. He held it out to me and I took it gratefully. ¡°Did you even sleep?¡± He eyed the Determinators as they dutifully checked the vehicles for anything amiss with their systems. ¡°No,¡± I admitted with a shrug, ¡°I don¡¯t need much sleep anymore. Figured I¡¯d fix them up.¡± He nodded, ¡°s¡¯pose that¡¯s a good idea. What¡¯s the plan, now?¡± I gestured to Shade, ¡°we¡¯ll be taking the Shade over to Argedwall. It¡¯ll be a tight fit, but a lot faster than going by truck.¡± ¡°Flying.¡± I noted the grimace on his face, ¡°I never was much of a fan of flying.¡± ¡°I¡¯d never flown before the apocalypse,¡± I mused, ¡°still not sure how I feel about it.¡± ¡°Necessary evils and all that,¡± Jeremy chuckled, ¡°can¡¯t wait for roads to be fully restored. Think automated highway repair is gonna be a thing?¡± I paused and glanced at the Determinators as they finished their checkups of the truck in less than three minutes. ¡°Yeah, I could see automation being useful in a lot of places. New world, new rules. No reason to use people for grunt work when basic robots can do the job better.¡± I said, considering all the jobs that we wouldn¡¯t need to fill. Jeremy didn¡¯t comment, simply content with drinking his coffee and watching the sunrise paint the horizon with burnished reds and oranges. It was a comfortable shared silence, one with coffee and the idle toil of the Determinators as they busied themselves with packing and securing cargo into the Ogres and into Shade. An hour and a half later, most of the team trickled in, including some of the representatives of Sunvilla. For now, Gerry was considered the defacto leader, with all the glory and complications that position entailed. Right now, escorted by his second in command, Pat, he seemed to be satisfied, and far more relaxed than I¡¯d seen him before. ¡°Reaper,¡± he greeted amicably enough, ¡°I suppose you and your entourage are on their way out?¡± I nodded, ¡°we are. Though, Bulwark will still be around so try to avoid the temptation of dictatorship.¡± He snorted, but a slim smile was on his face, ¡°I¡¯ll manage somehow.¡± The man held out a hand, though I was still mystified as to how he could seemingly see so well even without eyes. We shook hands, a tenuous relationship between us that was built on a begrudging respect. He did what he thought was best for his people, that much I could respect. And, for all intents and purposes, I felt he bore the same thoughts regarding me. I hoped so, anyways, but honestly I hoped we never had to interact with each other again. ¡°Alright everybody, pile in.¡± I heard Jeremy call out, Shade¡¯s cockpit open and the hybrid cargo and personnel bay open in the back. The ramp rested evenly on the ground, the oblong disc with razor sharp wings allowing passengers to board. This would be the largest group of people I¡¯d had on the Shade, and it would just about be at capacity, including the equipment Strauss¡¯ and my team took with them. ¡°Safe travels,¡± Pat called out, bumping fists with Yomar who was likewise in his power armor. Alice and her family hugged, trying and failing at not becoming too emotional. I smiled at the sight, and moved to the cockpit. The trio of seats, two set in front and one in the back, slightly higher in vantage point, was far larger than what I¡¯d had when I first obtained Shade. I took the chair in the back, noting the seemingly delighted hum that the console gave as I fastened myself in. ¡°Good to see you, too,¡± I smiled warmly, feeling Shade¡¯s engines cycle as it prepped for take-off. A few minutes later, Jeremy and Allendra moved into the cockpit. ¡°Reserved seating?¡± Jeremy gestured to the two in front of me. I shook my head, ¡°be my guest.¡± The two sat down, fastening themselves in. Jeremy stiffened after a moment, ¡°actually, maybe the front seat isn¡¯t the best idea for me.¡± I wondered for a moment what he meant when I realized he could see out the window quite clearly. With a grin spreading across my face, I said, ¡°alright everyone, we¡¯re off. Hold on tight!¡± Jeremy blanched, looking back to me and not registering the broad smirk on Allendra¡¯s face as he did so. ¡°No wait a min-¡± He didn¡¯t get to finish whatever he¡¯d wanted to say before Shade surged forward, launching in a fairly gentle arc upwards to the accompaniment of Jeremy Strauss bellow of fear. ¡®Worth it.¡¯ I managed to not laugh as he sat rigid in his seat as we accelerated mercilessly. Chapter 96 Arrival Traveling by air cut a significant amount of time from our journey to Argedwall. It also gave us a rather unique view of the area that my Legionaries had taken. There were two primary routes that led towards Argedwall, the more direct one, I was told, had been headed by Daniel and Fran. Patrick had taken the other, along with his own team. Several other teams were responsible for support, and it appeared that the route was quickly becoming something more permanent. Thick jungle had been cleared and scorched for a hundred meters on either side of the road, one that was made of a thick, shock resistant concrete that would serve to create a stable route. There were interspersed outposts with a small rail system connecting them on the left, allowing for troops, bullets, and turrets to move with ease across the entire highway. The other side of the street bore a much larger rail system, allowing trains passage in the area. Not that we had trains yet, we were stretching ourselves thin attempting to do everything that we could think of. Reaper Research and Development was beginning to tighten the noose in terms of what we were working on, something that I¡¯d have to check in on later to see what was being given priority. Still, the rails were there, that would do well enough for now. The highway itself was seeing fairly regular use, convoys of Ogres pulling cargo making a regular sight. They didn¡¯t often stop, but the outposts provided plentiful rest areas in relative safety. There were a few completely automated convoys modeled after the Ogres that I found interesting, effectively bearing no drivers seat at all. They were entirely reliant on the highway itself telling them where they were, so they wouldn¡¯t be doing any off roading, but for the mundane supply runs, they¡¯d be more than sufficient. Speaking of supplies, there was a massive quantity of supplies being fed directly to the voracious fortress that was being set up just outside of Argedwall. It served as a forward operating base and a possible fallback location for the people of Argedwall in the event that any kind of evacuation would ever be necessary. Of which, I highly doubted it would. My reasoning was simple in this. Our terminal fortress on the highway was well outfitted with weapons and a reasonable walled defensive armament that I was certain could pump out truly stupendous amounts of firepower. However, what it lacked was the sheer gravitas that Argedwall itself had in the background. Argedwall was no city as it would have been in the old world. True walls had been constructed here, unlike the ramshackle structures that Sunvilla had. They were dense and not a part of what had originally been planned in the city, surely. Concrete and steel loomed thirty meters high and encased the city in what appeared to be a perfect circle. There was even a slight amount of space within the walls to support Argedwalls growth. Beyond the wall itself, though, was something much more surprising. A complex spiral with interspersed rings was dug into the earth, reinforced with steel grating and dugouts. The trenches were four meters deep at their deepest, and were still three at their shallowest, save for ramps that would allow for any occupants to leave. With my magnified vision, I could make out the upturned mud and dirt, as well as the fairly constant motion of various mech suits as they made their way through the channels. It was constant movement, each of the mech outfitted battalions keeping a steady, slow pace as they went. After a minute, they ceased, entrenching themselves into new positions, sixteen districts that only became apparent with the bulk of the forces settled. The maneuver mystified me, but I supposed they must have had a reason for it. Granted, there were some interruptions that I¡¯d witnessed during all of that. Several biotics had rushed the trenches, but they invariably would be sliced and stomped to a pulp by the stampeding mechs, traveling two by two. Most used minimal ranged weapons, instead dawning melee weapons that would allow them to crush anything that entered the trenches. That seemed¡­ risky, but there were also several towers that sat within the inner rings, still outside of the walls, that bore ranged combatants. It was interesting, but I¡¯d get the chance to investigate it in person later. For now, I directed Shade to settle down over our outpost fortress. The airpad flexed as we moved down towards it, five such pads available in the event that the few Reavers we had needed to refuel or rearm at the outpost. Each of the pads had slots beneath them that could be manually changed for hot swapping virtually anything that the presiding aircraft could need. Shade would refuel while the rest of us got off. ¡°Alright, everyone, we¡¯re here.¡± I called over the internal speaker system, enjoying the look of utter relief on Jeremy¡¯s face. As we disembarked, I noticed that Fran was ready to greet me, along with someone I didn¡¯t recognize in a tarnished gold mech. ¡°Matthew,¡± Fran greeted happily, ¡°how was Sunvilla?¡± I considered a flippant remark about how it had been corrupt and awful, but decided against it at the last second, ¡°it was an experience. Nice to see you too, Fran.¡± We gave a friendly hug, both of our power armors clanking together, ¡°how have things been here? I¡¯ve read the reports, but it seems almost too smooth.¡± She nodded, ¡°well, we have Argedwall¡¯s knights and lords-¡± at that she gestured to the man next to her, ¡°-to thank for that.¡± I tilted my head to the man before greeting him officially, holding my arm out, ¡°Matthew Reaper.¡± ¡°Peter, Lord-Knight of The Wolf,¡± he clasped my hand in his own, oversized mech gauntlet. The movement was precise and I scarcely felt any pressure at all. He was very much used to the machines movements, likely akin to a second skin. The glaive upon his back told me his preferred method of fighting, and I had to admit that seeing the dents, claw marks, and myriad of other repairs made over time painted a picture that these ¡®Lords¡¯ were not the type to sit back and have others fight for them. ¡°I¡¯m told that Argedwall has had a rather unique situation with its biotics, is that so?¡± I asked the man. He hummed thoughtfully, ¡°well, perhaps. I¡¯m told Gilramore had only wolves to contend with.¡± He shook his head, ¡°though, to be frank, that seems to have been rather fortunate for us. From hearsay, I can safely attest that wolves would have made our heavy-metal strategy less than ideal.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I nodded, remembering several cases where the wolves had sheared through tank armor to get at the individuals within. Alone, they were no threat, but wolves were rarely ever alone. ¡°Peter and I were just talking about the Round¡¯s plans going forward.¡± Fran cut in, giving Peter a meaningful look. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he returned a grateful glance to her before turning his attention fully to me, ¡°we are to convene at sunset with the other Lords and the Knight Commander. We wish to discuss future operations and opportunities with you.¡± I nodded to him, ¡°I have no issue with attending.¡± He blinked in surprise, ¡°oh, uh, I appreciate that.¡± ¡°Were you expecting me to say no?¡± I frowned, looking at Fran who only sent me a wide smile in return. The kind that told me there was an inside joke here. He glanced at her, uncertainty clear in his expression, ¡°perhaps? There have been some¡­ insinuations that were made in regards to how you feel about politics.¡± I turned my head slowly to Fran, ¡°and what, exactly, were these insinuations?¡± ¡°Only that you dislike any kind of meetings and have issues with authority.¡± Fran winked, ¡°nothing serious.¡± Peter apprehensively looked to Fran before smiling slightly, seemingly realizing the friendly banter. I sighed, ¡°don¡¯t go spreading rumors about me too much, now. Though, it¡¯s true that I hate politics.¡± ¡°There¡¯s not so much of that here,¡± Peter volunteered, ¡°granted, I¡¯m sure there are going to be some more keen on securing future aid for Argedwall than others.¡± That was something I wanted to hear more about in the near future, but I managed to draw ourselves back to the present. ¡°Well, we can talk more as we walk, I¡¯d like to check out the situation for myself.¡± Jeremy selected that moment to walk up, ¡°Matt, my team and I are gonna take five. We¡¯ll meet up with you later if you need us.¡± I decidedly didn¡¯t mention how pale he looked after the flight, ¡°sounds good. Get some rest, you all certainly earned it.¡± Alice and Richard, on the other hand, eagerly walked up, beelining to their team mate. ¡°Fran!¡± Alice practically cheered, launching at the woman with a thump, utterly unfazed by the immobile armor that the magnetically-inclined woman used. ¡°Alice,¡± Fran said with a start before chuckling, ¡°I see you¡¯re in high spirits.¡± ¡°A lot happened,¡± Richard answered, wearing a broad smirk before turning an appraising eye upon the Lord. ¡°Peter, Lord-Knight of The Wolf,¡± the man introduced himself again kindly, ¡°I take it your the rest of Reaper Alpha?¡± Richard¡¯s smile took on a slightly more amused look, ¡°Yup. I¡¯m Richard Nordsen. Most people call me Adder when I¡¯m on the job.¡± Peter blinked at that, studying Richard¡¯s hybrid exo and power armor with interest, ¡°I see. Well, I look forward to working with you both.¡± ¡°Yup! It¡¯ll be great!¡± Alice bounced back from Fran with buzzing energy, ¡°ah, man! You guys have mechs! I bet Patrick¡¯s losing his mind right now.¡± Fran and Peter both exchanged long looks, ¡°something like that.¡± I wondered exactly what happened for that response before remembering the five-hour long rant fest that brought on my adoption of the Determinators. ¡°I was told that Argedwall was having issues containing biotics,¡± I redirected the conversation as we moved closer to the command structure on site. ¡°The reports say that everything¡¯s under control, but what¡¯s your opinion on the matter?¡± It was clear that Peter was concerned this was somehow a test, and he thought deeply about his answer for several seconds. I almost wanted to tell him that I had no intention of holding an answer against him, but I was also curious how he would answer. ¡°Well¡­ to say that it¡¯s totally handled would be inaccurate,¡± he grimaced, ¡°not that you Legionaries aren¡¯t making things a far cry more manageable, though. We were being run ragged before your support came in. Those Reaver gunships are something else, too.¡± ¡°I do have to admit, though,¡± Fran cut in, ¡°we certainly have something to learn from them about clearing hives. We¡¯ve cleared the way and cleaned things up, but I¡¯m not exaggerating when I say that the Knights do very impressive work in close quarters.¡± Peter virtually glowed with the compliment, ¡°I appreciate the recognition. It¡¯s been a pleasure working alongside the Legion.¡± It surprised me that so much had been done already. We¡¯d only been present for two days, several interior structures in the base were still being put up. If it weren¡¯t for the slightly automated processes for construction and the prefabrication we utilized heavily from New Damond, I highly doubted that our efforts would be anywhere near as far along. Even then, many of the outposts were running on the bare minimums for now. ¡°How many hives have been cleared already?¡± I asked, genuinely curious. ¡°Seven,¡± Peter answered without a hitch, ¡°we¡¯ve got a few others that we think we know the location of. Daniel is helping clear one of the Carrier nests.¡± He spat off to the side at that, ¡°disgusting things.¡± Seven wasn¡¯t bad, and it wasn¡¯t outside of the realm of possibility. ¡®It is too easy,¡¯ I heard Wolvey¡¯s voice echo my own concerns. I asked several more questions, and went over the reports. However, there was no distinct change in biotic behavior, aside from a sudden surge in activity yesterday where a much larger number of them showed up. The efforts of the Lords and their Knights with Legion support had turned the tide. It almost felt like I¡¯d missed the party. But, now the numbers were dramatically lower. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± I murmured to myself, looking at the holographic image that emerged from the war-board in the center of the room. Fran frowned, ¡°are you wondering at the reduction in biotics?¡± I blinked at that, ¡°exactly that, why?¡± ¡°We have been rotating the Reavers out further.¡± She shrugged, ¡°they¡¯ve been pummeling any larger groups with impunity. We have Legion roaming further afield, mixed with some Knights. They¡¯re out there, but we¡¯ve been taking care of it.¡± I considered that for a minute before calling up the reports. It was true, they¡¯d been encountering just as many biotics as before. Just further out. Letting out a breath, I said, ¡°maybe it¡¯s nothing then. It¡¯s rare that anything ever goes so smoothly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true enough for us all,¡± Peter nodded, ¡°well, if you¡¯d like, I can show you how trenches. We¡¯ve finally been able to make some much needed repairs. Then we can go to the city proper.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± I nodded to him, grateful for the distraction. There was something to be said when I expected everything to go suddenly and horribly wrong when things appeared to have been going quite well. With mirth, I contemplated out cynical I¡¯d become of late. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look, then.¡± Chapter 97 The area around Argedwall resembled images of WWI trench warfare. Scorched ground, churned muck that was rife with metal projectiles. Protruding bits of steel like huge caltrops rose two meters tall in many locations, rooted in place and affixed with messily but sturdily applied welding. Strung in between some of these like hells silk was a much improved version of barbed wire. Broad spikes, hooked and more than capable of tearing a standard biotic to pieces, helped to dissuade anything from charging haphazardly through the area. It looked like many of them had been replaced and repaired recently. ¡°We got the opportunity to refresh some of our defenses,¡± Peter explained as he saw my eyes survey the stout defenses, ¡°they¡¯re quite effective, but we don¡¯t use them along the thoroughways.¡± He pointed out long sections that were void of any such defenses, areas that the biotics would likely naturally move towards with limited resistance in their way. ¡°We use our Cavalry divisions here to help slow down the flow of biotics. They can move across the terrain fairly easily once the trenches drop the bridges.¡± The man pointed out said ¡®bridges¡¯ as he spoke, little more than half a meter thick steel plates that were affixed straight to the trench walls beneath it. From the direction of the city, someone could simply kick it down if needed, allowing easy paths over the wide trenches beneath. They could also be pulled down by the heavy chains that lay across the trenches themselves, in the event that there were Knights in the murder-halls beneath. I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to see it all in play, but the image of the defenses that Argedwall painted a very brutal, smooth picture. From beyond the circular trenches and their intersecting halls, biotics would move in towards the city. Even before any shots were fired or swords raised, several of the first wave of biotics would shred themselves upon the multitude static defenses scattered around. Some of these areas were split to allow passage in two directions where a defending unit could, in theory, be able to have a more defensible position. I doubted that was something done often, more an event that indicated a previous circle had to be abandoned in haste. Beyond that were the trenches themselves. They were deep enough that the fully mechanized Knights could move with room to spare. Any biotic that tried to jump the gap would likely receive a spear to the gut. More likely, they¡¯d stream into the trench like water, where the melee weapons and impressive coordination of the Knights would be put to use. While every Knight did appear to have some measure of ranged weapon on one shoulder and attached to their right wrists, few would need to use such things in close range. There were some biotics that they preferred to keep out of the trenches and tunnels. Then there were those that the Knights wanted to keep out of the trenches at all costs, namely the Carriers and the Spindlies, which apparently hadn¡¯t existed for all that long. ¡°We suffered heavy losses when they first appeared.¡± Voice grim, he shook his head, ¡°ever since then, we were forced to play even further on the back foot. We weren¡¯t prepared for something quite so durable, nor for something able to cut through our armor so cleanly.¡± ¡°It was the perfect counter.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss. Damond appeared to be their main nesting zone, but even after destroying the Hive cores, they were still mobile.¡± The man nodded, though seemed visibly perturbed, ¡°yes, Fran did mention that. We¡¯re still not sure what to make of it, though. Most biotics just die when you kill the cores. The Carriers are still the only exception to that rule, but we don¡¯t know why.¡± I frowned at the knowledge that the Spindlies almost seemed bred for purpose in regards to Argedwall. He directed my attention to the distant towers then, rousing me from my thoughts, ¡°we used to have only a few towers, but now we¡¯ve since added three for every district. The extra equipment was-¡± he cringed at this, ¡°-a painful expense, but a necessary one.¡± I frowned at that, ¡°surely you all must have an abundance of Matter Energy?¡± ¡°If only that were the case. In the beginning we weren¡¯t using mechs as heavily, but with so many biotics we began to lose many people. Half of Argedwall is left since those days, I¡¯d say, though I can¡¯t give you any exact numbers.¡± He looked remorsefully at the trenches, ¡°between the need for medical equipment, infrastructure, and ammo alone, we were left in a tight spot. Myself and eleven others at the time made up the first Lords of Argedwall, and we decided that the initial investment of M.E. into mechs would pay for itself. Now we have more Lords, and far more mechs, but if we hadn¡¯t gone that path¡­ well, I fear we¡¯d have far fewer men and women to stand beside.¡± The information took me by surprise. For a moment, I contemplated if perhaps someone was taking Matter Energy once more, but I doubted that was the case here. When I thought about it objectively, the Knights likely took a great deal of damage in their day to day operations, at least when the hordes were fully active. If they were forced to perform repairs strictly on Matter Energy, rather than having their own machine bays, then the costs would quickly become exorbitant. Then there was the issue with the blockade of technologies that were allowed through the Obelisk for quite some time. Places like Argedwall likely were making due with what was available, but the inaccessibility of some very convenient tools and technologies would have certainly made their operations far more difficult. I grit my teeth at that, reminding myself that Yezzek Tam, the councilman responsible for disarming Earth¡¯s Obelisks, had his own situation to consider. For a brief moment, I considered murdering him as brutally as possible, but the benefits of keeping him firmly in my pocket outweighed that. Right now, he was the buffer between Earth and any number of organizations that might want to take advantage of our status and situation. I¡¯d learned enough to know that without a patron, our solar system could potentially be swept out from under us, legally, though it ground my guts to think of the possibility that our native resources wouldn¡¯t be ours after all of this. That was a long way off, though, and so long as Yezzek Tam proved himself useful, I would allow him to benefit as our proxy. As we passed the towers that protruded from the dense walls of Argedwall, I noted that there were much slimmer, but heavily armed mechs that sat at the tops of the structures. I knew them as Arbolests, a variant of the Knights that specialized in heavy ordnance at range. Only those with extremely proficient accuracy were allowed to have the positions, mostly due to the fact that M.E. wasn¡¯t as plentiful as they¡¯d have liked here. According to Peter the situation had improved dramatically of late, due to access to the Obelisks. ¡°Honestly, if we hadn¡¯t managed to upgrade our support systems, we might have had to scrounge up the least damaged parts,¡± the man let out a dispirited chuckle, ¡°thanks, by the way.¡± ¡°For what?¡± I frowned, before remembering that I¡¯d sent a general information missive through the Obelisk system when everything had been resolved. Anyone with access to the information, anyways, which excluded Sunvilla at the time. ¡°For removing the lock on the Obelisks tech,¡± the man nodded, already noting that I was recalling that, ¡°you¡¯re somewhat famous around here. When we heard that the Legion was nearby and willing to help, well, let''s just say any table would welcome your people for a meal.¡± That filled me with no small amount of warmth and pride. Peter himself seemed to be in high spirits along with Fran, Richard, and Alice. ¡°So, have you guys found any Uniques?¡± Richard cut in, ¡°we found several around Gilramore.¡± The man frowned, ¡°hmm¡­ what would be different about them?¡± I paused at that, turning to Richard, who seemed to have that look about him when he was trying to appear nonchalant, but in reality was anything but. ¡°Everything,¡± he said, ¡°here, let me send you some stuff.¡± We kept walking at a slow pace as he perused the files and footage, and near the end Peter blanched, ¡°sweet gods, this Wolven is an abomination.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I stated tamely, ¡°that¡¯s an understatement.¡± ¡®No one appreciates Our art.¡¯ Wolvey huffed in my mind, drawing a grim grin from my lips. ¡°Anyways, they¡¯ll always be different from the biotics around, and tend to be viciously aggressive as well as intelligent.¡± Richard continued, ¡°you¡¯d know it if you¡¯d seen it. The Obelisks reward additional Matter Energy for killing them, too.¡± He hummed audibly, ¡°I¡¯d like to say no, but¡­ there may be someone here that¡¯s seen something like that. I¡¯ll introduce you to him later. But I do have to warn you, he can be a little¡­ agitatable.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. I quirked an eyebrow at that, but didn¡¯t pursue that line of questioning. It didn¡¯t much surprise me anymore that people I often needed to talk too weren¡¯t quite normal. ¡°The outer areas aren¡¯t inhabited by virtue of safety, so we usually fill them with equipment and munitions and such.¡± He gestured to the houses, many of which were filled with racks of replacement weapons, ammo, and any number of other things. There were also several mess tents set up in the event that someone needed to grab a meal and then immediately head back out to the field. The yards, surprisingly, were well cared for and, as became readily apparent, not unique to the outer portions of the city. Winding gardens full of flowers and vegetation absolutely brimmed the city, a far cry from the hellish grid that lay beyond the walls. ¡°The noncombatants, albeit few in number, wanted to do something nice for the Knights.¡± Peter explained with a wide smile, ¡°this is one thing they did.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty!¡± Alice beamed, ¡°it¡¯s so different than what I expected from you guys.¡± Peter arched an eyebrow at that, ¡°well, I don¡¯t know what you were expecting, but I¡¯m glad to exceed those expectations.¡± Alice coughed into her hand sheepishly, ¡°eh, well, you know, bunch of people running around in heavy machinery doesn¡¯t exactly shout ¡®flower power¡¯ y¡¯know?¡± Richard chuckled at that, and Peter smiled good naturedly, ¡°that¡¯s true, I suppose. Some of us were a bit less excited about them, but they came around. It¡¯s fairly good for morale to help disconnect the Knights from the battlefield.¡± As we went further in, I noticed a few more things, namely that there weren¡¯t any shops, per se, but more like communal areas where food was prepared. Assumedly, the non-combatants were working in these areas, and filled large - honestly they looked like basins - trays of food that the Knights off duty scooped onto plates and moved to several dozens of tables. I also noticed that there was a not insignificant number of my Legionaries grouped up with the various Knights. Peter had been right, I couldn¡¯t sense much of any stiffness from the people of Argedwall around my own. They ate together, laughed together, and had already been fighting alongside each other. Not a few of them, I heard, were talking about the various battles either side had already undergone. One of the more popular stories being thrown about was the final battle against Wolven as it surged against the walls. The more skilled storytellers gripped Knights with that tale, and a few of them shot furtive glances to the walls of their own city, no doubt fearing what would have happened should Wolven been their problem instead. As we neared the center of the city, I could hear the grinding and machining of constant toil from workshops. Mech after mech was being taken apart, the damaged components quickly replaced with fresh modules, and then slapped onto a truck. It astounded me how quickly they moved, and I realized that there were far too many of them as compared to the population as I¡¯d guessed it. They likely had spares that could be swapped out. No doubt, the breathing room we gave them was being put to good use. It was astounding to see them move, and it was also impressive to see them using old technology alongside the new. What I didn¡¯t expect to see, and yet was unsurprised when a moment passed, was Patrick with an Ogre open, his own personalized machining bay helping to work through the back product, as well as upgrade a handful of machines. He looked up to see me, his stark concentration breaking with a broad, childlike grin. This was his element, and to my surprise I could see Daniel¡¯s mech sitting in standby next to the Ogre. Several compartments were open and being picked at by the mechanics, and Daniel himself was watching them with a slight glower from the side. ¡°Danny!¡± Fran shouted out, drawing his attention to her. His mood brightened instantly as he moved over instantly, not noticing the chuckles from the mechanics. Or the fact that their poking and prodding of his machine redoubled the moment he was gone. ¡°Fran,¡± he embraced her, ¡°is it time for the meeting?¡± Her eyes twinkled, ¡°it is. You can join us if you aren¡¯t too busy.¡± ¡°Please take me with you,¡± he said, a fake desperate tone to his voice. Well, mostly fake, there was a slight twinge that I wasn¡¯t so sure about. She laughed, pulling him in gently, her power armor making her taller than he was. She was, of course, very careful with him. Power armor was no joke, and we¡¯d had a few scant incidents with injuries that emphasized that point. ¡°Matt, how¡¯d it go with Sunvilla?¡± Daniel turned to me. I shrugged, ¡°it¡¯s fixed, now. I think I¡¯m just going to have Bulwark deal with situations like that in the future, though.¡± He nodded, ¡°yeeeah, I¡¯d rather just fight biotics. People are complicated.¡± Peter¡¯s eyebrows rose imperceptibly at that, ¡°well, I suppose that¡¯s fair enough.¡± With a laugh, I explained, ¡°your people are probably fine. The situation in Sunvilla was¡­ uncommonly bad.¡± I explained how things had gone, extra details added by Richard and Alice as they came up. Peter, Fran, and Daniel were listening intently, though Fran had already read my general report. It was always different hearing about something straight from the source, though, and by the end of it each of them were exasperated with the situation. ¡°Alright, I could see how you wouldn¡¯t want to deal with that again. At least this Gerry fellow seems stable.¡± Peter contemplated aloud. I nodded, then glanced around again, ¡°hey, that reminds me, where¡¯s Terry?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s harassing Masons,¡± Peter chuckled, ¡°they¡¯re our noncombatants. He¡¯s trying to get them to adopt electricity as a viable defensive arrangement.¡± ¡°After he demonstrated the Raijin field, I think he got them hooked,¡± Fran pointed out, ¡°those results are hard to argue.¡± The Lord nodded, ¡°the investment would be well worth it, though we¡¯d likely have to completely upgrade some of our infrastructure to support it. The Round will decide if that¡¯s viable in the short term.¡± ¡°We can help,¡± I shrugged, ¡°it¡¯s in our best interest that Argedwall stays standing, after all.¡± The man tapped his side thoughtfully, clinking metal with every motion, ¡°that¡¯s a possibility. Some of the Lords might be against that much help. There¡¯s not many that are wary of you guys, but I should warn you that some are afraid that you¡¯ll seek to leverage yourselves into power here.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± I stated dryly, ¡°politics.¡± Peter gestured quickly, ¡°very little, I assure you. That¡¯s a matter that likely won¡¯t come into play, but I did feel the need to alert you, just in case.¡± ¡°We appreciate that,¡± Fran said before I could potentially complain, ¡°for now, we¡¯ll just be bringing up the idea in any case.¡± Peter nodded gratefully, ¡°that¡¯s all I can ask for. Now, the Round won¡¯t be in session for some time yet, but I could certainly use a meal. Anyone interested in grabbing a meal?¡± We went to do just that, although as I removed my helmet, I caught more than one shocked look from the Knights. Peter himself was one of them. ¡°What¡¯s the story behind that?¡± A Knight at the table boldly asked, leaning forward as he studied me, utterly unphased. The man next to him elbowed him, ¡°that¡¯s Reaper.¡± The first man¡¯s eyes widened before a toothy grin spread across his face, ¡°I¡¯m Jones, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. So, you¡¯re definitely not the behind-the-desk sort.¡± I saw a vein pulse on Peter¡¯s neck, no longer wearing his mech. The reference was utterly lost on me, but I clasped his hand, ¡°Matthew Reaper, pleasure to meet you.¡± When he grabbed my hand, his face tightened, ¡°wow, you¡¯re like a statue.¡± ¡°Jones,¡± Peter ground out through clenched teeth, ¡°behave yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying shaking his hand is like having my hand sitting in a beartrap that doesn¡¯t fully close.¡± He looked innocently at the man that was his superior, ¡°I mean, have you shaken his hand? Come on, shake his hand.¡± Confusion bubbled in my mind at the exchange as Peter eyed him warily before turning his gaze fully on me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he¡¯s an idiot. You¡¯ll have to excuse him.¡± A Knight further down the table barked with laughter, ¡°Ah, it finally happened! I won the bet!¡± Several other Knights groaned, ¡°I didn¡¯t think Peter would ever actually say it.¡± Jones frowned and rested back in his chair, ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I just don¡¯t bother with a filter.¡± At this point, Peter was massaging his temples and groaning aloud. I laughed, the few Knights who were vaguely concerned about my response joining in. ¡°It¡¯s bio-steel,¡± I shared after the noise died down, ¡°makes me several times heavier and durable. Most of me is mechanical.¡± Someone whistled, ¡°damn, dude, how does that even work?¡± ¡®I died,¡¯ was the response that stuck to my tongue, ¡°you could say that it shouldn¡¯t have been able to happen. I wouldn¡¯t recommend it, either. Nothing quite like having to own nothing but metal furniture.¡± ¡°Ah, that would suck.¡± Jones frowned, ¡°do you, uh¡­ no, nevermind.¡± Everyone turned to look at Jones like he was sick. ¡°Ah, fuck off, I do actually have some boundaries.¡± He huffed, booming laughter erupting from our table, and others who had chimed in. One of my Legionaries reached across the table and put a slice of¡­ something, on my plate. He was an older fellow, Graham, I think, ¡°try it, it¡¯s the best damn meat pie I¡¯ve had.¡± ¡°Ah, Granny Turner must be in high spirits if she¡¯s making her pies.¡± Peter laughed. The rest of the day was passed similarly to that, and I found myself surprised that I felt¡­ better, after just relaxing for a few hours. Hopefully, the Round meeting was going to go as well. Chapter 98 The Round Table There were a few things that I¡¯d noticed in my time here in Argedwall. The most apparent that certain every one of my people had noticed was that there was a very distinct pseudo-medieval feel regarding the Knights. That was abundantly clear from their names alone, of course, but as we saw more and more mech suits that were tailored to look like oversized suits of armor, I felt that perhaps the obsession was a tad too pronounced. When I saw the actual location for the Knights headquarters, I felt like, perhaps, they weren¡¯t too far off the mark. The literal castle would have towered over the next nearest buildings even without its superior location. Said location that had been preserved atop a hill, rounded by a layer of three meter tall walls and a winding trail through three checkpoints. I¡¯d never seen it back when it was just a cultural monument, but seeing it now was like stepping back into the past. If the past had lumbering mechanized knights, anyways. There were plenty of retrofits that had been applied to the structure, a massive platform elevator that could be used to bypass the trails one of the more obvious ones. Armored as we were we nearly could have fit right in. Except, my armor looked closer to some revenant masquerading as a man. Daniel¡¯s mech was a juggernaut that had already garnered some reputation for being a freight train. Fran was iconic as well, floating easily next to Daniel, wings flared ever so slightly, gleaming lines of orange now shining across them. Alice and Richard moved fluidly along the outsides, relaxed and yet more than capable of erupting in violent motion in an instant. Terry¡¯s mech had been modified yet again, bearing limbs that were currently in the form of tank-treads after having decided that using the ionized hovering set of limbs might be a little too over the top. Even so, he drew a great deal of attention, considering his mech looked like a frankenstein monster of seemingly unlike parts. Peter headed our procession, informing us of what was considered good and bad manners at the Round. It was, fortunately, not based off of historical context, and was wholly pragmatic. The Knight-Commander - though I couldn¡¯t attest either way if this was normal or not - was the head of the table and would call the round to activity. At that point, even though the Knight-Commander was effectively the leader of the city, they would exclude themselves from introducing any topics. They would, however, control order at the table in order to ensure that everything didn¡¯t devolve into a shouting match. His authority was iron-clad, and Peter explained that there had already been a few instances where a Lord was rejected from the table in a session because they couldn¡¯t behave. When things like that happened, they may or may not be present for the next session until the Knight-Commander decided that they¡¯d been punished enough. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much it,¡± Peter nodded to himself as he considered things, ¡°there¡¯s not much else, aside from not being intentionally antagonistic.¡± ¡°Not particularly hard,¡± I nodded, ¡°are all of the Lords going to be present for this?¡± Peter opened his mouth to speak when someone else answered for him. ¡°Aye, we¡¯re all going to be here for this one. Not everyday we get visitors,¡± a man with a deep baritone voice walked forward. He was clad in similar metals as Peter, though his emblem was different. It was a white rabbit with blood red eyes. ¡°Ned Helman, Knight-Lord of The White Rabbit of Caerbannog.¡± He greeted, reaching out a hand. I frowned at the name, feeling like it was familiar somehow. ¡°Matthew Reaper, Leader of The Reaper¡¯s Legion.¡± We shook, and he tilted his head slightly at the title, stark white hair and beard well kept and sharp, ¡°Reaper your last name?¡± I paused at that, and immediately decided not to take a trip down that thought process. With a shrug, I responded, ¡°something like that. Interesting name you have yourselves.¡± He grinned, ¡°we¡¯re all fans of Monty, even if you don¡¯t know it yet.¡± I blinked at that, and shook my head with amusement as I realized the reference they were making. ¡°Are there more of you here?¡± ¡°One other,¡± Peter answered for him, ¡°and please don¡¯t encourage them. They¡¯re insufferable when they get going.¡± Ned took no offense it seemed, instead laughing loudly at Peter¡¯s expense, ¡°at least we don¡¯t take ourselves too seriously, Wolf.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Peter ignored him, and gestured through the broad gates that led into the castle''s interior, ¡°after you.¡± I walked forward, bemused at the Lords¡¯ interaction. Behind me, I could hear Ned talking with someone else, Daniel I think, considering how much he loved those movies. The architecture dragged my attention away, vaulted ceilings and hardened, seemingly enamel coated walls and floors giving a shiny, new appearance to the surfaces within. Given that we were still in mech suits, I supposed that the coating was more to protect the structure than anything else. It didn¡¯t take long to get to the main hall, and the many decorations on the walls helped to break up what was otherwise a mono-colored building. The walls themselves were a dull grey, and while the floor was checkered black and white in most places, there were also some areas that bore much more intricate designs in the same colors. Pillars were lightly adorned, primarily with reinforcement disguised - albeit barely - as decor that spiraled up along the outsides of the stone. Our destination, however, was quite different. I imagined that perhaps this had been an audience hall of some sort, only circular rather than the standard rectangular rooms we¡¯d seen in the castle otherwise. The flooring here had been replaced with a much sturdier version of granite, likely due to the higher traffic here. The ¡®Round Table¡¯ as it had been called was actually made entirely of metal, welded together and adorned with the heraldry of each of the Lords. The first seat at each location was large enough to allow a fully mechanized Knight-Lord to sit without issue, while the one beside them was more suited to a man-sized individual. The table itself was more akin to a ring, the center of which was empty save for a large metal device with several optical pieces that pointed upwards to a similar array that hung from the ceiling. This was the highest tech thing that I¡¯d seen yet, but it was likely more of a holographic display than anything else. In front of each seat on the ring heraldry hung, mirrored across on the backs of the chairs and then likewise hanging from the walls even further back. Every Lord had their own place at the table, and there was still room for a few more seats. Ours was obvious, it was the only chair present that wasn¡¯t massive and had several seats laid out against the back wall for the rest of us. Only one of us would sit at the table at a time, which made sense in any case. The only other person who would likely have all that much to say would be Fran, and if necessary she would take my place. The intent for this meeting was more akin to an official greeting between The Reaper¡¯s Legion and the Knights of Argedwall, with a bit of information sharing and communal planning. The actual diplomatic meetings would happen at a later date, a gesture of good will that the Legion didn¡¯t intend on taking advantage of the Knights in times where they needed help. Perhaps that was naive, but I believed that, especially in this case, it would work out for the better in the long run. Other Lords were making their way into the room, and Peter quietly directed us to our seats. Peter and Ned sat on either side of me, and by some chance I was sitting directly across from the only person who had already been seated at the table. The Knight-Commander sat on top of a steel throne, golden and blood-red mechanized steel flexed as he gestured to screens only he could see, fed through the Obelisk. His face was open to view, but even with the helmet pulled back there was what appeared to be a crown of what almost looked like liquid gold that formed around his head. He was a middle-aged man, salt-and-pepper beard and with a square jaw. The man could pass for Jeremy¡¯s brother, had I seen them side by side. He looked up from what he was doing, meeting my eyes, my own helmet already drawn back. We assessed each other, my red eyes and his green eyes meeting. There were times, a lifetime ago it felt, when I¡¯d seen something overly dramatic like this happen in movies or video games. Where there was some kind of unspoken clash occuring. It''s always struck me as silly and awkward when you boiled it down; two people making eye-contact for far too long. Now, though, feeling the challenge in his gaze, arguably a pressure of a sort from the man seemed to push from his attention. It was hard to describe, pushing back against that, like I was reaching with my own iron will across the gap. And then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. Both of us shared a respectful nod and moving our focus to the rest of the gathering. Of which, their attention was fully on us, where seconds had passed by without the leader of the Knights or the leader of the Legion moving. Peter and Ned both released a breath beside me, relief evident in him. ¡°You¡¯re quite the monster yourself, huh?¡± Ned caught me off guard with the question as he turned to me. I frowned in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, you know,¡± he began, ¡°he¡¯s rather intense, isn¡¯t he? Like he adds weight to the room he¡¯s in.¡± I blinked, and he could tell that I still didn¡¯t exactly know what he was talking about. ¡°You didn¡¯t feel anything when he was staring at you?¡± Peter asked, seemingly surprised. ¡°I guess I could say that there was something, but I¡¯m not sure we¡¯re talking about the same thing.¡± I frowned, turning my attention to what happened. It was then that I noticed a message come to me from Alice, who could hear the conversation fairly easily from where she was. [They¡¯re talking about the¡­ force he¡¯d exerted. It was like physical pressure that the rest of us - I think - could feel, but you¡¯re not really psychic at all, soooo¡­ maybe you didn¡¯t actually feel anything? Not sure, honestly.] ¡®So he¡¯s psychic?¡¯ I blinked in surprise, looking back up to the man across the table. ¡°So he¡¯s another one?¡± I murmured, not noticing the looks that Peter and Ned shared. ¡°How interesting¡­ I¡¯ll need to ask him some questions later.¡± Alice and Jeremy had prolonged contact with Yaga, a psychically inclined biotic. Given that, I had to wonder what triggered this man''s capacity for psychic power. With luck, maybe we could figure out the exact mechanism, considering that it only seemed to be a boon for people. Though, that was getting ahead of myself. First we had business to discuss... Chapter 99 Introductions At The Round ¡°We now convene this Round Table conference.¡± The Knight-Commander spoke, the room full of individuals bringing their full attention to the man as he did so. To be frank, I felt next to nothing at his words, and if I didn¡¯t know that he might have been doing something, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell. Even being aware that the man might be psychic didn¡¯t help. I was focusing on any kind of external influence or change in my mental state, trying to see if perhaps I was being affected. Perhaps that was the point, but judging from what little information I already had about the situation he might not have even been doing it consciously. ¡°For the sake of our guests I would have the Lords introduce themselves.¡± He continued, ¡°I am Harris Gran, Knight-Commander of Argedwall. Leader of the Round.¡± He gestured beside him, an unspoken issuance to have the rest of the men introduce themselves. I filed each away to memory in case I needed to speak to any of them later. The only two that especially mattered to me were Ned and Peter at this point, aside from Harris. Though, I did have to note that some of the Knight¡¯s Coat-of-Arms were quite amusing. Ned wasn¡¯t the only person with an Order of Chivalry that was less than reverent to their seeming status. ¡°I am Matthew Reaper, Leader of The Reaper¡¯s Legion of Gilramore and New Damond.¡± I introduced myself at the end, ¡°I appreciate the Orders consideration in allowing us to be here.¡± Harris nodded seemingly satisfied with the response. ¡°With introductions taken care of, I would have information from the Lords regarding their districts readiness.¡± Each Lord dutifully and succinctly highlighted what had been done in the areas they presided over recently. There were a lot of reports of repairs and introductions of new defenses, but there were just as many that admitted where issues still existed. None had shame when they admitted to shortcomings on their lines, and it seemed that the next Lord on the table would be listening the most intently to the details. The reason why became evident as Harris spoke again. ¡°Excellent. Most excellent. The Legion-¡± at this he inclined his head towards us, ¡°-has given us valuable time. Time that I¡¯m happy to see hasn¡¯t gone wasted. As per tradition, we will now take the district from the man to your right. See to it that its glory is built upon, and that its mettle tested.¡± That was an interesting notion. These various areas outside of the city were divided into several districts, that much I knew. But, each Lord and his Order would be cycled through them, ensuring that a new pair of eyes would peruse the defenses each time. There were some problems that I could think of with the system, like if there was a Lord that was less than competent. Someone who wasn¡¯t properly doing their job would weaken the whole. But, at the same time, such a thing wouldn¡¯t be able to be obscured. I wondered what kind of punishments awaited someone who was found to be lacking. ¡°With that taken care of, I¡¯d like to bring attention to matters of more imminence. Matthew, I¡¯m aware that you and your Legion have gone well out of your way to come here, and have also built infrastructure for continued contact. Before I hear your reasons, I would hear what my Lords have to say on the subject.¡± He then leaned forward, ¡°please wait until it is your turn to speak, we are civilized folk, here.¡± I would have been mildly insulted at that statement if he didn¡¯t seem to be looking more at his men than at me. Peter spoke up first, ¡°I have no complaints, and instead find myself wholly in favor of the Legions presence, and continued presence.¡± His tone was official, but not without warmth, ¡°they have proven themselves to be sincere to all I¡¯ve seen.¡± That didn¡¯t really surprise me, of course they¡¯d want to see what we were about. The fact that this seemed to be more of an opportunity to voice concerns, support, or discontent was interesting. ¡°I like ¡®em, some of them get my jokes,¡± Ned shrugged irreverently, but then more clinically added, ¡°they¡¯re armaments are the real deal, too. We could use an ally with the foundation to put out this kind of gear.¡± The man next to him, Garland Tucker Lord-Knight of The Hungry Dark, a grim-faced man with what appeared to be a drooling, macabre shade as their Coat-of-Arms spoke next. ¡°I am concerned that there are strings attached¡­ but so far, as Peter said, I have detected nothing but sincerity.¡± He then turned his gaze directly to me with a twinge of a smile on his rather expressively pale face, ¡°refreshingly so, in most cases.¡± ¡°I argue that the fort they¡¯ve built outside of city limits is excessive,¡± a Lord-Knight woman by the name of Penelope Kilgore leading the Chivalric Order of The Sun spoke. ¡°They could just as well have a small outpost.¡± No one seemed surprised at that, and while others wished to say something about that, they held their tongue. The round went as such until it terminated back to me, at which point, Harris seemed to indicate I could speak freely. ¡°It goes without saying that the Legion needs to maintain its supply lines over much longer distances than merely to Argedwall. We intend on expanding our influence incrementally, and wish to create reliable and safe infrastructure in our wake. To a reasonable extent, of course. As to that measure, we have two roads being created in transit to Argedwall, a third had been repurposed to create a communications station for non-Obelisk based methods.¡± I paused briefly to expand on that point, ¡°we¡¯ve run into situations where an Obelisk can be tampered with. I¡¯ll share what I know on the subject at a later time.¡± There were several nods to that, many of which now bore contemplative expressions. ¡°The fort outside of Argedwall is a major staging point for any operations we have in the area. While you have all shown us good will and have not shown any indication that such would cease, in the event you would have us leave the city, we would prefer to not have infrastructure based within its bounds.¡± More nods, such was a reasonable thought process, even if it did leave room for something to go wrong between us. That was a given, though, considering the state of the world. We weren¡¯t naive enough to believe that everything would always be comfortable between us, nor would we stop doing what we were doing because of a disagreement between powers. Hunting biotics was the entire point as to why we existed, after all. Which would be something we¡¯d have to address a little more closely in the future, I imagined. If a city didn¡¯t want us hunting around them, then would we continue to do so anyways? Would we need some kind of allowances or recompense for hunting for them? I¡¯d have to have another discussion with Doug sooner or later about that. Or just leave it to him. That might be the better option. I dragged my attention back to the topic at hand, ¡°our long term goals are flexible, but ideally - for the Legion - we would absorb Argedwall and its people, or have you all as a compartmentalized faction. More or less with autonomy. Even without that, the highways would allow for commercial interactions in the event that we decided to keep as separate entities.¡± I stopped then, deciding that was enough information for the time being. The Lords were, however, looking at me with mixes of disbelief, amusement, and outright shock. Harris laughed, evoking a similar set of emotions across the table as they looked to him. ¡°You do realize you just admitted something akin to wanting to take over Argedwall - casually - right in front of its leaders, yes?¡± The man said with mirth, his posture relaxed in spite of the very slight tightness around his eyes. ¡°I do, yes.¡± I then met the gaze of a few of the other Lords, ¡°as you may have heard, I have little interest in politics anymore. It¡¯s best for everyone if we know what motivates each party, I imagine. Besides that, don¡¯t want to take over your city, realistically. The intent for us was to introduce the Bulwark to any city that needed it, but frankly I don¡¯t think you all need that kind of aid.¡± ¡°From my point of view, Argedwall¡¯s primary resource is its people. This city has virtually fully mobilized for combat, and I¡¯d be crazy not to extend an offer for you all to work with the Legion on a wider scale.¡± I then broadly shrugged, ¡°but, that¡¯s a choice, not something I¡¯d force on you. Beyond that, you all could do to have the expertise the Legion can offer you in terms of technology, personnel you don¡¯t have, and in the event you¡¯re not interested in continuing to fight biotics, then you can leave that to us and primarily become a manufacturing hub.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°That is assuming that we wish to cooperate with you in the long run,¡± Harris pointed out, ¡°such would be left to the vote of the Lords here.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I nodded, ¡°I doubt Argedwall would stay neutral, but that¡¯s a bridge that can be crossed later. As I said previously, we have no interest in forcing a political decision now, and the only reason why I¡¯m bringing it up is so that you know where the Legion is coming from. Our entire purpose is to hunt and exterminate hostile biotics everywhere, including here. The fact that you needed a hand just made us come here first.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Harris nodded, seeming to be more relaxed at that, his eyes panning the room and searching the expressions of the Lords. There was a certain tenseness in the air, but I felt that might have been due more to their concern over Harris response than anything else. The topic was, of course, just a verbalization of what everyone knew would be on the horizon. Though, I¡¯m sure that the fact that they would be just as willing to leave them to their own devices was interesting to them. In the end, if we could at least utilize their capabilities for manufacturing, we would profit. An exchange of heavy metals and goods for finished products was a trade I¡¯d make all day. Right now, the Legion wasn¡¯t light on Matter Energy, if anything we were flush with it. The problem was that in order to advance to higher technologies, we needed the foundation to use it. With only two cities, one of which wasn¡¯t genuinely occupied by a civilian population, we needed manpower. Having people who knew what they were doing, who could successfully create and fabricate the gear that we needed, was more valuable at the moment than having more people who could fight. At least, for the time being. Eventually we¡¯d need more Legionaries as well, but for now we were outrunning our supplies. New Damond had strained us, and while factories were being constructed, I couldn¡¯t say that we¡¯d ever catch up fully with demand at the rate we expanded. ¡°We¡¯ll table this matter for now,¡± Harris said, ¡°in the meantime, we do still have biotics to take care of, after all.¡± ¡°Agreed. The Legion and Knights have been clearing the area fairly rapidly, but it would be best if we could set up early warning systems further afield.¡± Harris glanced to Peter then, who took his cue to speak, ¡°we were intending on following up with just that topic, actually. We of The Wolf have mapped out several locations where we can put motion sensing equipment that should help with warning. If you had anything else, we¡¯d certainly be willing to negotiate for them.¡± The hologram in the center of the room lit up, an overview map sprawling out for everyone to see. The blue image was permeated in spots with red, just outside of the city. They were assuming that the sensors were old world technology, which was something that I could happily say we were beyond. ¡°May I modify the map?¡± I glanced to Peter, who blinked in confusion. ¡°Ah, well, that would be fine?¡± He turned his gaze to Harris, who looked on stoically, giving no indication to stop me. The man reached over and pointed out some kind of small sensor on the desk, one that I presumed would connect to the Obelisk crystal. I nodded to him, reaching out with my own mental connection through to the sensor which then lit up. From his viewpoint, I hadn¡¯t moved at all and the sensor was registering activity. What happened next drew a frown from Peter as the dots suddenly shifted position and doubled in number, a greater distance out. ¡°That would give fairly optimum coverage.¡± Peter glanced down at the table in deeper confusion, and Ned was quick to murmur, ¡°that was fast.¡± ¡°These sensors, they¡¯re accurate at these distances, yes?¡± Penelope asked, expression thoughtful as she perused the locations. ¡°Very. They¡¯re motion, thermal, electro, and radiological.¡± I nodded, then noted the frown on her face at the mention of the last one, ¡°we haven¡¯t run into anything that puts off radiation, but better to be prepared.¡± ¡°Good policy,¡± she nodded, ¡°though, this one here and here might be¡­ problematic.¡± I blinked, looking toward the map and the two highlighted regions. ¡°Why is that?¡± I asked after spending a few seconds and not finding anything geographical that would pose an issue. ¡°Those two spots are¡­¡± she paused, looking at Harris whose expression tightened. He answered in her stead, ¡°those are Graves, they are a few of them out there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a problem?¡± I tilted my head, and then looked back to the locations. Neither were close to the city, ¡°why would you have graves that far out?¡± I murmured the phrase, but a memory began to flare in my mind, as though Wolvey was particularly feverishly drawing attention to it. ¡°We didn¡¯t build them.¡± Harris stated, ¡°officially, we don¡¯t know what did. They¡¯ve just been there. But I doubt a human made them.¡± In spite of the insistent tug in my memories, I didn¡¯t miss the phrasing of what he said, ¡®officially don¡¯t know, huh? What about unofficially?¡¯ But I didn¡¯t voice that, not yet, because I¡¯d just dragged the memory from the background. ¡°Do they look anything like this?¡± I asked, pushing the imagine that I¡¯d seen outside of the hive in Sunvilla onto the holographic display. A clearing, with a stone suspended above a grave, seemingly void of any and all biotic interaction. Silence reigned as the Lords took in the image, and something akin to suspicion leaked into Harris voice. ¡°Where have you seen this?¡± He asked, gaze still locked on the image. ¡®Bingo,¡¯ I thought, and then spoke, ¡°outside of Sunvilla. I take it there are a lot of these around here?¡± Harris turned his attention to me fully, ¡°Sunvilla? That far?¡± He sat back, the rest of the Lords murmuring their own conversations. For some reason, this seemed to be a bigger deal to them than just some random mystery. ¡°What made this?¡± My gaze hardened nearly imperceptibly as I studied Harris¡¯ face. He turned his attention back to me, and for the first time I saw a flicker of wariness dance across his gaze. ¡°That¡­¡± he sighed, ¡°give us a minute, if you would. I need to discuss this with the Lords.¡± My fingers danced across the desk contemplatively for a few seconds, my thoughts rounding on what the possibilities were. But, I relented on any thought of attempting to force the issue. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll trust all of you to operate in good faith.¡± My words weren¡¯t subtle, it was obvious that I¡¯d rather know than not. As we stepped out of the room, I noted Fran¡¯s expression. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked her after we left, the noise from the Lords picking up as we left a fair distance away. I could have eavesdropped, but if I was discovered then any chance of a working relationship between us would probably be shot. ¡°I think that it¡¯s definitely complicated.¡± Fran pondered, ¡°and likely whatever it is isn¡¯t exactly hostile.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Daniel asked, ¡°maybe they ritualistically sacrifice people to it to appease it, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re not sure we should know about it.¡± Everyone turned to look at him with exasperation. ¡°What?¡± He held his hands up defensively, ¡°it might happen someday, you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I think it might be friendly, but they¡¯re not sure how we¡¯ll react to it.¡± Fran said, ¡°imagine if someone with a dangerous force was entering discussions with us at New Damond. And they proclaimed that their job was to kill biotics.¡± It didn¡¯t take a moment before I sighed, ¡°I¡¯d be worried about them finding out about Yaga.¡± Alice winced, ¡°ah, yeah, that¡¯s fair. I was just thinking that maybe it was too elusive and they¡¯re embarrassed about it?¡± That gave a moment of thought, but Richard shrugged it off, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a problem for them. Remember when they were talking about unfinished projects and such? Admitting failure here isn¡¯t a big deal, I think.¡± The bubbly woman wrinkled her nose, ¡°I guess that¡¯s true, huh?¡± ¡°Well, hopefully they¡¯ll open up about it,¡± Terry sighed, ¡°I¡¯d rather not accidentally fry a friendly.¡± We idled around in a waiting room, Daniel trying to be careful so he didn¡¯t accidentally scrape a wall. These rooms were somewhat less outfitted for out kind of party in waiting. But, after a few more minutes, Peter entered the room with a neutral expression, ¡°alright, we¡¯re ready. Thank you for your patience.¡± We followed him back into the room, one that seemed a touch more filled with nervous energy that I¡¯d expected. ¡°The vote was in favor,¡± Harris waited until I sat down, ¡°given that, we¡¯ll discuss the topic. But, I need your word that this does not leave this room. Understood?¡± I frowned at that, ¡°so long as it doesn¡¯t hurt myself or the Legion, I can assent to that.¡± He tapped the table, considering that addendum carefully before sighing, ¡°fine, that¡¯s fair. Well, first, let me show you this¡­¡± He gestured to the map, and I saw several dozens of yellow icons appear. ¡°What the hell?¡± I murmured, seeing images brought up one after another. Harris only smiled sadly. ¡°Graves for the fallen, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve surmised.¡± Chapter 100 Digger Several pictures of graves scrawled across the screen, no two exactly alike. I had a very hard time believing that any human would bother constructing something quite like this. Some of these gravesights would have been too much effort to construct, especially given the fact that this wasn¡¯t friendly territory. One was a stone with a hollowed center, shaped roughly like a ring. It was suspended by woven vines as thick as my torso, wrapped up and in braided knots among ten trees on either side. Beneath it a ¡®V¡¯ shaped stone rested on top of a mound, as though it were ready to receive the stone hovering a meter above it. The commonality between this and the other markers was the fact that no vegetation grew in the area around it whatsoever. Others were even more outlandish, a collection of a dozen trees appeared to have been halved and intersected each other, sheltering a rounded marker like a hut. Another didn¡¯t touch the ground at all, the stone itself and a tightly woven knot of other stones, roots, and somehow flexible branches wrapped it. What was even more maddening is that I had no idea why they were there. ¡°Has anyone actually been buried in these locations?¡± I turned my gaze to Harris briefly, studying the cycling images with a blend between fascination and anxiety. This was the work of a biotic, and it would have to be a Unique. ¡°We have confirmed that each site has one human corpse buried there.¡± Harris nodded. ¡°Do they do anything?¡± I hastily then added, ¡°I realize they may just be graves, but these days I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they weren¡¯t.¡± The Knight-Commander snorted, ¡°too true. In this case, no, they aren¡¯t simple graves. For some reason the biotics avoid these locations, and tend to act with less coordination around them. And, to our knowledge, a new one hasn¡¯t appeared in some time.¡± I mulled that over for a few seconds, finding the situation quite unusual. If nothing else, this was at least something that was more on the beneficial side of things, so we wouldn¡¯t actually have to get involved for it. Except so far I hadn¡¯t heard anything that would particularly require me to be sworn to secrecy. ¡°I¡¯m assuming there¡¯s more?¡± I opened my approach broadly, glancing at the Lords. Peter shuffled uncomfortably beside me as Harris sighed loudly. ¡°We know the biotic that¡¯s responsible for creating these.¡± He said, ¡°it¡¯s the closest thing to one of these Unique¡¯s that you¡¯ve spoken of that we have.¡± I blinked at that, leaning fully back into my chair after realizing that I was sitting forward. Peter misinterpreted my body language, ¡°we realize it might be dangerous having a biotic around. Truth told, we weren¡¯t sure if we should tell you. But, given how much help you¡¯ve been and how active you¡¯ve been around, we decided it would be better to let you in on this.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I understand. Having a biotic acting friendly isn¡¯t exactly the norm.¡± Ned was clearly disappointed, ¡°well, I was honestly hoping for a bit more of a reaction.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how common they are,¡± I paused, ¡°but these pseudo-biotics, if that¡¯s what this is, are something we¡¯ve run into before.¡± I imagined the look of surprise on their faces was exactly what Ned was hoping to see on mine. ¡°Ordinarily we wouldn¡¯t be forward with this information ourselves, but, we know a pseudo-biotic that¡¯s friendly. He calls himself Yaga.¡± ¡°Calls himself Yaga?¡± Garland leaned forward with interest, ¡°in other words, it¡¯s capable of communicating?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I stated, and then asked, ¡°yours doesn¡¯t talk?¡± ¡°Not that we know of,¡± he answered, ¡°it¡¯s been known to help our people out if there¡¯s biotics in the area, but it generally keeps to itself.¡± ¡°And you have tried to talk to it, right?¡± I looked around, noting that Harris was uncharacteristically quiet now. ¡°We have, but if it knows what we¡¯re saying, it keeps well to itself. Not many have even seen it, even amongst us.¡± Ned tapped his fingers on the table idly, ¡°well, there was hear tell that this thing was talkative in the beginning, but we¡¯ve heard nothing from it since.¡± ¡°Then, at best, we might consider this thing as a neutral party, leaning more towards assistance,¡± I paused, ¡°Yaga might be able to tell us more, but I doubt he¡¯ll be willing to come out here.¡± ¡°Too dangerous among strangers?¡± Another of the Lords asked, more curious rather than acidic. I chuckled, ¡°too distracted by learning science.¡± A heartbeat passed before Harris chuckled, ¡°hmm, seems these¡­ pseudo-biotics, as you called them, are as different to each other as we are to each other.¡± ¡°In any case,¡± Penelope cut in, ¡°we still have the issue of what¡¯s going on out there. I¡¯m not alone - surely - in assuming that our situation is far too deviant to be considered unlucky, yes?¡± There were several grumbles in agreement, ¡°it¡¯s true. After learning of Damond, Gilramore, and Sunvilla¡¯s fate, I almost feel as if we¡¯ve been unfairly treated.¡± Peter chuckled grimly. ¡°Which leads me into another concern of mine. You don¡¯t seem to have run into hardly any Unique biotics, aside from this one, and the same situation was present in Sunvilla to my knowledge. That either means that you truly had no Uniques here, or-¡± ¡°-they were never detected.¡± Penelope finished the thought, grimacing as she did so. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like that not to be the case, we haven¡¯t exactly had the time to be roaming further afield.¡± ¡°Not surprising, we were committed to defending, not incorrectly at that.¡± Garland nodded, ¡°so, we might have something else going on because of one of these Unique¡¯s influence, is that correct?¡± I shrugged, ¡°possibly. We still have no idea what all of these creatures are capable of. Some have shown capability to communicate telepathically, for example.¡± Harris face remained unmoved with this detail, the only Lord in the room who remained stoic at that. I met his gaze then even as he frowned, perhaps suspecting that I knew something of his ability. Quickly, I brought attention back to me, ¡°our plan is relatively simple. We intend on expanding the sensor network for Argedwall while also clearing out the surrounding forest. At the same time, we¡¯ll look for any clues as to the whereabouts of any Unique biotics, and also seek to find any hint as to where the biotics might be coming from. The Knights have cleared many hives already, and once we get more mechs outfitted with up-to-date tech, Argedwall should be able to take care of itself fairly easily.¡± ¡°At which point, what will the Legion be doing?¡± Harris tapped the console, bringing up the original map. ¡°We¡¯ll devote our attention to finding any unusual threats in the area,¡± I shrugged, ¡°not much will change, really. If possible I¡¯d like to have a few hives set up in the area for continued Matter Energy farming, but that¡¯s a secondary concern that we can address after the area is safe enough in general.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The next few minutes were spent going over a few minor details of the plan. The bulk of which was the expected range that the Lords and their Legion attachments would be expected to move in the course of a day. ¡°This Round is adjourned.¡± Harris stated, ¡°Matthew, if you would stay behind for a moment?¡± I nodded, not missing the curious glances from the other Lords. ¡°Certainly. I had a few follow up questions in any case.¡± Fran took her cue to take the others outside. Thanks to Alice, I¡¯m sure she could put together what I wanted to ask the Knight-Commander. Only when the room was empty and sounds distant, did I speak up, ¡°I¡¯m assuming this is about the psychic power you have?¡± Harris¡¯ features were almost as stoic as ever, and if it wasn¡¯t for my enhanced senses, I wouldn¡¯t have picked up on the twinge from his eye at the question. ¡°That¡¯s a rather blunt way of putting it.¡± I nodded almost apologetically, ¡°I figured it would be best to get past any wary posturing. As far as you might be concerned, you¡¯re the only psychic here in Argedwall, or is that not the case?¡± The man huffed a sigh, gesturing to a seat nearby before sitting himself, ¡°yes, to my knowledge. Given that, I¡¯m wary of how others may¡­ perceive me, given my station. I¡¯d rather not be accused of intentionally warping others'' perspective of me.¡± ¡°Psychic powers are a slippery slope like that,¡± I agreed, ¡°though from what I¡¯ve seen so far they aren¡¯t exactly the catch-all ability.¡± For a second he hesitated, before sighing, ¡°that¡¯s been my experience, at that. Tell me, how are you aware of it? You certainly don¡¯t seem to be¡­¡± ¡°Affected?¡± I smiled, ¡°that¡¯s a bit more complicated.¡± I contemplated telling him exactly what I could and couldn¡¯t do, between trying to remain obscure and leave him guessing. But, I believed that, for an ally positioned this closely to us, having transparency would be the best policy. ¡°I¡¯m not psychic,¡± I began, seeing the slightly crestfallen look on his face. ¡®Must have been hoping that I could teach him¡­ or someone to share his plight?¡¯ Before he could absorb any more of that, I carried on to say, ¡°I¡¯m psychically dead. To the few psychics I know, I may as well be a rock for how much they can interact with me.¡± He gaped for a fraction of a second, ¡°you know others?¡± Harris recollected himself with a breath, ¡°I mean to say, other psychics? And that you¡¯re¡­ what? Psychically null, then?¡± ¡°Something like that. Not even telepathy works.¡± I shrugged, ¡°mechanical mind and all that.¡± He quirked a brow at that, ¡°another time,¡± I shook my head, ¡°it¡¯s a long story and not immediately relevant. I know three psychics, Alice is one of them, one of my companions. The other is Yaga.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± he murmured as he fell into thought, seemingly considering things. ¡°I have to ask,¡± I started carefully, ¡°this pseudo-biotic of yours. Is it actually not capable of communicating?¡± Harris cringed. ¡°Ah.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let that slip. Chagrined, he admitted, ¡°it is capable of communicating. What I¡¯m about to tell you is something I¡¯d done without the information I have now, so please keep that in mind.¡± I felt my gut tighten at the worst case scenario, ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± He sighed, sitting himself back, contemplating how to speak. Finally, he began without preamble, ¡°we were desperately trying to get our lines in check. It was nearly four months into our defense since the first biotics had shown when suddenly we were faced with additional strains. It had started with the abominable scarecrows, which were bad enough, but had then developed to involve the mushroom spore like creatures. The defense got¡­ desperate.¡± ¡°There had been rumors of some kind of biotic that attacked other biotics, and that it had come from the west somewhere. It was all just hearsay and superstition at first, a defense that wanted to believe in something.¡± He shook his head, ¡°that¡¯s what we thought at first. We didn¡¯t have the system we have now, the Lords and such. We were less organized, and grasped onto anything we could.¡± ¡°Then, one day when I was on the frontlines myself, leading a scouting party out to try to get through to another city and see if we could get any support. We were attacked by a large group of biotics, we scattered, later to find that most of them died.¡± He met my eyes with steel, ¡°except for me. I¡¯d found our local legend, just after it had finished building a gravesite. I¡¯ll freely admit that I thought I was done for, but it just stared at me. The biotics all around seemed to not even be able to see me, wandering around and away listlessly.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s when it spoke to you.¡± I surmised. Harris frowned at the interruption, but continued, ¡°yes, that¡¯s when it spoke to me. It wasn¡¯t what I could call a learned person, but it was smart in its own way. I was still terrified that it would bury me, at least on the first day, but after traveling with it in relative safety for three days, I realized it wasn¡¯t concerned about my presence in the slightest.¡± ¡°But, I had to come back to the city. There¡¯s only so much I can do without food and water, and after a full two weeks, I came to understand that I had to come back to the city. There was no hope that I could make it out, but Digger seemed to know that. Digger was its name-¡± he quickly explained, ¡°-and in spite of not being wholly aware of things that you or I would be, it did seem to know that I couldn¡¯t stay around it forever. As we parted, though, I told it¡­ that humans can be dangerous to it. And that if it needed to speak to a human, it would be best if it tried to speak to me. I may have warned it even to stay away from people altogether, but I cannot remember exactly what I¡¯d stated then. It must have taken my warning seriously, because we¡¯ve never heard from it since, and sightings have been scarce.¡± I waited for him to finish, more specifically waiting for whatever he¡¯d indicated that should be kept secret. ¡°Well?¡± He asked me, catching me off guard. ¡°Well, what? Is that it?¡± I frowned, tilting my head. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®is that it?¡¯¡± He scoffed, ¡°I may have chased off a valuable protector, where I should have shown gratitude I instead taught it suspicion.¡± I laughed, throwing my hands up to disarm the man''s anger, ¡°look, I¡¯m not saying that¡¯s a good thing, necessarily. You might have guaranteed that no one here is going to develop psychic powers as quickly as you did, but that¡¯s hardly the worst thing that could happen.¡± ¡°That sounds fairly bad, actually.¡± His face twisted into a scowl. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± I shrugged, ¡°but, anyways, I¡¯m assuming that your newfound gifts began sometime after you returned to the city, allowing you to quickly become everyone''s focal point. Your ideas were probably accepted over many others, is that so?¡± The grimace returned in full force, ¡°aye, that¡¯s about the size of it. When I realized what was happening, it was already too late to change course. I was rising fast in control, and I knew that I had to put some balances of power in place. Hence the Lords,¡± he gestured to the table, ¡°they¡¯re here to make sure I don¡¯t mistake my own opinion for being the only opinion.¡± I nodded at that, ¡°a good idea, certainly.¡± ¡°On a related note,¡± he leaned towards me, ¡°you seem to be insinuating that those contacted by these pseudo-biotics will develop psychic abilities.¡± I shook my head, ¡°not all. There¡¯s some kind of predisposition to it. I¡¯d say it¡¯s far rarer than not, but we¡¯re not sure yet. For all I know, you just existing is giving your entire city the chance to become psychically inclined. You throw out mental waves all the time.¡± This time he very visibly flinched. ¡°Ah. That would be¡­ complicated.¡± ¡°It would,¡± I granted, ¡°but, we¡¯re working on discovering if that would even be a problem. From what we can tell, most abilities don¡¯t actually do what the movies seemed to indicate, at least not yet. You shouldn¡¯t be able to mind control people against their will, for instance.¡± I strictly didn¡¯t mention that Wolven did that exact thing to those that it had woven into its mass. Not likely the best topic for the time. ¡°So, that at least confirms, or lends credence to our hypothesis at least,¡± I nodded, ¡°it changes nothing for now, though. But we¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for this¡­ Digger, you mentioned.¡± ¡°I suppose that will be for the best,¡± wagered Harris, ¡°then, I thank you for hearing me out, and giving that information. I¡¯d feared that the first group of outsiders we encountered would be less than amenable to sharing information.¡± ¡°And more about taking advantage,¡± I surmised, ¡°I agree that¡¯ll likely be an issue for most groups. But, I figure that as direct neighbors, it¡¯s in our mutual best interest to have absolute trust in the other. And besides that,¡± I grinned widely, ¡°biotics are my main concern.¡± He smiled, and we exchanged pleasantries and bid each other farewell for the time being. Now, we¡¯d have the ever so thrilling time of stomping through a jungle looking for Uniques that might be more capable than anything we¡¯d seen before, Wolven hopefully notwithstanding. ¡°For the Legion,¡± I sighed, but a smile betrayed how eager I was to get started here. This would be much more fun than Sunvilla. Chapter 101 Sensor Net ¡°Are you sure it was a good idea to tell him about Yaga?¡± a concerned Fran asked me as we moved through the dense jungle. ¡°As much as I can be,¡± I shook my head, ¡°we won¡¯t be able to keep him a secret forever, not without making sure he can¡¯t actually leave any facilities. Otherwise, we¡¯d have to lock him up, and I doubt he¡¯d be as eager to help us after that. Considering he¡¯s basically an organic supercomputer, I¡¯d rather not have someone like that angry with us.¡± I couldn¡¯t see Fran¡¯s face with her suit protecting her, but I could see the wariness in her posture, contemplating options. ¡°No, I suppose not,¡± she said after a few moments longer than I¡¯d have liked, ¡°it really wouldn¡¯t exactly be feasible.¡± ¡°He seems nice enough,¡± Alice chipped in, ¡°I didn¡¯t get any ¡®dark lord¡¯ vibes from him.¡± We all turned to look at her. ¡°What?¡± She said defensively, ¡°I¡¯m just saying he doesn¡¯t seem like a creep.¡± I shook my head with amusement, then turned to my right at the sound of Daniel growling. Without preamble he began firing out into the forest, a newly doubled quantity of gatling guns tearing through the underbrush with ravenous abandon. After the sufficient jolt of adrenaline to our systems, Daniel stopped firing, studying his work. Triumphant, he cheered, ¡°hah! Got the bastard!¡± ¡°What was it?¡± Fran asked, relatively unphased by the sudden gout of gunfire. ¡°One of those bastard cats with the barbs on their tails.¡± He said, turning his attention to us, the purple flaring light that ebbed dully from the visor of his helmet casting a pale pallor on the darkness of the forest. ¡°They¡¯ll run away and keep harassing you constantly if you let them go the first time.¡± His explanation was well founded, I¡¯d not run into them yet. I nodded, moving off towards where he¡¯d let off his short hail of metal. As advertised, not much was left of the biotic than a silvery paste, and some chunks. The sight was much numbed these days, and I was dutiful in picking apart the various bits and trying to reimagine the creature as it was whole. Admittedly, I had to take many liberties based on the cats I¡¯d seen before. ¡°Larger slightly, ranged weapons¡­ but I don¡¯t think this is a Gen 2 type.¡± I tapped my hand idly on my side, ¡°meaning that they¡¯re still mutating here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too surprising. We had some of those in Gilramore, didn¡¯t we?¡± Richard studied the scene as well, ¡°those Grey Wolves you guys ran into?¡± I paused at that, mulling the thought over, ¡°it¡¯s possible. I¡¯m still not sure if they were genuine Gen 2 biotics, or if they were just Gen 1 biotics with benefits. They could regenerate virtually anything it seemed.¡± ¡°Glad we got rid of those,¡± Daniel shuddered, ¡°gave me the heebie-jeebies.¡± We moved onwards for a few more minutes before Terry spoke up, ¡°alright, here¡¯s the first spot.¡± I turned to him and nodded, ¡°we¡¯ll keep you covered.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t be a minute,¡± he gave me a thumbs up as he pulled a canister, as thick as a man¡¯s leg, from a towed compartment trailer behind him. ¡°Alright, this little piggy went to market.¡± He pressed it a few inches into the earth, the cracking and grinding of dirt and roots giving way beneath the heavy press of the mech and rod. Satisfied that it was mostly straight, Terry pressed a button on the side and twisted the entire rod, the bottom half of which didn¡¯t move with the top. As it did so, the lower half shuddered for a moment, the only warning it gave before a loud pop resounded from the device. It bored downward with a drill for another two meters, leaving two more meters above ground. The upper mechanisms unfurled, a spiraling device with thin, frond-like extensions laced with sensors. Each of our suits were fed information about the surroundings in detail, expanding rapidly by the second. Light pulses raced the tips of the sensors, rapidly at first as it attentively scanned the area. When it finished, I couldn¡¯t help but note that it looked strangely a part of the terrain here. It appeared like a plant like, albeit made out of metal and dully emitting red light at the tips of the ¡®leaves¡¯. ¡°Alright, one down, a¡­ lot left over,¡± he leaned over to the compartment behind him, spying a surface layer of five, and many more beneath it. ¡°These should help with the stealth biotics, right?¡± Richard asked aloud to no one in particular as he studied the sensor. ¡°Supposedly.¡± I sighed, ¡°R&D whipped up some upgrades, but I have no idea how effective it¡¯ll actually be.¡± ¡°It seems well enough, if there¡¯s actually no biotics in the area.¡± Daniel looked over the information fed into an overlay for the area, ¡°it¡¯s good with mapping the area though, good range too. Couple hundred meters.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s keep at it. The rest of the teams are doing the same thing, so by the time we¡¯re done there shouldn¡¯t be anything that can get within two kilometers of Argedwall without us knowing it.¡± We continued onward, meeting much lighter resistance from local biotics than what had been dealt with on the way in. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The forest, or rainforest as it truthfully was, would have been miserable to trudge through without mech suits. The mud, where it appeared, was cloying and sucking, and without the mechanical power we possessed, it would have sapped at our strength. It was hot, humid, and not the least of which smelled of an undercurrent of root rot as plants that were unsuited to the terrain were slowly drowned and strangled by parasitic vines. There had to be a Gen 2 biotic here modifying terrain. It wasn¡¯t the Carrier¡¯s either, they would have changed the terrain to match what we¡¯d found in Damond. The question became what our Gen 2 here was. I paused as one of the new sensor nets swept the area, giving me a heads up of a creature slowly moving towards us. With sound cut off from the outside, I quickly called for a full stop. ¡°You see anything?¡± Fran asked, hovering over Daniel¡¯s shoulder. I frowned, glaring at the area in front of us. Supposedly something was practically right in front of us. Nothing, though, just an area of more mud, some vegetation. No biotic or otherwise. ¡°Hold on.¡± I focused my own sensors, feeling an electronic buzz as I poured through all of the data it fed me. At any given time I could have my power armor feeding me details about the environment around me, thermal, light, motion, and to a lesser degree radiation. As I focused the sweep, the onboard devices responsible for their respective categories bombarded the area in invisible beams. Infrared and sound were the ones primarily at work, and after a few disappointing seconds without results, something began to appear as a picture. Beneath the muck was a strange collection of bones, or something similar. They seemed to be connected to each other as well, though I¡¯d hardly call them animals. To my knowledge, bones shouldn¡¯t have barbs attached to them. ¡°Right there,¡± I confirmed the sensors findings, ¡°boney mass with spikes.¡± ¡°Those are annoying, too,¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°kinda like the scarecrows, but like three of them were taken apart and shoved together.¡± I didn¡¯t need to ask if they were dangerous, I¡¯d seen a few other mechs with deep gouges in them from being embraced by these things for too long. I walked into the area with heat humming from the red edges of my newly drawn blades. ¡°Uh, Matt, they¡¯re really fast.¡± I could hear Daniel say, concerned in his voice, ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Idly I turned my gaze back to him, ¡°oh, I¡¯m not walking in there.¡± He stared, confused, before asking, ¡°then what are you doing right now?¡± I gestured to the tree near the clearing, a thinner one, and he nodded in realization. The others did as well, Fran¡¯s feathers ready to fly an intercepting path between me and the mud, just in case. The thing beneath the mud stirred slightly as it sensed my approach, but didn¡¯t move. I was careful to keep outside of its reach as I skirted its extremities. When I hit the tree I was glad that it hadn¡¯t moved much at all. It seemed to be a dedicated ambush predator, luckily enough. I glanced at my blades before deciding to put one away. As I twisted, one sword clutched with both hands, I kept an eye on the area just beside me. A powerful swing was all it took to cut straight through the thinner tree, about the width of a young man''s waist. I quickly repositioned, putting myself on the outside of the now unstable tree. Spikes deployed from my armors grieves, giving me valuable traction as I pushed the tree into falling. For a precarious second it began to lean, groaning as it did. Then the snapping of vines and of intertwined branches filled the air. It crashed down into the mud, hard, and all at once the biotic exploded into action. Thick boney protrusions snapped angrily at the bark, reaving thick swaths of wood from the offending tree. Branches were quickly shredded off even as the bones gripped tightly, using the leverage of hooks to half swing, half roll the rest of its mass across its quarry. Of course, we watched this all with a blend of fascination and horror. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think what would happen to a person in the middle of that,¡± Terry swallowed hard, ¡°it¡¯s like a living blender.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough gawking,¡± I watched as it slowed, seemingly in confusion at the fact that it wasn¡¯t feeling any kind of struggle. We opened fire on it immediately after that, turning it, the tree, and the mud beneath it into a churned, hot mess. ¡°Alright, so we can safely say that they¡¯re not a major threat to mechs so long as someone is nearby to kill it.¡± I nodded, ¡°but if you don¡¯t at least have power armor on, it¡¯ll turn you into paste in seconds.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going in the trees when I can now.¡± Richard shook his head in exasperation, Alice looking equally annoyed. We pushed onwards, running into a few other biotics. The fungal ones were easy to find now, we¡¯d managed to have our sensors alert us to variances of a few degrees in temperature, and once the fungal biotics lost the ambush advantage, they were utterly helpless. That did bring up an interesting question though. ¡°Why are all of them so keen on ambush?¡± Alice broached the question, ¡°or hit and run. It¡¯s like they¡¯re not trying to siege Argedwall at all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Fran asked. ¡°Well, think about it. If you wanted to siege a city, you¡¯d want to evolve something that could break through defenses, or were fast and hard hitting. Like, consider Damond. Those things were practically purpose-made for sieges.¡± I contemplated what she was saying before realizing that I¡¯d noticed the same. Having it put into words, though, somehow gave it new life. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe they¡¯re somehow being engineered, then?¡± I contemplated, ¡°remember that there are crab-type biotics in New Damond that are practically useless for anything except being super durable. The Carriers were using them to push the Spindlies destructive power as high as possible.¡± The implication sat cold in our thoughts. None of us wanted to deal with a biotic that was purposefully created for destruction. ¡°I¡¯ll update the Legion,¡± I sighed, ¡°there¡¯s not much we can do aside from be aware that there might be some greater intelligence at work behind these biotics.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Alice sighed, ¡°but hey, at least things are going pretty well.¡± Terry finished planting the sensor immediately afterwards, turning his attention to the others. ¡°Well, that¡¯s most of them. I¡¯d say we made pretty goo-¡± he suddenly stopped, turning his attention to the sensor, ¡°-fuck. Heads up, either this is malfunctioning or we have company.¡± I turned my attention to the map overlay, and noted the swarm of red dots that were swiftly making their way towards us. ¡°You just haaaad to say it,¡± Terry said good naturedly enough as he looked to Alice. She huffed, ¡°but they were going pretty well.¡± As she notched an arrow, the rest of us took up our practised positions. Other teams had more personnel by design, we had plenty of firepower and a balanced toolkit to handle a lot of things that might come our way. Granted, it was still always alarming to see a horde of monsters charging through a forest at you, hungering for your flesh. Chapter 102 Best When Still Attached The jungle was filled with noise, snapping tree limbs, yowls of hunger, and the clacking of many limbed creatures as they lumbered forth. As one we opened fire, my rifle blaring and culling a biotic with every burst. We hardly needed to aim. I¡¯d seen the wolves, the way they raced forward to mob a target, but this was something wholly different. Wolves would move as a single unit, organized, allowing the others to move like water around them. That in and of itself often limited how many could realistically come at once. This was a tidal wave of flesh, three meters high, stacked with as many biotics that scrambled over one another. Whereas, individually, these biotics were far too weak to comprise a realistic threat when they abandoned stealth, this approach would quickly ameliorate their weak point. ¡°Fighting retreat!¡± I called over the communications line without hesitation, our group immediately moving backwards. As we moved, more of the forest came alive with motion. I opened up a fully automatic burst of fire, tearing through six biotics in the blink of an eye. Cat, fungal slime, scarecrow, they all melted into one horrifying pot. I could see Spindlies scattered within them, but they were few and far between, their spikes were fully withdrawn into their bodies, small feelers grasping any nearby biotic and hitching a ride. I marked them as I found them, trying to be certain to kill them in one burst. The map notified me quickly that there were biotics looping around, seeking to pincer us and envelope our position. Our fighting retreat was a good idea, otherwise they¡¯d have been able to swallow us up and force a last-stand. But still, this wasn¡¯t as threatening as it might have first appeared. Droves died as Fran¡¯s magnetized feathers tore through the back line, allowing us a clear avenue of escape. Alice¡¯s arrows cut into several at once, exploding into fragmenting death afterwards to claim a fistfull of flesh more, killing a not insignificant sum. Richard¡¯s weaponry were the bane of these large groups, gouts of acid that was far superior to that of the fungal creatures melted through tissue voraciously, accompanied by toxic vapors that further disoriented the mass. Daniel opened fire at the largest portion of the wave, cannons and machine guns tearing through literally dozens at a time. He kept the bulk of the wave from us, scrambling over its own dead and staggering as fire belched forth from electrocuted masses - Terry uber-charged some kind of bolt weapon that fired nets of metal, sparking from lines still attached to his mech, trailing backwards. I felt my connection to the assault rifle in my arms burn as I accessed it, honing my focus and feeding the strict viewpoint of a muzzle chamber to my minds eye. I could tell exactly where my gun was aimed, and I fell into my trance. It was a cold smoldering fury, all other emotion gone, the only things that mattered was the Purpose. Reaper¡¯s Eye, I realized then, would be an excellent name for what I was doing. My arms jerked violently with every shot, or burst, as needed for the target. To a viewer, I wasn¡¯t even looking at my targets, but my suit and my weapons themselves fed me all the information I needed. Superheated bullets projected at pseudo-railgun speeds tore through tissues with abandon, often punching through multiple targets at once. My rifle blared at very nearly fully automatic speeds as I sought potency through efficiency. Less than a dozen seconds later, we¡¯d broken the attempt at the entrapment, and now the horde was forced to continue attempting to catch up with us. In this, they were wholly incapable, my team and I were adept at controlling the flow of large numbers of enemies. Practice with wolves and Wolven itself had given us plenty of insights to use. Daniel was left to focus on the center while we split up firepower on the flanks. Terry controlled the tempo, griping and calling out to us whenever a new discharge of electricity was about to roll. Several locations that we fled from bore rods, each connected by wire to his mech, jolting with brilliant white bolts of electricity that would almost seem to crawl across smoking corpses. I raised my gun to fire at one particular biotic, only to see both eye sockets suddenly sprout an arrow, a single one that split mid-flight. It collapsed even as a blender of blades swept sideways, Fran¡¯s special type of feather that contained a small battery and was capable of projecting itself violently even after being fired, in more than one direction. Every other feather she fired struck forth in straight lines and returned in similar manners. She¡¯d had a few that were capable of manipulation at range, but now she had two full wings of them. Plenty to wreak havoc on large numbers like this. ¡°Hit something new!¡± I heard Richard shout, ¡°our flanks again!¡± I turned to see what he was talking about, realizing that he¡¯d been laying gel-mines on our flanks the entire time we were falling back, seemingly worried for good reason. One of the mines had exploded, covering a hulking form with sizzling pale acid. It screeched in anger and pain as it surged forward, the capability of its stealth ruined with the acid. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. What emerged from the visage of jungle undergrowth was not something I could easily ascribe to any given creature. I felt the fugue of the Reaper¡¯s Eye let up just enough for me to verbalize an order, though it felt almost like opening the jaws of a steel trap that stubbornly bore its fangs into bone. ¡°Daniel, sweep our sides!¡± I shouted, the rest of us ducking down. ¡°Got it.¡± He grunted, his arms going wide, all guns and a not insignificant collection of grenade launchers protruding from said limbs at the same time. ¡°Down!¡± The warning wasn¡¯t needed. We¡¯d gone over this strategy enough to know how dangerous it could be. Fran hovered directly over his head, firing out from her three pairs of wings in every direction. The nova of firepower tore through flesh and plant alike. Heat angrily gushed from the barrels of Daniel¡¯s weapons, the ammo pack on his back chittering away as it happily fed the beasts their fill. Dull grey feathers tore in behind them, and as we watched a dozen forms around us previously unseen were pelted with payload the likes of which only Daniel could so happily dole out. Two of them, namely the first that had charged us and another one on the opposite flank, fell when their front legs exploded. Bits of their torsos had done so as well, heavy armor plating falling away, cracking and weeping silver blood. Centaur like lower halves in the forms of a cat provided the mobility, a tail with a black barbed orb at the end of it, pulsating grotesquely as the creature shuddered in pain greeted my senses. The entire body was encased in a Carrier¡¯s shell, albeit looking far more like they¡¯d donned a suit of armor than a mere carapace. A layer of fine hairs protruded like adornments on the armor, flexing and shifting color and texture - that which the cats used to facilitate their impressive stealth options. An upper body similar to a bunch heartier scarecrow provided the framework for three more limbs. Two were arms, with meter long claws that looked like they could penetrate armor with far greater success than the other biotics we¡¯d run across. The third limb was some kind of pulsing organ that resembled a gun, seemingly growing from the shoulder and looping up and over to point forward. It drooled with some kind of smoking fluid, acid dribbling on the ground as the first creature was screaming, clawing at the ground with what would be mortal wounds for any man. Mandibles too small to reliably be used as weapons framed a complex mouth with many moving parts, bony plates forming a helmet with three sets of eyes protruding from them, facing every direction. The creature resembled what I would call a centaur, if it was born and bred in hell. I turned my attention to the next nearest of the creatures, all of which had now abandoned any pretext of stealth. The ten of them charged us, one immediately catching an arrow to the chest. A ten centimeter wide hole fountained gore from the wound, but it carried on, its armor dense at the chest. Another two arrows brough it low, catching it at the knees instead, exploding and forcing it into the ground hard. ¡°Legs! Aim for legs!¡± Alice called out, the rest of us immediately following her lead. Daniel pivoted his aim, ¡°switching fire!¡± The horde behind us had not been forgotten, nor did it wait for us patiently. Daniel had the firepower to deal with them, though, and I found myself wading forward a several meters. I stopped at a predetermined spot, only five meters from the group, and continued to fire with abandon. Alice¡¯s arrows flew past my head on either side, punching down a limb each on another pair of riders. Richard was somewhat less effective, lacking the immediate punching power that Alice had. He fired barbed bolts into joints, pumping three more riders with toxins on their way to us. Terry fired nets at another two, both of which evaded him, much to his loud disbelief. He switched to a heavy weapon, experimental in every sense of the word, and I watched as it arced with electricity. It fizzled after a moment of charging. ¡°Ah, come the fuck on!¡± He shouted, hesitating for a moment as he realized he didn¡¯t have time to switch weapons. In the same moment, I¡¯d shredded through three more riders, leaving us with five actively charging us. Two focused on Terry, two on me, and the fifth coming straight for Richard. Another three rode in behind the one for Richard, slowed by the venom pumping rapidly through their veins. I spared a moment to see Terry hold his weapon up, the first rider crashing into him with talons sweeping. The bladed hand made contact with the tip of the gun that he held, and suddenly the world flashed white. A thunderous pop resounded as half of the rider simply vaporized. Terry was marginally better off, his suit''s hands were cherry red, but designed for¡­ misfires. Daneil, though, was next to him. His suit went to a knee, half of his weapons suddenly inoperative. ¡°Shit!¡± He shouted, uncertain as to what just happened. He continued firing, though, knowing focusing more on the closest of the horde, now immediately making greater progress. I grit my teeth, dropping my gun and pulling out my swords as the first rider made contact with me. Alice dropped back, immediately seeking to help Richard. Something else happened at that moment as well, something I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if not for the fact that I¡¯d had the Obelisk give a much more insistent tone to it. Specifically, it was an alert for the Legion, one designed for emergencies, often in the event that rescue and support was needed. Two such alerts sprouted, though I hardly had the time to attend to them right now. But, that meant that, perhaps, we weren¡¯t the only ones having a hard time. ¡®Focus on Us,¡¯ Wolvey informed me dutifully, ¡®Our head is best when still attached.¡¯ In spite of the direness of the situation, I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes. Chapter 103 Casualties of War Contrary to what the Centaur must have expected, I did not duck nor roll away from it as it drove its talons towards me. With my blades in hand, I leapt with a swing in motion. The red blade, driven by the combined might of my bio-steel flesh and the power armor I wore, sheared through the claws like I was reaping wheat. The second strike was a shallow feint, startling it with a graze across the stomach. It didn¡¯t carve deeply, but in the heartbeat of this happening, the Centaur went to guard its chest with the other arm. My true swing struck hard and true, catching it at the neck and slowing on the thick armor and breaking through the dense spinal column the beast bore. Still, it¡¯s head flew freely after, even as I planted a foot against the back of the Centaur, not fully realizing it was already dead. I pushed off surprising the second that had been riding on the tail of the first, likely seeking to trample me had I dodged. It rose its claws defensively, but momentum carried it forward towards me. I hopped, flipping off of the first now-corpse as the Centaur carried itself under me. Instead of beheading it, I bisected its head at the temple, severing it vertically. The blow almost diverted off of the thick plates, but I managed well enough, smoke already trailing from the swipe. As I landed, though, the final Centaur didn¡¯t allow me to reposition. It was in mid air, having lept to land upon me, crushing me with its overbearing weight. Given that the creature was three meters tall, it could very well do some damage at the least. I flung my blade upwards, projecting it with deadly precision. It cut straight through the mouth of the Centaur and up through its head. I managed to give myself a few centimeters as it crashed down the the ground, jamming the blade even further into its head. Contrary to what I expected, it began to move, albeit staggeringly. I rushed forward, cutting its head off at the neck and retrieving my sword, head and all. I heard the tell tale sounds of a dozen sucking wounds, and noticed that the Centaur attacking Terry had been perforated by Fran, though she was no longer paying any attention to that side of the fight. Richard ducked and moved with agility between four Centaurs, the first one bleeding profusely with blood that wasn¡¯t quite silver. Pale fluids crackled and popped from each of the four, and as Richard rolled between the legs of one of the creatures an arrow punched through the back of its head. Alice was supporting as she could without the use of explosives, knowing that Richard was too close. The Adder himself was living up to his name, the three tails of his mech suit latching onto the ground and even the biotics own limbs to sling him around. It was with horror, then, that I realized that he couldn¡¯t keep this up. He was only human, and even as I ran forward to assist, with Fran¡¯s feathers already mid-flight, I knew the blow was going to land. All at once, the fugue state that I was encased in swept away with the shock of my irrational mind, my human psyche shuddered. One good strike connected, the sharpened claws sweeping through the joint of his armor roughly, hitching halfway. Richard screamed at the contact, even as the second reaping arm came down just below the shoulder. The metal of the exo-suit wasn¡¯t strong enough to withstand the full impact on its own. Leveraged with the biotics other hand, the arm was suddenly no longer connected with the rest of Richards body. It almost seemed triumphant for the heartbeat it had before Fran¡¯s feathers punched through its head. The others were pushed back in that same instant, and Alice¡¯s body moved with practiced precision even as she shouted in panic. Explosive arrows tore into the other two Centaur, heads exploding a moment later. Before the bodies could even hit the ground, Alice was beside Richard, faster than I could blink. I was there beside him, seeing Richard howling in pain, writhing as he gripped the stump of his left arm. ¡°Rich, stay still!¡± Alice shouted, ¡°you¡¯re gonna be okay, we have you, easy!¡± Coldness gripped my heart at the sight, knowing full well that people could bleed to death from injuries like this. Quickly, I sat down next to him, brain faltering for a solution as Alice sought to gain his attention. This man was a friend of mine, a teammate, and he was wounded. Then, just as suddenly as the panic set in, I felt a cold, clinical apathy begin to kill emotion. Even as it happened, I could feel both myself and Wolvey shudder in disquiet at the sudden shift we shared. But, it was necessary, this coldness, the Reaper¡¯s Eye knew nothing of emotion, just of the calculated fury and that which needed to be done. With fresh eyes I examined Richard, snarling in pain, writhing even as I pressed my arm against his torso. The weight may as well have been inexorable for him, no motion would come to him. The limb rested not far from us, the wound fairly smooth along the severed portion, though the elbow farther below was cut deeply by the talon that had held it. However, in spite of the grevious wound, there was a distinct lack of red gore upon the ground. I grabbed a hold of his arm, noting that his exo-suit had clamped hard on the limb above the injury. That explained the abundance of screaming, and why he wasn¡¯t bleeding profusely. Idly, I moved through the pack at my side, a syringe filled with a potent cocktail of painkillers within. Ordinarily I knew I would ask permission first. But that didn¡¯t matter now, and I was certain that he would rather not be affected by pain. I pulled his helmet from his head, jabbing the needle into his neck and injecting the cocktail. Within seconds he shuddered and exhaled in relief. ¡°Fuck.¡± Was the first thing he said, a cold, clammy sweat trickling down his neck. ¡°You¡¯re gonna be alright.¡± Alice said, clutching his head from above, setting him down against her knees. Tears flowed freely from her cheek, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I should have been faster.¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head, and blearily looked around, ¡°not your fault-¡± He froze upon seeing his own severed arm only a few meters away. ¡°Oh¡­ oh no¡­¡± I looked to him, feeling his body shuddering under my hand. ¡°Rich, hey, calm! It¡¯s okay!¡± Alice helplessly drew his gaze to anything else, ¡°look at me, okay, just focus on me.¡± ¡°M-my arm,¡± he wheezed, panic, setting in, shock might come shortly thereafter. ¡°Matt, help!¡± Alice looked up at me in desperation. Somewhere there was another voice that called for me to be supportive and helpful. But why? He¡¯d only lost an arm. At that, the wailing voice in the back of my mind redoubled, and I flinched, reconsidering the position. Perhaps some kind of comfort would be in order. ¡°Richard,¡± I said, catching his attention fully as I pressed just that much more on his chest. He looked at me, confusion and panic still ringing his eyes.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°You¡¯ve lost an arm.¡± I stated calmly, ¡°but, you¡¯ll live. The cut appears to be fairly clean. We¡¯ll be taking the arm with us, and you may yet have it reattached. For now, I need you to breathe-¡± I let up on his chest just slightly, ¡°-in and out. Slowly, count in your head, ten seconds, in and out.¡± The others looked at me with frank shock at my handling of the situation. The voice in the back of my head seemed exasperated that our bed manner was so awful. And, apparently to the surprise of said voice in my head, Richard was visibly calming. I carefully applied a sealant to the limb, a foaming liquid bandage that we could dissolve later. Carefully, I did the same to the arm once I was sure that Richard wasn¡¯t about to go into shock and potentially die. Alice and the others didn¡¯t say anything, Daniel having managed to fend off the horde and cease firing a minute before. I went about the process with detachment, handling the limb with procedures that I¡¯d memorized, or that I tapped into as I went. It was more like following a program than actually knowing why I did these things, but that was enough. After I¡¯d finished, and checked Richard, I nodded. And then felt all of my emotions rush back into place with a sharp gasp. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I shook my head as it seemed to spin. ¡°Matt?¡± Alice asked with a quiet voice, ¡°you¡¯re scaring me a bit.¡± I looked up, seeing the others stare at me in quiet examination. ¡°What was I doing, exactly, for the past few minutes?¡± I asked, ¡°I remember helping Richard, but the details aren¡¯t forthcoming.¡± As one, they all turned to Daniel. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± he began eloquently, ¡°well, you did help, but like a robot.¡± I waited expectantly for him to expand upon that explanation. ¡°It¡¯s like you weren¡¯t really¡­ there.¡± Alice swallowed, ¡°but, nevermind, we can talk about that later. We need to get Richard out of here.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to talk about this now,¡± Terry mumbled, ¡°that was a trip.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Alice is right. Terry, dump the other sensors, we can come back for them. Alice, help Richard pile into the trailer. You three will go to our outpost and get medical support. See if¡­ this can be¡­¡± I gestured to the arm, swallowing hard and shaking my head, ¡°we have to check out the other teams.¡± My team seemed satisfied that I was back to normal, not flippantly referring to Richard¡¯s severed arm with apathy. That wasn¡¯t something I expected, and it seemed that I was more readily capable of sinking into that state than ever. Not something I was sure was a good thing. The three of them quickly moved off, though we wrapped Richard¡¯s arm in something to as to not literally be carrying the arm with us. We had surgeons and robotic assistance on hand, perhaps we could save the limb. But, that would have to come later, though I was already exhausted. We moved on rapidly, checking out the logs from the Legion. It seemed two other groups had been attacked in similar ways, while many of the others hadn¡¯t seen more than a handful of biotics the entire day. Our side, apparently, had been hit with a lighter wave than the other two, but we¡¯d suffered far less casualties. Strauss had checked in, having been a part of one of the groups that had been attacked. There weren¡¯t many casualties, at least three Knights and two of my Legionaries were injured, and it seemed that one of the Knights was dead from having been trampled by the Centaurs sneak attack. Thanks to Strauss¡¯ latent psychic abilities, though, he¡¯d been able to determine that they were present, giving them enough of a heads up to matter. The one that worried me was Patrick¡¯s team, the source of the second emergency beacon. He hadn¡¯t contacted in, and we, along with several other splinter groups, were making their way rapidly to their location. The first responders had already gotten there, taken care of the remaining mobs, but also reported heavy casualties. Fifteen Knights and six Legionaries were either heavily injured or dead. Lord-Knight Ned was there, one of the injured, and refused to speak to anyone. Instead, as I found him, he was standing, forlornly, beside a familiar mech. ¡°Patrick¡­¡± the realization hit me like a mule kick to the gut. ¡°No way,¡± Daniel moved forward, but stopped as he really took in the scene. His mech was in disarray, one leg and arm torn free, messily. It must have taken several strikes. The torso itself had been bore into, likewise with extreme difficulty. Yet, they¡¯d done so, and the ragged, bloody mess left behind told plenty of the story of what had happened. ¡°He saved my life.¡± Ned said aloud, ¡°they¡¯d come charging in, a phalanx. They tore one of my Knights in half right in front of me. I was stupid and charged them, they surrounded me.¡± He gestured to the huge amount of silver gore across the ground, one of his arms hanging uselessly at his side. ¡°They surrounded me, tore into me, but Patrick bowled into the middle of them, battering them with guns. It wasn¡¯t more than fifteen seconds, but he¡¯d killed half of them himself¡­ before they got him.¡± I grit my teeth, walking forward to the body of the mech and putting a hand against it. No one said anything as I did so, feeling awash in emotions. Around us, I could see Patrick¡¯s team, raw grief still apparent on their faces. This was a man I¡¯d had on my side for months. I spent hours talking about mechs with him. He was a friend who¡¯d had nothing but love for what he did. And now he was gone. It left me feeling more hollow than in grief. I recognized this, though, similar to when Smith had departed. The grief would hit later, some small consolation that I wouldn¡¯t need to deal with this here and now. Pushing down the feelings that bubbled up within me, I sought to connect to his mech. Most of the machines, and even beyond that most every Legionnaire, had an onboard system that would allow us to see what they could see. Or their last moments. It was similar to what had happened to us, though with key differences. The horde was larger, and Patrick and Ned decided to defend to the last. Their combined forces would have made that a trivial difficulty, even as the horde surrounded them. The problem came sharply and at once. No lucky hit exposed the Centaurs before they were ready. Their presence was announced with trampling feet, claws, and the rending of metal. Patrick and Ned only seemed to realize by chance what was happening, the large group of humans around them suddenly in disarray at the presence of the cavalry charge. Even full blown mechs were blasted over with the strength and momentum the Centaurs bore. The talons cut deep gouges into the armor, and the bigger problem was the horde that flooded in behind them. Decisively Patrick and his team began to focus artillery fire on the horde behind the charging cavalry, refusing to give them support. Patrick himself pushed forward, Ned charging ahead. Even in the recording I could hear Patrick swearing and calling him back, but it was too late. He came in as Ned was about to catch a talon to the back of the neck, one that might have ended the fight right there. The rest of the battle was a blur, and a not insignificant amount of firepower from artillery fire. I forced myself to watch until the end. Two of Patrick''s teammates had fought to him, and helplessly I watched as they dove into the fray, Ned picking himself back up from being trampled underfoot, throwing himself forward once more in fury. But Patrick was gone by then. And, to my growing horror, so too were two teammates that rode forth. The Centaurs must have realized that the battle was going to turn against them, because the handful that remained dragged the mech-warriors kicking and screaming into the horde and beyond. Wraith broiled in my gut. This would not be forgiven. I stood, ¡°it seems two others were dragged off. Were their bodies found?¡± One of the remaining team members shook her head, ¡°we didn¡¯t find them yet, but¡­ we didn¡¯t look too hard.¡± I nodded, understanding the sentiment. Idly I brought up my map, setting it to find ally¡¯s. I sought the two in specific, expecting to find them buried among a mass of biotic parts. ¡°What?¡± I tensed, turning my attention to the north west with a glimmer of hope in my chest. One that crashed and burned an instant later. Their markers were far away, but their lifesigns were flat. ¡°They were dragged, far away.¡± I said, ¡°it looks like one stopped part way¡­¡± I turned to the scene of carnage around us, making a mental mark on the map in case they continued to move. ¡°Ned, can you call another Round? We need to discuss this.¡± I turned my attention fully to the man, who still stood staring at the man who saved him. His eyes found my helmet, and I found a grim determination set within them. ¡°That I can do.¡± I nodded to him as he set off, purpose to his steps as Daniel and Fran sat next to me. They weren¡¯t numb to how this affected me, or themselves really, but they could tell that they would need to grieve later. We had revenge to pursue. Chapter 104 Venture In Revenge ¡°Everyone be seated,¡± Harris began without preamble or pomp to those at the Round. All of the Lord-Knights sat, the pressure put off by their Knight-Commander far greater than it had been just earlier in the day. Ned attracted a number of curious glances - most of the other Lords weren¡¯t aware of the acute details of what had happened beyond the fact that there had been several attacks. ¡°Today we were attacked by three seperate congregated masses of biotics,¡± Harris led on, ¡°due to the efforts of the Legion, I¡¯m told that one of my Orders are relatively unscathed, is that correct?¡± Penelope nodded at her cue, ¡°Jeremy was instrumental in us knowing that something was wrong with the attack. We were attacked by a type of biotic we¡¯ve never seen before. They were far deadlier in combat than anything we¡¯ve run across before, and they were not in significant numbers. Only a dozen, and they¡¯d managed to injure a handful of my own, even knowing they were coming.¡± ¡°As for the Rabbits,¡± Harris spoke, sparing Ned from having to recount the ordeal, ¡°one Patrick Bentley, a premier leader amongst the Legion, gave his life for Lord. His valor will be remembered.¡± There was a long moment as I sat there, sharing in the somber tone of that moment. To the Knights, to die in battle alongside one of their own was to become a brother or sister. If nothing else, I knew that they would truly appreciate the sacrifice Patrick made. But it didn¡¯t make it any more palatable. ¡°This meeting was not only called for such, though. Matthew-¡± he nodded to me, ¡°-asked this meeting convened. A wise decision, but I wish to know what the Reaper wants to speak of.¡± I nodded back to him, taking a steadying breath before steeling myself, ¡°from what all we¡¯ve learned, it¡¯s clear that Argedwall was unusual. Multiple biotic life forms, attacking in planned waves, drawing biotics from far off lands¡­ none of these are normal to our knowledge. The lack of Unique¡¯s was also unusual from our experience.¡± I paused, allowing the Lords to follow my logic for a moment, ¡°I expect that perhaps there are Uniques here. Or at least one. That this Unique may be the mind behind all of the oddities here, even possibly being responsible for engineering this war-form of a biotic.¡± There was a long pause following my words, before I heard Garland humm thoughtfully, ¡°perhaps¡­ from the description, it almost seems as though these creatures are tailor bred to kill us.¡± The candid admittance was accepted with startling ease across the table. I blinked for a moment before I realized that this wasn¡¯t so strange. More than likely they¡¯d been considering the possibility themselves the moment they found out about our own situation. ¡°Cat form lower body and stealth, bone plating from the Carriers, flexible skeletal structure from the scarecrows, spiked tail with what appears to be the so-called Spindlies and bearing the ability to eject them, reaping talons of seeming generic origin, and an organic cannon that appears to be capable of firing acidic concoctions¡­¡± Garland paused thoughtfully, ¡°they haven¡¯t used all of their weapons. Perhaps this was a test run? If they truly are engineered, maybe they¡¯re still learning?¡± I shuddered to think what would happen when they knew how to use all of the tools at their disposal. We hadn¡¯t seen them use the spikes, nor the caustic cannon in the fight. ¡°Let''s assume for now that there is at least a higher intelligence behind this,¡± Harris began, ¡°what then?¡± I spoke up, ¡°then we hunt it. The Legion has experience pursuing intelligent biotics.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea where to begin?¡± Peter asked curiously. ¡°Two of our Legionaries were dragged away in the last fight.¡± I looked around, knowing that they assumed the same as me. They were long passed. ¡°We have their locations, we¡¯ll start there with a scouting force, followed by a much larger strike force.¡± ¡°The Knights will lend their might to this effort,¡± Harris commanded his fellows, ¡°we will keep half of our force here, however, to protect Argedwall.¡± The rest of the prep work went rapidly. Most of the Knights had already been mobilized, seemingly expecting a counter-offensive of some sort. The Legion was also ready, the four Reaver gun-ships making rounds further afield. Regrettably, they lacked the sensor suite to be able to track the stealthy cats easily. However, they were able to give us a very high overview of the terrain we were walking into.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. We didn¡¯t want them to fly low, however. If possible, we wanted to surprise the biotics this time, revenge at its sweetest. With me were several other scouts, individuals who were highly mobile or were mobile enough to be capable of escaping. Normally, Richard would be with this group, a fact that Alice harbored with no small amount of simmering rage. It was alarming to see the normally bubbly and happy woman like this. Her face was a rictus of grim determination, and as she moved, purpose bled from her stride. Others went as well, Sammy on loan from Strauss¡¯ team. Three dozen others, four of whom were Knights in a variety of slim armor that I¡¯d not seen yet, flanked me on either side. We cast a wide net hundreds of meters long, covering each other and ready to initiate a fighting retreat at any moment. In less half an hour, we¡¯d reached the site of the first body. ¡°Looks like our pseudo-biotic friend got here first,¡± Sammy said, no amusement in his quiet voice. ¡°The Digger, right?¡± I nodded, looking upon the scene with a newfound mix of emotions. A stone was elevated above four others, each pointing to the diamond-shape and emanating almost a physical force. Beneath it, freshly upturned soil rested, and one other detail made it no effort to guess what would be beneath it. A mechs helmet rested directly beneath the looming point of the diamond, a commemorative gravestone. I noticed then that the other scouts had fallen into a contemplative, almost reverent silence at the sight. ¡®Wait¡­ is this?¡¯ I frowned in thought, feeling for that similar dull sensation that I¡¯d felt with Harris. I barely felt anything, but barely was more than nothing. ¡°Alice, are you feeling any¡­ emanations?¡± I decided on that word, not finding a more suitable one. ¡°Any what?¡± She frowned, before a moment of realization bore itself across her face, ¡°wait, objects can be psychic?¡± ¡°I take that as a yes?¡± I tilted my head, watching as she moved forward, carefully, still reverently treading across the soil like hallowed ground. Given that it was one of our own buried here, I supposed that it was, for all intents and purposes. She pushed her hand against one of the stones, closing her eyes. We watched her for a few seconds before she sucked in a hard breath and staggered backwards. She coughed, and I found myself catching her as she stumbled. ¡°Alice? Alice, are you alright there?¡± I tried to talk to her, realizing that her eyes had clouded over white. ¡°Matt? What, ohhhh my head.¡± She muttered, clutching her temple, ¡°ohhh that¡¯s a headache.¡± ¡°What just happened?¡± Sammy sat next to us, checking her pulse and prying open her eyelids. Both of us exchanged the look as the whiteness receded, exposing the color of her eye slowly. ¡°Something very unusual.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Alice, walk us through what happened, or what¡¯s happening right now.¡± She shook her head ¡°uh, yeah. I touched the stone and¡­ another mind? Something? It was big, but it didn¡¯t mean to hurt me? Uh, shit, there was also the flavor of purple? Fuck. That hurts to remember.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh, at the description, ¡°headache? Getting worse, better?¡± Color returned to her eyes as she took her time to answer, thinking carefully, ¡°better. Yeah, a lot better. Yaga was nothing like that.¡± ¡°No wonder why Harris didn¡¯t want other people contacting it,¡± I hummed thoughtfully. It wasn¡¯t a stretch to imagine that perhaps that could cause damage. ¡°Can you tell us anything about this?¡± Sammy gestured to the site. She shrugged, ¡°it¡¯s a gravesite, man.¡± Sammy blinked and then looked to me with a deep sigh, ¡°you can¡¯t blame me for wanting to double check.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked, helping her fully to her feet. ¡°It was like a snapshot slurry mixed with acid,¡± she shot back, ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯ll tell you when I know.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I sighed, turning my attention to the rest of the scouts, ¡°we¡¯ll continue as planned, there¡¯s still the other marker.¡± A few of the other scouts looked to the grave, and I only shook my head. We¡¯d leave the Legionaire to rest for now, Patrick¡¯s teammate earned that much at least. We continued on, Alice griping about a headache and eventually taking a painkiller for the residual effects. Whatever had happened to her, I had to admit that perhaps being psychic was more trouble than it was worth. So far, at least. It took us another thirty minutes to reach another point of interest, but not one that I¡¯d expected to see. We still had several hundreds of meters between us and the missing Legionnaire, but the wide, yawning crevasse that quickly turned into the mouth of a cave greeted us. I turned my attention to the scouts behind me as we spread out, and as I stepped forward towards the cave system, I was met with a most unnerving thing. The hissing of what must have been dozens of Centaur echoed from the mouth of the cave, promising murder and violence to any entrants. ¡°Likewise,¡± I grinned, gesturing to one of the scouts with a drone. ¡°If you¡¯re not gonna come out, then we¡¯ll just have to see what you¡¯ve got in store for us, eh?¡± Chapter 105 Glimpse With only a whisper loud whirr of noise from the drones, we pushed onward towards the cave entrance. I¡¯d expected that the biotics would respond violently to the intrusion, perhaps attack the drones or begin spilling out in droves. Instead, much to the disbelief of the hundreds of men and women gathered outside of the scant chasm-into-cave entrance, the biotics simply stared. None of us approached as they sat simply staring at the drones, seemingly directly into the many cameras and sensors placed on their metal shells. ¡°That¡¯s not disconcerting at all,¡± I heard Sammy utter, maneuvering one of the drones himself. The drones would investigate the situation first, give us an idea of the situation. His task was to lead the way, while mine, as I also controlled a drone, was to be responsible for evasive maneuvering should they begin attacking. I could have taken control of both, but I decided that having the insight of another person - and bait - would be better overall. ¡°I would say that this is irrevocable evidence that a higher intelligence is behind these biotics, at least.¡± I heard Peter murmur, one of seven Lords to accompany the assault, three of which were forming a larger perimeter to prevent encirclement. ¡°Forward,¡± I nodded to the main screen before us, the girth of an Ogre opened before the gazes of the planners of the assault, save for those immediately on the front line only thirty meters away. This wasn¡¯t intended to take long. And as we continued forward through the dark, damp cave, we came to realize that this was a much larger task than we¡¯d come to expect. Droves of the biotics rested within each room, leaving barren, sectioned hallways fairly empty between them. Each hallway was bent at a harsh angle, preventing any line of sight into the next room, and limiting the usefulness of long range weaponry. If I had to liken it to anything, it was a construction that closely emulated a fortress, if but rough and would only faintly be suited for a human presence. There was exceedingly little light, though some kind of dim fungus seemed to sprout upon the walls in places. Too low for a human to see well, but I assumed that these biotics had inherited their genetic donor¡¯s night vision. In each room, eight so far, we were allowed through, even though the spherical chambers easily put the drones in arms reach. The Centaur watched, blank stares or maddened chittering jaws the only responses that they favored the drones with. We were already hundreds of meters into the earth, slanting downwards, when we realized that the number of Centaurs here was in the hundreds. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± I heard Ned grunt, ¡°why¡¯re they just sitting there? We could just chuck grenades into each room as we went.¡± ¡°Might collapse the tunnels,¡± someone else pointed out, ¡°hell, for all we know there are other kill halls just like that one.¡± ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Sammy brought their attention back to the screens as we moved into a much larger room, easily three times the size of the previous ones. It bore five other paths, four of which were identical to the one we¡¯d come through. And it was utterly empty. ¡°So, highway intersection?¡± Someone half-joked, receiving dull laughs in response. I paused as I looked at the various paths, the four that were identical receiving little more than a cursory inspection and yielding only that they¡¯d been heavily traversed recently. The final one was a large yawning doorway that actually bore roughly hewn stone as brickwork, a keystone completing the gateway and holding back a massive slab of stone above it. Wordlessly Sammy and I looked to each other before advancing the drones, hovering through the dark, a plaintive humm echoing back to us off of the walls. The image that was fed back renewed our concerns. Roughly five meters wide, the main hallway here was a far cry from the cramped areas we¡¯d just seen. There were carefully cut nooks along the edges as we floated, though we warily eyed the mass beneath us. The roof was ten meters up, and even so the drones felt no safer from the reach of the Centaurs that stood shoulder to shoulder in perfect stillness. These ones merely twitched at our presence, a mild thing that belayed the inner energy each one bore. Row upon row of biotic information bled into one mess, one that I intended to burn out with fire and destruction. This was an army that had been put together over time - I hoped - and it was clear that we were being allowed to see this. And then, all at once, they began to move, shifting stance and pivoting towards us. I was ready for the inevitable movement, and the drone immediately kicked into a far more mobile mode. Sammy¡¯s drone followed suit a half second later, bee-lining it deeper into the cavern, as I did. ¡°Deploying countermeasures!¡± Sammy shouted, the one time I¡¯d heard the man seem alarmed about anything. I pressed onwards with my own drone, immersing myself in the control of the machine. Fumbling with a controller was unnecessary; I directed it with my will and moved it as surely as my own limb, tried and true. Sammy¡¯s drone released the flashbangs that it carried, deafening the room and sending the snarling Centaur¡¯s into a confused frenzy. Whatever control had kept them in line broke in that moment, the force of the explosions briefly sending a spike of ringing phantom pain across the line from my avatar¡¯s robust sensors.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I could see one of the Centaur bellow at the noise and shock, and at once I witnessed its tail begin to shrink. ¡°Evade!¡± I managed to call out even as I did the same, narrowly weaving into the mass of bodies below as the tell tale hiss and explosion of a Spindlie, though on a smaller scale, buffeted the insides of the cave. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Sammy swore, ¡°I got hit.¡± I registered his regretful words even as I rose out of the carnage, spikes of black penetrating several of the nearest Centaurs and leaving them bleeding, some already dead, across the cavern floor. Without delay, I burned the engines of the drone hard, pushing forward as I dropped my own payload of grenades. More carnage joined as I darted through the air, this time two other Centaur using a weapon they were not yet familiar with. That was beyond fortunate, for it allowed me to push through into a larger hall, one that appeared to be cut with crude tools, resembling in some rough, misbegotten way something that I could almost recognize. All at once, the biotics stilled once more, slinking down low to the floor as though cowering as I entered. There were so many things happening at once, even with my augmented senses, I found it staggering to try to absorb it at once. The first was the dreadful realization that this room reminded me of something. The plated floors with dense but carefully cut shapes formed tile. Walls with reliefs carved into them where a castle might bear great deeds or extolling virtues instead carried abominable records of crude images. The biotics portrayed here looked vaguely familiar, one of which I immediately recognized as Karaslava, the massive bear that I¡¯d fought long ago. It was rendered amidst a charging horde of wolves, rallying around its roaring figure. On the bottom half of the relief, however, was the image of that very same beast, perishing alone and with a human, damaged though he was, succeeding the battle with a blade through its head. Then was Spiker, though it was featured in three-panels. The first was astride humble crab-like creatures, birthing smaller - much smaller than what we¡¯d fought - Spindlies, though with shorter nubs of spikes. Then came some kind of figure, a gaunt, horrifyingly humanoid form that beckoned to the horde. In the second panel, it appeared that the many biotics, the crabs, seemed to kneel before it, as odd as that image appeared. Spiker, however, was portrayed in a position of offense, and in that same panel appeared to be laid low to no harm of the Other. Wolvey shivered at the sight of it, though neither of us was sure why. It was almost as if there was something¡­ sacred about the sight to the biotics. Finally was the third panel, though, a parade of shackled beasts followed Spiker. The Unique was pregnant with some kind of abominable shard, pictured within its core. I didn¡¯t know what else to make of it, other than perhaps that Spiker had been rendered into a tool. The final portion of this, though, was its demise, a familiar humanoid figure, heavily wounded, managing to burn the Spiker. That, I knew, was the me from a lifetime ago in a battle that had claimed my left arm. Others were shown, every biotic type that we¡¯d run across with three notable exceptions. The Gray Wolves with their indomitable regeneration, the Salt Beetles and their hives, and finally Wolven itself was conspicuously absent. Was it unaware of these creatures? My gaze turned to one other matter instead of chasing that line of thought. Seated upon a large throne, crafted from some kind of pale material, was a being twice the size of a man. Six legs rested beneath it, each sharp and tipped with flexible, prehensile appendages. Four somewhat larger limbs rose from its upper half, chitin serving as an armor over some of its body. Bulbous, pulsing sacks protruded from a large growth upon its back, also shielded by several thick plates of chitin in some places. With every pulse, like a breath, it glowed a ghastly green. Tentacles, some of which were tipped with lances and appeared to be far sharper than what biology should grant, adorned this sack, some of which appeared more than capable of injecting said material. And, though the resemblance was less familiar, I could vaguely recognize a human form among the parts, and I knew that this being was what had fought Spiker. Six pairs of eyes looked into the drones sensors, and the whole creature vibrated with contempt. The biotics in the room cowered further, supplicating themselves before it. ¡°What unholy creature is that?¡± I heard Peter say the words that I myself was considering. It lifted an arm, similar to a humans save for the massive claws that encased what would normally be fingertips, and gestured once more to the walls. Ponderously it drew my attention over to other portions, a written record of what had transpired here. And then it moved to the familiar image of Argedwall, a massive mosaic on the wall behind it. It showed the defenders fighting valiantly against forms, uncharacteristically seeming to focus on the humans for once. And yet, there was something unnerving about the way it brought attention to the phalanx of Knights. In the bottom half of the relief, I could see why. Centaurs were depicted in sharper relief dismembering the Knights, though I knew that present events had not quite proven that to be true. However, the threat the creatures hosted was real, and I had little doubt that if the Centaur¡¯s knew how to use all of their weapons, they¡¯d be a force to be reckoned with. There was wariness in the silence that followed as the many eyes of our expedition took in the sight. ¡°Is¡­ is it threatening us?¡± Ned balked at the idea, but I couldn¡¯t help but think that, perhaps, the truth was a little more complicated than that. It rose its fist into the air with gravitas I¡¯d expect from someone like Harris. Distantly, I felt the alarms farthest out from Argedwall begin to wail at the presences detected. The biotics there were not attempting to be stealthy, they were moving quickly, with a purpose. Not a soul had any doubts that Argedwall was their target. Even as the sensors began to ring, I noticed as the creature rose, using its many limbs to move with deceptive ease into the hallway deeper within. ¡°It¡¯s leaving.¡± I clenched my fists tightly, flinching suddenly when a tendril lashed out from its back, striking the drone with enough force to send it clattering against the wall. It crashed and no sooner was torn apart. Turning my attention away from the screen, I met the gazes of those around us, the decision of what to do suddenly weighing heavily on me. Our job was to hunt biotics. This thing needed to die. But with half of the city''s offensive force with us, would Argedwall be able to defend itself? Chapter 106 Hope and Defense The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 106 Hope and Defense The Legion¡¯s very purpose was to exterminate biotics. There had been many occasions when we¡¯d save human lives, of course, but they were lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Right at this moment, I suppose I should have felt horrified with myself, even upon reflection, to be considering abandoning Argedwall to pursue this biotic. It wasn¡¯t just because it was biotic that I struggled with the decision. This being was clearly intelligent, clearly a threat that would only grow larger and more complex as time passed. Now that it was aware that we were on its trail, it would very likely escape the area, and I doubted we had the capability to track this creature down. But, there were reasons why I didn¡¯t simply order to push forward. The fact of the matter was, this creature was going to get away, no matter what we did at this stage. Fighting through the hallways into potentially collapsible tunnels would, at best, result in us wasting hours digging out terrain and attempting to pursue a quarry through territory it created itself. At worst, the tunnels were rigged to collapse in a much grandiose fashion than a few bottlenecks, and we¡¯d put ourselves at tremendous risk just to pursue a whisper of a trail. For all I knew, there would be no trail to follow. The expenditure in manpower and time, all for what might amount to nothing, in this case, was too much for me to wager on. At least, it was too much when a city full of people would suffer the consequences of that push. I grit my teeth, and said, ¡°everyone, we¡¯re going to support Argedwall. Fall back as one unit, don¡¯t leave any stragglers and watch our flanks in case there are any other surprises for us.¡± People began moving quickly, though not surprisingly I saw a few confused glances thrown my way, mostly by the Legion. The Knights, for as much as they were committed to a counter strike, were grateful that they wouldn¡¯t have to make the choice between Argedwall and a potentially botched strike on the mine. That was another consequence to consider now, how our allies would respond to our actions. ¡®We¡¯ll find you later,¡¯ I promised the thing in the dark, ¡®and we¡¯ll reap our pound of flesh we¡¯re owed.¡¯ As we began to pack in the few things that were necessary, Fran and Daniel approached me. There were fewer nearby, save for Peter who ostensibly was our liason for the operation. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Daniel¡¯s tone of voice almost sounded like he was frowning in disappointment. ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded shortly, ¡°we¡¯ll be wasting our time going into that tunnel system.¡± ¡°But couldn¡¯t we¡­¡± he stalled, frustration welling in his voice as he realized that there wasn¡¯t a good way we could advance. Nothing we had would make clearing those tunnels any faster. ¡°Couldn¡¯t we at least leave some people here to try to push through the caverns?¡± Even in spite of the fact that I enjoyed a looser style of leadership in most cases, I still felt a tremor of outrage in the back of my mind that Daniel was asking this. It was with no small effort that I reminded myself that, firstly, Daniel was the best friend and loyal companion I could ask for, and secondly, that I needed the opinions and questions of those close to me. If those opinions annoyed the hell out of me in the interim, well, that just meant that they weren¡¯t always of the same mind as me. I forced the march at a high speed, but answered Daniel as we went. He glanced back at the cavern remorsefully, but didn¡¯t slow, which was all I really needed of anyone in the Legion. Faith enough to follow my orders, intelligent enough to question them. ¡°There were several ways out of those tunnels. If we left a token force there, they¡¯d be easy targets for a pincer strike. As is, we¡¯ll have to deal with the possibility that the force comes out of the caverns and attacks us in the rear, but I doubt they will.¡± I ran at speed, ¡°they¡¯re there to slow anyone down who wants to pursue the biotic. I think this was a part of a contingency plan for it, but I can¡¯t be sure. If anything, we might have spurred this into motion early, but nothing more. We can¡¯t underestimate that thing.¡± Peter nodded appreciatively, ¡°if it¡¯s been learning from us, I can safely say that it will have entrenched the position and booby trapped it considerably.¡± He then smiled with no small amount of chagrin, ¡°we must have taught it quite a lot, these past months.¡± ¡°There was nothing you could do,¡± Fran comforted the dispirited man, ¡°we¡¯ll have time to figure out what to do with this creature later. For now, Argedwall needs us.¡± ¡°And besides,¡± Daniel pitched in, managing to put his doubts behind him, ¡°the best lesson you can teach it is a pretty great one.¡± We all turned our attention to the man, but I felt a grin coming even before the words left his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with humanity.¡± -Alice P.O.V.- ¡°Get into the tower!¡± I heard Penelope shout to me over the din of Knights mobilizing into the trenches, almost all of them dedicated to the side that would be seeing combat. ¡°Got it!¡± My voice was high and tight, annoyance and anger flush in my veins. Richard was still unconscious, a medical unit having moved him into Argedwall while we were present. The forward base outside of town had been rapidly emptied, save for automated defenses. The moment the scanners had read the incoming horde, we decided that abandoning the base would be for the best. Not that there were a lot of Legion personnel there at the moment, most had gone for the attack. Of which, we knew that the attacking force hadn¡¯t run into this wave. That was something. Not something good, I was sure, but definitely something. ¡°Hello,¡± I called cheerily to the two Arbolests, ¡°ready to get to work?¡± The first, a lady, snorted, ¡°always. This is just another Tuesday.¡± The second, a younger girl by the sound of her voice and the veritable eye-roll I could feel through her voice, said, ¡°don¡¯t mind her, she¡¯s always been a little edgy.¡± ¡°At least I treat this with some measure of dignity.¡± The first replied defensively. ¡°You¡¯re larping all the time,¡± her companion shook her head, ¡°how is that dignity.¡± ¡°Yup. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m up here.¡± I laughed, settling in between the pair, who unconsciously made room for me without realizing it. ¡°Should we keep a tally?¡± The two looked at eachother, and without hesitation asked, ¡°what do we win?¡± I paused a that, ¡°hmm¡­ how about losers have to cook?¡± ¡°A penalty game?¡± They looked at each other and shrugged. ¡°Sure, I can go for that.¡± The second said, as the first nodded. ¡°Emily,¡± the first introduced herself. The second followed, ¡°Lucy.¡± ¡°Alice,¡± I nodded to them, ¡°alright! Girl party!¡± They stared at me for a few seconds as I cheered, before Lucy joined in cautiously to the shaking head and grumbling of Emily. Who then begrudgingly gave a weaker cheer. ¡°Aw, come on, guys, we can do better than that!¡± I said, trying to shake the fugue in my own heart. I was worried, a little bit frightened over what had happened to Richard. It took everything I had not to climb down the tower and go stay by his side. But this was where I was needed, where I could do the most good. Where I could protect him the best. ¡°So, on the count of three, we¡¯re going to blow the eardrums out on every Knight down there.¡± I said simply, ¡°we¡¯re going to have ourselves a fun game with a fun party, and we¡¯re going to kill a lot of biotics as brutally as possible.¡± They looked to me searchingly, realizing, maybe feeling, that everything wasn¡¯t quite so simple and straightforward with the happy-go-lucky girl that they¡¯d shared the tower with. Emily nodded, a meaningful, slow nod, and surprised me with another gesture. She put a fist out, ¡°well, let''s do this then. Count of three?¡± ¡°Oof, this¡¯ll be embarrassing.¡± Lucy shook her head, ¡°if you¡¯re doing it, I guess I have to join in.¡± She put her fist in the middle, and I smiled as I joined mine with the three between us. Mine was small, but not dramatically so against the mech suits they wore. We counted down, and on three I felt something feel right. I felt all of the anger and anguish, the hope for the future and the bitter entrenchment against these biotics swirl in my chest. A tremor of rage here, exasperation and tiredness there. There was a lot of fear, too, so much that I thought I¡¯d drown in it. I pressed against that, drowning fear in a sea of intent, of the will to move on. ¡®To be afraid is normal. To have fear is sane. But to push through that, is bravery.¡¯ I recounted the line I¡¯d heard from a show I¡¯d heard long ago. Nothing else about it stood out, but that single line. Something to live by, something to remember no matter what I was doing in life.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®I¡¯ll be brave, then.¡¯ I felt my will somehow solidify with my cheering voice, and at once I felt almost as though the feelings in my chest amplified, echoing out with the sound of my own cry. And before I knew it, I realized that the Knights beneath us echoed our cry, carrying it out far and wide. It was infectious like a wildfire and felt like it hung in the air, long after my lungs emptied of air. There was an energy there, hanging above us, emboldening to my heart. The three of us shared a moment of wonder as we listened to the echoing cries. ¡°That was so worth it.¡± Lucy nodded succinctly, ¡°you wanna be friends?¡± Emily laughed hard, ¡°you¡¯re stuck now, Alice.¡± I grinned, bumping the both of them with my elbows good naturedly. Without really knowing why, I turned my gaze backwards to the wall, seeing a man in gold and red armor, larger than the standard knight. The Knight-Commander met my gaze, wide-eyed and surprised, and looked out upon the population before smiling and shaking his head. He crossed his arms, a warm smile on his face in spite of everything. ¡®Ah, I stole your thunder.¡¯ I smiled awkwardly, ¡®I guess I can do that kind of stuff. Cool.¡¯ I settled in, putting myself in as comfortable a position as possible by standing, the two mechs on my sides with heavy bolt guns. They almost appeared to be a mix between a rifle and a crossbow. Electrical crackles ran into them, thick wires connecting into the hilts and running down into the tower. Even as we settled into position, a pair of ammo crates rose on the sides, slid into place by a pair of masons on each side, giving a quick thumbs up to us as they moved to do the same thing elsewhere. The system was automatic in some regards, but they were loading extra up top, just in case we needed any ammo faster than what the tower was supplying. And, seeing the map still feeding us incoming contacts, I knew that we might just very well use all of that ammo, and more. ¡°Ready frontline!¡± I heard Harris call out, voice deafening at this close range, impossibly loud. I heard the Knights at the front, filling trenches and ready to fall back at a moments notice, clatter massive shields and weapons together. Thick razor wire and girders of steel buried into the earth made a forward charge suicide for anything smaller than a Carrier. And, moments later, I found that the Centaurs were not quite up to task. The sound met us first, a deep, low rumble that rose in crescendo by the second. The pitch of stampeding, snarling Centaur biotics was different than what I imagined a horse charge would sound like. It was ominous to wait for them, the trees and ground shaking with the amassed force. They broke the forest line, and immediately the Arbolests and myself went to work. ¡®One, two, three, four, five, oh a two for one!¡¯ I fired one after the other, matching the tempo of the Arbolests beside me. Dozens dropped to the impacts, simple bolts being used by myself so far. The Arbolests were far more destructive though, and I had no shame in admitting that for every one I slew, their bolts culled two, or three, fragmenting and piercing even the Carrier¡¯s armor. The front two waves died to the opening volley, corpses tumbling head over heel and slowing those behind them. Were they anything other than biotics, the falls alone would have killed them. As it was, the Centaur¡¯s bones and joints bent with the impacts, even dislocating and snapping back into place after righting themselves. Then the front lines opened fire with three-man cannons. Though few in number, the sheer explosive power each belched forth carved deep rivets in the earth and through the front ranks. While the third wave was hardly broken by the strike, there were many more damaged and destroyed farther within the waves. ¡°Ordnance team!¡± Harris shouted, his voice still loud even against the explosions and fierce snarl of biotics in the distance. Atop the wall, several familiar looking mortars rotated into place. These weapons were on loan from the Legion, nearly automated and quite rigorously tested for just such occasions. They rapidly deployed five salvo¡¯s before the teams based around each greyhound sized mortar began to reload them. Distantly, the waves still within the forest were greeted by shattering explosions, airburst rounds, and fire. It was a variety pack, we weren¡¯t sure what would work best just yet against the Centaur, aside from straight up vicious armor penetration. I personally think the fire did the best, though. The front line warriors howled their challenge to the charging, snarling Centaur, the first of them crashing into lines of wire, designed to shred just such creatures. Carbon reinforced spikes dug deep into the Centaur, and as more joined the fray the lines crew taught, tangling around limbs and digging ever deeper. The first Centaur only passed that location by stepping atop their trapped comrades. And then, seemingly without warning, dozens of those Centaur seemed to explode, fragments of black spikes spitting out in every direction. Almost none of the Spindlies armor piercing spikes actually hit the Knights, comfortably sheltered in the trenches. It was almost hysterical when the front line seemed to take just one collective second to share their confusion with a neighbor before they just shrugged and resumed their ready stances. I never stopped firing, but I did take more than a moment to appreciate how awful that adaptation was in this case for them. Perhaps they didn¡¯t know how to use it yet? Good. ¡°I¡¯m up to twenty.¡± I said aloud. Lucy laughed, ¡°twenty-nine, here!¡± ¡°Forty-eight,¡± Emily said quickly, firing again and again, adjusting her aim. There was a hiccup of a moment when both Lucy and I looked to Emily with horror. ¡°Do you hate cooking that much!?¡± Her shot went wide then, ¡°n-no! That¡¯s not what this is about at all!¡± We laughed, tension relieving slightly. So far, things have gone well. The first fragmented remains of the initial strike finally made it into the trenches, but I witnessed the Knights cleanly dismantle the disparate offenders efficiently. Out from the fire and black smoke the next waves pushed. They were much more densely packed, thanks to them slowing for the flames. I switched to another type of arrow, feeling my visor connect to each one, the six pronged head far heavier than it appeared it should be. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± The first arrow went out, and the heads each connected to my computer system onboard. I mentally guided each to pick a target as it flew, sharp and whistling, through the air. The head didn¡¯t so much explode as it simply projected the large, narrow projectiles to each target in mid air. The initial arrow lost momentum and simply fell from the sky. But the other six heads each tore through an eye-socket and exploded, sending them toppling I followed up with another, and another, and another, repeatedly, and had my suit keep a tally for me. ¡°That¡¯s so broken.¡± Lucy complained, trying to fire faster while Emily grumbled something similar. I grinned widely, but that grin began to taper off as I felt something amiss. The trenches were built in such a way to make it difficult to assault them from any direction. The Knights would be able to retreat through the corridors and come up between a maze of barbed wire and girders, preventing enemies from pursuing them with any great speed. It was this fact alone that kept the Knights from immediately being overwhelmed by the flanking forces. ¡°Arbalests, strike the flanks!¡± Harris commanded us, leaving the command of the frontlines to the Lords that were now smack dab in the middle of a sudden three sided strike. ¡°How the hell?¡± Lucy shook her head, seemingly trying to clear her vision as she repositioned her aim. I narrowed my eyes, seeing the Centaur creeping low to the ground, their stealth demonstrating that it was far superior to the cats. If they moved slowly, creeping as it were, they could emulate the ground easily. The only saving grace was that there were fewer on the flanks, but they were also making their way through the mazes. From our higher vantage point, it was actually harder to make out what looked like slinking mounds in the dirt. I took a best guess shot, hitting three targets and three plots of dirt. The creatures I hit snarled in annoyance and bled silver, and I realized that, disgustingly enough, the Centaur were somehow unfurling layers of tissues from their backs, covering them like a cape. Or carpet, in the current situation. ¡°That¡¯s gross.¡± I murmured, switching to another type of arrow, one that fragmented a great deal more. I dubbed them shotgun arrows for good reason. I pelted out several, not aiming in particular, leaving long barbs in the ground in several places. It didn¡¯t take long for the other Arbolests to realize why I was doing it. The creatures had to walk over bolts eventually, suddenly obscuring them from vision. It was then that I noted that the act of using this technique must have required some skill on their part, because there were some biotics that I couldn¡¯t have possibly hoped to find without it. But, it couldn¡¯t last long. The Knights pulled back, the front lines beginning to receive a much heftier bulk of Centaur all at once. Several of them realized how to use the caustic acid spitting cannons on their shoulders, and no small amount of Knights were spared only by the virtue of having a coating against such things. But that wasn¡¯t something that could survive multiple rounds of that gunk. The Lords fell back, and I grit my teeth as some of the Knights were fighting a losing retreat, pushing through areas with stealthed abominations waiting for them. ¡°We have to help them fall back!¡± I shouted out, switching to arrows that contained an acidic gas and firing to stall the biotics pursuing the Knights. Harris echoed the suggestion seemingly at the same time, ¡°cover the retreat! Pull back to the wall!¡± That measure surprised me, given that there were still many layers of trenches in-between. But, it made sense in a way. There were just too damn many of the Centaur. Already their numbers had climbed to be in the thousands. The front lines were the clumsiest of the biotics, simply brute forcing their way deeper and dying in droves to the gridlock of razor wire. Further in, though, sneaking through our lines, were far more dangerous and seemingly experienced of their members. The fact that they were still harassing the Knights as they pulled back into the fourth defensive line spoke volumes to how capable they were. However, now that they were this close, we were finding much greater success in detecting them. But, the price was high. At least twenty percent of the Knights had fought to the last. Even standing up here, I couldn¡¯t feel distanced enough from that number. It was a bloodbath. ¡°Matthew, you better get here fast.¡± I mumbled as the Knights situated themselves at the third defensive layer, close enough to the wall to fall back, but far enough that the mortars and Arbolests were still in prime firing positions. I¡¯d seen Wolven, and these people were no strangers to hordes of opponents. But even so, I felt my hope flicker as I watched them climb and crash through the defenses of the eighth trench with abandon. Even with them accidentally killing their own, they outnumbered everyone in the city ten times over. ¡°Eighty three,¡± I heard Lucy say, a small, but defiant voice next to me. Emily laughed, ¡°One-hundred and twenty two.¡± They turned to me, and I found myself shaking my head, a tremor in my hands I hadn¡¯t realized I had stabilizing. ¡°I¡¯m at two-hundred and fifty six.¡± ¡°Cheater.¡± Lucy huffed. Emily shook her head, ¡°not cheating if she¡¯s got good gear.¡± ¡°I want gear like that.¡± Lucy pointed, ¡°if I had stuff like that I¡¯d be able to¡­¡± she let the comment trail off. I felt like she wanted to say ¡®... live through this¡¯ but didn¡¯t want to finish that sentence. I grinned, ¡°well, when we win and survive this, you should join up with us. We get stuff like this all the time.¡± Lucy hesitated for a moment before nodding, determination supplementing defiance. ¡°Alright, back to the grind,¡± Emily chuckled, ¡°I really don¡¯t like cooking.¡± ¡°Hah! I knew it!¡± Lucy shouted, and then returned her focus to firing in earnest. I laughed, churning arrows out like rain drops on the battlefield. Chapter 107 Cavalry Charge -Alice P.O.V.- I felt the concrete under my feet shake as the biotics continued their advance. We fought tooth and nail for every inch, but even so, there were far too many Centaur to halt. They¡¯d begun to spread out, assaulting a third of the trenches and continued to spread. The Knights expertly shifted their defensive positions, and only by virtue of having pulled our lines back did they manage to hold. This was, arguably, the closest defense that Argedwall had ever waged. Luckily, the Lords and their Knights were well accustomed to fighting on the edge of disaster. They struck, wove between one another, and like a well oiled murder-machine, continued to tear through Centaurs when they overextended. And yet, they pulled back, now only two trenches left, a scant thirty meters from the wall itself and the city within. My focus was absolute now, hands a blur, arms burning with an as of yet dull ache from the constant combat. Overhead, another round of whistling mortars sailed through the air, delivering deadly payload upon the horde. The precious moments of space granted by that maneuver were widened by myself and the Arbalests as we worked to keep biotics from filling that space as quickly. We were at something of an advantage in ranged combat. Most of the Centaur hadn¡¯t seemed to know exactly how to use their weapons, but that too was changing rapidly. At first none knew how to use them, but as they witnessed our own combat, it seemed that they were beginning to explore the full repertoire of their weapons. Perhaps it was because of how many were falling, perhaps a survival instinct or something of the sort was steadily being triggered. Regardless, it resulted in a steady uptick in damage among the Knights. The Centaur that had learned how to use the cannons took up positions further back as I watched. I pelted one through the eye with an arrow, turning my attention to the next just as the ugly, organic cannon on its shoulder shook and fired a viscous projectile of acid at the targets ahead. This one hit the edge of the trench, a Knight bellowing in rage immediately afterwards. Virtually no Knight had the coating to protect against caustic fluids any longer, and with every gout of acid that rained down on the defensive line at least one Knight would find themselves struggling to remove the acid before it ate into critical mechanisms on their mechs. Gritting my teeth, I turned my bow towards a collection of three Centaur that were taking aim. I felled the first, but the other two managed to slip through the crowd of biotics. A group of Centaur snarled loudly and charged forward, even going so far as to trample those in front of them. There were only ten in all, but I realized what they were intending to do as their tails began to pulsate violently. ¡°Kill the group!¡± I shouted out, switching to a fragmentation arrow rapidly, doling out two in the time that they were moving forward. Lucy and Emily fired upon them, as did another group. My bolts tore through the front three, but the three were immediately scooped up by their charging companions, unceremoniously throwing them towards the trenches. ¡°Down!¡± I heard Emily shout, throwing herself at me and pulling me down just as the three pods exploded. As we crashed against the floor, Lucy beside us, I heard the crack of a shortened lance piercing into the roofed portion of the tower. Cries of pain rose sharply, but just as quickly was subsumed by the ongoing carnage. I slipped out from beneath Emily, feeling an ache in my side from hitting the floor so hard. Even before I could stand, though, I heard seven more explosions in rapid succession. Wails of pain and alarm rose along the trench, a dozen spikes dotting the outer surface of the tower, one of which seemed to have simply materialized halfway through the barrier in front of me. I cringed at the sight, quickly leaning over with my bow and arrow at the ready, firing even before I could take in the damage.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Catastrophic damage, as it turned out. A dozen knights were pinned to the walls of the trench in that spot, blood flowing freely from any of tens of wounds accrued instantly. Snarling biotics dropped into the trenches, only for furious Knights to pour in from adjacent columns, and the path directly behind that. The foothold the Centaur had created quickly withered from their wrath. Even so, the losses were immediately felt. Morale didn¡¯t plummet, so much as change, a boiling well of frustration that roiled ominously. Harris'' voice carried out from there, giving outlet to the rage. ¡°Cavalry, charge!¡± I blinked at that, looking down at the last trench before the gates as several mechs, far larger than the Knights by twice over, loomed from the deeper, reinforced layer. Each one bore a pair of grinding, hot engines that seethed heat. Radiating in the air, each mech seemed to be clad in a wavering light. Each one, also, appeared to be hunched forward from all of the weight they bore, weapons brimming from their bodies. I¡¯d realized then that I had a misconception about the Knights. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t use ranged weaponry, or more advanced technologies. Instead, it was that they collected all of that technology on an ace in the hole, something to turn the tide. And there were dozens of them. Whistling first filled the air, and then rapidly morphed. Higher the crescendo pushed, the noise devouring all else. I looked to Lucy and Emily, seeing the looks of awe on their faces as they witnessed what was about to happen. Lucy turned to me and said something. It was a shame I wasn¡¯t that adept at lip reading, because I couldn¡¯t hear a damn thing she said. But, judging by the way the Knights in the Trenches fought just hard enough to close down the metal barriers over their heads, I knew that what I was about to witness would be something special. Then the noise halted for the barest of moments, the eye of the storm. With a unified howl the so-called Cavalry wailed forth, a swarm of spectres now literally looking like they were swimming in superheated air. Their charge started off at a dead sprint and accelerated. Whirling blades and saws that glowed cherry red swept in front of them as they pushed. Caustic acid flew at them even before they hit the front line, but I watched in dismay as the material burned in midair, catching fire before it could touch them. Whether it did damage after connecting, I couldn¡¯t be sure. Silver gore combusted as the first wave of biotics nearly evaporated from the sheer weight and power of the impact. I realized then that these cavalry never needed to step on the metal plates that covered the trenches, and also realized that, probably, these were meant more for heat shielding than anything else. With a wide stride they passed over the second trench, tearing through the Centaur and making it look easy. In another heartbeat, their speed picked up, the engines upon their backs revving up further, glowing red as the heat picked up even more. Now past the occupied lines, they let loose with other weapons as well, rapid firing machine guns, cannons, and explosives. Another trench past, and they cut loose with flamethrowers that spat sticky gouts of bright flames. The biotics died in droves as they pushed forward. ¡°Holy shit.¡± I murmured as the noise carried farther away, only now just barely allowing local noise to exist once more. ¡°Pull back to the city!¡± Harris commanded, ¡°we¡¯ll take the rest of this fight from the walls.¡± I blinked at that, turning my attention back out to the Cavalry with confusion. Lucy saw the object of my attention and sighed sadly, ¡°this kind of charge can¡¯t be done frequently. Those mechs are going to need time to cool down after that.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± I nodded, begrudgingly accepting that there had to be some kind of downside, otherwise this should have been the opening gambit. As it was, there was a truly mind numbing amount of space being reclaimed by the charge. In more ordinary times, comparatively speaking, the Knights would probably push forward and reclaim trenches and force the biotics to start again. Also, assumedly, they wouldn¡¯t normally turn the entire trench area into an ocean of fire. The massive gates opened up, admitting weary Knights who carried their fallen between them. Those that could be retrieved would be brought in, but seeing the numbers, I knew that many had fallen. My eyes wandered back up to the flames that licked the terrain, the vague forms of the mechs charging back towards the city, engines near to melting from the strain of moving such hulking forms, purpose built and weaponized to perform this exact function. Each of them rested back within the final trenches, heat rapidly dissipating from their forms. The biotics lingered at the edge of the flames, but already I could see them begin their approach from another direction. They split to either side, aware that we would be forced to split our defense in both directions. That would buy us some time, at least. Though, I couldn¡¯t help but to glance at the flames with trepidation. What else would these biotics have planned? Chapter 108 Carrier Shuffle -Matthew P.O.V.- We tore through the jungle towards Argedwall, abandoning any pretense of silence. Harried footsteps and the clomping of dense steel accompanied shouts as Lords drove the Knights forward, fervor and wrath in hand. The Legion moved silently in clusters, but no one made any mistake of our disposition. Seething was a good way to describe how we felt about having to let that kind of biotic go. We¡¯d run into only one genuine biotic that was sentient - excluding Yaga as few counted him as a biotic at all these days - and that biotic had nearly laid all of Gilramore low. In the wake of Wolven, an unspoken objective that our people had taken upon themselves was to hunt such things with absolute impunity. Not everyone would appreciate that drive, especially when the real world demonstrated that everything was a choice. We could have ignored Argedwall¡¯s plight and continued our hunt, and honestly if I thought we could capture our prey, we might have done just that. Did that make us awful people? Perhaps it would, but I would rather be known as someone who hunted biotics to the exclusion of all else, than to let a true threat to humanity''s existence continue to breathe our air. I settled the matter in the back of my mind, bringing my own mind''s eye back to what was happening in Argedwall. Through a few cameras and through Alice¡¯s own armor, I could see what was happening. At first, I felt a pit of dread in my stomach, seeing the biotics encroach so closely to the city. As I was sending orders to Shade to forcibly extract us and move us to the city with greater haste, the situation suddenly turned. I¡¯d heard tales of the Cavalry charge tactic that Argedwall used, and they¡¯d insisted that the execution was something to behold. Even so, I doubted that this was an ordinary charge. Superheated air ruined the battlefield, black smoke clotting the air thickly and rendering the previous field of corpses naught but a burning hellscape. It was impressive, a method of combat that was decidedly different from our own. Bulwark could learn a thing or two from the Knights. I¡¯d have been more impressed if it had been done without casualties. As it stood, the method could be used again, and would have to be used again if the current two-pronged waves of biotics had anything to say about it. The problem was that in a battle of attrition, humanity would lose. Biotics were numberless, requiring only time and energy to recoup their losses. Far less than humans. Every loss hurt us far more than it did the biotics. However, the battle would turn in our favor. The front lines of our group breached the forest, coming up behind the group of biotics favoring the north western front. The western side was entirely ravaged, but south west and north west were fresh with defenses only now being touched by the bumbling horde. ¡°Push through!¡± I shouted, ¡°we don¡¯t have the firepower to fight on open ground!¡± The order carried through to the Lords and their Knights, the leaders of which likely estimated the same thing. Against general biotics, certainly we could manage. But against these chimera? Far too even a fight. We hit the backside of the Centaur like a wave over the shore, churning them underfoot. They didn¡¯t realize we were there until we¡¯d cleaved thirty meters through their lines, using their bodies to cover and navigate three of the outer trenches. The Legion unconsciously gathered near to the back near me, knowing that we were better outfitted to be the rear guard in this occassion. A task to which Daniel and Fran took to with flourish and poise. Well, Fran did. Daniel unleashed a torrent of firepower like a belching, rabid animal frustrated that it didn¡¯t get its intended meal. The combined weight of our firepower, a considerable armament at range, kept them from engaging recklessly. We followed behind the Knights through untouched defensive positions rife with barbed wire that could cut into steel, navigating directly behind them and firing whenever possible. Eventually, only those with higher vantage points could get shots off as we managed to outpace our pursuers. For the moment, at least. Overhead, though, I listened as four familiar sounds approached. With my awareness, I managed to pick out rapidly moving vessels, each Reaver churning out gunfire from the auto-cannon configuration they each bore beneath them. They didn¡¯t bother firing at our side, instead lacing the other with punishing arrays of bullets. It was bad luck in the first place that they returned to New Damond to have repairs performed, but if nothing else they were more than outfitted for the current situation. In minutes our group filed into the city, myself and the Legion quickly taking to the walls and setting up defensive positions. I navigated to where Harris was, finding him easily enough overlooking the land of fire that had become the western trenches. ¡°You made good time getting back.¡± He commented idly, eyes contemplatively searching the field.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°We had motivation,¡± I gestured to the battlefield, ¡°I take it that can¡¯t be done again for some time?¡±¡¯ ¡°Thirty minutes,¡± he surprised me with the short time, ¡°but we risk damaging the mechs with repeat uses. Less a problem now than it once was, but we still have no idea what the point is, if this is a one time thing or our new normal.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I believe this is a desperation gambit. One that seems to be paying off.¡± He looked to me, the unspoken question clear on his face. ¡°The biotic - the mastermind behind these particular creatures - is using this attack to cover its retreat.¡± I answered, unsuccessfully trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. ¡°I see.¡± Harris'' expression soured, ¡°that is bittersweet news, indeed.¡± We examined the battlefield, our own orders to our factions carried out in the background with haste. The general populace - the Masons - were already being evacuated to bunkers, the largest of which was under the command center. Knights were outfitted with as many weapons as they could get their hands on, the arsenal that was the outer areas of the city coming into use. Steadily, the biotics numbers began to trickle in from the edges of our sensors. The army that fell back under cover of the forests beneath the withering assault of four angry gunships was still many thousands of members strong. While our people were as ready as they would ever be, I hardly expected the fight to be easy. They outnumbered us, but no longer as dramatically as before. And all too soon, our aerial superiority ran out of ammo. They would return as swiftly as possible, but our outpost here was insecure. If the biotics overran the facility with docked gunships, our losses would be massive. Any given Reaver was far too valuable to lose, and now that our growth was rapidly slowing, we had to be careful not to waste those resources. We could rebuild, but the cybernetic reinforcement used in the process was not something that could be fabricated ad infinitum just yet. As such, it would be awhile before they could return. At best thirty to forty five minutes would pass before we could hope to see a Reaver returning. But, against my expectations, the biotics did not immediately surge forward. They marshalled, realigning themselves into three blocks that would march forward, assumedly, to the wall and break through. ¡°Well, if I knew they were going to give me time, I¡¯d have settled back into the trenches,¡± Harris grumbled and turned to me, ¡°know what¡¯s going on?¡± I frowned, considering the scene before me. A grimace hung from my face as I said, ¡°I would wager they¡¯re waiting for something. Probably reinforcements.¡± He sighed at that, ¡°I feared as much.¡± ¡°No point in letting them off easy,¡± I sent the order to the kill-team leaders, ¡°we¡¯ll begin firing upon them with your Arbolests.¡± Harris nodded to me, ¡°aye. You may wish to cover your ears.¡± I frowned but nodded, my helmet clamping back shut over my head. It was only then that I realized that there were no people near him, for at least ten meters. ¡°Ready, Arbolests!¡± His shout actually shook me through my suit, ¡°fire!¡± All at once I listened to hundreds of strikes ring out at the same time. Surprisingly, in spite of the range, many shots hit. Some had lost a little bit of their oomph, but dozens of Centaur collapsed, dead outright, and still more oozed silvery blood. The formations, though, exhibited an iron will, simply picking up their dead and holding them in front of them for the time being. It was macabre to see, but the Legion and Knights were not dissuaded by such. I myself planted a foot against the low wall, retrieving my rifle. With a simple will, the tri-barreled weapon reconfigured, only a single barrel well over two meters long stretching out in front of me, humming with power. I fired off rounds and near rail-gun speeds, each shot managing to hit a biotic, though a few veered slightly. Though, a grazing shot with these rounds still tore limbs off and sent the Centaur sprawling, so regardless it was quite effective. Then, the sensors began to feed more information to me. All of the sensors, in every direction. ¡°Shit.¡± I cursed before turning my attention to Harris who seemed to be just getting the same information. Grimly, we exchanged looks at the wall. ¡°We¡¯ll be spread thin.¡± I growled. ¡°We will.¡± Harris nodded, ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready to do the work of ten men.¡± ¡°Closer to thirty,¡± I grinned, ¡°and anytime. How about you, Knight-Commander?¡± A rare grin spread across his face, gone in a flash as he bellowed orders, the Lords showing their prowess by guiding hundreds of their subordinates to their assigned posts. The Centaur fell back slightly, even as a trickle, then a stream, then a flood of biotics began to surge forward. They had truly abandoned any thought of preservation, those in the lead literally throwing themselves onto the defensive fortifications even as they were being fired upon. The Centaur had their fodder now, and watching the trees shake, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh with exasperation. Carrier¡¯s stepped out from the woods as well, no Spindlies at all in sight. They began to lumber towards the city. ¡®The hell are you up too?¡¯ I thought at the Carriers as they advanced, abandoning the normal strategy of staying out of immediate combat. And still they spawned no Spindlies. ¡°Focus some heavy ordnance on the Carriers!¡± I called out, ¡°aim for legs, we just need to keep them out of the fight for a while.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± I heard Alice¡¯s voice ring out from somewhere, and not four seconds later one of the Carriers was staggering, its front leg joints suddenly exploding, spurts of silvery goop spilling from the hole in the limbs. It was still walking, but Alice certainly wasn¡¯t done yet. I shook my head, seeing the Arbolests beside her widening the holes with precision, the front legs no longer capable of holding the creature upright. ¡°Keep it up!¡± I called out, turning my attention to my own shots, tearing through chaff biotics with rapid fire precision. We¡¯d see soon enough if this was a simple tactic of numbers, or if something else was planned. We had a few tricks in store as yet ourselves, and I wagered that they would be needed soon. Chapter 109 Breach The distance between the walls and the biotics closed with a devastating toll of silvery blood. Their numbers truly dwarfed anything I¡¯d ever seen, and I realized that the number of surviving hives in the area must be staggering to be able to produce this many biotics. ¡®No,¡¯ I shook my head as I thought the logic through, ¡®this is all buildup. Probably a backup plan in case they were needed.¡¯ Invariably, that meant that our quarry was even more careful than I¡¯d suspected, maybe even paranoid. This many biotics could have overwhelmed Argedwall. Even with the Legion¡¯s presence, this was a close bet. However, if there was anything that my Legion specialized in, it was culling massive hordes. ¡°Ammo here!¡± I heard one of the Masons that we¡¯d recruited shout out, pulling a trolley full of ammo cartridges towards groups. Briskly, the men in exo-suits nearly shoved the crates towards teams as they passed, and just as unceremoniously those men and women snapped up several kits, distributing bullets to those nearby. The brass casings, spent and useless, were flattened beneath heavy feet or fell away off of the all below, a rain of shells that tinkled as they collided. I was no exception, now pushing myself into that cold vacuum that was the Reaper¡¯s Eye. Every burst of shots hit a target, many times piercing through and slaughtering several at once. Mortars and heavy artillery had now become much more abundant, and especially violent was the retort from Patrick¡¯s team. Their grief at the loss of their team leader and teammates took the form of bared teeth and wrathful, guttural snarls of cannons. The Ogre that had belonged to them was open like an artillery platform, and the three women and one man laid down carpet bombing in the horde. Aiming wasn¡¯t necessary, they were focused wholly on cranking out as many shots as possible. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their Ogre possessed eight slots that bore auto-loaders, helping to keep the mech¡¯s turned deadly strategic weapons in the fight. I surveyed the battlefield, knowing that we were slowly losing ground, but the losses the biotics were taking were nothing short of utterly devastating. Had this been a human army, I¡¯m certain that a route would have occurred many times over. Regrettably, these biotics knew nothing of self-preservation. ¡®Inferior,¡¯ Wolvey huffed, ¡®chaff and trash. We were much better than them.¡¯ I shook my head at that, not exactly excited by the prospect of every advanced biotic being capable of retreating and learning. Thus far, though, I had to expect that such things might be more common going forward. Another time, though. ¡°Reaper, Raijin Field is ready,¡± I heard Terry call, struggling for his voice to be heard over the deafening onslaught we delivered. ¡°We¡¯re good out to the fourth trench, except on the western side, that parts fuckin¡¯ melted.¡± I searched for him, seeing him down by the gate below, a behemoth contraption that was born from two Ogre¡¯s having backed up together. Each bore half of a generator, and the blue glow that came from the lights placed upon it told me that it was primed for activity. ¡°How many do you have?¡± I shouted over the comms, the Reaper¡¯s Eye trance letting up slightly, threatening to drop altogether with the distraction. ¡°Four generators, each cardinal direction. The other sides aren¡¯t as heavy as this one, but that¡¯ll probably change knowing our luck.¡± He pointed out locations on the map to me, the information relaying over in real time. Each one was nearby to the gates, allowing them to be defensible. Plus, there wasn¡¯t enough time to set it up anywhere else. These were a rush install when we pulled out from our fort outside of the city, and while the groundwork for the Raijin Field¡¯s floor was being set up before, the generators hadn¡¯t been placed for obvious safety reasons. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when to flip the switch. Good work.¡± I turned my attention fully to the horde after that, rattling off several more shots rapidly, burning through another clip in a few seconds. I dropped and loaded another one in the span of a second, mulching through another. The biotics pushed deeper, passing the fourth trench even as we chipped through more of them. The artillery avoided hitting anything that close now, wanting to keep the Raijin Field intact for as long as possible. Only one area wouldn¡¯t benefit from it, and that location was still on fire.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. They passed the third trench half a minute later, the lack of heavy ordnance on them giving them a second wind. Another pair of waves flooded in behind them, and I could see in the distance the Centaur beginning to stir. They expected to join the battle soon, no doubt after the less valuable fodder had opened a path, or distracted us sufficiently. That ended the moment I said, ¡°Terry, let there be fire.¡± He grinned widely, ¡°wakin¡¯ a god, check.¡± I blinked at that, but smiled as the generator let out a high pitched siren call, a low ominous tone that rose in pitch until it rivaled a banshee''s wail. It lasted only four seconds, an obligatory warning. Then the world turned white all at once. Electricity surged forth across the field just as the biotics touched the second trench. White sparked off of them, and just as I¡¯d witnessed before, the crackling, sharp whistling of bodily liquids boiling into gaseous form instantly filled the air. Hundreds of biotics around half of the city suddenly ceased to be in the wake of a thunderclap, fragmented pieces that had exploded rained through the air. Behind me, the generator quickly quieted down, no longer outputting as much power, conducting itself through its many intermediaries. The small discs buried in among the trenches performed their scans, confirming the slaughter as complete. A few remained awake, detected further intruders that, with a brief uptick in activity from the generators, also ceased to be. The Knights and Legion let the sight uplift them, a cheer surging from their lips. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk at that. In the distance, I watched as the horde stilled for a few seconds, as though the most recent development had finally staggered their will to fight. In those seconds, we continued our grim harvesting, and they began to fight forward again, though seemingly with less abandon. The Centaur, I noted, had retreated further. ¡°It looks like they didn¡¯t like that one bit,¡± I heard Harris say, grinning openly, ¡°we¡¯re definitely going to need to get that tech off your hands.¡± ¡°We can arrange that.¡± I nodded, sharing his grin as I turned my gaze back to the flames, choking soot and blackness steadily petering out. It could be a while before that died off yet, and regrettably it didn¡¯t actually keep biotics away from the wall itself, nor the main gate. North, East, and South were all under control with the Raijin Field, something that I¡¯d been very concerned about. Now, however, the reduced members that were present on the walls there would be more than enough to secure them. Here, though, with part of the field destroyed, we¡¯d eventually have more trouble. When the fires dimmed, that would be an open road. Something that I could see the biotics must have realized, as a large bulk of the forces on the flanks rejoined the western front. I snorted, as I considered them, knowing that this was, at best, a brute force option. Considering the intelligence behind them, I expected something¡­ more. A creeping wariness trickled through my thoughts at that realization. This was altogether too straightforward, wasn¡¯t it? I opened my mouth to give an order before realizing that there wasn¡¯t much we could be doing more of. We were as aware as we could be, and it wasn¡¯t as if there was a good way for the biotics to assault the city. Everything they did, we could see. On that note, I could see a gathering cluster of several Carriers on the edge of the Trenches, ten of them in all. That was the largest number of them that we¡¯d seen yet. Perhaps that was the gambit? I painted them as a target on the map, and quickly the artillery and our long-range fighters began to dole out pain. The Carriers weren¡¯t necessarily slow, but with our capabilities, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get close enough without significant punishment. Some of them would make it to the wall, but their size worked against them here. As I thought that, though, I felt a tremble through the wall, familiar to the stampeding of a charging Carrier. I looked around frantically, searching for where it was coming from. No biotic was nearby, and the feeling only intensified. Until I realized I was looking in the wrong areas. ¡°In the fire!¡± I shouted out, ¡°Carrier in the fire! Change targets!¡± I turned my attention into the ash, the black soot, the roaring flames. A moment later, carapace crackling with heat, larger than an ordinary Carrier, a living train thrashed forward. Its hammer-head shaped skull was broader and bore a pointed nub in the middle, protruding forward. Its legs were thicker, shaper, and four longer tentacles with barbs all along them emerged from just behind the crown of its head. It bellowed as it crashed forward, momentum carrying it even as we threw as much firepower as we could at it all at once. ¡°Brace!¡± Harris and I shouted at the same time, realizing that we wouldn¡¯t stop this creature. [Unique Detected! Bounty issued, The Carrier ¡®Axiom Breaker,¡¯ the Siege.] The system notification came an instant before the Unique smashed through the gate with impunity, the wall under my feet shaking. In the distance, I barely noticed as the Centaur roared, the flanks of biotics throwing themselves on the fire to smother them even as the Centaur themselves charged forward, stamping them into the earth. ¡°Breach! We have a breach on the West side! Knights, to battle!¡± I heard Harris'' order. I followed up with one of my own. ¡°Team Alpha and Team Last Call on me, we¡¯re hunting this fucking Unique!¡± I shouted. The Knight-Commander nodded to me, and I did the same to him. We both had our specialties. It seemed that we¡¯d get to hunt a Unique after all. Chapter 110 Axiom Breaker Stone tumbled away from the still charging Unique biotic, careening through the air now filling with dust. Thickened carapace protrusions ensured that the door wasn¡¯t the only part that fell away, a gap in the wall nearly fifteen meters wide. It was a marvel that the wall hadn¡¯t collapsed, perhaps due in no small part to the fact that Argedwall had heavily invested in defensive infrastructure. Nonetheless, Axiom Breaker hadn¡¯t seemed to so much as break stride. Dozens of pillars like legs, each tipped with dual gripping claws, propelled the beast onwards. ¡°Run!¡± I heard Terry shout in a rare moment of bare terror. I noticed why a moment later, and actually felt my stomach sink. Axiom Breaker had altered route only slightly, but was aiming directly for the pair of Ogres, the light blue arcing of electricity from the beating heart of the western Raijin Field flickering with what almost felt whimsical glee. Knights that had been nearest to the gate were still reeling, and the order to flee from anyone but Harris hadn¡¯t made it through to their conscious mind. Those around them, though, had noted the way that Terry had - for all intents and purposes - committed to a full unbridled escape and did the same. A moment later, Axiom smashed into the generator even as I myself ducked to cover along the crenellations of the wall. Even so, I could picture with grueling detail what was happening, the heavy crash of metal and the sudden hitch of the generator. A sudden deafening bang resounded, the world flashing white, so bright htat in its wake it almost seemed like darkness had rushed in afterwards. The clap of thunder and the smell of ozone filled the air, accompanied in no small order jolts of electricity. Even my biosteel filaments, hair on any standard occasion, stood on end with the sudden influx of electricity. I rose a few moments later, hearing the moaning of an agonized biotic within the walls. Molten steel remained of the generator, an equally molten crater of asphalt and glassed earth besides. Axiom staggered away from it, charred exoskeleton flaking away, some of it ash, from the still coursing electricity. Many of its limbs were curling in on itself, leaving it staggering drunkenly to the middle of the road. And then, unceremoniously, it crashed into the ground, drilling a trench through the surface of the road as pops and crackles resounded from its chitin. Terry was the first one up, moving closer to the generator, checking it over. No one else moved, though activity on the walls turned from the currently downed creature to the walls once more. There were more pressing concerns than an immobile biotic that might very well be dead. Though I couldn¡¯t help but look down at the creature with no small amount of exasperation. ¡°Make sure it¡¯s dead,¡± I put professionalism first, ¡°take its head off.¡± The Legion members that had already jumped to attention assented to the order with gusto, moving towards the Unique. ¡°Safe, generators dead. Very dead,¡± Terry mumbled the last part, shaking his head as he turned his attention to the body laying on the ground and then back to me. ¡°I¡¯ve got one spare, but we better hope they don¡¯t have another breacher.¡± I agreed with that sentiment, and once we were done with tearing this damn thing''s head off, we¡¯d go back to aiding in the defense. Most of the Legion would still be helping the defense, all told, but that defense had just gotten a great deal more complicated. However, the Knights weren¡¯t without their own strategies. A straightforward one, I could freely admit as I observed them stand shoulder to shoulder, bearing large shields and spears, plugging the hole left by Axiom. ¡°Alright, tear it apart,¡± I heard Daniel say, ¡°let''s get this over with and back on the wall.¡± Yomar grunted as he drew a large pole-like device from his back. He held it in both hands and twisted the shaft, a bright red blade of energy emerging from the head of what quickly became an axe. The man didn¡¯t hesitate, bringing the brilliantly shining weapon high over his head and swinging downwards. It sizzled as it cut into the carapace, but only dug in half a meter. ¡°Damn, that¡¯s crazy!¡± He laughed, ¡°this cuts through steel like butter.¡± ¡°Glad it fried itself then.¡± Jeremy shook his head, glaring at the biotic for a few seconds, ¡°is it just me, or are these things armor just getting ridic- look out!¡± The warning came just in time for Yomar to dodge backwards, wrenching the weapon from Axiom''s neck as it suddenly rolled. We backed away from it, many of us opening fire upon it instantly. Several of the shots bit into the softened chitin, Yomar himself evading several limbs as the biotic thrashed, attempting to crush him. He smashed through a building after only seconds, knowing he was swiftly running out of space. The hissing buzz of the axe he bore made quick work of the walls even without the mass of his power armor to aid him. Axiom hit the building hard, and the backdrop of firepower only accelerated as Daniel¡¯s additional armaments came into play. Axiom, however, did not attempt to roll out of the way. It thrashed, pounding into the side of the two story structure, worming its away immediately thereafter into an adjacent building as well. ¡°Bring the building down on top of it!¡± I ordered, ¡°it does not get away from us!¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Immediately heavy ordnance blasted out, intercepting it as it began to wrench through the walls of the first structure, what might have once been a restaurant but was transformed into storage for the front lines. The building we struck, even as it stuffed its oversized, wedge shaped head through the first wall was something similar. A cascade of heat and blastwaves buffeted us, and Axiom bellowed, recoiling slightly as tons of concrete immediately fell on its scrambling form. If it had gotten up to speed, I had no doubt that it would have been able to plow through even that without difficulty. We¡¯d already witnessed as much. However, it wasn¡¯t finished with its tricks. A dull glow suffused its body, and immediately the Legion gave it a respectable distance. None of us fancied the idea of it exploding, which could very well be what was happening. Instead, though, a sudden and massive amount of steam and crackling noise filled the air. It was like throwing bacon on a hot grill, and as the noise coming from Axiom increased, I committed every shred of my senses to discerning what was happening within. Visually, it was impossible to see past the growing amount of dust and steam. Heat suffused the debris, rendering that form of vision less effective, save to inform me of the heated mass within the cooler cloud. Noise, however, gave me the clarity that I needed. The moment when the bellowing increased in pitch, I¡¯d grown wary, expecting some kind of explosion of force. What happened instead was that the noise suddenly changed. Rather, instead of a single noise source, there were suddenly two within the wreckage. ¡°Axiom may have split into two! Be ready!¡± I shouted out, not willing to chance it. At best, it grew two heads for some reason and we¡¯d be on the lookout for a second for nothing. ¡°I hate Uniques.¡± Daniel shook his head, ¡°I really, really do.¡± A few chuckles resounded as we expanded our encirclement, giving more space but pouring on more firepower. The dust and steam hadn¡¯t cleared, but by now many of us had alternative sensors besides optical. Chunks broke off of the mass steadily, the flare of bullets embedding into chitin sending Axiom into an increasing struggle to get out of the debris that settled further around its legs. It was then that half of the mass broke off and rapidly grew in size, three fourths the size of the original Axiom. ¡°What the fucking hell!?¡± Terry cried out as the Axiom clone lumbered forward out of the steam and dust, bleeding rather heavily. One of the branching portions of its head had snapped off, leaving an empty, horn-like channel not dissimilar to what a cross section of bone might look like bare to the air. We rained fire on it as it began to flee, and I couldn¡¯t help but grit my teeth. ¡®We really need a better way to keep biotics from running away.¡¯ I thought as I mentally added that to a to-do list. Pumping another clip into its fleeing form, I noted immediately that it seemed to be cutting a straight line path towards the keep, a location that would certainly be housing a great deal of civilians in a bunker by now. ¡°Jeremy, kill that one! We¡¯ll take care of this one!¡± I ordered even as he¡¯d begun to mobilize his team after it. He gave me a thumbs up as he went, ¡°will do, good luck!¡± I turned to the one in the debris, Terry, Alice, Daniel, and Fran all giving it the same murderous glare I did. ¡°Start by removing legs.¡± I ran forward, holding some of the most potent weapons we had in either hand. Daniel moved in closer as well, careful not to destroy the pieces of the building that helped to keep the biotic in place. Long shafts of metal surged through the air in broad sweeps, many fitted together at once. Suddenly the air was clearing rapidly, less steam obscuring our vision. Fran had several such plates at work, though she certainly had many dozens of feathers free to strike into the biotic as it became increasingly visible. Alice took advantage of the visibility, puncturing the armor with direct strikes that sizzled and spat vibrantly colored smoke as the chitin rapidly deteriorated. It made me miss having Richard¡¯s arsenal greatly. ¡°I¡¯m working on setting up another generator, don¡¯t let it near me!¡± I heard Terry shout over to us as he began work on the backup he had. That was likely a better use of his skills at this time, the Raijin Field had proven itself invaluable already. We needed to have that operational in order to control the tempo of the battle here. Already, I could hear the clattering of steel and clamor of Knights bellowing amidst a frantic melee at the destroyed gates. How much longer would they last when the Centaur joined the fray en masse? I returned my attention to Axiom as a limb rose out of the debris, claws digging deep into something that gave it just enough purchase to try to push the lumbering giant upwards. The two bundles of Reaper Mines in my hands vanished as I threw the first one at the joint where the leg met the body. The second pack went to another limb on the same side nearby, doing the same. The vicious explosion rocked the biotic, and some of the debris fell away. However, the superheated plasma did quick work of the carapace, and both limbs were firmly separated. ¡°Clear!¡± Daniel shouted, a warning that I heeded as I dove out of the way, rolling to my feet several meters away. No sooner than I¡¯d done so, he fired into both wounds on the flank, able to deal real damage with his ordnance. Axiom attempted to rise once more, only for another limb on the other side to fall away under the continuous grinding assault from several of Fran¡¯s feathers. Alice filled the wound with arrows, each of which exploded with spikes deeper within. The biotic groaned, trying to pull itself forward even as the rest of its body quivered. ¡°Stay down, big boy!¡± Daniel jeered, cannons slotting into place over his shoulders and discharging howitzer shells straight into the wounds. This time, the shells punched deep, and cracked the shell on the other side of the body. Axiom stilled for a moment, arcing painfully just as Fran moved several feathers into place, jamming them deep into its body. She moved over top of it, magnetics cranked to the maximum as several metal objects on the road, cars, structurally unsound buildings, and more swayed towards Axiom and the feathers embedded into its chitin. Some feathers ripped out, smacking into the nearest magnetized object, but most stayed firm, barbs keeping them tight. I drew another bundle of mines, this one being the last of them that I carried on my person. With a pitching motion, I threw them into the middle of Axiom¡¯s body just as it began to glow again. The explosion literally cut the creature in half this time, the glow and sound of the biotic abruptly ceasing as it fell in place. Daniel paused, barrels still spinning, ¡°is it dead?¡± I frowned, looking at it carefully. Alice fired several more arrows into its neck, ¡°one way to be sure, right?¡± I chuckled darkly, hefting my rifle onto my shoulder, ¡°indeed. Keep dismembering.¡± As we worked, I sent a message to Jeremy, inquiring as to their status. Hopefully things were finished on their end soon as well. Chapter 111 Grit -Jeremy Strauss P.O.V.- ¡°Stop the goddamned thing!¡± I shouted angrily, ¡°The bastard¡¯s going through another building!¡± ¡°I have an idea,¡± Sammy spoke up, darting ahead, ¡°but I¡¯m gonna need it to turn up ahead.¡± With exasperation I looked over to the man that had been a good friend of mine since the start of the apocalypse. He¡¯d always been a quieter sort, but lately he¡¯d finally been coming out of his shell, willing to speak up. Even so, that didn¡¯t mean that I could make the impossible happen. ¡°We can barely keep up with the thing!¡± I shouted back, keeping from uttering a pronounced string of curses as a slab of concrete as big as Yomar sailed towards me in the wake of the steadily speeding up Unique. Sammy met my eyes, a kind of pleading look that I registered as a man with a plan that very well could be considered crazy. There¡¯d been a few of those over the last two years, usually something that would have come from me. In those moments, I knew no one would want to go with the plan if I told them about it, due to it being crazy. You could say that a leader shouldn¡¯t feel like that, but I¡¯ll be the first to tell you that no team worth their salt blindly follows someone. And yet, there was something to be said about putting your trust in someone that backed you up when the sun was low and the stakes high. ¡°Dammit¡­¡± I murmured before shaking my head, thinking hard on what we could do. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll make it happen, where does it need to turn?¡± Sammy grinned, a spark of ingenuity glowing in his eyes, ¡°Three blocks ahead, I need it to turn right.¡± I opened my mouth to speak - get more information really - but already he was shooting off ahead, cutting to the right and moving through buildings, smashing straight through windows. ¡°Remind you of anyone?¡± Allendra laughed next to me. ¡°Har har.¡± I responded dryly, ¡°Alright, buck up people and pour it on. We need to get him to turn up ahead, third block!¡± Yomar made an annoyed sound, ¡°How are we supposed to do that? Sammy and you are the only ones fast enough.¡± Jackson made an offended sound, ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± I looked around, trying to figure out what we could do, if anything. With a thought, I tapped into the suits settings, navigating a few eye and nerve controls to tweak some preset functions for the power armor I wore. A loud humm resounded from my armor, one that quickly turned into a low snarl and growl. The small engines that sat against my ribs and along the spine of the suit heated up uncomfortably as my speed picked up nearly instantly. On the side, I heard Yomar swear aloud, ¡°Alright, alright. Reaper owes me a new suit if this one scraps!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sign off on that, just get your ass up here,¡± I shouted to him before turning my attention mid-sprint to the others. ¡°Denice, I need you up here to give it encouragement to turn! Adam, Jackson, Allendra, you guys start moving towards Sammy and hammer this bastard when we get it over there.¡± ¡°Assuming you succeed, of course.¡± Adam piped in, ¡°I do wish you the best of luck.¡± I rolled my eyes, pushing ahead to the sound of Denice swearing, her new power armor going well beyond its regulated functions. The three of us rushed forward, churning pulverized concrete and dust under our feet, motes of swirling clouds of said chalky dust spiraling in our wake. Heavy metal pounded along the path, and rapidly we gained on Axiom Junior. That wouldn¡¯t be the case for much longer. It was increasing speed, slowed only slightly as it plowed head on through buildings. There was no question that this thing was practically bred to smash things into oblivion. Though, we were reforged in a world to get rid of things just like this. ¡°Shells out!¡± I heard Denice¡¯s warning, making sure to move to the left side just behind Axiom. The explosives shattered the building in front of Axiom just before it made its way through. Surprisingly, the change in the building took the Unique by surprise, the falling debris and explosions forcing its legs to shift. It lost valuable speed, enough that we were nipping at its heels. Instead of following straight through the debris, we moved through either building beside. I pounded the massive revolver in my hand, hammer fanning as I punched holes through several walls that yielded little resistance to the slugs. Shoulder first I charged through the weakened structure with Denice hot on my heels. We emerged onto the street, pivoting quickly to dodge the next set of buildings. Yomar picked up the pace, actually hitting the next set of buildings before Axiom. ¡°Cluster out!¡± Denice¡¯s weapon, an eight barreled grenade launcher, unfolded to expose each of the chambers. An autoloader behind those barrels filled them with grenades. Several of them. And then projected them like hellspawn might vomit holy water and fire. The chaining explosions entered the building at the same time as Axiom did, the building containing a remarkable amount of the power. From here I could feel the shockwaves like a love tap from a motorcycle hitting me square in the chest. Within the building, though, fragmentation, phosphorous, and high-yield grenades shredded what parts of the three-storied structure that Axiom hadn¡¯t managed to reduce to rubble. The debris - more the consistency of loosely packed dirt at this point - did little to slow Axiom, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. While the rest of our harassment had left some marks and drew blood, this had truly staggered it. Several of its legs bore grievous wounds, its main body likewise bearing no small amount of punishment. It bellowed, staggering through the building and nearly drilling another ravine in the ground as it touched the pavement on the other side. I moved through the alleyway beside the shattered building, jumping the majority of the distance even as tinks and dings of material fell against my armored form. Without wasting time, I hit the ground in a roll, coming up on the left side of the cloned Unique with two revolvers. These were much larger even than the one before, ten chambers apiece. The shells themselves weren¡¯t large compared to what someone like Daniel carried, or Patrick used to carry. But, just like my recently parted friend, their wrath was not to be underestimated. Electricity crackled through what should have been unwieldy weapons, their holsters on my hips designed to keep the things fully topped off with both energy and ammo. Patrick had helped me design this suit, the weapons, literally every part of this abominable power armor was possible because that man had not-so-jokingly forced me to wear something with more capabilities. He¡¯d been right, and I just wished that he¡¯d put as much effort into his own gear as he¡¯d done for others. That was his big problem, he put others first. Need something redesigned? He¡¯d have it done with you anytime, day or night. The man was - had been - fanatical about mechs and how they worked. But he wasn¡¯t truly fanatical about wearing them, I¡¯d realized. It was a pleasure, yes, but his true calling would have been to build them. We¡¯d lost a great man, even aside from his imagination. The charismatic bastard had opened my eyes to a world of possibility, and completely blasted away any concept I¡¯d had of avoiding other teams. A lone wolf in this day and age would only get so far. I grit my teeth as I remembered the man, another who was taken. Vengeance would come, that I would be sure of. And it would start with demonstrating how goddamned evil this man could be with mechs. Axiom needed to turn here, and while I¡¯d wanted to save these for a desperate moment, I doubted there would be a better time to use them. The triggers deployed from within the gun casings at a thought, protected from accidental discharge. The crackle of blue electricity surged across the barrels, each half a meter long and just as thick. It looked more like I was wielding two boxy chunks of metal, rather than guns.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I sighted the weapons on the flank of the creature as it continued to stumble, attempting to right itself and continue plowing forward. Gently, I squeezed the triggers, the first shots booming outwards and shattering windows nearby. The first shells punched firmly into the carapace of Axiom without stopping, the tipped bullets flaring as they neared their target and widening to maximize area of impact. Twenty of these shells ripped out with gleeful violence in the span of two seconds, my power armor groaning in the effort of keeping them on point. I winced at the feeling of the metal straining under the pressure of the bucking abominations. These still weren¡¯t quite the maximum potential of these weapons. Railguns, gauss rifles, those were nasty things. But, with the tinkling of shattered glass from the building in front of the cone of fire, and the dull and distant roar of the brief retort, I couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like to have a true railgun. Axiom didn¡¯t bellow so much as scream this time, gouts of silver blood pouring from its side from twenty fist sized holes that screwed all the way through the other side the evidence of what had happened. ¡°Fucking christ!¡± Yomar shouted, ¡°I¡¯m on this side, you know that, right?¡± ¡°I aimed high! It¡¯s turning, keep it going!¡± I rolled my eyes, admittedly having forgotten that Yomar might have been on the other side. The Unique was definitely pivoting to that side, the sheer destructive force delivered from me seeming to have been the first thing it genuinely feared. Axiom, probably, could clone itself so long as it didn¡¯t instantly die. I¡¯d just demonstrated the possibility to deliver very instant death. Regrettably, aiming them was not easy, and I¡¯d gone center of mass in the hopes that it would be enough. Somehow, it was still moving, but the staggering had become a near dead standstill with some loping movements. Yomar made his move moments later, large glowing red hooked axes, looking more like meat-hooks than anything else, dug deeply into the injuries. He bellowed, ¡°turn this way you big motherfucker!¡± For a moment, the Unique wavered, the additional pain nothing compared to what it felt. But, then, Yomar¡¯s suit surged with noise, and another pair of hooks snapped into exposed wounds. Heat flared from his power armor and spikes pushed out from his suit, digging into the concrete and providing much needed traction and leverage. Axiom turned slowly at first, but when Yomar started to yank, swearing loudly at the same time, the biotic decided that a change in direction would be a good idea after all. ¡°Fuck yeah! Lets go!¡± Yomar shouted, and then realized he was still connected. Instantly he disengaged the chains connected to the hooks¡­ except for one. Axiom built up speed as he slackened the line in the direction it was supposed to go, and very suddenly Yomar had been yanked up from the street, still towed behind by the hooks he had in the biotic. ¡°Let go, Yomar!¡± Denice shouted, ¡°don¡¯t try to ride the thing!¡± ¡°Not-¡± he began, only to smash into a parked vehicle and bounce upwards high into the air, ¡°-ohhh, not on purpose! It¡¯s stuck!¡± I groaned aloud, picking up speed once more to resume pursuit. Sooner or later Axiom would change direction again. ¡°I¡¯m gonna try something crazy,¡± Yomar started, getting his feet under him for just a moment before another vehicle was coming up. He dug his feet into the car and, in a sense that would be comical in another circumstance, used it as a sled. The biotic dragged him as we pushed ahead, and steadily Yomar reeled himself in by hand. And, just as another car was coming up, got ready to do something that I immediately recognized as very crazy. The sled, predictably, smashed into the immobile vehicle hard, and Yomar vaulted forward with a jump and pulled hard on the chain. ¡°Woohoo!¡± He cheering voice echoed off of the buildings, some now quite a bit taller than what we¡¯d been near before. I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head at the sight of the man, grabbing onto the hook and bracing himself against the biotics side. ¡°Now get the hell outta there!¡± I shouted at him. Yomar agreed, pulling on the chain and dislodging a deluge of rocks and dust, ¡°right on i-¡± Two deafening explosions rang out on a pair of buildings nearby. I¡¯ll be the first one to admit that there are few things in life that are quite so terrifying as watching a pair of four story tall buildings instantly start collapsing amidst fire and shrapnel. More so, however, when those buildings were toppling towards a biotic that a friend of yours was riding. ¡°Yomar!¡± I shouted unconsciously as the buildings smashed down on top of the biotic, burying it in tons of steel and concrete. Denice and I ran forward, stopping at the edge of the still collapsing structure. The deep pained moaning of the biotic was audible briefly before the shattering of glass and crash of buildings on fire drowned it out. ¡°Was that Yomar?¡± I heard Sammy¡¯s desperate voice on the radio, ¡°please tell me I saw that wrong.¡± ¡°Talk later! Everyone dig!¡± I ordered, moving forward, the shifting mass moving underfoot. Denice moved up, even as Allendra chastised us, ¡°There could be secondary explosions, be careful!¡± I was at a loss for what I could realistically do to be careful of those in this situation, but decided to keep that to myself, ¡°we will!¡± Instead, though, I found myself frantically clawing through the concrete, vibrations still rolling through it as we dug. It was a dense pile, however, and after a few seconds it became clear that we wouldn¡¯t have an easy time of it. A minute later, even with all of us digging, we still had made scarcely a dent in it. ¡®Not a fucking chance in hell,¡¯ I grit my teeth, forcing down a growing anxiety that Yomar would have been crushed. ¡®Not two friends in one day. Not on my watch.¡¯ His power armor would protect him from a great deal, perhaps even this. But if it was dented, or damaged, then he needed out of it, fast. There were plenty of stories of how knights in armor weren¡¯t able to breath because of their own armor being dented against a diaphragm. Even aside from that, if there were secondary explosions, he¡¯d be in a much worse way than we would, probably being closer to the source. The ground under my feet rumbled then, and for a brief instant I feared it was a bomb about to go off. Instead, though, the rumbling grew steadily. ¡°Here! Dig here!¡± I shouted to the team, abandoning any pretense of calm and throwing slabs of concrete out of the way. The others joined, in spite of the concerns about other explosives. Those of us in power armor threw the larger pieces away, while the rest in exo suits maneuver smaller pieces, pushing them away to give us space to work with. A deep rumbling made us pause and get out of the way. I imagined that Yomar would be desperately thrashing as he felt the weight above him lessen. Instead, though, the cement in a huge area suddenly flexed, the pile of debris shifting as the pale ivory, dust stuck, silvery blooded chitin of Axiom began to writhe its way upwards, struggling all the way. It heaved, the pile we¡¯d been working around destabilizing and collapsing back inwards, forcing us away. The pieces of debris sucked in close to the biotics body as it wailed painfully in the exposed air. ¡°Sonovabitch!¡± Jackson¡¯s panicked voice rang out as he put some distance from it, along with the rest of the team. We aimed weapons and as one began to fire. The head was heavily armored, though, and we noticed that few of our weapons were so much as drawing any new silver blood. And yet it thrashed in agony. ¡°Hold!¡± I ordered, watching in confusion as its struggles became more feeble rapidly. Allendra frowned, realizing that there was something else going on. Then, it began to glow, and I found myself deeply frustrated with the idea of this thing splitting yet again. But, even as it started, it quickly stopped, head smashing down with one last mournful tone. Silence filled the air as the biotic stilled, the lot of us watching in confusion as it seemed to simply die. Then we heard the snapping sounds, and hissing, and, most of all, the cursing. A red piece of metal, only centimeters long, protruded from the head plate before disappearing. And, with that ever so tiny gap, a new litany of curses that would make a sailor blush was born to open air. ¡°Yomar!¡± Denice¡¯s words marked the team Last Call moving to the downed biotic as one, ¡°we¡¯re gonna get you out of there!¡± ¡°Please! It¡¯s awful in here!¡± His voice pleaded with near hysteria, ¡°Matt made it look so easy! God, I never want to see the inside of a biotic again!¡± We laughed, the tension melting as he pushed an axe blade up through the gap again, widening it. The team handled the rest, blasting and cutting away sheets of the material before we cracked the skull plate wide open, dragging a now thoroughly gore covered axe wielding power armored man out of what was once a living Unique biotic. ¡°Never do that to me again!¡± Sammy clasped the man''s hand even as he mock chastised him, ¡°you almost made my first big plan kill a teammate.¡± ¡°My bad,¡± he breathed deeply, sighing and suddenly sagging to the ground with a groan, ¡°in my defense, it really did seem like a good idea at the time.¡± I laughed, patting the man on the shoulder. ¡°Alright everyone, good work. But it¡¯s not over yet. Let''s get back to the wall.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ alright, alright.¡± Yomar groaned, and I could virtually hear his bones creak within the suit, ¡°no rest for the wicked. Lets go kick more ass!¡± Adam laughed, loudly, ¡°you really do have a one track mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a simple man with simple tastes,¡± Yomar nodded to what he perceived as a compliment. We started on our way back, though we did end up taking a quick break to check over the status of our armaments. All I could think of as I robotically checked my gear, though, was how glad I was to not have to dig a second grave today. ¡®Days still young,¡¯ I reminded myself, ¡®celebrate when everything is done.¡¯ With a deep breath, I recentered myself. I could almost feel our resolve harden once more, Last Call was far from done today. Chapter 112 Defensive Shuffling -Matthew Reaper P.O.V- A small part of my mind was dedicated to keeping tabs on everyone as a general rule. Knowing whether a part of the Legion¡¯s overlapping defenses was being overwhelmed was a benefit that I couldn¡¯t begin to praise. Even more so as the hordes of chaff biotic began to be subsumed by the Centaur. Their charge forward was rendered in perfect clarity to my eyes, both real and cybernetic. From several viewpoints I would pick out their shapes, vague in the smoke. I pushed my own senses to the limit, forcing my auxillary processors to process vast amounts of visual input from the many available sources. Within moments the battlefield began to mesh into one cohesive vision for me, rather than several independant sources. Pain began to build as I did so, a conglomerate program running every source to a single whole was not something I¡¯d practiced in the slightest. Still, I began to see results as I could make out some of the biotics within the smoke. Emboldened, I pushed just a bit more, bringing the picture into even sharper clarity, giving me just that much more to work with. However, the pain and effort doubled with that, and I found myself straining to so much as move my body at the same time. ¡®That¡¯s new.¡¯ I grit my teeth and tried to bear through it, feeling the effort lessen marginally. So much so that had I not been cybernetic, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed. With regret, I eased off of my attempts. ¡®We¡¯ll have to work on that some other time. If nothing else, we can work with this.¡¯ I centered myself once more, feeling the acute pain that had been building lessen from stabbling claws to slivers of nails in my brain. It wasn¡¯t pleasant by any means, but I¡¯d dealt with far worse in the past. ¡°Legion, I¡¯m marking targets in the smoke that I can see. Prioritize them whenever possible.¡± I said over the comms, glaring at the column of smoldering fire and smoke. A pungent gut-punch of burnt flesh murked the air beyond that, assailing unprotected senses constantly. Constant bullets tore through the ranks of biotics, and even so, I knew that the gate would be far from a guarantee to hold. Below, the crash of biotics against mechanized infantry drew my attention to that very problem. The much larger mechs that had used the burn-out tactic were empty and unusable for now. The Reaver gunships would make another run soon, but we would need to hold out until then. ¡°We need more people here,¡± Harris grunted, standing beside me and considering the battlefield. I nodded with a grimace, both of us knew the solution, but it was a risky one. ¡°Pulling anyone from the other gates will be very risky.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He sighed, turning his haze backwards, past the defensive line. I followed his line of sight, several wrecks of mechs already piling up as Centaur struck into the melee. They were rapidly learning how better to fight, and to control their impulses as they died. Worse yet, some had begun firing at range, taking pot-shots with their tails like a manticore in mythology. They were only marginally less deadly than the original product, the only virtue being that the barbs were smaller. Past that line was the varying houses, along with the trench that Axiom left before it had perished. And, distantly, the fortress sat, housing much of the non-combatant population of Argedwall in a huge underground bunker. Neither of us needed to consider what would happen if a Centaur made it into the complex. ¡°I¡¯m going to pull most of the Eastern wall in. Those Knights there aren¡¯t seeing any activity.¡± Harris finally stated, considering the options. Currently the western wall was under assault, as were the north and south, though far less. East, however, had gone virtually undisturbed as the biotics streamed in. I didn¡¯t like leaving a flank bare, though. ¡°I¡¯ll reroute Last Call to the Eastern wall to help keep an eye on things since they¡¯re nearby.¡± He nodded to me gratefully as we got to work. Moments later, I was busy feeding information to the firing line below. The unending onslaught of biotics slowly changed flavor at the wall, where once there were basic biotics were now steadily increasing numbers of Centaur. Worse, the combatants on the walls had to switch targets frequently, piles of bodies laying against the wall providing for ample cover and space for other biotics to climb atop of. It was horrifying in no small way to witness the ramp made of corpses growing, silver blood and gore oozing from it as it disintegrated all too slowly. The gate was cleared frequently by the biotics themselves, churning the corpses backwards with claws and grasping talons. Albeit, there was still a meter high mound of corpses that the Knights struggled to fight over. Stepping onto it to maintain an even-ground advantage was unwise as the pile shifted underfoot, gradually bleeding away. For the biotics, that was less of an issue, given that their seemingly numberless horde pushed forward regardless of the threat. And, of course, the Knights moving backwards would only give up ground that they could ill afford to lose. Yet, there was little choice in the matter as the pile grew higher. ¡°Drag over debris, girders, concrete dividers, anything big and strong.¡± I shot orders out to those that were waiting their turn on the front line as Harris directed the bulk of the movements elsewhere. ¡°The line will need to fall back soon, maintain the choke!¡± The Knights didn¡¯t hesitate, nor did the handful of Legion supporting the ground battle efforts. Harris was busy, but he hadn¡¯t countermanded my order. Most of his commands oriented around the strategic front, rather than tactical. I picked up the slack there, issuing orders to kill teams and ensuring that no one side was neglected overtly. Daniel hopped off of the wall on his mech, landing with a heavy clang that resounded in spite of the excessive noise besides. Heavy pistons hissed as they diverted the force of the impact with the ground, and more than one Knight nearby flinched at the sudden appearance of the Main Line Mech he bore. Wordlessly, he helped move larger vehicles into place and dragged parts of the buildings that Axiom had crumbled together, laying girders and rebar together as others bonded the pieces together with spot welding or sheer mass. As they worked, I fired as unceasingly as I could, pausing only long enough to dip into the Reaper matterspace for ammo. Long ago, I¡¯d stored a huge amount of bullets in it, thinking that it would last me a lifetime.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I was now down the thirty percent of my original store. My rifle guzzled ammo, and I¡¯d begun considering changing my clips to drum-clips the next time I had the opportunity. Below, the Knights at the front line were forced back a step, the mound of corpses just beyond the gaping mouth in the wall piling ever higher. Behind them, forming a concave barrier, was the fruit of only ten minutes of labor, piling materials atop one another and forming a deep, densely packed barricade that the new and fresh wave of defenders were already standing atop of. In the center of that formation, Daniel waited, weapons at the ready, a sentinel glaring at the choke point set just in front of them. Over their shoulders, many Legionnaires set up additional weapon emplacements that rested atop buildings, or mounted out of multistory buildings windows. No one worried about damaging any of the buildings in the area, no one had time for such things. As such, anything not stable in the aftermath of Axiom¡¯s breach was simply brought down, the extra materials stuffed against the three meter tall barrier. ¡°Get ready to fall back!¡± Harris shouted. I mentally sent the order to all of the Legion on the wall, backs straight and steel in their hands, an addendum to Harris orders. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gonna be a doozy, though.¡± Alice answered me, laughing on top of the wall, ¡°You sure the wall can take it?¡± I faked confidence, ¡°it¡¯ll hold. The bodies will soften the impact and get rid of some of them at the same time.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± I heard another Legion member say, pulling out a bundle of explosives on a bandolier. They were strung together at the tops, a line of wire with a safety catch at the end. ¡°Fall back!¡± Harris voice resounded like a mountain boxing my eardrums, and the Legion carried out their task, as did I. The Legion member disengaged the lock on the bandolier, slinging the entire band over his shoulder and then whipping it forward. It cracked like a bull-whip, and every explosive on the band slung forward like they¡¯d been pitched by a major league baseball player. I slung the scant few Reaper Mines I had left on my person off the wall, the discs cutting through the air and landing amidst the approaching biotics at the base of the corpses. The scene replayed elsewhere, Alice bearing a pair of thick poled and long arrows that resembled spears more than bolts. The explosions rocked the corpses, and, admittedly, the wall itself. It flexed underfoot, but true to my hopeful words, the bodies must have soaked up no small amount of the power. Instead, the many flavors of percussive, incendiary, and fragmented destruction showered the battle line. Many of us had used grenades throughout, but it was general policy to hold on to one or two at least, just in case. ¡°Cover the retreat!¡± I shouted out, planting a foot on the crenellations and kneeling forward as much as I could. Instantly the air was rejoined with ever more chaos, chunks of meat still soaring and spiraling in the air from the explosives. The force of the impact had knocked much of the piles away and down, though half of the ramps still existed. They would refill soon, but for now the Legion focused on the gate. The Knights fell back, unharried as steel rain covered their enemies. Harris took full advantage of this fact, allowing the line to merge and fill out to a much more defensible position. Thirty seconds later, we redirected our attention to the wall, keeping biotics from climbing it. The Centaur¡¯s efforts redoubled, snarling in fury at our continued resistance. One that only increased as more forces joined us on the front, the Knights from the eastern wall filling in the gaps of our defenses like mortar to brickwork. Just like that, I could feel the tempo of the battle on the western front shift. The biotics still drove themselves against our defenses with abandon, but there was no advance. The Knights utilized cannons and our ranged weapons to brutal efficacy, drilling through anything that dared tread the gaping entrance. Funneled into the grinder, even the Centaur didn¡¯t have the armor to survive. There were no more weaker biotics, they¡¯d now firmly been spent, massacred sometime in the last minutes. I hadn¡¯t even truly noticed when they¡¯d been spent, the motions becoming rote. Reaper¡¯s Eye, aim, fire, confirm locations of enemies, issue adjusted orders, aim, fire, reload, repeat. It was a battlefield mantra in that moment, a way the world worked that simply was and would ever be. I shivered in some part of my human mind at the sheer focus that I could achieve. And it was that which allowed me to break away enough so that I was fully and dreadfully aware of Jeremy Strauss as he signaled a mass emergency call on the Legion¡¯s line. ¡°We have enemy contact! They¡¯re hitting the east! Request immediate support!¡± ¡®Gods damn it all.¡¯ I grit my teeth, turning my eyes eastward and back to Harris. A grim set to his jaw told me what he thought was possible. It took time to move forces around, even here in Argedwall. I tapped into his feed, seeing the amassed biotics in question. They were a horde, that was certain, but not what we faced on our side. It was smaller, composed of three fourths Gen 1 biotics and the rest Centaur. Even so, it was more than enough to overwhelm the skeleton crew of the wall, though Strauss and his team would certainly be able to bring incredible support to bear. ¡°I¡¯ll go with my team,¡± I turned to Harris as he struggled for an answer, both of us knowing that the Knights weren¡¯t fast enough to mobilize on that front. ¡°I can make it in time with Shade.¡± He turned to me, and then back to the droves of biotics, thinking of the best option. When he turned back, I could see that he¡¯d made his decision. ¡°Good luck, Reaper.¡± ¡°Same to you, Knight-Commander.¡± We parted, my orders issued quickly to Team Alpha, Alice the first to bound out from the high tower, adrenaline surging through her body as she sprinted with augmented limbs towards me. Fran was next, and Daniel fell in besides. ¡°Go without me,¡± Terry spoke from the bowels of what appeared to be some kind of hulk of metal that might generously be called a generator, ¡°ten minutes and I have the Raijin Field active again.¡± I nodded, ¡°good, we¡¯ll check how the eastern side field is working.¡± ¡°Like a charm, I¡¯m sure,¡± he joked, ¡°so long as nothing too big comes their way.¡± As one the rest of us shared a moment of accusing silence, Shade soaring in over buildings to rest beside us. Sure enough, the next video feed coming from Jeremy was of a phalanx formation of Carriers, charging and tearing up the ground as they went. ¡°Uh, right¡­ well, good luck!¡± He coughed, getting back to work as we piled into the Shade, or in Daniel¡¯s case was locked onto the belly of the vessel. Without artillery support readily available to the east, those Carriers might get to the wall. And, as if to prove that, the Carriers plowed through defenses, taking damage from each layer and from the punishing targeted attacks of Strauss team. Eight reduced to six by the time they hit the field, digging deep furrows through the equipment as they went. However, they didn¡¯t reach the wall, even if it looked as though they just might at the last leg. Only a single layer existed of the Raijin Field, and the smoking corpses of the carriers were the only evidence of the previous sections having ever operated. ¡°They¡¯ll hold until we get there.¡± I allowed a slight sigh in relief as Shade rapidly moved over buildings to the east. Daniel spoke next, a surprising tremor of concern in his voice, ¡°we¡¯re gonna be able to hold the gate, right?¡± I didn¡¯t answer immediately, seeing the horde moving in behind the Carrier¡¯s with reckless abandon. ¡°We have to.¡± That would have to be enough. Chapter 113 YOLO The stampeding horde of biotics tore through their fallen kin, meat and shining silver blood churning beneath claws and talons. Fire burned rampant through the area, filling trenches as we unloaded what few mortars we had in the area of the wall. It was a drop in the bucket, but every tool we had at our disposal was used to help slow down even a small part of the horde. The only upside was that the gate wasn¡¯t breached, that would take them some time to get through. I ducked reflexively as my senses picked up on one of the Centaur¡¯s tails inflating, a similar warning blaring across the others HUD¡¯s on the wall. I synced my own senses to theirs, helping to unify our awareness to the maximum possible. There weren¡¯t many others here. A token force of Knights all that we had to support us from nearby. They were, however, damaged, a force that consisted of individuals whom were transporting damaged equipment for repairs. It was pure chance that they¡¯d been in the area in the first place. And they certainly weren¡¯t up to much on the wall. Their ranged weapons had been emptied, leaving them stacking as many objects as they could find against the gate in an attempt to barricade it. I stood back up, immediately tearing the head off of the Centaur that had fired with a quick burst of accelerated munitions. ¡°Daniel, sweep the front! Keep tripping them up!¡± The main-line mech answered by way of a torrent of firepower, auto-shotguns, vulcans, cannons, and roaring flamethrowers that seemed to put out as much sound as it consumed oxygen. The dense stream of flame had been held in reserve, sticky and hot, more than partially to prevent friendly fire. It did the job well enough, searing a path that the horde was forced to move through, spending valuable bodies to smother the flame. Only, the fire didn¡¯t die off that simply, sprouting back to life at the slightest whisper of air until all of the fuel it ravenously consumed turned to ashes, along with any flesh that happened to be near to it. Another pair of blips on my sensors sent us crashing back down behind the battlements, more spiked barbs sailing through the air. I frowned, propping myself up and quickly culling the two of them, only to realize that there were groups of them now, pointing upwards at us with their tails lifted high, threatening us as a scorpion might. My field of view permissed me thirty such warnings blaring, the tails inflating and then constricting, allowing only the frontal portions of the deadly barbed weapons to explode. ¡°Down!¡± I ducked, hearing the whistling of a hundred barbs tearing through the air overhead, or snapping into the concrete wall. ¡°They¡¯re learning, I guess,¡± Fran murmured, rising a moment later and sending a crashing wave of a hundred feathers towards the targets. They were durable, but Fran¡¯s weapons were without mercy, puncturing the armor plating and then ripping back out. Several hadn¡¯t died, no critical injuries found, but those that hadn¡¯t were effectively stripped of plates of chitin, wailing in pain. At least, until Daniel¡¯s flame-tongue swept over them hungrily. With no defense, they died nearly instantly to the white-hot fire. He cut the flow a moment later with a grunt, ¡°halfway gone, I don¡¯t have a lot of this stuff.¡± That was understandable, considering the Reaver¡¯s had first dibs on what effectively amounted to liquid thermite. Another series of warnings blared out, frustratingly, and we all hit the deck again. ¡°That¡¯s getting really old, really fast,¡± Alice spat, still kneeling as she aimed her bow high in the sky. Guessing at what she was doing, I stood, painting targets for her and firing rounds off at several others. The twang of a mechanized bow firing a ridiculous number of arrows in seconds greeted my ear frenetically. I ducked as yet another wave fired, this time a needle grazing my shoulder pad and leaving a shallow groove on the metal. ¡®Hell, these things are ridiculous.¡¯ I shook my head, knowing that direct hits would still penetrate armor from close range. Below, I heard the gate groan as the Centaur hit it at full speed. Snapping noises accompanied the sound, suspiciously akin to bones breaking. As the arrows fell upon the battlefield, exploding into my fragmentary shards, I risked looking over the crenellations to see what was going on below. Sure enough, the first wave of biotics that hit the gate were looking very dead. The second wave had made sure of that, slamming them back into the material hard. Their sacrifice, however, seemed well worth it as damage was quickly growing upon the surface. They pulled back from the gate a moment later, though. I had no desire to wait for them, though, and even as they did so I rained down hails of bullets into them. Four were dead before their acid cannons pointed at the gate, pumping gouts of noxious, smoking liquid against the metal. I glowered darkly at them, turning my eyes back to the advancing biotics. Enough of them that they filled out to the eight trench, an end in sight, but one still filled with hundreds of dangerous, and apparently learning, biotics. ¡°Try to keep the advance slow!¡± I shouted, ¡°I have to help the Knights at the gate.¡± ¡°Will do!¡± Daniel shouted, dropping a quick burst of mortar fire in the center of the horde and sparing quick bursts of flame to the sides. And then snarled as he turned to the side, ducking a moment too slow for the next volley of barbs. A handful punched into the shoulder of the mech, but it held strong, the biotics weapons snapping to pieces but leaving small punctures of thankfully shallow depth in his armor. He¡¯d already been heavily injured by one in the past and taken defensive capacity to the extreme. Even so, these things were literally designed for armor penetration. Still, that didn¡¯t stop my best friend from returning fire, shattering chitin and sending biotic bits and pieces spiraling through the air. I hopped down from the wall, catching on a handhold halfway down to slow my descent. The Knights stood at the ready even as I moved to the front of them. Several of them seemed to respect that, nodding and taking heart that we weren¡¯t leaving them to fend off a horde in damaged equipment with no support. Though, I also did see a fair amount of grim expressions, a steely gaze that said they were ready to put everything on the line. I shivered with excitement at the sight, not regretting helping Argedwall in the slightest. While it wasn¡¯t required, it would be an incredible boon to gain the Knights as true allies going forward. Their courage and willingness to do what it took would be a great addition to the Legion, if I could convince them to join us. ¡°Alright, ladies and gentlemen,¡± I turned to look at them over my shoulder, the gate before us hissing as several more Centaur reached it and blasted it, only to have Fran mulch them moments later. ¡°We¡¯ve got our work cut out for us, but we only have to kill a few hundred of them.¡± One of the men up front snorted with humor, ¡°same shit, different day.¡± Many laughed at that. ¡°Another Monday at the office,¡± I joked, the Knights taking a moment before realizing it was, in fact, a Monday, and laughed heartily. I stretched my arms, pulling out both of my long blades. Behind me, the clatter of metal and scrap shields resounded as the Knights did the same, no small number of them still laughing, morale improved. ¡®I want them all.¡¯ I grinned behind my helmet, ¡®so I¡¯d better work overtime here.¡¯ ¡®We will Overcome.¡¯ Wolvey writhed in delight in the back of my mind, ¡®and Our power will grow, woven with Others.¡¯ In spite of the general creepy vibes that Wolvey had from time to time, it knew well that I agreed wholly with it on this. ¡°And the Reaper cometh,¡± I whispered to myself, feeling my mind focus to a razor point, the Reaper¡¯s Eye entrancing me and bringing forth only one goal. ¡°And with black eyes beheld life, and with his white hands stained red, brought death.¡± The world dulled, grey and dark in my eyes, my senses enhanced to the limit, but also excised of all superfluous information. I stalked forward as the gate buckled inwards, the barricade holding the bottom half in place. The top folded beneath the might and weight of Centaurs, the metal weakened vastly by the acid that still smoked and ate, even into the biotics that charged into it. The first Centaur to walk forward screeched for a split second before my blade tore through its mouth, cutting the top half of it¡¯s head clean off. The next moved, seemingly in slow motion, as jumped, lightly it felt, into the air. It reached for me as I moved leftwards, darting away from the first body as it fell. My blade glided, hissing, through a forearm and hand, the second coming around before the Centaur could register that it was dead. I cut just deeply enough into the torso to sunder its heart before momentum carried me past it. Crashing into another biotic, my weight destabilized it, shoulder driving into its gut as I pulled my feet in close. As we fell backwards, I pushed my legs against it, sending both it and myself speeding off in opposite directions. It crashed down, writhing in a pool of acid, while I landed firmly atop the barricade once more. And then rocketed back into the fray, the Knights only now seeming to spring to action. A part of me, dull and unnecessary, said that I should wait for them to engage. That voice silenced as I drove in low, deeper into the massing, stumbling biotics, severing legs and tails, leaving them alive and obstacles to their kin. My power armor ominously hummed, every motor and function controlled perfectly, in no small way almost making my movements jarring and erratic, like I was being jerked around like a puppet on unseen strings. Explosive movement and force dictated my feverish tempo, blades singing through flesh and chitin relentlessly.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Then I fell back, acid spraying down upon the front-line of the horde from those behind, irreverent of their own kin. A voice, that very same from before, whispered that I needed to help the Knights, to draw attention and ensure that they could regroup in the wake of the acid attack. I filed it away, it wasn¡¯t pertinent to what was nec- My mind shivered as I felt a strange sensation crash into me. Just as suddenly, it seemed as though some kind of code was being issued to me. ¡®No, it is an order. Objective,¡¯ I processed it, the format clearer to me than the voice, prescient and all important. The mission was being updated. Instead of slaying all of the biotics, I felt a secondary objective rest within the grand goal, a stipulation that strained the fabric of my attention. And yet, I struggled to hold it within me, my trance fraying at the edges. I felt the other voice clamp down on those edges like a vice, impressing me. It was helping ensure the mission was completed, in spite of seeming to get in my way previously. The Knights would need to survive as much as possible. Changing the perameters to the mission strained Us less than seeking a new way to succeed, the other voice wincing and groaning in pain that shared across to me. It was endurable. More so, because we had an answer. ¡®Danse Macabre,¡¯ I felt tremors of attention swim through my mind, feeding in details of the environment to me, diverted from elsewhere. Pressure built within my chest as I swayed, darted, ducked, and slipped between talons and acid. More and more, a culmination of attention as the Knights retreated. No attacks darted out from me yet, wading within and deeper into the horde. It took every shred of attention, and distantly I became aware of the processing power that was freed up as we abandoned keeping track of the ¡®Others¡¯. The outsider, Wolvey, wove our attention together as we moved. ¡®Our fight,¡¯ Wolvey spoke, ¡®this will be Our first fight as one fully.¡¯ ¡®Affirmative,¡¯ I responded. ¡®What the actual fuck? I have another voice in my hea-you know what? Nevermind. It¡¯s time to rip and tear these things to oblivion.¡¯ I assented to the voice, we agreed fully on the mission. The pressure in my head and chest suddenly seemed to release as I began to ravage the pack with murder, striding atop corpses to stay out of the acid. Further away, the Knights advanced to the lip of the gate, several Centaur snarling and swarming them. Behind them I swept in, carving through them and dancing away, always keeping my fights to rapid one-on-ones. I used the broad bodies of the Centaur as armor against their fellows, striking from blindspots and leaving debilitating injuries, maiming them, or outright slaughtering targets as I moved. And we danced with demise, the world a simple, bloody place for so precious a time¡­ -Terry Garand P.O.V.- ¡°Alright you piece of shit,¡± I promised the misshapen hunk of metal grimly, ¡°you¡¯re gonna work, right now, or I¡¯m going to melt you into sewage piping if I live through this.¡± Then I considered my wording. ¡°And rest assured, if I don¡¯t live through this, I¡¯m going to make sure that the last thing I do is melt you to slag.¡± Better. And now was the time for hope beyond hope. I turned the lever for the generator, really just two heavily damaged generators abso-fucking-lutely McGuyvered together with one semi-functional generator that I said I had, but really didn¡¯t. What was I supposed to say to Matthew? ¡°Oh, yeah, I only brought enough for four cardinal directions. It never occured to me that a fucking TRAIN would plow through one of them.¡± Yeah, that¡¯d have gone well. The Knights were vigorously fighting, expecting the Raijin Field to come to life aaaanny minute now¡­ And, of course, the generator let out a low whine, whizzed with electricity, and then spat a - blessedly silent - stream of smoke out before it simply stopped. ¡°I hate you.¡± My eyes narrowed menacingly at the generator, ¡°I hate you so much.¡± Involuntarily, I checked the view feed from the Western wall, realizing that, as much as we¡¯d managed to push them back, they were steadily advancing again. Several of the biotics were figuring out how to actually use their biological hardware, and it seemed that for every one that learned it, many more were well on their way to picking it up. A bad thing, when their anti-armor barbed tails were effective thirty meters away. Harris shouted down to me, ¡°how much longer?¡± I grit my teeth, lying through them because I knew that saying ¡®Fuck if I know,¡¯ would not be great for morale, ¡°five minutes!¡± The Knight-Commander looked back to the horde and then to me, knowingness on his face. He nodded to me, ¡°do what you can.¡± ¡®He really is psychic,¡¯ I sighed, ¡°right!¡± ¡°Knights!¡± He began a riviting speech that I would otherwise listen to. That¡¯s not sarcasm, by the way, I actually have to blame his psychic powers for making his voice so damned easy to listen too. I peeled back the panel on the good generator, tearing out equipment with reckless abandon. The first portions were with the mech¡¯s limbs, but as I got deeper within, I realized what the issue was. Swallowing hard, I knew that this would be, at best, a crapshoot. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just have to make components out of scrap,¡± I half-heartedly tried to convince myself that the adapter pieces didn¡¯t need to be totally perfect. And that the partially melted wires weren¡¯t utterly needed. Oh, and that the transformer wasn¡¯t totally fuc- Then I took a deep breath. This wasn¡¯t the worst that had ever happened to me. I couldn¡¯t feel my legs, wouldn¡¯t be able to walk again, my doctors had told me after the accident. They¡¯d suggested insofar as to have a live-in nanny to help take care of me. Keep me fed, watered, clean me occassionally. Like I was some kind of house plant or something. A smoldering anger flared briefly within me as I got to work, several small tools hanging within my wide open spherical cockpit flaring to life as I soldered components and rapidly put together equipment. My mech and A.I. companion helped me with the little reminders and details, keeping me focused. I didn¡¯t tell anyone that I had an A.I., and I wouldn¡¯t either. Technically I¡¯d stolen it from Reaper R&D, the same system that the Reaver¡¯s used. It was, however, far from being as safe as them. In my defense, I hadn¡¯t been aware that they were supposed to be framed after the pilot and melded to their nervous system. I also hadn¡¯t been aware that it was basically like having a super computer that was also a child. Which was actually cool, I¡¯d always wanted kids. Except it still didn¡¯t really know how to talk. There were lots of kinks still. I felt electricity run up my spine as it sent general information straight into my brainstem, something that I usually had him keep to a minimum. But it knew that these were desperate times. ¡®Alright, we might have it this time.¡¯ I nodded, slamming the components in. And then realizing that there was another problem immediately after. ¡°You have got to be shitting me.¡± I groaned, pulling out one of the capacitors and many other adjoining pieces of the only good generator. ¡®It¡¯s a hairs breadth away from being giga-fucked.¡¯ I felt a vein on my neck throb as I thought of how to fix that. Dexter, my personal A.I., likewise was uncomfortably silent as we looked at it. Neither of us were perfect, and in spite of my naming him after a certain boy genius in cartoon shows, we did not exactly make for the dynamic duo at all times. The front lines suddenly became a lot louder, and I noticed that bursts of acid were being shot forward, stopped only from sweeping a dozen knights from the fight by the debris they held over them like umbrellas. Anti-acid coatings also helped, but there were many more damaged. ¡°Incoming!¡± I heard Harris shout, a tremor of something - hopefulness maybe - in his voice. I didn¡¯t have to wonder for long what he was seeing as a frankly terrifyingly barbaric biotic that I¡¯d never seen before smashed down through three Centaur. Two were crushed beneath huge leading fists, a third doing a very good impression of a lemon being squeezed over a jar by an elephant''s trunk. Because that¡¯s exactly what it looked like that grabbed the third, minus the three pronged grasping appendage at the end of what should have been a nose. The gorilla-phant-treant thing towered over the biotics, nearly touching the top of the gate. It was broad, too, and bore a shaggy mossy coat that looked almost like fur and grew forth from gaps in dense bark-like armor. It stood on its hind legs just outside of the gate and beat its chest with its fists, a force like a drumbeat that made my ears ache even from this distance. And then it roared. I felt my stomach flip as it did so, because it wasn¡¯t just a monster''s roar. Voices tickled the back of my mind, and I knew I wasn¡¯t the only one. The others around, Knights and Legion all, stared onwards in a mixture of awe, shock, and horror at the sound. Because I could hear, literally, the echo of Patrick¡¯s voice within, shouting and snarling defiance in the face of biotics. ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± I blinked, staring at the thing for several seconds as it smashed handfuls of biotics with every swing. It was exceedingly careful of the Knights, though, seeming to almost revere them. It snarled as spikes exploded, puncturing into the bark armor and meat, dripping with a silvery-green blood that stood out amidst the battlefield. Acid ate into its hide, and as I watched, I realized that this wouldn¡¯t last for long. ¡°Thanks, Bigfoot,¡± I turned my attention back to the generators, ¡°don¡¯t go sacrificing yourself before I figure out what you are.¡± Then I blinked. ¡°Huh¡­ I guess that would work, huh?¡± I asked Dexter, who seemed confused by what I meant. I hooked the generator up to my mech directly, breathing deeply and swiftly. Dexter braced, too, and I felt my throat clench as I indignantly held back the whimper that threatened to spill out in my heroic moment. I¡¯d like to preface this with the fact that I definitely do not want to die. And that I probably was about to anyways. ¡°What¡¯s it the kids say these days?¡± I paused, hand on the switch and then grinned, all my nervous energy running into one word that I screamed at the top of my lungs. ¡°YOLO!¡± And, perhaps as whatever cringing god''s punishment, the generator started up just fine, with the expectec, the hoped outcome of the Raijin Field suddenly roaring to life and scorching 3/4ths of the remaining biotics; thankfully far too stupid to just single file in the scorched region. Which was altogether too much electricity for my mech to keep from safely spilling over into me. One upside, though, I could almost feel my legs again! Too bad it hurt like hell. Chapter 114 Dexter The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 114 Dexter -Matthew Reaper P.O.V.- White flared across my vision at the same time as an all encompassing, monolithic sound wrapped my senses in an iron grip. For the briefest of moments, I reached out with all of my senses for possibilities, the most pressing of which would be a nuclear weapon deployment. Yet, I felt no pain beyond the sharp noise, no explosion beyond the thunderclap that hit my chest. The voice in the back of my mind said one thing, with utmost pleasure. As it did so, I felt and saw the image flare across my own processing. ¡®The Raijin Field has been repaired. Good work, Terry.¡¯ I listened, turning my attention back to the biotics around me. Always I was aware of the Knights presence, they were a part of my mission. And now was a unique opportunity to carve through larger numbers of them. In the breadth of a second I processed all of this before the sonic reverberations throughout the battlefield crashed against my suits sensors. I could fight blind so long as noise was abundant, motion sensors and a veritable battery of short range sonar gave me prescience within a few meters. And with it, I dominated the biotics nearby brutally. Their wailing and confused screeches mingled with gurgling as I swept my swords through less armored throats and mouths. I¡¯d learned that cutting in through the mouth, albeit less pronounced than most other biotics, was far more effective at beheading the biotics than most of the neck. While possible to get through at the right angles, their neck armor was a presence I could do without. Efficiency was king, I would need to use the least amount of my resources as possible to extend my rampage. Caloric needs were one of them - my body was still limited by the need to repair my pseudo-flesh - and power needs were another. The suit itself would likely take the increased pressures in stride, my power armor was designed for this and more. Exploring my boundaries was an experience, and thus far I¡¯d found that my power armor could take any needs I threw at it. I pushed, flexed, rolled, struck out at odd angles, demanded incredible torque and pressure on awkward portions of my suit, and more. It kept up at every portion, turning my body into my marionette, myself donning the cowl of the Reaper himself. I felt my other voices shake their heads as I embraced the symbology further. ¡®Good, so my computer self is an egomaniac, too,¡¯ I heard him say. That almost seemed like a bad thing, even though we were for all intents and purposes far more efficient a murderer than anyone else on the battlefield. Save for the Raijin Field, that was luckily a weapon that would remain king for some time. But, all things must eventually end. I wove my way back through the lines, dozens of suddenly dead and dying Centaur in my wake as I reached the gates once more. The Knights there stood straight as they renewed their formation, baulking at the death that I¡¯d wrought in mere moments of undefended opportunity. ¡°Glad he¡¯s on our side,¡± I heard one of the Knights laugh in relief as the Centaur glared upwards at us, confused at the sudden space between us. The horde was nearly spent, and in a heartbeat I watched as dozens more evaporated into a silver mist, Daniel¡¯s heavy weapons roaring out, mulching tissues and biotic bone as easily as a gardener could churn fresh soil. Darting strikes with arrows filled the gaps, and further control from Fran mitigated even more movement. As the next few minutes of depleted fighting wore on, I gradually relinquished control back to the others, satisfied in my mission. Astoundingly, it was a flawless completion, aside from some injuries upon the Knights. They¡¯d all survived, my limits tested, and the mission completed. It was a good day. When finally Reaper¡¯s Eye wore off it felt like I was somehow fitting myself into another shoe. Only, the shoe was me, and the bulk of my processing power and the like was the foot. I was left with the distinct awareness that my so-called Trance was closer to a limiting frame of reference that was me, and at once wasn¡¯t me. Glaring out at the biotics, I also recognized one other fact. ¡®Oh god that hurts¡­¡¯ I stifled a groan as my bio-steel body eagerly notified me that it was fixing itself, strands of muscle and strained tendons regenerated with calories and, to my chagrin, a few points of matter energy. I¡¯d done some considerable fringe testing of my capabilities, alright, enough that I was pretty sure that if I didn¡¯t have this body, I¡¯d be a quivering pile of meat on the floor. Even with my bio-steel body, I had to make a concerted effort to shut out the pain in order to function. Which, I realized, was exactly what the other mind was doing. ¡®At least I figured out how to change parameters after activation,¡¯ I let out a relieved sigh at the steadily vanishing pain. Now when I entered the trance there¡¯d be ways for me to influence how things were done. Already, though, I felt my awareness increase, my mind both more and less fluid. Pre-designed responses that had been cultivated by Reaper¡¯s Eye were still there, but I now had the imaginative flexibility of being myself to use. It was unlikely that I¡¯d not need to use that trance again, but at the least it seemed to have some fringe benefits. When the last of the biotics lay dying, the Knights clubbing the few that made it to us to death with long pole-arm weapons, the cheering began. I joined in, clapping the larger framed Knights on the shoulders, who returned the gesture with beaming smiles. It was difficult not to fall over with all of them doing it, though. ¡°That was amazing,¡± Alice dropped from the wall as the Knights made space for the rest of my team. Daniel laughed and held out a fist to me, which I bumped as he jovially said, ¡°you¡¯re a biotic blender, man, good shit.¡± Fran let out a long, relieved breath before saying aloud, ¡°I¡¯m so glad that¡¯s over.¡± I nodded to them, including the Knights, ¡°we did good work. Now, from the sound of it, it sounds like the western side held too.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stick around until someone comes to relieve us,¡± one of the elder Knights among the group spoke, ¡°would be pretty embarrassing if a lone biotic wandered in after all of this.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± I shook the man¡¯s hand, our groups separating in high spirits as Shade emerged from nearby, having been doing strafing runs over the horde previously.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I don¡¯t know about any of you,¡± I began, ¡°but I¡¯m in the mood for a nice hot shower, food, and sleep.¡± ¡°Same, after I check on Richard,¡± Alice said, still cheerful, though tinged with a somber note. I grimaced, realizing that Richard was still injured, fairly badly at that. ¡°Something tells me he¡¯ll be upset that he missed all of this.¡± Alice chuckled lightly, ¡°maybe.¡± We got into Shade, moving quickly to the western wall as we allowed ourselves to relax and breath. It was clear that Alice was still worried about Richard, and now that everything in between had fallen away, she wanted to be by his side as soon as possible. Thankfully, the battle at the west was already over as we flew overhead, circling once - though the Knights and Legion below cheered at the sight - before landing in the clearing Axiom had made in the road. Harris allowed them some time to bask in the afterglow of success before issuing orders. Already I was directing my Legion to their new tasks, something we were quite familiar with by now. Cleanup after battles was just as important as the battle itself. At least, some superficial cleaning. The bulk of the repairs would certainly take more than our own efforts to accomplish in a short time. We secured our perimeter, ensuring the few automated defenses we bore were active. And, of course, our long range sensors told us a story of absolute silence. No biotic lingered along the edges. The only one that remained was the shaggy behemoth that lay on its side, slowly breathing in and out, even as Harris approached it from the semi-circle that surrounded it. ¡°I guess that¡¯s Gravedigger.¡± I murmured, shocked at the size of the biotic. It was almost as large as a Carrier, and as it steadily looked outwards upon the group, I noted the glint of intelligence it bore in its eyes. Harris sat next to it, as it rested, and I watched as it closed its eyes, sleeping. Others nearby seemed entranced by the sight, and I realized only belatedly the gentle caress of a psychic field against my metal mind. It did little to nothing to me, but I imagined the fact that everyone was remarkably calm was due to this pervasive force. Whether Harris was the source or the biotic, I was uncertain. I turned to Alice, ¡°you can take Shade to get to Richard, if you¡¯d like.¡± She¡¯d been shifting from foot to foot, a restless energy. The woman smiled widely, and then surprised me with a quick, darting hug. Just as quickly, she began moving again, exo-suit propelling her at a sprint into Shade¡¯s cockpit. I shook my head helplessly, directing shade to transport her. ¡°Now, where¡¯s Terry?¡± I asked, turning my attention around. I glanced at the generator, seeing the man still hunched over in his suit. I smiled, finding it just like Terry to avoid a boisterous celebration in favor of his technology. Then I realized his suit wasn¡¯t just hunched over. It was sparking intermittently with electricity, and the man himself, barely visible within the glassy cockpit, was slumped over. ¡°Terry!¡± I shouted out, moving before the word even left my mouth. As I did so, others took notice, and realized something amiss, though not what it was yet. The closer I got, the more I realized what could have happened. He was linked to the generator, his mech providing what the generators seemingly couldn¡¯t. ¡°You crazy motherfucker,¡± I snarled just before stopping short, feeling ionization around. ¡°Terry!¡± I shouted at him, reaching forward only to receive an immediate and painful shock of electricity. Swearing loudly, I shook my hand out, realizing that the electricity had ridden straight through my suit. Again, I shouted his name, ¡°Terry! Can you hear me?¡± A moment later, several long feathers sheared through the wires connecting him to the generator, and all at once the system shut off. I didn¡¯t spare a moment to dive forward, clamping onto the edge of the cockpit. I groaned as my fingers dug into the lip of the lid, and with a snarl through my teeth and my power armor, I snapped it open. Quickly I reached inside, tearing the harness apart as I strove to lift Terry out of the mech. He stirred as I did so, ¡°w-wha?¡± ¡°Terry, can you hear me?¡± I asked, still dragging him out when I realized that there was another part of the harness still attached to him at the spine. I frowned at the sight, noting it was far more secure than I¡¯d thought it should be. ¡°Don¡¯t touch, don¡¯t touch,¡± he wheezed out, ¡°my legs hu-¡± He froze, eyes going wide in wonder. I frowned and was about to ask what was wrong, but the iron grip of his hands against my head stopped me, with no small amount of concern. ¡°Matt, my legs hurt.¡± He said. I frowned, ¡°then we should get them looked at.¡± ¡°No, I mean, they hurt!¡± He beamed with a broad smile, and I felt my own eyes go wide in realization. ¡°Holy shit.¡± I breathed, ¡°you can feel them?¡± Tears welled within his eyes as he sat himself back down, gingerly. ¡°Yeah. And yeah, I know.¡± I blinked, opening my mouth before he spoke again, ¡°well, it worked, didn¡¯t it? Not like you had a better idea.¡± ¡°Terry.¡± I started, ¡°who are you talking to?¡± His smile twitched, ¡°uhh¡­ nobody.¡± The console of his mech sputtered, and if I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d say it was agitated. ¡°I need you to shut up,¡± he turned his head and whispered so low that I¡¯d probably have been the only one who could hear it. ¡°Terry.¡± My helmet slid away so he could look me in the eyes, ¡°who are you talking to?¡± He opened his mouth, but the mech itself answered through the speakers, though distorted from damage. ¡°Dexter.¡± Terry grinned sheepishly, ¡°j-just an A.I., nothing serious.¡± I glanced down, seeing the sticky pad that was connected to the base of his spine, recognizing it as a prototype piece to the Reaver¡¯s. An exasperated breath left my lips, ¡°Terry.¡± He noted my glance, and knew that there wasn¡¯t any way out of this. ¡°Alright, it was a good idea, and in my defense things have been great between me and Dexter. I mean, I¡¯m sorry that I stole that A.I. tech, but it¡¯s just been so handy-¡± ¡°Terry, it¡¯s an A.I. that can overwrite your brain if it gets uninhibited access to it.¡± I stopped him cold, ¡°tell me you can remove it.¡± He blinked, as though suddenly realizing that, yes, that might be unwise to have. And, in the same moment, crossed his arms with a huff, ¡°it¡¯s not like he¡¯s permanently attached there, the chipset is¡­¡± He frowned, and then put a hand to the back of his neck. ¡°Shit.¡± I watched as he disconnected the strap at the base of his spine, the elastic device coming off after he turned a nob enough. With a sick slap, he was now free of the mech. I listened to him grumble several strings of curses as I stared at him. ¡°He¡¯s still there, isn¡¯t he?¡± Neutrally, I spoke, not wanting to spook Terry further. After all, Smith and I had gotten along quite well. Terry swallowed hard, looking up to me with grimace, ¡°yeah. Yeah he is.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, just extending my hand to him and bringing him out of the mech. His legs were weak, as they should be from disuse, and he cringed and whimpered a few times when they came into contact with something. ¡°Oh, god, it¡¯s like pins and needles,¡± he half laughed through gritted teeth, ¡°it better not be like this all the time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the infirmary so we can check some things out.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like if you¡¯ve suddenly got a chip at the base of your skull.¡± I pointed out, ¡°or if a part of your brain is metal, now.¡± He blinked rapidly before nodding, ¡°yeah, you know what, lets go to the infirmary, that sounds good.¡± The others followed us, stunned silent that Terry seemed to be moving his legs, albeit not very well. ¡®Well, hopefully this Dexter A.I. isn¡¯t insane.¡¯ I thought to myself, wondering what Terry would be dealing with in the future. ¡®Probably not as bad as Wolvey or Reaper¡¯s Eye.¡¯ As though to illustrate the point, I felt pushback from both of those other parts of my mind. Chapter 115 In the days following the battle for Argedwall the Legion and the Knights solidified an alliance forged through blood. Biotic activity was, perhaps predictably, exceedingly low in the area around now, and due to the ever advancing sensor network, many of the defenses were now coming under either automated defense, or subject to the heavy hand of the Knights and their long reach. The losses we¡¯d taken were heavier than we¡¯d hoped, thirteen Legion perished in the battle, and nearly forty Knights. We held a mass wake a day after the battle, the somber city of Argedwall rife with candles, all along the four main streets, each cardinal direction. After the surreal silence of an entire city came the loud cheering and toasting to those who had succeeded. Remembrance through song and cheer was preferred among those who yet lived in Argedwall, and I found it vastly preferable to the cloying sadness from before. As for the Legion, we commemorated our dead alongside them. Most of the bodies would be taken to New Damond where we would entomb them beneath the Obelisk, the site of the Reaper¡¯s Mausoleum. However, there was one such body that we would not move. We¡¯d discovered Patrick¡¯s body after the battle, enshrined beneath a monolithic stone that rose ten meters into the air, carefully carved with fluid icons and pictographs all across its surface. It was suspended above the grave, as was Gravedigger¡¯s penchant, though this time the trees themselves were immense, growing rapidly up and over the structure. Some of us wanted to dig them up, but eventually we decided that this memorial could stay. In no small part, Gravedigger had helped stop the last advance of the biotics. Given that, we would overlook this, though it was mostly the remains of Patrick¡¯s team that pushed the opinion over the edge. ¡°Knowing Patrick, he¡¯d have loved it.¡± One had spoken up, ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to take him from that.¡± And the matter rested. Each of the gravesites were already being sanctioned by Argedwall as the closest things they had to holy sites, perhaps someday something that people could visit to pay homage too. The highway had been completed, our fort repurposed to a large supplies outpost for emergencies. Argedwall gave us several buildings within the city to use for whatever we might need, expressly to encourage continued close ties in the future. Likewise, my intent for having the Knights become a part of the Legion were looked upon fortuitously. Said talks amongst the Knights and their Knight-Commander were going on at this very moment, as myself and my team sat in a waiting hall just beyond the doors to the Round. ¡°Doing alright?¡± Alice asked, her question directed to the man beside her. I turned my head, more out of habit than anything else since I could see most things around me anyways, and noted Richard massaging his arm. He smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just gets a little tingly now and then.¡± ¡°Remember not to move it too much,¡± she admonished him, eyes falling on the white brace that clung entirely around his shoulder and a portion of his chest, filled with a blue gel that helped encourage healing and didn¡¯t need to be removed. The skin-cast still kept his arm more or less rigid, braced to rest across his chest along with the mesh sling that helped to keep it jostling overtly. Richard let out a heavy sigh, ¡°I know, I know, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°How much longer do you have to have that on?¡± I asked, eyebrow lifted as I glanced over the impressive medical technology. ¡°Another few days in the sling, another week with the cast,¡± Richard huffed, ¡°honestly it feels fine.¡± ¡°You lost an arm, my dude,¡± Daniel laughed, ¡°a week ain¡¯t bad at all for recovery.¡± Richard grumbled, ¡°yeah, I still don¡¯t like wearing this thing.¡± I chuckled, the general tone good natured. Realistically, our medical technology was our primary focus in terms of research. Several new implementations were ready to roll out to our Legion teams in the field, even a possibility for an auto-doctor surgical station to be employed on teams that could theoretically move with it. The Legion wouldn¡¯t always be near cities, and even if they were, those cities might have poor medical facilities. It was highly desired to advance our medical technology in several ways in the wake of what had been displayed with myself. The fact that I survived where anyone else died spoke volumes to the Legionaries in the know, and they wanted to have something that might at least save their lives if the worst would happen.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. When we got back to New Damond, many advancements would be available to the Legion here. Quite in fact, most had already left, getting outfitted with new equipment, but we stayed behind for this very important meeting. One that was already taking a bit too long for my liking. Seemingly summoned at that thought, the doors opened, Peter standing in the gateway with a small smirk on his face. He met my gaze and nodded, my party and I rising from our seats to move into the large room. ¡°Announcing the Reaper and company,¡± Peter called out, the remaining hubbub around the table diminishing as the assembled power of the city turned their gazes upon us. After the battle there¡¯d been plenty of people who now took my name as Reaper seriously, to my mixed feelings on the matter. It wasn¡¯t the name, it was the fact that when people said it now there was a sense of awe, even wariness that wasn¡¯t there before. A video of my bloodbath at the eastern gate had circulated, and seeing my moves in real time made my jerking, vicious movements all the more unsettling to see. In some steps I would gracefully, fluidly move, drawing attention and dodging blows with a hair¡¯s breadth between me and disaster. Other times, though, a jerking motion would take me explosively through my prey, more akin to a devilish marionette than to a living thing. But, if nothing else, the people of Argedwall took me quite seriously now, and the few that had found it amusing that I called myself Reaper had suddenly vanished. ¡°Please, be seated,¡± Harris spoke, gesturing to a collection of chairs that had been brought forward. Three such seats were empty at the round, and behind them were several more for our entourage. Our entourage, because two other announcements came after my own. ¡°Lilia Bertholdt in honor of the late Patrick Bentley of the Iron Chariots,¡± Peter announced afterwards as I moved to the back of the chair designated to me. ¡°Jeremy Strauss of the team Last Call,¡± the Lord finished as the swaggering man moved into the room, carrying himself with a self-assured confidence that would look out of place and obnoxious on most people. He wore it well. Lilia sat beside me, giving me a short respectful nod. I¡¯d met her on a handful of occasions, the second-in-command of Peters, someone who shared his passion but also possessed a much more iron-and-strife view of the world. She¡¯d taken over the Iron Chariot team, and while she did well for now, time would tell if she would continue with the position or disband the team. As Jeremy sat down beside her, Harris drew our attention back across the room, waiting for a respectful moment for ourselves and our companies to be seated. ¡°Before I tell you the decision of the round, there is something that I would like to say.¡± He began, surprised glances from those around the table shooting to him. ¡°When this apocalypse first began, I was afraid of the future; what horrible things could await us, and what chances we had to survive.¡± He stated frankly, turning his gaze to the lords around. The sentiment was not solitary, judging by the expressions the others wore, ¡°Even so, I carried on, knowing that to do nothing would be to lie down and die. Together we trudged on, made mistakes, and eventually came to form the Round after many unlikely and improbable events.¡± ¡°I do not jest when I say that at any step what we have now could have become a ¡®should have been¡¯ rather than our own reality. It was through the blood, sweat, and ambition of this city that we wrought a strong foundation of power to stand upon.¡± He leveled a complicated gaze to me, ¡°and it is no small thing to submit even fractionally to another, even as allies,¡± I nodded appreciatively to the sentiment, and perhaps were this with any other person, in any other place, I¡¯d have started getting worried that the Knights were having second thoughts. The other Knight-Lords were somewhat at a loss for what Harris was doing, but I thought I had the man figured out well enough. What he wanted was not to unsettle me, but to highlight what this meant. Perhaps seeing the lack of effect on my face, Harris smiled broadly, ¡°however, no mere ally of ours could engender such faith from our people. No mere neighbor would shed blood and fallen heroes-¡± at this he inclined his head to Lilia, who took a sharp breath to steady her nerves, ¡°-for those they barely know. Our city may well have fallen without the efforts and sacrifices the Legion put forth beside us. I hesitate to consider what we might have lost¡­¡± Harris blew a steadying breath, meeting the gazes of a few of his Lords, who then turned to me, somber and unified. ¡°A powerful foundation. That¡¯s what anything that lasts the tests of time has, and it is what Argedwall has sought to build strongly. And yet, I do not see the union between the Legion and the Knights as anything but a foundation stronger than the sum of its parts.¡± At this, Harris rose, as did the Lords around him. As one, their fists clanged against their mechanized armors, right hands clasped over their hearts, ¡°it is with gladness and honor, then, that the Knights of the Round, Defenders of Argedwall, accept the Legions invitation to join them, to forge a future stronger, from a foundation broad. What say you, The Reaper of The Legion?¡± Emotion surged within me, ecstatic and taken aback all at once. Beside me, the psychic force of Harris'' own emotions wrapped my companions in an air of what I could only describe as iron-clad sincerity and loyalty. I rose from my seat, raising a fist to my chest loudly, ¡°I accept the Knights of Argedwall¡¯s most honorable and pure intent. Together we will create a future worthy of humanity, a future worth fighting to live in. And henceforth,¡± I swept my gaze theatrically across the gathered Lords, ¡°I name thee the Knights of the Legion, may your blades be ever pure and reach ever long.¡± There was a moment where even I felt the emotional flux in Harris, in spite of my deadened senses. It was excitement, and no small portion of pride. Behind me, the three teams stood from their tables, as did my companions beside me. All as one, the Legion members readied, and the Knights themselves seemed to galvanize in that moment. As one, they spoke. ¡°For the Legion!¡± Chapter 116 Tombstone -Matthew P.O.V.- Overlooking New Damond, a black and red Obelisk pulsed softly with light. It constantly fed the industries and machinations of the Legion-filled city, now nearly as large as Old Damond had been in the past. Constant construction and bustle filled the central city, buildings that stood in stout unity around the Obelisk marking several major sectors and operations that the Legion required. Three such buildings stood in prominence, emulating the Obelisk with minor deviations between them. The first was the primary headquarters of the Legion, nicknamed ¡°The Nail¡± by those commonly around it. The broadened top allowed for the constant air activity that came and went for important visitations and upper echelon movements to never cease. As most structures of an official nature in the city, the predominant colors were black and red, a slick shining black and a glowing, ruby blood red to be specific. Second to that building was ¡°Twin-Peak¡±, a building that split in half along two towering spirals a little more than one-third of the way up the building. One peak was dedicated in wholeness to the continued research of new technologies, while the second was renowned for expertise in development strategies. There were several bridges that spanned between them, both for the symbolic image and for simple utility. The gaps between the bridges were filled with holographic displays that lit up with intricate fractals, casting dazzling light shows upon the buildings and air above and below them. Innovation was king, and imagination was encouraged here. Though it also saw the highest incidence of fire-fighting and emergency responses, luckily the building was perhaps the most robust construction to ever exist. Finally there was the ¡°Tombstone,¡± spoken of with equal parts fear and respect. It was a dedication to all the fallen, its walls rife with those that had given their lives for the cause. This was also the location where all new recruits who passed the most basic of tests in Gilramore - culling wolves - would be inducted as Legion Trainees. It was here, in the weeks following the campaign of Argedwall, that new recruits were introduced to the Legion¡¯s Knights and Reapers. But, the name ¡°Tombstone¡± was only one nickname. The recruits and those who trained here under the brutal and challenging regimen had another name for it. ¡°The Bloody Brick,¡± was its separate moniker, one that the teachers, both permanent and guest, were more than happy to bear. The squat structure was designed wide and went underground, employing impressive virtual reality augmentation technology to push candidates to the edge without true harm. Cleverly designed suits would give the feel of combat, the rush of adrenaline, the acrid scent of burning biotic blood and smoldering landscape. Simulated too were the painful wounds, flowing blood, and fear of death accompaniments. Twenty percent pain was the standard, but any recruit would tell you that twenty percent pain of losing an arm was still very, very painful. Of course, things were never permanent, and recruits could elect out of a session at any time. The program was effective, and the first Phalanx - the term coined for an entire ¡®Generation¡¯ of new Legionaires - would graduate today. It had been modified to be more in line with recent encounters, making it far more challenging as a result. Though, it had been reduced in difficulty in some cases - the Wolven battle was viewed as an outlier these days - to make it more reasonable. Today, however, the simulation would not be toned down. It, like reality, would not be ¡°reasonable¡±. Fully fledged Legion teams with their Veteran Knights and Reapers would run the gauntlet with the various students. My own would be excluded, Reaper Alpha had members taking either a much needed break, visiting family, or pursuing our ventures. I myself had few distractions beyond the Legion, so I often devoted my time to my organization. Alice and Richard were doing a little bit of everything, speaking to Gerry in Sunvilla to ensure that things were going smoothly and to thank him for arranging a hefty portion of this batch of recruits. Nearly three-fourths of our Phalanx came from Sunvilla, and nearly all of them had stayed through the worst of the training. I¡¯d had far worse prospects for the end result, and was endlessly surprised when they¡¯d shown the mettle to push past their limits. Part of that, though, was that we had very good teachers on hand. ¡°Alright, Phalanx Gamma,¡± the grizzled man with a familiar face spoke, now donning his full battle armor to commemorate the classes willingness to attempt a Full-Gauntlet clear, ¡°fall-in, we¡¯ve got a special guest on the viewing platform that you¡¯ll want to impress.¡± Rick Borham (his name was Richard Borham, but I¡¯d found he never liked being called by his actual first name) was a man who¡¯d shed blood beside me in the mines. At the time, he used a half-cobbled together bolt-gun that fired dense metal slugs and did severe damage to the beetles. He¡¯d always been a silent gruff leader type, not so dissimilar from Strauss, but with a special touch when it came to teaching. Even before I¡¯d made the position official, Rick Borham had been taking it upon himself to watch over any new recruits. He¡¯d even created several other teams out of said individuals when his own was too large, and had been long used to running them in attachment to his own. This position was practically made for him. ¡°Who is it?¡± One of the younger men of Phalanx Gamma asked curiously, the others similar. They were an eight strong team, three men and five women, varying age groups. Half of them were lower twenties, but the other half were near cresting thirty. Rick shook his head, ¡°Remember, I said that the teachers wouldn¡¯t tell who your secondary assessor would be until afterwards. Don¡¯t play it up for them, just do what you normally do¡­¡± he paused when he looked at the man who had piped up, ¡°...actually, don¡¯t do what you normally do.¡± The group laughed, save for the young man who was the butt of the joke. He took it well, just an awkward grin on his face, ¡°I ran interference one time!¡± ¡°In front of a beetle swarm,¡± Rick stated blithely, ¡°practically with no armor on.¡± ¡°It worked, though!¡± He countered, to which I had to give him credit, Rick was at a loss for anything to say. He instead shook his head, some of the members in the back whispering, ¡°Mr. Borham ten, Domino two.¡± ¡°What was Domino¡¯s other not-an-idiot point?¡± An amused woman beside the pair whispered conspiratorially. ¡°When throwing all the grenades turned out to be a great idea, against what Mr. Borham said.¡± The younger lady chuckled, and then stood up very straight and attentive as Rick turned his gaze to the back of the class. ¡°This clear,¡± he began to speak formally, the group shedding the easy going atmosphere instantly, ¡°will be your hardest test yet. I cannot stress to you enough that you are not expected to clear the whole thing. Most teams will be disqualified part way through, even with the help of your senior teams leading you. For this run, you all will have the pleasure of my own team supporting you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s us supporting you,¡± he highlighted, ¡°you, Domino, will ultimately be the deciding factor of what we do. Treat us as you would your own team. This will be as much a test for your flexibility in command with unfamiliar elements as it will be with challenging, even overwhelming odds.¡± ¡°Teacher,¡± one of the women from before spoke up, ¡°can we ask a few questions about the Gauntlet, now?¡± Rick looked up to my viewing platform, and I flickered a red light to him. He nodded, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s fine now. This is a mix of the Legions'' hardest fights, our observer will be controlling certain elements that they themselves have beaten¡­¡± he paused, the first flicker of wariness entering his voice. ¡°That should be fine?¡± The young woman, Patricia, spoke with a glance to the others, ¡°That means it''s at least doable.¡± Rick snorted, before trying to cover it up with a cough. I couldn¡¯t help but grin helplessly at the lack of faith he had in my mercy skills.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Of course, he was probably right. ¡°The Legion¡¯s Reapers,¡± he started slowly, ¡°are the blood tested and proven elites. It goes without saying, but just because it¡¯s been bested before, does not mean that we can. Every scenario, even with every element identical to one you¡¯ve fought before, can play out differently. You all have experienced this time and again.¡± He nodded to the others as the doors against the far wall opened, admitting his team. With a quick glance and nod, they began their approach. ¡°How many floors will it be?¡± Domino¡¯s brow was furrowed. ¡°Eight.¡± Rick said, watching the group before him sigh in relief. ¡°It¡¯s half of the regular gauntlet,¡± Domino did not share in the lifting spirits, instead he seemed to dread the news, ¡°Mr. Borham, has your team taken the Gauntlet as well?¡± Rick nodded, ¡°We have.¡± ¡°How far did you get?¡± Someone else spoke, swallowing hard as Rick¡¯s eyes glassed over and an empty smile spread across his face. ¡°We cleared the fifth.¡± His team stood around him, equally somber as they studied the new team before them. ¡°Cleared it? But then, how did you lose?¡± Domino asked, braving the answer. He considered his answer for a few moments before grimacing, ¡°We lost too many civilians. But, I¡¯m confident that our result will be different this time,¡± he shook off the dull mood that settled on him, ¡°you will have our experiences and expertise to call upon, no leader worth their salt ignores good ol¡¯ fashioned experience where they can find it.¡± I watched them as they moved towards the center of the massive chamber, the holo-room a design that would subtly move and flex around them, one of fifty buried beneath the Tombstone. While I watched them, I kept tabs on other classes that interested me, other Phalanx¡¯s that had done well, but not well enough to be given the opportunity of my direct attention. They¡¯d grinded points through the Gauntlet system, throwing themselves at it for the chance to get rated by Reaper and Knight observers that could place these teams within their own. If they impressed the observer, said observer would then induct them as attachments to their own teams, giving them valuable experience and opportunities going forward until they were ready to make their own teams. It was also expressly stated that no observer was guaranteed to do so, but they would at least gain resources according to their performance, and moreover have an advisor that might be willing to give the team pointers beyond what the Teacher would. In all, the process was experimental, but seemed to have yielded quite the positive result. Especially when the rumor circulated that members of Last Call, Iron Chariot, Knights of the Wolf, Reaper Alpha and more were going to oversee the final tests of the higher ranked teams. They weren¡¯t, however, told who would actually be there. The reason for me was straightforward. There were too many people who looked up to me as some kind of mythical figure within the Legion. The stories told about my exploits were told with a reverence that seemed more appropriate to the religious. Not much could be done about that, even appearances like this where I would let people know that I was just a person seemed to have mixed results. On the one hand, they got to see that I was more man than myth. On the other hand the fact that I involved myself with so many levels of the Legion seemed to ingratiate them even more to me. In the end, I gave up trying to control how this played out. I wasn¡¯t Doug, I couldn¡¯t pull the political clout any which way I needed it to go. Doug was also excruciatingly busy with managing our budding nation. And it was a nation, as much as I didn¡¯t necessarily want to head such a thing. Bulwark had incorporated themselves with minimal elbow rubbing in Sunvilla and Argedwall. We¡¯d eventually allowed them a presence in New Damond, but made it clear that this city was our own. There was some contention on that, but eventually it was decided that the Legion presence here was such that there were few reasons that they would be needed. The matter itself was complex, and I found myself dragging my attention to the call that streamed into my comms. I split my attention only to two matters at that, giving most of my promised attention to Domino and his team, watching them clear the easy first level. The background noise of the team slaughtering a massive army of wolves is somehow quite relaxing. ¡®We¡¯re mentally sound,¡¯ I heard Wolvey snort in the back of my mind, ¡®I could make this much more interesting.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t touch it,¡¯ I rolled my eyes, ¡®we both know that they¡¯ll get to the nightmare fuel soon.¡¯ ¡®Fiiiine,¡¯ Wolvey whined petulantly, ¡®but you¡¯ll let me modify the fifth stage?¡¯ I considered it for a second before I shook my head, ¡®no, that¡¯s the worst one.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re no fun. What if I made it easier?¡¯ Wolvey muttered. ¡®Would you make it easier?¡¯ I mentally hovered over answering the call. Wolvey thought about it for a few seconds before utterly unapologetically saying ¡®No, I suppose not. A writhing hellscape would be more proper.¡¯ I ignored him then, leaving Wolvey snickering and watching their progress along with me. The caller was one I expected, though not for a few hours still. Hopefully they weren¡¯t landing yet. ¡°Yamak,¡± I answered, ¡°hello.¡± The feed of the red-skinned man entered my mind, part of my awareness taking in the details of the Artorian Company President. Another presence lingered alongside his own, one that I performed the digital equivalent of a handshake with. His personal A.I., Sira, was a remarkably sane and well put together individual, no puns intended, especially considering who her companion was. ¡°Matthew, my friend!¡± The man spoke in high spirits, a complex interlocking metal suit for space-use currently adorning his form. ¡°I wanted to check in and let you know we¡¯re just entering your solar system and slowing down.¡± I smiled, ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally here. I take it your earlier hiccup is fixed?¡± He nodded, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve made the necessary repairs. Luckily we had spare parts for the slip-space drive. Trust me, you do not want one of those going dead out in the middle of bumfucked nowh-¡± ¡°He is of course not implying that the planet of our boss is in the middle of nowhere.¡± I heard and saw his second-in-command as she rose from her seat, a strained look on her face as she moved to stand next to him fully in camera view. Maricene Rockman, the Borama with pale skin that was tattooed - or it was naturally intricately marked - that seemed to change color and intensity with her mood, was a tribute to all second-in-commands. Many times I¡¯d spoken to her directly in the past weeks, coordinating the needs of the fleet and projected plans. She smiled and nodded to me, an expression that still seemed to surprise Yamak. ¡°Matthew,¡± she inclined her head slightly in greetings, ¡°are you still going through the Rite with your young warriors?¡± I returned the gesture, remembering that I¡¯d told her what I would be doing at about this time off hand. Her memory was terrifyingly acute, and I was positive she had no kind of augmentation. ¡°Indeed. They¡¯re going through some of our best worst battles to test themselves.¡± I nodded, knowing that the Rite¡¯s she spoke of were in a way both less and more brutal in her culture. Having a man or woman coming of age ceremony where they were expected to hunt and murder something ritually with a weapon of their own design was surprisingly metal. While ours was different, she found the concept of putting our warriors to be against progressively more difficult, even hopeless encounters somehow endearing. ¡°I absolutely love how you¡¯re able to say that without feeling sorry for them,¡± Yamak remarked sarcastically, ¡°nothing quite like crushing the spirits of your soldiers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all voluntary,¡± I shrugged, ¡°and they¡¯re made well aware that the Gauntlet is far from easy. But, they¡¯re willing to go through with it if it means they might survive on the battlefield where they¡¯d normally die.¡± Yamak shrugged, ¡°Well, I¡¯m hardly the type to be preaching about teaching methods. I still remember having a gun shoved in my hands and told to fight or die.¡± Maricene gave him a sigh, ¡°Regrettably common, thanks to biotics.¡± There was a steady silence as we lingered on that all too familiar line of thought. ¡°In any case,¡± I moved on, ¡°we still haven¡¯t found the Unique responsible for the Centaur. When you¡¯re in orbit, we¡¯ll see if we can use the fleet to find it.¡± Yamak nodded, ¡°We can do that. You guys have tons of satellites, we¡¯ll see if we can find out why they¡¯re not working and get them up to date. We¡¯re just passing your iceball, Neptune I think, so we should only be a few hours out.¡± There was a brief moment when I had to realize that these were people from the galactic community, and the distance they casually crossed in the span of a few hours took us the better part of a decade previously. ¡°Sounds good.¡± I nodded, ¡°are the Reaper¡¯s going to make landfall with you?¡± ¡°It sounds like they are. Honestly I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯re really planning on doing overall. Ostensibly they¡¯re coming to say hello and officially me-¡± Suddenly the screen warped and blipped out of existence, leaving me frowning at the sudden and jarring disconnection. I reached out with my senses, tapping into my voice comms and calling them in. When no answer came, I couldn¡¯t help but shrug. That was unusual, but had happened once or twice. Long range communication wasn¡¯t always perfect, and likely they¡¯d call me as soon as they could. In the meantime, I had an evaluation to watch... Chapter 117 Watching Phalanx Gamma make their way through the Gauntlet was distantly nostalgic. Reaper Alpha maintained the record for the fastest clear of the last Gauntlet, second place deservingly having gone to Patrick and his Iron Chariot team. The old gauntlet was retired, but we¡¯d kept the records on hand, an unintended but welcome way to commemorate an old friend. A path that, in this case, had been retrofitted. The first gauntlet was no longer just a random horde of wolves. Now the goal was to defend the ¡®flag,¡¯ a type of floor with hordes of wolves that would move through a predetermined route until it reached the ¡®goal¡¯ with intent to destroy it. There were many ways to handle the challenge, ours had been relatively straightforward to simply defend against the siege. For Borham and Domino, the option seemed vastly different. Why defend one point when you could guide a horde through overlapping fields of ever flexing fire. I had to hand it to them, it was an interesting plan, but I did find myself skeptical of how it could respond to stresses. Regrettably, they¡¯d already nearly cleared the entire floor in the short time that I¡¯d been on the phone. The numbers of the Wolves were the same as what my team had fought long ago, however technology and numbers had changed for the teams. This resulted in the first floor being cleared very quickly. Though, I knew that this ¡°first floor¡± was actually the second floor as we¡¯d fought it, long ago. Our entry point had been a simple horde of wolves rushing us. At the end of the floor the digitized terrain began to decay rapidly, leaving them with only a circular dias to stand on. It was holographic, they did have land to step on around them, but it didn¡¯t look that way. Blackness yawned open from around the ten meter circle that they stood upon, silvery light giving them nothing to focus on environmentally. ¡°That was excellent,¡± Borham began, ¡°Domino, you incorporated what you assumed to be my team¡¯s strengths as best you could. Moving the field and issuing orders quickly will help you immensely going forward.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Domino grinned, heartily taking the praise he and his team had to have poured countless hours into honing. ¡°Now, I have some counter points, but,¡± he glanced over to my location, seemingly still aware of where the observation post was, ¡°I¡¯ll see if our observer has any input they¡¯d like to share.¡± I blinked, shaking my head as he waited for me. This was another step that was required, though I¡¯d let myself get distracted. Luckily, I needed to only will the message together and send it in the span of a second. He looked over the message with a complicated expression, ¡°Well, this is a bit more than I expected¡­¡± he murmured. One of the others, the young woman from before, looked somewhat chagrined, ¡°Did we do badly?¡± ¡°Oh, no no, nothing like that,¡± Rick smiled, ¡°he put together a report covering what you did well and what could be improved. It¡¯s¡­ err¡­ dense.¡± ¡°Hey, mind if I share this?¡± Rick looked up to me as I studied Phalanx Gamma, somewhat chastened that my computer mind could operate much more quickly when I wanted it too, even if perhaps not strictly necessary. I¡¯d indeed put together a report, but it was more likened to a strategic breakdown of my thoughts on their actions. Of course, I kept my input on alternative strategies to a minimum, expecting that they¡¯d want to improve on their own styles rather than have another brute-forced upon them. I sent a short message of assent to Rick as he turned back to the students. Taking the full time to learn their names was, admittedly, a process that only required me to peer at their files. Domino, Jessica, Covina, Eric, Venezuela, Harold, Rachel, and Emma. So far, they¡¯d accumulated the most points of any of the Phalanx classes, and had the general renown and good faith of the teachers that were responsible for their education. As such, seeing their mixed reactions to what I¡¯d put together for them was amusing. ¡°I¡­ thanks, I guess?¡± Jessica spoke with hesitant gratitude, ¡°Did they start taking notes early, or something?¡± Rachel, a slightly more wizened woman who favored a quad-barreled shotgun of disgusting power output, cleared her throat. ¡°We do appreciate the effort,¡± she shot a mild glance to Jessica, ¡°it means a lot.¡± ¡°Err, yep, great!¡± She chuckled nervously, setting Rachel to helplessly shake her head. It made some sense that they¡¯d be wary of accidentally insulting their observer, given that their placement in the Legion might well be affected by how they performed, both in combat and in interpersonal skills. Even if I was hardly a grand example of interpersonal skills myself. ¡°Alright, you guys know this second one from hearsay I¡¯m sure, but let me be the first to tell you that the mines are dangerous.¡± Rick spoke up after letting them read through some of the materials, ¡°Me and M-¡± he caught himself barely, ¡°-your observer went through these things personally. I¡¯ll be the first to tell you that they did too damned well of a job with recreating this hell hole.¡± The students caught his slip up, but said nothing of it, and still had little to work with. Though, seeing Eric¡¯s posture stiffen, I figured he might have begun to suspect who I was. ¡°You¡¯ve fought the Salt Beetles in simulations before, but these ones are in an ideal habitat. You have the luxury and supreme benefit of power armor and advanced weapons, things that Legion can take for granted these days. However, back then, we barely had steel plates for reasonable defense. And as such, the liberty has been taken to step up the difficulty to match the gravitas back then. I believe you all scored the highest in the training Gauntlet for the mines, isn¡¯t that right, Domino?¡± The brown haired man nodded, ¡°We did.¡± ¡°Pretend this is the first time you¡¯ve seen these mines,¡± Rick stated gravely, ¡°they¡¯re not the same beasts you dealt with before.¡± I nodded at that, taking a look at the programming and seeing how true Rick¡¯s words were. The mines themselves were larger somewhat than they¡¯d been in reality, but only slightly. The format had been changed as well, only two levels being relevant. The upper floor and the lower floor, connected by a two-hundred meter long chute with a broken down elevator at the bottom. But, likewise, the biotics were only somewhat harder, their algorithm updated to make them perhaps a little sneakier. I frowned at that, wondering if Rick wanted to play up the danger. My answer came a moment later in a message from him. ¡°Do your worst.¡± I grinned. The digital landscape had only just begun to settle before suddenly it rippled, my consciousness extending across the design, warped tendrils settling into the fabrics of the data. ¡®This is the way to darkness; the madness in the depths of the world where woven are reality and nightmare into one wholesome maw.¡¯ Wolvey chittered madly as we struck through the mines. Intelligence, however limited, was injected into the minds of the biotics as I imagined what this hive could have been if we¡¯d left it to its own devices. Where once stone and simple carved salt formations where the chiseled, carved corridors of alien design. I recalled the strange terrain deep within those mines, and pushed that idea across.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The waiting team watched grimly as the entrance to the mine warped before their eyes, the dirt crusting white and surging with more permanent foundations until finally their starting point was not within the mines, but instead just outside of it. White gates with sharp ridges lay open, carved and deep grooves where biotics had surged out en force by the hundreds damaged what might have been otherwise beautiful work. [Phalanx Gamma Clear Goals: Destroy the Queen and ensure the biotics have no royal larva left alive. Be swift, for the biotic horde is under way to the city. Beware, they will protect their Queen to the last.] ¡°Jesus,¡± I heard Rick utter under his breath even as he stared at the mines. ¡°Alright, color me impressed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane.¡± Rachel walked up to the gateway, ¡°It feels so much more¡­ real, you know? Like we¡¯re actually here.¡± Rick nodded, ¡°A special treat. This captures the essence of what was going on well. Domino, it¡¯s your show, but I¡¯d recommend you take that timer warning seriously.¡± He nodded, and without further delay got to work. I watched them as they moved deeper into the mines, stunned by the changes that they found within. I also watched as they registered the movement inside corridors as one unit, though Borham¡¯s team was a half-step faster. They were getting used to one another, but the team were no slouches. Armored shields with enamel coatings were brought up, deflecting and shattering hardened salt projectiles as they streamed in from the sides. A moment later, several Beetles, fully encased in salt streamed in, still supported from the back by salt-slinging attackers. Domino responded quickly, having the front-lines entangle their offensive attackers. Power armor gave us an edge we didn¡¯t have before, and for every two beetles, one front-liner could hold them. He didn¡¯t, however, fall into the trap of relying too much on that. Instead, the enemy ranged attackers were struck first, most of them suffering debilitating injuries in seconds. After that, lacking a ranged menace, the team was able to quickly dispatch their own quarry with little to no damage. They moved deeper into the mines, abandoning stealth and pushing hard. There were two battles after the first, but they quickly dispatched them, even if it meant using heavier ordnance. That was good, because in the wake of every battle, double the number of beetles would surge towards the location from distant channels carved into the rocks, simulating the beetles invasive presence within every floor of the mines. Whether they knew that would be the case, or if they simply wanted to push for the timer, I wasn¡¯t certain. Deep within the mine, though, they encountered their first major problems. A large open cavern that had appeared clear proved to be anything but. Hive Guard burst forth from pillars, intricately carved and hardened armor providing for ample protection and camouflage. Even Borham seemed taken aback by the sheer numbers of them as they surged in from all around, brute forcing the battle instead of seeking a moderate approach. Each of these creatures could overwhelm a power-armor of basic assortments. Luckily, Borham¡¯s team had the outfitting to take them and stall them in one on one, but the simple fact was that they were outnumbered four times over. They were pushed back, and damage began accruing on shields as Borham¡¯s team relentlessly moved back and forth, Domino¡¯s team quickly moving between them and dealing damage. At first, I wondered if perhaps this was too much for Phalanx Gamma to deal with. I needn¡¯t have worried. All throughout the fight, Domino had been moving their group further forward, pushing with their firepower in one direction and staggering their pursuers. At first, it seemed to be a desperate gambit to reach a wall and fight from one side. The mines left in his wake, however, told another story. Superheated explosives detonated beneath the amassed pursuers, and just as quickly, Domino shifted into full offense. Borham and his team surged forward, side-by-side with the damage heavy members of Gamma. The heat weakened the salt armor, and I¡¯d realized then that the entire team was outfitted with air-tight armor. As they ran, Domino and Jessica threw several grenades into the air which exploded, but not into fire. Foam scattered upwards against the ceiling as the heat threatened to compromise the salt ceiling over their heads. Remarkably, the foam expanded as it seemed to suck in the heat, cooling rapidly and pushing steam out in the process. Below, the team reaped through a large swath of the remaining Hive Guards, those that did not bake within their own shells. Several of the team also bore foam grenades, some of which had been engaged on their own armor. As the last Guard fell, I could hear Borham¡¯s teeth chattering from the cold, ¡°K-kid, help me get this stuff off?¡± ¡°Y-yessir,¡± Domino stuttered, likewise cold as the frigid substance began to fall off in freezing chunks. I nodded appreciatively, the massive amount of frost on the walls testament to the effectiveness of¡­ whatever that was. Idly as they moved on, I searched what and where they might have gotten a hold of that. What I found was a pleasant surprise, being that Reaper R&D had designed it and was extensively producing it and many other devices for the Phalanx classes to test in controlled environments. I nodded appreciatively at that, knowing that change had to start from somewhere. When they reached the Royal Chamber, Borham stopped the team. He glared at the ceiling as though he could see through it. ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to go first. Give me some of those grenades?¡± Rick asked Domino, who gave him a confused look. But, the class trusted Rick, the woman who held the bulk of their explosives, Rachel, putting three of them in his outstretched hand. The veteran who¡¯d fought the first Queen alongside me grunted in thanks, strapping them to his shield on the front and pulling the pins. He rapidly moved forward with no warning, Shield held in front of him, and just as rapidly dodged back. It was almost still too slow, the long, lancing stinger of the Queen jabbing straight through the metal like a hot knife through butter. The barbed appendage withdrew with a madly angry Hive Queen on the other side. One that only grew more irritated as the three grenades exploded, foam erupting all across its body and beginning to rapidly freeze the Queen. It flapped its wings rapidly, but only for a few moments as it began to stiffen, falling out of the air only a dozen meters away. ¡°Lay into it, don¡¯t get closer.¡± Rick stated, ¡°there are pitfalls all over the damn place here.¡± The group acknowledged that, and from their firing point decimated the immobile Queen. ¡°Good work,¡± Rick grunted, breathing a sigh of relief, ¡°now we can just kill the larv-¡± Domino tackled the man to the ground just as something swiped through the air. Rick, flat on his back, looked up at the second Queen hanging from the ceiling. ¡°Fucking hell.¡± The man pulled his bolter up, slugging several shots into the biotics abdomen as its wings vibrated, bladed legs raking downwards towards them. ¡°Fire!¡± Domino shouted aloud, his team not hesitating in firing a stream of bullets inches over his head. The Queen''s attempt to abduct the pair was halted by bullets tearing into its legs, narrowly saving them from a fate that I knew to be horrific. Distantly, another pair of vibrating wings filled the room. ¡°Two more!¡± I heard one of the men of Borhams team shout, unslinging a rocket launcher alongside three other members doing the same, two of which were on Domino¡¯s team. ¡°Do it! Rachel, percussive foam on us and the entrance, now!¡± The nonchalant smirk and constant positivity had vanished, in its place Domino strove for the option that would keep them all alive. Hopefully. The launchers they fired were not designed to destroy a single hardened target. They were designed with absolute devastation in mind, a high-yield warhead with a wide blast radius. Each fired, half of the barrels disconnecting and traveling forward as the shell, guiding the rockets towards the center of the room. The grenades exploded a second before, foam expanding over and covering Rick and Domino, and flooding the entrance to the room. They¡¯d hardened somewhat, but the sheer explosive force of the rockets would not be denied easily. The simulation even seemed to lag as it calculated what was going on and how things should respond, and I found myself impressed that Phalanx Gamma had as many tactics available as they did. The room erupted in explosive force, the living things unprotected within or too close to the blasts simply churned inside out. Foam that had hardened into concrete had been halfway blasted back through the corridor that the team had come in through. The other half were currently still more than partly buried in the foam. But they were alive. ¡°Status? Whose alive?¡± Domino groaned, hefting himself out of rapidly hardening foam before it became even harder to get out of. ¡°Everyone,¡± Rachel groaned, ¡°I think, anyways. Unless being dead hurts this bad.¡± I examined the mine, noting the cracks that quickly were spreading through the layer. Odds were good that this portion of the mine would begin to fail, even in spite of the reinforcements that the Beetles had provided the structure. Overall, however, this could firmly be considered a win. And I couldn¡¯t wait to see how they¡¯d deal with the next levels. Chapter 118 Turbulence My heavy footfalls echoed back to me in the empty hallway leading to the landing pad. Thoughts of the grueling gauntlet that Phalanx Gamma had completed lingered, their work having certainly impressed me. It took several hours, but they¡¯d shown impressive reserves of fortitude and the will to succeed. At some point, they¡¯d forgotten about their observer, forgotten that it wasn¡¯t real. I¡¯d pushed the system nearly to its breaking point, and left Phalanx Gamma and Borham¡¯s team with some of the worst scenarios we¡¯d faced. There were modifications, of course, and not all of them were strictly related to combat. I wanted to know what they could do in as many fields as possible. For now, I issued their battle reports to them and told them to be on standby for my full assessment. They still didn¡¯t know who their observer was, though I¡¯m sure by now they suspected that it had to be someone important. After they compared notes with other teams, I¡¯m sure that estimation would rise exponentially, considering that their Gauntlet was by far the most brutal of the lot. Of which, Borham sent me a message that, perhaps, my creation should be used as an Uber-Challenge run. I had nothing against that. Some people enjoyed that kind of suffering, after all. ¡°Reaper,¡± a man in a fine, sleek powered suit nodded to me. Derrick Faun, Doug¡¯s second-in-command, was as prepared as he could be to receive our guests. ¡°Faun,¡± I greeted him with a handshake, ¡°is everything in order?¡± ¡°Perfectly,¡± he gestured to the large cargo elevator, ¡°shall we walk and talk?¡± I nodded to him as we approached the chute. The doors opened automatically and smoothly, the elevator itself more than capable of bearing tons of weight, in the event that a mech needed to move through the structure at speed. The entire building was built with larger beings in mind, though some of the side rooms were still only intended for personal use without a main-line mech stomping through the wall. As Derrick spoke, he punched in the roof access code and turned his attention to me, ¡°We have a greeting team ready, and the air-platform has been rigorously tested. We should be able to hold a fairly large vessel without complications.¡± ¡°Good. Any word from Yamak or his crew?¡± I asked, still having received nothing from the man. ¡°None. We don¡¯t have the long-range sensor capacity to detect them¡­¡± he paused, ¡°also, we thought it would be wise to tap into some satellites that are facing away from the planet. However, we ran into some issues.¡± ¡°Issues?¡± I frowned at that, ¡°Are they damaged?¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± he sighed, ¡°anytime we attempt to access one, the connection cuts. We believe that it¡¯s some kind of advanced defensive software. We were wondering if perhaps you would be able to give it a try while we wait?¡± I blinked before nodding. I knew that the ¡®we¡¯ that he spoke of had likely quickly encompassed Doug, Yaga, and Dr. Ross. If they couldn¡¯t figure out how to connect to it, the next best option would be for me to brute force it. A pulse of information raced outwards from my connection to the Obelisk and to other electronics. Several racing arms of data with my senses attached moved quickly, the Determinator A.I.¡¯s finally getting to stretch themselves outside of a body. I used them to augment my reach, giving me several localized vantage points as I moved. Nowadays, I could do this as easily as I could flex my fingers. Quickly, I set about guiding them to relays, fractions of a second in reality as I crossed hundreds of meters, and then kilometers, in the time it would take to blink an eye. I routed upwards to our outpost on the mountains to the west, the communications array built there far more robust than it was previously. As I sought errant signals, I found several satellites. Hundreds of them, in fact. There were many that were wholly unsuited to the task at hand, but there were observer devices overhead. The realization that we could have potentially been using these to help scout the area around us settled in the back of my mind grouchily - that would have made a lot of things easier. Or, at least it should have. I felt one of my connections halt as the port of entry suddenly flicked offline before I could access it. A deep frown rested on my face as I tried again, from another port. Only the barest touch of my probe, and that port closed as well. ¡°Curious¡­¡± I murmured, drawing all of my probes forth and sending it crashing into the satellite. As I did so, I split my awareness further, assailing it from nearly every possible opening. Finally, a port didn¡¯t close fast enough, and I swiftly threw trash code into the stream, fouling the system up from being able to access the port. At the same moment that I did so, though, I noted that there was some kind of rigorous defense protocol, one far more sophisticated than what we should have had on earth, rushing to clear the system and close the port. ¡°No more of that.¡± I clucked my tongue, piercing the program and rooting out its base software. I could tell it wasn¡¯t sentient, but certainly its automated protocols were incredible. To my chagrin, another protocol began to activate, and I realized belatedly that this was a multi-part security system, perhaps designed to deal with individuals like myself. The secondary system searched for the code that belonged to the hunting program, not finding a match. It then swiftly began terminating itself, and all of the code around it. Ravenously, I scooped up as much data as I could and pulled my senses out of it. Massive torrents of data that no computer could hope to engorge themselves on filled my mind, only to be relayed and deposited into our own mainframe, cut off from other units as I built frames around it. Most of the data was mine. And as I pulled my probes out, I felt the satellite''s programming go dead, all software suddenly wiped, the only functional part being the port I had opened.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Curiously, I pushed back into the device, only to find that it was utterly barren. Invading the empty space, I found that there were some onboard sensors that I could tap into. When I did, I also found that, apparently, the system had triggered some onboard defensive systems. The camera I looked through only got a glimpse of the electrical storm tearing through the components, and I just as rapidly pulled my senses completely out of the device. The port vanished after that, no doubt because any possible hardware within was nothing more than slag. For several long seconds I stood in the elevator, hand to my unhelmeted chin in thought. That had been an experience, to be sure, and one that I was hardly surprised to find had proven fruitless to access. But the question was why? Why would someone bother rigging such complex security into old world tech. And who? What were they hiding? I¡¯d managed to rip a huge amount of data from the satellite, but it was hardly in a digestible format. Encryption had been run on it, and I¡¯d need to utilize some hefty external processing to move through it. That could take a while. Idly, I began that process, leaving it to a background handle and tapping into Reaper R&D supercomputers that were set for tasks similar to this. As an afterthought, I sent a message to Yaga and Dr. Ross, ensuring they were aware that those computers were currently tasked, and then notified them of the database I was working on. To pique their interest, I quickly summarized my experience with the highly advanced defensive technology within the satellite. That should give them something to do for a while. ¡°Sir?¡± Derrick stared at me quizzically, ¡°is everything alright?¡± I realized I¡¯d been standing and staring at open space for at least fifteen seconds now. ¡°Yes, fine. I tapped into a satellite, but some very odd things happened. I sent data to Dr. Ross and Yaga.¡± I then turned an apologetic look to him, ¡°I get rather involved with that.¡± He nodded, ¡°think nothing of it. But odd things, you say?¡± I sent him the data packet detailing what had happened, setting him to a studiously strained face immediately. ¡°Odd. Yes, odd indeed.¡± He stroked his goatee, ¡°perhaps it was a military satellite?¡± That would be a possibility, but also one that had uncomfortable connotations. If there were other large bodies of governance still around, it might be tricky to have them recognize our sovereignty, let alone their own intentions. It struck me with no small amount of amusement that I didn¡¯t even consider the idea of rendering ourselves subservient to another organization after what we¡¯d been through. ¡°We¡¯ll parse that data when it''s decrypted. For now-¡± the elevator doors opened to a sub-floor of the air-field above us, ¡°-we have guests to receive.¡± He nodded, leading me through the security checkpoint. Through that, and to the left was the airfield bowels, several pneumatic and magnetized plates and machinery existed therein, all of which supported and gave our airfield above some very interesting capabilities. There were several cargo loading fields and unloading fields beneath, each of which were set into flexible panes on the floor to move them. No personnel were in this area, all of it was run strictly by computer and machine, powered locally. Going straight ahead, as we were, there was a stairwell and elevator leading fully to the roof, and then the control room immediately beside the stairs. Dozens of consoles and personnel rested within, most days running training runs and simulations, but little else. This airfield was steadily seeing more use in diplomatic travel, but thus far we only had a grand total of four cities in our territory. That number would grow certainly, but it was hardly enough to have a constant stream of activity. We entered the command room, and several individuals paused what they were doing to stand and salute. ¡°At ease,¡± I said easily, knowing by now that the ¡®you don¡¯t have to do that for me,¡¯ conversation never went anywhere. They already knew that, but somehow that only made them more willing to do so. Most went back to what they were doing, save for a middle-aged man who approached us with a warm smile. ¡°Gentlemen, good to have you.¡± He spoke crisply, shaking both of our hands firmly. ¡°Likewise,¡± I responded, ¡°how are things proceeding?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve run every test four times. Your guests are said to be due in another hour or so, but as requested we made sure that everything was ready in advance.¡± His business-like diction cut to the point. ¡°Additionally, we¡¯ve requested the presence of a Reaver Pack.¡± I quirked an eyebrow at that, ¡°Why would we need that?¡± ¡°Nothing, hopefully,¡± the man said unapologetically, ¡°but, I¡¯d rather we have them nearby in the event something happens.¡± I considered that for a few moments. I honestly had little concern over our guests, but I could understand the hesitation of others. These were our first alien guests, or, rather, second if you counted biotics. Given that, it was understandable that people may be nervous. ¡°Have them on the rounds,¡± I agreed, ¡°remember, though, that the people coming in are working for me, so let''s try not pissing off the help.¡± The man grinned at that, ¡°Yes, Sir, can do.¡± One of the attendants spoke up, ¡°I have a contact coming in fast.¡± I frowned, looking at the screen as the Flight Commander moved to his station after a look at me. The holo-screen at the front of the room lit up, registering a fast moving object in the atmosphere. ¡°Reaper HQ, this is Python. Reaper HQ, this is Python of the Artorian Company, do you read?¡± I heard the voice of Yamak Rettle on the other end, strained and harried, a few voices in the background accompanying him. ¡°Python, this is Flight Command at Reaper HQ, we read you. What¡¯s your status?¡± The man spoke crisply, already issuing orders to those around him, including the Reavers on patrol to be on alert. ¡°Python has taken some damage on entry, we¡¯re coming in hot. How''s your catcher¡¯s glove?¡± Yamak managed to joke, before something made a loud noise on the other end, ¡°We¡¯re coming in too fast, our engines shot to shit. Do we have a landing zone?¡± I heard the Commander swear under his breath as he looked over the information, ¡°Negative, you¡¯ll crash right through at those speeds.¡± The man panned his eyes over his various panels, and then met my own. For a moment, I saw a feverish instance of inspiration, and had to refrain from groaning at what most certainly would be insane. ¡°Python, we¡¯re going to have vessels on rapid approach, we¡¯re gonna slow you down and guide you into the glove.¡± The commander grinned, ¡°Reavers, drop your weapons loads into containment, you¡¯re gonna need to slow them down.¡± I heard them assent, and recognized the voices that belonged to Reaver Flight Team Terrania. Emilia Barman, the Reaver that had helped us retake this very city, answered, ¡°Roger that, Terrania One en route.¡± ¡°Reaper, you¡¯d better buy us a round after this,¡± I heard the chuckle from Augustus Francesco and Lani from A.I. Emilia¡¯s comment. I shook my head, reaching out for a connection to the Reavers and attempting one to the Python. The python was, admittedly, an utter wreck, damaged in many places. The small frigate was double the size of any of the Reaver¡¯s, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could have caused all of that. ¡®Later. First, they need to survive landing.¡¯ I narrowed my eyes at the display as the Reaver¡¯s took off at incredible speed while Python did everything it could just to keep from spinning in mid-air. Chapter 119 Hazardous Intervention The Reaver vessels shot off towards Python, hull cherry red and smoking in several places. It struggled to keep its path straight, metal groaning against the forces acting upon it. There was the distinct possibility that the ship would crash into the building. The building would survive - we¡¯d reinforced the structures of the city to be stout and capable of weathering intense impact damage. Even so, they weren¡¯t invulnerable, and it was without doubt that if that ship hit the building, everyone on the vessel would be crushed. At full burn, it took two minutes to reach Python, ¡°We¡¯re on approach, keep it steady, Python.¡± Yamak responded to Emilia with a weak chuckle, ¡°Doing my best. I could use a shoulder to lean on soon.¡± The good humor shrunk away then, as a pane of metal four meters long stripped away from the left wing. The larger vessel began to twist in air before Yamak regained control with a snarl, straining against a rebellious flight stick. Emilia¡¯s turned her ship parallel to the slowing projectile that was Python, gently easing in over top of it. Grasping arms normally meant for weapons modules extended, straining against the wind. ¡°Alright, easy does it,¡± I heard Emilia murmur, inching closer. Wind buffeted her ship, streaming around Python and making both vessels even rougher to fly. ¡°Sixty seconds,¡± I heard the A.I. keep time, just before Emilia reduced the distance between the two to mere meters. ¡°Just gonna be a little bump,¡± she told Yamak, ¡°connection in 3¡­ 2¡­ 1.¡± The Reaver grasped onto plating and grooves, a few of which were docking clamps designed for just such a purpose. Granted, that purpose would generally be in a zero-grav environment, not atmosphere. There was a single gut-sinking moment when both vessels shook violently, seeking to yank apart from one another in the slip-stream of movement. The Python was three times the size of Emilia¡¯s Reaver, however, and with superior control the flight leader managed to stabilize the shaking, and hugged the dead-engine hulk close. ¡°Alright, connected. Beginning to decelerate now.¡± Emilia spoke, the thrusters on her vessel gradually decreasing as metal panes flared. There was an appreciable effect, and both Emilia and Yamak¡¯s capacity for piloting was on full display as they worked off each other''s efforts to slow and stabilize. But it wasn¡¯t enough to slow the behemoth down. ¡°Forty five seconds. We¡¯re not slowing fast enough.¡± Emilia¡¯s A.I. announced with trepidation. ¡°Alright, new plan.¡± Lani Barton, the third pilot of the Reavers, spoke, ¡°Augustus, sending you my idea.¡± I pulled the design en route, copying it for myself. ¡°This is psychotic,¡± I almost thought I said the thought out loud before I realized Augustus himself said it. He grinned, ¡°Alright, let''s give it a go. Emilia, brace, we¡¯re gonna add on to the hug.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no room up here, so you¡¯d better have a better plan.¡± She grit her teeth, Reaver jarring and quaking again as she tried to push the deceleration further. ¡°We¡¯ve got you.¡± Lani answered, ¡°just brace, this¡¯ll be rough.¡± The command room was silent, save for the feverish clacking of commands into the air-pad itself. Broad mechanical plates moved into position, many with devices that would aid in the event of a fire, or a rough landing. That would certainly come in handy, and as I paid witness to the plan that the Reaver¡¯s were enacting, I couldn¡¯t help but clench my fists tightly. Lani and Augustus slowed, both parallel and to the sides of Python. With thirty seconds left, they were in position, and as one increased the thrust on their Reavers. Then spun in opposite directions mid-air, hanging nearly upside down in their cockpits as their bellies faced the larger space faring vessel above them. Next to me I heard the Flight Commander suck in a deep breath and hold, eyes glued to the screen as Augustus and Lani moved closer. Their A.I. companions served as their second set of nerves, correcting minor mistakes that would spiral into utter disaster. ¡°Just a group hug, nothing to worry about.¡± Augustus breathed, ¡°We¡¯re connecting now!¡± Both of them smacked into the sides of the ship, unable to waste time with being gentle. Grasping arms and implements held onto the fronts of the wings, dead engine mounts, and even the intake vents. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Slow, now!¡± Emilia shouted, now only twenty seconds from the landing. Air-brakes flared as the Reaver¡¯s connected their controls to one another, reading their movements perfectly. Each engine rotated on the back mount, pointing as far forward as possible. With each pointing in the same angle, they narrowly avoided sending the craft spiraling out of control. Hard burn thrusters roared over the city as the Python slowed. ¡°Python, we¡¯re about to let you go, brace!¡± Emilia quickly informed Yamak. ¡°Understood!¡± He clenched his teeth, now completely releasing any hold he had over the controls. They wouldn¡¯t matter now, it would be all up to how fast he came in, and how effective our air-base was. As one, the Reavers fell away like the petals on a dying flower, the thrust of their engines tapering off after a moment, just enough to put some distance between themselves and the tower. They twirled mid air, hovering moments later to witness whatever might transpire. I felt the semi-sentient A.I. of the airbase flare into full life then, banks of computational power in the wall behind us whirring, heat soaring as coolant pumped through the blocks like blood. The upscaled version of the Reaver air-base pads surged, meters of interlocking plates of steel surging upwards, several inflating, gelatin-like sacks gushing over the metal. Moments before Python hit the steel, orange concussion foam and dense, rapidly hardening gel seemed to simply appear, meters of the material. The Catcher was an apt name for the field, plates angling to make for a rough landing, but a survivable one, friction bleeding off more force as the many pistons and flexing arms beneath the field strained to bleed off even more momentum and prevent the ship from bouncing. Ahead, the field rose up, like a ramp, the edges grasping down and flexing, keeping from any hard stop, but grinding against the sides of the ship. In the center of the field, the plates halted the rest of the momentum, gripping the vessel tightly as sticky, rapidly hardening chemicals pumped up from directly beneath the ship. The air-pad carefully moved to flatten out, the chemicals already concrete hard after only a few seconds of air exposure. Python rested on a flat, unmoving air-field a few moments later, most of the foam disintegrating or melting into channels to be recycled for future use. Likewise, the concrete-like substance that had in seconds thickened and hardened now degraded just as rapidly, returning to liquid form and melting between the grates into channels where it too could be reused after some processing. The command room boomed with cheers at the successful rescue, and at the highly-impressive air-field itself. This was our standard issue, and it was more than just impressive. ¡°This is Python,¡± relief bled from Yamak¡¯s voice, ¡°we¡¯re safe on this beautiful landing pad. I owe you Reaver¡¯s a drink.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll hold you to it,¡± Emilia¡¯s smile was evident even in her words, ¡°Reavers returning to docking.¡± The trio surged forward and upwards, forming a triple-helix before diving back down to three portions of the pad further from the grounded vessel. The pad flexed as they landed, making it even gentler before evening out. After a few minutes of checks and ensuring that Python wasn¡¯t about to explode, the crews of the vessels met in person. I watched Yamak step from the ship, stretching nonchalantly as though he hadn¡¯t just nearly faced death. From behind him I was surprised to see Uthaka, a towering reptile-like alien called a Saurian, who fell to his knees outside of the ship, looking thoroughly sick to his stomach. And another, behind him, another reptilian like race, upper half very similar to humans, but with the lower body of a long, huge snake. She was Princess Arianna, a Scynoi, if I recalled correctly, and happened to know an impressive amount of human culture. Finally, though, was a man clad in black armor that shined like polished obsidian, red highlights beaming forth from places like the face-plate. The being was too slim to be a human, the head both less wide and taller, and moved with an ephemeral, peaceful grace that seemed quite at the ready to warp into a crimson dance of violence at a moments notice. Querax, another Reaper. A true Reaper. Seeing the four of them, though, begged the question¡­ ...Why were they all here, now? Quickly, they were met by the utterly irreverent Reavers, pleasantries and excitement exchanged between them. I realized that a weight lifted off of my chest at the sight, I¡¯d feared that perhaps our difference in species might be an issue for some. Perhaps it would, but in the least, it wasn¡¯t here. As they made their way down the stairs, the command room greeted them exuberantly. I smiled, walking forward and meeting Yamak. In person, for the first time, I noticed that he was shorter than me. And yet, he bore a kind of smooth confidence, and yet felt as though he didn¡¯t take himself too seriously. There was a moment when the focus of the room was on us, a brief span of quiet as we assessed one another. We reached to clasp hands at the same time, my helmet coming off as we grinned, ¡°Glad you could make it.¡± ¡°Whew, almost didn¡¯t,¡± Yamak laughed, ¡°your species is crazy, you know that?¡± I blinked at that, ¡°We generally think that too.¡± Querax chuckled lightly, drawing his companions attention to him instantly. He offered nothing else though, simply studying me. ¡°Come, you¡¯re all welcome around. For now, I¡¯ll receive you in my office, then we¡¯ll see what''s gone on. I¡¯m very interested in finding out what happened to your ship.¡± Yamak nodded, ¡°Sure. And, if you¡¯re anything like me, you¡¯ll find what happened to be very, very interesting.¡± I glanced at the man, seeing a glint of something like hunger, or excitement within his eyes. Whatever had happened, he seemed to be quite fired up from it. I¡¯d find out what that was soon. But it wouldn¡¯t be in good taste to have my guests interrogated the moment they just got out of a crashed ship. Chapter 120 Silent Defenses There was a marked air of uncertainty about my guests as I led them to my office. We walked through the mostly empty halls of the upper floors of our headquarters, closed doors leading to other spaces in the structure that sat in current disuse. Eventually, Doug would be making full use of these spaces to form the backbone of our political structure. I wasn¡¯t so naive as to believe that we could avoid politics, and it would be prudent to have a division dedicated to our representation to others. My own approach was a far cry from perfect, and eventually I knew that I would tire of dancing around a topic. Sunvilla had come close to showing me just how little patience I had for such situations. Had they been even less helpful, I had to wonder if I would have simply had the Legion march in afterwards. Now, though, Sunvilla was under the careful eye of Doug¡¯s hand-picked agents, no small amount of which had inserted themselves fairly seamlessly among the masses. And, in spite of my earlier misgivings, it was clear that Sunvilla was a valuable resource for the Legion. ¡°It seems a little eerie up here.¡± I heard the Scynoi Princess speak. She said it casually, and if it weren¡¯t for the stiffness in her posture, I might have believed the casual smirk on her face was real. Then again, perhaps she wanted me to be aware of how uncomfortable she was. ¡®Politics? No, I think that falls under social skills,¡¯ I indulged myself with a moment of amusement before speaking over my shoulder, ¡°There¡¯s not much reason for these offices to be filled at the moment. The political situation on our planet hasn¡¯t developed enough to warrant most of these conference rooms to be in consistent use.¡± She nodded, bright emerald green eyes flicking to cameras that rested in the hallways. ¡°I¡¯m told the Scynoi seem to be somewhat more aware of our culture than would be considered common,¡± I heard Derrick speak beside me, filling the empty space with conversation, ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°Only bits and pieces,¡± she replied off hand, ¡°like how your people think your planet is flat, or how vaccines are dangerous.¡± Both myself and Derrick slowed and exchanged grimaces. A wide, sharp toothed smile spread across her face, ¡°I joke. Every species has their idiots. Honestly, there are many cultural parallels between Scynoi and Humans. We both have an obsession with entertainment and creature comforts. Unlike some people¡­¡± Uthakka let out a single humorless gaf, ¡°We have our own entertainment! We even use animals for it.¡± ¡°For fighting pits.¡± Querax interjected, ¡°You use them for fighting pits.¡± ¡°Of course! The meat is even more tender after a little fighting!¡± Uthakka grinned, his crocodilian jaws barely moving. Arianna hid some of her disgusted expression behind a foldable fan, one that I couldn¡¯t help but stare at. ¡°Is that¡­ Japanese? Kanji?¡± I blinked rapidly at the sight of the object in her hand. As quickly as it came, her expression shifted to genuine excitement, ¡°Yes! Ever since you showed up at the council, we¡¯ve been rooting through-¡± she stopped herself cold then, clearing her throat and then recollecting herself to a facsimile of control ¡°-we¡¯ve been studying some elements of your culture and entertainment. We especially found certain elements to be quite informative.¡± ¡°I still liked your sci-fi movies,¡± Yamak nodded to Querax, ¡°we binged all of Stargate.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± I tilted my head. There was a moment of silence between the pair, ¡°Uhh¡­ There¡¯s more than one?¡± I grinned as we entered the double doors, sleek black steel sliding out of the way with a barely audible click of locking mechanisms behind them. ¡°Not what I expected,¡± Arianna nodded with satisfaction, ¡°I half expected some of those boring offices that only had a desk in it, considering the drab hallways.¡± ¡°It¡¯s left to the owner to customize things.¡± I nodded to them, ¡°Make yourselves at home, there¡¯s plenty of space.¡± And there was, the first room being a thousand square feet. The entire east-facing part of this floor belonged to me, staring straight out at the Obelisk in the center of town. We were high enough to also see much of the surrounding city, and could see the ocean beyond. The windows were reactive, dimming at a moment of thought from myself. Currently, I changed them to block sight into the building, but allowed us to see out without difficulty. The center of the room bore a wide disc that would allow for holographic displays. I could sit in the middle of it should I desire, or have it display screens outward. The ceiling bore several subtle pods that contained metal dust, each bearing controllers for magnetic output and small machines. Long ago, we¡¯d come into the knowledge that nanites were a thing. However, we¡¯d run into a hitch. The technology to create them ourselves was highly advanced and while we could supplement our tech with the Obelisks, buying the nanites outright had rapidly become too expensive. Especially because no one wanted the nanites to self-replicate. At least, none of the ones we bought. Sis had rigorously informed us that nanites without such limits could quickly create a ¡°Grey Goo¡± type of apocalypse. One that was, frankly, terrifying. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I wanted them. Regrettably, getting nanites to perfectly replicate on the fly without fatal errors had proven to be a massive issue. As such, I was now sporting some pretty significant upgrades with nanites that could replicate with oversight. My room was filled with canisters. If something happened, I¡¯d have one of the most flexible defense systems at my fingertips. Besides that, though, my room was also flush with large, multi-purpose furnishings. Many of them were fit for larger beings to rest in, and I could tell that Arianna at least was taken aback by the fact that there was no genuine ¡°Have a seat¡± moment. I sat myself down unceremoniously on a large, plush coach that faced the holo-disc, each of the coaches in the ring facing inwards. Uthakka did not stand on ceremony, immediately sitting himself down a respectable distance to my side. ¡°Hmm,¡± he blinked, ¡°I half expected it to break.¡± He leaned back, and flinched as the couch began to flex with a silent motor shifting the seat into a more comfortable position for the hulking mass of scaled muscle. Barking with laughter, he looked up to the others, ¡°That surprised me. What are you all waiting for, an invitation?¡± They glanced at me, which I viewed tacitly as a ¡®yes.¡¯ I gestured again, ¡°For the time being, this room and the rooms adjacent are at your disposal. You¡¯ll find that I may not be here often. We¡¯ll be busy, but as far as I¡¯m concerned most of you are guests.¡± ¡°I appreciate your hospitality,¡± Arianna curtsied at the edges of a dark blue dress that shimmered against her humanoid form, save for the lengthy serpent tail that emerged from said dress. Querax nodded to me, still in full battle-gear, though he¡¯d allowed his helmet to recede, as mine was. His species was more elven than I¡¯d expected to see, complete with the otherworldly androgenous beauty that I¡¯d expect of space-elves. I didn¡¯t linger, though, watching Yamak virtually throw himself onto the couch, ¡°You have any drinks?¡± A light ding resounded as a menu appeared in front of Yamak. He glanced it over, arching an eyebrow before looking up at me. ¡°It comes from the cafeteria downstairs. It¡¯ll be made fresh and delivered.¡± I informed him, ¡°Use it as you will, the room will clean up after you.¡± Uthakka punched in an option a heartbeat later, his tail flapping loudly against the furniture. He stopped when we all looked at him with amusement, ¡°What? I¡¯ve been waiting to gorge myself on food for weeks. Nothing wrong with it.¡± He huffed, mild embarrassment coloring his turquoise scales a shade more violet. ¡°Now, as much as I¡¯d like to put this off, what happened?¡± I levelled my eyes to Yamak, ¡°Why was your ship so damaged?¡± The man nodded gravely, ¡°Seems that Earth breaking up that asteroid wasn¡¯t just sheer luck.¡± ¡°You have an active defense grid in orbit,¡± Arianna spoke up, stealing Yamak¡¯s buildup, ¡°one that is a fair bit better than what I¡¯d expect from a species that hasn¡¯t yet begun colonizing other planets.¡± Yamak huffed, ¡°Yes, that. You¡¯ve got what looks like a couple of mass drivers and full-blown railguns. Sensors are a helluva lot better than what I expected too. Predicted where we¡¯d be out by Neptune, probably fired a long time in advance, but still, impressive.¡± ¡°Alright, stop, back it up.¡± I groaned, ¡°let''s start with your ship getting hit at Neptune?¡± ¡°Well.¡± He breathed deeply, ¡°while we were talking last time, we suddenly noticed an object being propelled several hundreds of kilometers a second. Now, usually a shot like that from a primitive system would go wide by several hundred kilometers, harmlessly missing a target like us. But, one shot got lucky and hit my comms array on my flagship.¡± I blinked at that, ¡°And did actual damage?¡± He grimaced at that, ¡°I realize that you have media and such that says alien tech will be so far beyond yours that you can¡¯t hope to damage it, but if you throw a tungsten rod through space and pick up momentum off of gravity wells, that thing does damage. I don¡¯t care who you are or what your ship does.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t help that we didn¡¯t have shielding up or defenses online.¡± Querax shot Yamak a cross look, ¡°Yamak¡¯s flagship has hard-light barriers, they would have been enough to dull the shot before it hit the ship to do little more than leave a dent.¡± I nodded as he explained, and Yamak sighed, ¡°It still would have done damage, but it¡¯s true that it would have been far less. It was a glancing blow as is. We went radio silent afterwards, just in case we were being detected. The rest of the fleet is hiding in the asteroid belt currently. A few more shots were deployed, but we evaded them, but the accuracy is better than I expected.¡± ¡°So you came here with a smaller vessel?¡± I considered things, recalling the satellite that I¡¯d attempted to connect to before, only for it to self-destruct. Was it coincidental? ¡°Figured that if it was just mass drivers we could dodge easier with this. There was a vote to destroy the weapons platforms-¡± he cast a glance to Uthakka ¡°-but I figured you¡¯d want to try to take control of them instead. Could be useful in the future.¡± ¡°We attempted to contact the platforms themselves, or hail any kind of identification network, but there was nothing,¡± Arianna huffed, ¡°quite the welcome.¡± Gears turned in my mind as I considered possibilities aloud, ¡°We didn¡¯t have that kind of accuracy in the old world, I¡¯d think. And I¡¯ve recently run into some things that make me believe that perhaps there¡¯s at least one other group taking control.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of someone else controlling an orbital weapons platform.¡± Yamak grinned, ¡°Wanna steal it?¡± I shook my head bemusedly, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll definitely need to find some location with an uplink.¡± Just then, the ceiling above Uthakka vibrated, opening seamlessly for twin arms of nanites forming solid structures to reach down and deposit a large iron tub with a cooked hog within it. ¡°Ugh,¡± Arianna made a face, ¡°please tell me you¡¯re not going to ea-¡± Uthakka lifted the still steaming meat and bit the head off, crunching its skull loudly between powerful jaws, only to laugh at the mortified looks on our faces. Other dishes quickly joined the others, who busied themselves with pulling up blackout screens covering most of Uthakka¡¯s own meal. ¡°Anyways,¡± I ignored the crunching in the background, ¡°we¡¯ll figure out where a nearby uplink is. For now, rest up and I¡¯ll have someone show each of you around later.¡± With that, we ate and spoke of lighter topics, diligently ignoring the possibility that an orbital weapons platform was in potentially hostile hands at that very moment. Chapter 121 Raijin Cannon I listened to the noise of a trembling ¡®Danger-Room¡¯ with trepidation. Luckily, I carefully kept my expression neutral as Yaga spoke to my four guests, each of which were clearly stricken on many levels. In fact, Querax, upon seeing the pseudo-biotic, had stiffened with a perplexed expression on his face. ¡°So, you¡¯re the biotic?¡± He said, seeming uncertain as he studied the man. Yaga was vastly different from what he¡¯d appeared before. Continual refining of his own biological modifications had made him look incredibly similar to a human, his hair resembling stiff ivory and his eyes a shade of gold. He was slim as well, matching the build of Dr. Ross beside him, albeit with some subtle differences in mass across the torso, likely natural armor beneath the clothing he bore. ¡°In a manner. I presume you¡¯re one of the Reapers we were told to expect?¡± Yaga smiled and gave a slight bow to the four of them, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet all of you, of course. You were briefed on me, but allow me to cordially introduce myself. I am Yaga, one of the head scientists here in Legion R&D.¡± Dr. Ross stood next to Yaga comfortably, ¡°And I¡¯m Doctor Theodore Ross. Dr. Ross is fine.¡± he nodded to the four, ¡°Can we get you any water? Perhaps some fresh air?¡± Yamak was the first to recover, taking a breath and striding forward smoothly, holding a hand out and greeting them, ¡°Yamak Rettle, Artorian Company President. Forgive my manners, I¡¯ve never met a biotic that didn¡¯t want to rip my guts out.¡± Yaga gave an easy smile and nod, ¡°I appreciate the sentiment, most of my kin - if I can even call them such - have tried to eat me at one time or another.¡± That seemed to prompt the others into more friendly, or at least neutral interactions. Uthakka and Querax seemed to be having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I had a seemingly friendly biotic working with me. As we moved, I noticed that Querax had lingered more to the back of the group, and subtly seemed to be seeking my attention. Yaga and Dr. Ross occupied the others, answering questions about non-classified operations and explaining the weapons test we were about to display to the group. With my full attention, Querax began, ¡°Is it wise to allow this biotic freedom?¡± I frowned, turning a glare on him before I could control my expression. The man took no seeming offense, ¡°I only ask out of concern for a fellow Reaper. There have been some biotics in the past to insert themselves innocuously into an organization and work against them from within.¡± ¡°Querax,¡± I took a breath, finding the most diplomatic way to say what I thought. The words, however, staggered on my tongue as a sigh bled from my lips. There was wisdom in his words, but I couldn¡¯t find myself able to suspect Yaga of anything. He¡¯d fought alongside us, bled alongside us, and had poured his mental energy into helping further the Legion¡¯s more than respectable leaps in research. We owed him a great deal, and he¡¯s asked only to be allowed to pursue his research. ¡°There are few that I trust more than Yaga.¡± I spoke with certainty, ¡°and I assure you that he¡¯s had more than ample opportunity to crush the Legion at our weakest points. I¡¯m not understating when I say that he and Dr. Ross represent an irreplaceable part of the Legion.¡± The Reaper silently turned his gaze towards the researchers, his four eyes narrowed slightly in consideration. Aloud, he hummed before shaking his head, ¡°Perhaps I am mistaken then¡­¡± I felt a simmering burn of annoyance at his words, but carefully tamped down on the urge to pursue the matter. While I believed in Yaga, Querax had never met or perhaps really interacted with a pseudo-biotic. I had the impression that they weren¡¯t nearly as common in most places as they seemed on Earth. ¡°Now, please, step into the viewing room. Mr. Garand will demonstrate the weapon system that we¡¯ve constructed.¡± Dr. Ross gestured to the others, handing out goggles as he went, one of which was a heavily modified helmet for the Saurian. On the other side of the tempered glass and heavy magnetic rails rested four pillars, a heavy mech, a crackling generator alight with arcs of electricity, and a man. The man was Terry Garand, and he was standing beside the generator with a digital display. Not for the first time, I found myself staring intensely at his legs. The man had an accident several weeks ago, an electric jolt that seemed to have had some rather dramatic repercussions on the man. He refrained from speaking about the risky gambit that he¡¯d partaken in, citing that he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly had happened, and when he did talk about it, kept the details suspiciously vague. With his mech, he¡¯d served as the extra oomph that the Raijin Generator needed to discharge. Ever since then, he¡¯d regained feeling in his legs, and surely and rapidly remastered walking. More than that, he¡¯d demonstrated superior control over his own body, and capability in mental exercises. I was aware, of course, that he had an A.I. embedded in his mind now. But, thus far we¡¯d kept the event under need-to-know basis only, letting only Yaga and Dr. Ross know about it. We still didn¡¯t know the consequences, being that only myself and Terry actively housed an A.I. persona.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Mine had been based at least loosely on me, Smith having been a dear friend to me and in no small way my savior. But Dexter wasn¡¯t based off of Terry. It was free form, learning much like a child, and now had more or less direct access to Terry¡¯s brain. Whether that would be a problem in the future, we weren¡¯t sure, but for now we were content with non-invasive methods of examination. We didn¡¯t want Terry or Dexter to be put under duress. It was clear, also, that Terry had become incredibly useful in R&D. Plans that he¡¯d had but had difficulty formalizing were able to be finally put down to schematics in sensible ways. Previous issues in the Raijin Field had been carefully trimmed away. Now, the culmination of all of his effort and a team that consisted of Dr. Ross, Yaga, Terry, and five other researchers had led to his newest weapon system. ¡°Welcome! Welcome!¡± Terry excitedly called to the observation room, ¡°I, uhh, I¡¯m not much for exposition, so I¡¯ll keep this brief. I¡¯m Terry Garand, though you might know that if you¡¯re familiar with Matthew,¡± he nodded to me with a slight nervous chuckle, ¡°You might be wondering why we¡¯re showing this project to you all. Tell me, anyone thinking that right now?¡± Arianna chuckled, ¡°I imagine it¡¯s to show that your forces are coming along well enough that we shouldn¡¯t view you as lessers?¡± ¡°Maybe you wanna show off your toys,¡± Uthakka shot back, ¡°I like explosions as much as the next guy. Probably more.¡± Querax shook his head, ¡°Demonstrate your capacity to handle biotics on your own. You¡¯ll have plenty of suitor paramilitary companies breathing down your necks soon enough. Better to establish a minimum competence level-¡± at this he nodded to Yamak, ¡°-to ensure the chaff don¡¯t seek to crowd your planet.¡± ¡°Probably as a warning. I mean, for my group it doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯re contracted, but you start screening diplomats through here with good enough tech, people might think twice about taking advantage of you.¡± He then glanced over to me while grinning, ¡°so long as you¡¯re actually at a respectable level of technology, anyways, otherwise you¡¯re just shooting yourself in the foot. Which is why we¡¯re here to screen it first, right?¡± I chuckled, seeing Terry blink rapidly as he processed all of that. ¡°Uh¡­ wow. That¡¯s all pretty well thought out. Except the lizard guy.¡± He candidly singled out the large murder-reptile, who seemed flabbergasted for a moment before Terry continued, ¡°though, he¡¯s also probably the one closest to correct. You¡¯re all a bit right, I guess. I mean, the political division definitely wants to spin it like that, but we do want to show off. From what we estimated, this technology is pretty hefty on the Obelisk¡¯s weapons platform, but¡­ well, let¡¯s just show you, eh?¡± He grinned, hopping into the mech and hefting the large weapon that effectively took the place of the right arm. Terry was performing setup as Arianna slid closer to me, ¡°Tell me you¡¯re not actually going to try to cow any diplomatic parties with electrical weaponry.¡± I turned to her, smiling, ¡°Watch first, then give me your assessment.¡± She pouted, bright red lips puffing before she continued, ¡°Fine, fine. But there¡¯s not much we¡¯d be especially surprised to see.¡± Not seeing any real response, she sighed and turned her focus back on the experiment. She was likely right, most of what we¡¯d seen on the Obelisks had been quite impressive. Though, our specific take on how to use it was the main dividing factor. ¡°Alright, demo fire of the Raijin Cannon without cowl is going in three¡­ two¡­¡± he counted down, the mech surging to life with electricity rippling from its right arm. The arm in question resembled a gauntlet more than a cannon, protruding bits of metal arced with dense, seemingly ponderously slow arcs of electricity. Terry lifted the arm, pointing at the pillars in front of him. Three of them were outfitted, the first from the left being steel, the second being wood, the third empty, while the fourth bore stone. ¡°Firing,¡± Terry spoke, ionized beams invisible to the naked eye lancing towards the targets from the gauntlet. Little more than laser pointers, they were harmless on their own. The surge of lightning that followed the beams faster than one could blink, however, was anything but. Torrential amounts of power surged through the objects. The first contact scorched the wood and virtually atomized it, smoke pluming from the leftover. Stone shattered, and the steel rapidly heated to beyond a cherry red. The surge did not end with a moment, though, continuing to output for a few more seconds. The steel pillar was slag before the end of it. I heard Yamak whistle at that, ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that¡¯s pretty hefty stuff. What¡¯s the effective range?¡± As the pillars sank into the floor, Terry answered, ¡°line of sight, that¡¯s the only requirement. Though, I think it¡¯ll have some issues with the atmosphere after a few hundred miles.¡± Yamak seemed genuinely impressed with that, ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. It¡¯s good, but I wouldn¡¯t say that it¡¯s a deterrent.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more test.¡± Terry chuckled, the pillars replaced as Terry emerged, quickly placing a disc against his chest and pressing a button. A light covering to protect from shrapnel and heat covered him from head to toe. Terry hopped up to the still empty third pedestal and crossed his arms. The mech beeped as the arm came up, charging for a jolt. I sensed the others in the room tense, though Querax seemed to relax when he noted that I wasn¡¯t concerned. Instead, he watched with a marked increase in interest. Once more, torrents of electricity gushed into the room, even more than before. So much so that it seemed impossible that Terry would be anything but a carbonized husk. After a few seconds, though, the blinding light vanished, leaving molten steel, evaporated wood, shattered and molten stone¡­ And an utterly unphased Terry Garand standing on the third pillar. ¡°That¡­ Was it the suit?¡± I saw Arianna lean forward a wide smile on her face, showing off sharp teeth. Uthakka¡¯s tail thudded lightly as he looked onward, likewise very interested. ¡°Nope, all the Raijin cannon. With cowl mode active, it floods an area with electricity except for the marked locations. Technically, we can expand that to be much more target sensitive, but we also have small personnel locators that can remove any thought process from the weapons user. I wanted to call it Raijin¡¯s Wrath, but I¡¯m told that sounds arrogant.¡± He grinned. ¡°I take it back,¡± Yamak grimaced, ¡°fighting a ground force that¡¯s doing that all the time would be ridiculous.¡± I nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll move on and show you the other projects we have. After all, we¡¯d like your expert opinions on our weapons and armors. Any insights you can give us, if you¡¯d be willing, would also be welcome.¡± Chapter 122 The day wore on with the tour of our primary facilities in New Damond. In peaceful times this would be more of an official meeting, done in no small part but to show foreign diplomats a sample of what we had to offer. In reality, what we wanted was their input and feedback on our various processes. Each were, in their own right, experts and representatives of a considerable number of people. Impressing them was less about our vanity and more of a temperature check on how we were doing overall in terms of our advancements in technology. I could call the results something of a mixed bag. There were plenty ¨C more than I¡¯d hoped for ¨C of things that we¡¯d done very well on, but others that left them scratching their heads wondering what we were showing them. Our construction technology being one of them, though Yamak was the only one who nearly drooled upon seeing it. He quietly assured me that our ability to rapidly manufacture anything was not exactly uncommon, but the rate at which we could roll out such constructions was impressive. Many of our defensive structures came in modular designs, allowing us to quickly create infrastructure in new areas with standardized equipment and fairly strict structure hierarchy. This was what had allowed us to rapidly build new, fairly straight shot highways to Sunvilla and Argedwall, ignoring previous roads that took winding paths that avoided rough terrain. Price was no obstacle for us, and one unsung advancement that had been made was the sheer flexibility of our materials. The same could be said of our weapons and armor platforms. Extreme concepts were now being considered, given that one of our most successful area defense platforms, The Raijin Field, had begun under one man and largely been considered a flight of fancy by many in Reaper R&D. Terry had demonstrated that imagination was a weapon in and of itself. Even so, there were just as many failed projects. Weaponizing nanites in the field, for instance, was met with many unforeseen issues. Mobility being chiefest among them, as the nanites we¡¯d created simply couldn¡¯t move rapidly enough to be more than slimes. Their efficacy was in doubt as well, given that their overall power supply simply wasn¡¯t sufficient to allow long term activity. However, in terms of utilizing nanites as a defensive tool we¡¯d managed quite well. Now, every mech was rolling out with a small number of nanites that would assist in repairs and would be capable of emergency medical assistance. Some were wary of them, given that our culture had volumes of cautionary fictional tales warning against the use of nanites and their like. I myself now carried four canisters attached to my back, sleek things that fit snugly against my power armor, that contained what might very well be millions of the things. My fear of them was nonexistent, I could flex my will and force them to do anything I wanted, there was no presence within them that was not strictly my own. Those that were in other suits were beholden entirely on the suit and its own onboard computer systems, and under no condition were they allowed to attack or otherwise smother the pilot. Already, though, I was considering how best to metabolize such things. If I could use nanites in my own body and in my power armor, how far could I push my capacities? Would I be able to have the power of a mechanized suit even without wearing one? What, then, could I push my suit to- ¡°So, Reaper, I think it''s time for that talk?¡± Yamak spoke, snapping me from my thoughts. The four of them were allowed now to roam the city, given explicit information on what exactly was allowed - and more importantly, not allowed - in the city. New Damond didn¡¯t have much of a non-Legion presence, but there were still a number of small outlets for entertainment and food outside of HQ. Living quarters were anything but mandatory, and while the trainees were often in the Tombstone, other active and inactive Legion tended to be near HQ to enjoy the amenities offered. Further out, those amenities were offered by extension, hosted by Legion and often being trusted individuals from Gilramore and a trickle from Sunvilla. The others had excused themselves, having received all of the information that they needed to roam the city. I could tell, though, that they were restless. Yamak was no less, in spite of his nonchalant demeanor. I nodded to him, ¡°Come with me.¡± With little other choice, Yamak followed as we moved back into the building. The lobby was as immaculate as ever, a large, red and black marble structure with streaks of gold running along the edges of tiling and blocks. Angular, bold architecture gave the room the appearance of a great yawning maw, and deeper within, alcoves led to different parts of the structure. The first floor hosted no particularly important meetings, more along the lines of renting rooms for Legion teams to utilize for whatever purpose they might need. Above us, though, much more information was being processed and decided in real time by our socio-political arm. Derrick had returned to said areas to keep informed and guide the process while Doug was in Gilramore. As we entered the elevator, rising rapidly to the office, Yamak broke the silence. ¡°So, not that I don¡¯t appreciate being given insight into your operation¡­¡± he paused, ¡°...but there is the matter of my fleet still being out in space.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°A matter that I take seriously,¡± I turned to look at him, ¡°while we¡¯ve been touring, the Legion has been mobilizing.¡± He sighed, ¡°I get that, and I realize that there¡¯s not much that can be done about it, but at the least I¡¯d like to know what¡¯s going on in relation to my fleet.¡± The elevator doors slid open then as we walked through the halls. To be honest, there really wasn¡¯t much to talk about as of yet. The encrypted information I¡¯d pilfered from the satellite was being unpacked carefully. Other satellites were being carefully sought out, by myself and by other A.I. that carefully parsed signals that originated in orbit. Our mountain top observatory and communications base was put to task in this. For the first time, the base was active, though Yamak wasn¡¯t aware of it. I doubted anyone not directly involved in these requests was even aware that the base was even active. More than that, though, was the fact that the Legion was upgrading, metamorphosing once more. Small upgrades here and there, but enough of them that most teams were on standby as existing weapons were upgraded, new kits rolled out, and, soon, new teams issued to the field. Remembering that, I idly set a few processes in motion to make sure Phalanx Gamma would be outfitted appropriately for being tasked with my team. ¡°We¡¯re narrowing down possible locations for where the nearest uplink point is,¡± I gestured to the holographic display as we walked into the office, the hologram surging to life. A replica of Earth and the continent we were on spun in our vision before pulling away, showing several exaggeratedly large models of satellites over the surface of the planet. One such satellite was red with an ¡°X¡± through it, being the one I was responsible for destroying. ¡°So far, these are the satellites that we¡¯ve detected that are suspect. Over here, we¡¯ve detected some of the orbital defensive stations.¡± I gestured to one in particular, ¡°it¡¯s fairly more robust than I¡¯d expected. And close to your landing point. I¡¯d guess that this was the one that shredded the Python.¡± Yamak has a sour expression on his face, ¡°do you have any idea where the uplinks are yet?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Some, but nothing concrete, yet. There seems to be one in Sunvilla, but I doubt that¡¯s more than a relay. However-¡± I gestured farther up the coast, near the city of Basilisk Port, ¡°-there¡¯s a port city here. There¡¯s no relay there, but farther off their coast to this island out here-¡± at that I pointed out Basney Island even further northeast, ¡°-does in fact have a large structure, one that isn¡¯t on any records that I can find. We¡¯re fairly sure that, if this was part of some defensive network project, this would be the place it would be.¡± ¡°A start, then.¡± Yamak stared at the image for the port city perplexedly, ¡°what about this city? Are they friendly?¡± ¡°They¡¯re at least neutral,¡± I sighed, ¡°they don¡¯t recognize themselves under any authority, not their own, but they¡¯re willing to negotiate terms for an alliance. Which makes them a far cry better than the United Governments Coalition.¡± He tilted his head in question at me for that, to which I only smiled helplessly. ¡°Recently we¡¯ve received responses from several groups nearby and farther afield. This is our Legion-Bulwark initiative; find and consolidate communities outside our own, or outfit them appropriately, so long as they¡¯re willing to work under Legion direction.¡± I explained briefly, ¡°There are a few holdouts, but so far we¡¯re seeing very positive responses. But there are other large organizations out there that we¡¯re still learning about.¡± Yamak didn¡¯t say anything, finding himself a chair and asking for a beer from the A.I. of the room. I chuckled to myself, sitting and getting water for myself. ¡°Basilisk Port, originally of a different name, is under the organization Basilisk,¡± at this Yamak gave a small smile, ¡°and sports half-a-million citizens under its banner.¡± At this Yamak whistled, ¡°So they¡¯re larger than you twice over?¡± I nodded, unashamedly, ¡°Exactly, though I wouldn¡¯t want this to come down to blows in the first place. To be brief, our military mights are designed in entirely different directions. Most of their biotics are larger, sea-borne variants, and their population swelled from several settlements further up the coast that were under constant assault by these creatures. They¡¯re a fairly powerful organization, all told, but reasonable enough. I¡¯d prefer to keep our relations above water, so-to-speak.¡± ¡°The problem isn¡¯t them, though. As I mentioned, the United Government Coalition has been seeing more activity. They were an eleventh hour formation during the apocalypse and given vested powers, officially, in every country. Of course, that was a token gesture at the time, intended to soothe the masses.¡± Yamak arched an eyebrow at my flippant manner regarding them, no doubt realizing I had no particular love for the group. ¡°But, enough of the organization survived that they¡¯re using the Old-World orders to take over their nearby territories. So far, they¡¯re too far in the west to be an issue, but eventually I suspect that they¡¯ll come here. And, if what we suspect is true, they may have something to do with the orbital defenses being as touchy as they are.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Yamak sighed, seeming to realize where this was going, ¡°they¡¯re trying to keep away any curious groups while also keeping the weapon system in their back pockets.¡± ¡°Yes, but also,¡± I nodded to the hologram, ¡°I think the native government is fighting back against their control. Likely, they¡¯re blocking each other from accessing the network, but who can say how long that will last? Of course, we¡¯ve only just stumbled upon this, but I¡¯d much rather not allow either of these organizations to control them. The last thing we need is someone ready to push the big red button on anyone resisting their control.¡± ¡°So,¡± I met Yamak¡¯s eyes straight on, ¡°if I gave you two hours without that orbital platform shooting at you, how many strike vessels could you get in the atmosphere?¡± The Artorian Company President seemed to glow at my question, a wide, toothy grin spreading across his face, ¡°Well, we¡¯re no slouches. But that¡¯s one helluva flight to make in two hours. We¡¯ll have to get closer, past the asteroid belt¡­¡± We talked of the plan, and what I intended for his vessels to do once they were fully in orbit. Tomorrow, we¡¯d have more information to work with. Until then, though¡­ ¡°Cheers!¡± Yamak clinked his glass of alcohol against mine, whilst simultaneously pushing another one into my free hand... Chapter 123 My alcohol tolerance was such that I could more accurately call it alcohol immunity. Yamak Rettle, on the other hand, did not possess any such boons. Thus, in the middle of the night when Querax, Arianna, and Uthakka returned, they each took their time to process the scene of myself rested in a plush armchair nursing my fifteenth glass of alcohol, this one some kind of spiced rum, whilst another portion of the long curved couch bore a splayed out Yamak Rettle with a bottle lightly held. He was passed out, loudly snoring, and looked every part the party-goer that had had too many drinks. The satisfied expression on his face didn¡¯t do that impression any favors. ¡°Had yourselves a good time?¡± Arianna asked with an arched eyebrow, clearly amused at the situation. I shrugged, ¡°I did, actually.¡± Without prompting, the three found themselves comfortable in other seats. ¡°I don¡¯t know any of the names,¡± Uthakka frowned, ¡°do you have any suggestions?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Try this one,¡± I sent the order through, ¡°how about you two?¡± Querax shed his helmet, clicking thoughtfully before he nodded, ¡°It has been a while since I¡¯ve enjoyed a few drinks.¡± Arianna smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll try something as well.¡± Idly, I ordered a few of the lighter, flavorful drinks. The drink itself wouldn¡¯t do anything to me, but it¡¯d be good not to assume the same of others. Yamak, after all, seemed to have a direct line from his mouth to his blood when it came to alcohol. ¡°I do like your city,¡± Arianna spoke up as we waited, ¡°But, I do feel that it lacks a certain¡­ something.¡± Uthakka nodded, ¡°It has no-¡± he waved his clawed hand he considered a moment ¡°-heart, no shadow.¡± I tilted my head at that, and he obliged, ¡°in my homeworld, every city has an identity. A reason to be. For my hometown, we had the hanging gardens.¡± ¡°That sounds surprisingly romanticized,¡± Querax commented, ¡°I¡¯m told your race favors violence.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t have both?¡± Uthakka grinned toothily, dagger-fangs protruding from his maw, ¡°The gardens feed some of our livestock. Honey was our major export.¡± I nodded at that, finding the image of a towering lizard cultivating plants and tending to bee-hives jarringly dissonant. ¡°But, the point was it gave our city a reason to be, something that permeated our lives. Here, I see no reason.¡± Uthakka nodded to himself sagely, ¡°Though, I¡¯ve seen plenty of towns like it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an excellent headquarters,¡± Querax nodded, even as the drinks were carefully pressed into their waiting hands from the mechanical arms of the room. A light grin tugged the corner of his mouth as he watched the arm ascend back into the ceiling, ¡°your Legion will be excellently placed. The coast is nearby, you¡¯re centralized between several cities of relative power and capacity. Most biotics in these areas have been controlled-¡± he then gestured to me emphatically ¡°-and farms for said creatures developed. Not many species under incursion do so for fear of the risks.¡± Arianna made a thoughtful hum as she sipped her drink, apparently finding it to her liking as she continued drinking. ¡°Well, I do think that there¡¯s definitely something missing. It¡¯s not like you need to have a large civilian presence here - this is clearly a military inclined city - but something at least. Perhaps this is a matter for the more artistically inclined.¡± We talked about some general things then, and I learned a bit more about their respective homeworlds. Querax was surprisingly open about talking, and took part in the conversation actively. From what Yamak had said, he was a very quiet sort, though in retrospect it could very well have been the man''s personal dislike of the mercenary. I decided not to broach the topic. When I told them about my plan to get more of the fleet in orbit, I was met with mixed enthusiasm. ¡°It¡¯ll be risky,¡± Querax nodded, ¡°but quite worth the cost.¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes narrowed at the man, ¡°I think you may be underestimating the human¡¯s weapons.¡± Uthakka, now with a much larger flagon of frothy beer, rumbled with a deep throated chuckle. ¡°Considering you guys weren¡¯t far from space-age stuff, your kinetic weapons have some kick!¡± I smiled and took some pride in what he said, at least before he opened his mouth again, ¡°Your general stuff sucks. But your higher military grade weapons are good. The satellite stuff up there packs a wallop too.¡± That dulled my pride a bit, but at the very least we weren¡¯t a total write off. I supposed that when your standard hunting rifle would only kind of piss off a Saurian, you¡¯d have to take a step back and admit the need for some heavier ordnance. ¡°I realize the weapons are there,¡± Querax leaned back, a glass full of ice, coke, and rum clinking lightly as he did so, ¡°but the targeting system is atrocious on evading targets.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Then why did we get hit?¡± Arianna asked levelly, crossing her arms over her chest, still holding a drink in her clawed fingers. Querax¡¯s eyes flicked over to the unconscious form of Yamak, ¡°Why indeed?¡± I cleared my throat, ¡°Redundancy.¡± The Reaper looked at me in confusion, as did the others, before he gave a small nod, ¡°Mmm, indeed, yes. That would be the best way to fix that problem.¡± Arianna tilted her head, as Uthakka explained with another laugh, ¡°If you¡¯re shit at hitting a target, throw more projectiles at it. That¡¯s how we do it back home.¡± The woman rolled her eyes and shook her head, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know how you Saurian¡¯s made it.¡± An air of silence permeated the room for a few seconds, expecting some kind of joking response. Instead, I found my eyes settled on the Saurian as he swirled the drink in his hands. ¡°I guess we got lucky,¡± he grinned, ¡°we had enough bodies to throw at the problem.¡± The Scynoi Princess grimaced, ¡°I apologize, I know it wasn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I know, I know-¡± Uthakka waved her off suddenly, ¡°no harm done. We Saurians aren¡¯t the sort to walk on egg-shells.¡± I clicked my fingers against my cup in deep thought, staring into the amber colored liquid of my drink, swirling with another, denser liquid within. There was no shortage of sacrifices that the Earth had made already. In terms of the ecosystem alone, I doubted that much of the biosphere remained wholly intact. Even after we managed to control the biotic threat, I doubted we¡¯d ever be fully rid of it. Many of the creatures, by matter of course, devoured anything they could catch. Bugs were among the few that might survive, but the wolves had hunted most terrestrial animals in the area. Some lived, much like the deer myself and Daniel had captured on the eve of the Obelisk¡¯s landing, but they were scant few. Who was to say that there were enough to repopulate? And the lives we¡¯d already paid to carve out even this amount of safety, how much had others paid for similar results? ¡°Tooth for your thoughts?¡± Uthakka looked at me, a smile reaching his eyes as his crocodilian face pointed to me. The others, settled in as they were, focused on me. ¡°Just thinking about what we¡¯ve paid to get this far.¡± I sighed, ¡°Tell me, what are our chances?¡± The others exchanged looks at that, ¡°It¡¯s a fairly complicated question that you ask,¡± she stated, even while looking uncertainly at her glass. Querax remained studiously silent, but Uthakka couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at the other two, ¡°You¡¯re in deep shit.¡± The other two looked at him, Querax seemingly unsurprised while Arianna glaring at him with exasperation. The Saurian shrugged, ¡°He deserves to know. I¡¯d sure as hell have liked to know what our odds were.¡± He flicked his attention to the monitor, concentrating hard on his interface and allowing the hologram to bring up a picture of an alien world. ¡°This is an¡­ admittedly rough image of my homeworld, Agorion,¡± he gestured to what appeared to be a verdant hothouse of vegetation. ¡°There were two sentient species, the Saurian and the Lettal. We Saurian tended towards the more densely vegetated regions, hotter, wetter. The Lettal moved more towards the higher elevated, colder regions, though mostly concentrated here.¡± He gestured to a few primary areas, ¡°There are several other pockets, but our species were fairly concentrated here. We had a lot of natural predators in our world, and we didn¡¯t have much in the way of special weapons, like guns, before the Obelisks came.¡± ¡°Here, in the middle of Lettal territory, the biotic meteor impacted. A thousand kilometer area buried in fire and destruction-¡± he snapped his fingers, ¡°-just like that. We took pity on the Lettal, not even knowing about biotics yet. Over the course of a few months, though, we met them. Now, we know the first forerunners as Gen 2. Our world lacked a defensive system, but our meteor was comparatively smaller than the one that hurtled towards your world. The Dark Years was what we called them, ash filled the sky, plants struggled, our peoples hungered. Biotics give no flesh to sustain us, and if it weren¡¯t for our prolific and warlike ways, the Saurian would not have held. The Lettal worked at our backs, doing what they could - they were always better with technology than we were - and arming our people as we could. It was everything we could do to keep the threat contained. Then, the Obelisks came.¡± ¡°I am proud to say that we took the weapons given to us and rammed it down the biotics throats. But, it cost us,¡± he sighed, ¡°your people are more complicated. You have hundreds, thousands of hives scattered across the world. We had one pocket of hives, many of them certainly, and only at Gen 2 and Gen 3. For you? With as many types as there are here?¡± He left the implication unsaid, but he didn¡¯t need to comment. There was no united front against the biotics. We fought in every direction, struggling to take back territory, hunting down every biotic core we could find. Even so, it would take time, hundreds of kilometers were clear around us, but what of others? What of other territories? If they failed, would mega hives greet us at every turn? ¡°You¡¯re not alone, though,¡± Uthakka thrummed, ¡°and you¡¯ll come out of this stronger if you survive. I¡¯ve a few of my warriors that I¡¯d be happy to lend you, they¡¯re bored up in the ships anyways.¡± I smiled at that, ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that, there¡¯s plenty of biotics to go around.¡± ¡°The Reaper¡¯s don¡¯t like to butt in too much,¡± Querax stated, ¡°this is your crucible. But I can safely say that the First Reaper would also consider this an exception.¡± We looked to Arianna then, who smiled, beaming with her fangs, ¡°We¡¯ll keep the vultures away.¡± I blinked at that in surprise, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Well, that guy-¡± she gestured flippantly to Yamak, ¡°-will keep the pirates and mercs away, some smaller militaries if they try to elbow in. You¡¯ve got Lazka Muran and his Titherin Mercantile Corporation and their rights to keep other conglomerates out. But the big governments would just ignore them if they really wanted you. I wasn¡¯t sure that I wanted to help you out, but, I suppose for a small favor I could ask my aunt to make some subtle remarks about our intent around earth.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the council be enough for that?¡± I tilted my head, prompting an almost imperceptible shake of the head from Querax. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they?¡± She smiled, ¡°I suppose they could take care of you, they¡¯re so good at managing everything.¡± The sweet sarcasm aside, I sighed, ¡°Well, a small favor would be fine. So long as it¡¯s reasonable. What is it?¡± She grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll come up with something later.¡± Querax sat back, seemingly at ease with the arrangement, while Uthakka didn¡¯t seem to mind either way. At that, we made a little bit more small talk, but eventually retired to our own rooms. Yamak was still passed out on the couch. Chapter 124 -Domino¡¯s P.O.V.- We stood in a line, the eight of us that had passed the grueling, mind-numbing Gauntlet that The Reaper had designed for us. Our class, Phalanx Gamma, had graduated with flying colors through the gauntlet. At least, the parts that I believed that we were supposed to beat. It was hard to put into words the sheer horror that awaited us by the time we¡¯d narrowly cleared the fifth level. Wolven was every bit the nightmare that we¡¯d suspected it would be, and the subsequent levels gave me all of the information I needed to know on what else we needed to work on. Fighting biotics was easy, but when you also had to work around people? That became much more problematic. ¡°So, what do you think they¡¯re like?¡± I heard Jessica ask next to me, a good friend of mine who was generally viewed as the leader outside of combat. I wasn¡¯t any good at the big picture stuff, but tactically I was better. A two-part system that had worked out for us quite well so far. ¡°Probably a lot more relaxed than some of the teams,¡± Venezuela interjected excitedly, ¡°I can¡¯t believe that we¡¯re getting on Alpha Team.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t either,¡± Harold commented dryly, ¡°it¡¯s probably not actually their team. Rumors say that Alpha¡¯s been busy doing everything but being a team for a month.¡± There was a sour moment as I virtually heard the scorn in one of my other teammates. Rachel was a mother of three, all of which were still kicking, and she was effectively the den-mother of our rag-tag group. And had the magical power of making the normally intractable Harold reconsider some of his less personable qualities. ¡°Then again, I¡¯ve been wrong before¡­¡± he ventured, and murmured, ¡°rarely,¡± so low that I could barely hear it even with the cybernetic hearing aide in my ears. Rachel gave a nigh imperceptible nod, the tough-as-nails woman as good a middle-woman as any could ask for. The others, Emma, Eric, and Covina hadn¡¯t contributed to the conversation as of yet. Emma was pale as a ghost under the best of circumstances, and was shy as they come. In a fight, though, her expert abuse of magnetics made her area control a terror. Generally, she looked up to the very same magneticist that had spawned a wave of copy-cats and lookalikes. Fran the Valkyrie - some had dubbed her as such - was no less a legend than the rest of the team. Such was the fame of the founder that the rest of the team was equally shrouded in mystery. Eric had taken a page out of the big mech users notes and adopted a fairly rough mech previous to today. His main strategy was punishing bullrushes while unleashing concussive strikes through a four-armed machine, each bearing shotgun fists. It was, frankly, very anime. But, as much as he¡¯d been made fun of at first for the design, the results shut those mouths very quickly. He was something of a savant with controlling his mech, even in spite of the extra pair of limbs. The member that struck the most vibrant image, though, was Covina. She¡¯d dyed her hair a sharp, neon-blue and wore a slim power armor that hugged her frame. Being easily the most mobile member of the group, she also had the penchant for being hyperactive, excitable, and somewhat socially awkward at times. Venezuela was generally the one whose personality could be considered the most normal of us, if any of us even remotely counted for that. Her hair always somehow seemed to have a majestic, windswept appearance to it that I swore had to have some kind of alien technology involved, and was an incredible marksman in her own right. She looked up to The Reaper for many reasons, but perhaps the biggest of all was the fact that she was more similar to him than not. Her prosthetic legs were a type that was geared more towards functionality than to human-like in both appearance and use. In non-combat, the legs looked, more or less, like ordinary limbs. Combat, however, would see her legs reverse knee, like a predatory creature, and the rest of her red and black armor would make her look every ounce a predatory hunter. Most of us were just reaching adulthood, another factor that saw the mid-twenties Harold doubtful that Alpha would be willing to accept us into the fold. Covina was a similar age as him, and the eldest of us was the mid-to-late thirties Rachel. Looking around at the many other teams arrayed to be met by their Legion unit, we weren¡¯t all that rare to look at. Plenty of us had come from Sunvilla after we¡¯d heard about what the Legion had done for us. While some were skeptical, I decided to see for myself what kind of organization had rescued our people. Suffice to say, I was impressed enough to want - no, to need - to become one, and to be the best I could be. With our official acceptance into Alpha, Mr. Borham had seen to it that we all received top of the line weapons, all expenses paid by the team we were joining.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I noticed that there were a few teams who seemed to have not taken absolute advantage of that presented opportunity. Idly, I wondered if perhaps it had been a test to see who was greedy amongst us. If so, then that would be a shame, because I certainly wasn¡¯t going into combat without the best equipment I could get my hands on. ¡°Attention!¡± Came the sharp voice of Director Daughtry at the front of the group, the many Legion aspirants-fulfilled snapping to attention. Our group was no different, I felt myself settle into a rigid line as the Director¡¯s eyes settled over us. Like Mr. Borham, Tabitha Daughtry had fought side-by-side with the Reaper in the mines, and was a sniper of repute. She, however, had found a talent in managing the Tombstone and the recruits therein. And not a single one of us wanted to draw her ire. ¡°Students,¡± she said with shocking warmth, ¡°with this ceremony you all have now graduated to full Legionnaires, with all of the respect and responsibility that comes with it.¡± I felt a bubbling in my gut at that, fluttering with the realization that we¡¯d done it. Really, actually, done it. ¡°The path doesn¡¯t end here, however. Your journey with the Legion will lead you to places you never thought you¡¯d go, perhaps even to places you never wanted to,¡± a somber note entered her voice, ¡°this is as much a time for celebration as it is to dig down and resolve yourself. Behind and all around you are those who have fallen-¡± at this, the many black marble surfaces flared red with the text upon them, indeed hundreds of names flaring on their surfaces, ¡°-who now bear witness to your rise. It is in this passing of the flame that you now bear the duty of the Legion. To hunt and destroy biotics is our primary duty. To secure the future of humanity is our vision. And for any who would get in your path, you will show them that The Reaper¡¯s Legion are as unrelenting as death.¡± ¡°Today, you have joined the Legion.¡± Her smile burned with pride, looking out upon the gathering of like-minded Legionnaires in joy. I felt an energy rise in me at that, inexorable and seeking release. The air was charged in so short a time, no need for useless flattery and overdone dramatism, we were here for a shared purpose. And that purpose seemed, all at once, to be joined in one voice. ¡°For the Legion!¡± -Matthew Reaper¡¯s P.O.V.- I watched the graduation ceremony with no small amount of my own pride. These were people who had fought through and earned their place among us. Even the knowledge that I would be adding eight more to my team that I didn¡¯t know personally mattered little. I knew that they wanted to be here, and I knew that they¡¯d fought and underwent the Gauntlet for this right. Taking every blow and kept on coming; the modified mines, Wolven in full power, the jungles of Sunvilla and the people abound, and the hard decisions that came in other scenarios. They¡¯d proven themselves in the simulations, and I felt they were more than ready for the real world. Which was good, because our convoy was ready and waiting. Fifty Ogre¡¯s, ten mobile bases, and an army of Legionnaires were ready to be on the move. We only needed to wait for our fresh recruits to join us, our mission to the northern coast one that we would likely need all the help we could get. This morning, I¡¯d attempted to access the orbital weapons platform over our head. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t figure out any method that was used to actually access the device. Even by using our own mountain-top uplink, I couldn¡¯t find any sort of signal that came from the platform. It was possible that there was something of course, but I certainly didn¡¯t want to risk not finding it. And, I had reason to believe that my meddling hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Several other satellites that I could see were receiving many more signal updates than before. Whether it was due to my accidental destruction of a satellite, or the space-faring vessel getting through the atmosphere, I wasn¡¯t certain. At best, they were curious and would try to leverage their relative position of control to get the Legion under their thumb. At worst, they might have a way to deploy armament strikes onto the surface. Perhaps that was a cynical outlook, but given what information we could gather about both the Native Government¡¯s struggling remains and the activities of the United Governments Coalition, they were hardly good neighbors. They aggressively expanded and sought to put most of the control into their own forces, rather than enabling local populations. Our strategy, in my opinion, was better executed. While, certainly, we didn¡¯t trust most groups with more power in an area, we at least ensured they had avenues for self-defense and to be admitted into our power structure. The UGC tended to be manic in defanging a population, afraid of the population turning on them. For the Legion, we didn¡¯t pretend to care about popularity contests, and the people in our cities were given the information as it stood. We used our media only insofar as to ensure that accuracy was upheld. In that degree, perhaps we were manically disinclined from the old-worlds ways. Knowledge, information, facts, these were what we based the Legion off of, and thus far it had trickled down the line to others. Deception was not a tool we were wholly interested in using, and certainly not one we wanted to use on our own population. Above all, though, was the tendency for the UGC to institute mandatory labor and to force a draft on the population of each city it ran across. This brought more people into their fold, and also displaced massive groups from their own homes. For some, whose cities were too small or ill-equipped to handle biotics, this wasn¡¯t the worst thing. Though, they often found themselves pressed into a military that was growing too rapidly for its equipment and training to keep up. They were growing fast, but eventually I knew that they would run into a problem that didn¡¯t exist in the old world. Biotics didn¡¯t care who you were or what you promised. The only thing that mattered to them was cold steel and the bite of a bullet. Something that the UGC might find very lacking in its general military if they continued to expand. A war of attrition wouldn¡¯t end well for us. I shook my head as I brought my thoughts away from such topics. It was altogether possible that I was looking for a reason to be in conflict with them, but it was also true that I could bring more benefits to the Earth than perhaps anyone else could. Perhaps in the future others would reach out to the galactic community, but for now? I was the one with a space-fleet ready to assist. At worst, we¡¯d just have to use long-range weaponry to destroy the satellites and then replace them over time. It would be a setback, but not an unexpected one. For now, as I checked Shade¡¯s inventory stores to ensure everything was in place, I wondered at how well our new recruits would do in the field... Chapter 125 The low hum of electronics filled the air, countless equipment checks being performed on everything ranging from auto-defenses, Ogre mechanics, and personal armor equipment. My own armor clicked and whirred, a few upgrades having been set up by Reaper R&D to my specifications. I was no armorer or engineer, though I could moonlight as one with decency, giving me enough knowledge to know what I wanted and how it would need to look as a finished project. The nuances in getting there, though, I left to the professionals I had at hand. Someone once said that leadership was just as much about delegation as it was about knowing what to say and do. You could say that I took that to heart. The Legion was virtually a nation unto itself as this point. That reflection took me aback for a moment amidst the toil and testing. We¡¯d built something truly large, here. Most of our power was centralized, our people united in our efforts against a familiar and common enemy. Our territory was stable, people fed, informed without the guise of a press seeking sensationalism. At some point, I realized, I¡¯d built a place that I could call my own, feel at home in my own skin. I pulled back on the grand vision that occurred to me, grounding myself firmly amidst the marshalling force I had around me. Final checks performed, I stepped onto the platform embedded in Ogre''s bay. Gentle but firm graspers clasped my back and shoulders, lifting me from beneath by a supporting brace against my lower back and down to my legs. Within moments, the whirring machines encased me in larger pieces of armor. I¡¯d had an opportunity to show my guests around and demonstrate our arms. Querax himself weighed in on the power armor I now wore, with no small amount of approval. Angular plates flexed and moved, every limb a collection of twenty individual components that reached out and locked into one another, weaving together a stronger whole. Armor as black as obsidian but somehow reflecting a red visage in light clad my form, a veritable sheen that pulsed with red light running just beneath the protective layering of the surface. This was a half-step from being a mech, different from anything else I¡¯d worn to date. We pushed the capabilities of my control to the edge, a machine far too complex for most computers to competently automate, and far too unwieldy for the average pilot. In it, I stood at two and a half meters tall, towering over most people now. The form remained humanoid, thick arms concealing a variety of mechanisms, not the least of which being arm-blades and a pair of grappling talons. Broad shoulders bore mount-ready hard points, where smart weapons would be installed as we hit the road. Down my back I could feel the proto-spine of the unit flex, a combination of multi-columned dark-steel - the techies voted between that and nano-steel - with filaments of nano-weave fiber as fine as hair on its own, but with tensile strength far surpassing previous common earth steels of the old world. Musculature linked together beneath the plates, making the entire process for the suit to fully boot up take an additional minute altogether. The trade off was worth it, though, as the suit became less like an exoskeleton, and more like having a second endoskeletal structure. When the senses of the mech linked to my own, that feeling only amplified. I felt the rumble of the many small power units as they linked together, a pseudo-nervous system coming alive and talking to my own. Larger engine units on my pack flexed, but remained inactive beyond a general check for energy levels. My personal power had increased dramatically with this upgrade, though I was hardly the only one. Many of the teams sported new technology, much of which was funded directly. By now, it wasn¡¯t unusual for a Legion team to have an extended support team outside of their own members, though we ensured that monopolizing efforts was disallowed. A large triple barrelled rifle rested on the wall, upgraded as well. The assault rifle looked positively immaculate, red running lights along the sides pulsed lightly to a steady rhythm. In a moment, it could transform, becoming a sniper rifle of devastating potency. Several ammo types had been added to the Legion¡¯s stores in light of the numerous enemies we faced, and this weapon could take full advantage of those ammo types. Other weapons lay upon the wall, and as the suit finished startup, more limbs began to affix them to my frame. Suddenly, it felt like the difference between standing naked in a storm and being sheltered warmly from it. The transformation bled into my senses, and I allowed a slight breath of relief through my lips at the sensation. I stepped from the Ogre, noting idly that there were a number of Legionaries that paused in their idle talk as I appeared. A few whistled appreciatively, some that I knew more closely in passing clapped good-heartedly. Just like that, the teams on the line began to marshall the rest of their gear, many stepping out with upgrades. It was, admittedly, a friendly boasting moment when Daniel¡¯s mech was released from another vehicle beside me, a repurposed mobile command bay, the sole inhabitant of the rig. The behemoth truly embodied the Dreadnought class that he bore, no longer merely tanky and brimming with fairly mundane - if effective - weaponry. The Dauntless was the first officially named mech in the Legion¡¯s mechanized core, and it bore the name proudly. Shade would no longer remotely be capable of lifting it. Truly alien technology had been implemented, a not insignificant portion from the Obelisk itself. Daniel had found that his class allowed him special shop access, but apparently it came with something mine did not. His options had updated, specifically a gift package that was discounted fairly heavily. Even so, it nearly drained his considerable Matter Energy stores to afford the upgrade, assembly, armaments, and backup pieces. It stood, its steps somehow not only dimmed, but not even creating cracks in the ground. Given that the thing was nearing eight meters tall, this was no small feat. As far as mechs went, this was the largest we had. Not even an Ogre could hold all of the mass, hence the need for us to completely retrofit a mobile command vehicle for the task. The Dauntless would be our answer to larger targets, equipped with a heavy bore vulcan bolter that fired slugs that would tear even our own previous main-line mechs to pieces on impact. The less destructive option was actually a particle beam weapon, both of which were shoulder mounted. Small point defense options were available, but likely unnecessary. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A sheen of purple light flared for a moment before dimming to nearly nothing, the only sign of the hard-light barrier Dauntless supported. It moved, lighter than it should have been in the first place and carefully balancing on broad platform legs. There were a few other upgrades, and I took quick note of the others as they emerged from their own respective locations nearby. Fran was literally bearing a halo behind her, a broad ring that was three meters in diameter. The silver and blue of her armor shone brightly, a graceful kind of elegance from her power armor as she lightly floated on air. Six pairs of wings extended from around the ring itself, no parts actually touching one another. Upon closer inspection, a second interior ring presented itself, this one bulkier than the exterior ring. It spun counter to the outer ring, moving perfectly in time with it. Some of the feathers were far longer as well, sharp and clearly meant for more than just stabbing. Likewise, there were a collection of feathers that were small, little more than daggers, and yet shone brilliantly with some kind of in-built battery. Terry¡¯s mech was the same as I¡¯d seen it the day before, a more refined version of his old design. It was sleek, and the lower half of the body bore protruding ion-platforms the buzzed silently, no longer arcing electricity at random. I likened it more to a centaur, without the actual legs. From the lower half it extended back like a lightning caterpillar, another three meters of robust machinery, no doubt the generator capable of feeding his many high power weapons. The tinkerer had created truly heavy weaponry, field control and electrical destruction were now firmly his domain. So much so that someone in the galaxy had taken notice. He¡¯d gained a class, perhaps amusingly enough named after something not so unfamiliar. Raijin. Though, he did abstain from calling himself Raijin, citing that it was too narcissistic, even for his tastes. Oddly enough, his class gave little to him that he didn¡¯t already have. Though, high-capacity batteries that didn¡¯t decay were an incredibly powerful technology that was available, one that he abused thoroughly. Alice and Richard walked out together, both appearing more outfitted with power-armor, albeit a much sleeker and advanced version. At this point, there was little to no reason to go in mesh armor or exo-skeletons alone. Anything you could want a mesh or exo-suit for, a full power armor could give and more. This was illustrated by Alice, whose armor reminded me almost of a deer, broad, seemingly antler like protrusions swept back regally from her crown. Sensors were embedded within them, more so than even my own. Her bow was now joined by shard-throwers, a collection of small ports that could eject projectiles at incredible speed from the emerald-shimmering back compartment on her suit. Her flexibility and speed for maneuvering would be beyond reproach, her legs bearing motorized stilts that could project her at incredible speeds, not just for bursts, but for sustained sprees. Grappling barbs and two pairs of additional limbs could protrude, assisting in the motions. Her mobility was such that the suit itself would constrict her body to prevent her from passing out. Richard was less mobile, but far harder to detect. His suit bore nanites, and I found that the man had taken cellular destruction to an artform. An angular, subtly vicious design met my eyes as he walked forward, longer limbs than a humanoid mech ought to have flexing with more joints than was normal. He prowled more than walked, three appendages sprouting from the machine gently swaying behind him. One from the tailbone, one from the middle back, and the final from the base of the head, each one tipped with a sickly pale stinger. His sides bore two extra sets of arms, though none looked any different than his primary set. From his description, each of the extra long limbs could bring to bear envenomed claws and launchers for longer-range strikes. Out of all of our hardware, Richards bore the most hidden weapons and settings. If he didn¡¯t want to be detected, only Alice would have a chance at finding him. And only because we didn¡¯t know how to shield from psionics. We came together, Alpha Team at the ready, flanked by the new Iron Chariots and the resolute force that was Last Call. ¡°Lookin¡¯ good,¡± Jeremy gave an appreciative whistle as he looked us all up and down, ¡°color me impressed.¡± ¡°You too, I didn¡¯t know that the rail-guns were done yet,¡± I nodded at the Gunslinger¡¯s own accompaniment respectfully. He grinned, his power armor shorter than mine, but bearing four pistol-like weapons. Some general under the surface upgrades had taken place, but he¡¯d pushed his weapons to the limit. After the battle in Argedwall, we¡¯d found that Jeremy had also found himself in the exclusive arms of a Class. One that seemed to be challenging him to greater feats of marksmanship, especially with handguns. Which was why his mechs arms were now much larger at the wrist and up to the elbow than before, much more suited to absorbing the impact of firing a rail-cannon. To the other side, Lilia Bertholdt had reconsolidated the team, and after a brief retreat from the Legion¡¯s attention, came roaring back with truly devastating designs. Lilia lacked the sheer zeal that Patrick had as the team leader, but in his absence she¡¯d become a stalwart successor. Her imagination had grown by leaps and bounds, and her team had no shortage of crazy or innovative ideas to try out. It was, seeing them again, difficult to know which had won out in the end. Lilia¡¯s mech bore broad, crystal filled weapons, some that seemed to refract light in ways that almost made it seem like a small sun was trapped within. Her mech was, for all other purposes, fairly ordinary. ¡°Looking forward to your new recruits?¡± She asked with a mild grin, ¡°we¡¯ve got a pretty good batch ourselves.¡± Jeremy gave a hesitant chuckle, ¡°we¡¯ll have an interesting time of it. Seems to me that our greenhorns might be a little nihilistic, this time around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confident that they¡¯ll perform,¡± I stated certainly, thinking back to the gauntlet and how well Phalanx Gamma had done. Lilia gave a shrug, ¡°we¡¯ll see. I personally wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they were off tempo at first. It¡¯ll be the first time a lot of them are out in the field, maybe their first time in front of a real biotic.¡± ¡°Those simulations are disgustingly good. I wouldn¡¯t count anyone out on that front,¡± Jeremy reminded her, to which she nodded. ¡°Yeah, but if there¡¯s anything I¡¯ve learned over the years, it¡¯s that nobody really knows how they¡¯ll do when the curtains open. Even the best freeze up, but the best can pick it up and roll with it.¡± She smiled, ¡°what I want are people who can do that - pick up and roll with the punches as they come.¡± I nodded, though couldn¡¯t help but think that anyone freezing at this stage would probably be at risk to be torn apart. She didn¡¯t need that warning, though, we all knew the risks. Her predeccessor and friend was evidence enough to that point. ¡°Here they come now,¡± I brought attention to the approaching vehicles, a collection of Ogres that would shortly disgorge their own passengers. ¡°Time to work. Good luck, you two.¡± ¡°Likewise, Reaper,¡± Jeremy nodded cooly. Lilia waved over her shoulder genially, ¡°later, Matt.¡± Shortly, I would be welcoming dozens of new Legionaries into my teams. ¡°When the curtains open, huh?¡± I was eager to see how Phalanx Gamma would deal with the real world. Chapter 126 -Domino¡¯s P.O.V.- Fifteen people could ordinarily fit within an Ogre without straining against one another. When you were working with more complicated kits, though, you¡¯d have to get creative. For us, the Ogre still held the eight of us, Phalanx Gamma - now just Alpha Team¡¯s greenhorns - and stored our gear in compartments under us and over our heads. The ribs of an ogre were constructed out of heavy duty steel, of which I¡¯d been told there were at least six varieties at work within an Ogre. It was an ugly machine, blocky, robust, and seemed to give the impression of a scowling face from the front. Roads nowadays had been made larger to accommodate the behemoths and their many varying forms. This was important, given that some teams had very demanding needs for their equipment. We could host, at most, four mechs with room for no other constructions. Meanwhile, we could host Eric¡¯s mech and the rest of our combined sets of power armor with no real issue. Every mech slot occupied a slot that three power armors would occupy, and two exo suits could occupy a slot where a power armor was, whereas mesh suits were almost non-issues. There was a movement even to carry mesh suits as a general backup, regardless of the team''s needs, in the event that someone needed to have a replacement. ¡°Now we get to meet them,¡± Harold spoke with uncharacteristic nervousness. ¡°Well, they would have seen us during the Gauntlet, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re happy to have us.¡± I smiled, feeling proud of our work, in spite of the difficulties we¡¯d faced. Harold shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not worried about that. What kind of person can go through all of that and still be stable?¡± I blinked in confusion, not certain what he meant by that. ¡°In order to make those modifications to every scenario, the observer had to have experienced something similar and been confident that it was a completable event. It¡¯s pretty open ended, talking about it now, but the system wouldn¡¯t have allowed it.¡± Rachel explained, ¡°in other words, our observer went through all of those things in reality, or at least enough that they were allowed to upgrade the gauntlet.¡± I nodded, having already understood all of that tacitly the moment the Gauntlet was running. At a minimum, it was Alpha team, but more likely it was the Reaper himself. I didn¡¯t understand what the issue was. Jessica cleared her throat, ¡°What Harold is worried about is that the Reaper is a psychopath.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± I turned my attention back to the man, a nonplussed expression coming over me, ¡°is that really a bad thing?¡± ¡°Yes it¡¯s a bad thing,¡± his exasperation expounded, ¡°what if he¡¯s the kind of person to push into situations without thinking about it? Or if he doesn¡¯t really care about what danger was put in?¡± Emma¡¯s tiny voice sounded out, ¡°I think he wouldn¡¯t be the leader if he was like that.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just a figurehead?¡± Venezuela posited aloud, ¡°I mean, that happens all the time, right? You make someone really popular be the face of the organization but they don¡¯t really have any power. Maybe it¡¯s like that?¡± Eric snorted, ¡°If you¡¯ve seen the man, you wouldn¡¯t think that.¡± We turned our attention to Eric at that, who blinked rapidly, ¡°Wait, have none of you met the guy?¡± When none of us answered with an affirmative, Eric shook his head, a smug grin on his face that I found annoyed me far more than it should have. ¡°I saw him giving a speech in Gilramore way back. The man has a taste for theatrics, but he didn¡¯t strike me as the type to be dancing at someone else''s strings. Hell, he vanished after his speech and made everyone else take care of things for him. The man¡¯s the real deal.¡± ¡°What was he like?¡± Covina tilted her head, cyan blue hair spilling over her shoulder. ¡°I mean¡­ he was pretty intimidating. Was wearing this really awesome power armor, had this gigantic red skull light up on the stage and behind him when he came on stage. All the lights turned off, but I mean, I didn¡¯t get to talk to him one on one.¡± Eric paused thoughtfully, before shaking his head, ¡°But, I mean, he didn¡¯t seem unhinged at least.¡± Our conversation tapered off after that, companionable and thoughtful silence filling the void. The low rumble of the Ogre on the road accompanied us in the spanning minutes between reaching the teams. In our time talking with other Phalanxes, we were critically aware that our test had been head and shoulders more ruthless than most. Only a handful of others had come close, likely the other big teams. So, when the Ogre rumbled to a stop, I couldn¡¯t help but take a steadying breath before outfitting myself with the gear that I¡¯d selected, compliments of our host team, and made my way down the ramp of the lumbering vehicle. Roughly two hundred of us departed from the Ogre¡¯s onto a wide open concrete space. Several markings and flag poles gave directions through the marshalling yard, of which was surrounded by large warehouses and compounds that were designed to assist in excursions from the city. One of three such sites in New Damond, this would be the first major excursion planned from this side.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Though I didn¡¯t know what it was for. However, seeing the intimidating, armor-clad man standing at the fore on what appeared to be a raised podium, I imagined that we would have our answers soon. We approached, coaxed forward by the loud voices of a few officers, calling attention to our various teams. Only when we were less than ten meters away from the stand were we halted, the officers of the various Legion teams pausing before us. The only exception being Alpha team, whose leader stood alone. ¡°Welcome, Legionnaires.¡± The statement rang out loudly, surprising me in that it seemed to come from someone not much older than myself. ¡°Today, you have graduated from our very own academy, ready to join the Legion in full. I¡¯d like to throw an official celebration, but given the state of the world, the Legion is always busy.¡± A few of the officers smiled at that, joined by a few light chuckles by the other students. ¡°Most of you should know who I am. For those who might not, I am the leader of The Reaper¡¯s Legion, Matthew Reaper, and the leader of Alpha Team. Behind me are the teams you will be joining for the duration of our expedition, the parameters of which will be discussed with them.¡± ¡°What I will say, however,¡± he turned his head towards individuals in the crowd, the eye-less mask swirling with a reddish light, a murky skull hidden within, giving a ghastly appearance to the man. ¡°We are embarking on a venture to secure the fate of the Legion.¡± He let the words hang in the air for a moment, the tension in the air ratcheting up as he did so. Satisfied with the seriousness in the air, he continued, ¡°You have proven yourselves worthy of the mantle, to carry on the Legion¡¯s name. However, your test is not over. Time and again your mettle will be hardened with strife and fury. The world we live in now is filled with enemies that plague the galaxy beyond our small blue marble of a world. Our world is a hotbed of Unique biotics and horrors the likes of which only occur once every fifty worlds. Wolven is perhaps the representative of how bad they can be, but others exist. And the fact of the matter is that not everyone is like us, not every region has a force like our own, not every city is unified under one banner. We go forward to kill biotics, but one thing that no one talks about is what else we must do.¡± At this, the Reaper settled his gaze upon me for one heavy moment, as though everything I was about to hear was for me. The moment passed, his eyes searching the crowd, seemingly picking out individuals in our midst. ¡°Some of you come from Sunvilla, and so you are aware of what can happen. You¡¯re aware of the need for the Legion to step in, to be a hand on the scales. Out there, someone else controls a city with an iron, tyrannical fist, doing as they wish. Another city may have others, crushed underfoot and forced to work towards the selfish goals of another. The Legion was not made to bring equality and liberation to these cities,¡± his voice grew harsh then, ¡°we are not peacekeepers. We leave Bulwark in charge of the defense of cities and to ensure that their governments remain involved for that very reason.¡± ¡°However,¡± he emphasized, ¡°this is our new world, and The Reaper¡¯s Legion will not stand idly by while others run counter to our ultimate goal. The eradication of biotics is a priority beyond all, and if someone works against that, keeping our fellow humanity from joining in that fight, then we will spare no effort in crushing them.¡± I felt a kind of grim acceptance at that, knowing fully that we would inevitably run against others. Logically I know that as an organization, we wouldn¡¯t suffer another force running against us. Hearing it said from the leader of the Legion was something very different though. It made it more real, the fact that we would perhaps be conquerors on top of exterminators. As I looked around once more in the bright sunlight cast over our coastal city, I felt almost like there was a lens pulled from my sight. Every last one of us stood resolute with one another, myself no exception. Grim determination rested upon our shoulders like a mantle, and there was no question as to what we would do if we ran into a situation like Sunvilla again. In fact, I could say safely that our reprisal would be altogether more forceful. ¡°Some may say it is not our right to take the freedom of others,¡± I felt my thoughts halt forcibly at the Reaper¡¯s words, ¡°but it is clear that those that return to the methods of our old world become mired in its insensibilities. We fight for the survival of the human race, and it is in no small way a race against time. Already we witness the birth of Gen 2 biotics, and it won¡¯t be long before we begin to see the ilk of Gen 3 biotics. But we are strong, and our power will only grow with every ally, with every triumph.¡± ¡°You will be tested, your mettle beaten bloody, but you will not stand alone. Today you join the Legion, and the Legion never fights alone.¡± The officers snapped to attention, fists clanking against steel plates on their power-armored chests as they faced us. By reflex, one that somehow just felt right, I performed the salute as well. In one wave, the Phalanxes shouted, ¡°We are Legion!¡± The Reaper¡¯s helmet seemed to glow malevolently, the red, digitized skull within somehow managed to grin at that. ¡°Your teams await you. Follow the marks on your HUD, and remember that these are your comrades. They will teach you, just as you will teach them.¡± The marshalling yard of newly-inducted Legionnaires shifted into motion. My team collected ourselves, urged with the momentum of the crowd. I wasn¡¯t certain exactly how I felt about everything that he¡¯d just said, beyond knowing that I was wary of dealing with other people. It was one thing, being the good guy and marauding across the lands destroying biotics. It was quite another knowing that eventually someone wouldn¡¯t want us around, and that we¡¯d do it anyways. How would I feel, then? If it came down to an offensive among humans, would I be able to pull the trigger? ¡°Well, I rather like him,¡± Harold said aloud, oblivious to my inner dialogue, ¡°that sounds like a ¡®don¡¯t take shit from politicians¡¯ kinda guy if I ever heard one.¡± Rachel gave a short bite of laughter, ¡°Well, let¡¯s get moving. I wanna meet the team before we¡¯re crammed into an Ogre with ¡®em.¡± I nodded at that, moving towards Alpha team. ¡®Towards my team,¡¯ I corrected myself mentally, a wide smile on my face. Chapter 127 The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 127 -Matthew Reaper P.O.V.- I slipped away from the crowd quickly, cutting a direct path back to my own trio of vehicles in the convoy. The Ogre, modified command center for Daniel¡¯s mech, and the official mobile command vehicle we would be using while on the road. The others were waiting for me while making idle conversation with one another. Daniel was busy moving things into The Dauntless hangar, but he didn¡¯t spare effort to shout back and forth, joining the conversation. ¡°They¡¯re probably gonna be a little rough,¡± Richard shrugged, ¡°that¡¯s all I¡¯m saying.¡± Alice shook her head while Daniel shot back aloud, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a given, but I don¡¯t think we need to babysit them.¡± Helplessly, I shook my head upon listening to them, knowing that the idea of taking on some new blood hasn¡¯t necessarily sat well with the team as a whole. Even Alice was ambivalent at best about taking on new people on the eve of a large operation. ¡°Wrap it up, they¡¯re on the way here right now.¡± I said as I marched toward the Ogre, checking to be sure that the necessary slots were available for any equipment we might need stowed. Most was in place already, and something that we¡¯d checked several times, but I couldn¡¯t help but look once more. ¡°Give the greenhorns a chance,¡± Terry stretched his legs, savoring the sensation, ¡°they¡¯ll probably surprise you.¡± Richard was the most skeptical of the bunch, knowing how rough things could get in the field. It wasn¡¯t as though he disliked teaching - I think - but he certainly didn¡¯t want to put them at risk when we didn¡¯t have too. The Adder sighed, leaning against the Ogre while the bundle of mechanical tails that trailed off of his lower back curled behind him. Alice set herself beside him, talking in low tones with him. Daniel walked over to me then, ¡°The Dauntless is ready to go. We can hit the road whenever.¡± ¡°The rest of the convoy reports the same, though we¡¯ll likely need a few more minutes to settle the new recruits.¡± Fran added, cycling through messages that she received from the rest of the group. She¡¯d proven herself more than capable of handling on the ground operations, and had shown an attentiveness to detail and decisiveness to be more than capable of handling the organizing of the marshalling yard for the operation. ¡°Good,¡± I nodded, ¡°we¡¯ll head out shortly.¡± Alice and Richard laughed aloud at something they said before coming closer, along with Terry. And it seemed that Domino and his team were arriving then, too. Before I could open my mouth, though, Domino spoke up, ¡°Domino and team reporting, Reaper.¡± I stared for a moment, watching the eight of them crisply salute, each halting in a perfect line. Compared to my team, they were far more official, and for a stark instant I felt acutely aware of the fact that Alpha Team had never undergone the formal training that Phalanx Gamma had. Even so, that wasn¡¯t a problem, and I took a few seconds to truly study the group. They were ready, by every measure I could examine them by. There was a galvanized confidence in them, an awareness that they were good enough to know what they weren¡¯t good enough at. A calculated, well practiced group that seamlessly worked alongside one another. The first challenge would be to get them to adapt the mold. They¡¯d work together just fine, but they now needed to include myself and the rest of Alpha into their tactics, and vice versa. Before the silence drew on too long, I nodded to him, ¡°Domino, it¡¯s good to see you, and the rest of you. But, please, just call me Matt or Matthew when it¡¯s just us. You¡¯re all a part of the team, now.¡± Domino¡¯s whirling thoughts were almost visible on his face as he briefly considered - and decided - on what I meant and if any hidden meanings might be there. ¡°Alright¡­ Matt,¡± he stated slowly, forcing his rigid body into relaxation, measuring my response to his every subtle movement.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Once more, I nodded, ¡°Good, relax. Now, I believe official introductions are in order?¡± ¡°Right. My name is Domino,¡± he paused for a moment and then added, ¡°just Domino.¡± I¡¯d been curious about why he only seemed to have a single name, but that could come later. ¡°Jessica Allen,¡± the blonde haired, blue eyed young woman beside him spoke, her athletic build and choice of bladed weaponry and short-range armaments complimenting the more flexible type of power armor she¡¯d selected. The woman with blue hair spoke next, ¡°Covina Espada, nice to meet you.¡± She bore several smaller weapons, and what looked to be amped-up roller skates currently clasped around her calves. ¡°Eric Pallon,¡± the young man with a four-armed mech greeted, waving both sets of his right hands. That would be interesting to see, given that very few ended up attempting to add additional limbs to a mech. ¡°Venezuela Benjamin,¡± the hazel-eyed woman spoke, long braided hair smoothly pulled to the side of her head, her power armor seemingly designed to support the massive sniper on her back. ¡°I¡¯m Harold Oatman, heavy weapons and chemical specialist,¡± the man answered much more officially than the others, his power armor more robust, carrying shoulder mounted weapons in addition to modular weapons braced around his arms. ¡°Rachel Scotch, Wolfmother,¡± she shot a subtle glance to her sides at the others, to which I couldn¡¯t help but grin. She bore heavy weapons as well, her mech somewhat more mobile than Harolds. ¡°E-Emma Verona,¡± the last spoke, stuttering and shy, a sharp contrast the the bulky mech she wore, ¡°i-it¡¯s nice to m-meet you!¡± ¡®Oh, poor thing. We¡¯re gonna have to put some confidence in your step.¡¯ I thought to myself before moving on. ¡°I am Matthew Reaper, Leader of Alpha Team. Pleasure to meet you all.¡± Richard, surprisingly, spoke up first, ¡°Richard Nordsen, also known as ¡®The Adder,¡¯ scout, chemical weapons, and stealth are my specialities.¡± To my surprise his attention rested firmly on Harold, ¡°We¡¯ll exchange notes later, I¡¯d like to see what other chemicals are floating around.¡± ¡°Uh, sure, yeah, that¡¯d be great.¡± Harold nodded quickly, seemingly surprised at the casual regard Richard had. I was glad that Richard was taking the initiative and seemed genuinely interested. It helped that some of the less reputable rumors about The Adder being my personal assassin painted him in an extremely different light. The more differences he could establish to his boogeyman persona, the better. ¡°Alice DeLeone! Glad to meet you all! I¡¯m also a scout, and ranger, mild telepath-¡± she rolled past that one rather quickly, I noted, ¡°-and high mobility damage dealer. I love your hair!¡± She beamed at Covina and her blue hair, setting everyone off balance in a moment. ¡°Daniel Drake,¡± my first and best friend continued, ¡°you could say I''m an equal parts tank and damage dealer. I¡¯ve got a new mech, The Dauntless, that¡­ well, you¡¯ll see later.¡± He grinned, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect two mech users, glad to have you all aboard.¡± ¡°Fran Delia, something of the second-in-command here. I handle a lot of the Legion¡¯s organization when we¡¯re on the move and fill in the gaps frequently. I¡¯m also referred to as Valkyrie, but you really don¡¯t have to do that. I utilize weaponized magnetics to control the field and damage opponents.¡± She turned her attention to the shy woman, which seemed to somehow freeze her in place even more, ¡°I¡¯ve read that you utilize magnetics as well?¡± ¡°Y-y-y-¡± she stopped trying to talk, instead shaking her head vigorously. I¡¯d heard that she viewed Fran as something of her idol. That could go either way in terms of how well we could train her. Sometimes, when people met their idol, I heard that the image in their head could clash with reality quite¡­ strangely. Fran simply smiled warmly, ¡°We¡¯ll have to practice extra, then. Magnetics can be tricky when used in proximity, so it¡¯ll be a bit harder to do what you might normally do with me around.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem!¡± She blurted out before blushing fiercely, controlling her voice afterwards, ¡°I-I can do that.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m Terry Garand,¡± Terry made a boisterous tone of voice, teasing in part, ¡°I¡¯m the Raijin-¡± Richard snorted before carefully schooling his features to neutrality. Terry glared at Richard before continuing, knowing that Richard still thought the fact that Terry had earned the Raijin class was ridiculous. ¡°I built the Raijin Field, and have worked on most of our new electrical-class weapons. Most of what I do is setting up killing fields and letting other people steal kills off of my hard work.¡± It might have sounded like he was serious, but the fact that he couldn¡¯t keep a smirk off of his face completely betrayed that. ¡°But, seriously, I do a lot of the groundwork on setting up static defenses-¡± he paused just long enough to let us absorb the pun ¡°-and developing shocking weapons for use in the field.¡± His antics drew good natured eye-rolls from us and uncertain smiles from the newcomers, something that drained away the last bit of tension from them. ¡°Now with that out of the way, let¡¯s pile in. We¡¯re gonna be on the road for a long time, but we¡¯ll be covering the briefing along the way.¡± I said, ¡°And again, welcome to Alpha Team.¡± Chapter 128 ¡°Before anything else,¡± I started, ¡°much of what I¡¯m going to tell you shouldn¡¯t be circulated outside of the Legion. Is that understood?¡± The eight new members of the team nodded, showing an acceptable gravitas to my words. I continued as I began to feed them information through the Reaper net, ¡°At the beginning of the apocalypse, an organization known as the United Governments Coalition was empowered with the collective authority of the then predominant governing bodies of the world. This was likely a measure to try to keep public opinion and fear in check, but they¡¯re currently active and seem to be seeking to bring many regions under their control.¡± The team followed my words, but I could clearly see confusion written across their faces as I continued. ¡°Meanwhile, the Native Government - or what¡¯s left of it - is unwilling to submit, leading them to something of a stalemate. Adding in alternate powers that are arising - the Legion, for instance - and we have something of a hot pot brewing. Currently we share a border with only Basilisk Port, home to an organization that identifies itself as ¡°Basilisk¡± and follows a more or less centralized power structure with several branches that are beholden to the primary branch. Ostensibly, these branches are allowed a modicum of freedom, but are ultimately beholden to the primary body. We¡¯ve been in contact with them on and off, some mild diplomatic talks, but nothing pronounced yet.¡± If I had them lost before, they were even more so now. ¡°The reason why I¡¯m explaining the landscape to you now is because we may shortly be making a lot of enemies.¡± I met their gazes flatly, ¡°We¡¯re hoping that Basilisk plays ball, but we may need to force the issue.¡± ¡°They¡¯re a powerful military force,¡± Emma, surprisingly, spoke up for a moment. At everyone¡¯s attention, though, she quieted. I smiled, willing my helmet to slide from my face. There was a moment of surprise and shock from most of the team, likely not having expected the biosteel black skin, red irises with black sclera. The rumor mill had always been busy regarding myself and the Legion overall, some things were less believable than most. I imagined that anyone who hadn¡¯t personally witnessed what I was capable of might think that it¡¯d be ridiculous to expect a person to no longer be flesh and blood. The point, of course, wasn¡¯t to startle them. I smiled understandingly, ¡°It¡¯s alright, you¡¯re free to speak and ask questions. We have time.¡± Emma recollected herself with a supreme force of will, eyes wide and glued to my facial features. I¡¯d long adjusted to the open stares, but something about the way the group looked at me felt different, more akin to wonder now than shock or disgust. ¡°W-well, Basilisk has a well reputed military strength, centered around an actual military presence and port. From what I know, they¡¯d be the exact opposite kind of neighbor that we¡¯d want to make an enemy¡­ Sir?¡± She finished, offering the last as a wary, almost uncertain show of respect. I nodded, ¡°They¡¯re military prowess is such that they have outnumbered us. Though, our quality in terms of technology and innovation appears to be better, we¡¯d rather not have to engage them at all.¡± At that, I pressed information through to them once more, ¡°From what sources and communications we¡¯ve caught, we estimate that roughly seventy percent of their military force is dedicated to naval and hybrid warfare, not strictly landlocked combat. With luck, we can work out an agreement going forward for mutual defense.¡± I turned my attention back to Emma with a thoughtful look on my face, ¡°How do you know much about Basilisk, anyways?¡± She shuffled in her seat, but I felt a firmness to her voice that seemed elusive in just about anything else she spoke of, ¡°I have family in Basilisk, so I try to keep up to date on any news from there. It¡¯s only recent stuff, though. Sunvilla¡­ didn¡¯t let much outside contact come through.¡± Understanding was clear on my face, ¡°Perhaps we can try to find them.¡± As I said that, I met each pair of eyes specifically, the original Alpha Team nearby and keeping apprised of the situation. ¡°Given everything I¡¯ve said about them, and the potential for powerful and positive relations, I want you to understand what¡¯s so important that we might risk throwing that away.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°You¡¯ve no doubt heard of our alien visitors?¡± I watched them nod, ¡°Well, they discovered that either the Native Government, or the United Governments Coalition have maintained activity on the global orbital defense system. Their ship was heavily damaged on entry. That in and of itself is a problem given that we want to have access to and from orbit, but the major issue is that these platforms are just as equally capable of firing upon ground targets.¡± For a few seconds I allowed that to linger in the air, the dawning horror most present upon Domino¡¯s face. He met my gaze, and I couldn¡¯t help but sigh in confirmation. ¡°As you might imagine, if either NG or the UGC were to press the issue of command in an area, they would have a considerable threat over what we have to offer. They may have active sensors detecting what¡¯s coming in and out of the atmosphere, but we should have a window of opportunity to try to claim the uplink center.¡± I then gestured to a digital map, a holographic display lighting up from the ceiling of the Ogre¡¯s hull, ¡°This center is right through Basilisk¡¯s territory, on an island that officially is a nature reserve. Going off of what records we can find and traces of communications activity to and from the location, our analysts and myself agree that this is very likely to be one of the uplinks, probably the only one on our side of the continent.¡± The group remained silent before Harold looked up, ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just blow up the satellites?¡± I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s our last resort, but yes. Considering the potential for defensive and offensive operations, this would grant us considerable leverage in our geographical area.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing we¡¯re afraid of them doing to us?¡± Jessica questioned, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just replace them with our own?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same thing. And while replacing them with our own isn¡¯t impossible, the amount of resources required and creation of infrastructure would make it a project that simply couldn¡¯t be done in the short term. If it comes down to it, though,¡± I shrugged, ¡°then that¡¯s the route we¡¯ll take. It¡¯s not worth a war with Basilisk. If they don¡¯t willingly let us through, the teams are tasked to split up and make their own ways forward towards the island if possible, but to avoid combat.¡± ¡°Consider this,¡± I offered, ¡°the Legion¡¯s purpose is primarily to combat biotics, but our secondary purpose is to create a unified front against biotics. Our track record speaks for itself, and no organization worth its salt would be blind to this fact. So, what happens when we need to move through an area controlled by another governing body and they get nervous about our presence?¡± I paused for a few seconds to allow them to come to their own conclusions, before offering my own, ¡°Perhaps they allow us through after negotiations go through, perhaps they tell us to leave, or worst case, they ambush our forces in an attempt to drive us away, leading to needless bloodshed.¡± ¡°But,¡± I gestured sharply, ¡°that changes with an orbital weapon system. The price becomes much higher to attack us, making the other two options more likely. Whether or not we want to spread further, or whether or not we want to fight others, these platforms can be a deterrent to sentient forces. Moreover, we can use them to support Legion teams against biotics in the field, hardened targets, hives, we¡¯d only be limited on targeting and collateral damage.¡± Carefully I observed their expressions as I ceased speaking. ¡°I can understand the reasoning,¡± Domino stated slowly, ¡°but I still don¡¯t appreciate the idea that we might come into conflict with other humans.¡± I smiled, ¡°Good, then we¡¯re doing something right.¡± He gave a helpless sigh as I began to elaborate on some parts of the plan. I hadn¡¯t gone into such detail with anyone else, but I was grooming them to be more than just some random team in the Legion. If there was anything that I needed more than just manpower, it would be future-seekers. I needed teams that looked forward, to try to see where we could go, and then to begin to build that path forward. I was under no illusions that I was fallible and set in my own ways. The more people that strove to better the Legion and the people, the better. Especially because, someday, Earth would be free from biotics. The thought hadn¡¯t occurred to me often, because it almost felt like a jynx. We were nowhere near close to becoming the master of our world. There were abominations in the darkness that still lurked and waited patiently, watching for the time when they could destroy us. Perhaps that was paranoia speaking, but it was hard not to lend credence to such thoughts in the wake of creatures like Wolven, or the escaped engineer of the Centaur. But, perhaps we¡¯d win. And then where would I be? My life revolved around biotics and the Legion, and the Legion revolved around biotics. What would happen- I cut myself off from those thoughts, dragging my wandering mind away from the depressing pit that it was moving towards. In the end, the question became more about who I was than anything else. I was who I needed to be right now. Everything else could wait until extinction no longer threatened us. In the wake of the plan, the group was silent, considering all that I¡¯d had to share I could hardly blame them. Idly, I moved to the cockpit of the Ogre, watching the vehicle drive itself with amusement. No matter what happened, we would find a way forward. It was just a matter of not sacrificing what mattered the most. Chapter 129 Time passed by uneventfully, the rumble of the Ogre we were within a static backdrop to our journey. An hour ago we¡¯d departed from roads well traveled, passing more slowly as the lead, automated Ogre¡¯s took the path. Those in the front were entirely unmanned, pushing vehicles on the highway out of the way, long dead and abandoned. There were fewer vehicles than I¡¯d expected, but even with some paths being easily available, we¡¯d rather have the unmanned vehicles leading the way. Some of us were aware of the possibility of landmines and the like, and just as well would avoid that possibility. Ordinarily, I didn¡¯t mind long silences on drives, they were calming, soothing in a way that I couldn¡¯t quite place the notion of why. This time, though, it came with some trepidation. Daniel emerged into the drivers cabin, maneuvering himself into the passenger''s seat across from me. He exhaled heavily, arching an eyebrow at the wheel that steers itself, still unused to the Ogre¡¯s fairly advanced modifications. ¡°How are they doing?¡± bereft of my armor, he could even more easily tell my concern. ¡°Well enough, I guess,¡± Daniel shook his head, ¡°I think they¡¯re just digesting everything. It¡¯s probably only really just now hitting home that we¡¯re doing some really big things here.¡± I nodded quietly, understanding that they would need time to process things. ¡°How about you?¡± I heard his question. ¡°Fine,¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve made my peace with what the Legion needs to become.¡± Daniel shook his head, ¡°I still don¡¯t think we actually have to become this big world order.¡± I contemplated that, looking sidelong at my oldest friend before I joined him in shaking my head, ¡°It¡¯s possible that humanity would surprise me, that we¡¯d be able to join together and figure this out. But the risks are too high to leave it to chance.¡± ¡°Is that really all there is to it?¡± Daniel spoke, ¡°can¡¯t we just be this shadowy organization that works in the background and doesn¡¯t have to deal with all the political crap?¡± I snorted, grinning widely, ¡°I think that¡¯d have just as many issues as what I want to do.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯d be great,¡± he smiled knowingly, ¡°sure, we¡¯d have a helluva time getting where we¡¯d need to go sometimes. And I can¡¯t imagine anyone would be happy with a rogue organization armed to the teeth doing whatever they want in their territory. But it¡¯d be fun.¡± Looking at him, I know he was joking, but there was a distinct note of truth in what he said. I¡¯d be lying if I said that I didn¡¯t long for the days where things were much simpler, just our group going out and hunting biotics. Every now and then, I wondered if it was a mistake to create the Legion. I don¡¯t know how things would have turned out without us, but I do know that there would have been a great deal more posturing politically without us. Gilramore was better for our presence, smaller groups existing under the canopy of the Legion and Bulwark and allowed to grow, carefully, into organizations that would be a credit to their name. But, the possibility that everything could have gone wrong if I¡¯d left things in someone else¡¯s hands chased away the doubts I had. Certainly there was someone else out there that could have done things better, but they weren¡¯t me, and they hadn¡¯t done it. The Legion was mine, and I would do everything I could to push to the goal. It would be arrogant to say that I believed we could single-handedly control the world. That just wasn¡¯t feasible. What I wanted was for every other organization to realize that not working together would bring us down on their heads. I wanted the power to force the issue, to be certain that we as a species would have an honest chance at becoming something better. ¡°I think that, someday, we¡¯ll look back on these times and laugh at our doubts,¡± I said solemnly, ¡°for now, we just have to marshall through what comes and try to figure out the best path we can take forward.¡± The big man in the chair next to me gazed at me studiously, a flicker of something like understanding lurking within. He smiled broadly, ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± I tilted my head questioningly before he explained, ¡°You¡¯ve always overthought things. I figured after seeing the noobs in the back that you¡¯d be picking apart your plans, looking for any way to do things different.¡± He settled more deeply into his chair, ¡°Don¡¯t doubt yourself, Matt. If there¡¯s anything that I¡¯ve learned in all the time we¡¯ve been friends, it¡¯s that you don¡¯t give yourself enough credit.¡± I felt a rare warmth in my chest at those words, a smile touching on my lips. ¡°Also that you¡¯re still a little nihilistic, so that doesn¡¯t help,¡± he continued, oblivious to the way my expression dipped ever so slightly. ¡°Am I really that bad?¡± I blinked, watching the man turn more to look at me. He said nothing, maintaining a flat stare. I huffed, ¡°Fine, probably that¡¯s got something to do with it.¡± ¡°At least you¡¯re not a hardcore narc, that¡¯d get old fast.¡± He chuckled, ¡°Though you¡¯ve definitely gotten a bit more edgy since the start of all this.¡± ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s par for the course,¡± I gestured to my body overall, a composition of bio-steel, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t a little edgy, I¡¯d say I¡¯d be pretty metal, instead.¡± He rolled his eyes at the pun, but grinned broadly, ¡°Anyways, I think they¡¯re fine. They¡¯re talking to each other, and Fran and them are coaxing them out of their shells. Pretty sure they¡¯re still adjusting to the team overall.¡± ¡°We are something of celebrities now,¡± I gave a humorless chuckle, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you guys can even go anywhere without people recognizing you.¡± Daniel grinned, ¡°It helps when my eyes don¡¯t glow red.¡± I carefully lifted my hand and middle finger in his direction, ¡°Har har.¡± We sat in companionable silence then, a small part of my doubt and hesitation settling that I hadn''t even realized I had. Quietly I promised myself that I would stop doing this, and start trusting myself more. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been up here,¡± Daniel murmured, looking around at the shaggy forested area, what I would expect of a wetlands. ¡°Overtaken by the forest,¡± I glanced around, ¡°doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s been biotic infested, though, does it?¡± He shook his head, ¡°nah, seems natural. I think.¡± He shrugged, ¡°I ain¡¯t a botanist.¡± I chuckled, searching through my own mind and uplink to check a few things. Ultimately, I found that the lush greenery that surged over the highway embankments was a natural product of neglect. A handful of buildings, homesteads on the edge, were in view too, some more dilapidated than others. I¡¯d guess that the bulk of them were no longer inhabited, judging by the fact that few bore vehicles at all, and their advancing states of neglect. Here, the trees surged tall, interspersed by broad rolling fields of verdant green grass. It was peaceful, void of any presence that I could see. Minutes later, I saw a group of six deer moving together through the undergrowth, warily eying the highway with our rumbling convoy lumbering by. ¡°There¡¯s nothing out here?¡± Daniel asked aloud, confused by the lack of anything trying to eat us, ¡°is that a good thing?¡± I laughed, ¡°What a world we live in; when asking if a lack of something trying to eat us makes us concerned.¡± He grinned and shook his head helplessly, our convoy continuing on implacably. It would be another hour or two before we reached our meeting point with a representative of Basilisks. We¡¯d spoken to some limited extent with their diplomatic branch, a fairly organized affair, and intended on giving them an honest attempt at diplomacy. Derrick was in one of the relatively more forward mobile command centers, along with a collection of others more responsible and involved in the diplomatic processes. I would likely be required to be around as well, but for the most part I intended on trying to leave this to their expertise. I¡¯d already firmly cemented our approach to cities like Sunvilla, but Basilisk Port was a far cry from the situation that we¡¯d seen there. They were a genuine governing body, even more legitimate than Argedwall had been. From what limited intelligence we could gather, Basilisk was a fair entity that operated predominantly on a system of centralized power, where it¡¯s disparate parts would be tithed or taxed, and in return protected by the central power. Our system was not harshly dissimilar, but it was true that Basilisk gave their individual parts more freedom than I gave places like Gilramore or Sunvilla. At worst, I supposed, we could simply blitz past the greeting envoy and try to get to the beaches as soon as possible. We had enough amphibious adaptability that we¡¯d likely be able to get to the island without difficulty. It was, admittedly, another forty kilometers off the coast, so it was hardly anything I would call a short trip, but should be just in our range. Laughter broke me from my concentration, the back of the Ogre finally seeming to shake the depressing atmosphere loose. ¡°See? They¡¯re doing fine,¡± Daniel grinned, eyes settling on Fran even as she looked forward towards us. She wore a warm smile on her face, making direct eye contact with the man beside me, who returned it with just as much heartfelt emotion. I turned forward, my attention lingering on the sight of the group of people in the back of the Ogre. They¡¯d eventually warm up to me, but for now I was the Leader of the Legion, a seemingly unapproachable figure. Perhaps they¡¯d get over that and be able to see me as a person, but it would take time. It didn¡¯t take much longer before I began to see signs of civilization. Only five minutes from our meeting space, I noticed the tell-tale beating of a helicopter''s blades in the air. Overhead, though a respectable distance away from us, a phalanx of eight heli¡¯s paralleled us on either side. I frowned at the numbers, wondering at the fact that there were a great many of them more than expected. My confusion gave way to suspicion as I noticed the city we traveled through, little more than an outpost town, bearing organized defenses and personnel. This wasn¡¯t an outpost that was heavily manned, last we¡¯d checked. Granted, that had been weeks ago, but this kind of change wasn¡¯t what I considered normal. My suspicion grew into outright wariness as I realized that several weapons emplacements were more than capable of pointing inwards towards the highway that intersected the town. I quietly reminded the team leaders not to make any aggressive motions, and likewise scrapped the idea of trying to blitz past them. Our meeting point was in the middle of the town, and I suspected that Basilisk was far more capable than what I¡¯d initially given them credit for. That, I guessed, should have been a given. No organization could grow like they had, or we had, without learning some valuable lessons in security. The convoy stopped minutes later, the lead vehicles pulling into one of the few new buildings in the city. It resembled a military installation, a new exit off the freeway having been made to lead straight towards a checkpoint and a structure that could hold dozens of Ogre¡¯s. It wouldn¡¯t fit our entire convoy, but it was clear that this building was larger than what I expected to find here. Basilisk was less interested in expanding in our direction, given that the only other population it could find would be Sunvilla to the south of it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I stood, stretching my limbs and marching over to where my suit was held, slipping against the mechanisms that would carefully begin to encase my body in hardened steel. The others likewise mobilized, including our mech users. Daniel extricated himself quietly, moving into the modified vessel designed to hold The Dauntless, just in case we found our welcome to be less than friendly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Domino asked even as he ensured all of his equipment was ready. ¡°Not sure,¡± I answered honestly, ¡°but Basilisk has a much more considerable military presence here than I expected to see.¡± ¡°Do you think that they knew we were going to try to push through?¡± Jessica asked, a concerned look on her face. I shook my head, ¡°Not likely. Very few knew that was a possibility I was planning. This could have likewise had nothing to do with us, but, better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°Granted,¡± Harold began, ¡°if they did know about a huge convoy coming towards them, I imagine they¡¯d get a little nervous.¡± Richard nodded at that, ¡°That¡¯s true. Imagine what would happen if someone was doing that with us.¡± I frowned behind my face plate. That was a good point, one that I supposed was helped only in that we were not engaging any kind of active weaponry in their direction. Generously, it could be said that we were, at least, not ready to engage at this moment. An opportunistic would select this time to chip away at the potentially hostile movement before it could do any real damage. However, we hadn¡¯t been in no contact with Basilisk. In fact, I was fairly certain that Basilisk was perfectly aware of our movements on the roads, knowing well that we were down to their south. Being the only other major player in the area, it would be inevitable that we¡¯d have contact of a more imminent sort. Hell, we were monitoring them just as much as I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve been monitoring us. Minutes passed, my observations of the mobilized fortifications giving me much to consider. Most of these people were skilled, at least upon initial estimations. Basilisk''s personnel were dressed in deep blue and a darker shade of orange, their outfit tending to lean more towards light mesh suits for base personnel. Of them, though, there were many, and I noted that the vast majority of their defensive emplacements were semi mobile, but far more dedicated to the ¡°weapon¡± side of the equation rather than mechs. It struck me that their progression path wasn¡¯t terribly dissimilar from our own, and based on those that I saw around us, their heavy duty turret emplacements would give any biotic a run for their money. Whether or not they would be comparable to our own arsenal, I was less than eager to find out in a direct confrontation. From what I could see, this was less a show of force, and more of a cautionary defense. That thought was only enhanced as I did see movement from near the compound, a large, mammoth mech that lumbered far too slowly to be viable on the move. It was larger than the Main Line Mech¡¯s that we used, but it seemed to be made more for power and as a mobile weapon battery than anything more elegant. The MLM was designed as a weapon through and through, every bit of it lethal and flexible. This design, though larger and heavier, took a much more direct nod to what I imagined would just be several pieces of artillery given legs. Not graceful, certainly, but I had no doubt that it was at least effective. Though, it was true that at some point having a larger mech just stopped being a virtue and became a hindrance. ¡°Reaper, do you copy?¡± I heard Derrick¡¯s voice cut through my thoughts. ¡°I read you, Derrick. What¡¯s the situation?¡± Expression souring rapidly, I knew that he wouldn¡¯t need to contact me unless there was an issue. ¡°Your presence is¡­ requested at the command structure. It seems that there are some unexpected issues that have popped up.¡± He relayed, though the way he spoke, I knew it was hardly an actual request. I sighed, ¡°Routing to you now.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you.¡± He said as he cut off the connection, no doubt speaking with whoever was in charge. The Ogre moved with a simple act of will from myself, common things such as that now requiring little more than a push from my thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I heard Daniel ask from over the comms, currently ready to move in The Dauntless, ¡°Are we getting through after all?¡± ¡°Not quite sure yet,¡± I called back, ¡°they want us over at the command structure. Seems there are issues after all.¡± ¡°Lovely,¡± Richard commented dryly, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose it¡¯s because of the surprise convoy moving into their territory?¡± ¡°Not sure. I think that Derrick might have mentioned if it was something like that, but he was vague on the details.¡± I shook my head, uncertain exactly what the issue was. We moved forward, coming next to the pair of Ogre¡¯s already there, alongside the larger vehicle behind me. The compound was large, blocky, and seemed to have been created uniformly out of a dull grey material. However, there were streaks of what looked to be gold shooting through, like veins in marble or granite, shining in the light of the sun. None of the building or its surroundings appeared to simply be reappropriated structures, everything purpose built for heavy-duty through traffic and the even heavier walkers that stalked around on what I now noted were at least three legs. Only one such walker was currently patrolling the grounds, but it stood at ten meters tall, tripod legs keeping the whole thing stable. Three others were nestled against the building itself, the only indication that they were manned being the humming of their engines, only barely audible as the ramp for the Ogre opened. Four soldiers dressed in what resembled basic power armor stood at the ready as we descended the ramp. I couldn¡¯t make out their faces, protected as they were, but I could clearly feel the wariness they felt increase at the sight of us. It was hardly a surprise; Derrick and the rest of the diplomatic team were adorned in very sleek, subtle mesh suits and escorted by likewise sleek assortments of bodyguards in form-fitted and personalized exo-suits. They wouldn¡¯t look threatening. But, given my recent upgrades to my power armor, and the fact that my entire team was bedecked in a more than respectable armament, there was a considerable cause for alarm. ¡°Hold there,¡± the lead soldier managed to say without hesitating long, ¡°we¡¯re to escort the¡­ Reaper to the base commander.¡± I turned my attention to the man, who shifted uncomfortably at the increased attention. My visor flared subtly red, like a crack in the black, smoky surface. ¡°Then lead the way.¡± The men around him exchanged wary glances, before the leader spoke again, ¡°We¡¯ll have to ask you to disarm and come alone.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I contemplated aloud, considering the four of them together once more. Their suits weren¡¯t half bad, although I did note that they were hardly what could compete with our own. Even so, I wasn¡¯t keen on disarming. I couldn¡¯t resist gesturing to all of me, ¡°You realize that wouldn¡¯t do much, right?¡± There was another moment where the soldiers seemed to internally groan, likely not wanting to deal with this any more than I did. ¡°Look, I¡¯m fully capable even without power armor.¡± I said, not gloating in the slightest, ¡°I know you¡¯re just doing your job, but is this really necessary?¡± The man nodded, ¡°Even so, I¡¯m going to have to insist.¡± Seconds lingered as I stared at the four of them, exasperation clear in my stature. They shifted, a subtle movement that said that they were prepared to come to blows, but wanted to avoid it all the same. I let out a long breath, and shook my head. My armor let out a light hiss as it opened from the front, interlocking plates of metal shifting and making it easy for me to simply step forward out of the power armor. If nothing else, the armor was capable of allowing me to exit in the field. I disliked it, due to the fact that squeezing back into the thing was going to be harder. Furthermore, squeezing out of it was less than ideal. ¡°Well?¡± I gestured wide with my hand, the skin-tight suit that covered my torso and legs doing little to cover my hands or feet. My bio-steel flesh was plain to see, and I didn¡¯t need to wear anything else. I hadn¡¯t been lying when I said that I could fight just fine as is. The four flinched back, one of them mouthing something under his breath to the effect of shock. At this point, I was less than amused, ¡°Lead the way, then.¡± ¡°A-ah, yes, Sir.¡± The soldier stammered out, ¡°Please follow us.¡± I gave a glance backwards, seeing Fran nod to me. She¡¯d keep everyone in order, though I could also tell that she was less than thrilled at the extra procedures. Certainly, I could see the wisdom in attempting to limit weaponry and personnel to minimize safety risks. That made more sense for most people, but it was more of a formality than anything else to me. I could literally tear someone apart. But, I supposed it would be just as well to keep my full capacities under wraps. They escorted me through the halls, the cool floor barely registering to my bare feet. The first sensor we walked through was a metal detector. Which went ballistic when I moved through. The group awkwardly paused at that, and I couldn¡¯t help but shrug helplessly, ¡°I can only take so much off.¡± At that, we kept moving, considering the detector literally mapped my entire body as metal. It was somewhat amusing, but at the same time it highlighted the issue. At what point do you stop bothering disarming people? Less than a minute and short elevator trip later, I could actually hear Derrick¡¯s muffled voice. The lead soldier knocked on the door, only for the door to beep and open on its own, admitting myself and the soldiers within. There, Derrick and a few of our diplomats sat at a larger table, headed by who I assumed was the base commander and a few others besides. Two guards stood at attention in the corners of the room, and I could only assume the four beside me were called from another area. They came to attention elsewhere, Derrick¡¯s glance telling me that they were new additions, rather than borrowed from the room in the first place. I took in the room in a moment, noting the way the two initial guards tensed at my arrival, the open shock on the assistants faces, and the fractional shift of surprise on the commander¡¯s face. ¡°I take it you¡¯re Reaper?¡± The woman emblazoned in a light mesh suit, adorned with what appeared to be accolades on her right breast and shoulder, asked. ¡°In the flesh,¡± I smiled fractionally, ¡°and you are?¡± ¡°Commander Morrison,¡± she inclined her head with a nod, before openly examining me in my relative state of undress, ¡°if I may ask, do you come to every appointment similarly¡­ dressed?¡± I felt my jaw clench even as my gaze turned to a glare, ¡°I could ask if you similarly strip the leaders of other organizations before you meet them,¡± I then turned my attention quite firmly on the soldiers that escorted me, ¡°or if I¡¯m a special case.¡± The soldiers almost visibly withered when Morrison¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I see¡­¡± she managed to stop short of turning her attention to the guards beside her, ¡°I apologize, my comment must seem in extremely poor taste. Ordinarily we see to it that individuals are disarmed, upon entry to governing structures. I hadn¡¯t expected you to be so thoroughly outfitted as to be¡­ well¡­ this, afterwards.¡± She gestured to all of me, my pulse rising ever so slightly in annoyance once more. She didn¡¯t seem to willfully want to irritate me, but it was hard not to view this as an intentional slight at this point. A less than mature part of my mind wanted to snort at the fact that there were literally no parts of my body that were not currently being hugged by a skin-suit. Thoroughly outfitted indeed. Putting away that thought, I stepped forward and sat myself at the table, adjacent to my own diplomats. ¡°I think we can agree that putting this behind us is the best way to avoid a diplomatic trainwreck.¡± I shot her a look that said that I was very thoroughly done entertaining the topic, ¡°I¡¯m told there are extenuating circumstances that we need to discuss.¡± She let the slightest breath of relief out as she nodded, ¡°Agreed. And yes, there are a few things that we need to discuss.¡± At that, she gestured, and the center of the table flared with a holographic display, to my surprise, ¡°It¡¯s clear that you¡¯ve got a small army here at this border crossing. Given that we¡¯ve had no stressful relations prior to today, I¡¯m willing to take in good graces that this was an oversight, and not an attempt at hostilities.¡± ¡°However,¡± she continued, ¡°I will need to know why you¡¯re all crossing through here, and what your end goal is. Basilisk Port is a sovereign power, and while we¡¯re not against friendly relations, we won¡¯t roll over while you do whatever you¡¯d like in our own territory.¡± ¡®Which is exactly what we¡¯re afraid of happening everywhere we go,¡¯ I thought bitterly to myself, feeling Wolvey lingering in the background, idly agreeing. ¡°Most of the rules are straightforward, don¡¯t steal, don¡¯t kill people, you leave the law in our hands unless you¡¯re threatened directly,¡± she gesticulated off hand, ¡°all standard stuff. But let me be clear here, I¡¯m not interested in political pussy-footing. You tell me why you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll report to my superiors, and we¡¯ll see what¡¯s what.¡± I blinked at that, surprised at her relatively flippant attitude. I turned my attention to Derrick, understanding why he was wary of discussing this without my presence. ¡°I see,¡± I began, before settling back into my chair, ¡°well, that¡¯s a relief.¡± She arched her brow, ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°I hate politics. I was beginning to think you were going to try jerking me around. The Legion has a hand in politics-¡± at this I nodded respectfully to Derrick, ¡°-but I much prefer more direct means. As such, I can tell you some of why we¡¯re here.¡± Her frown deepened, but it seemed one based more in thought than disdain, ¡°You understand that I can¡¯t just let you roll through here without-¡± I stopped her with a calming gesture, ¡°yes, yes, I understand that. I have no problem telling you what I can, but this¡­¡± I paused contemplatively, ¡°... no offense, but this may be well over your pay grade.¡± ¡°Try me.¡± Her dry statement told me everything I needed to know about the kind of person she was. ¡°Fine,¡± I shrugged, ¡°but first, how much do you trust the people in this room?¡± For the first time in our conversation, I saw the briefest glimpse of genuine interest swirl behind her eyes. Chapter 130 I watched as Commander Morrison looked around the room, a momentary gesture before she returned her gaze to me, ¡°that¡¯s a fairly cloak-and-daggers statement, Mr. Reaper.¡± With a shrug, I answered, ¡°It¡¯s a fairly cloak-and-daggers operation, Commander Morrison. This goes beyond the relationship of the Legion and Basilisk, and a leak may well cause us¡­ issues, in the future.¡± She narrowed her eyes at that, ¡°that toes the line very closely to being an open threat.¡± I cringed at that, ¡°hmm, poor word choice¡­¡± I contemplated for a moment before sighing, ¡°what I mean to say is that this information is vital to a third party who may or may not put their boot on our necks.¡± Clearly she tensed at that, idly clicking her fingers against the table in thought. Her two aides immediately beside her exchanged glances, and I watched as one of them leaned in towards her subtly. She sighed, turning her attention firmly back to the rest of us. ¡°Excuse us for just a moment.¡± She rose, her aides following her out. All but two of the guards did as well, more as a token gesture than anything else. Derrick leaned in to me, a motion not dissimilar to what we just witnessed. Even as he did so, I could feel the deceptively relaxed posture he bore, as though he weren¡¯t concerned at all about the information I wanted to provide. Though, the tightness around his eyes, slight as it was, said otherwise. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how to feel about this situation. Relying on someone else¡¯s understanding,¡± he shook his head, ¡°especially with a potentially volatile bit of information isn¡¯t exactly ideal.¡± I nodded, ¡°I know¡­ We have no idea if she¡¯s trustworthy, but we¡¯ll have to bear with this. Likely, we¡¯re going to need to talk to someone in command. And I doubt we¡¯re going to be able to just push onwards easily now either.¡± ¡°They seem to be a fair bit more aware than that,¡± he assented, ¡°their organization is clearly head and shoulders above what we ran into in Sunvilla, and more robust than Argedwall.¡± ¡°To be fair, Argedwall was doing everything it could to tread water,¡± a smile played across my face, ¡°but I understand your point. You¡¯ll have to be careful with the politics with them.¡± He made a sour expression, though I could tell he was amused too, ¡°Ah, alas, the trials and tribulations of a politician.¡± The few of us here, myself and Derrick¡¯s own aide¡¯s, made small talk while we were waiting. Some things had been idly discussed already, much to my surprise, with some agents within Basilisk¡¯s organization. Little more than a surface talk and a test of the waters, so-to-speak, but there was some interest in at least part of the organization in extending a hand of greetings for further exchanges. We had to hope that was the case, because I doubted we¡¯d get too far without some kind of interest generated from within the organization. Ponderously the door opened again, this time only Commander Morrison and her two aides coming in. She glanced at the two guards and stated simply, ¡°wait outside for the time being.¡± Without hesitation, I noted, they followed her command sharply. Whatever position she had in the organization as a whole, the soldiers under her clearly respected her decisions. Or feared her reprisals, either one. ¡°We¡¯ve decided to hear you out under good faith,¡± she began, following swiftly with a warning tone, ¡°but I won¡¯t promise you that this information won¡¯t go elsewhere. In the first place, I¡¯ll need to talk to my superiors.¡± Derrick and I exchanged wordless glances, before I turned my attention back to her. ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded, waiting for her to take her seat along with her aides. Looking at them more closely revealed little; they were nondescript save for the fact that they clearly had Morrison¡¯s ear. Without preamble, I began, ¡°you may be aware of the UGC rapidly expanding their borders in the west?¡± I waited only until she nodded before continuing, ¡°They and the NG have been wrestling with each other for months. While I¡¯m more than happy to leave them to their devices under any other circumstance, it appears that their efforts against one another may have another consequence.¡± ¡°To be brief, the orbital defense network around earth is still functional, to an extent. So far we have no idea who is in control of the system. It could be that they both have control of parts of it, or it could be that it¡¯s just not in use yet. The Legion has decided that, at least, we don¡¯t want to have such a weapon system hanging over our heads.¡± I paused, letting that soak in for a moment before seeing if I should continue. Which ended up being several seconds as Commander Morrison blinked and shook her head in bewilderment, ¡°I see.¡± She stated finally, ¡°And that has to do with Basilisk¡­ how?¡± ¡°A potential location of interest exists that we¡¯d like to examine. Which means we have to navigate around Basilisk,¡± I gestured off hand, ¡°and, we didn¡¯t especially want to go skulking around if we didn¡¯t have too. Hence our presence here.¡± I could practically feel Derrick¡¯s internal groan at my handling of the situation, but we were both well aware that some straightforward honesty may get us more here than deception may. ¡°And, assuming that I believe any of this, that location would be¡­ where?¡± She asked, staring at me all the while. I noticed that, for all the aides controlled themselves, they both subtly shifted forward as they waited on my answer. ¡°Let me ask you a counter-question,¡± I leaned back in my chair, ¡°do you have the authority to allow the Legion access through Basilisk uninhibited?¡± ¡°I could see what I can do.¡± She stated, ¡°but the more information you can give me, the better case I can present.¡± I shook my head regretfully, ¡°I can¡¯t accept that. You¡¯ve been fairly gracious allowing us to even discuss this with you, but I need a guarantee. If you can¡¯t give that to me, then I need to speak with someone who can.¡± She frowned deeply at that, but didn¡¯t refute what I said. To date, I doubted anyone liked having their authority called into attention specifically. I half expected her to be angry when she spoke, but instead I felt only surprise as she decided on what to say. ¡°Under ordinary circumstances, on any other base, the Commander would be required to submit a report to Central and await a response. It would go just about as you¡¯d probably expect; politicians getting their noses in where they shouldn¡¯t be, a lot of back and forth jockeying between our two groups, probably nothing of note getting done for some time,¡± she waved her hand, catching a warning glance from one of her aides and promptly seeming to ignore it. ¡°Given the¡­ sensitivity of the subject. There are some provisions that are allowed to me specifically due to my unique position within Basilisk,¡± she began, and quickly expanded upon the topic, ¡°I¡¯ve considerable political clout and social backing due to an outstanding performance in the military and AnLev ops. There aren¡¯t many out there better than me, except maybe Kaiju-¡± she shrugged then nonchalantly, ¡°-I¡¯m not gloating here. I feel the need to explain that you may not want to go through so-called proper channels. Both for your sanity and seeming time-constraints.¡± That was certainly not what I expected to hear, and taken aback as I was, I couldn¡¯t help but examine the woman in a new light. Certainly, she seemed quite capable, but I couldn¡¯t have expected anything of that sort. She certainly had this entire city locked down tight, and the way everything seemed organized spoke highly of a more precautionary and insightful mind. Faux pas of nearly stripping me naked aside, of course.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Still, it was awfully convenient for this to be coming up right now, only after I¡¯d mentioned talking with a superior. Something of my thoughts must have shown on my face, because she simply nodded and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe there¡¯s anything I can do to prove my credentials to you, at least nothing that would mean anything. If you can¡¯t trust in what I¡¯m saying, I won¡¯t hold it against you. I¡¯ll write up a full report and request the moment I get back to my office. But, if you can lay all your cards on the table, I can guarantee that I can help you.¡± She then seized my attention with a particularly predatory grin, ¡°For some, likewise, guarantees by your people, and a favor or two.¡± For the first time in a very long time, I felt something of a challenge in her eyes. This was closer to her element, the same as me, and neither of us enjoyed dancing around the issue. Direct force was something I could practically applaud in someone like this. And yet, at the same time, I couldn¡¯t muster any enthusiasm considering what was at stake. I couldn¡¯t imagine what she could possibly gain for getting this information out of me, aside from perhaps attempting to claim it themselves. While that wouldn¡¯t be ideal, it would be far from the worst case scenario. After all, at worst, we¡¯d blow the damn thing up if we had too. At the end of everything, though, something else made me willing to take the jump. If I had a normal gut anymore, I¡¯d say this was a gut feeling. ¡°Alright then.¡± I cut through the silence, ¡°Let¡¯s talk. What are your conditions?¡± She gave a sharp nod, ¡°First off, assuming your plan even works, we need equal access to the orbital network.¡± For an awkward few seconds, I couldn¡¯t help but stare. ¡®Yeah, I guess that would come up from this.¡¯ I shook my head, ¡®that might not be an issue, provided that we actually obtain an alliance from Basilisk. But if we don¡¯t¡­¡¯ ¡°I suppose that¡¯s not an unexpected request,¡± I clicked my tongue. Derrick leaned into my side at that point, ¡°I think we should take the offer. There¡¯s nothing to be gained by backstepping here, and we never intended to use the Orbital platform as a leverage option in negotiations with Basilisk anyways. Too much risk for bad blood.¡± That, I supposed, was quite true. I sighed, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll have to leave the how of that to later. Mutual control is fine,¡± I met her gaze steadily, ¡°in the first place, it¡¯d be in poor taste to have a threat we¡¯re concerned about looming over your shoulder.¡± ¡°Mighty neighborly of you,¡± she replied with an arched brow, a tenor of amusement to her, ¡°given that, though, I can¡¯t say we wouldn¡¯t have a vested interest in locating and assisting in the capture of whatever it is that you¡¯re looking for. So, we¡¯ll help,¡± she stopped me from even attempting to refuse the assistance by following up with, ¡°if you don¡¯t need the help, then call it a babysitter unit. I¡¯m going to have enough of a headache dealing with Central, the least you can do is at least pretend to be under supervision.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, but they¡¯ll either need to conform to our structure or be good enough that we don¡¯t need to worry about them.¡± If they couldn¡¯t do that, then they wouldn¡¯t be any good to us anyways. ¡°Fair enough,¡± she nodded. ¡°If I may interject,¡± Derrick spoke up, glancing at me to see if I had anything to say about it. Seeing nothing, and not being halted, he continued, ¡°there are some other things that I would like to discuss. Very few within Basilisk, certainly the public, are aware of the Legion¡¯s presence. This, I feel, would be a good opportunity to place yourself in front of any political pushback, and at the same time allow us to, for lack of any other way to say it, shamelessly ingratiate ourselves with the populace.¡± Morrison was wary, but she did smirk at that statement. ¡°Given that this will be, overtly, the first contact that the Legion has with Basilisk, I believe it would be a good idea to have something of a¡­ good public image, going forward. In the old world that would be a public event, a charity drive, free stuff, so forth. While not untenable, it doesn¡¯t quite have the same impact nowadays,¡± for a fraction of a second a wistful look drifted across his features, rapidly vanishing once more, ¡°For our time, however, I believe it would be prudent for the Legion and Basilisk to work together in the public eye. You¡¯re already attaching what I presume to be a task force to us, why not go a step further?¡± The commander bore a thoughtful look on her face, but instead of speaking, the aide on her left spoke up. ¡°In other words, you¡¯ll simultaneously affix yourselves as an official presence - a positive one at that - among the population, while also attempting to engender relations between our militarized forces.¡± It was a statement of reflection and consideration, rather than a question, ¡°That could work. We could certainly mobilize atop of that, use it to deflect bad politics.¡± He looked to Commander Morrison, ¡°We can work with this.¡± She and I exchanged a look that spanned time, one of helplessness out of our depth of field. ¡°Right, well, you two work that out then. Provisionally, I think we can say that we¡¯ve come to an agreement,¡± the Commander nodded briskly, rising as I did, approaching - or retreating - as fast as was socially acceptable. ¡°Indeed,¡± I caught her handshake mid stride as we both started for the door, ¡°Derrick, let me know anything else that you decide.¡± They scarcely registered, used to such things from their respective commanders over much time. Morrison flanked me as we walked through the halls, ¡°Suffice to say that I know when I¡¯m in over my head.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still figuring that out, somehow,¡± I chuckled, ¡°so, tell me, what are the actual odds of this going off without a hitch?¡± She hesitated mid-stride, but quickly kept pace. There were a few seconds where her inner struggle was on her face, and it was only then that I realized that she couldn¡¯t have been more than five years my elder. Well, depending on how one viewed age anyway- ¡®Shit¡­ how old am I?¡¯ The thought hit my sidelong, just enough that I didn¡¯t notice when she started talking. I dragged my attention back in time to hear, ¡°-will probably be fine. The locals never were too much of an issue, considering they needed help. Central might be¡­ complicated. We¡¯ve recently added on a lot of territory, and some new people from other areas that apparently had ties with upper echelons. They¡¯re eager to make waves wherever they can, but if you ask me, they¡¯d be better off doing it the honest way.¡± ¡°Have they been problematic?¡± I frowned, ¡°Our political system is much more meritocratic now. Surprisingly little abuse, but we didn¡¯t absorb as much territory, I think.¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect some of the old systems to come back, but sometimes you take a little bit of bad for a lot more good,¡± she sighed, ¡°honestly they¡¯re mostly okay. There¡¯s just a few bad apples that are souring the bunch right now. Some newcomers pointing fingers and placing blame at others feets. Problem is that they¡¯re generally right, but they¡¯re just abusing it to their advantage. You know, standard operating procedures and all that.¡± ¡°Ah, I know the type. Recently had an issue with Sunvilla, and had a few individuals that were effectively tricking the population into hating the other group. Disgusting, but effective, method of control.¡± Regret was clear on my face as I shook my head, ¡°Never did actually find them. I guess they escaped.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s¡­ unfortunate,¡± she stated carefully, ¡°too bad, those kinds are never good to have around. Who were they, anyways?¡± ¡°Mack Thompson and Benjamin Hart,¡± I shrugged, ¡°Nobody you probably know.¡± I didn¡¯t notice anything in particular about her response, but she didn¡¯t say anything for a few, longer than normal seconds. ¡°Probably not,¡± she shrugged, ¡°anyways, here, let me give you access to my OU in case you need to contact me.¡± ¡°OU?¡± I tilted my head at that. ¡°Obelisk Uplink,¡± she nodded to herself, a distant look in her eye as she navigated through neuro-messages, ¡°that¡¯s what we call it anyways. We route a lot of our radio chatter through the Obelisks. It¡¯s a lot more stable, though I imagine the security isn¡¯t much different from typical broadcasting.¡± ¡°Ah, we do something similar. We call it Reaper Net, for our purposes.¡± She met my eye straight on and openly gawked at me. ¡°You call it Reaper Net.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I met the unspoken accusation, ¡°we¡¯re The Reaper¡¯s Legion, and my Class is Reaper. Tends to match a theme.¡± She snorted, ¡°Is all that a theme?¡± she gestured to my body for a split second before visibly wincing, words marching forward faster than any sense of proprietary could kick in. Outwardly, I smiled and chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s fairly unique. Dying seemed to require extensive overhaul.¡± Perhaps she got the sense that she¡¯d stepped fairly deep in it because she allowed the silence to linger. As we continued to walk, though, she spoke up once more, ¡°Sorry. That was uncalled for.¡± I blinked, turning my attention back to her, ¡°that was your apology?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she grinned in spite of the genuine regret that still lingered at her eyes, ¡°for what it¡¯s worth, that¡¯s partly the reason why I¡¯m out here this rotation, rather than closer to home.¡± ¡°Bad manners?¡± I reasoned. ¡°Of a sorts,¡± she succinctly stated, ¡°my mouth outruns my legs most days.¡± As we neared the exit of the fairly nondescript interior a chuckle left my lips, ¡°Well, I suppose I can accept that apology on the condition that your escort is good enough to keep up.¡± We stopped near the doorway, an expression both thoughtful and mischievous alighting her features, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I think I have just the person.¡± Chapter 131 The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 131 The convoy steadily moved into the compound grounds and the surrounding area, being that the Ogre¡¯s took up more space than was common for any ordinary vehicle. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t have even this much of our force clumped together in unfamiliar territory. After speaking with the Commander at length, though, I decided that her offer to allow us to dock here for the time being is a genuine one. Regrettably, we weren¡¯t in range for an Obelisk at this location, rendering our resupplying to come strictly from our own supply chain. That was fine, we had more than enough on hand in the event that this happened. Some of our Ogre¡¯s formed rings, four of them, scattered around the installation. Wary guardsmen watched from tower perchs, nervously scanning our numbers. There was no question that they likely exceeded our numbers in the whole of the outpost grounds, but here in the compound was an exception. There were a few of the teams who performed routine tests on their equipment, namely our Mech¡¯s, something that Basilisk¡¯s soldiers seemed especially interested in. I¡¯m not surprised, having seen their own version of Mechs; they were large, clunky, and designed in a stricter sense for a mobile offensive and defensive array. They were capable of firing on the move, but the longer I looked at the local models, the more I realized that they were intended to be mobile only until bringing their firepower to bear. Meanwhile, our tech was designed for mobile combat, to churn through biotics and prevent them from being able to utterly overrun any given pilot. Granted, many of our biggest combats had become pitched site-based battles, but that wouldn¡¯t be the case all the time. The Legion prized the offensive strategy, rather than the defensive, and our technology reflected that intent. Though, as our Ogre circles began to unfold and connect in a horseshoe-like arrangement, perhaps the soldiers would realize we had other priorities as well. ¡°How do you want your steak?¡± I heard one of the cooks call out to me. I shrugged, ¡°Rare. Extra salt, side of mac¡¯ and cheese if we got it.¡± The man nodded, ¡°Veggie?¡± ¡°Surprise me,¡± I chuckled, knowing that Anthony would indeed do just that. He¡¯d been one of our Chef¡¯s since the very beginning. I sat back as he moved off, being that we¡¯d made small talk while the setup was happening. The head chef had others to take care of the mundane kits that needed to be unfolded and geared up, and so he tended to wander around and check up on others. As everything unfolded, a mesh canopy began to take form between the Ogre''s, easily seen through but enough to keep errant bugs out. The same happened over the entrance, and a dozen tables filled the space beneath the fabric. My table was full, for once with only members of my own team. ¡°I¡¯m so glad we have good food,¡± Domino¡¯s eyes gazed yearningly at one of the many kitchens that were finishing up. ¡°Usually I¡¯d wanna cook mine myself,¡± Richard shrugged, ¡°but they¡¯re pretty good too.¡± Fran chuckled good naturedly, ¡°Only pretty good, huh?¡± ¡°He¡¯s actually a very good cook, when he wants to be,¡± Alice gave a bemused glance over to Richard, ¡°but the cleanup is always messy.¡± They shared a glance with a grin that said there was an inside joke packed up there. ¡°Aaaand orders placed,¡± Daniel went from a somewhat glassy eyed stare to perfect awareness around him again, ¡°getting more used to that whole mental control thing.¡± I shook my head, ¡°You really should be used to that by now.¡± He snorted, ¡°I¡¯d still rather use a touch-screen, at least.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little freaky,¡± I heard Eric say, the newest additions to my team still settling in, uncertain of stepping into conversations freely. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± Terry suddenly turned to Eric, ¡°Like, how is it even in there, right?¡± Eric seemed taken aback by the sudden intensity shined upon him, and Covina couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°That¡­ is a good point¡­¡± Rachel said, a hand to her chin, ¡°think it¡¯s just jacked up into the base of our spines?¡± Terry didn¡¯t even seem to notice Eric¡¯s abashedness, ¡°I think it¡¯s just the nervous system connection. Medical already cleared that people-¡± Terry hitched briefly and corrected himself, ¡°-most people don¡¯t have an Obelisk crystal in their brains. The general location is the right hand, or left if you¡¯re left dominant.¡± ¡°Wonder how the Obelisks can tell if you¡¯re left or right handed.¡± Alice pondered aloud, ¡°should we ask Sis? It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve talked with her.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother. Odds are, the Obelisk engaged the reflexes in our bodies. Or it guessed.¡± ¡°You guys have talked to the system?¡± Harold tilted his head curiously. ¡°We have,¡± Fran nodded, ¡°she¡¯s actually very nice, but¡­ well, she¡¯s not omnipotent.¡± ¡°That we¡¯re aware of,¡± Domino chuckled, no doubt considering the events of Sunvilla, ¡°it¡¯s actually kind of nice knowing that our computer overlord isn¡¯t all seeing.¡± I chuckled as Daniel said, ¡°She really doesn¡¯t want to get more involved than she has too. For the most part, it¡¯s Obelisk stuff only.¡± The food began to trickle in as we ate, small talk here and there. Eventually, though, someone managed to work up the nerve to ask the question. ¡°So¡­¡± Jessica began, ¡°you don¡¯t have to, like, answer this if you don¡¯t want too, but¡­ what happened to you?¡± The table went quiet, the newcomers a mix between curiosity and apprehension. Terry, Daniel, Fran, Alice, and Richard seemed nonchalant about the question; they¡¯d been expecting it sooner or later, I was sure of that. I took a sip of my drink, humming thoughtfully, ¡°Well, lets see¡­ normally I wouldn¡¯t count this as dinner conversation, but it¡¯s not really a secret.¡± They took that as an open invitation, the tension leaking out, replaced with a range between eager curiosity and attention. ¡°Well, you¡¯re aware of the battle for Gilramore against Wolven,¡± I stated, meeting their eyes, ¡°for all intents and purposes, it was our most pitched battle to date. We lost a lot of people, and it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that Wolven was potentially the most dangerous creature we could have fought.¡± ¡®Flatterer,¡¯ I heard Wolvey coo, writhing in happiness, much to my chagrin. ¡°We harassed it over the course of a day before it ever got to the city, over landmines and through artillery strikes, with teams of Legion harassing its flanks. Bullets, fire, acid, anything that we could throw at it, we did.¡± At that, I cast a sidelong glance to Richard, namely the biggest source of acid we had at the time.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°When it finally got to the wall, it was a behemoth of woven bio-steel and tattered flesh, but it had forged itself into a mammoth that you all got to witness a portion of in your modified Gauntlet test.¡± I paused, seeing, unsurprisingly, a few shudders at the memory of it, ¡°when it finally got to Gilramore, our plan had been to bombard it relentlessly, eventually cutting through its mass and killing the central controller.¡± ¡°However, Wolven was a genuine threat not because of its size, but because of its intelligence, how it could learn.¡± I leaned in somewhat, trying to emphasize the point, ¡°as far as most biotics go, you can trick them. Not many think outside of the box. Wolven, on the other hand, used its massive tombstone of an armored wall and shell, and slung massive pieces of itself like grappling hooks, still attached. It pulled Gilramore¡¯s wall towards it, and down, crumbling our defensive line. After that, we resorted to desperate measures.¡± I cast a glance at Daniel, who bore a somber expression, and nodded deeply. ¡°We carved a path close enough to the central body. I was much more flesh and blood back then,¡± I smirked, ¡°we barely got through, but Daniel had to throw me inside the mass.¡± That got a helpless head-shake from my friend, ¡°You make it sound like I tried to get you killed.¡± I promptly ignored that, ¡°I nearly failed. Wolven¡¯s main body was¡­ far more dangerous. It sawed through¡­¡± I hesitated then, deciding against describing the rather visceral way I was dismembered, ¡°Shade came in, effectively running a kamikaze run, alongside several explosives I had. For all intents and purposes, I was dead, shredded as I was. And thanks to Smith, I survived.¡± ¡°Smith?¡± Domino asked, confused, ¡°Who¡¯s Smith?¡± ¡°He was an artificial sentience that was co-piloting my brain.¡± I explained off hand. ¡°He helped to make me what I am with intensive training, was my friend, and in the end sacrificed himself to save me, chip and all.¡± I smiled somberly, my pun getting smiles from my long-standing team members, but the shock of the situation denying any such amusement from my new recruits. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re actually more like a robot?¡± Emma asked aloud, practically glowing with curiosity and the statement. ¡°I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m a person,¡± I gave a broad grin, ¡°but I suppose it¡¯s not far off to say that I¡¯m more of an artificial sentience myself.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that you-¡± Domino paused, falling into contemplative silence before groaning, ¡°ugh, existential questions.¡± I laughed at that, ¡°Anyways, my body is entirely biosteel now. It does have its perks, though. Stronger, faster, able to exist both here in the real world and also in cyber-space.¡± ¡°That does sound useful,¡± Harold admitted. The talk veered away to more mundane things then, like how wifi was better than ever, and how pieces of the internet were steadily coming back online. Potentially, if our communications division was correct, we¡¯d be able to start having much more mundane connections with other cities soon. If, of course, the satellites we used weren¡¯t locked down for general use. When we retired for the night, it wasn¡¯t hard to see that the recruits were much more at ease with us. We¡¯d tried to be approachable, and all - except Terry - tended to be more on the stable side of the equation. Terry¡¯s eccentricities, however, seemed to have utterly no effect on Rachel. I had to wonder if she¡¯d been well accustomed to such people. Perhaps not surprisingly, some of the team wasn¡¯t old enough to have had something before the apocalypse, outside of some general schooling and trying to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives. I myself was well on my way to having figured that out in University, but everything had been thrown out the window. I sat with Daniel, sharing a bench as our living-space designated Ogre expanded, giving us something of a double wide trailer to sleep in. Drinks were being passed around, though not in large quantities, and the two of us had fallen to reminiscence. ¡°I remember when football was the most important thing my Dad wanted me to do,¡± Daniel chuckled, the pain of losing his family dulled now, time being the great salve. ¡°I remember when you hated the idea of playing football.¡± I pointed out with a laugh, ¡°He¡¯d be proud of you, I¡¯d bet.¡± He nodded, ¡°Yeah, your Dad would probably have told you to stay home and stop being crazy.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± a forced laugh left my lips, as empty as many of the memories I had connected to them. Daniel, to his credit, did not miss that. He gave me a level stare, seemingly contemplating what I meant. And, being who he was, he wasted no time in being direct about it, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I¡¯ve mentioned your family like five times in the past month, and you barely seem to know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I cringed, leaning back against the wall. Thoughts blurred through my mind at that, uncertainty warring with my desire to open up. Of all the things I¡¯d talked about, I¡¯d avoided voicing the many holes in my memory to others. There were some things, small things, that I¡¯d admitted to forgetting, but I¡¯d thus far avoided any kind of direct and deep introspection of what I could and could not remember. But, Daniel, of all people, should be aware of that. ¡°You know how there are things that I¡¯ve¡­¡± I struggled for a word to use before settling on, ¡°lost?¡± He nodded. ¡°I can remember that I had family, I can even remember some of their mannerisms, what they did. But, I can¡¯t remember most of their names. I barely can put together faces.¡± I admitted, keeping my voice low, and bringing a leg up to rest an arm on, ¡°I miss them, dearly, that stayed the same. But now I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m missing.¡± I smirked mirthlessly. Daniel went quiet, staring hard at the wall from beside me, his breathing deep and measured as he pondered that. I could tell there was a gamut of emotions behind his eyes, pity was the first, but he quickly - thankfully - filed that away. He shook his head, ¡°Maybe we can see if there¡¯s anything left of it?¡± I scoffed scathingly before steadying myself. ¡®He¡¯s just trying to help,¡¯ I chastised myself. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is, at least nothing that I can find. Plus, I doubt a psychiatrist can help with my particular condition.¡± I gestured to my body once more. ¡°Would you like to remember them?¡± He asked, uncertainty in his voice. I started at that, ¡°Of cour-¡± I started, then found myself uncertain. For a few seconds, I pondered the actual question. Would I actually want to remember? There was numbed pain, and if I would admit to myself, I didn¡¯t know that I wanted to try to experience that. I wasn¡¯t unaware of my emotional states, I didn¡¯t tend towards depression, though I did brood. There were plenty of times where I was more dampened, and perhaps that was, in no small part, due to missing pieces. But would it be worth remembering? That thought only lasted a few moments. There wasn¡¯t any reason not to remember, I was the leader of the Legion, we¡¯d literally strode through mountains of flesh and blood. If there was a chance that I was¡­ somehow less than what I could be, then I owed it to everyone to at least try to advance. ¡°Yes,¡± I stated much more reservedly, ¡°I would want to, I think. If nothing else, I think I should want to remember them.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Daniel grunted, taking a hefty gulp of his drink, ¡°I have to wonder if I¡¯d rather not remember. But, honestly, I can¡¯t imagine not remembering them. Maybe after this we¡¯ll try to see what we can do.¡± I shrugged, not having much else I could say about that. Doubting whether or not we could actually do anything wouldn¡¯t help in any case, though, I couldn¡¯t shake the hefty skepticism that I had in regards to that. Domino picked then to shift towards us, ¡°Guys, you wanna play some cards?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I nodded. Daniel grinned widely, ¡°What¡¯re we betting?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Nothing?¡± Domino blinked, ¡°I don¡¯t gamble.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Harold turned his attention forward, hearing that bit of information. Richard seemed to beat him to the punch, ¡°Your name is Domino, but you don¡¯t gamble?¡± Domino made a face at that, ¡°You know, Domino¡¯s aren¡¯t only used for gambling, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but you¡¯re in the right genre,¡± Harold scooted forward as Domino pulled up a table from the floor. ¡°I¡¯m game, though.¡± ¡°We bet drinks, then.¡± Daniel nodded sagely, hefting another bottle onto the table, ¡°you lose, you drink.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Is that actually a punishment?¡± ¡°Lets play!¡± He ignored me utterly as we settled into position. ¡°So, I have no idea what I¡¯m doing,¡± I admitted, ¡°so someone¡¯s gonna have to bring me up to speed first.¡± Domino and Harold exchanged a broad smile, ¡°oh, don¡¯t worry, we can do that.¡± I suspected they didn¡¯t fully realize that I¡¯d be able to download the rules in the middle of all of this, but better to appear to be a noob. After all, the drinks would be wasted on my metabolism. ¡®But them, on the other hand¡­¡¯ I managed a friendly smile, in spite of the mischief I had planned for them. Chapter 132 The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 132 The morning light cast the extended caravan in its golden glow. Some days, I liked to be up with the dawn, watching as it came up over the horizon. Now that there was less ash in the air, you could more or less reliably see easier. General temperature was on the up and up, and occasionally I imagined what the world would be like now. Supposedly, that ash would suffuse the earth in the wake of the apocalypse, fueling plant growth everywhere. If that was true, then that would be a boon for people, at least eventually. For now, reliance on the Obelisks was at an all time high. Idly, my gaze carried my attention through the camp, others that were early risers moving about with vigor, more often than not preparing food for the rest of the convoy. Basilisk had more or less left us alone, uncertain how to proceed with foreign forces, or perhaps nervous of our intentions. Commander Morrison had assured me that her experts would be able to be here today. But, even she wasn¡¯t sure as to when they would show up. Apparently, they were something of an elite force, but tended to be on a loose leash, having established themselves with some power even before the governing body of Central truly came into being. If I hadn¡¯t gotten involved in politics and established my own spanning organization, I imagined that I would be a similar group. Given that, I was interested in seeing who they were, what they used. I wasn¡¯t against comparing myself against the bar of what others considered their elites. That was secondary, though, being that we might have to work with them, I needed to know if they were trustworthy. Morrison thought so, but I¡¯d reserve my own judgement until I met them. ¡°Morning,¡± Domino greeted as he stretched, joining me on top of the Ogre, ¡°mind if I visit?¡± I gestured beside me, ¡°Go for it.¡± Unceremoniously, he sat down, crossing one leg under and one leg over, processing the world through still awakening eyes. He and the newbies had loosened up after yesterday, drinking and playing a few games had grounded the rumors and myth with something more substantial. Domino especially had cut loose, his beaming personality and innate mirth easy to get along with. The only one I was worried about was Harold. He seemed to get along with Richard far too well, and in a joking kind of way, I didn¡¯t need to have two of that man. Domino spied the smile on my face, and sported one of his own, ¡°You hungry?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I could eat.¡± I nodded, ¡°Kitchens aren¡¯t open just yet, though.¡± The young man nodded, stretching out with a yawn. He gave a content sigh even as he turned his gaze to Basilisk''s building. ¡°So, we¡¯re getting an escort?¡± He asked before following up with, ¡°Think they¡¯ll be good?¡± ¡°Yeah, an escort, or a handler,¡± I shrugged, ¡°from what it sounded like, they¡¯re good at what they do. Maybe even Basilisk¡¯s version of our team.¡± Domino nodded, ¡°Well, at least that¡¯s good.¡± I turned a quizzical look to him at that, to which he expanded, ¡°If they were bad at their jobs, we¡¯d have to work on keeping them alive at the same time. Against biotics, that can be¡­ bad.¡± He winced at the last word, no doubt speaking from a place of experience after the many sessions in the Gauntlet he and his team had gone through. ¡°I get what you mean,¡± I nodded, ¡°but I doubt we¡¯ll have to worry about them. Basilisk is a much larger organization than what we¡¯ve dealt with before, and much more successful. I¡¯m interested in seeing what kinds of biotics they¡¯ve been dealing with til now.¡± We spoke more, guessing at the kind of team we would have to work with until the others gradually awoke. Daniel rose, stretching stiff limbs while Fran did the same, with a light workout routine. After the others performed their morning ablutions, the lot of us made our way over to the kitchens, meeting a few other teams along the way. A handful of Basilisk soldiers actually joined us, which surprised me, before I heard that Commander Morrison had ¡®leaked¡¯ that the Legion was an allied force. The fact that we provided free food that was also quite good didn¡¯t hurt their impression of us at all. As the day wore on past the morning, I examined a handful of our equipment kits, went over some battle plans with my team, and tried to occupy myself. My heart wasn¡¯t really in it, though, my drive to move forward and get what we came here for done rearing its head more and more often. Still, it was good for the others to take a look around, and Daniel had no problem showing off the slumbering form of The Dauntless, though insisted that it looked far more imposing when it was mobile. I had to admit that Daniel and the R&D team had outdone themselves with the mech, but I highly doubted it would be something we¡¯d be pulling out in any cities. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. When it was well past afternoon, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder at where their team might be. I considered asking the Commander, but decided against it for a while longer. It was already clear that the team in question wasn¡¯t exactly a commonality, and it took time to move around a larger territory. It was only during these times that I realized I didn¡¯t really have any hobbies, moreover that I didn¡¯t even know what I would want as a hobby these days. In the past, I would read to take my mind off of things, but now that I could read massive amounts of data, the hobby lost some of its luster. Instead, I cast my awareness out wide, catching snippets of data from the air, connecting to our antennae on the many Ogre¡¯s nearby. Most of it was idle chatter between teams, checking equipment, telling jokes, banter. There was general chatter on Basilisk¡¯s communications as well, but with the encryption, I¡¯d have to make a concerted effort to hear what they were saying. Not much attention, though, as I began to parse the information within my brain. Disappointingly, there wasn¡¯t anything of particular interest. They were inquiring more about our forces, receiving Morrison¡¯s report on the matter no doubt. For the most part, nothing that I could truly consider confidential filtered down the line. I ceased attention then, partly out of disinterest, but also because, at least at some point, I had to ask myself if confidentiality mattered for allies. And, I supposed, I wouldn¡¯t respond positively to the knowledge that someone was spying on me, either. As evening began to close, I couldn¡¯t help but want to do a great deal more prying. There were still a few scant hours of sunlight ahead of us, and at this rate I was considering moving the convoy at night. I rested myself on a pullout bed, trying to take part in a conversation between my team members, seeming to revolve around some more general questions about biotics. ¡°So, they don¡¯t eat, right?¡± Harold spoke, ¡°Or they don¡¯t need to, right?¡± Alice, in the middle of snacking herself, answered, ¡°Right, right.¡± ¡°Then why do they eat things? I mean, I know they sometimes just¡­ you know, maul something and leave it be, but there have been some that actually do eat things.¡± He mulled the thought over, ¡°Just doesn¡¯t make sense, you know?¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re gathering material for the cores?¡± Terry posited, ¡°Well, actually maybe not so much material... hmm¡­¡± ¡°What if it''s some sci-fi stuff and they¡¯re using the DNA like samples? Maybe that¡¯s why we get so many freaky biotics.¡± Eric chipped in, ¡°By the way, that¡¯s check.¡± ¡°Ah, not again.¡± Jessica frowned, considering the chess board between the pair before looking up, ¡°I vote for screwed up psychology.¡± ¡°You always vote for screwed up psychology.¡± Covina cheerily supplied, ¡°You think everyone you don¡¯t know is crazy.¡± Richard hummed thoughtfully, ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good creed to live by.¡± Alice slapped his arm playfully. I sat up a bit more, thinking over Eric¡¯s answer, ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s probably DNA. We¡¯ve suspected as much for a long time now.¡± ¡°Wha- really?¡± Eric looked up in surprise, ¡°why isn¡¯t that, like, public information?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not especially a secret, but Yaga is a pseudo-biotic. Given that, we lean heavily to the possibility he was once human, or consisted of human DNA. He concurs.¡± I sat back, letting them absorb that. ¡°So, that guy actually exists?¡± Emma murmured, eyes shining with curiosity, ¡°They say he helped out with Wolven, was that true?¡± There was a long silence then, one that did not go unnoticed by the team. ¡°He¡­ yes.¡± I nodded, ¡°He ensured that no one was captured alive.¡± The implications of that statement rested like a stone for a few seconds before Alice, thankfully, cut in, ¡°He¡¯s a really nice guy. He and Dr. Ross have been going through a lot of different fields of science, trying out new things. Terry helped them develop his¡­ uh¡­ Raijin thingermajig.¡± Terry made a sour expression, ¡°You really don¡¯t remember it?¡± ¡°Honestly, you name, like, everything Raijin something-or-other recently,¡± Alice gave a helpless smile, ¡°it¡¯s hard to keep track sometimes.¡± They went back and forth for several minutes before a call caught my attention. With a thought I brought up the mental interface from the Obelisk, finding that the caller was Commander Morrison. ¡®Wonder if something went wrong¡­¡¯ I wondered, before resolving myself. As I stood, I gestured to Daniel and Fran, both exchanging glances with one another as we entered the front of the Ogre. ¡°Commander Morrison is calling, I¡¯m putting it through the radio,¡± I said even as I shifted the line over to the Ogre. While I could speak mentally, I¡¯d rather have them able to hear what was being said. They nodded, and I opened the line, ¡°Commander, hello.¡± ¡°Reaper,¡± she greeted, ¡°I have information regarding your escort. Do you have a minute?¡± ¡°I do. Are they here?¡± I refrained from adding ¡®finally¡¯ to the end of that question. ¡°They are indeed; they¡¯ll be making their way through the compound to brief first, and, if possible, I¡¯d like you to be available to meet and greet at my office.¡± ¡°Sounds good, how much longer?¡± I eyed the clock wondering what could have taken the team so long. ¡°Thirty minutes should be fine,¡± Morrison added, ¡°they can take a break after the brief.¡± I grinned at that, catching the undercurrent of annoyance at that, ¡°Thirty it is then. See you soon.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± she answered, cutting the feed. ¡°Well, I guess now would be a good time to mention that Derrick dropped by earlier,¡± Fran grinned evilly, ¡°He gave us a gift for you.¡± I frowned, not liking the way she and Daniel bore similar conspiring grins. ¡°What kind of gift?¡± Chapter 133 The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 133 -Adira Maxwell P.O.V.- For what felt like the hundredth time today, I cursed the name of Mary Morrison. She knew damn well that the Leviathan Brigade was prepping for another hunt, and would be ready to embark the day after tomorrow. Under normal circumstances, whatever brass wanted would have conveniently been lost in the minutiae of command and regrettably never would have reached me. Unfortunately, Mary was the only person who I actually took any kind of orders from. She was one of the few commanders that I felt were more than worth their salt, and the type of person that would keep an eye on your interests even without you asking. That was fair, considering that I¡¯d saved her life several times now. Here in the belly of the crawler, I couldn¡¯t help but glance over to the now firmly aged mech, safely harnessed and shackled into the storage bay built for it. I still saw the paint where Mary had generously endowed the thing with many torpedo pods, a half dozen heavy harpoons, and a few heavy machine guns for above water and shallow water use. That was before we¡¯d even actually had the crawlers, honestly, and in the first months of the Obelisks'' arrival, we¡¯d all done good work. At the time, there were ten of us. Now, there were eight of us left, three of which now inserted in various parts of Basilisk to keep them honest. The remaining five, my core crew, were with me now. They helped keep the larger Brigade in line, given that we were now a couple hundred strong. ¡°So, Mary said something else about our new friend?¡± Lou¡¯s voice sounded in my ear, headset pressed to my jawbone. I shrugged, even knowing he couldn¡¯t see, ¡°Just that he was an unusual sort.¡± ¡°What she means,¡± Nana picked up, ¡°is that the boy is our kind of person.¡± In spite of myself, I couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Nana Pain, though that wasn¡¯t her real name, was like your favorite grandma, who also happened to be able to pilot a mech like the best of us. My smirk fell away as I once more wondered what we¡¯d have to deal with. Mary was especially mum on the details this time around, stating that our neighbor from down South had a confidential mission that they needed to get through Basilisk territory for. I knew she had a good sense for character, and that she was almost definitely skirting around Central¡¯s authority with this, but I almost wondered if that was a good idea, given the situation. We knew very little about our neighbors, aside from the fact that their growth in terms of sheer area was lower than ours. But, their forces were nothing to scoff at. Occasionally, we¡¯d spied some of their troops mobilized against biotics, just a few of our drones and scouts having poked around. In the area around Sunvilla, we were aware that they were systematically annihilating any biotic that was in the way, and going so far as to cordon off entire areas where known hives were. Not out of fear, but to regularly harvest them. I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. Our Leviathan¡¯s had proven to be implacable, a constant stream, more or less, that operated like clockwork. Granted, their pace did pick up occasionally, and they were stronger and stronger as time went on, but we outpaced the majority of them. We didn¡¯t know where their hives were, or, rather, we suspected their hives were in deep-sea, out of our reach. Or, was out of our reach. Our technology had advanced such that in the last month we¡¯d cleared several hives. None of them, however, seemed to belong to Leviathan, oddly enough. But I don¡¯t think I would want any active hives in my backyard. No more intel was available on their deeper territories, though, so perhaps that was an isolated case? Sunvilla hadn¡¯t exactly been under the best care and management before the Legion had moved in. Quite in fact, Basilisk had considered moving down south, before Central decided to consolidate power instead. I was proud of everything that we¡¯d accomplished, about all of the people that were more than willing to answer the call, to help eachother out. Central, for as bureaucratic as they could be sometimes, did genuinely have the best interests of the people in mind, not the other way around. Some bad seeds had shown up of late, but they were finding pressure mounting on them. I doubted that they¡¯d last much longer. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re approaching the compound,¡± Lou broke me from my reverie, ¡°an-holy shit. That¡¯s a lot of people.¡± I frowned, mentally commanding the nearest displays to show camera feeds from outside. The crawler bore several such feeds, designed to be an amphibious vehicle that could serve as an emergency docking station if pressed. Any given crawler was a large, lumbering thing, but looking at the black, obsidian skinned transports that the Legion had come in made me realize that, perhaps, our crawlers weren¡¯t so special. The black, ugly transports had a certain rugged quality that spoke volumes as to what they were designed to move through. These were workhorses, purpose bred to move through anything that got in their way. I appreciated the designs, the quality certainly a cut above what most of the brigades bothered with. If there was anything that would speak to me of the spirit of this organization, it would be how they outfitted their grunts. And I found I was far from disappointed. Individuals walked around, freely adorned in some kind of mesh suit, or exo suit. They weren¡¯t on duty, either, telling me that this equipment was likely customized. ¡®No, definitely customized,¡¯ I corrected myself, seeing a group adorning their power armors, each different from the next, flexing synthetic muscle and cold steel. Zack whistled, ¡°daamn, I thought we were escorting, like, one team.¡± I grunted at that, remembering why we were here. ¡°Mary, the hell are you thinking?¡± I murmured to myself, keeping the comment off the comms. We didn¡¯t have the time or resources to babysit an army on the best of days. If we had to vet them to make sure they were combat ready? Forget about it, we may as well stay in port. Just then, I heard a chime in my ear, and watched a notification bounce in the corner of my vision. Mary was calling. Again. ¡°Woman, I told you we¡¯d get here when we get here,¡± I answered the line, ¡°we¡¯re toting tons of hardware in the crawlers, what do you want from me?¡± Mary Morrison took a moment to collect herself, I could tell by the way she inhaled a long breath, and realized she was most certainly not in friend mode. This was Commander Morrison mode. ¡®Fuck me. Did she get in trouble?¡¯ I grimaced, eyes scanning the group to see if there were any signs of wariness. Yet, no matter where I looked, the Legion seemed fairly content to be sitting in place. ¡°Adira Maxwell,¡± Morrison started, and I felt my grimace tighten. ¡®Here¡¯s the Mom voice.¡¯ I refrained from rolling my eyes, fearing she could somehow tell from her distant position. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t need to remind you that I am well aware of how long it should take to move equipment. Specifically, that you could have taken any other crawler and gotten here far faster.¡± Morrison¡¯s tense voice leaked a tinge of annoyance, ¡°Why in the depths did you bring all of your gear with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all of it,¡± the flippant line lept from my lips before I could snatch it back, but I quickly rolled forward nonetheless, ¡°besides, I don¡¯t go anywhere without my mech. I¡¯m Kaiju, after all.¡± There was a very distinct, helpless sigh on the other side of the comms, ¡°You and your mech¡­¡± I could practically hear her shaking her head. Prudently, I decided it might be good to get a bit more information on the situation, ¡°Did they give you any trouble?¡± She huffed, knowing I was trying to change the topic, but didn¡¯t mind, ¡°No, exactly the opposite. They¡¯ve been very accommodating. The Legion has even respected my request to pack themselves like sardine cans into the yard.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± I answered lamely, ¡°well, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Mary¡¯s dry answer came, and her tone changed, more familiar, telling me that Commander Morrison was going away. ¡°Adi, seriously, I need your help here.¡± I cringed as she used the nickname, ¡°Easy, easy, I¡¯m still helping. You never even told me what¡¯s up.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be better to explain in person,¡± she said, and I could just about imagine her chew at her cheek in thought. ¡°Well, we¡¯re a minute from the garage-¡± I paused, ¡°-the garage still exists, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been expanded, the same spot as before. Might be a few Ogre¡¯s in the way, though.¡± ¡°Ogre?¡± ¡°The Legion traveling vehicle,¡± Mary answered, ¡°apt name, I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°Very,¡± I chuckled, ¡°see you in a minute.¡± ¡°Remember, official attire.¡± She warned. I rolled my eyes, unable to stop myself, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think that matters, right?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not for Legion,¡± she stated quickly, ¡°Matthew seems to care very, very little about decorum and politics.¡± ¡®Good to know, also, first name basis?¡¯ The thought snapped through my head as I questioned, ¡°So, why do I need to be dressed up?¡± ¡°Maybe I just like to see you uncomfortable. That¡¯s an order, by the way.¡± Mary¡¯s voice carried her smirk across the airwaves. ¡°Fine, fine¡­ But you¡¯d better get me something nice, you hear?¡± I could just imagine getting a fission engine for our destroyer. ¡°No promises,¡± she chuckled, ¡°see you soon.¡± It didn¡¯t take much longer for us to get to the garage, but it did take extra time to at least resemble something professional. My long, white hair, silvered slightly from an advanced anti-radiation treatment that I¡¯d undergone, was currently allowed to hang loosely across my back. In the mirror, the pale skinned woman I saw barely resembled the woman I once knew. Cobalt blue eyes, rounded chin, button nose, I could certainly be called attractive, and had been propositioned more times than I cared to admit in the post apocalypse. I stood back, admiring my toned body. Before the apocalypse, I hadn¡¯t gone outside much and certainly hadn¡¯t had cause to exercise as much as I had. My slim frame was tight with lean muscle, and the scar that stretched from my upper left shoulder and down across my belly reminded me every day of what happens if you don¡¯t respect your enemy. I still had the steel plate, Kaiju having undergone many adaptations in that time. As I dressed, I heard the mewling of a curious creature that I¡¯d run across during one shallow water mission. The creature was a pseudo-biotic, small, and with fur that was silky smooth. If I had to estimate, I¡¯d put it somewhere between a cat, fox, and otter. The white fur of the arm-length creature shifted as she patiently waited for me to dress myself. ¡°Alright, Cocoa, come here,¡± I gestured, and no sooner than I¡¯d done so did the creature bound through the air effortlessly, landing and curling around my shoulders and neck with a nuzzle under my chin.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡®Food?¡¯ I heard the voice in my head, sniffing at the pocket of my vest. I laughed, pulling open the pocket as Cocoa nipped a chunk of chocolate from a bar hidden within. Her namesake, after all, was literal. ¡°Remember, behave. We don¡¯t want another incident.¡± I gently chided the creature, remembering when Cocoa had fluffed up and promptly face-tackled someone that had come from Sunvilla. I very lightly remembered the fools name, only that he was sleazily trying to ingratiate himself with everyone that he could. ¡®Benny? Ben? Benjamin? Something or other,¡¯ I dismissed the thought, the man was a prick, along with his friend and his people. Idly, I considered equipping my pistol, and perhaps my blade, but I decided that would be inappropriate. Also, not likely necessary. I highly doubted some desk-guy would be able to outfight me. ¡®Underestimating is bad,¡¯ I heard the reminder from Cocoa, and couldn¡¯t help but let loose another deep sigh. Imagine what I¡¯d seen outside, a mobile force with very good equipment, customized gear, and what little I knew of the Legion surging to the forefront of my mind. I holstered the pistol, sword, and also a flash-bomb, just in case. It could be considered rude, but I didn¡¯t care what others considered rude. Cocoa was right, and the next time I underestimate something might well be the last time. With that, I moved out, my team occupying themselves with their gear and whatever news they might have wanted to peruse. The sheer population Basilisk reigned over had given us a great deal of things, not excluding general entertainment. Sometimes, I was worried that people might regress to what we¡¯d been doing before. But, luckily, entertainment hadn¡¯t taken over our lives the same way it had. News wasn¡¯t sensationalized, but it was emphasized depending on who you were, and what you might consider relevant. Overall, I appreciated our system very much, and whenever we ran into another city, they tended to voluntarily submit themselves to the fold. Safety, convenience, and an homage to how the world was got us a lot of traction. It also led to a lot of obnoxious complaints, like ¡°Why is my package late?¡± or ¡°When is this road getting repaired?¡± Considering the fact that there were still biotics the size of a four story building in the ocean, and god knows what else on land, I figured that those questions were ridiculous at best. ¡®First-world problems?¡¯ I contemplated the phrase, ¡®eh, close enough. Post-world problems? Is that better?¡¯ I schooled my features to a professional slate, the guards stepping aside as I entered. Most of them knew me, but I could hear one of them comment with disbelief that the Kaiju was here. It still tickled me that people called me and my mech Kaiju, but I supposed that was fine. We were like an ocean-monster, so that was fair enough. Plus, the fame had its perks. I like people just fine, so being able to walk into a room and immediately be on everyone''s good side helped tremendously as an ice-breaker. When I arrived at the door, the guard knocked for me. ¡°Come in,¡± Morrison didn¡¯t even bother asking who it was, likely aware of the camera feed most of the time. I walked in, the guard shutting the door behind me. Even so, decorum demanded at least a minimum of respect. Smoothly, I brought my right fist, clasped, and placed it over my heart, heels together, and did the Basilisk salute. ¡°Adira ¡®Kaiju¡¯ Maxwell, reporting.¡± I stated, watching as Mary nodded to me. ¡°At ease,¡± her words let me abandon the stuffy posture and bland expressions, ¡°we¡¯re going to be brief, but is there anything you need to talk about first?¡± She met my gaze, and for a second I felt a touch of warmth, ¡°Not this time. No nightmares lately, so that¡¯s good.¡± She nodded, ¡°Good. You know, if you ever do need to talk, you can just let me know.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± I tilted my head, ¡°come on, you know I harass you every time I get the chance.¡± She snorted, ¡°True enough.¡± Cocoa decided then was the time to interject, making some kind of cat-fox call at Mary. She chuckled, moving closer and giving the furry little creature some chin scritches. ¡°Nice to see you too, Cocoa.¡± ¡°So, about the guy?¡± A broad grin sprouted on my features, ¡°You¡¯re on a first name basis, eh?¡± She rolled her eyes at my suggestive eyebrow wiggles, ¡°He¡¯s a good guy, so far. But I assure you we¡¯re perfectly professional for the most part.¡± Mary realized the error in her words the moment they left her mouth, and narrowed her eyes at Adira in warning and crossed her arms over her chest. A gesture which Adira promptly ignored, ¡°Most part, eh? Well, good, good, lemme know how that goes.¡± ¡°Adira, you little brat,¡± Mary tried to muster her best annoyed face, but couldn¡¯t manage it past the smile, ¡°anyways, lets go over some details here. Remember, this is confidential, tell only those that need to know.¡± ¡°Roger that,¡± I nodded, having enjoyed teasing her. It didn¡¯t really matter what the content was, I just felt like teasing Mary anytime I talked to her, at least once. Let her know that the dynamic never changed, that she was, and would always be, one of my team. Morrison¡¯s posture changed subtly, and I remembered once more the difference between the laid back and easy going Mary, and the Commander she now was. ¡°The Legion has come en force with the intent to take over a location off the mainland,¡± she started with the bomb drop, ¡°this is, ostensibly, a good thing for Basilisk as well.¡± ¡°Okay, time.¡± I put my hands up, ¡°Why?¡± Her eyes flicked up to me, ¡°Getting to that. But, the issue in this is that they have a veritable army. They¡¯re not sure what to expect, from what I gather, and so are leaning towards a more approach. Obviously, we can¡¯t just have a foreign military marching through our territory without some kind of official response.¡± At that, she leveled her gaze to me. ¡°Ah, so you were serious when you said escort work,¡± I nodded, ¡°so, not really babysitting?¡± She shook her head, ¡°they were worried about you slowing them down, actually. And, given the state of your crawler¡­¡± she let a slight grin loose before it vanished, replaced by the stern mask of officiality, ¡°regardless, I have no reason to believe that they won¡¯t be capable.¡± I nodded, ¡°So long as they¡¯re willing to play by our orders, I¡¯m alright with this.¡± Morrison grimaced at that. ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t!?¡± I bawled, ¡°C¡¯mon, Mary! It¡¯s our boat! How are you gonna tell me that I have to take orders from them when they¡¯ll be on my boat?¡± ¡°Listen to the rest of the situation first. And I¡¯m serious,¡± she sat down, ¡°don¡¯t tell a damn person who doesn¡¯t need to know about this, alright?¡± I was about to keep complaining when I registered a flicker of something else on her features. Concern, or wariness. That hadn¡¯t happened since just before we lost Tom. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± All traces of humor receded, my attention firmly set on Mary. Satisfied that I was taking this seriously, she began, ¡°Our western neighbors, how much do you know about them?¡± I blinked at that, ¡°UGC and NG?¡± She nodded, ¡°they¡¯re both bureaucratic bodies from the pre-biotic era, I mean, they¡¯re just¡­ the old governments?¡± I shrugged helplessly at that, ¡°I don¡¯t pay much attention to them, or politics, I just kill Leviathans.¡± Mary nodded at that, ¡°Well, they¡¯re absorbing other territories, rapidly. They tend to shuffle around populations to displace them, and for a while now Basilisk has been trying to figure out how to deal with them. I have the feeling that Central was going to test them, see if they¡¯re really strong enough to rival them, and if not, then Basilisk becomes the new head-honcho. We¡¯d have maybe had to deal with the south - Legion, rather - but with new information provided by our neighbors, I can say that I¡¯m glad Central decided on a non-interaction stance with Legion.¡± My frown told her everything she needed to know on how much I wasn¡¯t following the conversation. ¡°Legion has discovered that the orbital defense network is still operational. Central suspects that UGC and NG are struggling for control of the network, otherwise they¡¯d have leveraged the other out of power.¡± She waved her hand in the air, ¡°at least, that¡¯s the popular opinion in Central. Some think that the Legion¡¯s misinforming us to put our guard up against them. But, I highly doubt that Matthew cares either way.¡± ¡°As for why they¡¯re here,¡± she pointed out a holographic map, ¡°there¡¯s an island off the coast that he¡¯s needing to get to. This island, supposedly, has an installation that can allow access to the satellite network without said satellites self-destructing.¡± ¡°That spot? Are you serious?¡± I glared at the map, and back to Mary. She nodded solemnly, ¡°The very same. That¡¯s why I asked for you.¡± A cold knot twirled in my gut, and Cocoa cooed and purred around my neck, sensing my distress. ¡°Five expeditions, Mary,¡± I met her gaze, ¡°Basilisk has led five expeditions into the red zone. We can¡¯t claim that thrice damned area.¡± She shook her head, ¡°The last time we tried was over a year ago. You and I both know that when we led the first that it was poorly equipped.¡± Mary looked sadly at the jeweled ring on her hand, ¡°But if we had what we have now, back then?¡± Sadness crept across my expression as I reached over, planting a hand over hers, covering the ring, ¡°Mary, I¡¯m not just asking you as a friend. Is this worth it?¡± For a second, I saw the old Mary, lost and confused, looking at me for all her bewildered focus. And then I saw her determination rise, and her weariness evaporated, ¡°If what the Legion says is true, then we¡¯ll need that installation. It might not even be manned.¡± I nodded, for a moment wondering if we could get through the air. But then I remembered the fact that the air over the ocean no longer remotely belonged to us, and turned my attention back to the water. ¡°Alright.¡± I said finally, ¡°I don¡¯t like this, but I¡¯ll do this. Because it¡¯s you.¡± Before Mary could thank me, though, I interrupted, ¡°But I am going to meet this guy. I¡¯m not taking orders from him on my boat.¡± Mary shook her head, ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, because I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s been waiting outside for a while now.¡± We clarified a few points, but overall there wasn¡¯t much more that we knew. The Legion, however, would be effectively on loan to us for the duration. I¡¯d need to make sure they could fight Leviathan at least moderately, otherwise our voyage into the red zone wasn¡¯t going to happen. Regardless of our tools, I had no illusions that the red zone was going to be a slog through watery hell. A knock at the door sounded then, and Mary straightened. Shooting a glance at me, I rolled my eyes and assumed a more official posture. ¡°Matthew Reaper is here, Ma¡¯am,¡± one of the guards posted outside said. I shot Mary a sideways glance and whispered, ¡°Reaper? His last name is Reaper?¡± ¡°You¡¯re named Kaiju.¡± She flipped me a flat glare before turning her attention back to the door, ¡°Enter.¡± The door swung open, and for a moment I felt my heart halt for a moment, my eyes widening in surprise. The man had red eyes, and what almost appeared to be nearly steel-grey skin. It more closely resembled obsidian, though, and I couldn¡¯t help but stare. He was an oddity, and my brain flagged as I tried to parse what I was actually looking at. I¡¯d seen my fair share of advanced prosthetics, but if I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say this guy was closer to being a very, very, humanlike robot. His eyes glanced over me, settling for the briefest of moments on my hair, and then ratcheting onto Cocoa. Cocoa, for her usual coldness to people, actually met his gaze in what appeared to be curiosity. ¡°Huh, a pseudo-biotic. What¡¯s your name?¡± The man¡¯s words nearly caused me to have a stroke. ¡°She¡¯s Cocoa,¡± I answered automatically. To my surprise, the man frowned, ¡°Can she not talk?¡± ¡®Oh, holy shit, he knows about them?¡¯ I felt my estimation of whoever this was rise several degrees. This guy might actually be competent. ¡°My name is Cocoa,¡± the creature spoke, ¡°you know my kind?¡± The man chuckled, looking to a likewise surprised Commander Morrison, ¡°A friend of mine, yes. Let me introduce myself officially, my name is Matthew Reaper, leader of The Reaper¡¯s Legion.¡± He extended a hand to me, a very fine suit adorning his body. Not just a fancy suit, either, but one that I recognized was subtly bulkier than what would be normal. I doubted, immediately, that it was only bullet-proof. I''d seen mesh armor, but even I could barely tell that the suit he was wearing was one such thing. I wanted one. ¡°Adira ¡®Kaiju¡¯ Maxwell,¡± I introduced myself with my nickname automatically, noting the quirk of his brow as I did so, ¡°so far a pleasant surprise to meet you.¡± I could just about feel Mary cringe at that. The man clasped my hand, the feel of his skin warm, but less than what a human should have. If he took offense, he showed none of it, ¡°Likewise.¡± We stepped back from each other, but there was a moment of appraisal that went beyond the greeting. ¡°I¡¯m told that Morrison already briefed you?¡± He asked, to which I nodded, ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get into details. I want to know more about your unit, and I¡¯m sure you likewise want to know about us.¡± ¡®Finally, no bullshit,¡¯ I nearly breathed in relief, sitting myself down at the table, Mary giving up on any sense of officiality. ¡°Good. First off, my unit is the Leviathan Brigade, we¡¯re about two, to three thousand in members. We possess five destroyers, hundreds of mechs designed for amphibious combat, but we lean more towards underwater encounters. As most of our quarry are deep-sea borne, that¡¯s our specialty.¡± I watched as his expression went through several changes, settling on thoughtful, ¡°hmm¡­ Underwater. That¡¯ll be interesting.¡± He said, less like it was an issue, and more of a challenge, something that I appreciated in a fellow commander, ¡°We number about a thousand. Our convoy is adaptable, Ogre¡¯s can be used amphibiously. But, they¡¯re not outfitted beyond surface and shallow water combat. We¡¯ve got plenty of mechs and power armor units as well, and we have modular technology to allow for the adaptation. Do you have more defined information on these Leviathan? I presume they¡¯re the prime biotic of the area.¡± We continued speaking on the topic, and at one point Mary excused herself, declaring that food would be delivered shortly. What I was the most thankful of, though, was the fact that, just maybe, the Legion wouldn¡¯t be too bad to have around after all. Chapter 134 The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 134 -Matthew Reaper¡¯s P.O.V.- The convoy was on the move again, trailing behind the admittedly aptly named crawler that Adira and her crew had rode in on. As much as I wanted to pick up the pace, I was aware that I personally wouldn¡¯t want to leave any of my equipment behind to do so. The same went for the Leviathan Brigade¡¯s leader. It was strange, meeting Adira, or otherwise known as ¡°Kaiju,¡± like meeting another version of myself in a way. She was an interesting sort, and I had to admit that I appreciated her company a great deal, contrary to what I expected. And, there was the matter of her overall capacities, or rather the fact that we decided on something of a hybrid approach for command. When we were off the boat, Legion orders would preside. But while we were on it, she and the rest of the Brigade would be in command. The arrangement was a fair one, but also one that I accepted only on the grounds that they were competent. For once, I wasn¡¯t wary of an external force working alongside my Legion. Quite in fact, if this was a baseline in Basilisk then I believed that future talks of alliance would be in our best interests. ¡°Alright, the teams are ready to outfit with modifications. We¡¯ll need to pick up a few things when we¡¯re in range of the next Obelisk, though.¡± Daniel called over the comms, ¡°The Dauntless should be fine either way, but I¡¯ll wait on switching her kit over.¡± Fran silently shook her head in the cockpit seat next to me, still perplexed that Daniel insisted that he refer to his mech with a gender at all. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready to settle in,¡± I answered, ¡°looks like this is gonna be a long drive.¡± We¡¯d spent another night at the outpost, mostly discussing plans and familiarizing the Brigade¡¯s leader with some of the team leaders that she¡¯d likely run into and need to talk too. She spoke with them at length, and it was clear by the end of it that my teams wouldn¡¯t have any day-to-day issues with her. Adira was easy to get along with in general, and her casual confidence translated to a general ease with others. I sent a silent message back to Adira. At some point, we stopped talking about the mission, and more about our individual experiences with biotics. She¡¯d been interested in knowing how I knew about pseudo-biotics, though I believed the question to be born out of curiosity, rather than anything else. The discussion led to the many kinds of biotics, and to my own surprise I¡¯d learned that Basilisk had dealt with their fair share of land-based biotics early on. They quickly grew out of that phase, however, given that their oceans were rife with life. For one reason or another, the ocean was still teeming with fish, and Adira confirmed that fishing was very popular in the area. They¡¯d used that to feed their burgeoning populace early on, even before the Obelisks, but after the Obelisks came they were faced with ever growing territory, and suddenly shrinking amounts of biotics. When I asked her why they hadn¡¯t set up farms, though, she¡¯d explained that the entire concept was risky. They had no idea what the cores actually did, and at the time no one was thinking about trying to harvest them. I did keep my ability to interact with cores off the record, given that I didn¡¯t expect that anyone outside of the Legion should be aware of that capability of mine, but I explained what we were doing with the cores and how we monitored them. Granted, our operation was apparently much more aggressive than what Basilisk performed. Apparently Central took a half step between being a predominantly military force like we were, and to being a governing body, like what the Orders and Bulwark were. In that, I realized, we¡¯d gotten lucky. By separating our powers so clearly, the power structure in most cities under our general command was resilient, with overarching goals that could conform to each city. Basilisk¡¯s rule, on the other hand, put far more focus on what Central wanted, and there was a great deal more bureaucracy. Overall, our conversation topics were light, and while I was talking with my own team, I wanted to keep up the conversation with Adira. ¡°Matt, can you hold this?¡± Terry dragged my attention over to a workbench he was stooped over. ¡°What part?¡± I asked, looking at some kind of half-spherical device that was in literal pieces. ¡°Uh, here, and here.¡± He gestured to two¡­ motherboards, would be my best guess, though they bore quartz crystals on their surface. I shrugged, and held them in place as he soldered them into position, and then drilled through other parts directly into the casing. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, staring at the thing as he flipped it over. ¡°Well, they¡¯re buoys,¡± he started, ¡°sensor buoys, able to link up to the Raijin Field. Which, I¡¯m going to have to start modifying a bit next. Water and electricity aren¡¯t good mixes when friendly fire is a concern.¡± I nodded at that, watching him for a few seconds longer. He buried his nose back in his equipment, and realized he was absorbed again. I moved away, expecting that if he needed help he¡¯d ask. Moments later he called out another person randomly, and I couldn¡¯t help but be amused at how Terry worked. Outside we passed smaller cities, none as fortified as the outpost we¡¯d come from. Even so, I couldn¡¯t call them unguarded, several towers overlooking the territory along the edges. From here, I could just make out the unmanned turret at the top, and a catwalk under it with guards, hopefully ensuring that multiple angles would be covered at the same time. They didn¡¯t seem to be necessary this far into their territory, but I couldn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t appreciate the precaution. Our cities were well adjusted to the fact that some hives were active around their cities still. Continued opportunities to harvest M.E. was worth the slight increase in risk. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we kept strict monitoring on the cores, we wouldn¡¯t risk it. But, given the sheer armaments that we utilized as perimeter defense, I doubted they¡¯d ever be able to grow enough to be a problem. It was interesting to watch as we passed through the highways in these places, though, the people going about their daily lives. Intense nostalgia crept up on me, the likeness to a pre-apocalypse earth stunning.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. I looked at my biosteel hand, though, and knew that nothing would ever really be the same. Hopefully these people wouldn¡¯t take all of this for granted, that they wouldn¡¯t forget that the threat was still out there. That was one thing that worried me, that the general population in Basilisk was getting used to the idea that biotics were losing. Our edge of the continent was just that, an edge. There were thousands of kilometers of land to cover, and who knew what other abominations were brewing in less fortunate areas. I forcibly dragged my thoughts away from that, though. After hours of travel, though, I finally saw something that drew all of my attention. Basilisk Port was large, having already been a fairly dense coastal city even before the apocalypse. However, unlike many of the other cities we¡¯d traveled through, the vast majority of buildings and infrastructure had been updated. Our convoy, which I initially expected would have to take a wide detour around the city, was more than capable of going through one of the wide one way roads in the city. Whoever had planned for the update, I had to congratulate them on their foresight. Along with the larger roads, there were smaller railways suspended above them, being where the majority of the population got around, using railcars that varied in size from four-seat occupancy to the much larger trollies I was used to seeing. The buildings themselves were adjusted to be sturdier, but also it was apparent that many of them bore interconnecting braces. Even across the spans between buildings, it looked like bare parts of the skeletal frame of the structures were reaching out and connecting to their more distant neighbors. It was professionally done, and many of the reinforcing structures were used for decoration. The result almost felt like it was a city closed in on itself, but there was enough sunlight poking through the gaps, and enough garden-like vegetation all throughout that I couldn¡¯t help but stare as we passed. ¡°This is pretty,¡± I heard Alice say, grinning from ear to ear, ¡°I guess they take beautification seriously around here.¡± I nodded, ¡°guess we¡¯d better step it up ourselves.¡± Richard snorted, ¡°I like our decor better.¡± ¡°I like the brooding, dark-lord theme better, but maybe we can branch out.¡± I heard Jessica say, a thoughtful expression on her face. ¡°We¡¯ll see what ideas people have when we get back,¡± I chuckled, turning my attention back to the city. One area, a giant mall, was once more full of people, though I noted there was a distinct lack of any kind of personal vehicle in the parking lot. Instead, dozens of rails moved through and stopped at various locations, lowering down at stations and disgorging one group before another stepped in to take their place. We used a similar system, but somehow this one seemed more in line with a metropolitan area. Probably because of the fact that it was perfectly mundane otherwise. We didn¡¯t have any malls, though that was more due to our population just not seeing the point. Most of us had gotten adjusted to the idea that this was our new reality, though we had dredged some creature comforts back from the dead. Then again, I couldn¡¯t be sure. It had been a long while since I¡¯d gone back to Gilramore. Maybe a visit would be in order after all of this was sorted. Then, however, I saw the real object of interest. The Obelisk of Basilisk Port was towering, the same size as the one we utilized for New Damond. It would give them the range to cover the entire port, and farther afield. I hadn¡¯t noticed, but we¡¯d been well within its influence for some considerable time. Instead of a black surface, though, I found that it was predominantly white and blue, a trailing edge where both colors met a shining gold. It almost looked like a sapphire sheathed in white up until about halfway up, light playing across its surface with a gentle shimmer. Around the Obelisk was a single, spanning ornate structure, though not one that was overly ostentatious. It reminded me more of a government building, and as we drove in parallel past it, I noticed the numerous mechs that presided over the territory. I turned my attention to one of the roads parallel to us, keeping an eye on the unannounced escorts that we¡¯d picked up since moving into the city. There were several mechs, ones outfitted much more effectively for land combat than the last ones I¡¯d seen. They weren¡¯t pointing any weapons at us, but I had no doubt that they were monitoring us for any hostile moves. Richard, next to me, watched them as well, ¡°I¡¯d be nervous if an armed convoy was moving through my city, too.¡± I nodded, wondering with a grimace if Adira intended to spook Central or if us moving through the city was a normal event. Many people stopped and stared at our convoy as it rolled past, more out of curiosity than anything else. My many viewpoints from cameras in many of the Ogre¡¯s fed me information, and, luckily, it didn¡¯t seem that most people were concerned about our presence. I suspected they trusted Basilisk to let them know if something bad was about to happen. Finally, though, we moved down the port proper, the evening sun blazing on the horizon. It was no small wonder it took her so long to get to us in the first place, given how slowly the crawler moved with a full load. ¡°Hey, Matt, ya hear me?¡± Adira¡¯s voice came over the comms in the Ogre. Fran looked at me with an arched brow and a small smile, ¡°She seems pretty casual with you.¡± I shook my head at her loaded statement, ¡°I can hear you, Adira.¡± ¡°Cool, so.¡± She paused, ¡°we¡¯re gonna need you all to follow us, we¡¯re gonna move into the destroyers. I¡¯m sending you all the info on which ones, just in case we get separated. The one I¡¯m in is The Wendigo, and should be right up front.¡± ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯ll follow you,¡± I nodded, and turned to Fran. Who was still smiling, but pointedly not looking at me. ¡°She sounds nice,¡± Alice commented not so subtly. I sent a glare at Alice, yielding only rolling laughter from the others. ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± Fran chuckled, ¡°you seem to get along well with this person though.¡± ¡°You do realize I¡¯m made out of biosteel, right?¡± I asked dryly. Then, from the back, I heard the normally very quiet Emma say, ¡°Maybe she likes them hard?¡± Everyone turned to look at her as we processed her words. A millisecond later, her skin flared a vibrant shade of red, ¡°Uh, that was not the word choice I wanted.¡± The laughter came back with a vengeance then, and I couldn¡¯t help but laugh with them. ¡°It¡¯s always the quiet ones,¡± Jessica joked. I turned my attention to guiding the Ogre loosely. It was amusing that they thought as much, but I highly doubted anything like what they were expecting was probable. Adira seemed to be the sort to socialize with a lot of people, after all. Or at least, from what I¡¯d seen. Pushing that from my thoughts, I reminded myself of why we¡¯d come here. First, we¡¯d settle the Ogre¡¯s in and see what we needed to do from there. And, when the destroyer loomed into our view, I had to admit that they were most definitely heavily modified. ¡°That¡¯s a big boat,¡± Richard whistled, ¡°I hope nobody gets seasick.¡± Chapter 135 The Reaper¡¯s Legion Chapter 135 The Ogre¡¯s trundled up ramps into the bellies of modified destroyers. The vessels were clearly of naval origin, but it was also clear that they¡¯d been heavily customized. Broad, hefting turrets and weapon emplacements of ambiguous purpose protruded from the deck of the destroyer. What little visibility I was offered of anything on deck was centered around a broad tower, the command structure of the ship. I was no expert on naval vessels, I couldn¡¯t be sure exactly what was different or not. The turrets were a dead giveaway, but beyond that? I couldn¡¯t be certain what else I was looking at. We followed closely behind Adira¡¯s crawler, until the crew began to flag us down with large glowing sticks. It became clear that we were being guided to empty slots, and were expected to fit in snugly, the many bays bearing hardpoints for maintenance and to be locked in place in the event of rough weather. ¡®Or a heavy impact by a Leviathan,¡¯ I mused, driving the Ogre into position beside the crawler, each subsequent Ogre being guided in much the same way. We were split between three of the destroyers. In spite of the many modifications, these ships weren¡¯t necessarily meant to host a massive number of vehicles. ¡°Alright, team,¡± I said as we rolled to a stop, ¡°lets stretch our legs.¡± ¡°Ah, finally!¡± Daniel groaned, the much larger modified mobile command vessel he was sidling into two slots. ¡°I was starting to cramp up. Didn¡¯t think it¡¯s take us that long to get here.¡± ¡°Same,¡± Alex stood upright, ready to leave the Ogre already, ¡°I¡¯m ready to eat, too.¡± As we moved out, Fran reminded everyone not to move off too far until we knew what our accommodations would be. It was likely - and reasonable - that we would be bunking in our Ogre¡¯s for the time being. Ordinarily, I¡¯d like to set up something of a base of operations, but in this case we¡¯d be sharing what Adira could provide, rather than building something of our own. Somehow, I don¡¯t think that the city would find it reasonable for us to set up a fortress on their beach. While walking the short distance between the vehicles, I took note of the surroundings. Against the far wall I could see racks on racks of equipment, forming a giant ring around the walls. Likewise, our vehicles took the central space in the bay, but we were far from the only cargo. Mechs of several makes and designs lay secured against metal support frames alongside vessels that appeared to be designed to help augment their abilities. We¡¯d likely want to take a look at the equipment they used before our voyage officially began. Luckily, it appeared that the bay was designed for a number of different mechs, bearing a number of empty support frames that were widely adjustable. The only mech we might have an issue with would be The Dauntless, but we could use the modified command rig for that. Likewise, it appeared that they didn¡¯t have only one point of berth from the ship. There were five, two per side and a smaller port at the rear of the ship. There were a pair of elevators to get to the upper decks, as well as what I presumed would be stairs past the doors on the far wall. Mech¡¯s would find access to be tight, but luckily one of the elevators was large enough to be capable of moving heavy machinery in stride. I¡¯d have guessed that they wanted to have as much flexibility as possible, given the nature of biotics. Adira and her team disembarked from the crawler as eagerly as mine had. They shortly caught sight of me, and I only just realized that I¡¯d only slightly dressed down from the mesh armor I¡¯d been wearing. Derrick had clearly kept in mind my dislike of business attire when he¡¯d given me the thing. I expected that each of the diplomats was clad in some version of it, something that I found gave me considerable peace of mind. There were multiple layers to the armor, but only the one closest to the skin really mattered. The vest portion was semi-breathable and more comfortable, but I¡¯d abandoned the sleeves and jacket, finding them stuffy and slightly too constraining for my tastes. To my surprise, the group around Adira didn¡¯t seem to find my appearance alarming. Instead, I saw the older woman of the group murmur something, to Adira. The three chuckled, and given the eyeroll Adira gave them, I could only imagine it was a joke at her expense. They approached, and the same old woman spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t wait for us now, we¡¯re just gonna visit with our new friends and get ¡®em acclimatized.¡± I frowned, turning a questioning gaze to the woman before returning my gaze back to Adira, a strained smile on her face, ¡°The windbag over there is Nana Pain.¡± ¡°Ah, the ventures of youth!¡± She cried exaggeratedly, grinning mercilessly at the leader of their group, ¡°Show the nice young man around! Ya got time!¡± ¡°Jesus Nana,¡± I heard one of the others shake their heads, ¡°you have no chill, you know that?¡± ¡°Pfft,¡± she blew a raspberry at him and moved to the Ogre, ¡°I¡¯m as cool as a cucumber, young man.¡± I could only helplessly shake my head as Daniel greeted them, boisterously, turning my attention once more to Adira. ¡°You get along well,¡± I nodded, ¡°I think.¡± She sighed, ¡°She means well but-¡± she froze mid sentence, thinking better of following whatever line of thought she had, ¡°-anyways, I guess it¡¯d be good to show you the command tower, right?¡± Just as eager for the change in topic, I nodded to her, following beside her towards the elevator, ¡°Seems you¡¯ve got a pretty wide variety of mechs here.¡± ¡°Nothing particularly standardized, but we try to make sure that everyone has what they need. Mostly, that¡¯s in the form of these big bastards-¡± she gestured to some of the larger models of the mechs, almost equal in size with The Dauntless, ¡°-they¡¯re our frontliners against the Leviathan biotics.¡± She then guided my attention to the many empty bays, ¡°you¡¯re free to use any of them as needed. We¡¯ll be in port until morning light, that should give you time to order any parts you might need from the Obelisk.¡± After a few seconds she sighed, ¡°It¡¯ll definitely be pricey, but better that than be ill fitted for sea-borne combat.¡± I nodded at that, ¡°We¡¯ll have to borrow your expertise on that.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she grinned, ¡°if there¡¯s anything we know, it¡¯s fighting in the water.¡± We reached the broad, caged platform that was the elevator, the attending mechanic nodding to us as he hit the switch after calling for others nearby to clear. Given the railing and safety bars all around the platform, it was a formality, but the smooth pneumatics quickly projected us upwards. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°So, five destroyers?¡± I looked to Adira, nodding in confirmation, ¡°How did you get your hands on five destroyers?¡± She grinned, ¡°Well, there used to be a naval yard near here. Truth be told, these were to be scuttled until we got our han-¡± A siren interrupted her, the woman¡¯s relaxed expression replaced by a razor sharp awareness. The elevator arrived at the upper deck, resting flush there as she faced towards the command tower. ¡°Follow me! That¡¯s the battlestations call,¡± she shouted over the din, not waiting to see if I was behind her. She was fast, but my body allowed me to keep pace easily. At the same time, I issued orders to the Legion to be ready, but on standby. I didn¡¯t bother asking what was going on, clearly we were moving towards the command tower to find out. That, or she was simultaneously receiving information over her comms. Moments later, she confirmed my suspicion, ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got a decent Leviathan in the bay.¡± ¡°Anyone engaged with it yet?¡± I asked as she yanked open the heavy metal door. ¡°Yeah, Scylla Brigade has them,¡± she took the metal stairs three at a time, ¡°they were just coming back in from deployment, but they should be fine.¡± I held off on asking if our assistance would be needed for the time being. The Legion wasn¡¯t purpose-built for sea-battle, and unless the Leviathan in question approached the coast, we had no method to reach them. Originally, we¡¯d have secured a beachhead and used some of the specialized Ogre¡¯s that we had to create simple vessels to cross the water. But, this would be valuable information to see how viable our plan would have been in the first place. She tore open another door, a room full of people at consoles, including a sharply dressed man at a command chair of sorts turned to the source. They rapidly turned away, save for a momentary distracted look at me. They were professionals, though, and had a job to do. I could respect their attention. ¡°What class are we looking at?¡± Adira called to the older man at the helm, ¡°Gen? Numbers?¡± ¡°Just a Class 2, Gen 1, looks like. Only the one,¡± the man sharply rattled off the information, ¡°barely anything to be worried about on its own, but the damned thing is already in the bay.¡± ¡°It must have slipped through the sensor net,¡± Adira¡¯s expression soured, ¡°that means there¡¯s a hole.¡± ¡°Or it¡¯s Gen 2 and has a method of moving through,¡± I noted, looking out over the system screens, resisting the urge to directly interface with them to find out more information. ¡°And you are?¡± The older fellow asked, curious but stern voiced. ¡°He¡¯s the Legion leader, Matthew Reaper¡± Adira answered quickly before turning her attention to me. I could easily tell that she was acutely focused, and her attention seemed to settle on me with a certain weight. ¡°What do you mean by having a method through?¡± I met her gaze heavily, ¡°We¡¯ve run into Gen 2¡¯s and other oddities capable of deceiving general sensors. It¡¯s why we run with several overlapping types.¡± The Captain frowned, ¡°We run a few types¡­ but not everywhere.¡± He met my curious gaze and quickly explained, ¡°Lots of area to cover in the water. Quantity over quality.¡± ¡°This is Captain Duke Reigner, my second,¡± Adira quickly interjected, ¡°now, bring the beastie on screen, I want to see it.¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Duke answered, ¡°front and center, if you please.¡± A moment later, one of the others answered, much less serious than their companions, ¡°Aaaand, action!¡± The screen to the front flickered from a map to an underwater view, from what I imagined to be a buoy. At first I didn¡¯t notice any kind of creature; viewing something underwater was very different from what I¡¯d become used to. Then the image shifted. For a moment I wondered if the camera was moving, but then I realized that the entire image was moving, and quickly. As the Leviathan passed in front of the camera, a bulky form that looked soft and malleable, I couldn¡¯t help but blink at the dark blue hulk, four trailing arms behind a boxy main body. Between the larger arms, hundreds, thousands of smaller tentacles trailed, many of which appeared to be dragging smaller creatures, each appearing to be a biotic. ¡°Great, another jellyfish type.¡± Adira muttered with annoyance, ¡°That¡¯s gonna take a while to melt.¡± The camera view shifted to a further buoy, one closer to a cluster of ships. I presumed them to be the Scylla Brigade, and watched as the four vessels turned their broadsides towards the water. Utterly unperturbed, the thirty meter in diameter jellyfish pulsed onwards, dragging hundred meter long tentacles behind it. I wondered what the damage it could cause was, given that it was seaborne, but I presumed that there were reasons to keep them at range. A moment later, I could hear the biting retort of several guns, booming noise that I could hear even from the command tower here. Outside the window, I could see farther out into the bay, and guessed that the jellyfish was a thousand meters from the vessels. The shells they fired hit the water and shredded on impact, sending rapidly slowing fragments of metal everywhere. I frowned at the sight, knowing that projectiles simply didn¡¯t do well under the water. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all she wrote,¡± Adira shrugged as the jellyfish plunged headfirst into the metal. I was confused, until I realized that there were far too many shining chunks in the water, and they hadn¡¯t scattered as much as I thought. With rapt attention, I noticed that the twenty-odd shells that had been sent into the ocean bore several smaller orbs, each one clustered tightly together. All at once, those orbs flashed and flared out widely, superheating the water and reflecting off of the many shining fragments - mirror like in appearance, I belatedly noticed - and then exploded. The camera jostled wildly as the impact wave hit it, and outside the window I watched as a massive plume of water and silvery muck flew high into the air. That was a marvelous show, a purpose built weapon against that particular biotic type, I suspected. The cores must have exploded, and sent bright, searing hot light across the small mirrors. Said mirrors must have been at least moderately explosive, too, because the ensuing combination of superheated water and explosions would have shredded anything in the water. ¡°Scylla Brigade are specialists in soft-bodied extermination,¡± Adira grinned at the sight of my excited expression, ¡°they pioneered killing these things. Now we all keep a few shells on hand, just in case.¡± In spite of myself, I turned toward her hungrily, ¡°Everything. I want to know everything about killing these things.¡± ¡°Oh, boy, another Adira,¡± the man below at the consoles laughed. Adira shot him a scathing glare as he turned his attention back to the console, jokingly whistling aloud. ¡°Mr. Fischer, I¡¯m so glad you volunteered for the night shift,¡± the Captain spoke aloud, ¡°see to it that you give an incident report for this as well.¡± ¡°Ah, bu-¡± he turned, the man, I noted, had broad, curly hair and a short t-shirt, his attire and attitude all but cheering at his leisure-mindedness. He thought better of any kind of complaint as he saw the flinty gaze of Captain Reigner. ¡°Aye, Captain, it¡¯ll be my pleasure, Captain,¡± a chagrined expression on his face. ¡°Very good,¡± he then turned an appraising eye back towards me and Adira. ¡°Commander, I can let you know if anything comes up if you¡¯d like?¡± I almost saw the flicker of a grin on his face, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Thank you, Captain,¡± Adira said, ¡°I¡¯ll be in the mess if you need me.¡± He nodded as she stepped away from the command seat, her expression loosening immensely, ¡°Hungry?¡± I paused and realized that I hadn¡¯t eaten at all today. ¡°I could eat,¡± I nodded, noting the fact that more of her crew followed us with their gazes as we left, not a few of which whispered conspiratorially to each other. ¡®Geez, you¡¯d think we couldn¡¯t be friendly with someone without being attracted to them,¡¯ I mentally sighed. All such thoughts vanished as she touched on what she knew about biotics, all of which was news to me, based on the sea-borne types. Minutes later we received our food, and lightly picked at it, engrossed in our conversation, and speculation, of biotics and how they operated. Chapter 136 A Web Weaved Moments after the general alert siren finished blaring, Adira and I sat down to eat in the cafeteria. Though as we were, I noted that there was something peculiar about the people who streamed in. For the most part, it seemed nobody was bothered in the slightest about the interruption of their day. I could guess that, while perhaps not strictly common, it wasn¡¯t unheard of for there to be a call to general quarters. Whether for training or for actual biotic incursions was irrelevant to them. On another note, I hadn¡¯t suspected that such an organization would employ decorations as enthusiastically as they did. It was decorated, somewhat, by the crew, leaving what was ordinarily a very spartan space with a pleasing, homey feel. Painted emblems and other personal works adorned some of the tables, well made and protected under a lacquer. Adira and I sat at one with what appeared to be a collection of shimmering, vibrant coral reefs as though viewed from above. The warm lighting overhead cast silvery specks on the artwork, and Adira caught my glance with a pleased grin. ¡°They¡¯re nice, right?¡± She asked, ¡°We¡¯re quite proud of our local artists.¡± I nodded, ¡°Very nice. I forget to just enjoy the sights sometimes.¡± She took a bite of food, some spaghetti with meatballs and briefly considered her other sides; garlic bread, and a rich chocolate cake slice on a separate plate. I¡¯d opted for a thick beef stew with a side of mashed potatoes with a generous helping of country gravy. While the food was very good, I still preferred the cooks of the Legion, though I had to admit that might have been more from a personal bias than anything else. Idly she scooped a bit of cake, something I briefly considered it odd that she was chasing spaghetti with cake, but to each their own. ¡°So, where are you from, Matt?¡± She asked casually. ¡°Damond,¡± I said, ¡°my family and I grew up there.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ didn¡¯t Damond¡­¡± her words halted, the question drying on her tongue. I nodded, ¡°Damond was destroyed by the meteors. I happened to be studying in Gilramore at the time. But my family didn¡¯t travel often.¡± She nodded, letting go unspoken what I inferred from that. Plenty of people had lost family at the beginning and subsequent months of the apocalypse. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t linger on the topic, ¡°Well, I hear tell that you guys have set back up there, rebuilt from the ground up. How¡¯d that go?¡± I considered for a moment, ¡°Quickly, actually. The Legion¡¯s approach to construction moves more towards modular designs - we can build highways and outposts quickly with it - but cities were something we hadn¡¯t considered. Most of our buildings still have some very personal flair to it, but,¡± I shrugged at that, ¡°we wanted to ensure that city planning itself took the forefront.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you copy and pasted a city?¡± ¡°More like we created several versions, and then did that,¡± I corrected, ¡°but, it¡¯s since been heavily modified.¡± She mulled that over, dipping into the spaghetti and eating a bite, ¡°Y¡¯know, my knee-jerk reaction is to say that building a city from the ground up would be a pain in the ass. But, considering how crappy the city-planning of the old world could be, that might be a good thing to correct.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we thought,¡± I nodded, ¡°though, hopefully we won¡¯t ever have to put to use some of the finer points of our city layout. Not having to deal with a biotic incursion that deep again would be more than welcome.¡± I watched, once more, as she lifted it up, and this time I focused fully upon it. My visual acuity enhanced, the image bombarding my brain. Even so, the shift was almost invisible, and without my power armor feeding me additional information, I doubted I¡¯d ever notice something like this if I wasn¡¯t specifically looking for it. Cocoa looked up at me, even as it licked it¡¯s chops, and for a moment I saw shock in her gaze. Not because I saw her eat, but because I was making eye-contact directly. ¡°Wow, you can actually see her?¡± Adira laughed, ¡°That¡¯s a first.¡± ¡°Side perks of not being made of flesh and blood,¡± I answered distractedly, ¡°now, what in the actual hell is that stealth? That¡¯s insane.¡± Cocoa¡¯s fur rippled, color shimmering across the long creature, a pleased look on its face. ¡°It¡¯s how she survived early on, before she met me,¡± Adira scritched its chin, ¡°she¡¯s not much of a fighter, but she¡¯s pretty good with the stealth stuff.¡± ¡°We fought some cat types down in Sunvilla with some nasty stealth ability, but nothing like that-¡± I watched as Cocoa shimmered out of view again, and even moving was invisible to the naked eye ¡°-thankfully nowhere near as effective.¡± Adira gave a tired sigh, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re still finding new biotics every day. The Deep is hard to get to, so there are some older creatures down there. Luckily, they don¡¯t get along with each other, otherwise we¡¯d be up to our necks in Leviathans.¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine so. Do you not have any smaller variants, though?¡¯ I asked with surprise. We had many different varieties after all, it¡¯d be very strange if we saw a different pattern here. ¡°So-so,¡± she gestured with her hand side to side, ¡°the smaller ones we see tend to be almost reliant on the larger Leviathan, and tend to look pretty similar, just smaller.¡± I frowned at that, ¡°Like they¡¯re children?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like that. It¡¯s more like they¡¯re drones, they help the Leviathan find and bog down prey at range, but they don¡¯t grow or anything.¡± ¡°The little things, I guess,¡± I murmured, ¡°I¡¯d hate to deal with one that could grow independently.¡± ¡°Yeah, so far the Leviathan¡¯s seem to push their weakest members out of their territory, but we¡¯ve gradually seen their quality step up. But, I think we¡¯ve advanced faster. So, maybe the Red Zone Raid won¡¯t fail again.¡± Adira stared idly into space, considering something. What I heard out of that statement, though, did not bode well. ¡°What do you mean, fail again?¡± I frowned, ¡°what exactly is the Red Zone?¡± She gave me a humorless smile, and started in on the description of what I had initially assumed was simply a dangerous area. Quickly, I realized that this was going to be far more complicated than I¡¯d hoped¡­ -Benjamin Hart P.O.V.- My grip on the chair arms relaxed fractionally as I read over the report once more. ¡°So, probably not here for me, then,¡± I murmured to myself, the bright light of my office, embedded in a nondescript, old-town building in Basilisk Port. At some point, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if this building had belonged to some small time press agency. Regrettably, it was the perfect size for my new operations. My eyes involuntarily panned back over to the small key-shaped statuette, gold-leaf coating the small thing, a small imprint along the length of the antique. ¡®Key to the Office¡¯ was carved into the lead beneath the gold coat, and I remembered what I¡¯d lost thanks to the Legion.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Sunvilla had been both a wild success and a grave mistake. I¡¯d been in the political scene even before everything had gone to hell, and my father, and his father before him had been elected mayor, time and again. It was, to my measure, my right to follow in their footsteps. And yet, I¡¯d never officially won the right, and had watched, time and again, as someone else filled the chair, someone else bore the Key to the Office. ¡®Well, then the apocalypse happened,¡¯ I huffed, wondering again at how things had gone so wrong. I¡¯d like to say that it started with Mack Thompson, the south-west¡¯s leader in the city - only an up and comer at that point, trying to keep everyone together - or to blame it on the many unsavory elements that forced my hand, bringing together people who knew that, sometimes, bad things had to happen to the bad people to make them go away. Once more, I was faced with the stark reality that I¡¯d pulled together a collection of people that did what I told them to with the promise of payment and benefits. And that with them, Mack, and a lot of luck, we¡¯d managed to procure a hive core to modify the Obelisk quietly. And, more than that, I¡¯d felt a certain sense of satisfaction that I was damn good at what I did. Then Mack Thompson happened, and instead of taking control, he presented me with an olive branch, that we might share the city. ¡®That got tangled quickly,¡¯ I shook my head, plucking the key from its place. I still remembered when one of my men showed up and presented the key to me. He¡¯d been particularly mum on the details on how he¡¯d come into the possession of the object. But I didn¡¯t push the topic, I rewarded him and went on my way. The problem with your hired help being too eager to please, and also tending towards violence, was that you eventually ended up with a tyrannical reputation among those that weren¡¯t benefiting directly from you. When Gerry Brueter showed up, the cracks were already showing, people steadily becoming aware of what was going on. That I and Mack were positioning people against each other, that we were profiting off of the Us or Them mentality, consolidating power. I have no doubt that it would have become something of our own personal civil war, sooner or later. And I certainly didn¡¯t want to consider the details in depth again at the moment. Gerry represented a convenient third party to force a stalemate, though I had to take great care not to give Gerry and his men room to work with. Because, ultimately, I knew that if people ever realized what I¡¯d done to the Obelisk, how I stacked the odds against them, that they would tear me apart. And then one day the Legion showed up, and the balance I was so careful to control came tumbling down. That day, I packed up with my most trusted inner circle and those that could have no future in Sunvilla, and escaped. I took with me a glut of resources, people, armaments, and went north. Mack did as well, but he was living a far more humble life these days in Basilisk, a guardsman, perhaps making up for what he¡¯d done. I didn¡¯t much care either way, he stayed out of the way and kept his mouth shut. That was enough for me. But for me and my own people? We wanted to work our way up the ladder. I wanted to have that power again, but stronger, built on foundations that couldn¡¯t be so simply destroyed. Also, it behooved me to ensure that my position was unassailable in the event that the Legion came for me after what had happened in Sunvilla. Which is why I¡¯d been anxiously awaiting confirmation of the news that I¡¯d gotten from some of my contacts around the upper echelons of Basilisk. Rather than confirmation, I sought clarification on the Legion¡¯s purpose here. I knew that they¡¯d entered the territory en force. Knowing what had happened in Sunvilla, I was briefly afraid that somehow they¡¯d attempt a coup here as well, forcing me to relocate once more. Quickly, I displaced that paranoid fear - Sunvilla had been a garbage fire of a mistake since the onset, Basilisk was run mostly above the board and its foundations unshakeable in comparison - and began to have more information collected. Surprisingly, I only had a shred of information by chance, and even the source didn¡¯t know much. Just that the Legion was partaking in some kind of joint action. Given that the Legion and Basilisk barely even knew the other, I verily doubted that was the case. That meant it was a cover. ¡°But why?¡± I stood, hand to my chin, ¡°What do you stand to gain?¡± The confirmation I¡¯d sought was that they¡¯d come through the city, and boarded one of the fleets. It seemed that the Leviathan Brigade hosted the Legion, and that told me that whatever was happening would be out at sea. Otherwise, why use one of your ace fleets as babysitters? Moreover, the fact that I only heard this from one source told me that someone else was pulling strings. Someone big. I could think of four people off the top of my head in the political environment here that might have the clout. One was Commander Morrison, who was on the southern side of Basilisk, stationed there for the time being. The other was Captain Darkwood, a political savant that may well have contacted the Legion proactively. Either of them could have leveraged the Leviathan Brigade into accepting the task, but I couldn¡¯t narrow down either of them. Morrison was more than capable of making tough decisions if she believed it was in the best interest of Basilisk. Darkwood would further his own agenda, which often involved consolidating his power and Basilisk. Both were major players, and I couldn¡¯t figure out which made more sense. And so, the rest of my conjecture quickly spiraled into wild theorizing. Without knowing the Who I had to guess with murky information as to the Why. I did, however, have a general handle on how the Legion operated. They weren¡¯t politically savvy especially, meaning that their objectives were likely more material than not. ¡®They probably wouldn¡¯t come all the way here to hunt biotics, especially not ones they¡¯re unaccustomed to. Basilisk is doing fine with handling things here, so there¡¯s no need to have military support. They¡¯d be insane to think they could take this place from them, so if nothing else they¡¯re not here for them.¡¯ I mentally walked through the steps, and then begrudgingly gave my paranoia an out, ¡®There is a remote chance they¡¯re here for me, but I doubt that. So, they¡¯re after something? Maybe a place? What¡¯s out there on the water, then?¡¯ My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at my door. ¡°Come in,¡± I answered, sitting myself back down, composing myself. The man who walked in was blonde haired, lean, but sturdily built. For a long time now he¡¯d been at my side, and while I didn¡¯t strictly trust him to help me if it went against his better interest, that oddly made him more trustworthy in my eyes. I knew what to expect from him. ¡°Seems that your information was solid, I can confirm the Legion is on The Wendigo and is in force. Looks like their leader is there too.¡± He spoke, not bothering to sit down since he knew this would be a short conversation. I nodded, ¡°Good work. Did you get an idea of what they¡¯re here for?¡± I gauged his response carefully. He shrugged, ¡°they¡¯ve come loaded to the gills in weaponry and mechs. Arguably, they¡¯re better equipped for a land war than Basilisk is.¡± I huffed, ¡°They¡¯ve got too few for a land war with the city.¡± The man shrugged once more and flippantly answered, ¡°Then maybe they¡¯re going for some sort of beach party.¡± I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to tell him off when I froze. ¡°Maybe they are¡­¡± I blinked, thinking of any islands that could be off the coast. I pulled up a map in my vision, using the Obelisk implant to toggle over to the location. Very swiftly I discovered that there were a few, though only one large enough to bother with. ¡°Do you still need me?¡± He shifted impatiently while I sorted information. ¡°What¡¯s your rush? Hot date?¡± I glared at him disapprovingly. ¡°Only with a tall cold one,¡± he grinned widely at me, ¡°I¡¯d normally have a little talk, chat, what have you before work, too, but it¡¯s been a busy day.¡± At that I could only groan, his humor incorrigible at times. ¡°Just answer if I call you.¡± I shook my head, ¡°I¡¯ll probably have work for you and some of the men tomorrow.¡± The man paused in the doorway for a moment, ¡°You know¡­ maybe you should take a page out of Mack¡¯s book, take a step back from all this. It¡¯s not too late to start over, here.¡± The statement dumbfounded me enough that he was able to slip away an instant later, calling over his shoulder a farewell. ¡°The hell was that about?...¡± I stared at the open door, wondering if the man thought I wasn¡¯t suited for this line of work. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m not,¡¯ I admitted privately, ¡®but, at the very least, I want to see what else is going on here.¡¯ And so, I took up as much information as I could and readied myself for a trip to the library. If there was ever anything that I¡¯d discovered in my time in politics, it''s that sometimes you had to get your own hands dirty. And, also, that everything leaves a papertrail somewhere. ¡®Finding this one¡¯s gonna take all damned night¡­¡¯ I sighed, looking at the setting sun as I stepped into a ferry bound for the library. Chapter 137 Small Fish -Matthew Reaper P.O.V.- I found my way back to the Ogre, time having slipped away from me. Adira was nothing if not a great conversationalist, though it helped that we shared an obsession in biotics. In our meandering, I¡¯d seen much of the vessel, and I had to admit that I¡¯d vastly underestimated the capabilities of the brigades. The Destroyer had been heavily modified, I knew that, but what I didn¡¯t expect to see was an observation deck below the water. The prow of the ship - also part of the aft and starboard hull - bore a transparent material that I was informed was a type of metal. It offered a tremendous view of a vibrant coral reef, a rainbow assortment of colors that shimmered and virtually writhed in the waters of the bay. That wasn¡¯t something a pre-apocalyptic world had, and I¡¯d been informed that, contrary to what happened in our neck of the woods, the hive cores seemed to be increasing the volume of life in the oceans. Something to consider in the future, but on another note I had to be impressed by the Leviathan Brigade. The fact that they¡¯d accomplished a transparent metal construction was impressive, but what truly shocked me was when Adira informed me that each vessel was nuclear. Not just nuclear, but enhanced nuclear. I wasn¡¯t presently educated on what a standard nuclear reactor could have done, only that no such option was presented to be fabricated directly from the Obelisks. Information was available, however, which meant that engineers with proper understanding and clearance were able to enhance the power sources to a truly mind-numbing degree. If we could secure our own source of components as Basilisk had, I could already tell that the Legion would enter a new phase of engineering. For the first time, I also felt an itch to create things myself. Since the beginning I¡¯d stayed away from actually constructing my own gear, aside from creating the blue prints and theorycrafting their end product with my augmented cognitive functions. As I listened to Adira enthusiastically explain how everything worked, I wondered if perhaps I was missing out on something. If nothing else, I could use a hobby, and given that I required distinctly less sleep than others, I may as well become more involved in every production step that I could. Granted, most of the time I sorted out the future of the Legion in my supposed downtime. I shouldn¡¯t have had to be focusing on that, however, as I had plenty of people around to do that for me. I could stand to step back a bit, let the people that I¡¯d appointed have a bit more free reign. Doug had, after all, proven more than capable as a diplomat and our political wing. But, he was also our treasurer, of a sorts, and had been expressing recent discomfort about the conflict of interest. Not that he applied too much funding to his own department, but perhaps a little of the opposite. Attempting to ensure no problems would arise, he directed significant ME usage to other ventures. That would have to stop. And as I analyzed and learned more about the power structure in the Brigade alone, I had to admit that I hadn¡¯t taken a close enough look at our organizational structure. I never wanted the Legion to become weighed down by bureaucracy, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t need some measure of hard separation. Still, that would be a topic to fully consider later. Currently, back in the cargo bay rife with Ogre¡¯s and Legionnaires modifying their gear, I felt my chest loosen from tension I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d had. Hesitantly I paused to examine the sensation, feeling oddly¡­ perturbed? Anxious perhaps was the better word. Shaking my head, I pushed the consideration away. Being with the Legion was calming to me, surrounded by familiar sights and people. If I didn¡¯t relax in that situation, then I¡¯d truly have to consider taking a vacation. I passed by teams working on their mechs, making liberal use of the generously provided mech-bays that the crew of The Wendigo provided. Some of said crew worked on their own gear, their general maintenance much lighter than what we were up to, and curiously watched on as exotic mechs became outfitted for more amphibious warfare. My teams had received information from me, compliments of the Brigade, on what designs they used and suggested parameters that we should employ as a baseline for water combat. It was fairly comprehensive, but didn¡¯t stop a few of my teams from engaging other mech-workers from our host company for advice. To no great surprise, we mixed fairly well, the wariness of our initial arrival was dulled by the similarities between our groups and the tenacity with which the Legion worked and retrofitted gear. We knew that at any minute we could end up needing these mechs, rather than relying on our host to do all of the work. Quite in fact, I¡¯m sure I wasn¡¯t alone in hoping that we¡¯d get to stretch our legs. The third day of our journey was coming to a close, and not a single one of us had fought a new biotic. That was a record, considering how literally every other expansion we¡¯d headed had us fighting a veritable carnival of horrors. As I approached my team, I couldn¡¯t help but pause. ¡°Alright, hold it there,¡± I heard Domino call out from a metal module, fresh to Eric¡¯s four armed mech. Beneath him, though the module was held up with straps, I watched as Harold, Daniel, and Eric pushed hard against the device, shoving it flush against the mech. Daniel groaned, ¡°Just one more after this?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Domino called back down, snapping a bracket into place while a loud power tool whirred to life, conversation dying beneath its shrill call. This repeated four times on the corners with a newly practiced precision, and the object fixed itself sturdily to the mech. ¡°There, that should do it.¡± Domino stretched, eyes settling on the next mech in the line with dread lingering in their depths. And then happened to see me, a flicker of hope beginning to light his grinning, oil covered face. ¡°Hey! Backup arrived!¡± ¡°Good timing!¡± Daniel rounded on me, crossing the distance faster than I¡¯d expected to see him move, clapping large hands on my shoulders like he expected me to run. Which, considering the modules I saw laying around The Dauntless, I very well might have considered doing anything else. ¡°My arms feel like jello,¡± Harold complained, ¡°why is it that we¡¯re the only ones doing the outfitting, here?¡± A loud clang resounded as Rachel howled in triumph, stunning us into silence as she stepped up over another of the mechs. She was smudged with oil, and in the t-shirt she wore I could very clearly see the straining muscles of her arms, and the scrapes that she bore on them. Flanking her, on either side were two more tired looking women, along with Richard, who climbed out of the guts of the Ogre. ¡°I retract my statement,¡± Harold said, ¡°mech work isn¡¯t that bad.¡± For a few seconds I just breathed, and then arched an eyebrow, ¡°Give me the quick version. What¡¯re you doing?¡± Domino answered before Daniel could, ¡°Still outfitting the mechs. We came up with a few other ideas thanks to Terry, but he had another plan for the Ogre¡¯s.¡± ¡°So we split labor,¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°we¡¯re almost done with the mech¡¯s, thank the gods, but the Ogre¡¯s are a bit more work.¡± Rachel moved towards us, a wrench resting over her shoulder much like I¡¯d imagine an axe would, and for a moment I envisioned the woman as a viking in a past life. ¡°The godforsaken things are too modifiable,¡± she grumped, ¡°I never thought I¡¯d complain about that. But, if nothing else, they¡¯ll be more adapted to sea than land soon. Terry sh-¡± And in that moment, from the next Ogre other, I heard a rattling and a sudden fizzle like Ozone, followed immediately by bellowed cursing. ¡°-yeah, he¡¯s still working on that one.¡± She nodded solemnly. I took in a deep breath and moved into the Ogre while stripping out of my nice clothes, still wearing the skin-tight black suit beneath. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the beaming eyes of Daniel and the other guys, glad to have another hand. As I stepped back out, they settled an appraising stare on me. Usually I didn¡¯t notice the glances that my suit attracted - the fact that it traced my outline very closely the main reason- but I did have a moment of appreciation for having perhaps the best figure I¡¯d ever had. You could even say I was built. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ I heard Wolvey writhe at the pun, bringing a cheery smile to my face. ¡°Alright, let''s get to it,¡± I walked with Daniel, who clapped me on the back as I approached. ¡°So, how¡¯s that Adira chick?¡± He asked lower, ¡°Seems to be your type.¡± I settled a glare at him as we moved, and he blinked in surprise. ¡°Joke¡¯s getting old, Danny.¡± ¡°No, no, no, I mean it,¡± he leaned in, ¡°how is she, for real?¡± The other three shook their heads, and Domino spoke up, ¡°I mean, she does seem very nice. But it¡¯s not really our business, really.¡± ¡°Pfft, not with me around,¡± Daniel waved it off, ¡°right?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s always managed to stick his nose in stuff like this.¡± I stated, trying and failing to maintain annoyance at the man. Mostly, because the statement felt utterly true. While some memory might be gone, that one seemed fairly ingrained. ¡°I think she likes you,¡± Harold shrugged, ¡°you might not know this, but the Brigade guys and gals are talkin¡¯ about it too.¡± Domino interrupted again, ¡°Lets focus on the multi-ton module we have to install, first, yeah?¡± ¡®Wolvey, remind me to give Domino a raise, or something,¡¯ I thought to the lurking part of me that wriggled in amusement. It¡¯d been suspiciously quiet of late, but I didn¡¯t sense anything particular about it. Hopefully, that just meant it was bored, or hibernating. A month of doing the same thing over and over again had made even me bored out of my wits. The module itself was resting on the ground, straps connected to it from two cranes nearby. The Dauntless was partially upright from within the modified command vehicle, and I noted that we would be installing this on the back of the mech. A few others appeared to have been placed already, and I frowned at the sight of that. ¡°Why didn¡¯t this one get installed at the same time?¡± I gestured to the other limbs, and turned my attention to Daniel.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Wanted to see if you¡¯d be back for it.¡± He nodded shamelessly, ¡°Honestly, these things are heavier than I expected.¡± I sighed, ¡°We¡¯re going to need to have some other vehicle for retrofitting now.¡± There was a wordless agreement to that, but it wouldn¡¯t help us right now. Domino moved over to the first crane, Harold to the second. Eric, Daniel, and myself moved heavy duty scaffolding into place as closely as we could get it. A minute later, we were pushing the module into position, and I eyed the straps to the cranes warily, hearing the metal of one of them groan forlornly. ¡°How did you guys even get this thing on the crane?¡± I pushed my augmented muscles, doing far better than Daniel and Eric, who heaved, red-faced, to push with the crane''s assistance to be flush against The Dauntless. ¡°Didn¡¯t,¡± Daniel gritted out, ¡°spawned it right into the straps.¡± I blinked at that, a sinking feeling in my gut, ¡°And you checked that these cranes were rated for this weight, right?¡± Daniel met my gaze, frustration at my question rapidly spinning to concern. Eric, too late, looked up, ¡°Wait, what?¡± We were mere inches away from The Dauntless, lowering the piece into place when the groaning of metal resounded through the hull. ¡°Shit! Down, down!¡± I heard Harold shout as the crane on his side bent fractionally, and then with a resounding snap released its side of the load. By some small miracle, the other crane held, the module clanging loudly and - remarkably - exactly into the slot and resting in place. The broken crane, however, snapped to the side, towards us. Some of its momentum seized, swung by the straps still connected to the module. Reaper¡¯s Eye brought all of this to a standstill, my mind calming even as I considered the events. Obviously, this was one step away from going from a minor accident to a catastrophic accident. I could easily roll off of the scaffolding here, and the top of the steel crane about to hit my position would harmlessly clatter to the ground. If Daniel and Eric weren¡¯t on the heavy scaffolding with me, that¡¯d be a viable option. ¡®We are going to hurt,¡¯ Wolvey roused fully, a sort of half laugh coming from it, ¡®better us, though.¡¯ ¡®Better us,¡¯ I mentally nodded in assent. Then the steel came down, and I felt my body heat up instantly, muscles ripple as biosteel flexed, densely packed tissue straining in anticipation. Behind me, Daniel started to shout for me, reflex taking over as he moved to protect Eric. The moment of impact I blurred into motion. I didn¡¯t bother trying to actually catch the thing, given that I just didn¡¯t have the mass to even begin to believe I could actually halt that kind of momentum, or the leverage. What I could do, though, was deflect it. I swung and pressed against the steel as it came, hefting my mass with a bellow, cracking my right arm hard against the beam. There was nothing clean about the deflection, bio-steel was, after all, somewhat analogous with flesh. That came with the territory of being softer, too. And, as I pushed, the shearing sound of not-flesh rang out, and I stifled a gasp of sharp agony. It was just a second of contact, a hard push that pressed my bare feet hard down into the metal grill of the scaffolding we stood on. The metal bones of my feet clicked against the grating, drowned out by the cacophony of the crane hitting the deck behind us. Our scaffolding bent ever so slightly, but held, and by now every set of eyes around the hull were focused on us, the noise having filled the cargo bay. An alarm sounded as crews, Legion and otherwise, launched themselves at a dead sprint towards us. I took in the sight calmly, my honed sense of meditation giving me a few precious moments of clarity in spite of pain. But, even as the coldness rose to pull more of my mind down, it halted. ¡®This is going to hurt like hell,¡¯ I sighed, allowing that other part of me to retreat, acknowledging that it wasn¡¯t needed any longer. It was strange, to feel another part of myself, distanced from anything that wasn¡¯t the mission or any objectives I needed done. That musing vanishing in the haze of spine-tingling pain that wracked my body. ¡°Fuck,¡± I hissed, pulling my feet up, dark red blood with streaks of metallic silver vigorously dripping from both of them, nevermind the hefty pump coming from my shredded right arm. Idly, I brought my arm up, able to work through pain like no living organism should, and observed the damage. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s pretty giga fucked,¡± I groaned, the outside part of the flesh ground down to bone, dull grey in the light. I maintained tendon function, barely, but I could feel the weakness in the limb acutely. ¡°Daniel, Eric, you okay?¡± I turned my attention to them, Daniel breathing heavily, and meeting my eyes. ¡°Fuck. Yeah, we¡¯re fine. You?¡± His eyes hot down to my arm, and then to my feet with a wince, ¡°how bad is that for you now?¡± Eric, on the other hand, looked firmly mortified at looking at me, ¡°Fucking shit, Matt, what about you?¡± I nodded, ¡°Yeah, pretty bad. Functional, though,¡± I grit my teeth, both feet extremely tender. Even as they watched, though, the blood flow slowed to nothing from my feet, and a mere trickle from my arm. Coagulation occured before their eyes, hardened like silver in the presence of air. Mistakenly, though, I reached out with my right arm and felt the new ¡®scab¡¯ tear with significantly more pain than a moment before and hissed through clenched teeth. ¡°Oh, oh that hurts like a-¡± Fran was below me in her armor before I could finish the sentence, the scaffolding straightening enough to make navigation easier, and before any of us could complain, had metal feathers pressing us into makeshift braces to carry us down. ¡°Medic!¡± Fran called out, sorting us out as those with actual medical training came forward. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine,¡± Daniel grumped at the medics that moved to him, ¡°check Matthew, he¡¯s the one that¡¯s hurt.¡± Fran gave him a look that could freeze an ocean, and he instead graciously allowed the medical team to check him out. Eric, on the other hand, was too out of sorts to have put up much more than a token resistance. His eyes kept finding me, and the trail of blood that led to where I was sitting on a bench. ¡°No,¡± I gestured at the few medics approaching me warily, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Not strictly human biology, anyways.¡± And it was true. My body was built to survive damage like this now. I could take a fair amount more of a beating, too, as the pain had dulled to nothing more than a low ache. I did, however, note how a strange tingle raced up and down my spine, the Obelisk shard that had been in my head reacting with my computer brain, assessing damage and plotting out repairs. Slow repairs, I hoped, given that the quick stuff was almost more harm than good. Fran huffed and moved over to me, ¡°You should let someone take a look at you.¡± I rolled my eyes, but held my tongue. We were in the middle of a blend between Legion and Brigade. As much as I wanted to point out that no one could possibly hope to have the expertise for helping me, I also understood that, diplomatically, that could be taken the wrong way. And, admittedly, I was getting enough freaked out stares that I was beginning to get much more annoyed. ¡°Clear the way!¡± I heard a familiar voice shout, ¡°Move out of the way if you¡¯re not helping!¡± The path towards the voice cleared very quickly, the crew moving out of the way like a bee just buzzed in their ears. Adira had been moving through the crowd even before a path opened, but as her eyes settled on me and the abundance of blood still clinging to my body her movement became faster. Wide-eyed, she glanced me over, before kneeling beside me on the bench. ¡°Matt? You okay?¡± Her face twitched with a frown, and I let out a mild sigh. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m already beginning to heal-¡± ¡°Has anyone checked you out yet?¡± She stared straight at the wound, not shying away at the strangeness of the biosteel and the visible rate at which new tissue seemed to generate. ¡°No,¡± I said slowly, ¡°I didn¡¯t let them.¡± She met my gaze with confusion, ¡°And why in the hell is that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I started, having a few reasons, not the least of which was that it was enough for people to be freaked out at how I was still alive, let alone at what was going on right before their eyes. And the question of how they could possibly be of any help in the situation in the first place. She seemed to parse something from my hesitation, and shot a glance over her shoulder, ¡°Kit. Now.¡± A medical kit found its way into her outstretched hand as she turned back to me, ¡°My rig. Now.¡± I blinked at her tone, one that brooked no argument. I technically could just ignore that, but I was surprised to find that I didn¡¯t actually want to disappoint her. And Fran sealed the deal, ¡°Thank you, he¡¯s very stubborn when it comes to his own well-being. It¡¯s gotten him in trouble before,¡± she smiled sheepishly, ¡°we¡¯ll take care of the mess out here.¡± Adira gave her a reaffirming smile, and I found myself being partly dragged from my sitting position. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± Fran waved to me as I mouthed ¡®Traitor¡¯ at her, before I moved under my own direction. The crowd watched after us, and I noted that Adira had stiffened at the extra attention. My own mind was uneasy with the focus, and I could only imagine what they were thinking now. ¡°That¡¯ll get them talking,¡± Adira sighed, skin a touch pinker, as she pulled me into the crawler, still guiding me to the med bay. ¡°Yours too?¡± I chuckled, at which she turned to me questioningly. Then abruptly realized what I was referring to, and turned a shade redder. Yet, she didn¡¯t withdraw her hand, still seized around my left wrist, and guided me into a well lit, clean space. It was fairly high tech, if a little cramped. I imagined basic surgery could be performed here in a pinch. She let me go as I sat on the table. ¡°So,¡± she started, ¡°are you feeling lightheaded? Anything out of the ordinary?¡± I settled a blank stare at her for a moment as she shifted on her feet. ¡°Right. Maybe a little bit of a silly question.¡± With a chuckle, I rested back, ¡°Well, if I wasn¡¯t a freak of nature I¡¯d be dead right now, so I¡¯d say out of the ordinary is a good thing.¡± She frowned at that, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to call you a freak of nature, though.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I waved her off, ¡°it¡¯s impossible not to notice. It¡¯s the first thing most people think when I walk into the room. Especially the first time.¡± Adira opened her mouth to retort before taking another moment in thought. Deliberately, she pulled up a chair beside the medical bed, ¡°Okay, so, maybe people would think you¡¯re weird, or odd. But I still wouldn¡¯t say freak.¡± ¡°Well, I appreciate that,¡± I said honestly, ¡°that means something to me.¡± And I found that, yes, actually, that did mean something to me. Normally I didn¡¯t give much of a damn about what people thought about me in general, aside from my close friends. We sat in some silence for a while, one that I found deeply calming after the cacophony outside. Adira¡¯s focus drifted fascinatedly to my arm, and I studied her eyes. Two sea-green orbs peered forth from silvery-white locks of hair framing a decidedly not-delicate face, but one that I found was very pretty. Her eyes drifted, from my arm and the slow growth of tissue there, and then studied the rest of me, intense in focus, and I found that the attention wasn¡¯t unwelcome. Even so, I broke her focus, ¡°Thanks for dragging me out of there, though. There¡¯s a difference between leading a charge and being the focus of a crowd.¡± She blinked and dragged her eyes up to my face, ¡°uh, yeah. No problem!¡± She blurted out, pitch slightly higher than usual, ¡°I¡¯m generally the same way, at least with anyone not part of the Brigade.¡± Then silence fell again, this time more awkward as we searched for something to talk about. I swept the room, hitting upon a picture mounted on the wall of Adira¡¯s team. ¡°So, Morrison was a part of your crew?¡± I asked, her attention back on me before she followed my gaze. ¡°Yeah,¡± she chuckled, ¡°she¡¯s always been reliable. Used to be a lot more crazy, too.¡± I chuckled, seeing the others on the crew, except one person. ¡°Hmm, I haven¡¯t met that one yet,¡± I gestured to the one on the far right, a young man wearing a lot of white and blue, ¡°Have I?¡± Adira¡¯s gaze softened into sadness for a moment before she shook her head, ¡°No, he¡¯s¡­ he passed away when we attempted to raid the Red Zone a long time ago. He was a good friend. I think you¡¯d have liked him.¡± For a moment we sat in silence at that, and I suppose most people would have wanted some consolation at that. Somehow, though, I doubted that was the case with Adira. I rested a hand on her shoulder in comfort, surprising her, ¡°I probably would have, if he was a friend of yours.¡± She smiled at that, a bit of the loss ebbing in her eyes. A moment later, and I would have pulled my hand away. Instead, she rested her own hand over mine, ¡°Thanks.¡± Chapter 138 Big Fish I considered my arm idly as I stared at my power armor, hours passed since everyone else had gone to sleep. Used bandages lay discarded beside me, the tissue having been restored so much that I couldn¡¯t tell that I¡¯d been wounded. Every now and then, it truly sunk in how much I wasn¡¯t fully human anymore, in such a stark sense of the word. And yet, it didn¡¯t matter, did it? Adira was a friend, that much I could say at the least. ¡®Perhaps more,¡¯ I allowed myself to consider, ¡®in time. We¡¯ll see how that goes.¡¯ Surprised with myself, I realized I had a warm smile on my face as I considered the events of the day. Amusingly enough, I usually felt more prepared for facing hordes of biotics than I did in dealing with social situations. That, I doubted, would ever really change. Rising from my seat, I considered the Ogre, the sheltered cots in the back section nestled into walls. The living quarters expanded from the sides of the lumbering vehicle, allowing for more room, similarly to an RV, albeit one that was heavily armored. I began moving to the front of the Ogre after casting a glance to the door that led into the rooms. I stopped short as I eyed the armor bays, knowing that I should check my own power armor. With nothing better to do, I began that process; when I finished with that, I read through some reports, forcing myself to slow down to human speeds for the first portion. Then tapped into varying electronics feeds, viewing the moon and starlit ocean whimsically. Sleep, I could feel, would not come tonight, as was common enough these days. An aggrieved sigh left my lips as I finally rested in one of the driving seats of the Ogre, peering at a mostly empty cargo bay in boredom. In just a few hours, people would be on the move again. I just had to find something to do until then. I recalled once more the technologies that I¡¯d seen, especially from other organizations besides my own. There were things to learn from them, I knew, and gradually I realized that I was squandering my own potential as a part of the process. Concentrating, I began to steadily pour over Research and Development¡¯s notes, analyzing what we¡¯d accomplished, what we were working on now, and our future prospects. I compared where we were with what Basilisk presented. Thus far, we were still in the lead, but I had to admit that it wasn¡¯t by as wide a margin as I¡¯d expected. Carefully I accessed the mainframe of The Wendigo, my strangely life-like digital self writhing and burrowing through code in ways that basic firewalls and anti-spyware protocols couldn¡¯t hope to detect, let alone deflect. Disappointingly, the only information presented here was based upon what the Destroyer itself was carrying. I blinked at the information, bewildered for a moment as I realized that the six spherical turrets that bulged from the upper deck and pointed down into the water were anything but mundane. ¡®They have plasma guns,¡¯ I shook my head, curiosity driving my attention through many cameras, electronic eyes settling on other ships. Two others of the Leviathan Brigade hosted the guns, but outside of them it appeared that no two fleets used the same template. Only the basic skeleton of the Destroyers seemed to be shared. Only three other fleets, albeit quite large, were docked in the bay, and none were the same, save for a disproportionate number of Destroyers. I dragged my awareness back to my center, feeling the data streaming to me abruptly cut off as I allowed my tendrils of thought to disconnect. Diving any deeper would feel disingenuous to me, considering that I was diving into what most would consider to be military secrets and the assets of Basilisk therein. Still, it gave me some ideas of my own. Terry was, admittedly, a fairly driving force in our labs, and his passions reminded me strongly of Patrick. I feel they would have gotten along quite well. The problem was that Terry was as fallible as anyone else, had his own interests that guided him. As did Dr. Ross, or Yaga, and the many myriad of scientists that worked in the labs. We¡¯d more or less given them free license to do as they pleased so long as it wasn¡¯t in any way a risk to others in the lab. While that lent to a very wide and unique base of technologies, few things received the attention that they truly deserved. That would need to change in the future, if we were to maintain our lead on organizations like Basilisk. Dragging the database up to the forefront of my mind, I rested my attention on the bulk of the information. There was a lot here, enough that I felt that parsing through the volumes of data would give an experienced team a headache to sort through. I, however, had the full advantage of a mechanized brain. And all the motivation of a bored insomniac. Wolvey stirred in my subconscious, ¡®Do We need to assist?¡¯ Wolvey asked with raw, hopeful excitement. I grinned ¡®Rouse the Determinator A.I.¡¯s, we¡¯re going to see what we can make out of this mess.¡¯ Gleefully, I felt Wolvey dredge the connections to the Determinator¡¯s forth. The Dauntless shared storage space with the newly advanced Determinators, my robotic strike force more akin to my own limbs than as separate entities. Their awareness¡¯ surged forth, active and even somewhat excited, as dull as their burgeoning persona¡¯s were. Wolvey had been hard at work augmenting them, expanding their capabilities, carefully and painstakingly reimagining the systems and truly weaving a masterpiece. What was once only 32 had grown to a hefty 64 at Wolvey¡¯s careful cultivation and construction. The digital space I found myself in nearly buzzed with the latent energy of the many minds. I sent a pulse outwards from my own form, as indistinct as their own, and all at once the Determinator¡¯s were at attention, silently awaiting command. Albeit, they still jittered energetically from time to time. We didn¡¯t need words, connections extending from me to each of them, of which they readily took up the contact. The handshake complete, each set ran test streams of information to me, which I analyzed, sent back, and then notified them of what our objective here was. Eagerly the minds took off, and I settled in, taking in streams of information. Wolvey helped to sort the data as it came to me, compacting them to digestible chunks that I then swept through. Even as the information trickled, I began sending data packets back. Each pack consisted of experiments that I wanted parsed for more information, and to be assessed. This was in part a test of the Determinator¡¯s own mental capabilities, and so I sorted them into groups of four. Minutes later, I received more batches of information, the result slightly disappointing, but not unexpected. They were uncertain as to what might catch my attention, and couldn¡¯t, I suspect, decide what would be good in time. That they lacked imagination was more the fault of myself and Wolvey. Given enough time, and some teaching, they¡¯d be capable of a great deal more than this. I took a moment to reflect that my own scope of attention tended to be focused. Having a one track mind wasn¡¯t always a bad thing, but it seemed that this was one of those times. With a mental sigh, I also realized that I readily fell back on the easy option too frequently. Like anything else, if I wanted to get results, I had to put in real effort. Granted, Wolvey had done wonders on the basic stuff, but the finer points would be mine to create. With a direction in mind I gave them more questions, pushing them, and took note of the experiments that I would have more effort directed to later, and which ones would be left to the devices of the experimenter¡¯s when they had free time. No one was infallible, least of all me, so I would make sure that even the less immediately impressive ideas and projects would still be supported. This effectively occupied my time, and I found I had to stop myself as the sun came up. We would be finally underway to the Red Zone. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the ships gradually pulled away from port, I found myself greeting the waters with some unease. This was new territory, the Legion far and away from its element out here. I stood on the railing, gazing out at the sparkling waters, several of the other Legion teams moving about above deck, stretching their legs. Some clutched the railing, having a slight bout of sea-sickness. The medic aboard had given them medicine to help, but it would take a bit to kick in. Daniel was one such individual, skin paling as he moaned, Fran beside him but careful not to touch him. She wore a mildly amused expression, ¡°Well, I have to say I didn¡¯t imagine that you¡¯d be the one to get sea-sick.¡± Alice, also, had been sea-sick. She lay hunched against the lower bars, exhausted from a whole five minutes of having purged her innards. Richard sat next to her, supporting her against him and nursing her with a bottle of water. She looked like she was beginning to rebound now. Out of the new-bloods, I found only Eric was remotely affected, and while he appeared a little greener around the gills, the man was holding up well enough. Domino had insisted that they all take the medicine far before they¡¯d even embarked, and his advice had held up solidly for those that had. ¡°Quite the view,¡± I watched the sea sparkling like fire as the sun climbed higher, ¡°I¡¯ve never been out at sea before.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°I never get tired of it,¡± I heard Adira say behind me, surprising me. Her team was with her, this time, and quickly made small talk with others. ¡°How''s the arm holding up?¡± I pulled up the sleeve, unmarred and held it out to her, ¡°Good as new, thankfully.¡± She took it as an invitation to inspect my arm, stepping in closely and marveling at the lack of any blemish, ¡°Damn. That¡¯s handy.¡± Around us a lul in the conversations occurred as our respective teams eyed us mischievously. She took a slight step away, shooting a dirty look at her people, while I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes. Daniel didn¡¯t miss the opportunity to grin wider, though his expression was hampered by a discomfort that I no longer pitied him for. ¡°It does have its perks,¡± I leaned against the railing next to her, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I float, though.¡± She let out a short chuckle, ¡°Maybe not the best thing to realize out here.¡± I shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d say to get me a lifejacket, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d drag it down anyways.¡± ¡°He does look rather solid, don¡¯t he? Might be like a cinder block, out here.¡± The man I recognized as Lou spoke, the data specialist and operator of Adira¡¯s crew said as he heard me. Nana Pain, the older woman of her crew, gave me a conciliatory look, ¡°Lou here talks before he thinks. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be fine.¡± Richard spoke up then, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯d sink like a stone. Matthew weighs a lot.¡± There was a brief silence that Domino broke, ¡°Wait, how much do you weigh?¡± I gave a small smirk, ¡°I haven¡¯t checked lately.¡± Lou, Domino, Eric, and Harold exchanged looks, ¡°Think we could lift him?¡± Rachel Scotch, the Wolfmother of the greenhorns, set a withering glare on her pseudo-wards. ¡°Nevermind, silly idea,¡± Harold waved the thought off. ¡°Like, five hundred pounds,¡± Daniel called out, ¡°give or take a hundred or two.¡± Fran nodded, ¡°Thereabouts.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem that heavy,¡± Adira commented, ¡°and you don¡¯t sound that heavy when you walk.¡± ¡°Practice,¡± I grimaced, ¡°I practiced moving around as quietly as I could for a long while. I don¡¯t need much sleep, but others do, after all.¡± Conversations carried on for an hour, but eventually we dragged ourselves downstairs for meals and to prepare everything else that we could think of. Then, once the time came, our team settled in for the first shift, deciding that we would have our rigs ready to drop out of the sides of the ship in the event that a Leviathan showed. Out here, in Zone One, most of the Leviathan type biotics tended to be massive jelly-fish like ones, or huge fish. Lethal to smaller vessels, but less effective against Destroyers, these biotics tended to be more of a chore to clear than true threats. We¡¯d long passed the bay, and few if any fishing vessels were out this far. Given the huge explosion in marine life, Basilisk had no issues with food for its citizens. A good thing, considering the land variants seemed to be ravenous, at least as far as our territory was concerned. Why that was, I couldn¡¯t say for certain. We already knew they didn¡¯t need food, necessarily, so it came down to what they actually needed. We still didn¡¯t fully know what that could be, but we had our suspicions. Turning my attention back over to my team, chattering idly in our mechs while being girdled in heavy-duty restraining docks, or cradles. Realistically, the ship¡¯s armaments would be able to handle any low-gen biotic that appeared without any issue, but it would be good to get the Legion some practice. Hence our current situation, nestled in snugly on tracks leading towards bay doors, not dissimilar to bomber¡¯s bay doors. And sure enough, just as we¡¯d been told, the first Leviathan appeared only an hour into deeper waters. The siren preceded the voice, ¡°Gen 1 Bucktooth sighted, making a bee-line to the fleet. All hands to their stations. Repeat, Gen 1 Bucktooth sighted,¡± the practiced voice rose out across the ship. The crew worked with steady tempo, settling into place. The racks just behind our own filled out, just in case we needed a hand. ¡°Alright, Matthew,¡± I heard Adira speak into my comms, ¡°we¡¯re going to drop you all in. I doubt you¡¯ll find this one much trouble, but remember that they are somewhat dangerous if they can swallow you down¡­¡± she paused, ¡°Well, I mean, the mech¡¯s we all use now might not be in any real danger until it goes back down to the depths, but better not to get into bad habits.¡± I snorted, ¡°Yeah, getting swallowed whole is probably a bad habit to have.¡± She chuckled, before becoming serious, ¡°Good luck, guys. And good hunting.¡± The side conversations died as the Legion¡¯s training kicked in, our raison-d''etre before us. I was the second one to drop, the many mech-cradles rotating into position as the side doors opened. The Dauntless was in front of me, the cradle rotating to bring its front to face me even as my cradle began to rotate. From my view feeds, I watched as Daniel whooped, the cradle lurching backwards and dropping him out of the back of the ship, a loud whoosh of water as he smashed through the surface. I watched as the walls of the ship passed me, the tongue extending farther out to ensure we wouldn¡¯t hit the side of the ship on the way down. Then I free-fell, and grinned as my power armor dulled the impact to nothing more than a light slap. Motors spun active, and at once I was away, putting some distance from me and the ship before settling in near The Dauntless. The huge machine, vibrant purple, was harder to see in the murk, and more so if it weren¡¯t for the pulsing luminescence all across the mechs frame. The massive module that we¡¯d installed purred as it churned water, jetting hard with several others, giving even the massive mech impressive mobility in the water. My own modules were a more advanced variety than was on the general market; the Reaper Class pleasantly surprising me once more. Even so, none of our mechs or armors were outfitted in anything less than the best we could get. The Legion paid for it, after all, and I¡¯d ensured no one skimped on their own quality. Though, it did hurt our M.E. stores somewhat, it wasn¡¯t anything we couldn¡¯t recover from. Already, we had farms devoted to securing streams of revenue. Even better, we already had a Leviathan to recoup some more losses from. The Wendigo was the only one that birthed a Legion contingent, something that I¡¯d decided on. We shouldn¡¯t get into the habit of overwhelming numbers, more so anyways than what we were already doing. ¡°Legion, form up on me,¡± I called out, connecting our many voices together. I split us into three teams, eight each. ¡°Fran, you take command of Team Two.¡± I stated, ¡°Domino, you¡¯re with me, you take Command of Team One.¡± Fran accepted without a second thought. Domino, however, seemed surprised that he would be commanding the team I was in. I nodded to him, my mech¡¯s head mirroring the motion. This would be good practice for him, and let him know that I had faith in his abilities. As for team three, ¡°Peter, you copy?¡± A moment later, I watched the Lord-Knight churn water, broad sweeping blades in each hand, shoulder mounted weaponry gleaming in the dull light, ¡°I do, Reaper.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leading Team Three,¡± I stated, knowing that the man was reliable and was surprisingly suited to the dual tactics of his half-team. The Lord-Knight of the Wolf had some of his pack with him, but also tried and true Legionnaires at his back. He utilized their specialities ruthlessly, to the extent that it had begun to seep through into other teams. Heavy frontliners and slightly more fragile, high firepower backliners made for plenty of variability in tactics. ¡°Copy that,¡± he nodded, and then spoke into the dedicated channel for his team. They formed up rapidly around him, as did Fran¡¯s team. Domino assorted us quickly, and headed our charge. ¡°Alright, Team, move up. We¡¯re on intercept.¡± Domino called out, ¡°Team One will act as decoy.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll hit the flanks,¡± Fran answered, receiving an affirmative from Peter as well. In spite of not having practiced together, Domino was more than capable of keeping us on pace, and before long we bore witness to our first ¡®Bucktooth¡¯ Leviathan. ¡°That¡¯s a proper name right there,¡± Harold winced at the sight of the massive fish. It was the size of a blue whale, small for its type judging by the files I had on them. The fish, however, bore broad incisors that protruded from mottled silvery scaly lips. Hence the name, I imagined, and due in no small part to how ugly the fish was in general. Whereas some biotics seemed to have a sort of intent to them, this Leviathan seemed to be a mishmash of qualities. Broad scales of uneven size and shape formed its skin, while its fins seemed to have tried and failed to be weaponized, blade-like ridges on their too short edges. The broad tail was less like a fish, and closer to that of a shark, and was the smoothest part of the blocky, strange creature. Domino moved us out in front of it, and we started by using shaped rounds that could cut through water easier. Thanks to the pseudo-railgun technology that had become commonplace in our weaponry, the slugs still maintained fairly good range even underwater. Few of the shots went wide, and we almost hesitated at the sight of silver blood and a thrashing fish the size of a whale a hundred meters away. ¡°Well, looks like projectile weapons are still on the table,¡± Domino muttered, the biotic redoubling its effort to get to us. Large chunks of scale on the Bucktooth¡¯s face were shattered, but as far as I could tell the injuries weren¡¯t deep enough to cause problems. And, as intended, the fish was wholly focused on us, even as Team Two and Three moved to its flanks. Domino, to his credit, shrugged and fluidly commanded, ¡°Open fire!¡± Our team unloaded on the fish, now only fifty meters away, it¡¯s looming form quickly being punished by the three teams. Team One¡¯s opening salvo tore far deeper into the fish, but even without that, Team Two would have doomed it on its own. The Dauntless had no shortage of armament to deploy, and even only using our rifles and rapid fire weapons, Daniel¡¯s mech doubled Team Two¡¯s offensive abilities. Team Three unloaded on the other side, maintaining only the use of our most plentiful weapons to test the first Leviathan. The results were mixed. The Bucktooth surged forward another ten meters before stilling, momentum carrying it forward as we dispersed. It was clearly dead, the crater in its skull spoke to that. What I found perplexing was how weak the biotic was. ¡°Good job, you guys got your feet wet,¡± Adira stated, not seeming surprised at all and more than capable of detecting us from the Destroyer. Domino shook his head, still in business-mode, ¡°Alright, team, form up and get back to the ship. We¡¯re done here.¡± I could tell I wasn¡¯t the only one disappointed in the fight itself. I¡¯d hoped that, maybe, it was more durable than that. Even the Carrier¡¯s had better armor than the Bucktooth did. When we were being reeled in, I finally asked Adira, ¡°Are those normally so¡­ underwhelming?¡± She laughed, seemingly aware of the feeling, ¡°Yeah, Bucktooth aren¡¯t a problem for anyone but fishers, and even then if they¡¯re solo the trollies can deal with it. The problem is when they¡¯re in shoals. They can come in hundreds, sometimes a few thousand.¡± I blinked at that, looking back out at the ocean and the unseen, whale-sized fish with confusion, ¡°Why is that one solo, then?¡± ¡°It happens, the weakest of them get driven out, or eaten,¡± her voice almost seemed to shrug, ¡°so usually we only deal with the trash mobs. But don¡¯t worry, another hour or two and you¡¯ll get to practice with more of them!¡± ¡°Greeeaat,¡± Richard said sarcastically, ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± Chapter 139 Shell-Shocked A plume of water ten meters high erupted in the water, followed swiftly by a few dozen more. I stared at the sight, the mixture of silvery gobs of tissue and other ichor shimmering in the strong sunlight that poured down over the ocean. ¡°That¡¯s three in one,¡± I heard Daniel comment with an appreciative nod, ¡°The Iron Chariots don¡¯t mess around.¡± ¡°Lilia¡¯s a proponent of explosives solving problems,¡± Richard nodded, ¡°well, when mech¡¯s aren¡¯t enough.¡± Alice sat on top of the railing, legs hooked on the lower bars to keep her secure, ¡°Safe to say that they¡¯re doing pretty-¡± Her words were cut off with another round of explosions that were far larger, a plume of water thirty meters high and twice the range as the last ones went off. ¡°Sorry about that everybody,¡± I heard Lilia¡¯s voice on the comms, ¡°cluster bombs may be a little excessive.¡± Helplessly, I stared at the roiling waters, glad that they were still very far from our formation. ¡°Thanks, Legion, for the show,¡± I heard the speakers on the vessel blare as Adira spoke, ¡°for now, we¡¯re in Zone 2 waters, and we¡¯ll start seeing larger packs. For the time being, we¡¯ll recall all vessels and begin joint operations. Brigade, report to your officers for your orders and to meet up with your attached Legion team. We expect to make contact with Emerald and Orca Brigades by 1800 hours where we¡¯ll resume our Red Zone trek. Finally, Mr. Fischer will take the mic in ten,¡± the general rundown was well appreciated, ¡°that is all, let¡¯s get to it, Leviathan Brigade.¡± Idle conversation rang out as we headed back below decks, joined by several of the standard crew of The Wendigo as we went. Seeing how we handled ourselves allayed much of the crew''s concerns, aware that at the least we wouldn¡¯t be dead-weight. The teams would be shuffled, an equal measure of Legion and Brigade per attack group, something that they readily expressed enthusiasm about. Our quality of weaponry had not gone unnoticed, or unappreciated. Some even bartered with my teams to obtain some of our armaments, something that I¡¯d given the green light on, so long as the team wouldn¡¯t potentially need it. Last Call, for example, had wowed with their nearly railgun weapons. Strauss had demonstrated extremely long range ordnance and utterly destroyed a pack of four Buckteeth before they could get anywhere near close enough. Regrettably, that was a personal weapon of his, and he¡¯d wanted to ensure that it was functioning underwater. He didn¡¯t have extras. What I had stored away, though, I was quite proud of. The Determinators had benefited wildly from my Reaper personal shop, and I was eager to see how they performed in the water. In the meantime, the cargo and drop bay of the ship was bustling with activity. Several teams were working in tandem already, and now officially had been given orders to cooperate. Unsurprisingly, my own team was paired with Adira¡¯s, who sported the smallest team in the fleet. I was informed that, many times, Adira would run solo-missions. That got me curious, especially as I¡¯d realized that I¡¯d never seen her mech, only heard her talk about it. Her team operated with three mechs, one of which was a two-seater of sorts. Each one, however, was ruthlessly efficient in their own way. They also had an operator that stayed far from combat, but fed data and apparently assisted with a great deal of the overhead information and controlled a wide automated drone network. It was such a starkly different way of doing things that I couldn¡¯t help but look forward to seeing what their style was like. My team moved over to our assigned dock, readied up for when our Brigade allies would come back through. I cast a wary glance up at The Dauntless, seeing it secured in a newly modified cradle. When we¡¯d tried to pull the damned thing back into the ship earlier the last cradle bent from the strain. And, when it was back on the ship, the new cradle¡¯s locking mechanism wouldn¡¯t open. Luckily the crew had a small number of much larger braces, usually used for abnormally sized cargo, but with a few tweaks and some engineering acrobatics, that were able to serve as a new cradle for the mech. Still, The Dauntless was quickly accruing a reputation for misfortune around it, much to Daniel¡¯s chagrin. I myself didn¡¯t weigh in on the defense, considering the accident with the crane yesterday. Amusingly enough, the sailors stayed well away from it whenever possible thanks to that quickly accruing reputation, making the mech look even more foreboding. Daniel simply scoffed at the behavior, and as of yet hadn¡¯t had a single problem with the mech. If anything, he and Fran seemed to be uniquely immune to the odd things happening around it. I, personally, was beginning to wonder - in good fun of course - if the thing was haunted somehow. ¡°Hey guys!¡± Adira¡¯s voice broke me from my thoughts as the white-haired woman waved to us. Our eyes met and I smiled genuinely, ¡°Good to see you.¡± ¡°So, looks like we¡¯re going to be working together,¡± I heard Lou Cornell speak up as he and the other three members of their team arrived from the crawler near us. ¡°Lou Cornell, in case anyone forgot. I know I do, I¡¯m crap with names.¡± He was shorter than me and was thin, but not what I could call scrawny. Rusty-reddish hair and half-rimmed glasses rested on a narrow nose and face, complimenting a very subtle look, a light beard framing his face with finely trimmed lines. His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, comfortable but professional looking clothing not dissimilar to an office worker adorned his body, save for the heavy duty boots he wore. The man gave an air of quiet competence with a side of subtle shyness, but didn¡¯t veer away from social contact in spite of that. ¡°Same, I¡¯m awful with names. Terry, by the way,¡± Terry introduced himself, ¡°I heard you¡¯re something of the information specialist on your team?¡± The man nodded, his smile still a little wary as he looked us over, ¡°Something like that? I handle a few things here and there.¡± A taller woman, taller than me, gave the man a playful slap on the back, ¡°don¡¯t listen to him play it down. He¡¯s a damn good forecaster in a fight.¡± Said the woman. Her blonde hair was long and free flowing, curls bouncing on the right half of her head. The left, however, was completely shaven, given that there were several scars along the top of her head, I imagined that acid or fire was responsible. She wore a skin-tight shirt over a lean frame, sleeves cut off, whereas her pants were baggy, giving plenty of free mobility and comfort. ¡°Joanna Swain,¡± she nodded to us, settling her gaze on me for a half second longer appraisingly, ¡°Glad to have people who know how to fight. My man here was afraid you¡¯d all be bark and no bite,¡± she poked the shorter man in the ribs, leaning on his shoulder.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Behind her, Zack Manson, a stocky, very well built man chuckled, ¡°Lou didn¡¯t mean nothin¡¯ by it, ¡®course.¡± He walked forward, ¡°Official greetin¡¯s and all, m¡¯name is Zack Manson,¡± a thick southern drawl rolling forth from his tongue, not unlike what I¡¯d imagine a bayou accent to sound like. He shook the hand of each team member vigorously and warmly meeting each set of eyes, commenting here and there with a quick compliment before standing next to me, rather than returning with the rest of his own team, ¡°I get the feelin¡¯ we¡¯re all gonna get along just fine.¡± ¡°Joanna here¡¯s my rider,¡± he gestured back to the tall blonde, her features catching a slight bit, the friendly smile on her face freezing rigidly in the wake of the ambiguous statement. Joanna turned to glare at the man, ¡°he means gunner.¡± ¡°Ye, innit what I said?¡± The man turned an innocent gaze to her and back to us, ¡°she blows things, I move.¡± Joanna cracked her knuckles loudly and Zack didn¡¯t miss a beat to continue talking, ¡°Err, I pilot our mech, an¡¯ she shoots shit.¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the amused smirk off of my face, even as Adira gave a long-suffering expression. Meanwhile Daniel¡¯s laughter echoed through the bay. ¡°Matthew Reaper,¡± I greeted them officially, though at this rate most of us were likely known, ¡°pleasure to meet all of you.¡± ¡°Richard Norden,¡± said Richard in a lax tone, then added with a bemused smirk, ¡°also called ¡®Adder¡¯.¡± Alice¡¯s chipper introduction felt even more extreme in the wake of Richard¡¯s, ¡°Alice DeLeone!¡± ¡°Fran Delia. I¡¯m something of a co-field commander for Matthew,¡± she nodded, ¡°I look forward to working together.¡± Daniel, subtly ignored while he was recovering from his bout of laughter, straightened and wheezed out, ¡°Daniel Drake, heavy mech operator and ¡®shoot it until it¡¯s dead¡¯ specialist. Digging the mechs, by the way.¡± Terry shot a meaningful glance to Domino, given that our resident tesla-specialist had already introduced himself. Domino smiled, a professional and steady expression that belied his confident nature, ¡°Domino, new blood, so to speak. Glad you have us aboard.¡± ¡°Jessica Allen, Domino¡¯s right-hand girl,¡± she gave him an elbow nudge, ¡°also a really bad ass melee specialist, if I do say so myself.¡± Covina shook her head ruefully, her cyan blue dyed hair bobbing with the motion, ¡°Covina Espada.¡± She kept it simple. Eric beamed, ¡°Names Eric Pallon, mech fighter enthusiast!¡± ¡°Venezuela Benjamin, sniper,¡± the dark haired woman gave a light, playful bow with a faint smile on her face. Harold studied the team even as it came to his turn for introductions, ¡°Harold Oatman, explosives expert. I¡¯m also something of the teams cynica-¡± ¡°Rachel Scotch,¡± the older woman cut into Harold''s monologue before he could begin, ¡°something of the wolfmother for these ones here.¡± She gestured wide, especially so for Harold who seemed caught between annoyed and grateful for her cutting him off. A quiet, meek voice came last, ¡°E-Emma Verona. I¡¯m a magneticist, like Fran. Well, I¡¯m learning, anyways.¡± Lou seemed to have a faraway look on his face as he processed our introductions before he smiled sheepishly, ¡°Yeah, again, sorry if I have to ask people¡¯s names. I¡¯ll do my best, though.¡± To which we laughed, though from his expression I could firmly tell he was not at all joking. Introductions and jokes aside, we moved into the Ogre, given that there was a bit more space available than in the Crawler. After making more small talk, we got down to the meat of what working together would mean. At least, we started to, before Nana Pain arrived with a few cooks in tow, containers of food being distributed to everyone in spite of Adira¡¯s perplexed expression. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how you get that old man to let you take food out of the cafeteria.¡± Lou shook his head, ¡°The man¡¯s a statue whenever I ask.¡± ¡°Ah, we go way back. Knew him when he was a babe, really, even babysat him. I know everything there is to know about him, and frankly-¡± Nana Pain chuckled, ¡°-I got that man by the balls.¡± Richard, in the middle of drinking water, choked and laughed at the same time before managing to calm down, but Nana Pain seemed gratified by the heartiness of the gathering. When we pulled our attention back to tactics and our plans as a group, I was pleased to find that we were meshing quite well. ¡°So, you¡¯ve got two magneticists, four mechs, one of which I¡¯m just going to count as a superheavy mech -¡± Lou shot a glance to Daniel and nodded, ¡°- and¡­ Lets just sum this all up, we¡¯ve got six mechs when we count Adira, Nana, Joanna and Zac, Daniel, Eric, and Terry. Then we¡¯ve got Matthew, Fran, Alice, Richard, Domino, Jessica, Covina, Venezuela, Harold, Rachel, and Emma, making up a whopping eleven power armors,¡± he tapped the arm of the chair he sat in thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯re not counting yourself?¡± Adira tilted her head, ¡°it¡¯s not like you¡¯re not helpful.¡± He waved a dismissal, ¡°I¡¯m not direct combat, and I certainly won¡¯t need to be with this abundance of manpower. We¡¯re more than doubling our effective mech power, and I¡¯ve never really worked with power armor in our team. Judging from what I¡¯ve seen, though, I think it¡¯ll strengthen our tactical options.¡± ¡°Do your people not use power armor?¡± I asked, perplexed at the thought, ¡°or is it mostly mechs?¡± He had a moment of consideration before answering, ¡°Most people use mechs, yes. Though, I think it¡¯s more due to need here than anything else. Technology has focused on mechs that are capable of handling deep sea pressure. Power armor probably could get to that point, too, and all of yours certainly seems to have, but for us it would have been a heavier investment with little return early on.¡± He gave a carefully considered answer. And then shrugged, ¡°At least, that¡¯s what is most likely. Could be that I¡¯m full of it and people just really like mechs.¡± ¡°Could be,¡± Joanna shrugged too, ¡°we¡¯ve been engineering for a while to be capable of handling depth, but it doesn¡¯t look like your armor¡¯s are too far behind. I don¡¯t expect you to hit the bottom, however. Luckily that¡¯s not a problem this time around.¡± We talked about the particulars until we decided that the bulk of our strategy was fairly straightforward. The power armor¡¯s would serve as distractions and hit flanks, while the mechs would be the vanguard. In another sense, the mechs were the anvil to the power armor¡¯s hammer; we would sweep in from the flanks or even behind biotics if we were careful. Another strategy we would employ was simply keep-away, the armor¡¯s running interference while the mechs pummeled them from afar. On the more dangerous biotics, however, we were instructed that our tactics would have to be a great deal more fluid, and Lou insisted that at such a point we would need to be mindful of the information he gave us. None of us had an issue with that, though we¡¯d have to see how well we¡¯d fare when the time came. No sooner than we¡¯d finished that thought did I notice that the ship was vibrating. Perplexed, I asked, ¡°So, why is the ship vibrating so much, anyways?¡± Adira beamed enthusiastically, ¡°You wanna go see?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile back, though I did notice how her team sighed heavily in response, to which she affixed them with a glare. ¡°Alright, let''s go topside. Mr. Fischer¡¯s probably done warming up the speakers by now.¡± She bounded out the door, and we followed shortly, moving towards the elevator. Only then did I notice that there was a distinctive pattern to the vibrations, one that rapidly began to become more familiar. ¡°Is that music?¡± I frowned. ¡°Is that dubstep?¡± Domino blinked in disbelief. Adira¡¯s smile only grew wider, ¡°c¡¯mon, it¡¯s better if you see it yourself.¡± Chapter 140 Drop the Bass As we emerged from the depths of the cargo hold, I could feel the ship vibrate with the beat of the music. Stereo¡¯s that I hadn¡¯t noticed, streamlined and subtle, cast the noise out far and wide, roughly every third of the ship, and struck me with a sense of dissonance as they didn¡¯t match with what I had come to expect from a ship of naval warfare. The most potent source, however, came from above us. Clearly visible on the communications stack that rested atop the command deck was a DJ¡¯s platform - for lack of any other way to explain it - sheltered from the sun and somewhat the wind. I noticed a man, Mr. Fischer, working a turntable and a few computers even from here. A dozen wires sprouted and coiled tightly around the tower, almost giving the impression that the little shack was the head of some serpent. It took several long seconds for my brain to really begin to process the scene, accompanied with the noise and strobing lights that wouldn¡¯t be out of place at a rave. Comprehension, however, did eventually settle in, though not without a certain measure of surprise. ¡°Is there a reason why this is going on?¡± My perplexedness clear in my voice as I turned to Adira, ¡°Not that I find it annoying or anything, just very¡­ unusual.¡± The others of my team seemed to agree, although I did notice how Domino¡¯s foot was tapping to the beat good naturedly. Adira laughed, ¡°Fischer came up with the idea. He wanted to test and see if we could force Leviathan to aggro on us on our terms, fishing, if you will. It turns out that almost every single kind of Leviathan hates loud noise, bright lights, and intense bass-¡± at which the dubstep did indeed drop the bass, shuddering the entire ship with the force of the speakers undoubtedly hidden below the waterline, ¡°-. C¡¯mon, there¡¯s an observation room downstairs. We won¡¯t be deploying any teams since we won¡¯t need too just yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t see what¡¯s going on below the waterline.¡± At that we followed her, the air fresh with the salty spray of the ocean and the afternoon sun beaming overhead. The moment we were back inside, the noise dulled, playing much quieter to prevent it from interfering with anyone''s work. Instead of ascending the many flights of stairs to the command deck, Adira brought us downward, well below the cargo bay. We only stopped when there were no more stairs to take, and Adira excitedly led us straight down the hull. Pushing open a heavy steel door, we were led into a dimly lit, comfortable looking room with several couches and even some simple beds that folded up into the walls along the sides. Consoles and screens adorned many of the walls, and some of the furnishings had mounted screens that lowered from the ceiling on flexible arms. However, the most imminent of details in this room was the fact that the forward, concave wall was actually the hull of the ship. Only, it was clear like glass, able to be seen through into the shimmering waters and darkness below. Bands of this see-through material lined the floor as well, letting us see into the deep sea beneath our feet. ¡°This is the break room for anyone on shift.¡± Adira answered the unspoken question, gesturing to the bar and small kitchen attached, ¡°This was a pet project of an old friend of mine, and we ended up finishing it. As you can see, the lightshow outside is particularly awesome.¡± At which point she gestured to clusters of drones that were strobing lights outside, diving down deeper and deeper, casting a most certainly chaotic, near ethereal lightshow into the black. She plopped herself on a wide armed sofa, sinking in slightly with a light ¡®whumpf¡¯ as she did so. Still amazed, I sat myself down next to her, even as everyone claimed their own ¡®station,¡¯ though Domino helped himself to the small kitchen storage on the side, celebrating at the sight of various drinks. Adira gestured to the air in front of her, and a portion of the ¡®glass¡¯ in front of us began to seemingly flex with holographic light, following the specifics of the drones onboard cameras as they dove deeper. Effort had been made to ensure that this space didn¡¯t look too austere, and somehow managed to feel comfortable and homely. Returning my attention back to the holographic screen showed weighted drones sinking and drifting away from the main hull, flashing with bright lights and connected by long wires. Distractedly I caught a drink that Domino tossed in a wide arc to me, leaving it untouched as the drones continued to stream light, strobing and matching the tone and beat of the DJ high above. Adira, grinning, caught my look, ¡°What do you think? Pretty cool, eh?¡± I turned to her, ¡°Very much so, I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but a light show definitely wasn¡¯t it.¡± With a chuckle I settled in, forcing myself to relax and take the scene in. As a few minutes dragged on, the room quickly filled with small talk. I didn¡¯t want to think of this mission as any kind of vacation, but this voyage had thus far given me a surge of downtime in-between action. It was hard to realize that I didn¡¯t really remember how to relax, but the company I kept helped immensely in figuring out how best to calm myself. When the sound system gave two jarring beeps, though, our conversations petered out. ¡°Here we go,¡± Nana Pain chuckled, ¡°Boys and girls, you¡¯re gonna see a real big fish.¡± I blinked at that, unreservedly leaning forward, even as Adira chuckled at my interest. The many drones, flickering light and playing music loudly underwater, thrummed in the depths several hundreds of meters away from the ship. Out of the darkness of the depths, I saw a massive form loom forth. It seemed slow, by virtue of its massive size, and almost cautious. The creature was unlike what I¡¯d expected, a dark, slate gray hide and main body resembling a vase, long trailing tendrils sprouting from a gaping mouth atop the thing, easily ten meters in width on its own. ¡°Potter,¡± Lou winced, ¡°These ones creep me out bad.¡± ¡°Seconded,¡± Fran stared in fascinated horror at the creature, ¡°Does it try to swallow prey whole?¡± ¡°I bet it could. That thing¡¯s mouth is huge, the hell is with that size.¡± Daniel held his drink close, watching warily for how the benign moved. Boneless feelers around its mouth twirled around, thirty meters and more in length, equal to the rest of its body at the shortest. The girth of the creature swelled as its tentacles started to flick erratically in the direction of the drone, still a hundred meters away. ¡°Who¡¯s running drones, today?¡± Adira asked, a mild note of seriousness to her voice. ¡°Dominique,¡± Lou answered without missing a beat. ¡°Good, then maybe we won¡¯t lose it.¡± She glared at the thing. I wanted to take the moment to ask why, but I felt taking my eyes off of the scene right now would be a mistake. I turned out to be very right. Instead of sucking in all at once, the vase had swollen to the extent that it looked almost more like a beach ball. However, it rapidly compressed in the span of a second, blasting out a huge plume of writhing mass.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Ew,¡± Alice shivered, ¡°Oh, ew, ew, that¡¯s disgusting!¡± I didn¡¯t blame her at all, and instinctively tightened my own guts at the sight. Quite in fact, out of the corner of my eye, I saw most people in the room go a shade paler at the sight, the only ones not as affected being Adira¡¯s team. And even they seemed disdainful of the sight. Considering that the so-called Potter just fired streaming trails of its own organs, still attached on the inside of its body, a hundred and fifty meters forward, I had to admit that I¡¯d probably just found the most repulsive biotic I¡¯d ever not wanted to meet. The drone, however, began moving rapidly before the biotic could perform its own maneuver, flashing lights becoming even more erratic, and I could have sworn I heard Mr. Fischer howl with the music. The Potter shivered and quaked, fanged and toothed organs quivering and flexing, grasping out for any target. It must have realized the Drone was escaping, though, because instead it sucked the mass back into its body with another explosive retraction. ¡°I never thought I could feel ill again.¡± I stated dryly as I sat back and cast an eye to Adira, ¡°How common are those?¡± ¡°Potters? They¡¯re not. Thankfully.¡± She made a grimace, ¡°They¡¯re usually eaten by the other Leviathan¡¯s, but even without that they tended to have their hives closer to the upper shelf. We killed most of them. Mostly because they¡¯re¡­ well, hideous.¡± I nodded, watching as rippling fins and small ventricles pushed it through the water, higher and higher in chase of the Drone. The Wendigo¡¯s little helpers, however, were far from slow, and their streamlined bodies gave plenty of distance between the pursuer. And then, I felt the ship vibrate for just a half second, two cannons firing off the sides of The Wendigo¡¯s hull. The trail was marked with a plume of superheated water, steam and bubbles erupting from the projectiles. The biotic itself was no better, half of its body literally exploding underwater in a swell of heat and expanding gasses. ¡°Plasma, baby!¡± Zack crowed, ¡°That never gets old!¡± I blinked at the sight, realizing that the bulky, spherical turrets that leaned off the sides of The Wendigo were all plasma guns doing wonders for my assessment of the vessel. With something like this - even if we couldn¡¯t shrink it - we¡¯d be able to tackle hordes of biotics easily. I could already imagine mounting such weapons on city walls, effectively decimating powerful and weak chaff organisms alike. ¡°That was incredibly potent,¡± I grinned enthusiastically, gears racing in my head already on whether we could persuade the Brigade to share the technology with us. Adira grinned, ¡°Right? We¡¯ll send you guys some schematics later. I¡¯ll warn you, though, the energy costs are damned high.¡± ¡°I-¡± words started on my lips before ceasing. She smiled, and for a moment I was caught wanting to ask what she wanted in return. Instead, I felt that bargaining, bordering on political fuckery, wasn¡¯t the right choice here. ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled, ¡°We¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything we can help you guys out with.¡± Even with my personal feelings, being that I actually liked Adira as a person, aside, this was what I wanted: a genuine friendship between the Legion and Basilisk. Benefits and goals that were strictly self-serving would only go so far; our old world was based too much on such selfishness. Furthemore, having stalwart and capable allies in the fight against biotics wasn¡¯t something that I counted in any sense as a loss. I turned my eyes back to the screen, catching movement on the camera. ¡°Crap,¡± Adira tensed at what I saw, her smile wiped away and replaced by a frown. Her eyes seemed to become distant, ¡°Captain Reigner, do we have a crew available for the new contact?¡± Eyes back on the screen I watched as a hulking body of dense, bony plating reached forward with snapping claws, clasping onto the corpse in front of it. The Potter was being torn to manageable chunks by unfurling mandibles at the front of the creature, shoving them unceremoniously deeper into a mouth I couldn¡¯t see. Four claws half the size of the Potter flexed, clenched the biotic tissue tightly as it manipulated it. Constantly undulating armor plates flexed along the long, scorpion-like body, keeping the massive creature afloat. It was easily eighty meters long from the head to the tail. I saw no eyes on the thing, but an array of spiney, searching spikes waved in front of it, likely its means to see the world. It also reminded me of a pistol shrimp in some aspects with its bulky claws. I didn¡¯t want to imagine what that would be like underwater, scaled up to this size, but it seemed reality didn¡¯t give a damn about what I wanted. ¡°What the fuck is that!?¡± Daniel looked at the creature in shock and disbelief. ¡°Titano Shrimp,¡± Lou answered Daniel, ¡°Large, fairly quick, and more than capable of tearing an unaugmented Destroyer open with a click of its claws-¡± he turned his gaze to me then, ¡°-they¡¯re why we run with fleets as a rule.¡± Nana Pain waved him off, seeing the tension in the room spiking ¡°He¡¯s being dramatic.¡± She said, seeing Domino and his friends ease up a bit, ¡°They make us run with two or three at a time, but it ain¡¯t these critters that made us run with fleets.¡± I snorted a laugh as the others tensed again, and she let out whooping laughter, ¡°Y¡¯all need to relax like your man here!¡± Her broad toothed smile betrayed her amusement as she lifted a drink in her hand, to which I did the same, followed quickly by her own crew. ¡°Don¡¯t worry none, we¡¯ve been kickin¡¯ ass in this region plenty,¡± Zack chuckled heartily, ¡°Adira¡¯ll let us know if there¡¯s trouble.¡± At that moment, Adira sagged back into her seat with a long sigh, ¡°The Black Sail is gonna take this one.¡± ¡°See? That¡¯s their favorite anyways.¡± Zack shrugged, clinking his glass with Joanna¡¯s. Daniel nodded, giving a wry smile to Fran who, in spite of being somewhat unsettled with the even more alien organisms we were seeing, gave their own little cheer. The others settled, as well, though I could certainly sympathize with their discomfort. The Legion wasn¡¯t so far out of our depth - or comfort zone - that we would be overly shaken by the sights here. I leaned back, and turned my attention to Adira, realizing that she still seemed perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡± She looked surprised, turning to look at me, even as Cocoa shuffled to be more comfortable around her neck. With a sigh, she said, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be seeing Titano Shrimp out here. That¡¯s supposed to be the edge of the Red Zone.¡± I nodded and considered the statement. There were a few things that could mean, the most wishful of which being that it was merely bad luck or a coincidence that this biotic happened out to this area. But, the next and more worrisome option¡­ ¡°You¡¯re worried something¡¯s changed in the Red Zone? Maybe something worse having moved in?¡± I asked, noting the way her facial features tightened slightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Terry and Domino exchange wary glances at my line of thinking. ¡°God damnit,¡± I heard Terry sigh, ¡°Can we not have an easy mission? I mean, I¡¯ve got a beer in my hands, for crying out loud!¡± ¡°Welp, the Legion literally says nothing about drinking on the job,¡± Domino pointed out, ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m gonna go get some more beers, who else wants one?¡± Several ¡®yesses¡¯ in all their varieties sounded out at that. Adira was quiet for a moment longer, but a grin began to sprout on her face at our antics, though not all of the seriousness had quite left her eyes. Half a moment later she took in a deep stabilizing breath, let out an over dramatic sigh, and against all expectations adopted her best pirate accent and declared, ¡°Drink up, me hearties, yo-ho!¡± Not a heartbeat later Joanna spewed her drink right at Zack with the force of her raucous laughter, his face going from shock, to amusement, and back to shock. I had to admit, the Brigade had wowed me a number of times already, but I felt that I¡¯d look back on this moment with no small amount of amusement, a long time from now. Chapter 141 Underwater A fraction of the building''s drunkenness faded as we watched the Titano Shrimp far below. The biotic lit up under the blast wave of a dozen explosives in moments, filling the sea with a roiling field of bubbles and charred blackness. Flashes of heat and light flared that the oppressive dark of the deeper ocean couldn¡¯t steal away. I could see the shape of the biotic whirl in place, tail over head in shock and confusion. Deep fissures in the creature''s carapace told me that much damage had been done to it. A handful of mechs swam rapidly around, never staying in one place for too long. I also noticed rapidly that they never strayed in front of the Titano Shrimp. When the biotic clicked its claws together, I could hear it from here, every bit as loud as the depth charges that had harmed its carapace. Surges of water were visible only by the virtue of the shards of metal and residue of the explosives, rolling as the unseen pressure wave passed through the materials. I didn¡¯t know the range of the attack, but I had no doubt that such a strike would probably burst open any basic power armor like an overripe tomato. I watched carefully as the team kept two mechs harrying its sides, while another three latched onto its back near the head. At that point, there seemed to be nothing that the Titano Shrimp could do, and I¡¯d expected the fight to be over swiftly. Instead, it began twisting and shaking violently, forcing the three mechs to hold on desperately, wedging what appeared to be hooks in the breaks of the carapace. It was difficult to see anything beyond that, and I stared with acute focus at the scene that played out below us, watching from the many viewpoints available. And then, all at once, the mechs were thrown free rapidly, curled in on themselves. I grit my teeth, wondering if something had gone wrong, fractionally rising from my seat as I did so. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re fine,¡± Adira assured me, mildly warm in the cheeks from drinking, ¡°all part of the plan. Probably¡± I arched a brow at that, but sat back down and resumed my observations, just in time to witness the results of their attack. The Titano Shrimp kept thrashing around, unaware yet that it no longer had passengers. Every mech around it gave extra distance, and for good reason. Three explosions resounded, muffled by the flesh of the shrimp, resounded in the water. For a few seconds nothing else made a sound, the sundered body of the creature far below suddenly very still, aside from a few erratic death rattles that twitched its limbs. ¡°Aaaand that¡¯s how we kill Titano Shrimp,¡± Adira grinned, ¡°That¡¯s pretty much the gist of it.¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± I said honestly, ¡°I¡¯d expected that might have given you guys more trouble than it did.¡± ¡°At first they were,¡± Joanna spoke up, still nursing her second beer and not much affected by it in the first place, ¡°but we figured out a few tricks to deal with it. Unfortunately, they aren¡¯t the worst that¡¯s out here.¡± ¡°What is the worst out here?¡± Richard - surprisingly more of a lightweight than I¡¯d expected - enunciated very carefully, only three bottles in and yet feeling the effects of his drinking, ¡°These ones have been dangerous, yeah, but nothing too bad.¡± Zack chuckled darkly, four drinks in, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t ye worry, we¡¯ll be runnin¡¯ across some of them soon. Personally, Gaper Squid get my vote for the worst, though.¡± ¡°No, Black Sharks are the worst.¡± Nana Pain shook her head ruefully, having not touched her drink at all, ¡°Those bastards are ugly, dangerous, and stealthy.¡± Joanna and Lou exchanged glances before wordlessly coming to a conclusion, ¡°Blood Anemone, you never only fight just that.¡± The others, save for Adira, each chipped in what they disliked, and then began detailing them. Some I expected just based off of their names, but none of them were simple. Gaper Squid bore twenty tentacles with four longer reaching arms, barbed with countless hooks, capable of piercing metal with powerful muscles. The part about a Gaper Squid that really complicated things was the fact that they bore interlocked chitin plating and their main body could expand. They had no beak, but considering they could open and engulf something almost ten times their size in a grinding, steel shredding maw, they had no need for one. Black Sharks were what you might expect of a shark if its head was a blender, and it was the size of a whale. They also had another bizarre adaptation, being two bony ridges that resembled sawblades down their sides. For some reason, they were hard to detect, even aside from the obvious fact that they were black. Sonar didn¡¯t seem to pick them up very well, nor did thermal imagery. The upside was that their inky, rubbery black hides weren¡¯t as durable as chitin, though it was still sturdier than regular flesh should have been. Finally, Blood Anemone were a slow moving, massive colony type of biotic, easily the largest that had yet been seen. They seemed more similar to a Man-o¡¯-War in that it appeared to be a colony based creature with extreme specialization. A Blood Anemone raft, however, did not float on the surface, but actively moved through the ocean in a diamond formation, trailing thick appendages that were apparently loaded with an extremely potent acid and toxic bath. More than that, when they were under attack they released huge quantities of what looked like red blood in the water, obscuring vision and attracting every biotic for kilometers around. Combined with the literal harpoons that the Blood Anemone used to attack at a range, they were more dangerous than most of the Leviathan that appeared both before and within the Red Zone. They spoke at length of a great variety of other things, monsters that fit the abyss of the deep sea well. It was almost funny, biotics may have cranked up the danger factor, but our oceans had always been strange, alien places the further down you went. We sat and chatted, idly watching as the team below dealt with the approaching creatures. The plasma weapon was one that was employed every now and then, but it seemed the team below took on a few of the biotics from time to time. There was no special reason as to why the ship hadn¡¯t dealt with all of them itself, just that the team was on duty and was practicing. ¡°They¡¯re a newer team, but they¡¯ve already been together for a few weeks,¡± Adira shrugged as I asked about them. ¡°We also don¡¯t like using plasma guns if we don¡¯t have to, but we¡¯re live-fire testing them to be sure everything checks out.¡± I nodded in understanding, ¡°Makes sense. I¡¯d sure as hell not want one of those malfunctioning when it¡¯s needed.¡± Adira shook her head, ¡°I mean, they¡¯re really stable. It¡¯s funny, but they¡¯re actually safer in use than conventional weapons. I mean, so long as the magnetic containment fields don¡¯t all fail at once-¡± she made a dismissive gesture with her hand at that, ¡°-but there are a half dozen safeguards against that happening. We¡¯d sooner see the whole damn turret fall off the ship than explode.¡± Below, another round of explosions and the maddened chittering of a very long, narrow serpent resounded, a Stripe Eel. It looked like it had hundreds of fine fins beneath its body, scrabbling in an almost angry fashion as it attempted to catch any of the mechs. It would have been comical, if not for the fact that it¡¯s head was the size of a fishing barge and kept opening at a 200* angle, a wall of curved fangs extending from its mouth. ¡°Man, these things are fucked up.¡± Daniel commented with clear disdain, ¡°Why can¡¯t we fight any biotics that don¡¯t look like this anymore? I almost miss the Wolves.¡± ¡°I wish there was a way to make these things edible.¡± Terry said as he looked down at the massive fish. A heavy silence fell over the room as we all shifted in our seats to look at the man. ¡°What?¡± Asked Alice with a look for incomprehension on her face. ¡°Well, I mean, think about it,¡± Terry said, cheeks slightly red from drinking a bit too much, ¡°If we could kill and eat these things, we could solve world hunger.¡± ¡°Terry¡­ are you drunk?¡± Fran asked warily. Harold picked that question instantly, ¡°Because that sounds like Drunk Terry.¡± To his credit, Terry took one look at his drink and set it aside, ¡°Perhaps. But-¡± he gestured rapidly, ¡°-think about it. Some people like sushi, you¡¯d think we could try-¡± Terry stopped in his tracks, going deep in thought for a few seconds, ¡°-actually, no, biotics disintegrate after death without special precautions, and even then¡­¡± He trailed off, shaking his head and murmuring to himself as I stared at him in stupefaction. There were times that I remembered that not every idea Terry had was a good one. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised he earned the moniker of ¡®Mad Scientist¡¯ on top of everything else. I gave a quick look around the room at my teammates, and found myself grateful that there weren¡¯t many of us too affected. Richard, surprisingly, was the only other one on my team that was anything approaching Terry¡¯s state, and he¡¯d already set his own drink far from himself. Or Alice did, she seemed to be as chipper as always. For a brief moment I wondered if she¡¯d been a heavy drinker at some point, or just was resilient. ¡°Well, anyways,¡± Adira collected herself first, ¡°we should, uh, eat upstairs before we go any deeper. We¡¯ll start having more Leviathan''s, but the automated defenses should take care of everything. I need to do my rounds, but you guys might want to get suited up after eating. Never know what¡¯s gonna come up.¡± Shortly thereafter, we moved through the decks of the ship, Adira and her team branching off to speak with another team. We weren¡¯t silent as we moved, and our coordination, impared as it was, still allowed us to get around the ship without too much issue. Regrettably, I still didn¡¯t know how much I¡¯d need to really even feel drunk. After my session with Yamak, Arianna, Uthaka, and Querax, I knew it was a considerable amount more than what I¡¯d drank here, at least.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. For the most part, not much changed, but we would adopt the more mobile approach of the Brigade. While we were certain we could take a beating, none of us wanted to risk being grappled by something larger than a blue whale. That was even more of a concern, given that apparently there were some creatures that were more than capable of descending several hundreds of meters in seconds with their prey. Pressure was a real concern for everyone, not just the Legion, and any amount of damage to hull integrity - or suit integrity - would be exacerbated to an extreme the deeper we went. Taking no damage became the priority. If there was even a moment of breach in the dark zone in the water, there wouldn¡¯t be time to do anything. The water pressure that deep would instantly kill anyone, very likely even me. And so, after eating a light meal and sitting together for a while - and more importantly letting my team process their drinking before we started working around heavy machinery - we set about confirming every portion of our suits, and reinforcing high-risk zones like weld and rivet points. It might limit our flexibility somewhat, but better none of us gave it a second thought. ¡°Alright, how are we looking?¡± I called out, sending and responding to several messages across the Legion Comms. Idly, I appreciated the stability of our new communications system, especially given that it could be used away from the Obelisks at indefinite range now, so long as you were within a few kilometers of another person with an Obelisk Shard. More, if they also bore supporting equipment for boosting the range. Of which, every team had at least one, sometimes more. Terry, Daniel, Alice, Richard, and I all carried a range booster, while Eric and Emma were busy installing their own. Or, to be more specific, they were busy reinstalling it, considering they had to make some modifications to the casing to be able to survive on the off chance we actually did need to go that deep. We wouldn¡¯t be going Challenger Deep, of course. I highly doubt we had anything that could even go halfway down something like the Mariana Trench, but that wasn¡¯t even in our ocean, so hardly an issue. Hopefully. ¡°We¡¯re good!¡± I heard Daniel call out, grunting as he lifted himself out of The Dauntless motor-block, ¡°Just double checking some stuff. I felt a little off when we were in water last time, shouldn¡¯t be an issue this time.¡± ¡°Good,¡± I said, surprised that Daniel knew how to fix this thing. Then again, his Class of Dreadnought gave him actual information and virtual how-to manuals on general mechanics, and was even beginning to teach him about advanced manufacturing. We¡¯d discovered it by accident, a hidden tutorial setting that was somewhat similar to when Smith had been with me. I shook the thought off with a rueful smile, the Reaper A.I. had been my friend, and every now and then I had moments of recollection. But, I didn¡¯t pity myself, rather I appreciated everything he¡¯d done for me. He¡¯d saved my life, after all. Daniel didn¡¯t have a truly sentient A.I. guiding him, though. It was a simplistic program, informing him of the issues he was having, how to fix them, and grading his efforts. But the A.I. was incapable of anything else, and lacked the spark of expression that I¡¯d come to expect after my dealings with Smith. Terry, on the other hand, had been with his own personal A.I. for some time, though we kept an eye on the situation just in case. But, he came to know the A.I. closely over time, and had yet to find anything amiss with the situation. ¡°Alright, then, let¡¯s get suited up,¡± I called out, some of the other teams having already completed their pre-checks and resting in their suits. We didn¡¯t have too much else to do currently, but we could at least be in the suits, ready to fight off an attack should we be needed. Confidently I stepped onto the mounting platform, one of several that our Ogre¡¯s possessed. After a second I felt the platform hum to life, a scanner sweeping over my body to ensure the correct user was present. In another second, two rails with many appendages attached slid into place from above, several cushioned arms grasping at parts of my body. The first few times anyone used these tended to result in a lot of yelping from cold pads against bare skin, and then a little more wariness from being moved like a puppet into position. I¡¯d long gotten over most of it, but the part where a pair of graspers clasped my head still made me blink in surprise. For another ten seconds, more supporting arms came into place, necessary for the added bulk I brought to the equation. Behind me, I heard the hissing as pneumatic seals and metal locks opened, the padded, gel-supported suit beckoning me. Out in the field, I could move into and out of the armor easily, but installing the rest of the added hardware would be frustrating. ¡°Affix Reaper Arsenal,¡± I called out to the station computer with a grin plastered on my face. While it¡¯d taken a hefty toll on my personal funds, I¡¯d accessed my Reaper Class store for some very special equipment. This venture was too important to come with anything but the best I could get my hands on, and for the first time in months I was nearly zero¡¯d out on my own account. The arms embedded me into the power armor, which sealed shut around me almost like a snap trap. Locks clanged and hissed into place, air-tight and pneumatic seals all but entombed me in the shell of steel. With my reinforced flesh, I could force it to move, albeit only just, but I refrained. The system came online as I extended my mental self into the software, inhabiting the hardware like a second skin. Sensation that would feel alien to any ordinary person rushed back to me, like a limb that was half-remembered. I couldn¡¯t express this to anyone, I¡¯d tried, but it was truly like I was in another body, as natural to me as my own two hands. ...Well, as natural as I could be, anyways. The sensors came alive then, relaying information far beyond my human senses, reinforced with sonar, thermal, and electrosensory. My fists clenched against the braces, my own body within feeling more like vulnerable organs to my new metallic flesh. Knowingly, I dialed back my integration a touch, having already dealt with the effects of integrating too deeply with my armor before. It didn¡¯t cause any harm, but going from a power-armor that could break biotics over its knees to a comparatively weaker, duller body was¡­ depressing, in a way. Carefully I began running protocols to help monitor the sensory suit and help with minor alterations in movement, keeping my conscious mind distanced from the finer details as a safeguard from such feelings. I could subsume that control in a heart-beat, but often had no need to. Then came the armaments. My rifle had served me well, as always, but this time I was using an entirely new weapon. Three barrels crackled with power for a moment, red electricity dancing across the rails. The barrels twisted around one another, almost akin to a triple-helix, capable of delivering non-standard rounds at supersonic speeds. This was a weapon unlike any we yet possessed, not quite a gauss-rifle, but capable of just as much devastation. Bolts could be fired from the weapon, along with a variety of canisters and slugs. The gun possessed its own ammo-space, no longer requiring any manual loading at all; even though I¡¯d gotten ridiculously fast at it, never having to reload was always better. It gave off a red glow from its glossy obsidian frame, held comfortably even in my much larger power armor. I doubted I could fire this thing for anything but short bursts outside of the mech, if at all. It kicked hard, even to the extent that I found the shock-absorber in the weapon would be quickly overwhelmed, relying on my suit¡¯s ability to absorb impact more often than not if I ever needed to let loose a burst of fire longer than four seconds. The Reaper Shard Repeater was a vicious, unrelenting weapon that I wanted to put in the hands of every Legionnaire - if only we could figure out how the internal mechanisms worked. My shoulders bore what had been called Reaper Phantasm Lances, and operated semi-independently. I¡¯d pushed my capabilities with technology to the limits with my weapons, and these were only the first of the realization of my efforts. Each one fired in single shots, a bolt of shimmering, almost black energy that crackled with red lightning. They¡¯d cost just as much as the Shard Repeater per turret, and given that whatever got hit by the material would rapidly be deconstructed, I couldn¡¯t fault the price at all. The blackness was in fact a bundle of highly unstable pseudo-nanorobots, the lightning was just the effect of their bodies rapidly breaking down. That in and of itself was destructive, but the bots themselves would tear apart whatever they hit at a molecular level. If it had veins, they would travel through the body en masse, destroying delicate tissues everywhere even as their own energy overload caused catastrophic damage. Luckily, they also came with a friendly fire setting, and would simply deactivate and fall away if at all possible in the event that an ally was struck. The bots would read our Obelisk Shard signatures and attempt to veer away from the individual. Though, they¡¯d likely still be electrocuted. Terry would probably get quite the laugh out of these things. Sitting snugly against my upper back came the Reaper Ravager Disks, and contrary to what it sounded like, it wasn¡¯t just a bunch of disks. The object on my back replaced my entire inventory of explosives and mines - likely even better considering I¡¯d be under the water with extreme pressure all around - and had even expanded upon it. The mines I¡¯d once carried could now be deployed by semi-autonomous disk¡¯s that could carry payload to various locations and set traps, or carry them and utilize them for shaped charges. They were the utility that I didn¡¯t know I wanted with my arsenal, and gave me many more tactics that I could employ on the fly. Ranged weapons aside, I also bore a newly enhanced melee arsenal. I kept the arm blades that could be extended from my suit, but I¡¯d taken a note out of Yomar¡¯s book and added additional points where razor sharp bits of metal could extend with a simple extension of my will. This also was joined by the compact weapon on my back, a long staff weapon that was currently folded up on itself. It was certainly a deadly weapon, but I doubted I would have a real need to use it. Finally the additional power supply units were attached and shoved into their compartments, various portions of the power armor fastening tighter to ensure an adequate seal against water. This was the part that was annoying to do without assistance, and as the extra plating sealed over more vulnerable locations, both welded into place by the arms and by the suit itself, I found myself eager to move around again. The Ogre¡¯s wall opened up and mechanical arms deposited me on the ground. It almost felt like I was being placed carefully on my feet; or perhaps it was more accurate to say it was with a certain reverence. The Revenant Power Armor struck a frightening figure with all of the upgrades that I¡¯d given it since we¡¯d been in port. Half of the parts hadn¡¯t even been placed on when we were last in the water, though that had been by design. I wanted to compare the upgrades I¡¯d given it to the power armor it¡¯d been before to establish some kind of baseline. I took a step, and almost felt a perceptible difference in the balance, the poise that my armor held itself with, even without my conscious interference. Gently I shifted my arms, synthetic musculature flexing beneath shining plates that gleamed in what looked like fractals in the light. Dark, smokey energy seemed to move beneath my mask, the ghost of a digital red skull beneath the face plate, ever the calling card of my ensemble. Slowly I extended my awareness into every muscle and joint, squeezing and flexing as the suit moved, certainly not unlike my own biosteel body. It was more like a second home, than just a tool. The last thing I wanted to check - at least, without a live weapons test - was the weapon on my back. I pulled forth the folded pieces of metal, intricately and finely crafted to allow ease of storage. I could hold the handle in spite of how it was folded, the weapon giving me just enough leeway to do so. Eric and Domino strode forward, away from the Ogre, one in his four armed mech, and the other in a more simplistic, but refined power armor. They both eyed my weapon with interest. ¡°Some damn nice upgrades,¡± Domino commented, ¡°But what¡¯s that one?¡± I grinned, ¡°Every Reaper needs his weapon.¡± As I said that, I gently willed the weapon to be, and the rod snapped into its fully extended form as fast as a snake could strike. A thrumm of energy raced across, up to the top of the staff, the shaft alighting with lines of crimson fire. All at once, a loud hiss resounded, and a blazing three meter long blade of ruby glinting energy emerged from the top of the weapon, sweeping out to one side. The scythe, which I named Chironex, was iconic for a Reaper. ¡°I love the Legion,¡± Eric murmured in wonder, ¡°How do I get one of those?¡± I laughed, putting the weapon away and moving over to the others as they followed me. ¡°No, but for real, how do I get one of those?¡± Eric whispered to Domino, unaware that my smile grew wider at that. Chapter 142 Unease The horizon blazed from the setting sun. Orange gradually overcame the bright blue sky, casting a splendid and beautiful glow over the ocean. It was at odds entirely with what went on beneath the waves; explosions rocked and frothed the sea-water, filling it with shrapnel and gallons of silvery blood and tissues. Bright flashing lights illuminated the pitch black depths, unveiling the horrors from the deep. The Leviathan¡¯s, many shapes and sizes, surged upwards, churning the sea with yet more violent motion. I watched the scenes below playing out through many sets of eyes. The camera feeds of several Legion teams streamed not only to me, but to every member of the Legion, and to the Brigade. We studied the chaos, intent on finding patterns and the underlying habits of the denizens below the surface. A third of my people were beneath the waves, likewise with the Brigade. This was only the first of ten points that we wished to clear, at least marginally, as we moved forward. As such, Mr. Fischer¡¯s drones and music pulsed amidst the darkness, strobing light casting away shadow with an exuberance that did not belong. The Leviathan¡¯s below must have felt the same, because they threw themselves upwards with all the force and fury of a scorned sea god. Unfortunately for them, we¡¯d learned their tricks quickly. ¡°Team Two engaging deep dive,¡± I heard one of my teams call out, a phalanx formation of heavy mechs lining up. In truth, the bulky and daunting machines were the belongings of my own Iron Chariot team, though for the sake of brevity, we simply cited teams by alpha-numeric designations. ¡°Team Three will support extraction and counter-attacking.¡± Another team leader, this one from the Leviathan Brigade, called over, and without hesitation an equal number of mechs circled the downwards facing phalanx. ¡°Appreciated. Dropping now,¡± Lilia Bertholdt called out in a clipped and focused tone. In the next moment the Iron Chariots descended with all the suddenness of an explosion. The water rushed around them as pressure built, their descent taking them ten, then fifty, then a hundred and beyond meters into the depths. Explosions went off around them, far enough away to not compromise hull integrity. Flares erupted from ports on the sides of a few of their mechs, their support group high overhead, only having gone half as far as they had. The light seemed only to push feebly at the darkness of the ocean, as though the blackness pushed back against any intrusion, writhing at the attention the light might give it or its denizens. Rightly so, perhaps, because the dozen flares shot off in every direction, revealing three newcomers to the battle. Lilia didn¡¯t hesitate, and her team carefully picked targets. Each of the Leviathan¡¯s flinched at the light, two of them Buckteeth, while the third was a Potter. They eyed the lights warily, and, distracted from the mechs - or eachother, considering we¡¯d witnessed them eating their own happily - long enough for the next phase of the plan. Each mech brought arms to bear, sighting them broadly as, all at once, they began to fire. Hyper-sonic slugs tore through the water, grenades with modified fins and set to spin rapidly crossed the distance, cutting through liquid as surely as air. Each of the three Leviathan shook and hissed, or clacked their jaws in anger and pain. One of the Buckteeth turned to rush at the mechs just in time for a far larger projectile to crash through its eye. The tow torpedo did it¡¯s grisly work there, exploding and sending shrapnel through the beast¡¯s head. ¡°Fall back!¡± Lilia called without hesitation, her torpedo launcher sliding back into place over her shoulder. They didn¡¯t deal in risk, and the mechs surged upwards as the clacking jaws surged towards them. The Potter stretched upwards and inflated, only to have a long, tangled mass of digestive organs reach upwards, missing the mechs by only a few dozen feet. For a moment, it¡¯s primitive eyes settled once more on the now wounded Bucktooth, and then on the currently deceased companion it¡¯d had. I wondered if perhaps it estimated if it would be more worthwhile to simply devour the dead, or whether it was going to attack the weakened still-living prey. Whatever it was planning, it jerked to awareness as several rounds tore into it from above, the steel tips biting through the resilient flesh of the creature even as it rushed to pull them away. The damage, however, wasn¡¯t as severe as I¡¯d have liked, though the guts were clearly damaged and silvery blood pumped into the surrounding water. Both biotics surged forward, the Bucktooth thrashing the water with a broad, short tail while the Potter spun as it rose, undulated fins projecting. Unlike the Titano Shrimp or some of the other variants down in the dark, neither of them were especially fast. Lilia and her team gradually pulled ahead, and only once they were sure that the biotics weren¡¯t going to turn did Lilia call out to the other team. ¡°Engaging,¡± the steady voice from Team Three¡¯s leader resounded, even as they all moved down. All at once, they began firing large serrated harpoons, the first target being the Potter. It¡¯s thick, soft body was suddenly being perforated by several shots. It squirmed, turning it¡¯s tubular body towards one of the mechs and inflating. That turned out to be a mistake, as the team waited calmly as it swelled larger and larger. When it appeared to be about to project it¡¯s grasping stomach, several explosions suddenly cut through its body, each harpoon turning into shrapnel and rupturing its sides with small holes. The Potter now looked more like a pressurized can of cheese spread that had several holes jabbed in it than anything else. The team, however, did not let up, and fired another set of simple weapons, bolts of metal showered the Potter, confirming its death. The Bucktooth received an even more brutal treatment. Team Two¡¯s mechs flanked it, twirling past its fins and then rushing into its sides. Half of the mechs stayed at a distance, ensuring that they could support their companions if necessary. It proved unnecessary this time as they sawed through the iron-like tougher outer scales and peeled them away. From there, they systematically butchered the Bucktooth, which attempted to thrash them off of it, and keep pursuing Lilia in front of it, always keeping just out of reach. By the time its simple thoughts considered the possibility of retreat, it no longer had fins to move with. Such scenes and more played out across the battlegrounds. Dangerous creatures like the Titano Shrimp were engaged by a mobile team that designated it for plasma strike. Other things, like the Black Shark¡¯s with their grisly bony blades that swept backwards from their heads, ended up as the quarry to more experienced teams, or two teams of less experienced hunters. Quickly, my Legion demonstrated that they were competent slayers, less sure-footed underwater to be certain, but in no way were we slowing things down. For another hour we stayed in that location, swapping out teams from the other ships for the time being. We intended on having three shifts, one of whom was sleeping right now. The Redzone wouldn¡¯t give us any downtime, according to Adira, so we would need to plan for our own rest. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I would remain awake for the duration, though, given that my need for sleep was significantly diminished. My team, a part of the second shift, sat prepared to drop at any given moment. Out here, we were still only on the edge of the Red Zone, and for some reason I did feel as though this part of the ocean was somehow different. Was it due to nerves? Anxious after all of the stories and wariness I¡¯d heard about this area? I couldn¡¯t say for certain, but I was hardly the only one to feel this way. Even those of my Legion whom had been fairly blase about the Red Zone were wary, a feeling like they were being watched hung over their heads. The Brigade, too, felt the sensation; people were talking less, clearly stressed, and if it weren¡¯t for the music pulsing the ship, it would have felt like a ghost vessel. ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± Daniel muttered, his voice coming over the comms, ¡°Does anyone else think it¡¯s getting worse the further we go?¡± No one said anything for a moment, but Rachel cleared her throat, ¡°We¡¯re just stressing ourselves out.¡± We didn¡¯t comment that she sounded supremely uncertain. I took a steadying breath, realizing that it was my job to keep our morale up. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal for us all to be wary of these waters. This is our first major water-based operation and our first operation against water-based biotics. Humankind has always had a certain fear of the deep sea and mythic monsters within, and these things looking like them, though bastardized and warped, are even more unsettling to look at.¡± The others considered that for a moment, and Terry spoke, nodding, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, yeah. I guess it¡¯d be a little weird if we weren¡¯t a little unnerved.¡± We agreed, some words of support thrown about, but in the end we still couldn¡¯t shake that feeling that something was wrong. I put it behind me, knowing that whatever was going on, we¡¯d have to deal with it and move forward regardless. Instead, we busied ourselves with what we could, limited as that was while we were in our armors. I reached out with my mind, data streaming forth to the Determinator¡¯s that were currently stowed. Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t be necessary, but even so I wanted to be absolutely certain. My attention was interrupted when someone across the bay accidentally knocked over a tray of tools, the noise different enough from the music that several heads nearby snapped up in the direction of the sound. The man apologized weakly, while nervous grumbles rolled out from others around. I frowned at that, noting the postures of others around me. Certainly this was an uneasy time, but some of these people were pale. Helplessly, I shook my head, turning my attention to my comms. Switching through the various channels available, I sent a request to Adira. A few moments later, her voice sounded in my ear, ¡°Hey, Matthew, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Hi, not much at the moment. I¡¯m just keeping busy,¡± I said slowly, ¡°We¡¯re coming up on the rendezvous point with the other two fleets soon, right?¡± Adira paused for a moment before clearing her throat, ¡°Err¡­ yes, it does look like that.¡± ¡°Good, that¡¯s good. Seems that we¡¯ll get to go into the water for a swim soon, then.¡± I joked, ¡°Hopefully we¡¯ll be able to clear through fairly easily¡­¡± I paused then, feeling almost as though Adira was only half listening. I frowned, waiting a few seconds for her to respond. Yet none came. ¡°Adira? Are you there?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry, I¡¯m just¡­ distracted right now.¡± A note of anxiousness crept into her voice, ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re doing fine.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± I chuckled, ¡°We¡¯ve got the Legion and Brigade working together, and both of our teams are quite accustomed to combat. So long as we keep calm, we¡¯ll pull ahead.¡± I smiled, looking to the video feed and seeing Adira smile. It was the kind of smile that you gave someone when you knew they were trying to cheer you up, and hadn¡¯t succeeded in the slightest. ¡°I¡¯m being serious. We¡¯ve got hundreds of combatants, a plasma battery, several ships, and a great deal of experience shared between us all. I have to say that if there was ever a chance for us to succeed, it would be now.¡± Adira looked at me, the previous atmosphere she carried with her still stubbornly clinging on the edges, but I could see the look in her eyes, rallying against uncertainty. She took a steadying breath, ¡°I know. I do, really, and I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m feeling so¡­ nervous. I know we¡¯re better prepared than ever, but it feels like my gut is telling me to get out, like we¡¯re not¡­¡± She paused, gesticulating with her hands as though she was trying to find the word in the air, ¡°...like we¡¯re not supposed to be here. Like there¡¯s something wrong here.¡± I blinked at that, taking a moment to stop and look around again. All around me, I could see that same tension, even among my team, even those that should be unflappable in all but the worst of situations. ¡°Well¡­¡± I said slowly, ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t turn back now. And besides, biotics are an enemy that can¡¯t be allowed to lay resting. If we don¡¯t pull them out, snarling and scratching from their hives, then they¡¯ll keep getting stronger.¡± She crossed her arms, annoyed, ¡°I know that. I¡¯ve been hunting them as long as you.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I acknowledged the statement carefully, ¡°I understand that. I¡¯m not trying to imply otherwise.¡± Adira opened her mouth for a second before she seemed to forcibly close it, her agitation sweeping out from under her, even as the stress remained. With a shake of her head she said, ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s not- you didn¡¯t say anything wrong. I¡¯m just¡­¡± She sighed, ¡°Just a little short fused, I guess. I know we have to keep going, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m happy about putting my people in the water here.¡± I nodded, ¡°I wish we didn¡¯t have to.¡± She nodded back, leaning against her chair as her expression sharpened, ¡°Ah, well. I guess that¡¯s my weekly allotment of feeling bad for ourselves. We¡¯re going in the water, and we¡¯ll shred everything in it.¡± There was a glimmer of something in her eyes then. ¡°Just business as usual.¡± I said, grinning as I did. She snorted, ¡°I swear, you¡¯ve raised like six death flags in the last five minutes.¡± Her tone was serious, but she couldn¡¯t keep the smirk off of her face. ¡°I never really did put too much stock into that,¡± I laughed, ¡°From personal experience.¡± We chuckled, and then laughed, a little bit of that pressure ebbing from her features. ¡°Good luck out there.¡± ¡°You too,¡± I said, before closing the line. The sounds of the doors opening and the ramps extending stirred the cargo bay to action. All at once mech¡¯s sat straighter, those few whom hadn¡¯t activated them already brought them to life with an electric buzz. As I got a good look out at the ocean horizon, I marveled at the tinge of red that colored the cloudy sky, and the light show that still persisted beneath us. My sense of wonder morphed as I hit the water, from awe at the scene above to something between excitement and a lust for battle as we continued to descend. My power armor plunged down, distant fields of battle carrying on far beneath the surface of the sea, lit by flares, gunfire, explosives, and the eerie bioluminescence of some of the creatures that swelled up from deep below. ¡°Legion, good hunting.¡± I stated simply, watching the other¡¯s responses, ranging from forced bravado to grim determination. Yet on every face I also saw evidence of stress, even fear, in their drawn, uncertain features. Something was wrong, and it seemed everyone but me felt it. Chapter 143 Meaning of a Name ¡°Looks like systems clear,¡± Daniel declared The Dauntless as ready for combat, the last of our group to do so. Other teams made their in-water checks, taking only half a minute before they began to move, ours being no exception. My team moved with purpose, falling in behind Adira¡¯s. Given our composition, Adira and her team would bait Leviathan¡¯s into pursuing, and then we would punish them. It was a simple tactic, but one I approved of for taking initiative away from the much larger biotics. In a static defense fight, I doubted we¡¯d be able to keep an oncoming wave of biotics away, but with how much interference was being run below, we would be able to mostly control how many we would engage at a time. The Wendigo let out another barrage of plasma, cutting through the water and obliterating harder targets and clearing some numbers from below. I could momentarily see the background more clearly, and took in as much as I could in that instant. Experienced units composed almost entirely from Brigade stock moved in small, fast strike teams, evading a churning sea of angry biotics. In many cases, these biotics turned and struck one another, but I rarely saw any of them resort to a death-match. A few had been killed by their own over time, though, evident as I saw some of the softer creatures bearing many more injuries than others. In a way, these teams looked more like trains of flesh headed by a figurehead of iron, the lights of the mech team helping to illuminate the gloom. Occasionally, the teams would drop explosives, thinning out the weakened members of the hordes even further before returning to the killing fields near the ships. Units designated as ¡°Fishers¡± would then draw away clumps of enemies and ascend, culling the groups more. There were currently three such trains, another having been added half an hour ago. More would be needed soon, and their wide, looping patterns would need to expand yet again to accommodate that. This was where the tactic began to get much more dangerous, as each Train needed room to maneuver and to keep control of their own biotic tails. If any broke off to harry the other train leaders, or if anyone messed up in rotation, we¡¯d have a very real possibility that the entire setup would fail. The Brigade was aware of that fact, however, and our group moved farther afield, going wide of The Wendigo and to the left flank of the fleet, between two ships, Bravado and Archipelago, which were hosting the Legionnaires currently underwater. Neither vessel bore the plasma weaponry that the flagship bore, but they did possess a huge quantity of explosives, augmented to cut through the water fast enough to still provide point-by-point support to the teams beneath it. My team and I moved into several clusters, each supporting a Brigade team before Adira gave the all clear for trains to break away from the first kill zone and move to ours. Two of them came to us, leaving the first with only a single one, though that wouldn¡¯t last long. They¡¯d come back up to three trains soon enough, and a third killing zone was already being set up on the opposite side of the fleet just for that time. We could reliably deal with two, but I was wary of how many we¡¯d eventually end up tackling. ¡°Alright everyone, if you¡¯re Brigade, you know the drill. Legion, you¡¯re our executioner teams for now, until we get you settled. Just kill any followers behind us and help keep an eye out for any strays. We¡¯ve got plenty of space to fallback, so nobody tries to be a hero and hold the line, got it? Any questions?¡± Adira spoke into the comms, her voice stern, a tenor of the stress she and the others felt clear. When no one spoke, she shifted, ¡°Reaper, do you have anything you¡¯d like to add?¡± My camera feed lit up as I addressed the group, nodding to them, ¡°Yes, Kaiju-¡± the barest flicker of amusement lit up on Adira¡¯s face as I addressed her by her title as she had for me, ¡°-the Legion has experience in dealing with the horrors and oppressive strength of the biotics. Rely on us, as we rely on you, and we¡¯ll all come out of this alive.¡± I paused for a second before interjecting some humor, ¡°Though we¡¯ll still have to pick biotic out of our mechs, I imagine.¡± That got some chuckles, tensions ebbing fractionally. Adira nodded, ¡°Well said. Alright, Fishers, lets go. We¡¯ve got a train to catch!¡± No sooner than she¡¯d said that dozens of mechs and power armors dropped from our formations. I gestured to the rest of my team, proud of the way that they, and the rest of my Legion, fell into formation smoothly. Each of our HUD¡¯s lit up with information, not the least of which was a holographic display showing the position of our teams, and known biotic sightings far below. The first divers hit the train in a dozen places, shelling them with impunity and shredding soft-bodied targets as the train passed beneath us. The entire convoy line of biotics seemed to shudder, lashing out in confusion as concussive force rattled their bodies. Just as rapidly as it began, the assault ceased and the teams flipped around, shooting upwards back towards us. A hefty chunk of the train faltered, looking upwards and roaring in fury, just before the train leader detonated several smaller explosives and- ¡°Is he broadcasting that music?¡± I snorted with amusement, seeing lights strobe alive as one of the mechs in the lead began to dazzle the monsters behind him, pulsing them with vibrant and insistent tones. That, combined with the gun the man fired continuously into their midst, seemed to pull a large portion of the train forward again. I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head, but turned my focus on Adira as she moved towards us. Behind her team five biotics streamed upwards. Two of them were Titano Shrimps, a Potter, and two Buckteeth, a procession that didn¡¯t especially worry me, if only because we¡¯d be able to hammer them from a distance while retreating. ¡°Down we go,¡± Alice called out, pushing back the cloying nervousness that seemed to press in from every direction. We followed, the comms still more silent than they¡¯d been during any other operation we¡¯d ever head. ¡®Focus,¡¯ I chastised myself as my power armor thundered through the water quickly. Churning water streamed in my wake,we all split up, forming a semi-circle that Adira¡¯s team would fly past. Our team had too much firepower to risk a full encirclement, any stray shot could hit someone else. I wasn¡¯t worried about a stray shot or two, but the last thing we needed was to chip away any armor down here, where the slightest hull integrity breach might mean drowning or outright implosion. Adira passed us with her team, and in the span of a heartbeat we began to fire. We focused on the less durable targets, this time utilizing all of our weapons in careful balance. My repeater fell into position in my arms, pulsing energy and the vibration of the weapons built-in ammo space filling the chambers of the weapon nigh-instantly. I focused on the Potter, and almost gasped when I pulled the trigger. I¡¯d fired the weapon previously, but I had done it on its most basic setting, to deploy canisters and specialized ammunition. This time, I wanted to utilize the fully automatic function, one that I¡¯d initially felt was quite mundane, and hadn¡¯t seemed to justify the cost. Oh, how wrong I was. Hundreds of rounds cascaded out of the gun, the connected ammo space preventing me from even needing to consider that I might need to reload. To my amazement - and horror - the gun suffered from dramatically less recoil in this firing mode, and the Potters front ruptured as a storm of metal shrapnel tore through flesh at mach 5, just shy of a true railgun. I felt the weapon with my electronic senses as what felt like rows of bullets stacked themselves into the weapons barrel. Each shell was fired, starting in the front and ending in the back, rotating between the three chambers with a deadly grace that sent excited chills down my spine. A weapon like this existed back in the old world. The M134 Minigun could very literally fire over a million rounds a minute. A computer fired the bullets via electrical charges in the bullet themselves, front to back. This was the principle taken and applied in practicality, augmented by Reaper ammo spaces with a dismaying capacity for destruction. The Potter fell to pieces after six seconds of sustained fire projected a mind numbing four thousand rounds - most of which had hit it straight on and fragmented - creating what resembled a chunk of silvery, gooey hamburger than it had a biotic. ¡°Holy shit,¡± I heard Domino breath through the comms, a frozen moment in the battle where everything took a moment to process what had just happened. And then Daniel unveiled a new tool of his trade, his own class of Dreadnought giving him a few choice picks in his arsenal. A pair of small, narrow torpedoes tore through the water, reaching their destinations almost instantly. The explosion was by far the most bizarre I¡¯d seen, though, where the percussive burst and bright light were oddly muted, and then obscured in a shower of shimmering metal fragments. The next part happened too quickly for me to parse what occurred. In the aftermath, a gaping, melted hole existed where both Titano Shrimps heads used to be. Likewise, a sudden column of superheated water instantly gushed upwards and outwards, visible on the thermal spectrum. The team was, luckily, just outside of the range of the damaging effects of the water. But I could feel how my power armor suddenly circulated super-coolant along channels under the skin of my suit, that was how close it¡¯d been. Of the remaining two Buckteeth, only one was yet alive, the other flash broiled by the heat. ¡°What the shit was that!?¡± Terry shouted, ¡°Daniel, warn a guy?¡± Daniel didn¡¯t respond immediately, though I could guess at the chagrined expression he probably wore at that moment. Most of the rest of his shots were irrelevant at that point, and Domino led the charge to rapidly dismember the final remaining biotic. ¡°We were out of the blast radius, and my onboard system said we¡¯d be clear of damage.¡± Daniel spoke, ¡°still, sorry, I didn¡¯t think it would still be that intense.¡± ¡°Intense is right,¡± Jessica whistled, ¡°I felt that from out here.¡± ¡°Bring it back in, everyone.¡± My voice cut through the imminent comments, ¡°Regroup with our bait team.¡± Our professionalism kicked back in, in spite of the double surprise, and rapidly we ascended in formation, keeping Daniel as our rearguard. Anything that tried to drag him down would probably have a much harder time of it than with any of the rest of us. Below, the next train was moving into position, but wasn¡¯t due for another minute or two. The water swirled around us, and even when we¡¯d risen, everyone remained tense. Domino surprised me by breaking the silence first when we were nearly with the other team. ¡°What did you do to that Potter?¡± ¡°Fired a lot of bullets. Apparently.¡± I glanced at my weapon, perplexed in a way I hadn¡¯t expected. On the one hand, using it had almost been a straight injection of awesome into my veins, but on the other hand¡­ I certainly didn¡¯t buy enough ammo to sustain that kind of firing mode for long.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°How many are we talking, here?¡± Venezuela asked, ¡°That thing looked like it was shoved through a blender.¡± I cleared my throat, ¡°In the ballpark of four thousand rounds.¡± ¡°Four thou- get out.¡± Terry blanched, ¡°Seriously? Just like that?¡± ¡°It fits the pricetag,¡± I grimaced before my eyes turned to Daniel, ¡°What about those missiles?¡± ¡°Uhh,¡± he processed my reveal for another second, ¡°Oh, uh, it sets off a small explosive and then some robotic mirrors direct the secondary heated charge at a target. Or something like that, I don¡¯t really know how it works.¡± At that point, Adira weighed in, ¡°You said you have a lot of those?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Daniel as she shook his head, ¡°A lot more.¡± ¡°Well, hell, then we¡¯ll bring a bigger group next time,¡± Adira laughed, ¡°that¡¯ll definitely help out.¡± It wasn¡¯t terribly surprising that Adira was able to take that in stride, though I was glad that we hadn¡¯t set either of our weapons off anywhere near their team. We fell into formation again and waited as Adira and her team went for another dive. A moment later, she called back, ¡°On the way back up! Be ready!¡± ¡°We will be,¡± I stated calmly, our team moving down on an intercept path. True to her word, there were several more biotics in this group, numbering fifteen. ¡°Open formation more, give plenty of space. Daniel, hit behind them and we¡¯ll let the superheated water flow up. Domino and Eric on me, everyone else stay with your pairings. Remember, fighting retreat, we don¡¯t need to take any damage here.¡± I rattled off orders quickly as our formation flexed, their HUD¡¯s updating in real time according to my wishes. Orders acknowledged, we smoothly moved, and in the next moment a pair of Thermal Busters - as Daniel coined it - went off and immediately charbroiled half of the group. Only six remained, and I switched my firing mode to bolts instead. Three of the remainders were Titano Shrimp, screeching and thrashing in their shells, while the other four were exclusively Buckteeth. With Domino and Eric flanking me, I moved close enough to get the attention of a few of the disoriented Buckteeth. My weapon was less suited to killing the Shrimp, their hardened carapace would give even my fully automatic firing mode some trouble; the Buckteeth, on the other hand, were far easier to deal with. Sheer size and the ability to bite through a mech with their massive jaws were the only advantages the creature had. I fired into the crowd, the kick taxed the recoil-reducers both in the gun itself and my suit instantly. Shreds of scale and scintillating blood gushed, the Leviathan either dead or heavily wounded after a few seconds of fire. Domino and Eric both fired upon the second, Domino¡¯s own rapid fire weapon a far cry from the devastation that I had, but his accuracy helped make up for it. Most shots tore through the biotics eye, and the rest tumbled into the beasts head. Eric fired several barbed spears from shoulder mounted weapons, piercing the other side of the creature''s head. Between the two of them, the biotic stopped moving a moment later. Fran moved with Daniel, spears of steel shooting through the water and hitting joints on each of the remaining Titano Shrimp, focused around their four pincers. Each one struggled to close or open their pincers, preventing them from using their most dangerous weapon. When one managed to free itself of a metal spike, another would slam itself home a heartbeat later. Fran didn¡¯t worry overtly about dealing as much damage as anyone else, and instead ensured that the biotics greatest strengths couldn¡¯t be brought into play. Richard and Alice dismantled one of the Titano Shrimp with utter impunity, utilizing highly reactive chemicals to soften the shell where Alice would then embed a shaped-charge explosive arrow, similar in respect to a claymore, deep in critical areas. Venezuela and Jessica drew the attention of another pair of Buckteeth, Jessica easily outpacing them and darting back in with a long bladed weapon that eviscerated tough flesh. The instant either Leviathan turned towards her, she was already streaming around the next creature, always carefully keeping them from surrounding her, and remaining at large in their blindspots. Venezuela fired sure shots, of which she¡¯d found plenty, and blinded the pair of biotics with heavy bore shots that resembled short spears. After the first moments of combat, one of the biotics began writhing, the cause likely being a spear-bolt to the brain. The Bucktooth turned, coordination already failing, only for another bolt to pierce through and protrude from the other side of its head, having completely punched through and leaving it utterly lifeless. Its confused companion thrashed miserably, only to be met with a blade that seamlessly bisected it a moment later. Jessica returned to formation near Venezuela as the Bucktooth¡¯s head lolled in the water. Harold and Terry took care of one of the Titano Shrimp on their own, though they were still working out if it was necessary for both of them to bother. Harold¡¯s chain of explosives tended to rupture the shell of the Shrimp well enough that it would die from that alone, whereas Terry¡¯s Raijin Gun could fire an ion directed charge of lightning into his target, cooking it after moments. Rachel, and Emma formed another team, supporting others where necessary after they¡¯d blown the arms off of two of the Titano Shrimp to lessen pressure on Fran. After that, cleanup occurred quickly. This batch took less than two minutes in total, and I felt that we could get that time down even more. ¡°Good work everyone!¡± I smiled proudly, ¡°That was very smoothly done.¡± ¡°Very,¡± Fran agreed, ¡°That was impressive, Jessica. I wouldn¡¯t have thought to close the distance like you did.¡± On the viewscreen to the side of my vision, I watched as Jessica smiled sheepishly, ¡°All just practice.¡± ¡°A lot of it,¡± Venezuela laughed, ¡°You can¡¯t believe how many times I shot her in training.¡± That got a round of laughter, and our nerves settled a bit more as we fell into routine. We repeated our maneuvers, refining our tactics each time. We stepped up the amount of biotics we faced each time, and after our fourth rotation, Adira met us with playful applause in her mech. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m impressed. That was twenty that time.¡± ¡°We both actually had something to do this time!¡± Terry laughed with Harold, ¡°Though, I think we can only safely handle another ten or so.¡± ¡°Ten?¡± Adira blinked in surprise, ¡°I was thinking five?¡± ¡°Probably fifteen,¡± I answered, ¡°Daniel still barely has anything to do after his opening salvo.¡± The man himself laughed as I mentioned that, ¡°Plus I have a few other things that we can try out.¡± Adira shook her head, ¡°Well, we can swap roles for a bit now anyways. I can handle around twenty.¡± Collectively, I imagined we made quite the sight. Each member of our team bore blank stares of incomprehension for several seconds following her declaration. ¡°Sorry, I misheard, how many?¡± said Richard, his expression still set into a careful nonchalance. ¡°Twenty,¡± she repeated with a grin, ¡°Just bring them up in a straight-ish line, and I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡± ¡°I¡­ uhh¡­ okay then.¡± Richard stated dumbly, a rare moment for him. ¡°Smooth,¡± Alice playfully teased and couldn¡¯t help but burst into uncontrollable laughter. I shook my head, ¡°Alright, well, we won¡¯t need all of us for this. Jessica, Fran, Alice, Richard, we¡¯ll go down and draw up a group. Everyone else waits up here and keeps an eye out.¡± The rest of the group stayed upwards. Too many people on the bait portion would just make things needlessly difficult to maneuver, especially given that not all of us were fast enough to outpace everything we might run into down here. Black Sharks, in specific, were much faster than the other Leviathan types. We¡¯d only seen a few, and they were softer targets than Titano Shrimp, but even so it had quite the surprise when one of them barreled into Daniel¡¯s mech, luckily only damaging part of his torso armor, not penetrating the layer. Down we dove, the knowledge of the pressures at work in the water a constant companion to our dive. The five of us didn¡¯t speak to one another, instead focused on our surroundings. Jessica and Fran lacked the super-sensitive suite employed by the rest of us, but that hardly made them subpar to what we might expect to see down here. Thermal sensors were our best bet, but my own motion sensors would have revealed the train of biotics that was about to pass under us. An individual I didn¡¯t know, kitted in a streamlined mech that blew past us at an impressive speed while flashing bright lights and pulsing, rhythmic music, and I could swear that he was bobbing his head to the beat even as he waved at us in passing. The convoy of angry and bloodthirsty biotics seemed even more distinctly out of place after their passing. We shook it off quickly, approaching the mass, bioluminescence giving us a little bit more ambient light to work off of. Further afield, other teams were getting ready to dip into the train, and with our collective work we¡¯d reduced this one to a third of its previous size. With a gesture, my team fired into the mass, careful to hit only one section. Viciously, the biotics tore into one another in the first seconds, confusion leading them to striking those next to them. Much like a freight train, the mass that was behind them didn¡¯t so much as stop, instead crashing into their fellows, slowing only briefly. The conductor flashed lights and pulsed music even more loudly, firing several spears that trailed incandescent lights behind them into the still confused biotics. Immediately much of the train began its trail again, but a hefty portion broke off as I flashed my onboard lights and fired a few rounds into the mass. In no time at all, we were rising with around eighteen biotics on our heels. ¡°Coming up, Kaiju,¡± I reported, ¡°Eighteen on our tail.¡± She looked over the information I was already sending her mech, humming thoughtfully. ¡°Alright, that¡¯ll do. Bring them straight in, rush right past me, and I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± I said, burning with curiosity at what she planned to do. Was it explosive? Her mech didn¡¯t seem to carry much in the way of that, though. It was large, but also streamlined and was at home in the water, able to maneuver adroitly and swiftly even with its mass. We pushed forward, firing harassing shots at the pursuing biotics to keep their attention. I felt my speed increase as I pushed through the water, careful not to pull ahead of any of my team. The ascent happened much faster than the descent, and within seconds we could see the large machine waiting for us, gauntlets as large as most power armors pointing towards us. I noticed now what appeared to be some kind of broad pads on their palms, but didn¡¯t wait to inspect it. The moment we were past her, I shouted, ¡°Clear!¡± ¡°Firing.¡± Adira¡¯s voice was level and calm, the kind that spoke of a routine. That routine was slaughtering biotics. And in that moment, I knew why she was dubbed ¡®Kaiju.¡¯ Nothing visible seemed to happen at first, at least to the naked eye, but I felt my hackles rise as my sensory suite picked up what happened in the water. Heat, movement, a shifting tumult of sensory overload that seemed to encompass the entire ocean that Kaiju beheld. In moments, even the naked eye could see the broiling surge of death that the water had become. The water kept from transforming into steam only by virtue of the tons of pressure over top of it. Yet, even that lasted only for a few more moments, waves of energy turning the water into bursts of superheated steam, obscuring the hellish channel and all within it in violent churning throes. I felt my heart thunder in my chest at the raw feeling of water trying to explosively escape, and watched as she calmly moved her hands, guiding the bombardment of energy. I didn¡¯t need all of my extra senses to realize the sheer magnitude of what she was doing, and as I watched her I realized that she was at home in this element, creating and directing massive zones of heat. She guided energy and the naturally occurring convection which allowed her to displace the surrounding ocean in thermal currents as pressure built. None of the biotics ever made it anywhere near her, and vanished into the bubbling mass with no hope of pushing through the forces she worked with. About fifteen seconds later, the boiling stopped, though she kept her hands up, watching for any movement. Below were the biotics we¡¯d brought up, only exceedingly dead. Each one bore wounds where it looked like they¡¯d blistered and burst open. It was a grisly sight to behold. None were alive. ¡°Microwave bombardment,¡± Adira let out a breath and smiled before answering the inevitable question, ¡°One of my standard weapons.¡± For several more seconds, no one said anything, up until Terry opened his mouth. ¡°I do kind of want a t.v. dinner right now. Been forever since I¡¯ve microwaved my food, come to think of it.¡± We laughed, breaking the tension, before we began to move back into position for another dive. Chapter 144 Change of Plans -Domino¡¯s P.O.V.- For hours we repeated the deadly cycle, drawing prey up from the depths and utterly destroying them. Blood flooded the waters, flowing deep into the darkness and staining the murk with silver and chunks of biotic flesh. Instead of becoming comfortable in our routine, we gradually grew more and more unnerved. It got worse as time went on, to the point where I began to wonder if we should turn back, maybe try another approach. Clearly something strange was going on, and no one had any answer as to what it was. This went beyond merely being uncomfortable, and had gradually crept up into an omnipresent fear. Alice especially seemed to grow more and more jumpy as time went on, staring down into the depths as though she was waiting for something to happen. Even through it all, though, Terry and Matthew seemed almost entirely unaffected. Though, I could tell that Terry was getting more unnerved by proxy; few of us were holding up well in the depths. I grit my teeth, turning my eyes to my team as we hovered in the water. Emma, Harold, Eric, Venezuela, Jessica, Covina, and Rachel, not a single one of us untouched by the sinking dread that nipped at the corners of our awareness. A flicker of movement caught my eye on the peripheral of my sight, and for the fifth time in as many minutes, I snapped my head in that direction. And, just as the dozens of times before that, there was nothing there. Nothing in the darkness, the sun having already set and disavowing us of that life-giving light. Not for the last time, I told myself that I was freaking out over nothing, that this was unprofessional and that I should be better than this. Yet, I couldn¡¯t ignore the pervading wrongness that seemed to permeate the water. In any other situation, perhaps I would have found it beautiful beneath the seas. In the absence of the light above, I witnessed tens of thousands of lights come alive in the gloom, rising steadily like a cradle of stars. For all their twinkling beauty, though, I realized that their illumination was not to be relied upon. Depth perception was difficult, and every now and then I would watch the lights flicker out of existence, only to come back up. For the first while, I assumed that meant something had just broken my line of sight with it, swam in front of the light. But as time went on I realized that these things would just wink off from time to time. It made trying to tell anything visually difficult. By now, I¡¯d begun utilizing motion sensors far more zealously. I clutched my rifle, modified with Reaper tech that Matthew had sent to R&D, tightly to my shoulder. My eyes settled on the back of our leader¡¯s head as he led us upwards once more. Others might not have been able to tell, but I noticed the way his movements had become sharper, the information updates on our many HUD¡¯s coming more and more frequently. It was a lifeline in the dark, to have someone constantly watching over your shoulder, backing you up. To say that he didn¡¯t notice our plight would have been erroneous; Matthew knew well what we were going through, but what could we do? We signed up for destroying biotics, hunting them down and burning them out wherever we could. This mission in and of itself was a pivotal point for what the Legion could become. I doubted the others fully understood the breadth of what getting to this island meant. The Legion would establish itself as a major power with control of the space over our heads. We needed that, or no organization would take us seriously. In the old world, the same was true. If you wanted something from another country, having the nuclear option didn¡¯t so much open doors as it did give you a seat at the table. With how the world was now, who knew how many dictators and warlords had cropped up and taken control? We needed a threat that didn¡¯t rely on fielding an army, a looming sword of damocles, rods from gods, whatever form it needed to take, we needed to have one on our side. Would we ever use it? That question hadn¡¯t had an obvious answer to me a day ago, even a few hours ago. Now though, I had the answer to that question, but not for the reasons I¡¯d ever thought I would. Yes, we¡¯d use such a weapon, but not on people. Whatever lurked down in the darkness here, that is what deserved the full breadth of our might. Uncontrollably, I felt goosebumps and shudders roll through my body for a few moments, my breath quickening before I clamped down on it. No, whatever was down here, we could kill it, no biotic existed that we couldn¡¯t destroy. ¡°There¡¯s something watching us.¡± Emma was the first to speak up and ascribe sensation to the feeling. ¡°Please don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ say that,¡± Daniel¡¯s voice had an edge to it that sounded utterly out of place for him. ¡°We all know it,¡± Harold cut in, trying to keep his voice even, and failing. No one knew what to say after that, the quiet looming as surely as whatever lingered in the dark. ¡°We still have work to do,¡± I said, ¡°Try to keep calm. Whatever¡¯s causing this, it¡¯s not coming from you. It has to be some kind of biotic that¡¯s doing this.¡± I spoke, miraculously able to convince myself at least marginally of my own words. This cloying dread had to be the work of a biotic, nothing else made sense. Of course, that left unsaid what kind of hellish abomination could do this to experienced veterans and trained recruits alike. ¡°Well said,¡± Matthew nodded to me, ¡°Domino is right. Whatever is down here, it clearly has some tricks of its own. But, we¡¯ve dealt with strange biotics before.¡± ¡°Matt, there¡¯s something really, really bad here.¡± Alice spoke up, visibly shaking even in the water. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us should be here.¡± She wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d begun to think so, and the fragile shred of bravery that I¡¯d found quaked. We all knew that Alice was different, that she had some level of psychic powers. Normally, I envied her for that¡­ But seeing her pale face and wild eyed stare in the camera feed, I couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for her. ¡°We¡­¡± Matthew started, before trailing off. The man shaking his head as he considered things. For several seconds I watched as he lingered silently and without movement, knowing that he was likely awash in the data from several hundreds of viewpoints and personnel. After a long while, he shook his head and connected a feed to the Leviathan Brigade¡¯s leader, a woman that I knew he was on friendly terms with. ¡°Adira, I need a word.¡± I watched him turn his head in Alice¡¯s direction. Richard was beside her, trying to be some measure of comfort in the darkness. Her words cut a little sharper than otherwise. ¡°Have you found anything?¡­ No, nevermind. What was it that you needed?¡± I blinked at that, but couldn¡¯t find it surprising that we weren¡¯t the only ones unnerved. If anything, I¡¯d seen the other Brigade teams begin to falter more than the Legion had, perhaps because they had a frame of reference for what it was like hunting the deep waters. For us, this was our first time, anything was unusual to us. For them, this was like going hunting for deer, only to realize there was blood on all the trees and no sound for miles. ¡°I have reason to believe a powerful biotic is in the area. Some of my people are psychic, and they¡¯re all reporting the same thing. I would like to withdraw and regroup to a safer distance where we can send in some automated scouts, at least until we can see what the actual hell it is we¡¯re dealing with.¡± Matthew¡¯s voice sounded out calmly and reasonably, and I realized with a start that I was hoping with all my might that Adira would agree. Adira said nothing as our groups approached one another, her eyes surveying the field below, the ongoing train and the other teams that were culling the group. More than once during this voyage I¡¯d realized that Adira was much more dangerous than almost anyone I¡¯d run across before. It was no small wonder that Leviathan Brigade was one of the premier groups in Basilisk, but I had to admit that I¡¯d still felt that the Legion on average was better. I believed that until I watched her turn the ocean into a boiling pot. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take your word for it, but I hope you realize that we¡¯re going to have to have to fight for every inch when we come back again, there¡¯s so much blood in the water that we¡¯re bound to attract the bigger threats.¡± The leader of the Brigade spoke, but couldn¡¯t quite keep the note of relief out of her voice. None of us wanted to push further in, that much was clear. Though, I wasn¡¯t keen on fighting any of the stronger biotics in the area, either. ¡°I¡¯ll have the fleet reverse course, so we¡¯ll hard cull the trains now and start pulling back. If you¡¯ve got explosives, lay them behind us to slow down pursuers.¡± Adira began sending orders to the fleet and the rest of the Brigade, mirrored a moment later on our side as Matthew began passing orders. ¡°Legion, we¡¯re pulling back. Support the Brigade as we get moving, and keep an eye out for more powerful biotics.¡± Matt¡¯s voice resounded in my ears as each of our systems updated accordingly. There wasn¡¯t so much as a sigh of relief, but I knew the solace I felt was shared across the Legion and Brigade at that moment. It was true that we were retreating, but I didn¡¯t think that was a bad thing. Whatever was out there, we had no information on it, and time and again we¡¯d found that a lack of information against any high Gen biotic could be fatal. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to help the train beneath us.¡± Matt spoke to the team, ¡°The other teams will be doing the same. Don¡¯t worry about pulling them so much as just dealing as much damage as possible. Daniel, Harold, Terry, the three of you are going to leave mines behind us as we go. Everyone else, just be sure not to be in front of Kaiju.¡± ¡°Copy,¡± I stated, moving alongside the others as we dove, this time parallel to the other teams. The head of the train continued to dance to the beat of his music, but was slowly making a wide arc upwards, towards the teams. He exposed the broadest amount of the trailing biotics as he could, and when we were in position around eighty meters away we all took aim. Matthew waited for the last of the teams to get into position, and then glanced to Adira. ¡°Prepare to fire on my mark,¡± Adira called out, the water around her suddenly humming. Further down the line others prepared, this time heavier ordnance being used. Matthew would probably use that terrifying gun and spit out a metal storm into the crowding biotics, while Daniel would no doubt utilize the zone killing rockets and numerous projectile weapons at his disposal. I shook my head, readying my own rifle, keying the underslung smart-grenade system to my HUD and taking aim. ¡°Mark.¡± Adira said, just as the head of the train passed her field of fire. All at once ten teams unleashed devastating volleys of fire into the train. Explosives interlaced with projectiles, and directed bursts of microwave energy flash-fried swaths of biotics. Previously, I¡¯d thought that the biotics had been violent and chaotic when harmed, this was unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen. They thrashed so much that I wondered at how they didn¡¯t tear themselves to pieces. And noticed that, in fact, some of them were in fact tearing apart, wounds that had been suddenly gouged through them deep enough that they died in moments. I aimed as much as I could, but amidst the carnage I had to admit that I could barely tell where one biotic began and another ended. They were, however, beginning to split up, and those of us without heavy area attacks rapidly began killing the runners. Then we moved upwards, gradually letting them disperse outwards as we continued to dismantle the formation. Still, even as we did so, I knew that these were only the Gen 1 biotic Leviathans, they were dangerous to be sure, far more so than wolves, but they lacked the power to threaten us. It was no surprise, then, that we were taking them to task so thoroughly. I could barely even see further than twenty meters now, silver blood and shredded corpses all that remained after six minutes of our action against the horde. ¡°That¡¯s nasty,¡± Covina made a face, seeing the cloud of meat and gore lingering below us. ¡°You can say that again.¡± Harold shook his head in disgust, ¡°I never wanted to know what a biotic would look like after being shoved through a blender. Now I know what a few hundred biotics look like after.¡± We stared after the carnage, moving only as Matthew and Adira guided us upwards slowly. They were talking to each other on a private channel, I¡¯d guess, but while I felt curious at what they might be saying, I settled on keeping an eye on our surroundings. The other teams were visible, especially the train leader, whom now only bore very plain non-colored lights. The man was doing a once over to ensure that no one was still in the low visibility area, keeping his strobing lights on. ¡°I¡¯m glad that¡¯s over with.¡± I breathed in relief, ¡°How is everyone doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be better when we¡¯re out of the water,¡± I heard Jessica chuckle in spite of her nerves. Rachel grunted in assent, ¡°I second that. I feel like I need a shower after seeing all that down there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat fish again for a while.¡± Eric added in, looking slightly ill. ¡°Yeah,¡± Terry agreed, ¡°I was wanting sushi, but uh¡­ yeah. No. I¡¯m gonna have to take a pass for a while.¡± We chuckled quietly at that, until Richard¡¯s voice cut in with a wary note, ¡°Where did the lightshow guy go?¡± I turned my attention outwards more, blinking in confusion that the lights were off. ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe he turned them off?¡± Venezuela clicked her tongue, sighting her rifle, ¡°I don¡¯t see him. His suit is white as hell, he stands out.¡± Our attention didn¡¯t go unnoticed, one of the other teams nearby calling out to us from the Brigade, ¡°Hey, what''s going on?¡± ¡°The train head might be missing, you see him over there?¡± Daniel answered, mech hovering a little lower in the water as he warily moved for another angle. ¡°I don¡¯t see him here, but give me a sec, I¡¯ll pass it down.¡± The lady stated before turning and talking with the others of her team. In a short few seconds, the teams ceased their ascent, and very quickly the reports came in. ¡°Nothing, we have a missing in action here,¡± the lady calmly reported, ¡°We¡¯re gonna have to spread out a bit, but we shouldn¡¯t go down through the cloud¡­¡± She was torn, and I could guess as to why. Nobody wanted to leave someone behind, but it was beyond unwise to move through the chum field below us. ¡°The fuck!?¡± Daniel shouted, ¡°Get ba-¡± he started shouting, just before something massive blasted upwards through the cloud. It dwarfed the other Leviathan we¡¯d seen, that much I could tell instantly. It was a fleshy, silver and inky black spear of rippling muscled flesh, overlapping and smooth plates of chitin growing over twelve arms. It shot towards Daniel faster than anyone could react with such short notice, and I watched as four long-reaching, boneless arms shot forwards. Hooks as long as my legs flared from broad pads at the tips of each arm. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Daniel tried to dodge then, mech thrusters kicking into high gear a moment before the arms impacted him. I could hear the shock of the strikes against his armor, and hear the squeal of hooks against metal. My stomach sank at the sound, immediate fear coming to mind of what would happen if a breach were to happen down here. He didn¡¯t get the opportunity to fire, the massive thing that I now recognized as some kind of immense squid pulled him straight down with a hard jet of water that pushed a swath of the cloud of debris upwards like a geyser. A second later, deep below, I heard and saw several bright flashes of light and explosions, and the accompanied roar of, ¡°Get the fuck off me!¡± from Daniel. ¡°Rally! Gulper Squid on the prowl! Tight formations now!¡± Adira bellowed over every live channel, coming immediately towards us. ¡°Daniel! We¡¯re coming down!¡± Fran shouted, beginning to move, only for Adira to reach out and catch her by the leg. Fran looked to her with shock and disbelief, shortly turning into outrage, ¡°W-what? Why?¡± ¡°They never hunt alone, don¡¯t break formation.¡± Adira¡¯s voice was solid as steel, and Matthew looked down into the darkness. I didn¡¯t imagine he planned on abandoning Daniel for a second. Fran opened her mouth to say more, but Matthew stopped her, ¡°Keep calm or we lose him.¡± He didn¡¯t spare more than a second on the statement, but I could almost see it like Fran had just taken a physical blow. Matthew turned his attention down again, as did I, watching as much as I could for any titanic bodies moving far faster than anything that size had right to be. ¡°Daniel, I need flares, everything you got, bright as you can right now!¡± ¡°O-¡± something hit him from the side hard enough that I could hear the clang of metal from here, ¡°God fucking damnit! How¡¯s this, assholes!¡± A moment later I saw dozens upon dozens of what looked to be spiraling little lights in the depths, hundreds of meters down. Then I swore and clamped my eyes shut as each one exploded in a brilliant cascade of light, flares that each could bring the sun to the dayless world below. ¡°Oh my God,¡± the words slipped out of my mouth, my stomach flipping as my visor adjusted for the sudden influx of light. Daniel was grappling with one of the creatures, firing pulsing shots of red hot metal into the Gulper Squid that was trying to crush him down. Deep scouring marks had peeled the paint away from the mech, and shreds of the metal exterior plating had already been gouged. All around him were more of the creatures, though they put distance from the lights in shock, unable to see. All hell broke loose then, the Gulper Squid shunting away, even as cries of panic resounded from other teams. I spared one glance just in time to see a squid spirit away someone from another team that had strayed too far from the group, this one grasped firmly in tentacles as it darted straight down. The team followed after, keeping themselves close as they descended. Adira turned her hands upwards and fired into the water, convection pushing and pulling the cloud of debris out of the way. To my horror, six squid darted out of the cloud at the passing of the superheated water, back into the cool depths. ¡°Heads up!¡± Harold shouted, giving me only a few moments of advance notice before I looked down. Huge arms reached up towards me, immense hooks that I had little doubt could penetrate my armor if I was enveloped in a deadly embrace extending towards me. I turned my rifle, getting two shots in before the arms swept in around me. Before they could latch on, though, I felt someone grab me and pull, throwing me away from the grasping tentacles. I saw the black metal and the red light for a moment before the tentacles grabbed onto the new target and darted down into the depths. ¡°Matt!¡± I heard someone cry out, but couldn¡¯t place who in that moment. Panic rose, but I reminded myself that losing control would only get me killed here. Instead, I began to set my smart grenades to flares and immediately painted the area between the newly lit zone and ours in bright white light. We could see in infrared, but if my hunch was right, these things had difficulty hunting with bright light in the way. Several more light sources erupted into being around our new battlezone revealing the voracious Gulper Squid as they rushed upwards. The light struck their massive eyes, disorienting them enough that they had more difficulty in locking onto prey. And yet, someone would be dragged down sooner or later, perhaps someone without as much armor, or be torn apart by the squid themselves. A drumbeat of explosions shook me from below, the sight of Daniel hammering through one of the Squid, snarling in wordless fury, shook me into action. Fran and Emma guided rods of metal through the water, keeping a perimeter check and striking the Squid. Even so, the squid powered through the attacks, and another one came towards me as the squads finally formed up a single cohesive wall. The Squid took the brunt of the impacts delivered by our firing line, harming it, but not killing it. The biotic blasted back into the depths, leaving me gaping in disbelief that it was still alive. Several more attempted the maneuver, only to accrue grievous injuries for their efforts. Our wall of squads stabilized, and then Adira made the command, ¡°Move down all together, keep everything lit. When we get any survivors out of there, we¡¯re hammering the area with plasma.¡± ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s how they normally deal with these ones.¡¯ I thought grimly, unable to keep my mind off of the fact that Daniel and Matthew were down there. It was chaos, barely controlled as Adira took the lead and created entire fields where the squid wouldn¡¯t move through. More explosions resounded, and I realized that Daniel was even deeper than he was before. I moved to tell Adira when suddenly an ear piercing noise streamed from the depths. It carried on for what felt like an eternity, and the water shook followed by an almost sullen silence. ¡°Halt advance,¡± Adira called, suddenly wary of what just happened. We all worried about the same thing, that there was a new biotic that we would have to contend with at the same time. From below, I could just make out something moving up towards us, and let out a breath in relief. ¡°It¡¯s them, they¡¯re coming back up.¡± -Matthew P.O.V.- I pulled hard on Domino¡¯s power armor, a maneuver that would have pulled his arm off without the metal shell. Even with his machine, I knew that the Gulper Squid would have little trouble penetrating through with a little time and constriction. These were Gen 2 creatures, and they were dangerous in the extreme. Even so, I would trade places with Domino any day, knowing that I had a better chance at surviving than he did. Still, as the hooks closed in around me, scraping against the super-durable skin of my power armor, I did have a moment of trepidation. I shook it off, though, honing myself into that razor point of focus that I knew I would need. My awareness skyrocketed, and I carefully calculated how fast we were dropping. The pressure increased dramatically, and I felt the ocean press on me harder than the arms of the squid could in that moment. When I estimated that I was at the right depth, I fought back. My shoulder weapons sprang to life, the lances striking each tentacle repeatedly in the span of a second, each blast eating through flesh. I pulled hard, feeling the rubbery flesh tear with a sickening snap as I took in my surroundings once more. I moved in bursts, darting around another of the squid even as my shoulder lances took it upon themselves to begin firing into the biotics nearest to me. And, luckily, it seemed that I¡¯d come out just where I wanted to be. Daniel was firing some kind of weapon into another of the Squid that grappled him, fragments of metal pushing deeper into the tough flesh seemingly of their own accords. Knives, or something like them, stuck out all over several nearby creatures, and I watched as they steadily punched themselves deeper with some onboard mechanism. Whatever they were, the Squid were distracted with trying to remove them for the time being. I swept in next to Daniel, bringing my rifle up and switching it to the fully automatic setting and pressing the barrel against the huge lidless eye that only now took notice of me amidst its grapple against him. A gushing fountain of blood and scraps of flesh exploded from around the entry wound. The Gulper Squid shuddered and tried to pry itself from Daniel¡¯s mech. ¡°No you fucking don¡¯t!¡± I heard the outraged shout bellow from the mech itself, ringing out into the empty ocean, ¡°You picked the wrong guy to fuck with!¡± I then watched as Daniel lifted his right arm, the metal splitting and realigning into what looked like a boxy gun barrel. When the weapon was fired, I felt a blast hit me in the chest and felt the biotic go limp beneath my grasp. ¡°Daniel, you alright?¡± I called out to him, ignoring the car-sized hole in near the mouth of the Squid, ¡°We need to start making our way back up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± I heard him say, shocked that he seemed more angry than anything else, ¡°But you probably shouldn¡¯t have come down here. I can take more depth than you can.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯d better not go deeper,¡± I stated flatly, annoyed. Even as we were talking, though, we didn¡¯t allow ourselves to lose track of our environment. Several of the creatures were lingering on the edge of the light that Daniel¡¯s mech cast, some of which appeared to be from a weapon system that protruded from his back, four bulky, robust turrets that spun and sighted targets, but refrained from firing for the time being. The search-lights that they bore seemed more for intimidation than anything else, given that the Gulper Squid appeared to be intelligent enough to realize the light meant that they were being targeted. In a handful of seconds, several would move forward, only to peel off from their attack as the weapons cast their lights upon them. That was even without Daniel¡¯s sun-like flare that illuminated the creatures. ¡°Grab on,¡± he gestured to his back, ¡°I¡¯ve got a plan, but you¡¯re not gonna want to be anywhere in my firing field for it.¡± Wordlessly I moved, grabbing onto the hull and having my power armor lock into place there. I felt more like a glorified turret in that moment, but at the same time my firepower certainly wasn¡¯t anything to baulk at. It was, in a way, nostalgic that we were fighting like this again, considering that we¡¯d done just this shortly after Daniel had received his first mech. I chuckled, ¡°Just like old times.¡± Daniel paused in confusion before he snorted, ¡°Yeah. I could do without the water, though.¡± Just then, another of the creatures darted forward in an attempt to close the distance. One of the turret heads snapped in its direction and fired several bright rounds that streamed through the water, sizzling and exploding on contact. The Gulper Squid pushed onwards, and I noticed then that the turret had only fired a single barrel. That was fairly cheeky, considering that the spherical weapon platforms had eight a piece. I doubted that it had been an accident either. Instead of weathering the assault and closing, the Squid was suddenly concussed with the remainder of the barrels opening up. It didn¡¯t die instantly, but it was so heavily disoriented that it could only flounder as another second of sustained fire dug deeply into its flesh. Meanwhile, Daniel brought up the weapon mounted to the top of his left arm that protruded like an acute triangle, flat side pointed forwards and outwards on three planes. Several holes were apparent, and in the next moment streaks of metal flew out at incredible speed from them, unerringly hitting several of the Gulper Squid and digging deep. I noticed then that the projectiles were the dagger-like protrusions that I¡¯d witnessed before, digging deep and continuing to chew deeper into their targets with twisting sections. A dozen more Squid were punctured by more than twenty a piece before Daniel ceased firing, switching to a weapon underslung on his left arm. This one was more conventional, a trio of vulcan miniguns that spat shells into the biotics around. It was one of three sets, the other two emplaced on the hips of Daniel¡¯s mech in heavy-armored casings. They roared to life, each fired in different directions with tracer rounds keeping the onboard aiming assist programs keyed in on their targets.I felt the vibrations in the steel as these weapon systems came online. The spine of the mech below me opened, thirty-two missile ports opening up and disgorging an equal number of the thermal missiles that he¡¯d used previously. I knew I couldn¡¯t match up with the amount of firepower that Daniel was putting out, but likewise there were too many Gulper Squid around even for his barrage to cull. Silently I sank into the Reaper¡¯s Eye state, allowing only what was truly important in this moment to rise to the top. I lifted my repeater up, switching between full auto bursts and with cartridges filled with toxic, stinging solutions that dispersed through the water when far enough, or after embedding into tissue. I urged my own pair of shoulder mounted turrets silently to life, spitting black, energetic streams that collided violently with the water and the biotics. The energy clung stickily to the biotics, weakening the connections between the tissues and breaking down the material before my eyes. They fired bundles of unstable and overcharged pseudo-nanorobots that aggressively dismantled materials and were heavily overcharged with energy in the first place. Violent physical disintegration occurred rapidly as the nanorobots dove through the bloodstreams of the targets, shocking their systems with spazstic electrical bursts as the devices discharged excessive energy. Even so, they required time to work, especially with such large enemies. I grit my teeth, mentally priming the Reaper Ravager Disk weapon system that sat on my back. If necessary, I could deploy all of my explosives remotely through fast moving drones. Before I could do so, though, I felt everything jerk downwards, and saw with a start that five of the behemoth Squid had joined in striking us from below. Their long arms grappled with Daniel¡¯s mech and before the turrets could so much as adjust their aim the Squid jetted hard, pulling us even further down. I felt the pressure increase, but my armor held in spite of the groan of the external layer of metal. Daniel¡¯s mech seemed undaunted by the change, and rapidly cleaved through the arms of the Squid before they relented and fled. ¡°Matt, you good?¡± He called out, swearing under his breath as The Dauntless¡¯ hull shuddered, even more weapons unfurling from his shoulders and the veritable casket that was the weapons platform on its back. ¡°For now,¡± I answered, twisting back and forth to watch for any Squid, several hundreds of meters down deeper than we were before. We were more than four thousand meters deep, firmly in the abyssal zone of the ocean. Daniel¡¯s mech shuddered once more as several plumes of light erupted in the gloom, once more casting the following predators around us, but nothing else. The open ocean beyond showed me a picture of utter emptiness and crushing depths. ¡°Well, at least we know we can go this deep.¡± I muttered to myself before refocusing on the issue, ¡°I have a lot of explosives I can use.¡± Daniel grunted, ¡°Hold onto them, if what I¡¯m doing doesn¡¯t pan out, we¡¯re gonna need to break out.¡± While I wanted to know what he was planning, I didn¡¯t have the fortune to pause any longer. The Squid seemed to become more aggressive the deeper we were, though the light still interfered with their ability to accurately target us. By now, some of the bright balls of light were obscured behind the swirling wall of moving Squid around us. I fired into one side, only to have the other flank surge forward. If it weren¡¯t for Daniel¡¯s extra firepower, I suspected they¡¯d have been more than capable of overwhelming me from all sides. Even so, they were becoming bolder by the moment, learning rapidly about our limitations, and exploiting them intelligently. Already I had to focus a great deal more beneath us, several more of the Gulper Squid seeking to engulf us from below and drag us further down. It was no small bonus that Daniel was too large of a target to devour whole, giving us just enough room to leverage our advantage in sheer firepower and killing strength. Another ten seconds passed, an eternity as I twisted to and fro, weapons linked up into my mind to guide them to cover weak points and punish overeager Gulper Squid. The water itself was an enemy now, with enough of the Squid moving together and downward to create a siphon that pulled us deeper, albeit slowly. They¡¯d become faster in time with practice and coordination, something that I knew would come quickly. Their numbers hadn¡¯t decreased dramatically either, many of them retreating before they could take debilitating damage. Though, the combination of Daniel¡¯s overwhelming volume of firepower with supreme destructive capacity and my own single-target lethality amounted to no small number of dead. But the living were plentiful, and at this rate, I knew that we were in dire straits. ¡°Alright, brace!¡± I heard Daniel call out, and immediately flattened myself against The Dauntless¡¯ hull. Throughout the battle, Daniel¡¯s knife-like weapon system had been working overtime, embedding deep into flesh and working deeper as time passed. It would kill a target slowly, a sort of backup plan for all of the heavy armaments that Daniel sported thus far. That was, of course, if that was all they were designed to do. In that moment, hundreds upon hundreds of bladed explosives detonated, each one packed with super-reactive materials that made what was about to happen a matter of course. Any given spike blasted outwards, tearing flesh apart and sending smaller bladed spikes deeper into the innards of the creatures. Those blades then did the same a moment later, directed claymore-like explosions that sent the spikes diving through meat like a pin dropped through air. This repeated across every single dagger, and unlike what I would normally expect, the result wasn¡¯t an awe inspiring explosion, and lacked any of the flashy aplomb. Hundreds of fairly loud cracks followed by thousands of smaller crackling snaps was all that really resounded. But in the aftermath I watched as the vast majority of the Squid simply ceased to move. ¡°What¡­¡± I started before trailing off in wordless shock. Daniel picked it up after me, no less stunned, ¡°..the fuck?¡± The Gulper Squid around us that remained fled in moments after they realized the sheer amount of death that had transpired around them. Meanwhile, the two of us, still shell shocked, ascended quickly before anything else could go wrong. ¡°So¡­ anything else you haven¡¯t tested yet?¡± I joked in the silence between us. ¡°Yeah, a few,¡± he murmured, ¡°A sonic weapon, and an artillery weapon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± I frowned, ¡°You¡¯re a walking gunship.¡± ¡°Dreadnought.¡± He answered with a grin and chuckle, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to fight above water again, though. This sucks.¡± ¡°Soon enough. For now, though, we¡¯ll regroup and scout the area out. I don¡¯t want something nasty creeping up on us.¡± I nodded, still grabbing onto the mech. ¡°Definitely.¡± He pushed upwards, accelerating through the open ocean with the still flaring lights all around us. Chapter 145 Something Wicked This Way Comes... ¡°Let¡¯s do a headcount,¡± I heard Adira shout as we approached, ¡°Every team, check who is missing. Get a few scouts down, but don¡¯t go too deep, it won¡¯t do us any good to lose more people.¡± Activity buzzed as we came together, and Fran quickly moved to Daniel¡¯s side. I guessed that they were speaking on a private connection, and I turned my attention to the others to do my own check in. ¡°Thanks for the save,¡± Domino said, coming up to me holding a steel fist out in front of me. I nodded to him, tapping my fist against his with a dull clank. ¡°Of course. How is everyone holding up?¡± I turned my gaze to the others, celebrating briefly that we¡¯d survived, but casting wary glances all around us in the meantime. ¡°Rattled,¡± the young leader shook his head, ¡°Me too, honestly. Alice said it right; it feels like we¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡± I sighed, drifting forward under power, ¡°We¡¯ll be regrouping shortly. Hopefully we can figure out what¡¯s going on out here.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± the man nodded, shouldering his rifle and gazing down into the darkness of the deep sea. Mech¡¯s and power armors moved quickly, organized into their own teams even as smaller, more mobile units dove deeper, careful to keep in range of the lights. Adira noticed us moving closer, and turned to face us, ¡°All accounted for?¡± I nodded, ¡°Yeah, we got lucky.¡± ¡°Very. I¡¯m glad,¡± she stated, her all-business tone warming before she settled back into her command role, ¡°We¡¯re checking for any survivors but, unfortunately, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find anyone. Gulper Squid are pack hunters, but those numbers were¡­ aberrant. It seems there might be a Unique out here after all.¡± That didn¡¯t bode well at all. Considering how destructive they were, I didn¡¯t want to know about what creature would stand above them. I put the thought away, taking stock of the Legion teams as a whole in the area. I grimaced as I noticed that we¡¯d lost six individuals, their life-signs no longer broadcasting. There was no helping it, though, things would only get worse from here, after all. We were in the core of the Red Zone territory, and at this point the worst of the worst would soon be here. ¡°We lost five,¡± Adira exhaled shortly, ¡°What does it look like on your end?¡± ¡°Six,¡± I replied tiredly, ¡°It could have been worse, but still¡­¡± She nodded, neither of us needing to finish the statement. The scouts returned shortly, none really expecting to find someone. Having experienced the attack firsthand, I understood that anyone not in a heavy mech wouldn¡¯t have survived the force that the Gulper Squid could exert, let alone the drastic increase in pressure from them dragging someone downwards. Had it been Domino instead of me that was pulled downwards, or anyone that wasn¡¯t Daniel for that matter¡­ Adira¡¯s voice broke me from my grim thoughts, ¡°We¡¯re moving. Another fleet should be joining us here any minute now anyways.¡± I nodded, remembering that two other fleets were supposed to have joined the Leviathan Brigade. I knew comparatively little about them, but the additional manpower seemed less like overkill now and more like a necessity. We were still farther out on the flank, though. The area that we covered gave us plenty of room to work with in the event that a line collapsed and we had to mount a fighting retreat to the fleet. Our mood remained somber and tinged with nervousness as we went, and even with us being so close to the surface, not one of us stopped taking glances downwards. ¡°Something¡¯s coming.¡± Alice broke the silence, her voice tinged with a familiar terror. ¡°What?¡± I heard Daniel ask, ¡°What was that?¡± Alice shuddered, and veered off course suddenly, nearly crashing into Richard before he caught her and stabilized her. Almost as one our team crowded closer to her, and I realized that Alice seemed to be clutching her head. ¡°Alice! Alice, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Richard shouted, the first shred of panic and fear that I¡¯d ever heard from the man clear in his voice as he tried to hold onto Alice. Then Alice pressed her hands to her helmet, and Richard slammed himself wholly into her. ¡°Whoa, hey, cool it man,¡± Daniel called out, seeing Richard grappling with his beloved, struggling to keep her arms away from her head. ¡°Help me!¡± Richard shouted, ¡°She just tried to get her helmet off!¡± We all started at that, Fran immediately helping to seize her suit with magnetics and bring her upwards towards the surface. Adira noticed the commotion, as did other teams, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I shouted, ¡°Alice said something was coming and-¡± I shook my head, ¡°-and she¡¯s disoriented, I think.¡± Adira nodded, before I moved closer to Alice, the processions slowing and stopping to see what was going on. I reached out with my mind, searching through the data connections to my Legion, and found the one that connected to Alice. The comms could be disabled from the inside with a thought, but few really bothered. They¡¯d be moving to the surface in moments, but I wanted to know what was happening now. I felt the familiar lines of information, threads that led into the suits system. I followed the thread, easily breaching the defenses with Legion codes. Richard still moved right beside her, helpless as he moved upwards alongside her. My eardrums quaked at the sound that suddenly bloomed to life between the two of us. Alice was screaming, a guttural, raw terror that scraped her throat on the way out. Wild eyes darted to and fro, erratic and utterly chaotic. Other sounds broke through her screaming, but none that formed words. I felt my blood chill at the sight of her, no trace of the person that I knew beneath the madness I witnessed now. I refocused on myself in time to see Richard reach for her helmet after getting her above the water line, still far from the central ship. ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted too late, the power armor opening, the ear splitting screaming, crying, and whimpering woman suddenly exposed to the open air. Instantly the confusion among us transformed into sudden wary fear. ¡°Alice? Alice! Calm down, I¡¯m here!¡± Richard shouted, his own helmet sliding off as he held her close. If she noticed, she didn¡¯t even look at him. We stared dumbly at the scene, utterly out of our field of expertise with what we saw until I shouted, ¡°Get her helmet back on and get her back to ship medical!¡± Richard jolted and turned his gaze to me as he collected himself. He nodded, helmet sliding back on before he replaced hers. He said nothing as he moved off, Fran staying and allowing him to take care of Alice. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I heard Terry whisper, unsettled at the sight. Our team wasn¡¯t the only one affected, especially among the Legion, there was a general understanding that Alice was generally a very stable person. What could have happened to cause something like that to happen? That question was foremost in our minds, but it wasn¡¯t hard to draw the most likely conclusion. We were all well aware that Alice was one of the best psychic¡¯s we had in the Legion. She had a gift for finding biotics, specifically sensing the presence of especially powerful biotics. Beyond that, she was very empathic, able to read the emotions of others. In time, I wondered if she¡¯d be capable of talking with others through their minds. But, given all of that, what would happen if she sensed something truly horrific? The only time I¡¯d ever seen that glimmer of madness in her eyes was before she was even a team member. Back when she¡¯d first encountered Wolven. But this was worse. Much, much worse. I grimaced at the realization; reaching out for the distant Determinators that were held within the ship bay. They responded instantly, 64 fully mechanical warriors priming themselves, roused for combat. Each was fully outfitted, having consumed the majority of the Matter Energy that had been allocated to me from the Legion¡¯s coffers. Each one was a distinct upgrade over the previous models, more than capable of handling biotics on their own. Their minds networked together, relaying information to me in real time. Even as they dove into the water, I noticed Adira speaking with someone else, her attention turned farther afield to our flank. As I turned my gaze, I noticed that the ship on the farthest wing seemed to have smoke rising from it. ¡°Shit, we have contact on the flank. Everyone, form up!¡± Adira shouted, pointing in the direction of the farthest ship. It was a half kilometer away, and would take time to get to. The Determinators could move faster than us, but I doubted they¡¯d get there before us. ¡°No helping it, then.¡± I murmured to myself, thinking once more on Richard and Alice. A part of me dreaded that whatever happened to Alice might be permanent, but I had to hope that wasn¡¯t the case. She didn¡¯t deserve that, no one did. I took a deep, steadying breath. For now, I knew that we needed to get to the ship as soon as possible. Whatever was going on there had obviously broken through the defenders that had been left there. Minutes ago, I didn¡¯t want to see another Gulper Squid in my life, but now I almost hoped that¡¯s what we would find. ¡°Matthew, I want you and your Legion to head to the ship, try to help keep biotics away from it and help out inside however you can.¡± Adira ordered quickly. ¡°Will you be handling deeper water?¡± I asked, still on the lookout for any biotics, but finding the area strangely void of them. ¡°That¡¯s the plan.¡± She nodded and turned her attention back forward. I continued to survey the area, gritting my teeth as I watched the vitals of the Legion in my feed. There were several teams on standby in that ship, and not a single one of them had regular lifesigns. That struck me as deeply wrong. There were plenty of experienced teams on that ship, and almost uniformly they were all exhibiting heightened vitals. Beyond just excitement or adrenaline, this was more akin to full blown panic. All at once, I felt the realization hit me, ¡°We can¡¯t go to them.¡± Adira slowed and frowned, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Whatever happened to Alice is happening to them. There¡¯s a biotic doing this.¡± I stated, certain that this was the only possibility that made sense. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Are you sure?¡± She asked, though called for everyone to stop, ¡°Are you absolutely sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I said, ¡°I have Legion members on that ship. Judging by their vitals, they¡¯re all panicking.¡± She groaned, casting a gaze to the ship, still far away, but now close enough that we could hear their screaming crew reverberate through the water. I couldn¡¯t think of anything to do, uncertain if we could do anything if Alice was anything to judge by. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that light?¡± Domino asked, pointing to something. He wasn¡¯t referring to the ship, but instead drew my eyes to something much deeper, a red light that gently strobed. I frowned, ¡°Adira?¡± She extended a hand in response, pointing at it, ¡°Not one of ours.¡± Silently we all aimed our weapons at the light. If it wasn¡¯t one of ours, then it was probably a biotic, one that Adira hadn¡¯t seen before. It didn¡¯t take a leap in logic to assume this had something to do with what was going on aboard the vessel. ¡°Fire!¡± Adira shouted, torpedoes, projectiles, columns of superheated water, and anything else people had on hand cut through the water. They were all fueled by the intense disquiet they felt, and the knowledge that if this thing lived, they would have to close in on it in close combat. None of us knew what lurked beyond the light, and moreover none of us wanted to know if we could help it. I watched Fran fire disposable spears down at extreme speed, cutting through the water as though it weren¡¯t here. Daniel unleashed a hellstorm of bullets, sonic bombardment, and rockets, augmented by the firepower that Domino, Venezuela, Rachel, Jessica, Emma, Harold, Covina, and Eric provided. Terry sent jolting, ionized beams chasing the light, while I fired black spears of energy from my shoulder armaments, a column of my own bullets tearing down into the deep. Together, we and every other team maintained a constant stream of fire that gradually widened to hit everything we possibly could in the area. For more than thirty seconds solid we fired, and after the first ten the red light flickered out of sight, a deep bellow that quaked the water accompanying the disappearance. ¡°Cease fire!¡± Adira called out as she glared into the darkness, every pair of eyes we had devoted wholly to the task, searching for any sign that our quarry had been slain. A fin rose, ghostly white and nearly transparent, and we aimed at it before realizing it for what it was. Severed, the limb spewed a white blood, not silver, and I felt a deep sense of impending doom at the sight. No biotic I¡¯d ever seen bled white. Always silver, even Yaga bled silver. ¡°Did we get it?¡± I heard Eric¡¯s hopeful voice in my ear, and I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head. ¡°I think we wounded it.¡± I swallowed hard, staring down beneath where the fin had come up. No one said anything, our senses strained to the limits. Yet, we didn¡¯t need to be so aware. The biotic didn¡¯t hide itself as it rose, a white phantom that rose upwards from the depths, a pale, transparent body that already bore the remains of what had to have been other biotics. ¡°Fire!¡± Adira called out, already beginning to turn up the energy output from her gloves. The beast wasn¡¯t larger than a Gulper Squid, but I felt unnerved upon seeing it. It appeared more like an angler fish, though its bulbous, pitch-black eyes somehow seemed to carry a depth to them that was firmly out of place in the mindlessness of the standard biotic. [Alert! Unique High-Gen biotic detected! The Devil¡¯s Angler-] The rest of the message cut off as the lantern light came back on, the first volley of fire streaking downwards and cutting shallow wounds into its body. It bled from several hundreds of small wounds, yet didn¡¯t slow at all. Fins protruded like flaring, transparent frills on a dress across its body, long spear-like teeth exposed themselves to our sights. I took aim and continued firing for several seconds as it nonchalantly approached, and only then realized the screaming that was happening around me. The red light seared through the water, and all at once there was nothing but madness. Our formation broke apart instantly, and I realized with dread that there was no single lifesign near me that wasn¡¯t affected. Daniel¡¯s mech let out a klaxon warning, wailing as it locked the cabin down. I could feel with my mind that the controls had locked the pilot out, and was automatically continuing to fight. That was only one small blessing, though. I watched as our numbers came to nothing before this creature. Fran reeled in place, somersaulting over and over and over again, faster every time. She would pass out at that rate, I was sure. Others screamed, some of which swam downwards at speed. I watched Harold, Eric, and a dozen others charge at the biotic without any heed for strategy or safety. At first, I hoped they were unaffected, but too late I realized that they were far from sane. They fired weapons, clattering and lightly wounding the outside of the biotic, which almost seemed amused at their movements. I dove downwards towards them, watching the tragedy unfold. The Devil¡¯s Angler turned, biting down on a pair of maddened attackers with its teeth and shearing through their mechs easily, like a knife cutting through butter. Harold turned in time to see the ghostly maw open wide, sucking both him and Eric in at once, dozens of spear-like teeth stabbing into them. Whether by accident, or perhaps a glimmer of Harold remaining, an explosion went off in the Angler¡¯s mouth. It thrashed in pain, several teeth coming dislodged and spiraling away in gouts of white blood. But after a moment, it simply turned and cut through the others, the wound already clotting and new teeth poking up an inch or two from the ravaged gum-lines. It was a hideous thing, and as I turned I realized that the scene behind me was no better. Some had managed to get their suits open already, trying to swim freely. Those who did so often also breathed in the water. I didn¡¯t dare look at who, knowing that I couldn¡¯t save them all. What I could do was try to push this thing away, to get its maddening light away from my Legion. I realized then that perhaps the only other person who would be even remotely able to care for himself would be Terry, who had joined to an A.I. Though, I didn¡¯t really know whether he would be immune or just more resistant due to that. I accessed his system, intent on checking his state, but found that he was frantically attempting to help those around him. He wasn¡¯t unaffected, but he was still a far cry from the insanity that took root in everyone around him. ¡°Terry! I¡¯m leaving everyone to you.¡± I shouted to him, forcing a private feed to him and blocking out all of the screaming madness around us. He shook, eyes feverish as he turned his attention to me. Words failed him, but he nodded with a haunted look in his eyes, not calming in the slightest, and continued pulling drowning victims upwards, looking for anything that he could use to help them. I felt my own heart wrench as I watched people I¡¯d come to know and count on fall apart, some dying with little chance to save them. Driving myself deep into the Reaper¡¯s Eye trance, I divided my mind into two tasks. The first of which I directed into every thread that I could find, Legion and Brigade alike, and forced their mechs and power armor to deny opening. At the very least, I could try to keep them from killing themselves. Any weapon that ran on automated configurations I disabled, and I handed off orders to Daniel¡¯s A.I. System. At the same time, I pointed downwards at the Devil¡¯s Angler with the muzzle of my repeater. I opened fire, bullets fragmented off of the biotic¡¯s skin, some digging in. It barely noticed, leisurely peeling open the mechs around it with small whiskers around its mouth. With a thought I switched to chemical cartridges, the ammo exploding across its pale scaled flesh, hissing. This time, the Angler shifted away, bulbous eyes looking at me for the first time. Confidently, it drew its lure forward, the brilliant red light growing brighter, more like a spotlight now than the unfocused flood of light. I responded by showering its face with bullets. It hissed, keeping the light focused on me and making minimal movements to evade the shots, utterly failing to dodge almost all of them. Partway through, I refocused my aim for a brief moment and destroyed the light, stalk, and part of the flesh of its forehead. In an instant the red light winked out of existence, a fleshy organ with no bone suddenly pasted. The Angler twitched in pain, but continued moving towards me, a ponderous target in the depths. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± I happily took the opportunity to keep hammering it at range, one of the shells catching it across the hardened membrane of one of its eyes even from this distance. Finally the light ebbed as the Angler dipped lower into the water, moving deeper away from me. ¡®Not a fucking chance,¡¯ I thought angrily, engines roaring to life as I plunged after it. The creature wasn¡¯t slow, but hardly the speed of most of the biotics we¡¯d seen so far. Though, I knew that following it to fight was likely an awful idea. This was at least a Gen 3 biotic, if not more, but if I could outrun it, then I could eventually wear it down. It was with that dogged determination that I kept after it, firing constantly at its ghostly retreating visage. A few times, I thought I saw it twist, glancing back at me as we descended into thicker blackness, but thus far hadn¡¯t managed to close the distance. I allowed myself a momentary distraction to hope that its ability wore off over time, the idea of hundreds of people permanently afflicted with insanity churned my stomach. It would be a devastating blow, not just for the Brigade, but for the Legion, too. Besides being my closest friends, a significant portion of our elites were in this battle. Those thoughts were thrown into a box for later as I forced myself to concentrate on the biotic. Soon, the Determinators would be here, and we could pick this thing apart in earnest. More bullets chipped at the Angler¡¯s body, the weapon simply not getting enough punch through to do any real damage yet. Still, any progress was progress, and given that I had a wild abundance of shells, I would be able to eventually have results. The Angler turned then, sharply rounding and coming towards me, far faster than it had been going before. ¡°Ah, shi-¡± I swore aloud, alarm rattling my mind as it closed the distance between us as fast as the Gulper Squid could while jetting. I barely managed to force my engines into overdrive, darting feet to the right. Spear-like teeth scraped the surface of my arm, the unfeeling eye of the biotic now gazing at me right beside it. Instinctively I fired my shoulder cannons and deployed an explosive disk, before a fin slapped me away. It felt like being smashed by a truck at highway speeds, and threw me, tumbling head over heels several meters. I was upside-down and desperate to keep my attention on the biotic. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I could take in as much information at once as I could, I wouldn¡¯t have realized that the Angler had rounded once more, turning on a dime, towards me. I detonated the explosive just before the biotic could lunge for me again, sending it off course from me just enough. As it passed, I tried the same strategy again, but couldn¡¯t manage to get the disk on it. ¡°You learn too fast,¡± I commented darkly, noting the crackle of electricity as the dark lances payload went to work on the flesh of the beast. Somehow, though, the four shots I¡¯d given it had scarcely seemed to slow it down. Just as rapidly as before it rounded on me and charged. I darted to the side as it attacked, and saw the feint it intended as it drew back at the last moment. Instead of dodging, then, I¡¯d only moved into its threat range. Its¡¯ jaws opened wide, teeth ready to spear through me. ¡°Wrong move,¡± I threw the explosive disk in my hands into its maw, bracing as the explosion forced itself outwards, water pushing me back. Fragmented teeth spilled outwards, as well as a shimmering cloud of white blood. The Angler screeched, darting away as peels of ragged flesh spun in its wake. Warily, I checked my armor, noting that it had held up under the strike, but had taken some damage. Far less than what I hoped the Angler took. Wildly I took in my surroundings, having lost track of the Angler just then. I distanced myself from the cloud of blood, knowing that it would be all too easy for it to hide there. Repeatedly I sent out sonar pings, tracking the solitary movements of something large outside of my visual range. The Angler was circling me, no doubt estimating if it was worth the effort to keep hunting me. In response, I began to open fire on it, doing my best to guess where it was based off of sonar. The Angler started moving erratically, speeding up and slowing down at random, preventing me from getting any more clean shots off on it. Annoyed, I tried to move towards it, only for it to maintain its distance. ¡°The hell is your plan here?¡± I blinked, confused at its actions. Neither of us wanted to leave, determined to kill the other. Yet, I couldn''t think of a way to go after it right then without being at a significant disadvantage. Five minutes passed before the Angler twisted and darted forward, receiving several shots to the face in response. It muscled through, opening its mouth wide as I left a pair of explosives in the way, still mounted to small drones. Predictably, it darted downwards, trying to circumvent the bombs and get to me. The drones moved with it, slapping bombs into its path and retreating. Too late, the Devil¡¯s Angler noticed the movement and plowed into the explosives. They both erupted, once more shredding through flesh. But, in the exchange, I noticed something else amiss. I watched it as it retreated, and felt my teeth grind together at the realization that the previous injuries I¡¯d inflicted were healing rapidly. Scar tissue remained, but even the teeth had grown back, save for the new ones that had been shattered just now. Even as I watched, a stalk had reformed, and a new red light began to wink into existence, flanked by a second light that hung limply next to it. ¡°You can regenerate, too?¡± acidly I watched it go back to lurking on the edge of my range. No wonder it was willing to fall back. I would fail a battle of attrition eventually, there was no ¡®wearing down¡¯ this biotic. But, there was still another chance. The Angler paused in its movements, hesitation clear in its posture for the first time since the beginning of the battle. 64 cold mechanical lights gleamed in the darkness farther out. The Determinators had arrived, and the Angler¡¯s red light flared meaninglessly in the face of the stone-cold killing machines that now fed me with every point of view on the biotic as possible. ¡°Now, let''s start the real hunt, shall we?¡± A humorless, cruel grin split my face as we began to fire. Chapter 146 Deep Water A barrage of spearing bolts tore through the water around me, a drumming staccato beat from every rifle the Determinators wore. I joined in the deluge, lancing shots that tore chunks from the surface of The Devil¡¯s Angler¡¯s hide. The biotic thrashed, throwing streaming waves of water away from it as it dove downwards, body trailing blood from hundreds of wounds. Each Determinator adjusted their aim, leading the target and moving with me as though an extension of myself. The encirclement of machines closest to the side that the Angler was trying to break through activated shoulder mounted pods, missile systems that propped themselves up and spewed a trio of fast moving rockets. Twenty four rockets streamed downwards, crossing the distance between us and the biotic faster than I could blink. They exploded in shaped charges as they made contact, and the sea shuddered with the repeated impacts. The Angler didn¡¯t slow, though I could clearly hear the hiss of pain and see the trail of blood and bits of flesh spinning in its wake. It barreled onwards, intent on smashing through anything in its way and escaping into deeper waters. Instead of allowing it to close the gap, the Determinators on that side activated the second pods on their opposite shoulder. Rather than a missile pod, the new device looked more akin to a bulky mortar, holding a wider variety of tools to be used. Each metal soldier fired a fist-sized orb and as they exploded, long spindly strands that vaguely resembled black spider-silk expanded outward. The results completely covered any approach the Angler could reasonably use. The biotic plowed straight into the mass even as the disparate pieces snagged onto other exploding pods. In a heartbeat the nearly transparent abomination was swallowed up, thrashing in confusion. All the while, the rest of our force moved downwards, trying to keep pace with the Angler as we went. With its regeneration, we needed to put on as much damage as possible and keep on top of it. The snares tightened around its body, pressing into scaled flesh as the Angler kept pushing. I grinned as we closed in on it more. The Determinators began firing barbed lances from their utility launchers as we pursued. Wires attached between them and the lances allowed them to further slow the creature. In a few seconds, most of the Determinators had latched on, and I myself grasped one of the lines, pulling in an effort to keep it from going forward. Amidst all of this, though, I realized something odd occurring. The strands of black material that dug into the things flesh had broken skin, cutting deeper and deeper into meat by the second. The problem, though, came an instant later, when I realized that the strands were beginning to rapidly break down. Fibers snapped and sizzled in contact with the blood, some kind of caustic reaction taking place before my eyes. I grit my teeth as the force of the beasts thrashing grew by the moment, inhibited less and less by our nets. ¡°Cut off the fuckers tail,¡± I sent the message, and a plan of sorts, to the Determinators around me. From several perspectives, myself and the hive-mind unit of machines gauged the new information on The Devil¡¯s Angler, and realized that the blood outside of its body wasn¡¯t caustic. However, as of moments ago, the blood that spewed from wounds was reacting violently to seawater, searing its bleeding wounds closed and melting through the snares. The harpoons were more resilient, for now, but in time those, too, would melt. A burst of speed from it put it another twenty meters forward, only a dozen more before it would break out of the encirclement. Instead of striving to keep dragging it back, half of the Determinators reeled themselves in closer to the biotic. Contemptuously, it turned and slapped at one of the machines with its tail, seeking to batter it away. A move that worked against it. The machine extended blades from its arms and part of its body, slashing deeply into the tail even as it was smacked away. Dented, but undaunted, the machine was already firing its rifle once more into the biotics side the moment it stopped spiraling in the water. It twirled, sending its newly caustic acid spreading out wide. If the Determinators had flesh and blood, they might have been wary of that tactic. As it were, none of them would truly die, even if the blood served to be immediately destructive to the hardened metal of the cybernetic soldiers. They delved down, putting on bursts of speed and extending blades much like their comrade had. While they moved, I had one of my own explosive carrying drones dart down through the water, faster than the Determinators even, with the barbed hooks reeling them in. The drone dropped a small disk that exploded, light and sound clapping only three meters in front of the Angler. Its eyes hadn¡¯t regenerated fully, but what had been was immediately assaulted by the strike, followed up with the percussive blast that wracked its other mundane senses. Distracted as it was, the Angler didn¡¯t immediately take notice when the first wave of Determinators blazed through the water at speed, coordinating with their fellows to cut through select bits. In moments, the keen cry of the biotic increased in volume as the blades cut through half of the tail like a circular-looping wire saw. It tried to dart forward, but this time its tail was far too damaged. Instead of a great surge of speed, it instead lurched forward with all the grace of a drunken mariner. I felt a thrum of triumph in my chest as the second wave of Determinators descended, carving through the rest of the muscle, sinew, and bone. Scales all over the front half of the biotic rose and flattened at random as the creature twitched violently, brilliant pulses of red light washed over us erratically. For just a moment, I could almost see a moment of dawning comprehension in what was left of its posture, the front two thirds of its body riddled with wounds, and now separated from its tail. If there was any way to describe the way it''s still healing eyes looked at me, I would have to say it was a bleak hatred. A look that one would give a mortal enemy, a nemesis, that defined their existence. I found myself grinning darkly, my mask flaring a bright red with the Reaper¡¯s Skull and Lotus symbol at the sight. The Determinators surged forth, a cold bloodthirst emanating from their steel bodies. Far slower than before, the Angler thrashed and moved downwards, throwing vast clouds of blood outwards from it. This time, we could easily detect the acidity of the concoction that flowed from it, and noticed that the tail was somehow disgorging even more of the blood. Several of the harpoons began to break down, lines melting amidst the storm of liquid. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Patiently we moved outwards, keeping our distance and remaining vigilant of both sections of the body. The severed tail spasmastically thrashed, and looked to be shrinking rapidly, huge volumes of gore spewing outwards like a cloud. Even as it did so, the blood began breaking down the flesh, allowing for an even more rapid evacuation of fluids into the surrounding sea. We continued down, having never intended to return to the surface without our quarry in any case. Still, we could tell that the gore was heavier by far than the water, and it sank quickly towards us. Below, the rest of the creature didn¡¯t show the exact same signs of breakdown, but it still churned out clouds of material like a chimney spewing smoke. It twisted, pointing itself downwards and kept moving, wreathed in the sizzling cloud of blood. I felt a flash of annoyance come from the Determinators around me at that, and thought for a moment that they might try to drag it into the open. Thankfully they did no such thing, instead leveling their rifles and firing into the mess once more. I joined in, each of us carefully controlling any recoil and our firing lines to not hit one another. If we weren¡¯t joined in a mental network and aware of each other, we would have almost definitely incurred some friendly fire with our formation. As it were, our encirclement remained a deathtrap. The biotic remained shrouded from ordinary visuals in spite of the light we brought to the permanent night of the deep sea, as the Determinators deployed U.V. Flares around us. On thermals, we could see that the creature was taking damage, albeit slowly. Its flesh was tough, and while our bullets were causing some harm, it seemed that the Angler was content with regenerating the lesser damage. After a few seconds, the Determinators brought up their missile pods, and, in the blink of an eye, networked their own firing patterns with one another. Just before they fired, I watched as a heat plume seemed to explode outwards from the Angler. I almost thought the rockets had been fired early, and only realized that wasn¡¯t the case when the Angler darted downwards at full speed, a boiling froth of bloody water in its wake. It moved on a direct crash course through the Determinators below it. Each metal hunter braced with their blades, each one bristling with sharp implements that had cut through its flesh like a hot knife through butter. It smashed the first two aside, hitting them hard enough to cave in their chest armor, still functioning but certainly damaged. The other three snagged into its sides, digging in deeply, ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t be thrown off. Sure enough, in the next moment the Devil¡¯s Angler realized that it had passengers in its flight from our attack. It twisted, spinning and writhing chaotically in an effort to disgorge its attackers. The rest of us swam downwards, pursuing the creature and carefully avoiding the blood field between us. Seeing it now, I clearly witnessed that new, opaque white flesh had taken the place of its previously wounded parts. The front half of its body was a patchwork of white scars now, whereas its tail was fully white, bulging and even larger than it had been before. I grit my teeth and pursued as fast as I could even as one of the three Determinators holding onto its hide was thrown from their quarry. Hopefully it couldn¡¯t do that trick again. I already wasn¡¯t sure how we¡¯d manage to get it back into our formation. Then, I watched in astonishment as the two remaining Determinators pointed their utility shoulder launchers point blank range at the biotic. Each one carefully placed it flush against the scaled skin of the fish, and fired a harpoon bolt deep into fleshy tissue. At this point, the Angler hardly noticed another prick of pain, though the metal hooked deeply. The clever part came after; instead of keeping the reel of wire for themselves, they released a line hundreds of meters long for others to hook onto. Before it could pull any further away, over a dozen A.I. directed their bodies to clamp onto each line. Abruptly, the Angler let out a mournful bellow as the lines pulled taut. The two Determinators moved closer to the tail, already beginning to savage the flesh with an arm blade each. I wasn¡¯t idle during this, moving down the guide-wires with other Determinators, intent on bringing it down. More of us gripped the wire by the moment, and the Angler slowed dramatically as our turbines disgorged water, pushing us upwards while holding tight. It balefully glared upwards at us, fanning its tail hard as it continued downwards. As if to spite the two that clung stubbornly to its sides, it now completely ignored them. They performed their grisly work quickly at first, but the new flesh was tough. We realized, though, that the blood had lost the bulk of its acidic qualities, no longer molecularly dissolving what it came into contact with. Metal groaned as the stresses of the deep sea increased. Already we were deeper than what I was comfortable with, the light of day far above no longer visible in the slightest. Only a twinkling trail of flares marked our passage, and even that had diminished until only a dull red glare from the Angler¡¯s lamp remained. Finally, though, the biotic was growing exhausted, unable to compete in the long term to the inexhaustible endurance of our mechanical bodies. It slowed more and more until we were at a bitter crawl. Still, it seemed that wherever it wanted to take us, we must have been close. There were, I realized, several sea-floor formations around here, tall stacks of calcium and other deposits, an underwater mountain that I realized with a start was nothing like I expected out of the supposedly lifeless sea-floor. Ridges of vents spewed super-hot material upwards, fronds of living creatures clustered around the lifegiving heat. Crabs cultivated and harvested them, and predatory fish slowly lumbered through the contained ecosystem. That I expected. What I didn¡¯t expect were the ghostly, pale corals that shimmered with their own glinting light. Only now did I realize that we couldn¡¯t see the lights from above because of the clouds of smoke. Other creatures stalked the chimneys, clearly some kind of biotic creatures, but nothing of the scale of the Leviathan¡¯s. What was more, some appeared to be cohabitating with the local fauna. Yaga would have a field day with this. Biotics instinctively hunted and ate non-biotics, yet this was a clear example to the contrary. Not just an isolated individual, but an entire ecosystem. Silvery jellyfish were fed by the native crabs, allowing their long, bushy tentacles to be harvested in turn for food. Sea cucumber that more resembled living bricks of metal twisted around and slowly formed the floor, chimneys, and coral housings for colonies of living organisms that I didn¡¯t recognize, but didn¡¯t seem to be biotic in origin. My attention was dragged wholly back to the Angler as one of the lines suddenly gave way, harpoon yanking free along with a chunk of flesh the size of my torso from the Angler¡¯s side. Immediately, the creature smashed into a large chimney, finally ridding it of its two riders. The plume of superhot material rushed over its stomach as it moved, setting it to screeching in white-hot agony. Instead of darting away, though, it twisted down and around the vent. We pulled on the remaining line, desperate to keep it from getting away. The Angler ground to a halt, but I didn¡¯t doubt that it wouldn¡¯t last. The hook would give way any second now, leaving the Angler free to escape. There was no doubt in my mind that we wouldn¡¯t catch it, being that it was far faster than we were. I took one last regretful look at the ecosystem around us, recording as much as I could from myself and 64 Determinators for future reference. There were more important things at hand. Missile pods armed, my bombs ready, we fired and left no room for escape around the biotic. In the moment I had before the rockets hit, I let out a sigh and swept my gaze over the field of life in the dark. ¡°Regrettable,¡± slipped from my lips unbidden just before the rockets exploded. Chapter 147 The Devils Home Dozens of rockets cut through the water, a wide spread that should be impossible for anything to avoid. With this, we could kill it, or at the very least seriously wound it. Already I felt my heart hammer in my chest, the excitement for the kill rushing through my veins. The Determinators, even with their simpler minds, shared my enthusiasm as the first of the rockets hit our target. Flesh ruptured with an agonizing squeal that vanished in the ensuing explosions. Several missiles hit, far more exploded nearby, shredding the terrain around it and blasting it with pressure waves, shrapnel, and bursts of superheated water. The Angler vanished amidst the plume of explosions, and for a heartbeat the chaos was absolute. My stomach dropped as suddenly the water pulled me inexorably forward. I didn¡¯t even have a moment to wonder at what was happening before the Determinators around me were pulled down, a sudden vortex of rushing water devouring the surroundings greedily. Countless tons of water overhead pressed us down, what had at first appeared to be solid ground beneath us collapsing inwards from the force. I grit my teeth, feeling my suit strain as rocks clattered against me. A pair of Determinators smashed against me and sent me tumbling as we all desperately attempted to gain some kind of control over our sudden pressurized descent. There was no controlling this, however, and the moment I crossed the threshold into the hole, it felt like I was fired out of a cannon. Water pressure alone peeled away layers of protective coating over my armor, scraping down to the metal. In moments I smashed into something hard, feeling something fracture beneath my weight, then the rattle as I bounced off of the ground. Red light and warnings chimed into my awareness, but I quickly shut them out. I tucked myself up into a tight ball as I was thrown through. In that fraction of a second I gathered as much information as I could. The first thing I realized was that this area was a massive cavity beneath the sea-floor, hundreds of meters wide and far. Huge columns rose from the floor, several of which were now shattering with the forces that suddenly acted upon them. Volcanic material spewed from the cracks, and for one despairing moment I feared I was sitting on some kind of magma vein. However, there was no river of fire here, but something far more alien instead. Writhing, transparent vines like pale anemones grew everywhere, even without water. I could see several weathering the assault of the now in-rushing ocean, though those closest to the exponentially expanding hole were shredded to pieces near instantly. I didn¡¯t have more time than that to look around, though, and as I spun through the air I twisted, hoping that my suit wasn¡¯t breached. If it was, I would be dead the moment the water finished filling the cavern. A small city could fit in here, but that would mean nothing to the ocean above. This cavern would fill in seconds. A ledge rushed to meet me as I fell through the air, and I set my feet together, bending my knees as I hit it. Carefully I partly rolled forward, setting through the balls of my feet and then pushing off with my legs, keeping moving. The impact was jarring, and in the blink of an eye that the move took, I¡¯d already settled on my next moves. I bled momentum on four more jumps, moving deeper into the cavern and over the writhing fields of strange transparent plants. Ridges of stone rose up in many places, and I clamped onto one such area that was free of the plants, turning my attention back to where I¡¯d come fearfully. The ceiling was virtually disintegrating, calcium, stone, the creatures that had been above us, and most of all, sea water churned downwards in a white-blast of water. Desperately, I dove to the ground between the cracks, ignoring the anemones at the moment. A thousand thoughts danced through my head. Were there any Determinators that survived? Was my suit¡¯s integrity enough to survive? What was this place? And, not the least of which, did the Angler die? I filed those concerns away as the water hit me, grinding me against the crevice I¡¯d selected for a moment. Pale flesh of the organics beneath turned to pulp from my armor hitting them. The rush of water tore me from my shelter, rushing past me and crashing into the ground farther afield. I did my best to try to control my forward motion, but accepted the impossibility for what it was. I braced my arms as the water threw me into a column, feeling the calcium crack as I rolled off of it, carrying flecks of it with me even as a patch of not-yet-mulched transparent animal broke my momentum elsewhere. At some point, I felt an impact as a stone the size of a car hit me, throwing me into a spin and stunning me. It was everything I could do just to try to protect my more vulnerable head. Dents appeared instantly, some I did not even notice until I¡¯d already received four more. Then the water began to settle, slowed as the cavern filled. Already I was doing a damage check, grimacing at the state of my armor. It held, but I wasn¡¯t keen on stress testing my power armor any more than I already had. ¡°Roll call,¡± I murmured to myself, body now resting against an intact pillar, a plume of superheated water blasting upwards within the hollow confines, vibrating my armor almost comfortingly. In moments, I received our status update. Stunningly, fifty of the determinators were still online. The remaining fourteen had been backed up, their hulls having been caught underneath the water spill for a few seconds too long, or smashed to pieces in a deluge of rock. However, of the fifty, only ten were in a state that could be called ¡®combat operational,¡¯ bearing all of their limbs and not having accrued too much damage. The others were clawing themselves free of debris, some with only a stub of an arm remaining, or having difficulty with damaged motors all over their bodies. We all took stock of what was left of our environment, and what we¡¯d fallen into. Above us, the ceiling had stopped collapsing, but still left a hole more than a hundred meters in diameter gaping. Sea-water filled the once dry cavity, and it was clear to me that this entire area had been created intentionally. The pillars, for one, were made out of calcium, not unlike the coral formations I¡¯d seen on the sea-floor above. The cavern itself bore vaulted ceilings, broad structures that wouldn¡¯t have happened in nature normally. Then I realized that the fleshy pale anemones all around looked familiar, reminiscent in no small way to the Angler¡¯s own flesh. I hoped that was just a coincidence, because there looked to be thousands of them here. Many were destroyed now, ground into nothingness, but the ones that were further from the breach were less damaged, some on the far side of the cavern appeared fairly unruffled. Reflexively, I pulled up my rifle as I sighted the far cavern wall. Hundreds of broken pods, ruptured from the force of the water, sat anchored to the ceiling above pools of dense brine, or some other kind of super thick water that was heavier than the surroundings. I couldn¡¯t guess at the purpose of the water, but I could easily see what had been in the pods. Many were mangled, but enough weren¡¯t that I could pick out very familiar shapes. Leviathans, thousands of them, were being grown in the cavern. Only a handful of them were left, car-sized and larger, some of the pods had managed to survive the sudden introduction of water pressure, and I was positive that these pods were nearly ready to hatch. Just past the egg field, though, was the real prize. What must have been a hundred hive cores were strung in a large network of dendrite-like flesh, each amassing towards a single central core. Tendrils of transparent flesh wrapped up each one, pulsing slowly and rhythmically with a silvery liquid being drawn from the spheres. They moved from the periphery, smaller, weaker cores that clearly belonged to Gen 1 biotics to interior ones, that were Gen 2. They were larger, more metallic in coloration with less black, and those too led deeper inwards. A much smaller cluster of almost pure silver cores lay there, what I assumed were Gen 3 cores. They, in turn, led to a single, resplendent silver core, with only a few minor imperfections, and as large as I was in the middle of the entire network. Most of the weaker cores had shattered, as did about half of the Gen 2 cores, but the rest had survived. By far, though, the central core was the motherlode. A Gen 4 core, or perhaps one that was going to be a Gen 4 core, was being made. I made certain to get a very good look at it all, intent on cataloguing this for our uses later. We knew that Gen 1 and Gen 2 cores could happen as a matter of course, but we hadn¡¯t even seen a Gen 3 core, let alone the one we were seeing form now. Knowing how this process worked would help us dramatically in the long run. But how did this happen? Was this something that occurred naturally? I paused then, feeling one of the Determinators send an alarm to the rest of us. As one, we jolted, sharing in the visual feed with a sense of dread. The Devil¡¯s Angler moved, little more than a plump mound of flesh with teeth on one end. The Determinator that watched it was heavily damaged and unarmed, but could clearly watch as it scraped its misshapen jaws along the ground, scooping up the transparent flesh of the anemones greedily. Every bite it took, a little bit more definition came back to its form, prioritized on the jaws. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. It was healing. My hackles shot up as I and the rest of the mobile Determinators charged towards it, dodging past plumes of superheated water from ruptured chimneys. We couldn¡¯t allow it to heal, there wouldn¡¯t be a chance in hell that we¡¯d win against it if it was even mobile, let alone fully regenerated. If I had to guess, I¡¯d say this entire place was its lair, a farm of sorts that it could come back to if it needed to regenerate in a pinch. Perhaps it had put together the Gen 4 core too, the first of its kind, only to be the first of many. I shuddered at the thought that there could be more Anglers out there. But, no, I doubted that would be the case just yet. Rather, I desperately hoped that wasn¡¯t the case¡­ if it were, then the only option we had was to send automated machines to war for our sakes into the seas. That, or work out some kind of psychic shielding. A pair of Determinators flanked me as I moved over the last rise, seeing The Devil¡¯s Angler in person once more. It had improved marginally, but still looked pathetic, its bobbing red lure flickering weakly as it moved to devour more materials. We dove in quickly, and only then did the Angler realize it wasn¡¯t alone. A single pale eye sought us out, and it snapped forward with a surprising agility. I narrowly dodged the surprise attack, but the Determinator beside me did not. Half of its body was in its mouth, and in spite of the crooked fangs, the teeth tore deeply into the armor. Contrary to what either myself or the Angler expected, the machine disconnected the lower half of its body, shoving itself deep into its mouth and forcibly lodging itself in the biotics throat. I could feel a thrum of cold fury on my mental connection to the A.I. in question, and realized that it was, spitefully, not going to allow the Angler to consume any more material at any cost. I almost laughed hysterically at that. The Determinators were very much done with fighting right now. What was losing a few more limbs after everything else that had just happened? Predictably, the Angler thrashed in panic, trying to disgorge its obstruction, or swallow it down. In response, blades extended from its arms and torso, the metal warrior refusing to be moved. When the other Determinators arrived, there was an almost comical moment where they turned to look to one another to confirm that they were seeing what they thought they were seeing. We encircled the Angler then, aiming rifles at it and blasting it apart. When it could barely move, we closed the distance and began to carve it apart with blades, making even shorter work out of it, slicing through its scales with heavy strikes. Eventually, we pulled the Determinator out of its head through a cut behind its skull, the machine in question exuding a profound aura of contentment that I found made me somehow proud of them. I could tell that they were pleased to be done with this hunt, even though it had nearly gone catastrophically wrong. For a minute afterwards, we simply sat and waited, making sure that it wasn¡¯t moving anymore. I could feel them communicate with each other, half of the functional Determinators moving amidst the rubble and gathering their damaged comrades. While they did so, I reached out with my mind, connecting to the communications of the Legion as a whole. I took a deep breath before connecting to Terry. ¡°Terry, can you hear me?¡± I asked, noting that his vitals weren¡¯t erratic anymore. ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded, voice and video chat coming online, ¡°I can hear you. Did you get the fuckin¡¯ thing?¡± I nodded, tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s dead. Probably. We¡¯re watching its pieces to make sure it doesn¡¯t regenerate again.¡± There was a long pause as Terry waited, and then with what felt like forced humor said, ¡°Oh, that was a joke. Whew! That would be some kind of bullshit if it could actually regenerate from all that.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, simply staring tiredly into the feed once more. His face paled somewhat after a few moments. ¡°Oh. Wow. That¡¯s¡­ what the fuck. That¡¯s nuts, how do these things even-you know what? Nevermind.¡± His voice shook slightly before he took in a deep breath to calm himself, ¡°You already know what¡¯s going on up here?¡± I shook my head, only checking on the vitals of those topside. I knew that there were at least twenty casualties among the Legion, a huge loss, but I didn¡¯t know how everyone else was doing currently. My face darkened as I realized that there were four fatalities on my own team, Eric, Harold, Venezuela, and Covina all were dead. Eric and Harold died when they rushed in their madness to attack the Angler. I didn¡¯t know how Venezuela and Covina died, nor how nearly two dozen others in my Legion died. And then, of course, there were the Brigades casualties in the strike force. That didn¡¯t include the number that was present on the ship that the Angler had attacked. ¡°Well,¡± Terry shocked me out of my thoughts, ¡°a little over three quarters of people have more or less recovered. They¡¯re still shaken up - everyone is - but they¡¯re not trying to claw their-¡± Terry¡¯s voice hitched, ¡°-they¡¯re stable enough. There¡¯s some that are still in hysterics, but we have them above water and back on the ship. Adira¡¯s flash frying the ocean whenever a biotic so much as looks in our direction right now, so we¡¯re good there. Give a heads up before you come topside, though.¡± I nodded, ¡°Will do, after I¡¯m done down here. I¡¯m going to have some Determinator¡¯s help me take care of some things first. For the time being, I don¡¯t want anyone down here that¡¯s susceptible to psychic attacks.¡± ¡°So, everyone but you, right?¡± Terry paused, ¡°Because you don¡¯t pay me enough to go down there with that thing.¡± I chuckled, ¡°No, you stay up there, better to keep an eye on things. Let me know about any new developments.¡± ¡°Gotcha, boss.¡± He said before he logged off of the chat. After that I turned my attention back to the remains of the Angler. Thus far, it hadn¡¯t moved, but now the Determinators were busily digging a pit of a sorts and shoving all of the biomass they found into it. I blinked as they placed an armed missile into the pit, covered it all up with sand and rock, and then detonated it. ¡°You guys¡­¡± I uttered exasperatedly, but then stopped myself. They may have been paranoid, but at the same time, wasn¡¯t paranoia just the better part of caution? The next pit, I fired my Phantasm Lances into the mass, watching as the unstable nano machines tore the molecules apart and electrically fried everything. It wasn¡¯t glorious work, but we were patient. Five Determinators went topside, ferrying four of their damaged kin each time. They were deposited in the ship where they then worked on performing repairs. We didn¡¯t have the materials to replace the force completely, but within the hour I had thirty fully kitted Determinators down with me, and another three topside, trying to cobble together full body sets out of the remains. My heart ached dully as I worked, mind present enough only to continue the methodical work. At a distance, I was examining the condition of all those involved. From what Terry had said, things had indeed calmed down somewhat, but that was only in comparison to the psychotic break that had overtaken everyone when the angler had first arrived. Few would return from this mission unscathed and unchanged, and it was much worse for the few that were psychically inclined. Richard was beside Alice, her sedated and sleeping form resting on a bed with cushioned straps over top of her. According to Richard, she panicked and violently lashed out at everyone trying to hold her down, and while it didn¡¯t look like it, she was much stronger than she looked. Luckily, Richard used some of his non-combat related chemical concoctions, to help subdue both her and others who showed the same fight or flight response. There were more than a hundred that remained afflicted, and three to four hundred more that were at least recovered enough to not be a danger to anyone or themselves. That wasn¡¯t just from the battle group we¡¯d been attached to. The initial casualty count was off, given that we still hadn¡¯t found out what was going on with the ship that had been on fire and assaulted by The Devil¡¯s Angler. It seemed that prolonged exposure to the Angler¡¯s light had exponentially devastating effects, and that it traveled through materials. Over half of the hands of the flanking destroyer were lost, most killed by each other in violent fits of rage and terror. Of the remaining half, fifty were spread out between each of the remaining fleets destroyers. That wasn¡¯t the only news, however. One of the other fleets that had been assigned to rendezvous in the area made the deadline, but the other had not, and had shown no signs of approaching. The only thing we were aware of was smoke on the horizon, several nautical miles away. Scout vessels were underway, but we wouldn¡¯t know what was the cause of the smoke for a while, but more than a few of us feared that we knew exactly what the fate of the other fleet had been. Domino, Jessica, Rachel, and Emma were all that was left of my newcomers. It was devastating for us, and I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how they felt. No small part of myself was wary that I wasn¡¯t more affected by their deaths. I felt numb to the loss, and even the fact that the others were still recovering hadn¡¯t hit me as hard as it should have. But, I had a job to do first, one that I poured myself into. Aside from some samples to be carefully stored and taken to the lab, we destroyed everything we could find. The eggs we dismantled, the hive-core network we took apart and put into metal crates along with the fibrous material that connected their disparate pieces. We would learn as much as we could about this process, but I refused to leave it here. It was too risky, after all that we¡¯d already gone through, to leave a potential source of Devil¡¯s Anglers here. The Obelisk had rated it as a Unique, but we hadn¡¯t stumbled across any Gen 4 biotic. Against the odds, we may very well have gotten lucky and stumbled upon a freshly created core. As I packed the last crate and began my ascent with the other Determinators, I took one look around at the remaining sea-floor. A large portion had been destroyed, yet there was plenty more besides. Living creatures and biotics still resided, oblivious or uncaring of our presence, continuing to exist down in the darkness of the sea. That meant something, at least, that even after all of the carnage, there was still life left. With that thought in mind, I returned to the surface, weary, not quite happy, but relieved to be done all the same. Chapter 148 Rest and Recovery I sat in the infirmary, beds filled nearly to capacity with the recent damages we¡¯d incurred. The hospital crew had been working tirelessly for hours, and I¡¯d assisted with what little I could among the Legion. I wasn¡¯t needed elsewhere for the time being. My debriefing with Adira had been short and to the point. That we¡¯d taken the time to be certain of the Angler¡¯s demise and had removed the hive core threat was, on paper, a massive victory for the region. My Determinators had navigated through the massive cavern, and had discovered a handful of other hive rooms, though far less advanced in scale than the first. I suspected that they were being used to reproduce higher Gen cores, though I still wasn¡¯t certain that the process we¡¯d seen was necessarily common. Nevertheless, the end result was that we now were in possession of a massive bulk of hive cores. There had been a hefty pushback from the biotics that remained in the area, but by the time they began to swarm in, the Brigade had been reinforced by another fleet, and a defensive net set up over the area. Biotics instinctively guarded their hive cores, and that much held true even with Leviathan. Luckily, they were disorganized, severely so considering the bulks in which they attacked us previously. I had little doubt now that the Angler had been organizing the biotics in the area to some extent. Not exactly like the Unique that escaped in Argedwall had done, but close enough to pose a strategic level threat. Without that driving force, though, and with the assistance of a semi-permanent defensive network that was still being installed farther and farther out into the sea in the Red Zone, most biotics were dealt with methodically and safely. That, ultimately, meant that the Legion and Brigade were both able to handle things without a dramatic need for personnel. For once, I¡¯d had enough of hunting down biotics, and had decided to be present for my own wounded Legionnaires. Most of them were now coherent, only needing help in the event that they couldn¡¯t move around very easily. Others, though thankfully few, were still suffering some effects of the Angler¡¯s light. These people we ended up watching closely, more to ensure that they couldn¡¯t hurt themselves rather than anyone else. Amongst them, Alice had begun to finally stabilize, and Fran had become slightly less distant, whereas Daniel, Domino, Jessica, Rachel, and Emma had more or less recovered. They weren¡¯t, however, without their grief. They¡¯d taken up a corner of one of three rooms that had been dedicated to lighter medical injuries. Comfortable enough coaches and chairs with fake plants beside them sat at the far side of the room, occupied by the team. We weren¡¯t the only people here, there were other teams present throughout the room, each section having their own sparse amenities. Infirmary members moved between the groups, checking up on them and ensuring that they were alright. From time to time, I wandered the halls, making my presence known. The news had already raced across the newly expanded fleet that I¡¯d killed The Devil¡¯s Angler, and dismantled its lair. The Legion and Brigade reacted nearly about as I¡¯d expected; my people were profoundly relieved and cheerful, while the Brigade was near to celebrating, if it weren¡¯t for the bad news that came with that announcement anyway. We were supposed to rendezvous with three fleets at this general location, however one of the fleets never made it. We¡¯d found the missing fleet, but it had already been visited by the Angler and - unlike us- had had no method to combat it. Almost all hands had been lost, save for a few survivors that had managed to save themselves with what little sanity they still retained. They were currently being cared for by the second fleet that had managed to reach the rendezvous. It was a devastating blow to Basilisk to lose an entire fleet. Two of which were still burning, marked off as a loss, while the other three had been reduced to slag at the bottom of the sea. I dreaded to think what would have happened if I hadn¡¯t been present here at all. It wasn¡¯t a stretch to say that perhaps all three fleets that had been sent to the Red Zone would have disappeared. How many more of these powerful biotics existed on Earth? How many were allowed to live, worse thrive, because they were nestled into ¡®No-Man''s-Lands¡¯? ¡°You look like you need a coffee.¡± A voice stirred me from my thoughts. I blinked up at the face, not recognizing the person in front of me. He was a burly man, tired but still attentive in spite of what had been hours of exhausting work with the patients around. I¡¯d bumped into him more than a handful of times, sometimes to hold someone down while they were given a sedative, other times to hold a limb in place. He never complained about the work, and had taken to giving me some tips on how to wrap a wound, check a bandage, simple stuff. I then realized he was holding a coffee in each hand, one extended slightly to me. With a chuckle I accepted it, shifting over on the coach to give some room, ¡°Thanks.¡± The man nodded wordlessly, sitting down with a sigh and looking to those around. Daniel and Fran were very close together, both sitting splayed out across the coach, Fran sitting between his legs and resting the back of her head against his chest. They chatted quietly with Richard and Rachel, whereas Domino and Jessica rested their heads against one another. Emma was talking to Terry, occasionally falling into companionable silence as they listened in on the group. She still carried a haunted look on her face; reasonable considering she¡¯d tried to crush herself like a tin can with her magnetics. She had nearly succeeded as well. If she hadn¡¯t damaged her mech¡¯s power generation early on, there would have been plenty of power to crush the cockpit. She didn¡¯t take well to that fact, and was desperately trying to distract herself as much as she could. ¡°It¡¯s a lot rougher than I imagined,¡± the man beside me said distractedly. ¡°Always is,¡± I agreed, ¡°But, somebody''s gotta do the job.¡± He snorted but said nothing, instead sipping his coffee slowly with a look on his face that bordered on perplexedness. ¡°Matthew Reaper, by the way,¡± I nodded to him. Blinking blearily, the man turned to me before coming to his senses more and nodding back, ¡°Jean Moore.¡± ¡°Been working the infirmary long?¡± I asked, surprised at myself for making small talk. He chuckled, ¡°Just signed on a few days ago. Have a friend who works it,¡± at that he shrugged, ¡°helluva time to hop on.¡± I smiled sadly at that, ¡°Well, if you can hold up through this, you¡¯ll go far.¡± The man regarded me for a moment before speaking up, ¡°You know, you¡¯re not how I imagined you¡¯d be.¡± ¡°How did you imagine me?¡± I asked, partly curious, but mostly just amused. He paused hesitantly for a moment, seemingly genuinely nervous for an instant before regaining his composure. ¡®That¡¯s odd¡­ right?¡¯ I wondered to myself. Wolvey nearly startled me when he answered with ¡®We are quite spooky.¡¯ Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Where the hell have you been off to all this time?¡¯ I griped, but didn¡¯t have any heat in the question. It was getting harder to really get any sense for Wolvey when it wasn¡¯t speaking, almost as if it were gradually going away. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but I also had no idea what I could do about it. ¡®Sleeping. Resting in nothingness is¡­ peaceful.¡¯ It said, and I devoted a bit more mental energy to focusing on Wolvey, waiting for it to explain itself. Which it didn¡¯t. ¡®Well, okay then.¡¯ I mentally scoffed and shook my head, attention resting firmly back on the man beside me, mid sentence. ¡°-not like I expected you to eat babies or anything. But the way a person I sorta know described you didn¡¯t exactly seem great?¡± he chuckled nervously, ¡°I mean, you can hear all kinds of stuff, but first hand experiences and all that, right?¡± I chuckled, though immediately wondered who might have given him such a negative impression of me. ¡°Right. I don¡¯t really mind what most people think anyways. If we always worry about what someone else thinks of us, we¡¯re really never going to be able to move forward.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± he hummed in agreement, building up to another question over a few seconds, ¡°So, why are you guys here, anyways?¡± I sat back comfortably, ¡°Well, we¡¯re here to kill biotics.¡± He sat back as well, seemingly waiting for me to expand on the answer. I wasn¡¯t necessarily sure what kind of answer he was looking for, though. In general that was the prime motivator for everything that I did. The Legion was primarily a tool for that purpose, too, though it of course meant much more to me than that. ¡°No, I mean, like here, here, y¡¯know? Why bother coming all the way out here?¡± He quirked an eyebrow, ¡°I mean, thanks for helping with this mess, but isn¡¯t it still our mess here?¡± I pondered that for a moment, before having my epiphany moment, ¡°Ah, alright, I think I see what you¡¯re asking. Well¡­¡± thinking, I drummed my fingers across my leg, ¡°There¡¯s two goals here, but if you asked me which is more important, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell you. Firstly, the Legion will go where the biotics are, even if that means its someone elses territory. Thing is, Basilisk is doing a fine job with its people, and even the biotics are mostly in hand. For The Legion, we don¡¯t need to step in on that, but we do want to make sure that the biotics are more than just handled. As you¡¯ve seen, they get worse as time goes on, some faster than others, like this one here.¡± I gestured vaguely to the sea beyond the confines of the ship, to which he grimaced. ¡°We¡¯ll go through as many as we can, but if there¡¯s anything this has demonstrated to me, it¡¯s that we need better options. Information is the most valuable thing to have against biotics, but the next best thing is overwhelming firepower.¡± I stated, glowering at the ceiling idly. Jean paused, blinking uncertainly at my train of thought, ¡°I don¡¯t think I follow. Why does that mean it¡¯s a good idea to be out here?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I hummed to myself, before shrugging, ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if you know. There¡¯s a location out here that potentially has an uplink center to the satellite defense system. With access to that, we can drop a pinpoint attack on any biotic that presents itself to be an existential threat. I don¡¯t know if Basilisk would spin this some other way, but to be frank, neither of our sides wants to have the New Government or the Coalition have the power to drop something on our heads at a moment''s notice.¡± He stared at me, openly gaping for several seconds. Technically speaking, I did just drop a high strategic secret in the open here. But, to be completely frank, I didn¡¯t give a single fuck about that kind of thing. Nothing would stop us from getting to the uplink at this point, and as far as I was concerned these people had earned the right to know what we were here for. But, the truth was, if it hadn¡¯t been for the uplink, we wouldn¡¯t be here. ¡°So, you guys are out here to get control of some¡­ like orbital weapons or something?¡± The man asked dubiously, ¡°How and the hell did you get Basilisk to agree to something like that?¡± I snorted, ¡°As a whole? I don¡¯t even know if Basilisk knows what we¡¯re really up too here aside from some higher ups. So, keep that to yourself.¡± With a stretch and chuckle, I continued, ¡°Besides that, we¡¯re both going to have a hand in how the system operates. That¡¯s the big reason why we were allowed to come out here. Though, I¡¯m going to push for a ¡®biotics only¡¯ policy for deploying weaponry.¡± The man nodded slowly, absorbing the enormity of what the mission he¡¯d shipped off on had set out to accomplish. For all intents and purposes, Basilisk had already massively profited off of the endeavor. The Red Zone was far more secure, save for what perhaps amounted to leftover biotics, depending on any other hives in the area, but I doubted many real threats existed out here besides the nightmare that had been the Angler. Jean shook his head, and joked, ¡°Alright, well, that¡¯s way above my pay grade, so thanks? I¡¯m not gonna, like, need to lock down my home to know that, right?¡± Teasingly, I considered the question in mock-seriousness, just long enough for him to stir cautiously. I laughed at seeing him, and then waved it off, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. There¡¯s probably plenty of people who¡¯ll know about it soon enough. It won¡¯t be a problem if one more knows now.¡± ¡°Good. Great. Yeah, that¡¯s¡­¡± he looked up, noticing someone enter the room and make eye contact with him in the way that people did when they were looking for you. ¡°Ah, looks like that¡¯s my break over.¡± He turned to me, giving my shoulder a firm pat, ¡°Well, glad to meet you. Honestly, I do wish you the best of luck, all things considered.¡± I nodded back to him, ¡°You too, good luck out there.¡± With that, he moved off from the room, leaving me with my thoughts and my team. ¡°Seems like a nice guy.¡± Richard commented from Alice¡¯s bedside, ¡°Very shady, though.¡± I quirked an eyebrow at that, ¡°Why shady?¡± He shrugged, ¡°Like knows like, I guess.¡± ¡°You can be very shady,¡± Fran joked weakley. Richard grinned mildly before the look vanished as he turned his attention back to me, ¡°Was that a good idea to tell him, though? That¡¯s still fairly sensitive info at this point.¡± I smiled faintly, ¡°Probably not? But at this point, no one¡¯s going to stop us. Plus, the way I figure it, we shouldn¡¯t be keeping secrets like that from people anymore. I¡¯d sure as hell want to know if someone had a strategic weapon hovering over my head.¡± ¡°Might be a little arrogant to think we can¡¯t still fail at this point,¡± Domino commented idly, still emotionally drained, ¡°But, I¡¯d rather not have to worry about keeping everything a secret after all of this.¡± A somber moment settled on us then, our losses more sorely felt. For one stark moment, I felt the heaviness of my command, to know that they died because of my mission here. Yet, instead of miring myself in it, I let it flow over me, ingrain itself in my memory and settle there. It was a tragedy, yes, but I would do it again, better next time. Always, we would be better the next time than before, again and again, until we shattered our opposition with an iron fist. Until the last biotic left on our world was allowed to exist by our will, instead of in spite of it. The pain was there, but I would let it harden my resolve, not weaken it. As I looked up at my team, though, I could see the cracks show through. I knew I wasn¡¯t a normal, or completely sane person, knew that the pain I felt was a shadow of what I should have felt. I wasn¡¯t as relieved to be alive, I wasn¡¯t as stricken and hurt at our losses. My thoughts didn¡¯t linger on my weaknesses, nor did I try to blame anyone else for the tragedy that had befallen us. But when I looked at them all, I could see those thoughts and emotions warring in them. I could see the closeness between Daniel and Fran, the worries of Richard when he looked at Alice, the shared suffering between Jessica, Domino and Rachel, the silent camaraderie between Emma and Terry. But, not every mission would exact such heavy losses on the battlefield. I would have to give them time. Only that would be enough to know if they could rationalize and resolve what they¡¯d gone through. There was no doubt that they would have my full confidence, whatever their decision. Even so, my thoughts wandered to the Determinators, and I decided that they had once more proven themselves more than capable. Perhaps it was time to push certain other projects forward¡­ After we were done here, there would be more work to be done, as there always was. Chapter 149 Executive Decision -Jean Moore P.O.V.- I was no stranger to the shady jobs, nor the risky ones, or the ones that made you regret everything that had brought you to where you were. This was one of those jobs, and not for any of the reasons I expected to hate it. The Brigade ran clean and smooth, I had no complaints about how they ran their ship, or how they put every hand to work that they had available. It was a bad ship that had idle hands loose amidst a disaster. And most definitely this constituted a disaster. Thane¡¯s Hand, one of the three fleets that were supposed to have joined Leviathan Brigade on its journey and attempted to subjugate the Red Zone, was effectively dead. All told, I¡¯ll freely admit that I¡¯d chalked up some of the tales of this place to rumors and happenstance. Now, I had to say that those tales were severely lacking in comparison to the true horrors of the area. That was not something sailors regularly did, usually things were blown out of proportion. Had I known what was lurking under the water before, Benjamin couldn¡¯t have paid me enough to get on this ship. That wasn¡¯t a reason enough to hate the job, though. Unforeseen circumstances came up plenty often, but that wasn¡¯t enough to raise questions about my life choices. Yet, as I stood over another sailor and checked over their bandages, I had to admit that it certainly didn¡¯t do this job any favors. I wasn¡¯t exactly what one could call a loyalist to Basilisk, but I was beginning to come around. Against any ordinary biotic, the Brigade had done wonders and defeated countless creatures from the depths. But against that hellspawned abomination? No, that wasn¡¯t the domain of ordinary people, or even most trained personnel, truth be told. Which brought me, again, to the real reason why I hated this job. With a sigh, I moved on, idly considering the unconscious forms around me, checking those conscious with a tired and distracted manner that mirrored the patients quite well at this point. I administered perhaps more sedatives than strictly necessary for minor issues, letting some of these people sleep it off. If it wasn¡¯t permanent, some sleep would help all ails. Distraction, that was a tool I used when I was avoiding making a big decision. That wouldn¡¯t do, if there was anything that I¡¯d promised myself it was that I¡¯d never let myself stay on the fence. I worked for ten more minutes, finding an ebb in the workflow to slip away and out the door. I walked through the metal hallway and made my way to the bunks. One uneventful trip later, and I found myself sitting on my bed, working through a message in my mind using the Obelisk Shard. The fleets all had the shards tied into the antennae relay, enabling broadcasts to get to the city without being in personal range. Even so, I sat on the first line for several minutes, my jaw flexing idly as I considered everything. Benjamin wasn¡¯t actually a bad guy, a little presumptuous that everyone was out to get him, maybe, but then again he wasn¡¯t always wrong. I had no doubt that if Sunvilla had never seen any outside influence, he would have eventually assumed full control of the city. He had plans for it, I knew, and a bloodless transition to only one faction had been in the running. Did that excuse what had happened up ¡®til then? Probably not, but Sunvilla would have been a different picture, and I would have had a good place in it. Now, we were working from somewhere in the middle amidst the people of Basilisk, though that in itself was impressive all things considered. He was only human, of course, and I knew - hell, of all people I knew - how fallible people could be, especially when they thought they were right. Benjamin had put a lot of work into getting Sunvilla up and running, and up until a few days ago, I agreed wholeheartedly on the mission he¡¯d sent me on. Gather information on what was happening, transfer it back, and wait for an opportunity to either sabotage or hijack the uplink. That was another thing that I had to give him credit for. Benjamin had figured out why the Legion was here, and I¡¯d just confirmed it. Granted, it somehow felt underwhelming when that Matthew guy said it, but there it was, truth stranger than fiction right in front of my eyes. Idly, I tapped the drive in my pants pocket, now almost completely sure that I would never get the chance to use it. I wasn¡¯t a secret agent with master kung-fu, for Pete¡¯s sake! I¡¯d keep a hold of it as a backup plan just in case I was wrong about the Legion, but I wouldn¡¯t be fighting my way into any compound for this. ¡°Crap.¡± I breathed out a long, drawn out sigh and started typing my report to Benjamin. I included everything objectively and tried to keep everything concise enough. Even so, I found it difficult to remain unbiased, considering I found myself liking the Brigade and even the Legion. I included my observations of their supposed invasive presence, and found that they conformed to the Brigade and supported them at every turn wholly. It wasn¡¯t the unwilling ally that I¡¯d believed I¡¯d see here, and instead what I saw reminded me of the kind of long term allies that often forgot there was any kind of delineation between the two. I finished my observations with my own personal opinion on the matter, namely that I saw nothing, absolutely nothing, that the Legion made me wary of. Even on a personal level, none of them struck me as the type that thought they might be fighting against Basilisk at any point in the future. No odd questions, no leading conversations that might reveal secrets in the city beyond what I might consider believable day-to-day talking. And most of all, the Reaper himself seemed utterly uninterested in throwing around their authority, and mostly kept up a ¡®be seen, not heard,¡¯ method of leadership whenever there wasn¡¯t anything specific to be doing. With one final burst of resolve, I sent my message and made the executive decision that every agent on the ground of any job had the right to make. I decided I wouldn¡¯t do a damn thing. For once, just letting things be might be the best option. A smirk settled on my face as I wondered what kind of face Benjamin would be making when he finished my message¡­ -Matthew Reaper P.O.V.- Several hours had passed as the Leviathan Brigade and Sword Fleet - as I¡¯d come to learn, that was their name - had joined together and fallen into formation. Considering everything that had happened, the combined task force, Legion included, left nothing to chance. Drones and Determinators scouted far and wide for any unusual biotics and lit up targets for distant firing from the ships. We weren¡¯t worried about burning ammo, now, considering the goal of the mission was now to get to the island and return to Basilisk Port. A permanent presence would be established by the relief fleets that were currently underway to the Red Zone¡¯s previous territory. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Contrary to everyone¡¯s fears, though, nothing dramatically dangerous emerged from the murk. Pods of biotics were taken apart at range, Determinators and Drone sensors giving a complete net that only expanded with the addition of immobile buoy¡¯s and sensors that the fleet dropped behind it. A quarter of these waters were now known, and more would follow, but that wouldn¡¯t be our task. Instead, I stared at the console in the briefing room, Daniel, Fran, Domino, and Jessica sitting closer to the console than the others. Richard and Alice were still in medbay, though Alice had regained consciousness she was hardly in any condition to be undertaking a mission. Most people here wouldn¡¯t be, but the four that seated themselves closest to me were adamant about not allowing me to do this alone. Terry, Rachel, Emma, and most others weren¡¯t in any real condition to continue the mission. Terry was the most stable of them, and he¡¯d said as much. However, I could communicate with his A.I. personally, and knew that he most definitely wasn¡¯t as solid as he let on. The man was stubborn, but Dexter was doing a lot in keeping his mind in balance. It wasn¡¯t perfect immunity, and he¡¯d likely be high strung for the next few days, more tired than usual, but he¡¯d be functional for day to day stuff. But I certainly didn¡¯t want my tesla expert in a facility with potentially sensitive equipment if he were to have a break. And so, Terry sat sulkily, making small talk and gripes with the others. Adira and her crew sat in with us, handing out mugs of hot cocoa and watching the display as we studied the island in operative range. ¡°It looks like a deserted island.¡± Adira commented, the whites of her eyes a slight shade of red with popped blood vessels. I nodded, ¡°At first glance, but from here our sensors are detecting some cleverly hidden objects deeper into the shrublands.¡± Idly I tapped at the image, the colors fading to infrared and displaying the blots of metal that rested under the ground in several locations. The island hosted several patches of rough, rocky terrain, ridges dominating the ground that would encourage travel down through valleys. That, of course, was something I wasn¡¯t interested in in the slightest. Odds were that any given valley would be riddled with traps, which seemed likely given the blots of color we picked up now. ¡°My money¡¯s on turrets,¡± Terry commented, ¡°Seems like a pretty standard evil-lab-on-secret-island setup, you sure this is an uplink?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± I nodded, ¡°I¡¯m planning on coming up this first ridge and taking stock of the terrain from there. If The Wendigo could provide us some ranged fire support, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± Adira waved a hand nonchalantly, ¡°Just tag it, we¡¯ll burn it out. Don¡¯t worry about wasting shots, either, we¡¯ve got plenty of gas in the tank.¡± ¡°Good. Then for the most part we¡¯re finished. The Determinators are willing to scout and be our shock troops, but we¡¯re aiming to keep casualties to a minimum.¡± I tapped the screen, showing fifty-two of the steel soldiers ready to deploy. They¡¯d managed to piece together some more parts from disparate pieces. The rest of them were uploaded on a mainframe, helping with offloaded data that the Determinators with bodies didn¡¯t need to work with immediately. ¡°We¡¯re looking at old-earth tech here, right?¡± Domino asked, looking intently at the island. I nodded, ¡°Yep, has to be.¡± ¡°So, we shouldn¡¯t be hit by anything freaky, right?¡± Jessica finished the thought doubtfully. I thought for a moment, one that lingered uncomfortably longer than they¡¯d wanted. I shook my head, ¡°I have no idea. I wouldn¡¯t underestimate it, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have any problem with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯d assume there¡¯s some heavy automated firepower on the island.¡± Daniel piped it, nodding to himself as he dragged our view of the island left and right, looking closely at everything. ¡°Any particular reason?¡± I turned to look at what he was seeing. ¡°No biotics of any kind. Little odd, considering this is smack dab in the middle of the Red Zone.¡± He tapped the screen and brought up several areas, ¡°If there were people, I¡¯d think they¡¯d have been more worried about the biotics at this point than being detected. No bunkers, no armored emplacement positions, nothing like a dugout. Granted, they could be relying on anonymity and not drawing attention to themselves.¡± ¡°Fair points,¡± I nodded, ¡°We expected at least traps, but it would make sense that there were some automated defenses. I wonder what¡¯s powering it all?¡± I questioned, before shaking my head, ¡°Regardless, our approach won¡¯t change off of that. We¡¯ll bring some shielding with us, just in case there¡¯s some heavy ordnance. Any questions?¡± No one spoke, so I nodded, ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll get ready for deployment.¡± At that I watched the others filter out, moving into the docking bay. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t feel anxious about this part of the mission. Unlike biotics, this was something that we could quantify, something that existed before creatures could overwrite your sanity. ¡°Almost there.¡± Adira surprised me, standing next to me while nursing a mug of cocoa. I nodded, ¡°Almost. You sure you don¡¯t wanna go with?¡± She snorted, but wore a smile on her face, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. I have to be on standby just in case something comes at the fleet. Though, I¡¯ll probably just flash fry anything that comes near us.¡± ¡°Probably for the best,¡± I nodded before we started forward towards the bay. Companionable silence followed us for a while, only perturbed by the sounds of various mechs being refitted or repaired, though only a few at once. Most of the crew that worked on the mechs were currently resting. ¡°Good luck, Matthew,¡± Adira said, as she turned to me. I noticed her hand held out, and smiled. We shook hands, ¡°I¡¯ll avoid raising any flags here, and just say thanks,¡± I joked, ¡°But, sincerely, thanks.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s not how that works, but yeah. We¡¯ll keep an eye out here, at least.¡± At that, she left, waving over her shoulder as I shook my head. Quickly, I moved to my dock and allowed the station to put together the armor around me. It was still somewhat damaged, but nothing to the extent that I was worried, given that I wouldn¡¯t be deep underwater this time. ¡°Alright if you¡¯re going, let¡¯s get deployed.¡± I called out, striding out of the Ogre in my power armor just as Daniel¡¯s mech rumbled forward to the drop-bay. If nothing else, I would be glad not to have another water operation after this. And with that, I dropped into the water with a thud, several splashes following after as we moved to our final objective here. Chapter 150 No Tresspassing We moved through the water quickly, watching carefully for anything that might approach us from below while heading to the beach. The island was such that there was a steep dropoff into the open ocean after four hundred meters from the coast. It wasn¡¯t a massive plot of land, a little more than two thousand square kilometers in all, and rose like a blot out of the ocean. Steep faces made approach on the northern, eastern, and southern faces difficult, but the west had something of a sandbar. As we closed, though, I noticed a vibrant coral environment lush with life. At first glance, I didn¡¯t notice anything particularly amiss, but I was hardly an expert on coral life. If there were biotics among the colony beneath us, we¡¯d deal with it as it came. Daniel pulled ahead of us slightly, understanding that his hardened mech would have the best ability to tank out of the five of us. Jessica and Fran came up immediately behind him, intent on using him as a shield. Domino and I trailed the back, just in case anything came up from behind us. Domino had outfitted himself with a shoulder mounted weapon, one with limited charges, but that would suffice nonetheless. It was an anti-material rifle, one that could tear through most mechs easily, only The Dauntless a considerable exception. Old world tech shouldn¡¯t be able to hold up to it. As for the rest of us, we didn¡¯t modify our arsenals overly much. My weaponry was solid regardless of what we would find, and Fran¡¯s approach gave a great amount of utility. Jessica was perhaps the most at risk, given that a great deal of her kit dealt in close quarters combat. She hadn¡¯t been able to exercise that to the fullest underwater given our lack of specialization into aquatic mobility, but now that we were on land I believed she would be able to utilize her advantages to their fullest. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re clear,¡± Daniel speculated, ¡°I¡¯m not picking up anything on the HUD.¡± Domino added, ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯d put anything out here anyways, if they were trying to keep it secret, that¡¯d basically be screaming that something was here.¡± For a few moments we moved forward, the water awash against the metal hull of the suit. ¡°We¡¯re sure that there is something here, right?¡± Fran asked, concern clear in her voice. A heavier silence followed the question. If there really was nothing here, then what would that mean for all of the sacrifices we¡¯d made to get here? It would be inaccurate to say that this whole trip was for nothing, though, given the threat that the Red Zone had posed and the necessity of taking it out. However, there was no small part of me that was aware that we needed access to one of these uplinks. If this wasn¡¯t a site with an uplink, then we¡¯d have to try to find another one. That was something I didn¡¯t believe we had the time to do. The Artorian Company was far from orbit, and if I wanted their assistance in the slightest, then I¡¯d need them to be able to approach Earth. While it was possible to destroy the network of satellites overhead, that wouldn¡¯t be conducive to long term goals, especially considering that getting them back into orbit would take a great deal of time. Resources were less of an issue due to the use of M.E. in general construction, but anything we would put in orbit would be a work of considerable effort and detail. ¡°If there¡¯s not, we have other options,¡± I glanced to Fran, ¡°But we know for certain that there¡¯s one in the region, and this is the most likely place for it.¡± Fran nodded, though she was already well aware of the information we¡¯d found surrounding the island. Even so, none of us wanted this trip to turn up empty at the end. As a precaution, I directed the Determinators to comb the surroundings of the island once, mostly to confirm whether or not they could find any kind of dock or alternate entry to the facility on the island. It was unlikely, but if they did find it, that might be a better way inside. If they didn¡¯t, well, they would just have to join us later. We emerged from the ocean, water glistening off of our forms in the dull light. Night had fallen, though there was plenty of ambient glow cast off by the full moon that hung overhead. Even without that, though, our sensors gave us a gamut of information, ranging from night vision to infrared, making the landscape we walked into as plain as day before our eyes.Which, in this case, was an unassuming beach with no particularly out of the ordinary features. Even so, I carefully swept the beach on the lookout for anything that seemed amiss. Fran swept the area as well, pulling at anything that might be magnetic hidden under the sand. We moved forward slowly until Fran paused, gesturing at a specific location and pulling upwards gently. Before our eyes, the sand shuddered, and a dusky piece of metal rose. I tensed for half a second before I realized what it was, and then chuckled. ¡°A car bumper.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Well, didn¡¯t expect that. Anything else?¡± Fran let out a relieved sigh before picking up the bumper further and chucking it further afield ahead of us. It clattered against the sand, skipping several times before coming to a halt. Domino looked to her with a raised eyebrow questioningly. ¡°Checking for mines.¡± She shrugged, ¡°Not a guarantee, but if they¡¯re plastic and not metal, I wouldn¡¯t find them. But, I think we¡¯re clear.¡± Daniel stepped forward, broad feet still sinking a full foot into the sand as he trudged through the turf. ¡°I¡¯ll check it, but I¡¯m not picking up anything either. I could shell the beach?¡± Jessica laughed, ¡°We¡¯d definitely announce ourselves to the island at that rate.¡± I nodded, ¡°True. For now, we¡¯ll follow behind you, but I doubt there¡¯s anything to worry about just yet. Lead on through the trees, we¡¯ll trail you.¡± He nodded, black metal and purple light gleaming almost malevolently as he strode forward several meters ahead. Every step we worried that there was a trap, but invariably Daniel¡¯s every heavy step led to another, stopping only when he hit the tree-line. He turned to us, shrugging with his hands up expressively, the motion exaggerated in the titanic mech he piloted. ¡°Guess that¡¯s all, then.¡± He chuckled, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.¡± Fran paused, looking to the sides, before quickly holding a hand up, ¡°Wait a moment, I think there¡¯s metal here.¡± That got us to stop on a dime, my own eyes searching the ground in front of us for anything out of the ordinary. Sand and coarse dirt with winding, thin clusters of trees were what dominated the earth in front of me, however I did notice that there was something else present. ¡°I see something,¡± I highlighted it on my HUD, sending the image to the others. Daniel nodded, ¡°Looks like some trampled fence.¡± Domino stepped forward, casting a wary glance over his shoulder to Fran. She nodded to him, thinking it safe enough to approach. We kept an eye out for anything unusual as he stooped down. He grabbed a hold of metal wiring and pulled, his mechanically assisted body letting him dredge up two meters of buried wire fence, bits of root and clumps of dirt coming up with it. He shook it loose, ¡°Yep, fence. Torn the hell up though.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I saw what he was talking about as he held it up, the torn metal at the edges as though something big had pushed straight through it, rather than having cut it. ¡°Well, I think that means we have company.¡± Jessica sighed, ¡°Guess it was too much to ask that we¡¯d be the only ones here.¡± ¡°Nothing is ever that easy,¡± I agreed, ¡°Keep your eyes open. Daniel, you lead. Fran, keep an eye out.¡± Daniel moved forward with a wordless nod with Fran hovering just behind him. ¡°Hold up,¡± Domino gestured for us to come closer, ¡°There¡¯s a sign still attached.¡± I tilted my head curiously as that and wondered what a deserted island might have need for signs. When Domino uncovered the trefoil symbol - the yellow and black hazard sign to indicate radiation - I didn¡¯t need to see the rest of the sign. ¡°No Trespassing - Lethal Radiation Poisoning Area¡­ Anybody got a geiger counter?¡± Domino nonchalantly dropped the fencing and sign. ¡°I do,¡± Daniel nodded, ¡°Always on. Not a peep out of it, though.¡± ¡°Same,¡± I checked to be sure, but read no unusual levels. ¡°It¡¯s probably just to scare people.¡± ¡°Hope so,¡± Domino sighed before shouldering his rifle and moving back into position. After that, we made our way forwards, the plant life fairly overgrown, winding and twisting between the boughs in some places like a net. More than once Daniel was forced to push his way through in some locations, cutting through branches and vines as a matter of course and making plentiful space for the rest of us to follow behind. I noticed that there were animal sounds in the wild here, much more than on the mainland. This island, if it had a biotic presence, was still mostly untouched. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t so unusual if there were no humans or other larger forms of life here. We¡¯d already determined that biotics tended towards areas with access to people, and with larger organisms in general. That at least seemed to be a point in favor of the island being deserted. My night vision picked up the dark forest in fair detail, shored up by motion sensors and infrared accompaniments. I wasn¡¯t the only one with these tools, by now each of the team had night vision and infrared as a general standard, and added more as needed. As such, when the ground ahead of us and to the right churned, we responded almost instantly. Daniel planted his feet firmly and widely, forming a physical barrier between us and whatever was on the move. Contrary to what we expected, though, a loud siren pierced the otherwise calm night air, a red light blinking rapidly on the object that had risen from the ground. ¡°Is that a turret?¡± Daniel blinked at the stout object as the barrels of a machine gun tracked us, sirens still sounding. Another speaker started in at that point, but whatever sounds it was supposed to be was garbled and incoherent. ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet that¡¯s why we haven¡¯t seen any biotics in the area.¡± Jessica commented, ¡°Why aren¡¯t we getting shot yet?¡± An instant later a silver streak shot through the air towards the turret. Just as suddenly, the automated defense let out a sharp metallic squeal as it was torn free from the supporting brace that held it, a splutter of electrical sparks sprayed through the air. The alarm petered off rapidly then too, and I turned to look to see Fran recalling her feather. ¡°Probably the last warning, I imagine most people would freak out and run away. Though, that seems ill considered, since if anyone saw that and got away it¡¯d definitely require investigation.¡± Fran shuffled the feather back into place as she considered the turret and defenses themselves. ¡°Perhaps they were an afterthought?¡± Domino suggested, ¡°What if the facility was repurposed and didn''t need such defenses?¡± That gave me pause, especially considering that I wasn¡¯t aware of exactly when the building was made. I only became aware of some conditional shipments and peripheral contracts regarding the island, nothing concrete. For all we knew, there was some sprawling underground industrial complex beneath us. ¡®Gods, I hope not.¡¯ I shook my head, not looking forward to trying to slog our way through a large facility that likely was filled with automated defenses. The first thing I wanted to do was access some computer system, but most places would likely have the defensive network cut off from the mainframe. That¡¯s what I¡¯d do, in any case. Steadily we stalked through the forest, watching out for any other signs that we might be ambushed. Along the way, Fran pointed out a couple of turrets that had been badly damaged at one point or another, non functional and with parts cleft from them. That, at least, confirmed the presence of something or someone else, though most likely biotic in nature given the fact that the metal was riven with what looked like claws than anything else. We were quieter after that, uncertain if perhaps the biotics had actually surpassed the defenses of the island. Unfortunately, we were hardly stealthy, Daniel¡¯s mech itself was surprisingly quiet, but there was only so much we could do when he needed to break through the forest in some places. I was just peering into the trees when I realized that a plot of earth was splitting open, a turret sliding only inches up out of the ground. ¡°Heads up!¡± Fran called, feathers flying out and guarding our opposite flank. I brought up my rifle in a snap, bringing myself into the Reaper¡¯s Eye focus state while sighting my gun. With a rapid burst I fired, tearing through the metal casing that supported the turret and its ability to fire. Unlike the other, there was no bead of red light, no sound to warn us. On the opposite side, a pair of machine guns began to chew through their ammo, firing at us and clanking and clanging off of Daniel¡¯s dense armor and Fran¡¯s encompassing barrier. They fired for only a second before Daniel and Domino aimed their own weapons, dwarfing the noise that came from the turrets and tearing them both apart. ¡°Horseshoe formation, watch for more.¡± I commanded, putting myself a meter away from Jessica and Fran. Our loose U-shaped formation allowed Daniel plenty of room to maneuver, and still gave us cover from his direction. However, after several seconds of searching and scanning, we found nothing more to surprise us. ¡°I think that¡¯s all.¡± I turned to the others then, ¡°Any damage?¡± Fran studied her feathers before shrugging, ¡°Nothing particular.¡± Daniel chuckled, ¡°A few scratches, that¡¯s all.¡± Domino and Jessica shook their heads, neither had any issue either. I nodded at that, Fran had done well to defend so quickly, though I was sure that just these turrets wouldn¡¯t have been enough to deal serious damage quickly. ¡°Let''s keep moving forward, we¡¯re bound to run into more of them. We should be at the center in less than an hour if we keep a steady pace.¡± The others nodded, guards back up as we moved. This hadn¡¯t been bad yet, but I wondered what else might be in store for us. I felt the Determinators ping me then, their mission to comb the outside of the island complete. They¡¯d found a dock of a sorts, but by their estimates it had been utterly unused for the entire duration. Overall, they¡¯d found no indication that anyone had been on or off the island in recent history, and were now combing their way through the jungle towards us. They had already dismantled a handful of turrets along the way. The Determinators were even more efficient in their approach than we were, given that they were networked together and could share information instantly. They hadn¡¯t taken any damage aside from a scrape here and there, but they were carefully marking the turret locations to see if they could discern any pattern to them. That much surprised me, and more so when they reported that they were beginning to predict turret locations. Still, I had to caution them not to rely overtly on that, but I couldn¡¯t help but be supremely impressed, and somewhat flabbergasted when they stated that they¡¯d nearly caught up to our progress on another angle even with everything else they were doing. Then again, they were tireless killing machines and there were 52 of them, so perhaps in reality I had held my bar of expectations unreasonably low for them? I smiled and shook my head, reminding myself that this wasn¡¯t a race. At this rate, though, we¡¯d make it to the facility even sooner. Chapter 151 Advanced Defenses We moved forward from our position, carefully examining the territory for any signs that there might be other turrets. In minutes the Determinators had managed to catch up to our progress, but instead of focusing all of our efforts on one spot, we decided to spread out, dispatching defenses as we found them. We knew that the facility was somewhere here, but not exactly where. Shade could very well have been helpful here, but my aerial vehicle was occupied elsewhere, along with much of the Reavers. It was regrettable, especially since I¡¯d have rather kept them nearby, but we would manage. ¡°The Determinators have updated the map,¡± I noted, looking at the available information we had. Much as I¡¯d feared, the turrets only maintained a pattern near the outer edges of the island. Their type, quantity, and distance from one another had become chaotic, and thus the Determinators ended up only marking where they¡¯d identified previous defenses. That would be important, at least, considering we would need to use this island going forward if we weren¡¯t able to move the uplink or its information. Daniel lifted his arm and fired a burst from the vulcan cannon there, shredding through dozens of meters of jungle and tearing through a turret as it peaked up from the ground. Fran pointed a wing in another direction, a third of the feathers storming through the air like a blender and hitting another location. The rest of us waited, watching for a third, but none rose. ¡°Looks like thirty so far,¡± Domino shook his head and sighed, ¡°this is kind of ridiculous.¡± ¡°Considering the project it was set to protect, I think this is about right.¡± Jessica chuckled, ¡°Still, there¡¯s nothing too crazy yet.¡± I nodded, agreeing with that silently. There indeed hadn¡¯t been anything too unusual as of yet. The guns themselves weren¡¯t terribly damaging either, likely meant for lightly armored mesh suits, or in other words what would have been a standard soldier from the old world. It was quaint, in a way, to think of certain old world technologies, and the fact that our armaments were so far flung from what would have been considered military-grade. I shouldered my rifle once more and began marching in tune with Daniel¡¯s heavy foot falls. Every so often I would hear distant weapons fire from the Determinators, each a short retort that almost bled into one single background tone as we closed in on the island. That continued for a few minutes, our own progress interrupting the smooth cadence with an explosion from Domino¡¯s attached grenade launcher, Daniel¡¯s automatic weaponry, or the sharp whistle of Fran¡¯s feathers. Jessica and I stayed in reserve at this point, the former because nothing was a threat enough to go on the move, and myself for coordinating with the Determinators. It was then that a Determinator sent an alarm out that it¡¯d taken a hit. Immediately I brought my mind¡¯s attention to the sensory feed of that specific unit even as I walked with my team. The Determinator had identified in moments where the shot had come from, and quickly brought its ocular sensors upwards, already sweeping the area with thermals. A moment later several more shots bit into its armor, some missing fractionally and tearing through dirt and jungle around it. The Determinators amongst its team didn¡¯t waste any time, sharing in data and aiming ahead. What looked like hexagonal bunkers rose between one and three meters from the ground, sheltering the turret within. I couldn¡¯t make out what the weapon itself was, only that it was almost six hundred meters away and the fully automatic firepower maintained plenty of destructive capability well inside its effective range. At the same time, several other groups of Determinators detected similar contacts, and registered superficial damage. ¡°Heads up!¡± Daniel shouted as a shoulder gun adjusted on his body, a cannon shot rocking the earth under our feet. Ahead of us, I could see a bunker-tower still in the process of rising suddenly explode in a shower of fire and scrap. Beside it, three more rose, and instead of going on the offensive, Fran deployed several shielding feathers in front of us. Domino fired another shot from his attached grenade launcher, before also firing with his own shoulder mounted weapon. Impressively, his grenade was a direct hit, as was the follow up strike, shredding through another of the towers. Two remained, however, and they began firing, sparks and bits of bullets fragmenting against Fran¡¯s shielding. ¡°On the move!¡± Jessica shouted aloud before she bolted outside of our formation. She moved wide, keeping from taking a straight path towards the turrets. Almost instantly, one of the towers rotated slightly, tracking her movements. The melee expert of the team was fast, however, even such that I doubted that even Alice could easily keep pace. Her power armor was sleek, and every movement dug into the terrain with precision, always managing to find traction. Her lightweight and balanced form let her glide across the ground. She might have even been able to outpace the turret¡¯s ability to correct its aim, but I didn¡¯t want to take that chance. I fell into focus as I brought up my rifle, switching it to what I dubbed ¡®Metal-Storm Mode¡¯ and sighted upon the turret. Time seemed to fall away as I tightened my grip, my power armor responding to minute tweaks in control in preparation to handle the recoil. When I opened fire for just a second, the three barrels spat out a tight cloud of bullets, flying at speeds that well surpassed the sound barrier. Outside of water my combative ability was greater by far, and true to my goal the weapon didn¡¯t budge a centimeter during firing.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Most of my bullets, even at this distance, managed to hit the gap in the bunker-tower, a slit for the weapon encased within to fire out of. Instantly smoke belched forth from within the concrete, the squeal of metal and machine parts being torn joined the air at that moment. The final turret continued firing on our position for another moment before it too began to turn, tracking the target no longer under cover. It barely began its movement, though, before Jessica reached it. She struck with her blade, still five meters away, a distance that was clearly too far for the two meter long broadsword. Partly through her swing, though, the sword extended far past her previous reach. The cut moved through concrete and steel like it wasn¡¯t there, and less than a blink of an eye later she reversed her grip and backswiped, striking upwards through another section of the defense, concrete and all. The turret ceased moving as the blade shrank back down, moving down to only a half meter in length. Jessica was one of the only people - and certainly the only one that used it as their main weapon - that utilized such a weapon. It was a monomolecular blade wrapped in a powerful magnetic field, even on its own, it could cut most anything, but - contrary to what many of our disappointed Legionnaires had expected - it was an extremely fragile and costly weapon. Only by masterful use and smooth strokes could it be used effectively in combat. However, Jessica¡¯s training and her suit compensated for this, allowing her to use the blade as a primary weapon, though her power armor suffered in other ways as a result. I doubted she could utilize much in the way of heavier equipment, and her armor was far lighter and less capable of stopping outside blows than our own. In exchange, every movement flowed like mercury, every action contained and precise. Yaga had personally taken an interest in the concept, and had offered his own expertise, but much of it had been Jessica¡¯s own ridiculous fine tuning. It was all of this that led to the payoff moment of being able to witness her sheath her blade, then turn around towards us nonchalantly as the turret behind her fell away to pieces. The now bi-sected defense¡¯s top half clanged heavily against the ground. Simultaneously, the base of the machine began spluttering electricity as its damaged motors still attempted to load a gun that was no longer attached. ¡°Nice,¡± amused, Domino spoke while looking for other other targets. Fran remained focused, ready to move her feathers to another location if necessary. When it became clear that there were no further turrets at the location, she finally relaxed. ¡°That¡¯s a marked improvement.¡± I nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll have to be more wary going forwards.¡± At that instant, I heard several explosions sound out, and for a moment I stared into the distance towards the Determinators along with the rest of my team. ¡°The hell was that?¡± Daniel asked, suspiciously glaring in the directions of the nearest two sounds. I snickered, ¡°It appears the Determinators broke out the explosives. They appear to be finished with their sides though. We¡¯ll be hip to hip here soon.¡± At that, I held my rifle up, taking a quick count of the A.I. and making sure they were in fighting shape. None were lost, and only one or two had taken any damage past their armor plating. One would be a little slower on a leg, the other took a shot across a lens, but had a few other ocular cameras working, so it didn¡¯t matter especially much. We moved deeper into the vegetation, what would have been hellish to push through for a normal person was little obstacle to steel-shelled power armor, or their mechanical analogue. I kept expecting another burst of fire to erupt from ahead of us, for something to happen, but instead the only thing that greeted me were Determinators. They filtered in from the sides, closing ranks silently while glancing to my teammates and giving uncharacteristically friendly waves and nods. Daniel laughed, and waved back, while the others did the same but with slightly bewildered expressions. They were used to A.I. enough to not worry about them potentially becoming self aware and such - they were treated well in any case - but it was still odd seeing a battle-scarred machine waving at you with an almost childlike excitement. They were learning, though. Albeit they were still struggling with some things, particularly their inability to convey anything that required facial expressions. I dragged my attention back to my surroundings, and realized that I could now see several other Determinators on our flanks. I frowned, wondering if we¡¯d somehow missed the entrance to the facility. I was positive the facility was here, after all the defenses indicated at least something of importance was here. No sooner than I¡¯d begun to worry about having to comb the entire island again did we notice the jungle simply end. Not just the vegetation, either, but the dirt was replaced abruptly by dense concrete. There, with only ten meters of concrete surrounding it on all sides, was a large cluster of structures, built closely together and low to the ground. Trees had been planted atop of it, however, and dirt and vines coalesced over the edges, obscuring the walls from casual observation. Strung from that rooftop was what appeared to be a mesh canopy, intertwined with naturally growing vines that obscured the concrete beneath it. Across from us on the other side, Determinators had walked around the circumference and already began exchanging measurements. It was barely fifty meters across to the other side on the surface. We could have easily missed this amidst the jungle were it not for the fact that we were combing the island from every direction. Several Determinators weren¡¯t even here yet, and they would continue combing their sides just in case they found anything. ¡°I don¡¯t see any more turre-Oh, nevermind, there they are.¡± Domino began before aiming with his rifle at the building. A moment later, several ports opened up along the walls while the floor shuddered. Concrete panels opened in several locations, revealing steel-encased turrets. Many of which I realized were much larger bore than what we¡¯d seen previously. ¡°Cover!¡± I shouted, dropping to a knee as Fran instantaneously moved hundreds of feathers into place in front of us and around us. Even so, when the first cannon shot erupted from the automated defenses, I knew that they might have finally stepped up the defenses enough to do some real damage. ¡®Time to work,¡¯ I took a breath and drew myself deep into the Reaper¡¯s Eye. Chapter 152 Mainframe Takeover I ducked behind the levitating shield of metal in front of me just before an explosion of fire and force engulfed the barrier, scattering shrapnel all over the area just on the other side. Fran¡¯s shield held against the explosions, and in the next instant I rose above the magnetically interwoven shield of metal feathers, some shining with their own power supplies, and sighted my rifle. In the span of a heartbeat I adjusted my aim, and even as I squeezed the trigger I prepared to cycle to my next target. The snub-nosed turret was adorned with a spherical ball of cameras that rested just above the barrel. I aimed for the center of the mass, trying to hit both the cameras and the delicate machinery behind the barrel itself. Firing through the slit in the steel plates that protected the turret was a task that few, if any, could accomplish with any accuracy, but I was not most people. With a quick burst I sent dozens of rounds clattering through the slit in the armor, fragmenting and raining hell within the case nevertheless. No one had likely expected for someone to be capable of actually hitting such a target with any reliability. Certainly not someone under fire from the turret itself. But, they must have at least assumed someone could get lucky, because the parts were nevertheless sturdy enough to have survived my initial burst. ¡°Damnit,¡± I muttered before dropping to a knee once more just before several explosive shells clattered against my barrier. All around me, several Determinators had deployed their own cover in the form of solid steel barriers. It was far less elegant than Fran¡¯s solution, but nonetheless effective, given how much they could carry and move at will. They worked in concert and, though outnumbered by the turrets, relayed information in real time when they¡¯d dragged the turrets attention towards their own flanks. Within seconds, though, a problem arose. Instead of firing at viable targets, the turrets each picked a defended position and began firing upon them, suppressing rather than attempting to pick them off. ¡°Well, that¡¯s annoying.¡± I grit my teeth, feeling the barrier rattle every two seconds with another explosion. If I didn¡¯t have my armor, the percussive force alone would have churned my insides to a pulp, let alone the heat that rapidly built up under the onslaught. That soon changed, though, as Daniel stepped forward in front of my cover, the shots slamming into his mech, leaving dents and scratches, but no real damage as of yet. I watched as he calmly adjusted his stance and readied several weapons that rose out of his weapons platform on his back. No massive cannons exposed themselves, and instead I watched as narrow rifle-like barrels sprouted like fingers from the lengths of his arms, both his normal ones and two additional pairs of multi-jointed arms that unfurled from behind him. He fired an opening salvo just as flecks of his armor fell to the ground, chipped down bit by bit by several guns that now focused on him, perhaps registering that he might be vulnerable. Or a greater threat. Daniel fired, but the weapons were nearly silent. The barrells spat projectiles at a low rate of fire, unusual considering many of his rapid fire options, but many struck the armored turrets in front of him square on. I recognized them as they hit, dagger-like projectiles that pierced deep into the armor and began to work themselves even deeper. The Dauntless continued firing, trying to keep the shots as pinpoint as possible as Fran adjusted our shielding to include his mech. Domino fired with his shoulder-mounted weapon, arcing shots up and over the barriers with little issue. Grenades exploded near to the bases of the turrets, three explosions enough to break and cause significant damage to the inner parts of the devices. Jessica darted between cover points, striking more dangerous turrets as she went. As risky as it was, the maneuver was invaluable to keep our flanks free and devote more of our defensive resources towards defending only one direction. With a breath I stood up, both of my shoulder-mounted lances firing on seperate turrets instantly. I held off from using my rifle, instead devoting all of my conscious focus to watching the turret barrels that were pointing in our direction. Any time I noticed one pivot towards me, I ducked back behind cover, or changed to another covered position as provided by either Fran or one of the Determinators. As I dove into another position, I heard Daniel shout, ¡°Take cover!¡± I didn¡¯t wait to see why, instead huddling between a pair of Determinators who were like minded. A second later, the many dagger-like projectiles he¡¯d fired erupted in bright, white fire. My sensors dimmed to almost nothing, protecting both themselves and my own eyes from the intense light. The result made day turn to darkest night, and in just that moment the flash was gone. Even so, my sensors stuttered to keep up with the sensory information. I rose from my cover, curious to see what became of the formation. What greeted me were several pillars of molten, sagging metal, not so much torn apart as melted in an instant. The stone and concrete around them resembled lava more than modern construction materials, and some of the turrets, even as reduced to slag as they were, began to tip over into the liquified earth. Fire burnt across the concrete, though it rapidly diminished into waves of heat that radiated from every surface, along with many of the turrets, save for some in a column that led up to the door, and those that seemed to be mounted to the building itself. That, however, gave us a numbers advantage, one that the Determinators took and pushed to the greatest value they could manage. I tapped into their network and shared in the information, the biggest advantage being that they could tell when a turret was looking at them or not. Whenever one changed direction, the entire force would seamlessly adjust, either rising to fire upon it, or dropping back to cover. Their weapons were strong enough to tear deeply through the metal shielding, and in just seconds of concentrated fire they could dismantle a turret. With my own lances firing into new targets to soften them up or outright destroy them, that allowed us to completely decimate the defensive array within a minute. Both I and the Determinators felt a potent sense of satisfaction as we focused on each remaining turret, ruthlessly and efficiently thrashing the defenses. Daniel clapped his hands together as we finished the last of them, ¡°Damn, we do good work.¡± Domino chuckled while shaking his head, looking likewise as flabbergasted as Jessica, ¡°Those things are so much worse above water.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. I could practically hear the grin on Daniel¡¯s face as he responded, ¡°All of my gear is better above water.¡± ¡°If we never have another water mission, it¡¯ll still be too soon,¡± Fran said jokingly, though still held a note of tension in her voice. We paused at that, somberly agreeing with that statement. ¡°That should be the bulk of the defenses, I¡¯d imagine,¡± Domino thought aloud, ¡°At least, I wouldn¡¯t think you¡¯d want automated turrets in areas where you might have personnel working.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Jessica asked as she idly kicked through metal fragments that had rained all across the now ruined yard surrounding the facility. ¡°If the system ever had a glitch, those people would probably get pasted by whatever defenses were meant to protect them, right?¡± Domino gestured to the smoking craters all around, ¡°I personally wouldn¡¯t want to work with that over my head.¡± ¡°Duly noted,¡± I nodded to him, ¡°But proceed with the assumption that there¡¯s a turret on every wall, ceiling, and corner. We don¡¯t need any accidents this late in the game.¡± They nodded as we moved forward, Determinators already checking the terrain. Daniel was the only one who needed to be especially mindful of the molten concrete, the rest of us able to navigate the cooling material with much more ease. And, contrary to what I expected, the door was simply a sturdy bulkhead that had sealed when the turrets had activated. If we really needed to, I guess we could simply blow open the wall. In just a moment I found the identification console next to it and stood beside it. I¡¯d initially played around with many different ideas of interfacing with machines that didn¡¯t have a wireless connector, ranging from a flexible wire appendage that could jack directly into the device to a small remote connecting drone. Ultimately I decided to keep a small drone that I could use for the task at range, but for the in-person tasks I didn¡¯t need anything fancy. I placed my hand against the console and felt the pulse of electricity through my conductive fingertips and palm, my mind connecting straight into the chip and computer built into the reader. In moments, I adjusted my awareness to fit into cyberspace and began my attack on the device. Computers of the old age were never designed to be able to handle an attack from a living bio-computer, at least not that I was aware of. Thus far, it hadn¡¯t been at all an issue to simply power straight through old world tech. This instance proved to be the same as the door began to open with a low groan. The bulk head opened up to what seemed like a blend between what I would imagine a security checkpoint, lobby, and elevator. The Determinators moved forward first, checking corners and immediately pinging the area with every type of sensor we had available. Hopefully, we wouldn¡¯t be in for any more surprises. Both walls were dominated in what appeared to be automated security systems, much like checkpoints designed to scan individuals. Neither of the checkpoints, however, was outfitted with weapons of any type, seemingly only designed to record and log any individuals that entered the facility. Just past the sensor suites on either wall was a bulkhead door that led deeper into parts of the complex, the left being administration, the right being residential, and the middle against the far wall was a bulkhead that apparently defended an elevator, at least as attested by the sign. When the Determinators completed their sweep, we moved deeper into the main room, noting that there were catwalks above us that extended over the room, and small, empty security rooms that rose from the floor. While clearly meant for some minor human presence, it was clear that the stations had been left empty for an extended duration. Dust lay on nearly every surface, and it was clear that none of the sealed doors had been opened in the recent past. Cameras from the sensors on the left side of the building swept over us, undoubtedly from the automated system, though nothing out of place occurred in the moments following. ¡°Alright, just in case, secure our exit. I want to be able to leave if we need to.¡± I called out as I walked to the nearest console, ¡°Call out if you see anything unusual.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Daniel nodded, other affirmations sounding out as we split up somewhat. Daniel, for his part, planted a very large device against the wall next to the bulkhead, what I imagined was a fairly potent explosive for our exit strategy, should it be necessary. The hardware, however dusty, was state of the art for old-world tech. This place was designed to survive long periods of disuse, or at the very least to last years with minimal oversight and maintenance. That much boded well for us, given that I had no interest in meeting others here and potentially having to fight them, or convince them to allow us access. And, as I felt my mind connect through the console, I felt relief flood through me. The first thing was that there hadn¡¯t been any registered personnel or visitors ever since the beginning of the apocalypse. The second was that the computer was preparing to wipe out all sensitive data from its serverbanks if no credentials were provided to it in the next twenty four hours, or, more pressingly, if anyone attempted to access confidential or secured information before then without security passing them. That was actually a good thing, contrary to how it sounded. That meant that, more than likely, the rest of the defenses in the facility were all automated. If they were all automated, then my next task was as clear as it was straightforward. Make it mine. I linked my mind to the Determinators, ramping up my overall processing capacity dramatically. They immediately ceased what they were doing before finding a stable standing position as they eagerly leapt at the command. After all, they were, at least in part, still part of my own coding, and while we could be very different at times, there was always a baseline of familiarity between our minds. Before the computer could respond, we immediately set to work on disabling the mainframe''s ability to fight back. Unlike before, though, we found that there was stiffer resistance in place than we¡¯d expected. The system attempted to read our attack, though it didn¡¯t know what exactly it was, and tried to partition itself off from further access. Fortunately, we were faster than it, and several of the Determinator¡¯s formed their own Trojan protocols on the fly with my own jabbing deeper into the system at every turn. Rapidly, the mainframe lost all ability to keep up with our attacks. It, impressively, retreated into core files and functions, setting up its own hard-line defenses and getting ready to purge all data. If it couldn¡¯t defend against us in the long term, then it would destroy everything. At least, that was the line of thought I imagined the creators of this system had in mind. However, we didn¡¯t allow it to move freely, and in the moment that it ceased its attack, we drove deeper inwards, breaking through core processes and shattering any protocols we came into contact with. To our minds, the attack took nearly an hour from start to finish, just as difficult, if not more so, of a fight as we¡¯d had outside. In the real world, though, it had barely been thirty seconds. I shook my head, feeling discombobulated from the sudden shifts in awareness, but couldn¡¯t help but grin in success. The facility defenses were down, and I now knew where the only other separated security system was in the complex. Below us, our prize waited. ¡°The systems ours, defenses are down, and there shouldn¡¯t be any more surprises for us.¡± I said aloud, noticing that the others were curiously looking between what had been suddenly motionless Determinators and me. ¡°Elevator?¡± Domino gestured towards the far bulkhead questioningly. I nodded, ¡°Yup, what we¡¯re looking for should be downstairs.¡± ¡°Any crazy zombie projects or anything we should know about?¡± Jessica asked jokingly. ¡°Only a few.¡± I said in passing, which got Daniel and Fran chuckling. I only barely heard as Jessica asked Domino quietly, ¡°He is just joking, right?¡± Chapter 153 Secured The elevator rumbled underfoot as it brought us deeper into the facility. I couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief as we passed hidden turrets in the walls, glad to finally be done with the defenses of the structure. Out of all of the things the facility had been designed for, it could never have been expected to hold up against the cyber onslaught that I¡¯d brought against it. Now I could easily recite the location of every major defensive point, the automated defenses in each area, and more importantly, I could use them at my leisure. ¡°The path should be clear,¡± I turned to the team, ¡°Keep an eye out just in case, but there isn¡¯t really much left down here.¡± Fran frowned, ¡°Is it really just the uplink down here?¡± I shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s some paperwork and such as well, stuff for the government such as plans for if a global cataclysm was survived. This place is as much a bunker as anything else, but it appears it didn¡¯t get used.¡± ¡°I have to wonder why.¡± Domino pondered aloud, ¡°You¡¯d think a reinforced position like this would attract at least a skeleton crew.¡± ¡°Seems that the uplink put it on just a high enough security rating that the only people who would be allowed to know about this place had bunkers closer to home,¡± I replied as the elevator platform settled at the base of the shaft, thirty meters beneath the first floor. Bulkhead doors opened with a drawn out groan before us, revealing a wide and tall hallway that split off into several directions. I knew that they led to a handful of larger rooms, warehouses full of dry goods that would last for years, general equipment to help a small surviving colony, and some medical supplies. There was also a much larger living quarters in this underground sprawl, designed to sustain more than two-hundred people for years if needed. Yet it was abundantly clear that it was empty. No sound echoed in the complex, and at our arrival the facility sent a gentle jolt of electricity coursing through its unused halls. Lights sprang awake, illuminating metal and dull-grey concrete with a pale, clinical shade from overhead mounted lamps. ¡°Cozy,¡± Jessica commented dryly, ¡°Can¡¯t believe it¡¯s not inhabited.¡± Daniel rumbled forward into the hallway, ¡°I dunno, I¡¯d have preferred this over getting my ass chewed by Wolves.¡± Jessica hummed thoughtfully at that, agreeing as we followed up after him. There were no major defenses here, save for a pair of turrets that could unfurl from the ceiling overlooking the elevator. They stayed silent, though, no longer active and searching for trespassers. I continued to direct us through the complex. Through it all we were answered only by our own footfalls echoing through empty walkways and a handful of doors, dust-free from the advanced ventilation of the lower levels, that opened at our passing to reveal untouched rooms. It was equal parts unnerving and sad, I found, considering that even a small enclave of people could have made use of this to survive the early parts of the apocalypse. Still, I pushed such thoughts aside as we approached a much more solidly secured bulkhead, a pair of steel bolts pneumatically held in place ensuring that forcing the room open would be a considerable ordeal. With a pulse from my mind, I sent the order to the mainframe to open the door, feeling the data register through my connection. The next second, the door thudded loudly with long settled mechanisms coming to life. Steadily the bolts pulled back, the sound of pneumatic whining notifying me that more was moving even behind the scenes. The doors slid upwards, a second interior pair opening horizontally. ¡°If that¡¯s not what we¡¯re looking for,¡± Domino stated as he saw what lay beyond the doors, ¡°then I don¡¯t know what it would be.¡± I followed his gaze, peering into a spacious room with what looked like a squat array of disks and antenna, pointing upwards to a central mechanism. It almost resembled the skeleton of a pyramid, the zenith of which hung a double-sided, fractal designed dish. The whole apparatus was affixed directly to the concrete and steel overhead, and I idly noted that it would certainly be capable of transmitting even through thirty meters of solid earth, though I still wondered at the necessity of it all. Then again, officials had expected a major asteroid impact, not an alien infestation - the biggest thing they¡¯d needed to contend with would have been surface damage. ¡°Lets get it done,¡± I said, not willing to feel relief until we had well and truly completed everything that we¡¯d come here to do. I moved into the room, cautiously, using my advanced sensor suite to examine for any unpleasant surprises. When nothing seemed out of place, I signaled for the others, but we no less warily advanced into the cavernous room. It had definitely been designed to be used without human interaction, given that there was, from what it appeared, only a single console that could be worked with. Along with that, dozens of crates lay stacked against the walls - a quick search told me that they were filled with component pieces for the array that dominated the central architecture of the room - but nothing else. No adjoining room lay beyond, all power supply to the uplink ran through a flush, nearly airtight series of ports that ran through the wall adjacent to the hallways. The ventilation in the room was minimal, enough only to keep a small supply of fresh air within, evidence enough that perhaps only a very small team would be allowed in here at once.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I haven¡¯t found anything, what about you guys?¡± I called out, still searching for any explosives that might ruin our plans, or any other jaded machinations a protective government entity might put into place over such a site. ¡°Nope,¡± Daniel called out, ¡°Looks like the relay itself is clean. I don¡¯t detect any explosives residue in the room at all, so nothing that sweats at least.¡± ¡°Like dynamite?¡± Domino asked curiously, ¡°But yeah, nothing over here either.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t found anything either,¡± Fran spoke up with Jessica, ¡°I guess that¡¯s it, then?¡± We exchanged looks, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. I shrugged, ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll find out in a moment now.¡± I walked towards the console, pressing my hand to the electronics and feeling the jolt through me. Immediately I felt the wash of data against my mind, the totality of the device before me. In seconds I sent my mental arms through every corner of the software, interacting with everything, getting a whole image before I worked with it in any facet. I wanted to take no risks, just in case there was any nasty surprise waiting for me as I worked with it. Instead, I found an empty landscape without any traps, sensors for invasion, or even the mildest form of firewall. Instantly I paused and doubted myself, expecting that perhaps this was an advanced defensive firewall that could camouflage itself. Yet, after some innocuous prodding and even changing code, nothing happened. It frustrated me greatly that I could likely have been able to completely control this array from the console itself with very little knowledge in the first place. For all of the defenses around this device, it was designed to be used with the least amount of knowledge and information possible. And after a few more minutes, I realized why. No single uplink was designed to usurp the entire network, they simply weren¡¯t that powerful, and considering the resources used to create them, they weren¡¯t easy to make either. In fact, the only part of the coding that I had any difficulty with was an incredibly dense piece of data - complete with a cypher - whose only purpose was as an identification code for the satellites it communicated with. In other words, if it were the old world, it wouldn¡¯t matter to have only a single one. You¡¯d need several, and thanks to the authorization-code it would be incredibly difficult to simply duplicate them. At least, for anyone else. I was fairly certain that myself and the Determinators could decode and clone it with some time. Would that allow us to control the whole network? Likely not, geographically that simply wasn¡¯t feasible. But it would allow us to access those in nearby areas, and now that we knew what to look for, we might even be able to intercept them. All that meant that we could open a hole in the grid large enough for my plan to come to fruition. It took moments to completely shackle the uplink to my will, and in the meantime the Determinator¡¯s pilfered several components to create a wireless uplink and install it, cobbling together a fairly simple program as they did so to interact with the array. It took almost half an hour to clone the key while I was offloading additional processing to the other Determinators that weren¡¯t busy, unraveling what would have taken hours for the strongest supercomputers in the old-earth era. And, with that complete, I packaged all of the information that we would need and sent it through the Obelisk uplink, routing back to the ship and farther afield to headquarters. I detached my senses from the data at that point, knowing that it would route through to our mountain-observatory station and be put into use almost immediately. We¡¯d created several of our own arrays for listening in on broadcasts and attempting to access disparate satellites already, and now that I had the code, they¡¯d be able to utilize them to help expand our net of influence and search for additional keys. Handily, the uplink was programmed to run on very precise timings, something that very likely was common to others as well. We wouldn¡¯t have instant access, but in just a matter of hours, we might very well be capable of expanding our reach outside of the borders of Basilisk and New Damond. When I¡¯d finished all the work, I sat back and stretched, noting that the others had busied themselves with helping out the Determinators where they could. Fran noticed that I was done first, ¡°Good news?¡± I grinned, letting my helmet fall away with a thought, ¡°Very. We have full access, and we have information on how the uplink and satellites are supposed to operate. If all goes well, this time tomorrow we¡¯ll have complete control of our zone, and our immediate neighbors.¡± Immediate relief surged in the room, ¡°God damn, we¡¯re actually done with this crap.¡± Daniel laughed, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I wasn¡¯t looking forward to trying to find another one of these things.¡± ¡°So, back to the boat?¡± Jessica asked hopefully, ¡°I¡¯d love to get a shower and sleep for a day or two.¡± I chuckled, ¡°Not quite yet. We¡¯ll set up some of our own defenses here to beef things up, but soon.¡± She groaned, but I could already tell that there was an energy in the group that had been absent before. I shared the sentiment - we were finally done. Almost done, anyways. One more day, and I¡¯d be able to put the final piece of the puzzle in place... Chapter 154 Dominion I stared out across the glistening surface of the sea, appreciating the sight more in this moment than I had in the week leading up to now. Instead of thinking about the lurking menace beneath the waves, for once I could allow myself to simply appreciate what nature offered. It felt like a rarer occurrence these days, that I could even appreciate these sights. Perhaps that was just a part of this way of life, hardening to the little things... But today not even that could bother me. I knew full well that we¡¯d succeeded, that we¡¯d secured our territory. The lives lost were not in vain, and I had to believe that what we¡¯d accomplished would balance the scales. ¡°Good mood?¡± I heard Domino¡¯s voice ring out beside me atop The Wendigo¡¯s deck. My smile didn¡¯t diminish, ¡°You could say that.¡± He nodded, joining me as I looked over the water silently, relishing in the calm. Below deck I knew that the others were all relaxing and recuperating as much as they could. Some nursed wounds, others mourned the fallen. Alice had mostly returned to her usual self, though she was still plagued by an anxiety that clung stubbornly in spite of the progress she¡¯d made. Luckily Richard was around, a soothing presence that seemed to do wonders in aiding her continued recovery. Others had managed to return to some normality, mingling with the crew and with other team members. I wasn¡¯t certain how many of them, even among my own team, would be able to continue hunting biotics after what had happened. If I had my way, they wouldn¡¯t need to. At that thought, I turned my attention over to Domino. He stirred at my notice, quirking an eyebrow, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Just wondering about things.¡± I chuckled, ¡°What are you planning on doing after this?¡± His quizzical expression only grew more befuddled, ¡°Well, I mean, we¡¯re going back to port, and I¡¯d imagine HQ after that?¡± He said, uncertain as to my line of questioning. ¡°Will you stay with the Legion?¡± I carefully said, keeping my voice neutral, ¡°I imagine there¡¯s plenty of people who are going to be seeking retirement after this. Not something I can blame them for, either.¡± Domino nodded slowly, comprehension clear as he leaned back against the railing. I waited for him to think, the man staring hard at the splashing surf against the hull. Idly, I cast my thoughts out over my Determinator horde, feeling them in various stages of alertness. Some were consciously working to repair the bodies of their fellows, while others simply slipped into an idle sleeping mode, reviewing memories of the past days and sharing their insights. It was interesting to feel them commune with one another, that much more aware of the world around them than the day before. I felt proud of them for having been so successful during this mission, and I knew that there would be a need in the future, no doubt, to expand further upon my own steel legion. I dragged my attention back to Domino as he began speaking, ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick around. Jessica too, probably. I¡¯m not too sure about the others, though. Even Daniel and Fran seem a little too shaken up.¡± It took a supreme act of will not to let the chagrin I felt reach my face. I knew fully that Daniel and Fran had taken the brunt of a lot of trauma since the start of all this. Whether or not this was the last straw, I didn¡¯t know, but I knew that I couldn¡¯t expect them to be unaffected. We¡¯d lost people, gruesomely, and had been utterly helpless to do anything about it. It could just as easily have been them. Everyone wanted to destroy the biotics, but not everyone was able to stand up and fight. They¡¯d already done that and more, and I didn¡¯t know if it was right or wrong to let those who couldn¡¯t fight anymore go. ¡°If that¡¯s what they decide,¡± I said slowly, ¡°Then that¡¯s what they¡¯ll do. We have enough auxiliary positions in the Legion that I¡¯m sure they can find something. Hell, we can take care of anyone who just doesn¡¯t want anything to do with biotics anymore.¡± ¡°But you hope they stay.¡± Domino stated, pointedly not looking at me as he did so.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I opened my mouth to refuse that statement, feeling a touch annoyed at the assertion. Yet, I couldn¡¯t manage to rebuke the thought. A sigh preceded my words, ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I hope they¡¯ll stay. It¡¯s hard to find someone you can trust to hold the line even when things look bad.¡± Domino nodded, tapping the railing with his fingers in thought. ¡°Well, that aside. What¡¯s our big next move?¡± I chuckled, shaking my head. ¡°Well, now we need to try to get rid of biotic hotspots. We can finally begin to coordinate with other organizations, destroy biotic infestations, and maybe ensure that we don¡¯t slide back completely into the way things were. With access to the orbital defense grid, we can begin to expand and exert influence in that way. We won¡¯t need the full compliance of any given organization thanks to that; it¡¯ll be enough that they stay out of our way¡­Plus now I don¡¯t have to blow up the satellites.¡± Domino started laughing, perplexing me. Quickly, he stopped, looking confused, ¡°Wait, you weren¡¯t joking about blowing those up?¡± I frowned, ¡°No? I was going to blow them up if we couldn¡¯t find a good access point.¡± He blinked rapidly, ¡°We are planning on using these on biotics, right?¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± I nodded, ¡°I have no intent of using them on people, anyways. Besides, I won¡¯t need to use that as a bargaining chip.¡± ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t?¡± Domino¡¯s befuddled expression only seemed to be increasing. I chuckled, ¡°I have some allies that are eager to get to work.¡± He frowned, but a communication request had me stop him for a moment. Rapidly I communicated with Sira, Yamak¡¯s personal A.I. that also organized much of his day-to-day minutiae. With a grin, I nodded up towards the sky, the island still in view. ¡°Speak of the devil.¡± Domino followed my gesture with his eyes, trying to see what I was looking at. He strained to see what I was pointing out, seeing nothing against the sky. Until he saw the slightest glimmer of light amid a pale blue sky, and watched as it grew and grew. ¡°Holy crap.¡± Domino uttered as he realized what he was looking at. I grinned, already contacting Adira, ¡°Just a heads up, I have company coming in from above. They¡¯re friendlies.¡± For a few seconds Adira said nothing on the other end of the line, ¡°You¡­ Sorry, what?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to have friendly aircraft in the area,¡± I mentioned again, ¡°Just so that you¡¯re aware.¡± The feed fully came active then, a serious expression the first thing I could see, ¡°You might want to call that off. There are a lot of biotics in the upper atmosphere here.¡± I frowned, simultaneously contacting Sira about that detail, ¡°What kind of biotics are we talking about?¡± She shrugged, ¡°Not sure, we know that they¡¯re hard to spot and tend to attack en masse. They clog up exhaust ports and the like.¡± I nodded as she spoke, relaying the information up above. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think they can really stop at this point.¡± I hummed thoughtfully, ¡°Since they¡¯re coming down from orbit.¡± Adira paused, ¡°From¡­¡±, she made a confused and frustrated huff. ¡°Alright, you know what? I¡¯ll just wait and see.¡± I chuckled, seeing the ship continue its descent, far larger than the pod that came in last time. Blue and red sparkled across its surface, the energetic crackle of power visible even miles below. And then the lightshow truly began. Pulsing streams of red ignited across the open air, hundreds of meters suddenly combusting only to leave trailing ashes in their wake. ¡°I guess they found the biotics.¡± I murmured, Domino staring upwards with consternation. ¡°They found what now?¡± The man beside me asked, but continued staring upwards. Streams of red seemed to explode outwards, the nearly invisible laser weaponry the self-defense system used burning swaths of whatever creatures were above us. At once I felt streams of information coming to me, Sira providing me with general information on the creatures they destroyed now by the hundreds. Slim creatures that seemed to be especially reactive to temperature and damage, nearly fully transparent, and very fast. Yet, they were hardly capable of much against something with shielding. And as the second vessel fell from orbit, flanked by a third, I had the distinct feeling that the air-craft carrier sized space-faring vessels would be just fine. ¡°Yamak does have some pretty good toys,¡± I nodded appreciatively, watching as the triumvirate slowed their descent, gradually reclaiming the sky over this area of the sea. ¡°Is that your leverage?¡± Domino turned his gaze back to me, clearly impressed. I simply grinned. This was the future of the Legion. Chapter 155 Summit 10 Months Later... -Fran¡¯s P.O.V.- Marble and steel adorned the large room, structured in such a way to give a vast, vaulted ceiling overhead. The tiered floors gave line of sight to the many protruding platforms where representatives of various organizations would reside. Ruggedly constructed with an emphasis on austere decoration, the summit council chambers were intended to be used to fully and finally unite humanity, or at the very least be a step in the right direction. The Terra Unitatis was a massive construction that was undertaken symbolically by many of the reigning entities across the world. Considering that it was built over the ashes of Geneva, most had no complaints about the cultural significance of the location. The construction of monolithic monuments took place around it, dedications to the casualties after The Fall - the newly minted designation of the biotic incursion - wherein the city of New Geneva would expand. Many communities contributed to the new population of New Geneva, especially amongst populations that were displaced by especially aggressive and deadly biotics. After nearly three years since The Fall, the world was on the cusp of recovering. And yet, for all that we¡¯d done, there were still things that needed doing. For the fourth time in as many minutes, I checked over the information on my PDA, cross-checking it with the Obelisk Shard on the back of my hand. Out of any city on Earth, New Geneva had the highest concentration of Obelisk¡¯s, albeit man-made. There were fifteen in total - so far - surrounding the city, each constructed by one of the leading organizations of the Summit to represent their commitment to humanity¡¯s shared cause. However, there was also talk of constructing an Obelisk in honor of those that had made it possible to fight back against the biotics. It was a somewhat divided issue, given that the presence of the Obelisks was intended in part to reap some rewards from humanity fighting for its survival, but the majority of the population was fully aware of the greater picture besides Earth. The fact that aliens were undeniably real, had made the possibility of a true human alliance more likely. Yamak Rettle and his mercenary company had made an impression on a lot of people, and more and more the people of Earth called on them and the Legion for assistance in dealing with biotic threats. In return, the Legion asked only for their participation in the World Summit at the Terra Unitatis. Thus, the agglomerate organizations were under a new whole, the Terra-Union. Considering the success the Legion was enjoying, and the significant decrease in biotic activity, most of the common populace around the world was finally experiencing some semblance of safety. New Damond itself, though still a super-fortress, had also become a city that was equal to or greater than any other that I knew of. It had been expanded with the possibility of a massive biotic presence, and could house ten times over the population that resided there comfortably even without the prefabricated constructions that could be put together rapidly. A more human touch had emerged within the city as well, giving us some culture beyond the militaristic mindset of the Legion. It was a good place to live, safe and secure, and that was something that I valued more these days. Absently, I put a hand against my stomach, feeling warm and happy even in spite of all the difficulties that we¡¯d gone through. It was bittersweet that not everything was as it should be. ¡°Something on your mind, Fran?¡± A voice beside me brought my attention back to the present. ¡°Nothing important.¡± I said, donning a cordial smile, ¡°Derrick, do we have any official word on the number of attendants? The Summit starts in ten minutes.¡± Derrick Faun nodded, glancing at his PDA, ¡°It appears everyone who promised to come is here. So... nearly sixty. And we¡¯ve a few coming of their own volition, and some more who express their disappointment at not being able to appear due to increased activities at home.¡± ¡°Not bad, then.¡± I nodded, not wishing to read any further on those who weren¡¯t going to make an appearance. ¡°At the very least, we can take this as a positive opinion for the Legion. Any word on our neighbors?¡± ¡°The United Government Coa-¡± Faun paused mid sentence and cleared his throat, ¡°-pardon, the Unified Coalition-¡± he smiled just slightly more broadly, something I shared a moment later, ¡°-and the National Peace Force are officially in attendance. Basilisk is, of course, in attendance as well. We can expect every major North American organization to be here, most of which are officially behind us, or our allies.¡± ¡°Excellent. Then we shouldn¡¯t have too much to worry about from home. What about the situation down south?¡± I asked, idly considering how nice it would be if the Unified Coalition and National Peace Force rolled over and stopped being stubborn for once. ¡°Ah, well, South America has four in attendance... but considering how things were down there, they¡¯re probably the only organizations that are large enough to be really worth considering.¡± Faun made a sour face, one that I understood well enough. I shifted in my seat, as comfortably made as it was, disliking how close our southern neighbors had come to being annihilated. Biotics had ticked up radically in aggression nine months ago, Gen 3 creatures had formed regional threats, and two Gen 4 creatures had become nigh-global threats. The Legion had worked itself to the bone to fight on as many fronts as was necessary, along with the Artorian Mercenary Company. In the end, the orbital defense systems hadn¡¯t just been helpful, they¡¯d been necessary to deal with the Gen 4¡¯s. After most of South America had been overrun and half of South Africa had become a bleached hell, the rest of the world took note that a full extermination campaign was the only way to guarantee the survival of the human race. If a Gen 5 appeared... Well, I of all people knew what kind of terror a biotic could produce, let alone something on that level. I peered out at the other platforms, seeing them fill rapidly. There were more than a hundred available, each bearing several seats for like-representatives to fill. Behind me, I could hear chatter getting closer, and Derrick and I waited to see who was coming. ¡°-and that¡¯s that. I don¡¯t care what we have to do, I want sensors in that thrice-damned rift now. I don¡¯t want to have to have a team sweeping those depths every week and miss something.¡± The familiar voice of the Basilisk representative disturbed the relative silence of our platform as she and her assistant entered the room. I smirked as she unceremoniously cut off the connection, the annoyed expression that she wore one that I could perfectly understand. ¡°Mary,¡± I stood to greet her with a handshake, ¡°I take it that there are still some growing pains?¡± She gave a half-apologetic smile, ¡°You know what they say, routine breeds complacency. It¡¯s good to change it up on my fleets every now and then. But enough of that, how are you Fran, Derrick?¡± ¡°As well as could be hoped,¡± Derrick answered, shaking her hand and then repeating the action with her aide. ¡°Turnout is better than we¡¯d hoped,¡± I nodded, ¡°We should be able to officiate the Legion¡¯s stance as an autonomous military body.¡± ¡°On paper.¡± Mary Morrison corrected, ¡°Remember that not everyone is exactly happy with the motion.¡± Derrick shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s not really anyone that can fill the roll. We¡¯ve already taken care of many issues globally, and we¡¯re the only ones with a regular contract with the Artorian Company and the Titherin Mercantile Group.¡± Mary seemed unmoved, ¡°People are people. What floats one boat sinks someone else¡¯s.¡± The four sat themselves and turned forward, the empty space in the center of the room filled with a holographic projection that bore only the 3D representation of the Earth. Several locations across the board were spotted with red, representations of continued and new biotic contacts. I idly mused that many of them were manned by Legion and Bulwark personnel in the form of biotic farms for Matter Energy. Some, though, were wild, and those, while fewer in number, were now the most dangerous places in the world. The projector blinked once, bringing the delegates attention forward as the holographic projection of the Head Minister came online. ¡°Welcome, all of you, to the first World Summit in a new era,¡± the man spoke, his hologram giving the illusion that he was staring at me. It was a clever optical illusion, designed to ensure everyone had the best view of the speaker at any given time.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°That said, there are a few things I¡¯d like to say before we officially commence with the topics.¡± The man¡¯s warm smile adorned his face kindly, ¡°We, humanity, have struggled long and hard to come to this moment. When The Fall happened, we¡¯d gone from being the uncontested leaders and dominant lifeforms of our fair Earth to fighting merely for our right to survive. In the months afterwards, many were lost, and it is no exaggeration to say that every day was a new fight for life. I mention this not only to pay homage to those passed, but to highlight one fact. We, all of humanity, are survivors. Amidst all of this chaos and confusion, we came together, and when the Obelisks came, we took up arms and reclaimed what belonged to us. But more than that, we retook what made us human. We rebuilt our homes, reforged our dignity, and continue to strive to protect all that we hold dear to us.¡± ¡°All of you present, I put it to you that you are the very front of humanity''s march forward. Progress will be made, or it will falter, on your shoulders. Know that with the convening of this Summit, you will never face your troubles alone. Together, we will be strong, and together we will thrive.¡± The Head Minister¡¯s speech stopped, and for a polite few seconds none made any sound to applause. Then all at once, it filled the room. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I listened to the cacophony, knowing that the emotions those in the room felt were genuine. No one who was alive today hadn¡¯t lived through hardship, some more than others, and the Head Minister used that to set the tone. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that everyone¡¯s views lined up with one another. ¡°Thank you all once more for coming. Now, without further adieu, we¡¯ll jump straight into the topics for the day.¡± The man gestured, and data popped up in front of small screens set in front of each platform. I listened as intently as I could to the opening motions, primarily those to ratify official membership of organizations and their subsidiaries. The second and third dealt with trade agreements and territory disputes. Fourth came the more sensitive topic of biotics as a resource, which not every organization was especially happy about. Still, most of the biotic farms were under close and merciless scrutiny by Bulwark, an organization that had been moving at a blistering pace ever since the Legion began wider operations and setting up in any location where we didn¡¯t have time to play babysitter. They worked on a lateral basis with local governance, ensuring that local policy was upheld whilst also ensuring that an impartial party was able to weigh in on disputes. In a way, the Bulwark was the strongest organization in the world, but they also kept almost entirely out of politics. Charlie Song, a man I still kept somewhat in touch with, was the man who headed the organization, and he ensured that the goals of the Bulwark ever remained with the people, rather than for any one person. He was present somewhere in the building, but wouldn¡¯t participate in shaping policy, and utterly forbade any of his organization from playing the political field in any fashion. That, combined with the local cooperation they upheld, made many eager for the stability they could bring. The Legion, however, hadn¡¯t managed to stay entirely out of politics, though we knew that couldn¡¯t last. Matthew had washed his hands of the mess, leaving it for me. Not that I could say entirely I minded. It gave me direction and distraction, something I¡¯d needed at the time. Now, it was coming more naturally than I¡¯d expected, and I found I enjoyed it well enough. ¡°And for our next topic,¡± the speaker began, ¡°We have the topic of a designated anti-biotic strike force. Given that this is a topic that we¡¯ve addressed outside of this room, I¡¯ll merely provide a brief overview.¡± For a moment the holographic image blurred, only for a second image to join him, the map of the world. Only, it showed a far different map from what we¡¯d seen at the beginning of the meeting. The image was dotted with far more red and in some cases the blots of red were large, reaching like a creeping plant across its area. Several more images scrolled by demonstrating localized regions, rotating to new locations like a slideshow. ¡°Before you are the estimates, corroborated by eyewitness accounts by local governing bodies, of every biotic infestation as of one year ago. Please watch the screens as I speak, it will be important.¡± He gestured to the images beside him, ¡°Roughly nine months ago major operations were being carried out by certain organizations, namely The Reaper¡¯s Legion, the Artorian Company, Vespa Black, and The New People¡¯s Republic. On screen, you can see these major regions through time as they took care of their respective areas. If you¡¯d like, additional information is provided on your PDA.¡± I knew what I would be seeing already considering we¡¯d assessed our own progress with biotics. At that time, though, myself and Daniel had taken a break from direct combat, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel bittersweet at the rate at which biotics had been dismantled. In no small part, the new Legionaries had picked up the slack, and gone on to make their own team. Aside from pockets of biotics that had been missed on initial sweeps, much of our coast in North America had been completely cleared, as well as a sizable chunk of territory inland. ¡°As you¡¯re watching, you can also see blue blots that represent human habitation. Red represents biotic, and green represents known military movements of various organizations as they clear threats. In North America, the Legion and Company were capable of clearing vast tracts of land efficiently, whereas we see Vespa Black clear much of Australia and move part way onto the African continent before progress was inhibited. It was at this point that The New People¡¯s Republic reached out for assistance against local biotic forces as they began to become unmanageable. The Legion and Company then began operations in the Gulf of Mexico and moved southward steadily.¡± I felt my mouth dry at the sight of red swathes expand across the South American continent. Though I knew how it turned out, it was no less a nightmare than what we¡¯d faced in the waters on the coast. ¡°Tragically, six months ago the New People¡¯s Republic that formed in South America was overrun, and much of the population in the central and southern sectors of the continent were lost. At that time, the Legion and Company continued to be engaged in extermination efforts in South American against biotics present there, finding the first Gen 4 biotic on record. More information can be found in the files presented.¡± The man gestured to the screens, ¡°It was this incident that enlightened many to the true threats that these biotics still present. At that time, other incursions were stepping up, and the Legion, along with the Bulwark, began to spread and reinforce human populations while aggressively expanding. The Company supported Vespa Black and extermination of the African incursions was resumed.¡± ¡°Four months ago, the Reaper managed to destroy the Gen 4 biotic in South America, wherein extermination efforts became far more successful. By the third month, South America was clear of surface level threats, and local installations were established to monitor and destroy biotics as they were detected. Unfortunately, at that time, the Antarctic infestation went largely undetected, and only through the aggressive application of orbital weaponry was the Artorian Company able to later suppress the biotic there. We suspect that the biotic was a Gen 4, but have yet to confirm. Considering it¡¯s capacity to seemingly create massive weather systems, we estimate it to be so. What we do know is that this biotic was capable of manipulating wide-ranging fields of pressure and temperature enabling it to create extreme storm systems across the globe. While we can¡¯t be sure the number of storm systems we can directly attribute to the biotic, we are certain that every major landmass on the planet experienced vastly increased incidence of extreme weather, with residual effects still ongoing. Between the two Gen 4 biotics, over three-hundred million lives were lost, the largest loss to human life since the Fall.¡± Silence fell over the room then. Especially among the coastal countries that hadn¡¯t been prepared for the storms, the Antarctic biotic had been a force of nature. It was a massive creature, and though it seemed to have had no other biotics around it, that hadn¡¯t mattered. It had been unassailable for three days before the Artorian Company and Legion were cleared by the still forming global government to engage in the use of weapons of mass destruction. ¡°If the Terra-Union had had a system in place at the time, we may well have averted much loss of life.¡± The speaker said with careful neutrality, though it was a deeply saddening event for many. It was also, I reflected sourly, the reason why Matthew had completely washed his hands of politics, and for the very same reason that the speaker had just stated. ¡°Fast forwarding to current days, the Legion, in cooperation with local forces, has managed to curb biotic threats across the globe. Thus, we come to the motion presented before this Summit.¡± The man paused for gravitas, his gaze somehow seeming to bore into my own, ¡°The formation of a semi-autonomous, biotic strike force and global military presence that can act within and without borders with the trust and guidance of the organized peoples of the world. What say you?¡± Without hesitation I affirmed the decision, a choice that was similarly met across the room. The vote took less than ten seconds, faster by far than any previous issue that had come up. The speaker nodded, the votes either unanimous or close enough to not matter. ¡°Now, to the issue of who will fill this role. A list of candidates will appear on the screens before you - bare in mind that Vespa Black has withdrawn themselves from being considered voluntarily.¡± The speaker once more swept a hand out and lists popped up in front of everyone. I looked at the list, a meager one with an assortment of ten organizations, most of which I suspected had been added to appease said organizations even if none would really vote for them. To be presented here was to have the recognition of the Summit, to effectively be acknowledged as the greatest military forces on the planet. My eyes narrowed as I considered the list, seeing the Legion as the obvious choice. However, I was less happy about seeing the United Coalition on the list. Even so, I cast my vote, even as I listened to others speaking to one another, some I knew would be testing the waters in the event that there was another realistic option. ¡°I see the Coalition is on the list. I¡¯d hoped that they¡¯d have withdrawn their consideration.¡± Mary commented acidly. Derrick sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve the feeling that the move is only symbolic. They¡¯ll accept the decision of the Summit, of that I¡¯m sure, but they¡¯re also saying that they aren¡¯t happy with a neighbor being placed in such a position.¡± ¡°The only reason they¡¯re accepting it is because they know your leader really doesn¡¯t care about amassing territory.¡± Mary leaned back, ¡°Where is Matt, anyways?¡± A chagrined expression appeared on my face even as the votes were tallied in overwhelming favor of the Legion. ¡°Where else? Probably knee-deep in biotics somewhere.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know where he actually is?¡± Mary looked to me with surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t that¡­¡± she paused, looking bewildered for all that our leader wasn¡¯t likely anywhere near headquarters at the moment. Derrick snorted a laugh before his cheeks reddened in embarrassment, ¡°Erhm, excuse me. But, well, what I find is that while Matthew may indeed abstain from the¡­ minutiae of leadership, he takes active roles in other, equally critical areas.¡± ¡°So, biotics?¡± Mary quirked a brow as Derrick and I exchanged bemused glances. ¡°Biotics.¡± Chapter 156 Deep Crawl -Matthew Reaper¡¯s P.O.V.- ¡°You have got to be kidding me¡­¡± A long breath left my lips as I stared off the edge of the rocky plateau. Beside me, eighteen Determinators, more lithe than their former designs but no less durable, each shifted on their feet and glanced to one another, communicating wordlessly. I could feel their own exasperation as clearly as mine. A ping resounded from a pair of them, a sharp clear tone that echoed through the underground space easily, reflected off of stone with differing returns. In moments, we had an idea of how deep the hole was. ¡°One kilometer¡­ great.¡± I sighed, ¡°That¡¯s just¡­ Fucking wonderful.¡± One of the Determinators next to me let out a cheerful burst of noise and held up a hand, thumbs up. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± I sighed, ¡°It is better than an underwater cave, at least.¡± Several Determinators rattled off beeps of agreement before they stepped up to the edge fully. My mind communicated with the many groups of Determinators, each attacking the cave from a separate angle. Some continued to bore through solid stone, intent on ensuring that there were no escape tunnels for this creature this time. Others, like my own team, had the unenviable task of deploying down into the many stack tunnels that the biotic and its brood had carved. Behind me, I felt the monitoring team keeping tabs on the other biotics in the area, feeding us real time data on their approximate location. As much as I had faith in Yaga¡¯s technology, we still left no stone unturned. My group of Determinators had three scout-variants for that very purpose, and thus far nothing had managed to fool their sensors. I redirected my attention back to the task at hand with a sense of detachment that I¡¯d come to know quite well. As one we stepped off of the edge, the image of the chasm we were falling into overlaying on our vision. I felt the rush in my veins, my heart pulse with the adrenaline that still managed to flush my system, the freefall feeling in my stomach. Solid granite walls rushed past my sight as gravity took hold, my dense power armor giving me more than enough peace of mind that I¡¯d survive any given impact. Idly, I noted that I¡¯d survive falling from most heights, given that my entire body was made of much sterner stuff than mere flesh and blood. With practiced precision, the Determinators and I waited until we were about thirty meters from the ground before we let off a burst from our onboard jetpacks, flares of red lighting the gloom beneath us. There I noted the hundreds of husks, fragments of stone enameled in a stronger-than-steel coating that our quarry utilized in their exoskeletons. These creatures were reminiscent of the Salt Beetles from so long ago. We landed on the shells, the more brittle of them shattering and crunching beneath heavy treads. An old mandible snapped beneath my own feet, but none of us paid our carpet any special attention beyond ensuring that there were no trapdoors beneath us. Scanners swept out, mag-rifles moving with them, in search of any hostiles. The drop opened up to a smaller cavern, one that burrowed through solid rock in three directions. I actively updated our information, sending the new results to the other teams even as the bore team adjusted their own trajectories. Even in the absolute darkness, our senses were as clear as day, illuminated by infrared and enhanced sonar that could pick up movement in the environment. Almost derisively, the scouts pointed out the false wall farther down, and registered subtle lifesigns on the other side. I turned my own mag rifle up, a weapon that had been refined exactingly to my specifications, and sighted my shot. The Determinators did the same with their own rifles, switching their weapons to piercing shots. A dull hum resounded from all of our held guns for a second before they went abruptly quiet. Then we fired, a cacophony of raucous sound that filled the underworld with hateful noise. Solid bolts of metal tore through the false wall as easily as a hot knife through butter, and the cracking, exploding noises of biotic chitin resounded in short order. Shambles of the wall fell away, fragmented to dust and pieces that would have bit through bare flesh. What we hadn¡¯t destroyed with gunfire was quickly reduced to rubble by the charging insectoid creatures, scything vertical mandibles with scrabbling, blocky legs that could have taken a tank shell with nary a scratch in the old world. They¡¯d been a menace in the area for months, recently worsening with the advent of their new warrior caste. Durable beyond the means of the locals to destroy, the mountain city had finally relented and requested assistance. Just as well, considering I wasn¡¯t going to wait forever. Now dozens of said biotics lay splintered and dead, or dying, on the ground with silvery metallic blood oozing from their wounds. Their dead were pushed onwards or out of the way, used either as a stepping stone or meat shield as they had learned, a proven tactic that the Scatha Beetles had employed against the previous inhabitants of the area. Against us, however, such a move was ineffective. We overlapped our fields of fire, joining on targets for a moment at a time, rending them limb from limb. As cruel as it was, we didn¡¯t bother going for kill shots, disabling them enough that the biotic was reduced to scrambling and scrabbling to move forward would inhibit their fellows more than an unmoving body would. In seconds a line of bodies had formed, an ambush turned on its head. The biotics slowed momentarily, as though considering the scene before them. I frowned at the sight, one all too familiar in recent days. Mentally, I sent the order to five of the heavy troopers to deploy heavy ordnance. Nearly instantly they did so, sending shrieking bolts of plasma into their midst, hitting their retreat paths and the center of the formation. The first volley crackled violently, white-hot flames exploding outwards and nearly vaporizing the immediate biotics around them. Stone cracked from the sudden rise in temperature, and all at once the Scatha resumed their attack, surging forward with a sort of resolute march.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. That, too, resulted in their doom. Spearing bolts of metal tore through their flesh, cracked plates of armor, and dismantled the biotics in moments with surgical accuracy. In just seconds the attack was over, dozens of bodies lay before us joined only by the staccato rhythm of our weapons as we swept back over the disabled to end them completely. To anyone who witnessed us, I¡¯d imagine that it must have felt somehow cruel to the biotics. That they stood no chance whatsoever against us was a matter of course after how much practice we had. The Legion in general had improved, but the Determinators were now my weapon of choice, as much an extension of myself as my own arm or leg. It worked out better that way. ¡°Alright, let''s do a sweep and keep moving.¡± I spoke aloud, more for my benefit than the Determinators. They let out varying sounds of affirmation, the scouts especially ensuring that there were no surprises amidst the wreckage that we¡¯d wrought. I stared upon the scene, now relaying the fourth tunnel to the rest of the groups - we¡¯d need to be sure that every wall was checked now - and be wary of any ambushes. I couldn¡¯t keep the consternation from my face as I regarded the trap we¡¯d just cleared, yet another question unanswered from several others these days. Biotics had become more intelligent, acting together, using tactics and strategy, even going so far as to attack simultaneously in disparate regions. We had difficulty finding any kind of connection between them beyond their behavior, but I was certain this wasn¡¯t just a random event. The scouts reported the all clear once more, and quickly we mobilized once more. Another team would come in behind us to collect any biotic parts that didn¡¯t dematerialize, some could even be suspended. Yaga would appreciate more research specimens, at the least, but that wasn¡¯t my primary concern. We chose to go through the new tunnel. The others could be secured by the future teams combing the underground. Even in the darkness, I had to admire some of the work the biotics could do, a nearly straight tunnel that bent every ten meters, giving a small antechamber that a large defense force could occupy. Given how many of the Scatha we¡¯d slain in the past few days, there weren¡¯t many left. I¡¯d even go so far to say that the ambush we¡¯d run into had been fairly scant on biotics. We pushed onwards through the hewn tunnel, noticing immediately as it began to appear more carefully carved. I smiled at the sight, knowing that the central nests for the insectoid types tended to be much more ornate than the outer portions. Steadily, shapes began to emerge, hexagonal cuts that gave an almost unreal atmosphere to the underground world we explored. Several times the scouts stopped the line in order to check for traps, twice exposing false walls that were then quickly destroyed along with the small contingent behind it. In minutes we moved through the tunnels, all of our senses maximized to the absolute limit. Only when we heard the sound of smashing rock did we pause. Carefully we moved forward, the scouts having confirmed that no dead-falls had been constructed in the tunnel we used. Once before we¡¯d nearly been buried under tons of rock, escaping by the thinnest of margins, and none of the Determinators wanted to repeat that incident. We inched forward, the sound growing louder, seemingly more desperate, interspersed only by the angry clacking of a large biotic. At the mouth of the tunnel, I was treated to the source of the sound. A large, dump-truck sized beetle, slammed at the far end of a large cavern. A pile of rubble lay behind it, even as large slabs joined it. I blinked at the scene, trying to take in what was happening. Several beetles joined it at the wall, only it seemed as though it hadn¡¯t always been a wall. Still setting stone was easily moved by the biotics, who in their frenzy continually dug forward, hardened mandibles shearing through. They¡¯d made meters of progress, but not enough for an escape. I had many questions, but they would have to wait. As quietly as we could, we crept out in a wide arc on the far side of the cavern. Additional weapons emerged from the Determinators and I, shoulder-mounted, back-mounted apparati that more than tripled our firepower. All at once we opened fire, piercing rifle shots tearing through the common Scatha Beetles in waves. At the same time, those of us with lance weaponry and explosives shelled the Queen. We attempted to avoid shooting at the bundle of cores attached to its back, knowing that they would be valuable beyond compare for humanity in general, but that would only last for as long as we had control of the situation. The Queen turned, agony racing through it as two of its ten legs exploded. Quarter-meter wide holes tore through its abdomen, and before it could so much as fully face us, its head seemed to vanish under our combined strikes. A second volley followed nearly instantly, and this time there was nothing left alive. I blinked at the sight, ¡°Huh, okay, so they don¡¯t always have ridiculous regeneration.¡± I shrugged, glad to finally deal with a biotic that wasn¡¯t ridiculously hard to kill. At least, until the body started to twitch, silvery, bulbous flesh beginning to expand. Almost as one we ran towards the thing, blades, sycthing tools, and all manner of butchery equipment extending from the Determinators or myself even as we grumbled annoyance as a whole. I could even just barely tell some of them were joking that I¡¯d jinxed it. We cauterized flesh and tore through it repeatedly, going through the motions for nearly a minute before it finally gave up and truly died. Just to be sure, though, we removed all of the Hive Cores from its body and began to pack them into canisters. While they finished up with that task, I approached the collapsed tunnel, inspecting it more closely. It appeared to have been very fresh, but also purposeful. I couldn¡¯t fathom how it would have caved in, unless it had been an accident. I paused mid-inspection, looking up at the roof of the tunnel, the specific way it was constructed to collapse. To be sure, I began to sift through the rubble, joined by the other Determinators as they completed their tasks. Elsewhere in the cavern systems, other Determinators encountered wayward queens, each dispatching them with clean efficiency. And each one encountering a collapsed tunnel. ¡°This isn¡¯t accidental at all,¡± I murmured, ¡°It was purposeful. But why when they haven¡¯t escaped?¡± No answer was forthcoming yet, but as we continued digging, I began to see a pattern in the collapse. It was utterly complete, carefully constructed to prevent any reasonable passage¡­ or pursuit. I grit my teeth as I remembered the only other time I¡¯d found this type of tunnel. Back in Argedwall, the only biotic that had ever evaded me, the creator of the Centaur biotic. ¡°We need to get back to HQ. Alert every organization in the area that the biotic known as The King Under the Mountain is confirmed to be alive and active.¡± I spoke, though already I was broadcasting the information myself. ¡°We¡¯ve a hunt on our hands.¡± Chapter 157 Holdouts The near silent whirr of Shade¡¯s engines was drowned out by the sounds the Determinators made as they performed minor repairs on themselves and each other in the now highly upgraded craft¡¯s hull. What had once been a personal vehicle of mine had now evolved into what could only be called a mobile base. The vessel was fifty meters from end to end, and twenty meters wide in the body. Six wings, two hard angled to face forward parallel to the cockpit and the other four mounted near the center of the ship, kept the vessel stable in flight, whereas a collection of twelve engines, most inactive at any given time, gave it ample power to increase speed and perform jaw-dropping maneuvers if required. Truth be told, the design was heavily influenced by the eventuality that I would be transitioning Shade into a space-worthy vessel capable of leaving the atmosphere. The engines, however, were a major limiter, given that we were still working on ion thrusters and other analogues. Even so, this was more than enough for my current needs. As I stalked the bridge, idly looking at the various Determinators plugged into consoles, I considered the information I had on hand. We¡¯d been hunting after holdout pockets of biotics for weeks in North America, but thus far we¡¯d experienced mixed results. The attacks themselves always reaped a huge toll in biotics, but as of late they were becoming harder and harder to pin down. It was entirely possible that The King had survived this long - I would be surprised if it hadn¡¯t - and that creature represented the biggest threat to the continent since the Angler nearly a year ago. Given how long it had survived, there was a distinct probability that we were looking at a Gen 4 biotic, perhaps even a Gen 5, and worse, that it was intelligent enough to avoid direct confrontation. That suspicion didn¡¯t do my Legion much good. This particular unique biotic had escaped from us once already and unless one of the other organizations in the area had destroyed it - which we would most certainly have heard about from some of our more vocal neighbors - it was safe to assume that any biotic of that level wouldn¡¯t fall prey to another. Regrettably, I knew that this particular biotic was a non-combatant, and knew that it would avoid the frontlines at all costs. Even in South America, with the Zombie Factory Gen 4, the biotic in question was aggressive enough to bait into a confrontation. The King had actively fled and done everything in its power to ensure we couldn¡¯t pursue it. A beeping at the periphery of my senses brought my attention back to the present. With a gesture, I transferred the incoming call onto the holographic display in front of my command seat. The cool black steel shifted to expose crystal rails that refracted light upwards. A far cry from the initial technology we used, the colors quickly filled into the display, portraying the face of one of my premier team leaders in rich detail. ¡°Domino, hello,¡± I nodded to him, ¡°Do you have a report?¡± ¡°Matt.¡± The man nodded warmly in greeting, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve just cleared the nest up in the northern range. We kept a lookout for anything strange, and turns out we¡¯ve got tunnels just like what you had.¡± I frowned, ¡°Damn. I hoped it was isolated. Did the biotic get away?¡± ¡°No, it looks like the tunnel collapsed on top of it. We didn¡¯t have much left to do after we dug it out. Looks like our big bad cuts ties fast.¡± He sighed, looking distracted. ¡°Well, for the moment we¡¯ll have to point our satellites at the area, but I¡¯m not holding out any hope of them detecting anything. We haven¡¯t to this point.¡± I spoke, noting the crease in Domino¡¯s brow. ¡°Did the operation go smoothly?¡± After a moment''s hesitation, he shook his head, ¡°Somewhat. Just a little bit of internal strife. We¡¯ve got one of the new teams with us and¡­ well, their personalities rubbed some of my vets the wrong way.¡± I considered that carefully for a moment before speaking, ¡°Hmm¡­ The command of your team is ultimately with you, but if you need any advice¡­¡± ¡°I appreciate that,¡± he said, forcibly loosening his shoulders, ¡°It¡¯s nothing time and some¡­ discipline won¡¯t fix.¡± I arched an eyebrow at that, but nodded nonetheless, ¡°Well, keep me updated. I¡¯ll be back at HQ within-¡± I mentally checked my GPS, ¡°-thirty minutes or so. What¡¯re you planning?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to head back south, hit up some local Basilisk outposts and see if we can bunk in the area for a while. Figure that I can kill two birds with one stone, scout the area, get my team straight. If we find any sign of our biotics, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Sounds good,¡± I nodded, and then after remembering something added, ¡°I¡¯ve already updated Adira on the situation, but reach out to Strauss, I think he and his crew are nearby.¡± Domino nodded, ¡°Alright. Talk to you later, boss.¡± I cut the feed even as I brought up more information that the Legion had come across. With no flesh and blood thing on board the ship, it was easy for me to get lost in the data, something that I¡¯d grown progressively fond of doing. It was meditative in a way that speaking with others was not, even as I realized that I found myself needing less and less contact with others as the days wore on. Not that it was surprising considering that I¡¯d had much less in common with most people now than I¡¯d had before. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. I didn¡¯t need to sleep much at all, nor did I require much food or water. Aside from my inhuman appearance, I also knew that my emotional state had become much more muted. In some ways, that had been a good thing. After the campaign in South America, another wave of retirements had occurred within the Legion. Not surprising, considering the husks of previously living things we¡¯d had to fight through, all too many of which had once been human. No, I counted my current state of being to be a stroke of good fortune. Still, there were times¡­ A Determinator chimed into my thoughts, letting me know that we were on approach for the New Damond Spaceport. Mentally sending my thanks, I turned my gaze to the city. It had grown considerably since it had first been conceived. What I¡¯d initially intended to be a military complex had grown to become a juggernaut of a fortress-city. The first thing I noticed were the black buildings laced with shining red and obsidian complements, many of which now bore extreme feats of visual engineering. The New Damond Spaceport was one such construction, featuring eight runways and dozens of landing pads, some of which were our speciality hot-pads for catching orbital drops, albeit those were farther to the edge of the city in the event that something went wrong. Every runway and pad was outfitted to accommodate any kind of air or space craft, something that had become necessary as the Titherin Mercantile Group needed to make repeat visits as they sorted out local economic policy, or to visit their live-in president. The Artorian Company also frequently used our port, due to their own base of operations existing in parallel with the Legion in New Damond. I turned my attention to the downtown region, the living area for the vast majority of the people who had come to reside in my city. Over eight million souls called New Damond home, a number that dwarfed pre-Fall numbers in the area. Housing wasn¡¯t an issue, given that we utilized a blend between prefabricated structures and more custom constructions that could be repaired or replaced cheaply. Legion and their families, of course, were allowed to live within the city freely, and those that came for the safety and opportunity enjoyed many of the same benefits. We didn¡¯t charge a great deal, either, as we really didn¡¯t need to source our population for revenue. It was, however, helpful that our reputation had grown such that we¡¯d never had any issue with too few applicants. That, of course, came with its own growing pains. What had once been a few large structures had evolved into massive complexes that spanned several city blocks. The Tombstone, for instance, was jokingly referred to as The Graveyard at times now that it had expanded. Reaper Administration had also changed, becoming the tallest building in the city and hosting foreign dignitaries, including inter-galactic ones that were becoming more frequent as Earth became more stable. As a whole, the galactic community had responded well to Earth as a success story, and now that restrictions were steadily lifting, more and more parties showed interest in the people of Earth. Such visitations were still under heavy restrictions, though there were talks underway to eventually open the Earth to additional diplomatic and commercial traffic. One of our major requirements was that the Terra-Union had to be fully established, and that New Damond would only facilitate political talks in the event that the Terra-Unitatus wasn¡¯t available. I had no desire to become entangled politically, and - or so I was told by more politically savvy Legionnaires - our surrender of being a political hub to the Terra Unitatus was an excellent move to smooth over political tensions. It also gave a precedent that the Terra-Union was an overarching body that we would defer to outside of our area of expertise. And such was what I intended to do; biotics were the business of the Legion, and anything to do with them was strictly my own domain. I had no interest in monitoring and upholding trade interests and the like. Granted, the Legion was positioned to benefit from any agreements that the Titherin Mercantile Group made, so the nuances of what went on didn¡¯t concern me overtly. ¡°Shade, this is ground control, copy?¡± I heard the voice of one of the air traffic controllers over the comms. ¡°This is Shade. Requesting permission to land, over.¡± I spoke while sending transponder information. It was all formality at this point, but no one ever complained considering the process took less than thirty seconds in general. ¡°Roger that, we have your ticket. Hangar 12 is open for business. Welcome back, Sir.¡± ¡°Appreciate it, ground control, it¡¯s good to be home.¡± I said as I directed Shade to the dock, something it could do entirely on its own. The dock itself was a large building whose roof was currently open, exposing a large multi-platformed pad that rose to greet us. Shade slowed on the descent, and as usual I barely felt the landing as the shock-absorbers went to work. Quickly the engines wound down, putting the bulk of the weight on the pads beneath us. More than up to the task, hydraulic pistons regulated by several computers - and their backups - lowered the large craft into the building proper. Overhead I could hear the doors closing, as we settled into the hangar. Wrapping up after that took very little time, especially given that most of the process was fully automated from therein. As I stepped off of the ship, I cast a backwards glance at the Determinators as they settled in. They would eventually power down their bodies and rejoin their joint consciousness in cyberspace, but for now they were content with their current venue. Another blip appeared on my comms, a message this time. I pulled it up, reading it. ¡®Matt, you back yet? I¡¯m done with lessons today, need a ride?¡¯ The message from Daniel read. I shot one back, ¡®Just got back, and sure. I¡¯ll just leave my armor with the DT¡¯s. I¡¯ll be at Bay 3.¡¯ After that, I didn¡¯t bother waiting, instead willing my power armor to open so that I could step out from the back of it. I watched with some level of bemusement as the armor closed back up and turned around without me in it, marching back up the ramp into the ship. I stretched, trying to get used to no longer wearing the armor, before turning and starting my walk through the facility, earning more than a few passing stares as I did so. A small part of me wanted to leave again as soon as possible, to continue doing what I did best. But, I was still the leader of the Legion, and it was good to be home. Chapter 158 Catching Up I found a slightly less apparent location to wait for Daniel, away from the many people who couldn¡¯t help but stare at me. While the city had expanded dramatically, so too did the number of people who had no real idea of who I was. Luckily - or unluckily, I wasn¡¯t certain - my actual appearance wasn¡¯t the topic of the pseudo urban legend that surrounded me. Everyone knew that I existed, and that I wasn¡¯t quite human. Whenever I was seen, though, I was still met with the same range of responses that I¡¯d come to expect. Surprise, excitement, wariness, and even some measures of anxiousness that bordered on fear. After all of the changes that my body had gone through, I wasn¡¯t exactly surprised with the way people reacted. Even so, I didn¡¯t enjoy being a spectacle for long. As I waited, I busied myself with reports on the field, and on events that were taking place in the larger world. Basilisk had expanded, though they¡¯d slowed their roll in recent months. The last I¡¯d heard, an overall crackdown on various disreputable organizations had been taken care of, courtesy of their new Director of Internal Affairs. Other things, such as the current status of Adira and her ship the Wendigo were much more clear to me. They were now something of the official task-force liaison between the Legion and Basilisk¡¯s sea-borne missions. In the time since securing the satellite uplink, our organizations had worked together much more closely to secure our side of the continent. Thus far, though, myself and Adira hadn¡¯t worked together in the same area, though we still kept in touch. Given all of the other missions that had cropped up, I simply didn¡¯t have the time to go visiting for personal reasons. As I sorted through reports, though, I did run across a few things that I found amusing. the Iron Chariots had picked up several new members, and had assorted themselves into a few interrelated groups. The Iron Storm, the Iron Giants, and the Law of Iron were all groups that the Chariots were parent to and worked with frequently. They¡¯d become a varied and effective task force in their own right, a good thing considering the report I received from them on their last mission. Like what myself and Domino ran across, the Iron Chariots, had discovered a number of collapsed tunnels further inland. However, the Iron Giants had been within one of the tunnels when the collapse began. No injuries had occurred, more due to the composition of their teams than anything else, but they were en route back home for repairs. Considering they¡¯d been on back to back missions for nearly three months now, I expected them to come home for a break. They were a driven team, though, perhaps more so than any of my other Legion teams. They were safe, too, boasting not a single member lost after Patrick, their founding member and friend of mine, had been lost. That very same loss was at the machinations of the biotic whose handiwork we looked at now, so I expected that they would be even more active from now on. As I was reading, I noticed a vehicle approaching the pickup zone. A large hovering craft lumbered into place, settling inches above the ground with a distinct but low whirr, more similar to what a purring cat - if said cat weighed a few tons - sounded like. I smiled, walking up to the vehicle, fractal designs playing across its purple, shining hull. When the light hit it, it shifted from a rich, pearlescent purple to a deep and reflective obsidian. Hidden hardpoints that I knew were in place concealed an array of weaponry: mag weapons, a small collection of explosives, and a small laser were hidden within, enough to get out of a sticky situation with a small group of biotics if necessary. The diamond-esque construction that emulated the look of a sports car turned a lot of heads. The driver''s side window, one-way viewing only, seamlessly slid down to reveal the large, bearded man in the front seat. He wore a simple tank top with combat fatigues, though I knew he had a few more personalized defensive choices on his person that were harder to spot. ¡°Sup, man!¡± Daniel called out with a wide smile as I came around. I ignored the onlooking crowd as I came around, door sliding open and upwards to admit me entry. As I climbed in, I clasped his outstretched hand, ¡°Thanks for the pickup. How¡¯s the new car treating you?¡± Daniel beamed, ¡°It¡¯s amazing. We¡¯re thinking about officially starting a market for them, but so far it¡¯s just a side project me and Terry are working on.¡± The door slid closed, and no sooner than it had did Daniel begin moving. I strapped myself in, more for anyone else¡¯s safety than my own - getting thrown out of a vehicle at someone at high speeds would probably result in more damage to whatever I¡¯d hit, rather than myself - and turned my attention to the gently glowing dashboard with purple lighting. ¡°How¡¯s Terry? I haven¡¯t seen him in¡­ wow¡­ weeks,¡± I blinked, suddenly realizing I hadn¡¯t gone into the lab for some time. Daniel shifted a hand back and forth, ¡°He¡¯s¡­ okay? I mean, you know Terry.¡± I chuckled and shook my head, ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°He¡¯s working with Yaga on some top-secret project.¡± Daniel scowled, ¡°They won¡¯t tell anyone what it is, either. There¡¯ve got a small team, but they¡¯re all very hush-hush about what it is.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. I blinked at that, ¡°They won¡¯t tell you?¡± He shook his head, ¡°Nope. Nobody, far as I can tell. They probably have it listed for you, but¡­ Whatever it is, they¡¯re playing it really close to the chest. Obsessively.¡± I frowned, searching through the Legion¡¯s database and finding only a few memos for me, telling me that a few new projects had information that I could look up from the Lab¡¯s secured servers. I clicked my tongue at that, knowing that I¡¯d been the one to insist that any truly sensitive information be confined off of any network and not referred to out of it. Given how I could access virtually anything, I had to assume that I wasn¡¯t the only one that could. Better to just have something important entirely isolated instead. ¡°It¡¯s off-grid,¡± I huffed, ¡°Wanna stop by the lab?¡± He pondered for a moment before shrugging, ¡°Sure, Fran won¡¯t be back for a few hours, at least.¡± I nodded to that, knowing that the World Summit would take up a good chunk of time, not including any additional conversations Fran and Derrick might strike up with our allies abroad. I¡¯d given them a fairly wide range of authority for the purposes of the Legion¡¯s resources, but I doubted they¡¯d get us into something we couldn¡¯t handle. I trusted the pair, and as much as it was a shame that Fran wasn¡¯t on the frontline against biotics, I trusted few as much as her with the political arena. Certainly, I wasn¡¯t fit for it, given that I¡¯d very nearly decided to just do whatever needed to be done, regardless of the consequences. The debacle with Storm-Surge, the Antarctic biotic, had been the last straw for me in regards to any kind of political patience. That should never have gotten as bad as it had, and even today the effects continued to be felt. ¡°You alright, Matt? Lookin¡¯ a little intense there.¡± Daniel¡¯s voice cut into my brooding. I sighed, shaking my head, ¡°Just thinking of the ¡®what ifs¡¯ again, forget it.¡± I turned my gaze back to him, smirking, ¡°So, how¡¯s the new batch of students?¡± He chuckled, ¡°They¡¯re hellions. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had a batch this damn aggressive in their mechs. Lots of ¡®em obsessed with their mechs too.¡± ¡°Sounds like the Chariots are gonna have a lot on their hands,¡± I said, ¡°Did you show them yours, yet?¡± Daniel shook his head, ¡°Nah, it was their first week. I usually see what they can come up with on their own first before showing them Dauntless. You know, it¡¯s funny but most of the weapons I¡¯ve got still hold their own just fine against all the fancier stuff coming out now. You hear that we¡¯ve got laser technology working finally?¡± I nodded, ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not as much of a fan as I thought I¡¯d be.¡± ¡°Same. I mean, it cuts and burns just fine but¡­ No boom.¡± He shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Hear anything from Alice and Richard lately?¡± I asked. ¡°Mmm, I heard they were over in Sunvilla for now, visiting Alice¡¯s family. Oh! They¡¯re planning on getting married, said that they liked how we did our wedding, wanted to do something similar.¡± I winced, ¡°Ah¡­ The one I missed¡­¡± Daniel opened his mouth for a moment before closing it. After a seconds consideration, he spoke again, ¡°Well¡­ Yeah man, it would have been nice to have you there but¡­ I mean¡­ you were literally waist deep in zombies at the time.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Dude, you gotta stop beating yourself over that stuff. I said it was fine, Fran honestly was surprised that you even took the time to video chat us at the end¡­ Though that was disgusting, all things considered.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We all used to be covered in biotic bits and pieces, I don¡¯t understand what the problem was.¡± I frowned. He raised two fingers, ¡°First off, I never liked that part. Second off, I¡¯m pretty sure zombified biotics don¡¯t decompose the same way. Sure as hell didn¡¯t look like it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ No, okay, that¡¯s fair.¡± I paused, remembering the godawful stench too clearly thanks to my memory. ¡°Anyways, they¡¯re thinking about doing a wedding ceremony, but they¡¯re not sure exactly when. They don¡¯t want a big blowout though, just some family and friends.¡± Daniel continued on before stopping for several seconds. ¡°What?¡± I glanced around confusedly, seeing and sensing nothing that might give him pause. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m just thinking, y¡¯know? How things are starting to come back to something more normal.¡± He said, a genuine smile on his face. I turned away, hiding the grimace on my face, ¡°Yeah.¡± We made more small talk as we went, though I couldn¡¯t help but linger on that line of thought. After everything was finished, I didn¡¯t know what I could do, or more accurately what I wanted to do. I wasn¡¯t sure if I could ever go back to a so-called ¡°normal¡± way of life, I wasn¡¯t even sure if I had any desire to, either. After a few more minutes we pulled up to the lab complex. We moved up to the first of the scanners, one of many safety measures built in to prevent people from bringing unauthorized items on the premises. I could almost feel the tingle against my skin as they swept over me, confirming against a database what was allowed through security. ¡°I hate these checkpoints.¡± Daniel grumbled, ¡°They take forever.¡± I chuckled before sending my awareness out to the machines. Rather than override them, I provided my credentials, a process that was cleared within moments. Daniel frowned as the gate in front of us opened, as well as the steel pillars beyond it that prevented someone from smashing a vehicle through. He looked at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, ¡°Perks of being the Reaper.¡± ¡°Showoff.¡± Chapter 159 Fringe Science at Best... In spite of all the times that I¡¯d come to visit the science complex, there were certain things that always inspired a particular sense of wonder. Specifically, after moving through the various checkpoints, the view afforded was simply incredible. The lobby was a well guarded, concave room that was clad in pale metallic plates, each in the shape of a diamond that protruded slightly from the wall. At the zenith of each protruding piece, I could see a small crystalline structure, one that I knew was constantly scanning and monitoring us from every angle. We weren¡¯t the only ones, either, considering the laboratory main entrypoint could accommodate nearly four hundred people without any major issue. Just the appearance of the onyx shards wasn¡¯t what wowed me, but the fact that each one also doubled as a variable pulse emitter did. They were effectively lasers with varying functions, which meant that any kind of frontal assault might well be doomed before it ever started. The building behind the defenses was nothing to scoff at either. It was a compound of super-concrete that now made up the bulk of our major industrial complexes. Our buildings could withstand extreme concussive force, temperatures, and were even highly resistant to radiation in its varying forms. The fact that every building was constructed from this stuff was why New Damond could truly be called a fortress city. Currently, there were only a handful of people moving through the checkpoint, letting us move through one of the sections quickly. ¡°Slow day,¡± Daniel commented, ¡°Wonder why?¡± I looked around, shrugging, ¡°I don¡¯t see any interns today-¡± I paused a half-step as I realized another more odd thing ¡°-or any Tier One employees¡­¡± Daniel quirked an eyebrow, ¡°Do you know all of the Tier One¡¯s?¡± I shook my head amusedly, ¡°Not directly, I just keep tabs on who should and shouldn¡¯t be in a place.¡± He chuckled at that, ¡°Wonder what¡¯s up.¡± The individual at the checkpoint saw us coming, a middle aged man who I¡¯d seen working here for quite some time by now. ¡°How you doin¡¯?¡± Daniel greeted politely, but casually, ¡°It¡¯s pretty quiet in here today.¡± The man nodded to the both of us in greeting, ¡°Good, you two?¡± He asked as he pressed a button, a scanner working over the both of us to confirm who we were. The system pinged a single clear note followed by a double note when it swept over me. The attendant glanced to the screen beside him before turning back to us with a cordial smile and finally answering Daniel¡¯s question, ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? Security has determined that anyone below Tier Two should stay out of the primary lab complex for today.¡± Curiosity piqued, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He shrugged helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s over my paygrade, Reaper. You might check with the Operations Director?¡± I nodded as he pressed his hand against a screen next to him. A moment later the meter thick doors in front of us spun open so smoothly and silently that had I not known it¡¯d been there, I wouldn¡¯t have expected such a thick door to bar the way. ¡°Have a good one,¡± Daniel called back over his shoulder as the man bid us farewell. The pair of us were greeted by the main thoroughfare, a wide, open structure that split off into several hallways, each one a contained unit that could house anywhere between a hundred smaller laboratory units, or be modulated to accommodate larger projects. In the center of the room, what looked to be three meter thick glass dominated the central space, giving a peek into the lower levels. Contrary to appearances, the material wasn¡¯t glass at all, but a transparent metal that had been developed with some inspiration from our work alongside Basilisk. But what truly drew the eye in the white and black facility were the uniform beams of energy that gently ebbed in the space over our heads. Six such beams, two meters in diameter, adorned the ceiling and were contained with powerful magnetic fields. The plasma, as it were, was a brilliant ruby red color, looking more like liquid crystal than anything else. Cascades of fractal-shaped light shimmered across the floor below, subtly illuminating everything beneath it. ¡°You know, it just occurs to me, but isn¡¯t plasma, like, super hot?¡± Daniel frowned upwards at the beams. I laughed, ¡°Incredibly.¡± ¡°That¡­ That is plasma, right?¡± Daniel looked at me in confusion. ¡°Yup.¡± I nodded, before walking towards the elevator to our right. ¡°Right. Okay then.¡± He collected himself and returned to flank me, ¡°Why aren¡¯t we all roasting then?¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine a containment field of some sort.¡± I stated as we entered the elevator. ¡°You¡¯d imagine?¡± My best friend turned to look at me, ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ know?¡± I shrugged, ¡°Probably magnetics. Just because it exists in the city doesn¡¯t mean I know everything about it automatically.¡± As Daniel pressed the button to go to the lower levels, a sweeping scan took place in the elevator, confirming we had clearance. ¡°But couldn¡¯t you just google-brain it?¡± I winced at the description, ¡°Yeah, but just because I could doesn¡¯t mean I want to do it every time. What would it be like for you if every time you got distracted you immediately went down the rabbit-hole to search up everything about that source, and then the next? You¡¯d never get anything done.¡± He had a thoughtful look on his face as he considered that. Just before we reached the floor in question, he nodded, ¡°Yeah, fair enough.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°You know, if it was the old world you¡¯d probably spend your time watching po-¡± whatever Daniel was about to say cut off as the elevator door opened. He swayed on his feet dangerously, as though someone had just shoved him. ¡°Whoa, you okay?¡± I reached out to stabilize him while he held his head in his hand with a grimace. ¡°Holy fuck, my head. What just hit me?¡± He frowned, still bearing a grimace and glancing around the elevator with confusion. I blinked, ¡°Nothing hit you, you just suddenly-¡± the next moment Daniel stiffened, his confusion growing dramatically. ¡°Why the hell do I taste raspberries!?¡± Daniel¡¯s bewilderment grew. The both of us turned at the same time to the labs themselves, basement level six, home to some of our more innovative scientists. ¡°Guess we¡¯re about to find out.¡± I said blithely, but internally I couldn¡¯t help but to be worried. Whatever it was, I didn¡¯t feel any of it, while Daniel did. We moved forward at a quick hustle, Daniel leading the way in an attempt to avoid whatever was going on. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t have an effect on me, meaning that we could very well be looking at something psychic. I knew that Daniel was thinking the same thing, given the rictus of a grimace that still adorned his face. I hoped that the team had taken adequate precautions, but I didn¡¯t personally know what those precautions would be, let alone how they were doing this in the first place. ¡°-ahead and make a note on that. Frequency¡­ Raspberry,¡± we could hear the voice that belonged to one of our pillars for science, Dr. Ross, call out, ¡°Yaga, how¡¯d that taste for you?¡± ¡°Raspberry.¡± The pseudo biotic stated almost giddily, ¡°That supports our hypothesis that psychic abilities seem to be unified.¡± ¡°Ah, I wouldn¡¯t go that far,¡± I heard Terry¡¯s familiar voice ring out, ¡°You are part human, after all. We can¡¯t draw that conclusion around too hastily.¡± I could almost see Yaga deflate at that based off of his voice, ¡°Ah, yes, of course. That¡¯s true. If only we had an intelligent biotic instead of this one.¡± We entered the large room from the main hallway, devoid of any other people or projects to speak of. The large chamber bore countless apparatus that I couldn¡¯t divine the form or function of, beyond potentially acting as sensors. There were a collection of no more than a dozen people in the room, Terry, Yaga, Dr. Ross, and Rachel - Domino¡¯s old team member likewise seemed to be scowling at her PDA - among them. What I focused on beyond all of that was the cage in the room, a construction that was more rounded than any of a more common type, preventing the thing within it from getting any purchase on the bars with its jaws. The blackened, shimmering flesh of the first biotic type that I¡¯d ever seen rippled as the wolf attempted to scrabble against the bars. A device was clasped around its head, preventing it from opening its mouth, and also encasing the rest of its head in a two-part contraption. My fists clenched tightly for a moment with barely controlled fury, accompanied by a violent shudder that ran through my body in a heartbeat. I recognized it for what it was, and quickly began suppressing the sensations with a curse on my lips. Rapidly I overtook the sensation, relieved that I didn¡¯t lose this match. But not before Daniel noticed, ¡°Matt? You okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± I responded curtly, still riding the cold rage that bubbled in my stomach. For a second I was afraid that Daniel would push, but luckily he seemed to decide differently. ¡°Alright¡­ Just lemme know if you, uh, need anything.¡± With a nod I stepped forward, stiffly trying to work my body out of battle-mode before I did or said anything I would regret. This was something that I¡¯d begun to experience as time went on, and I knew that it originated within my own mind. One moment I would be calm and collected, and the next I would feel an overriding will for violence and rage. I also knew that the trigger was the presence of biotics. The first time it had happened was in South America, and for several hours I¡¯d afflicted excessive wanton violence on biotics, literally tearing some of them apart with my own hands. Since then, I had lost control only a handful of times. I didn¡¯t think that would be a problem in my own city. Fury welled inside me at that thought before I tamped down on it with a cold, logical fist. These were labs, and I already knew that they, from time to time, would capture a live biotic for testing. ¡°So,¡± I began, feeling confident that I¡¯d gotten enough of a handle on my anger as everyone turned to me. Just before I made the mistake of looking at the biotic again, the rage ramping up instantly, ¡°What exactly the fuck is going on here?¡± ¡®Guess not.¡¯ I cringed at the surprise on the researchers'' faces. For several seconds none of them moved, and even the wolf seemed to cease action, instead staring blankly at me. Terry cleared his throat, ¡°Told you we should have called him first.¡± ¡°Not the time,¡± Rachel murmured, shooting the man a warning glance before she turned back to me. ¡°We¡¯re, uh, just performing some science here, boss,¡± Terry continued on, ¡°nothing to probably be worked up about.¡± Dr. Ross scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s admittedly fringe science at best, but we¡¯re taking the necessary precautions. See, the biotic is perfectly-¡± at that moment the wolf decided now would be a good time to rail against the walls of the cage, albeit ineffectually, ¡°-uh, perfectly secure.¡± Yaga stepped forward then, ¡°We have a proof of concept for the use of psychic abilities, more than just what Mr. Strauss demonstrates, and the other psions that we¡¯ve managed to cultivate. It¡¯s a whole new field of science, and we-¡± ¡°Alright, arlight,¡± I stopped him before I took a deep breath and exhaled, reigning control back in, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m just wary of this¡­¡± I gestured generally toward the biotic once more, but only for a moment. The team glanced to each other soberly for a few moments before Daniel nodded, his hand resting on my shoulder. ¡°Hey, I get that, nobody likes these things. They¡¯re damn ugly,¡± he joked warily, ¡°But, I mean, we gotta do what we gotta do, right?¡± I realized that Terry and Rachel bore similarly grave expressions. I felt a bead of guilt at that, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to apologize for my response. With a deep breath, I asked, ¡°So, what are you actually doing here, then?¡± Terry answered, ¡°We¡¯re creating a psychic field emitter¡­ thing.¡± He shrugged helplessly, ¡°We¡¯re trying to figure out how psychic crap works.¡± ¡°This is a crossroads for a major scientific breakthrough,¡± Yaga passionately gestured to the orb-like device set atop the computer system, ¡°I can feel it. Who knows what we can manage to do? What if we can completely control biotics? We¡¯d never need to fight them again, we could walk them like lemmings into a meat grinder.¡± Dr. Ross winced at that description, ¡°Yaga, I know you¡¯re not fully a biotic, but that just sounds¡­ awful.¡± Chapter 160 Wavelengths of Us Despite my initial misgivings, it did seem that Yaga and the team were doing the best they could to make every activation of their device worthwhile. They¡¯d hypothesized something to the effect that there were several different wavelengths that could influence a mind. For one reason or another, these wavelengths seemed to be similar across species, or at the very least affected Yaga as well as anyone else. The fact that they did nothing to me was no surprise; there was no reason that a psychic force would be able to interact normally with my own mostly mechanical brain. And yet, we found ourselves deeply surprised when I could feel a certain force during some of the tests. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should rule it out, but there¡¯s a strong possibility that this is the placebo effect.¡± Dr. Ross frowned at the results, given how inconsistent they were in my case. I shrugged, ¡°Could be, I¡¯m certainly not an expert in what my brain is now.¡± Yaga calibrated the machine once more, certain to set the wavelength to a three second burst, ¡°Be that as it may, there¡¯s always the chance that you¡¯re not as mechanized as you thought.¡± Terry chimed in, ¡°Or his mech-brain has emulated a regular brain well enough that it can pick that stuff up.¡± The scientists chuckled at that before seeming to frown all at once in thoughtfulness. ¡°You know,¡± Dr. Ross stared at Terry, ¡°That could be a possibility.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± Yaga nodded, ¡°But nothing that we should pursue without, err, express permission, of course.¡± He must have noticed the growing grimace on my face as they spoke about me, and thankfully the topic shifted quickly back to the current project. ¡°So, has the wolf responded at all?¡± Daniel asked, casting his gaze over to the secured biotic. His eyes lingered momentarily on the collar that confined its jaws, more aware than most of the biting power that they possessed. ¡°Yes¡­ no? Perhaps,¡± Yaga settled on with a helpless shrug, ¡°It is hard to determine. Most of the tested wavelengths have resulted in mundane things, such as flavors. It¡¯s hard to tell if this biotic would respond at all to olfactory input.¡± ¡°So we¡¯re attempting to run many sets of this frequency, but at short bursts.¡± Dr. Ross supplemented cliply, ¡°At some point, we¡¯re bound to run into something that it responds to.¡± I nodded at that, watching as the spherical object that was mounted on a half foot diameter neck began to emit a whirring noise. Hexagonal plates covered the sphere, each one secured from the outside by a finger-like cage of an alloyed metal that I didn¡¯t recognize. As with each time before, I could feel the static buildup of electricity in the air for a moment before it began to transform, pulled inwards seemingly towards what was the center of the device. As energy built, I watched the plates shift like an undulating skin, keeping the bulk of whatever was building up redirected into the center of the working. Not many would have thought to utilize the biotic hive cores in anything beyond enhancing the functions of their Obelisks. However, given how many biotics we hunted, we had an abundance that we hardly knew what to do with. Yaga, with his own special nature, strove to subvert their inner workings and had managed to merge five together into what he referred to straightforwardly as a compound-core. Compound-cores were very difficult to create, given that Yaga and I were likely the only two who could manufacture them with any measure of accuracy given our ability to interact with them, but the benefits had proven to be numerous. Their ability to manufacture Matter Energy exponentially grew with every merge, but Yaga told me also that they began to have far more estranged properties. If they went unstable, they would begin to warp materials around them, twisting their form and at times their composition subtly from what they¡¯d been before. These were the first ¡®perfect¡¯ compound-cores that Yaga had built, an effort far exceeding his previous projects. Months of work had culminated in only these five, though I felt we could potentially expand on the base. Yaga had expressed his wariness of doing any more, though, but not due to the construction method. He hadn¡¯t gone into detail at the time, save to say that it would be incredibly dangerous to go further. As I watched the compound-cores throw off greater and greater amounts of energy, in a form not quite like Matter Energy, but certainly not electricity either, I had to agree that this was certainly dangerous, whatever Yaga¡¯s exact reasons had been. A large, transparent cage sat around the entire device, augmented by additional layers of energy-shielding technology that we¡¯d begun to utilize. In theory, if it exploded then the combined buffers would keep the rest of us safe, but Yaga had repeatedly stated that he had no comparisons to make for this type of technology. For all we knew, we were sitting next to a nuclear explosion waiting to happen.Amidst it all, a loud crashing sound like the sea and tearing fabric began to fill the air. The biotic in the room added to the clamor, barking discordantly and howling with all the clamor of a wood chipper trying to eat metal. Yaga shouted over the din, ¡°Ready yourselves!¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Grimly I watched the proceedings, Daniel bearing a deep grimace as he sat heavily on a test chair, bracing himself as well as he could. No one really knew what would come out of this one, and in a way I was a convenient insurance policy in case anyone attempted to claw their own eyes out. Before I could follow that train of thought, the machine shuddered and all at once expanded, the hexagonal plates hinging open and releasing the energy into the open air. Suspended in the center, I could plainly see our compound-core, floating by virtue of the sheer tides of energy around it. All around it, and throughout the entirety of the room, were hundreds of recording devices logging all the information that we could possibly capture, with as many backups as we could install to ensure nothing was missed. I didn¡¯t pay any attention to the wavelength just yet, instead focusing acutely on the others. ¡®One second,¡¯ I mentally timed myself even as I watched them, not noting any outward lashing out, no violence. That at least was a good sign, I wouldn¡¯t need to protect them from themselves. ¡®Two seconds,¡¯ I turned my gaze to the biotic in the cage, my attention seeking other more minute changes. The sight of the wolf, however, briefly captured my attention. The yowling, violent creature was laying down, utterly placid. A strange look had fallen over its eyes, and I could almost swear I could see a restful smile on its horrid silvery lips. ¡®Three seconds,¡¯ My attention shot around to the others, knowing I had no more time to examine what had transpired beyond this. Cameras all around the room fed me their own information, and from every perspective possible I saw the others fully relaxed. All of the stress and tension in their muscles seemed to have fled, and had it not been for the chairs they sat in, I doubted that they would be able to stand. Most of all, I could see that they bore dopey, dull smiles, and almost entirely vacant looking eyes. Glassed over as they were, I doubted they would even notice their surroundings in the slightest. Then the pulse stopped, and I watched, tense, to see the aftereffects. To my relief, the others blinked numbly, almost seeming confused as they looked around. Daniel shook his head as though to clear a fugue from him even as he attempted to rise from his seat. The moment he tried standing, though, his legs immediately buckled, much to his shock, as he fell forward. I caught him before he fell into the floor, ¡°Whoa there, take it easy. How are you feeling?¡± Daniel let out a long breath before giving me a nod, ¡°Good, I think. I mean, it feels like I just got woke up from a real deep sleep, though.¡± ¡°Accurate,¡± Terry stretched, ¡°Oh, man, that¡¯s weird. It¡¯s like REM sleep, but without the sleep and with some of the muscle paralysis.¡± Dr. Ross looked thoughtful for a moment before checking a machine beside him. Unconcerned, he stated, ¡°Well, vitals dipped, but not dangerously.¡± Yaga, however, looked especially drained, shaking his head still. I walked up beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder, ¡°You alright?¡± For a moment, Yaga looked up at me with a frown, clear confusion spread upon his face. He looked around shortly thereafter, still searching the faces of his companions before he mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ what?...¡± Just before I could get concerned, though, he straightened somewhat and met my gaze again. I could almost see the moment where his recollection of events snapped back into place, and held him steady as he wobbled with a palm to his forehead. ¡°That was¡­ disconcerting.¡± Yaga uttered before he fully turned to the others. Wordlessly he stared at the still unmoving, content form of the wolf in the cage, laying down on its side in a way that none of us had ever seen before. ¡°Holy crap, is it still out?¡± Daniel whispered, as though he was afraid his mentioning of it might break whatever spell the wolf was under. ¡°I suspect biotics are indeed susceptible then,¡± Dr. Ross nodded to himself, ¡°Perhaps even more so than humans.¡± ¡°As experienced personally, I¡¯ll have to concur.¡± Yaga continued to stare at the wolf, ¡°This is remarkable.¡± We gathered around, staring at the thing. Rachel then took the surprise opportunity to jab it with a taser stick, though the taser portion was turned off. Collectively we inhaled at that, watching for any response with tense curiosity. After a few more seconds, we released, even as Rachel prodded it a few more times. ¡°It¡¯s passed the fuck out,¡± Terry barked a laugh, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know wolves slept.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t, right?¡± Rachel glared at the thing before turning the taser on and hitting it again, resulting in scarcely a twitch. For a long moment we just stared at the wolf as it remained inactive. ¡°This changes everything.¡± Awe was clear in Daniel¡¯s voice, the sheer stunned surprise reflected on all of our faces. I turned my attention to Dr. Ross and Yaga, ¡°You already had flexibility with your project, but now you have a blank check. Pull as many resources as you need, but this officially supersedes the anti-psionics project as of this moment.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Dr. Ross nodded emphatically, ¡°Just as soon as we make some modifications, we¡¯ll be ready to go again.¡± Yaga perplexedly looked onwards upon the machine, a complicated expression on his face. He moved towards the data, glancing back and forth between the machine and the biotic with what seemed to be mounting curiosity. I left him to it, knowing that Dr. Ross would be more than capable of relaying my orders to him once he was paying attention once more. ¡°Well, we¡¯re gonna head out for some lunch. Dinner?¡± Terry glanced at his watch before shrugging, ¡°How about you guys?¡± ¡°Fran should be getting back soon, but I think we can join you,¡± Daniel answered before shooting a glance to me, ¡°Unless you have anything you need to do right now?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Nothing that can¡¯t wait a bit.¡± ¡°Then you can join us topside. Terry knows a great Chinese food place,¡± Rachel said over her shoulder as she finished packing up her things into a desk compartment. We followed them to the elevators, making small talk as we went. However, I couldn¡¯t keep myself from being excited over what we¡¯d just witnessed. If we could master this technology, then we might very well be able to completely negate the biotic presence on Earth. But one step at a time. We still didn¡¯t know anywhere near enough about this psionic tool to make full use of it. As we left, though, I knew that the two people who were best equipped for the job were already sinking themselves back into their research with a fervor. Chapter 161 Over Dinner -Matthew¡¯s P.O.V.- ¡°So, at that point, the team is almost to the finish line in the gauntlet. They survived the waves of biotics, they got through and secured the location, and everything looked good.¡± Daniel recounted a story of one of the academy teams recent runs. ¡°But, for some reason, they wanted to do a team pose in front of one of the overpasses. They¡¯re old by now, and they¡¯ve just been fighting around this area a lot. So, when Burt leans up against it in his mech, the whole thing comes tumbling down. Traps half their team in rubble right at the end.¡± Terry laughed, ¡°Oh, man, I bet they were pissed.¡± ¡°Nah, they expect it. Burt¡¯s nickname is Bad-Luck Burt.¡± Daniel grinned, ¡°That team gets into the weirdest stuff. But, they¡¯re good. Granted a bit unpolished and not quite ready for real biotic hunting yet, but they¡¯re all coming along real well.¡± I smiled as I leaned back in my seat, sipping at some water. There was nothing wrong with Daniel having found a new cause in life, but there would always be a part of me that wanted him back on the frontlines with me. I knew full well that I was obsessed with hunting biotics, but the others weren¡¯t, and someday we wouldn¡¯t have any more biotics to hunt. While I didn¡¯t know what I would do when that happened, everyone else had some other goals they could pursue. Distractedly, I nodded my thanks to the server as they put a plate of food out in front of me. Automatically, I ate some of it, whilst thinking of where I would need to resume my search to find any other hidden colonies of biotics. As I did, I scarcely noted the taste of the food, mostly due to the fact that my sense of taste was becoming duller over time. ¡°That is some good orange chicken.¡± Daniel commented from across the table, another plate of food beside him in front of an empty chair. ¡°Mmm,¡± I agreed emptily, eating at a measured pace. While I couldn¡¯t taste the food very much, that didn¡¯t mean I had to bring that up here. The others ate heartily, talking about things that had happened during their days recently. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ quite bored, aren¡¯t I?¡¯ I thought to myself with bemusement. The others were good friends of mine, but it was true that I didn¡¯t quite connect with their day to day routines any more. Occasionally they would ask me what I¡¯d been up to, and the answer was always the same. ¡°Hunting biotics.¡± I would say, and that would generally be the end of the conversation. I could talk about the finer details, but at this point it was like clockwork. The Determinators, for all their virtue¡¯s, were not especially innovative after finding an effective strategy. Some of them were developing something that approached individuality, but they were predominantly focused on their mission, just like me. The most I could talk about were the various types of biotics that I¡¯d found. ¡°I need a hobby.¡± I tapped the plate with my fork absentmindedly, realizing that I hadn¡¯t taken a day off in¡­ too long to recount. ¡°You need a hobby?¡± Terry asked, shooting a curious glance over to me. ¡°Hmm?¡± I looked up, focused once more, before I realized belatedly that I must have spoken aloud. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m realizing somewhat that I¡¯ve been doing nothing but hunting for a long time.¡± Rachel leaned back in her seat, ¡°I mean, there¡¯s plenty to do. Terry likes to shock himself.¡± ¡°I work with electricity,¡± He clarified after shooting a mild glare at Rachel, ¡°I¡¯m not shocking myself for kicks.¡± ¡°I woulda believed it,¡± Daniel shrugged, and then laughed at the mock outraged look that appeared on Terry¡¯s face. I chuckled, ¡°Well, I think it¡¯d have to be something completely unrelated to my day job.¡± ¡°Crochet?¡± Rachel suggested, ¡°Is that even a thing anymore?¡± ¡°Pottery? Getting high?¡± Everyone stopped and looked at Daniel, ¡°What, I¡¯m just saying?¡± ¡°Probably wouldn¡¯t have any effect on me,¡± I commented dryly, ¡°And, no, I don¡¯t think either of those are up my alley.¡± Terry drummed his fingers on the table in consideration, ¡°Well, what do you like to do?¡± I opened my mouth before surreptitiously closing it. ¡®Killing biotics,¡¯ had almost slipped out of my lips. What was I supposed to say when I literally could think of nothing else that I really liked doing. Before the silence could linger overtly, though, someone else approached the table. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± Fran sighed, looking thoroughly worn out. Daniel pulled the chair out for her, ¡°Hey, love, you¡¯re fine. We¡¯re just talking about hobbies and stuff.¡± Fran gave him a grateful look and sat into the chair before scooting closer against him, ¡°Hobbies? You mean those fun things you do when you have free time?¡± Rachel grinned, ¡°I take it the politician''s life is a time-sink?¡± ¡°Only when someone wants something,¡± she made a face, ¡°So, all the time?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°How was the Summit?¡± I asked nonchalantly, already having read her report. She let out a relieved sigh, ¡°It¡¯s done. The Legion is the official task force of the Terra-Union now. Now it¡¯s business as usual, just with less red-tape.¡± Terry snorted, ¡°You¡¯d think that with what¡¯s out there people would be a bit more receptive to getting help.¡± I smirked at that, wishing that it had only been so simple¡­ -Yaga¡¯s P.O.V.- Life was a puzzle. Not just the biological components, but in fact the social dynamic that individuals willfully fit themselves into. It was infinitely more complex than any kind of mathematics that I¡¯d worked with, and while science covered a depth and broadness of such topics that I doubted I¡¯d ever run out of things to learn, it was being social that I found the most challenging. Though, to say I didn¡¯t find it fun would be incorrect. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll need you to get that rod there-¡± I gestured vaguely to three rods that were side-by-side, each one an ion cell that was charged and ready to be installed into the enhanced machine that we were putting together, ¡°-that¡¯s the power supply. Careful for the two that are radioactive isotopes.¡± At that, I turned and walked away before the assistant could potentially ask me to clarify. It was funny how humans would get wary of the little details. Especially since they were all clearly just ion cells, and lacked any kind of radioactive warning labels. He had to know I was joking. But if he didn¡¯t, well, all the better, honestly. ¡°Yaga, you sure about this shielding?¡± Dr. Ross called out, gesturing to the barrier that was still being placed. ¡°Of course, Dr. Ross,¡± I said, putting my hands on my hips and looking up at the still forming skeleton of the Psionic Field Amplifier. ¡°Why, do you see an issue with it?¡± He sighed, and immediately I wondered at what I could have possibly done wrong at that point. True, there were a few ways the ever moving shielding could go wrong, more moving parts could result in greater issues. But, with the refractor barriers in place, and proven technology for a- ¡°You¡¯re gonna get somebody sucked into it and blendered, you know that, right?¡± Dr. Ross gestured to the shielding, namely at the base where it was locked into several concentric rings. Each plate curved upwards from that ring, leaving gaps between each one. With seven such circles, the innermost bearing two plates and increasing by one for every ring that went out further. Above, they connected into a similar cap with concentric rings, caging the entire thing within refractor barriers. ¡°I don¡¯t see how that can happen.¡± I admitted, ¡°Just keep away from the barriers and everything will be¡­ fine?¡± I hesitated, seeing the bewildered expression on Dr. Ross¡¯ face. There were times, before, when I¡¯d begun to become annoyed with how the human would sometimes look at me like this, but after a while I accepted it. Often, it was because he was right; I wasn¡¯t always accounting for all the details I should. For as much as my brain could process information across several of my selves to more than match any super computer, I was likewise well aware that I wasn¡¯t infallible. Many times I¡¯d become aware of that, in fact. ¡°Yaga, where do you think the controls are? Or the emergency shutoff?¡± Dr. Ross asked, not looking anywhere but directly at me. ¡°They are¡­ Oh.¡± I stated dumbly, looking directly a meter away from the outermost ring, such that the ring itself would be uncomfortably close to whomever was at the console. In fact, if they leaned forward¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can make some adjustments.¡± ¡°While we¡¯re at it, I¡¯ve a few other suggestions. If we can make them work anyways,¡± He shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to your expertise.¡± We walked a bit away from the setup, pouring over a 3D model of the finished product. This was the part where I could shine, being able to put together theoretical information in my head and cross check it with schematics. Steadily, Dr. Ross gave me a few suggestions on enhancements and safety measures, just in case something went wrong. Overall, his ideas were sound, however there were a few impractical ones that we had to throw out. For instance, reactive force fields would likely only shelter from any kind of physical damage, whereas we had no idea what would happen during a critical failure for this device. And aside from that, having force fields that would simply be active all the time would be easier on our available computational resources. ¡°That sounds like a plan then.¡± Dr. Ross nodded, ¡°Lets update the construction team, they¡¯re still bringing in more materials down the elevator.¡± I nodded, ¡°Excellent. Then we¡¯ll¡­¡± I began, before trailing off. ¡°What is it?¡± Dr. Ross asked me before following my line of sight. The both of us looked to the cage with the wolf, and I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Up until a short time ago, the feral biotic couldn¡¯t manage to keep quiet. Now, it was incredibly quiet, and I noticed, was staring straight at us. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ creepy.¡± Dr. Ross commented just as a worker walked in front of it, breaking its line of sight. Instead of following the assistant, its eyes never left our position, continuing to stare at us. A disquieting sensation crept up my spine as I watched back, Dr. Ross beside me likewise staring back. ¡°It¡¯s just staring.¡± I stated, ¡°That isn¡¯t ordinary wolf behavior.¡± ¡°Perhaps the experiment caused a change?¡± Dr. Ross posited, bringing a hand to his chin in thought and stroking the slim beard he grew there. Then he froze and his voice dropped low, ¡°Yaga, kill it.¡± I frowned and turned my gaze to the human I¡¯d known for years now, and noted the way color had drained from his skin. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because that doesn¡¯t look like a dumb biotic staring back at us, does it?¡± A fearful tremor undercut his voice, ¡°I think this is a security breach.¡± Incomprehension filled me for a few seconds before I turned my attention back to the biotic. It was clearly just a wolf in form, but something that he¡¯d seen had evoked a very different response. What was it that he- And then I looked into its eyes, and I knew what he was talking about. Wolves were generally very vacant-eyed - most biotics were - but there was a splash of almost amber color in the center of the eyes, an intelligence far beyond what this biotic should have. Then it smiled, somehow appearing full of contempt and arrogance even as the creature sat confined. Instantly I moved to the cage and wrenched the door open to expose the creature within. In spite of that, it didn¡¯t move at all, simply continued to stare at me, the smile expanding into a toothy grin. What almost sounded like a barking laughter surged from the creature¡¯s throat, a sound so alien that I couldn¡¯t help but pause. But then I moved forward, a strike as fast as a snake as I gripped its head and twisted, the resounding snap of biotic bone filling the air. ¡°Sound the alarm. Tell the Reaper that something is aware of our experiments,¡± Dr. Ross shouted out the moment he was sure that the biotic was dead, ¡°Dispose of that body and make damned sure that it decays. Destroy it yourselves if you have to!¡± The urgency in Dr. Ross'' voice forced the room full of scientists and workers into overdrive. In moments the alarm sounded through the facility, and I knew that he would be contacting the Reaper to inform him personally of the breach. All the while, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of the still smiling body of the wolf before me, and for the first time in a long time I felt a cold mantle of fear settle on my shoulders... Chapter 162 Aberrant Behavior -Matthew¡¯s P.O.V.- I blinked in confusion for a second as an alert message popped up in the corner of my vision. Ordinarily messages would only tickle the edge of my consciousness, but I¡¯d tinkered with some of my settings in order to be certain that truly important messages didn¡¯t fall by the wayside. This, I realized with a start, was one such message. The others at the table didn¡¯t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, so it must have been something specific. Quickly, I brought up the message to the forefront of my attention and checked the contents. ¡®The wolf?¡¯ I paused, digesting the information that came through, specifically that the wolf demonstrated unusual behavior and a minor shift in physical appearance. I felt my blood run cold at that, my mind immediately defaulting to the most likely culprit. ¡®The King? I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a stretch.¡¯ I felt a tightness in my gut at the idea that our newest weapon was exposed. If we hadn¡¯t used the biotic in testing - ¡®What¡¯s done is done. Now we prepare.¡¯ ¡°Matt? What¡¯s up?¡± I looked up to see Daniel frowning quizzically in my direction. The others turned, no doubt noting the fact that my mood had just plummeted. ¡°There¡¯s an emergency, a security breach with the latest lab project.¡± I stood up from the table, ¡°We¡¯re going to high alert.¡± Fran was the one who mastered her shock first, ¡°Is there a need to contact our allies?¡± I paused momentarily in thought before nodding, ¡°Yeah, best that we do. This¡­ could get messy.¡± ¡°How messy?¡± Fran asked quizzically as I began to send her information on the project and what we knew about the security breach so far. As the others began to rise, she skimmed the topic rapidly before her body tensed, ¡°Ah, I see.¡± She stood, taking a deep breath before meeting my gaze, ¡°I¡¯ll keep the warning general for now, but I think it would be proper to have our outposts and bases on maximum combat readiness.¡± I nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the plan. Make sure our allies understand the stakes. If our project is even half as dangerous as I hope it is to biotics, I doubt The King is going to let us go unhindered.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Academy, we¡¯ll start prepping anyone capable of being ready to evacuate non-combatants.¡± Daniel slowed, ¡°Shit, what about Sunvilla?¡± ¡°Alice and Richard are there,¡± I answered, leaving unspoken that I was nervous about what they might have to deal with, ¡°I¡¯ll let them know shortly what¡¯s going on. I¡¯d prefer them to be here to help with the defense, but I¡¯ll leave the choice to them.¡± Rachel and Terry exchanged glances, ¡°We¡¯ll get back to the labs. Looks like we might be on a timeline.¡± At that, we began to split up. Fran, Daniel, and I would be going to the Tower, or Daniel to the nearby Academy. Rachel and Terry moved off quickly to the labs once more, and I wished them the best of luck as they went. I hoped that there wouldn¡¯t be any real amount of biotics that could threaten New Damond, but I couldn¡¯t rely on that. In the first place, we¡¯d never fully exterminated the Centaur biotics that it utilized personally, and I doubted that there weren¡¯t other options at its disposal. ¡°How much should I tell our allies,¡± Fran asked even as she compiled a report to send our fellow Terra-Union members. I clicked my tongue, considering the question. On the one hand, if our project went nowhere and The King did nothing, our credibility would be shot. On the other hand, though, if weaponizing psionic power was a genuine threat to the biotics as a whole, and The King moved against us, we¡¯d need to have as much help as possible. Even besides that, if we didn¡¯t issue a warning to the others and something had happened, we¡¯d certainly be held responsible. I could, of course, gloss over some of the details, but I felt it would be better to play everything above board for this. ¡°We can¡¯t risk any blowback from concealing things right now.¡± I explained, ¡°Tell them everything, including the possibility that The King, a high tier biotic, might be behind this. Urge any and all members to take steps to monitor their regions with the Bulwark while Legion forces are patrolling.¡± She nodded, even as Daniel busied himself with contacting other mentors and faculty. None of us needed to debate how dangerous this situation was, nor how large it could be. We¡¯d all been present for the fight in Argedwall and knew full well how dangerous the Centaurs had been. At the time, they were dumb, unskilled, and relied almost entirely on their overwhelming numbers to win. But, they¡¯d had plenty of time to come into their own, and potentially be improved upon. I was far less than eager to test humanity against whatever they¡¯d become now. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Worse yet, if it was capable of manipulating biotics at great distances, there was the distinct possibility that every major settlement was now the target of concentrated attacks. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Legion, Artorian Company, and other extermination forces had been hard at work clearing out major pockets of infestation, I would have been forced to admit that most cities wouldn¡¯t be able to survive a potential organized en masse attack. Even now, I wasn¡¯t certain. New Damond, Basilisk Port, and other major capital cities would probably be the safest places for people. As I considered that, I suspected it might be better to have every settlement nearby begin to evacuate into New Damond and Gilramore. If nothing else, I¡¯d feel better about not having to worry about anything happening to people outside the cities. If nothing happened, then we¡¯d just have to chalk it up to just being a drill. But, if an attack did happen¡­ Daniel¡¯s car slowed to a stop as we all moved out, each of us taking slightly different paths and wishing each other luck as we departed. The lobby of the Tower was similar to how it had been before, fractal shimmering of black and red, with inlays of silver shining along edges to highlight certain features, or guide the eye. Overall, our capabilities for aesthetic construction had ascended by leaps and bounds, and momentarily I let myself feel pride at the sight. Then I dragged myself to the elevator, my subconscious mind still relaying information and orders to my teams and the handpicked few that I trusted to handle carrying out my will. The black pod-like elevator hummed as I walked in, quickly ascending with a mild pull before inertial dampeners entirely sapped away with even that. It wasn¡¯t the top floor that the elevator stopped at, but instead a few floors beneath it. Every part of the building was reinforced such that I doubted anything shy of a meteor could reasonably bring it down. Though, that was not something I would be willing to test... Given the way the Tower tapered to a smaller and smaller point as it rose, this floor was actually not as massive as one might expect of such a building. In fact, the elevator opened only to a small preparatory room just before a large pair of double doors, both of which were currently open. As I stepped out, I vaguely noted the pair of other elevators on either side of the prep room, a reasonabe twenty meters by twenty meters in size. Currently, several men and women, not all of whom were human, were busy setting up on tables that emerged from the floors, leaving the center column empty for anyone to move through towards the council room. There was a brief pause as they looked up to me, almost as one entity, before they quickly resumed work. They¡¯d been briefed on the situation, and these people would be assisting both myself and the others of my council, advisors and otherwise, of what was going on. We were rapidly ticking up for war-time readiness, something that we¡¯d run plenty of drills for over the last few months. Still, it was different to actually have it happen. Luckily, these individuals were some of the best analysts and strategists we had available to us, none of whom hadn¡¯t been tested in The Crucible time and again. As I entered the main strategy room, I could see the rest of my inner circle already at work. Doug surprised me by being there, given that I thought he was still in Gilramore. Besides him was Charlie Song, the current leader of Bulwark, whom was having an animated conversation with Yamak Rettle, the head of the Artorian Company. Querax, now one of three Reaper¡¯s that I knew of, was busy looking over the information available, flanked by Uthakka and Princess Arianna, neither of whom I¡¯d known was back on world. As much as I was curious, I decided that answers could wait at least until we had a better idea of what was going on. Other more standard members of my Legion were present; sub-commanders that I had faith could run much of my organization without me even being present. One such young man snapped me a salute, to which the woman next to him simply shook her head helplessly. I couldn¡¯t blame her. ¡°At ease,¡± I spoke quickly, knowing that Samuel wasn¡¯t likely to ever stop doing that, as much as I¡¯d tried to get him to. His family had been very big on the military before The Fall, whereas Sierra, the woman next to him, hadn¡¯t been fond of organizations or governments in general. Strange how things happen sometimes. Querax greeted me next, clasping my arm at the forearm. He currently didn¡¯t wear his armor, letting me see his narrower, bone-like skull in full. He himself had multifaceted compound eyes and reptilian skin, definitely one of the more harrowing images of an alien that I¡¯d ever seen. But, he was a good man, and I trusted his judgement. He and the other two Reapers that I¡¯d met had helped out on high-threat zones for little more than maintenance, food, and lodging. At some point, I imagined that they might request something from me in return beyond that, but so far they hadn¡¯t. A part of me was wary of that, but apparently this was considered normal for them. The fact that there weren¡¯t more Reapers on site, Querax insisted, was the more uncommon occurrence, considering I was one of them. ¡°Reaper,¡± Querax greeted, ¡°It is good to see you again.¡± ¡°You as well, Reaper,¡± I nodded to him, ¡°Have you read the information I sent ahead.¡± He nodded, ¡°I have. It¡¯s quite the ambitious technology you¡¯re developing, though I¡­ must admit I¡¯m skeptical that it will be of use.¡± I quirked an eyebrow at that, and he explained, ¡°I would have to imagine that someone has attempted the same, but I haven¡¯t heard of any results on biotics.¡± ¡°It appears to have had an effect this time,¡± Arianna interjected with a wry smirk, ¡°Greetings, Matthew.¡± ¡°Princess,¡± I inclined my head, ¡°Uthakka.¡± The crocodilian-like man rumbled back, ¡°We got back just in time for the fun, it seems.¡± Charlie Song and Doug joined us then, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call the potential risk of millions of lives ¡®fun¡¯, Uthakka.¡± The large scaled man looked annoyed for a moment before he took a breath, and calmed himself. He turned his gaze on the Bulwark¡¯s leader, ¡°I meant no offense.¡± ¡°In any case,¡± I cut in before whatever that was could continue, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all here. I¡¯d like your opinions on a few things¡­¡± Chapter 163 Less Than Ideal My council had many suggestions in the coming hour, some of which we executed immediately. Giving information to our allies was a given, and ensuring that Fran had a direct line to me was likewise no question. Other aspects that we¡¯d long established in the event of an emergency had already gone into effect. The Legion, Bulwark, and Artorian forces stationed globally went to high alert, working in tandem with local forces. Given the potential response, we held nothing back. The Legion wasn¡¯t just a governmental body anymore, it was now technically our job to take care of this. However, nobody was naive enough to believe that they wouldn¡¯t also need to be ready to put their own forces to work. Contrary to what many expected, we were transparent about our expected capacity to protect them. In short, we didn¡¯t know. We referenced local documentation, our own studies, and theoretical spread to try to pin down exactly what we might expect from any given location''s biotic presence. However, it was Charlie Song¡¯s suggestion to treat any potential reading we had as absolutely false, given the fact that there appeared to be a patient, intelligent mastermind behind the biotic presence on Earth now. That much was relayed to our allies, and after stressing the gravity of the threat, I was pleased to hear from Fran that the vast majority of the Summit¡¯s member factions were mobilizing fully. What I was less pleased about was our disagreements on the finer points of how the defense should be carried out. ¡°We should be moving forces further out into settlements,¡± Doug met my gaze placidly, ¡°There are too many people who have invested in these areas to simply pull up and move into major cities without knowing more about the situation.¡± Charlie was less mellow about the matter, glowering at the map, ¡°The kind of evacuation we¡¯re talking about isn¡¯t going to be easy. Most places don¡¯t have the kind of manpower or infrastructure to move literally everyone. Given that, it might be better to mobilize forces that can help support them as the fighting gets rougher.¡± Uthakka shook his head as he listened, but remained silent. He, Princess Arianna, and Querax were mostly here for observation, ostensibly, but that didn¡¯t keep them from voicing their thoughts or concerns. ¡°That¡¯s a horrible idea.¡± Yamak gave Charlie and Doug flat looks, ¡°You just got done saying that we can¡¯t assume we know how many biotics are in any region now. If we end up with hordes, we¡¯re not going to have the ¡®manpower¡¯ to protect them further afield.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just property,¡± Peter spoke, ¡°Argedwall is already evacuating into New Damond. We¡¯ll consolidate power and see what we can if anyone is attacked en route during evacuation efforts. No matter what, these settlements are useless if everyone in them is dead.¡± The Lord-Knight of The Wolf had made all haste in getting here as soon as he could. As far as I knew, the rest of the Lord-Knights and the Knight-Commander himself were heading evacuation efforts with several of my Legion. There weren¡¯t many small settlements near us, but we quickly moved everyone in Sunvilla towards New Damond. Gilramore was secure, having built itself up dramatically, and they had several smaller cities beyond them. ¡°Yes, I know that,¡± Doug¡¯s voice betrayed irritation. I''d known the man for a long time to understand that he¡¯d never put property over people. ¡°What I¡¯m concerned about is whether or not people will voluntarily evacuate.¡± ¡°So we make it mandatory,¡± I cut in before anyone else could speak, having heard enough to say I had a firm enough grasp of what others might be thinking, ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t evacuate to a major settlement is going to have to deal with the outcome on their own. I won¡¯t throw Legionaires out to save people who won¡¯t try to save themselves.¡± ¡°We¡­¡± Charlie started, before he seemed to forcibly clamp his jaws shut with a loud click. It turned to him, seeing wrestle down whatever he was going to say. When he remastered himself, he began, ¡°We have an obligation as Bulwark to protect people. I have to put forth that I think abandoning people is exactly the wrong move.¡± It was an odd moment, I thought, that I could almost hear what the old me would have said in this position. Years ago, my response would have been caustic and abrasive, pointing out his naivety. Now though, I only could shake my head steadily. It was different when you put your life to a cause, something I understood better than most, I think, considering that I¡¯d probably already died for it once. Bulwark was no different, their entire purpose was to help and protect the people from biotics. ¡°Charlie, you know as well as I do that we don¡¯t have enough information. If this was some standard horde of weak biotics, this wouldn¡¯t even be a conversation. But you know what this biotic has at its disposal, and you know that protecting a civilian population without the benefits of a highly entrenched position is a massive vulnerability that this biotic will exploit.¡± I met his gaze trying to seem as sympathetic as I could, ¡°The Bulwark is responsible for protecting people, but¡­¡± I could almost see the choice warring within him. He¡¯d been military before all of this happened, someone who had made plenty of hard choices before. Honestly, it surprised me that this was a question at all for him. Though, the fact that they¡¯d managed to spread and remain fairly unchallenged for so long probably played a lot into this. There hadn¡¯t really been a situation where Bulwark had gotten overrun, the closest being when Wolven literally tore down our walls in the early days of the Legion. They¡¯d earned some level of pride, but I hoped that Charlie would see the fact that the odds were not in our favor. Because there was the possibility that he was right. They might well be able to hold isolated communities, potentially grinding down any potential hordes from multiple angles. Perhaps they¡¯d be able to save everyone and their homes. ¡®But what if I¡¯m wrong?¡¯ Was the thought I could almost see play out behind his eyes. Finally, he nodded with a sigh, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll double down on evacuation efforts. Can you spare any Legion to keep the evacuation lines safe?¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to spare anyone from New Damond for the cause, as callous as that might have seemed. But I also knew among my own people there would be many who would not view my recalcitrance to send personnel for the effort poorly. ¡°We¡¯ll make it work,¡± I nodded, knowing that I¡¯d be leaning heavily on the Determinators to pick up the slack. Charlie seemed satisfied enough by that, and quickly we turned the topics to other issues. All the while, orders were moving from us to those behind the scenes. The entire floor just beneath us was a communication hub, filled with our people as they relayed the general plan and more specific orders. Amidst it all, Fran updated me about the general feeling of the international scene. I wasn¡¯t pleased that not everyone was taking the threat as seriously as they should, nor about how our neighbors were working political angles amidst this danger. None of the organizations that were a part of the Terra Union was small, and luckily this helped to mitigate some of the issues we dealt with. They¡¯d already gotten to this stage after fighting out their own territories, or received assistance from the Legion to secure their borders. For the most part, good will and trust kept anyone from raising any complaints at such a large threat so early on, especially one that could be construed to be instigated by us. I believed that a large portion of their willingness to look past that was due in no small part the potential behind the project. The threat of what may well be the apex biotic on our planet helped; if that thing was taking an interest, that might well mean we were on the right track. That, or it was playing us and we were going into lockdown for no reason. I highly doubted we were so lucky. Yamak stiffened, and I recognized the way his eyes flicked across the air in front of him that he was reading a report. Moments later, an update went to me. I cringed. Yamak met my gaze, even as it seemed that the others of my council received similar reports. ¡°Basilisk is reporting heavy biotic movement in deep sea areas previously thought contained. They¡¯re giving ground,¡± Yamak spoke aloud before glancing at me, ¡°Looks like your girlfriend has her hands full.¡± I let the comment go by in regards to Adira, ¡°Gen Two and Three,¡± I grit my teeth looking at the sheer number of them. ¡°Get information to every coastal-facing nation, make sure they¡¯re watching the deep ocean. Especially in the gulf.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also reading some light contact far south of Gilramore near the township of Hammond,¡± Charlie spoke with a confused expression, ¡°Just Gen One¡¯s for now, though.¡± I frowned at that, but before I could speak up Uthakka spoke up for the first time, ¡°Then you have an infestation type down south. There¡¯ll be more powerful ones coming up behind them, and likely some kind of Broodmother.¡± He looked to me, ¡°Murder that one early and the horde should fall apart.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I nodded to him briefly, turning my gaze to Charlie who had a sour expression on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll divert some of my teams to perform a surgical strike. Can your people continue evacuation efforts?¡± He nodded, ¡°We¡¯re setting up temporary defensive constructs along the way. Those are more than enough to handle a few Gen One.¡± I glared at the map as more reports streamed in, not just in our area, but all over the globe. The only location that was mostly dark was South America. There simply wasn¡¯t enough human habitation left there, and somehow I doubted that the environment there would support a significant wave of biotics. It¡¯d been picked clean of biotics thanks to the efforts of the Zombie Lord and my Legion, more thoroughly than most anywhere else on the planet. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say that this biotic isn¡¯t feinting, then.¡± Peter spoke, gesturing to some significantly larger hordes that were putting themselves together in several rural locations across the world. ¡°They¡¯re gathering up before attacking,¡± Charlie clicked his tongue before looking to the nearest zone. Besides the Broodmother, there was another horde building some hundred miles to the north west of that, almost directly west of Gilramore. ¡°We should crack that wide open before they start moving. Whether or not we can deal with hordes of low-gen biotics, these look worse.¡± I blinked and brought up the image on the main holographic screen in front of us. I wasn¡¯t the only one who glowered at the fact that there were several Gen 2 and 3 biotics there, and of varieties we¡¯d either thought had been destroyed or that we¡¯d never seen before. ¡°How the hell did these ones hide under our noses?¡± Yamak took the words out of my mouth, looking equal parts dismayed and annoyed. That was a good question, too, because to my knowledge Legion, Bulwark, and unassociated groups had combed the area around Gilramore for a hundred miles and more for any indication of biotics. ¡°A question for later,¡± I shook my head, knowing that the answer was important, but not more than making sure that we were ready to receive them. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ll most likely move for Gilramore. Get every scout we have running reconnaissance, preferably by air, for as far out as we can get. One force is bad enough, let''s make sure there¡¯s not a second hiding in plain sight.¡± Even as I issued orders, I could feel the movements of my Determinators in the background as they mobilized. New Damonds defense-grid came to life, turrets on walls and buildings presented a city ready to fight to the death for every inch. Our Reaver flight teams, now numbering just under five hundred in the city, geared up to assist any teams that called for aid in the field. Lumbering mechs as large as The Dauntless clattered into position along choke points, and a sizzling, crackling array of power conduits delivered untold amounts of energy to Raijin Cannons and Fields amidst the terrain around the city. Beneath the city, another form of defense was engaging, long, thick rods of metal that grounded the rest of the cities grid and helped defend from an attack beneath the ground began to superheat, leaving the deepest bowels of the earth below just above melting, supported by hundreds of columns that sank into the bedrock below. Everywhere, new defenses came online with every passing minute. In all, the full suite took more than an hour to fully engage, and there were yet more features that we could put into effect the moment it was needed. So far, the non-combatant population had only been moved into defensive structures, some of which were simply their homes. They would be pulled beneath a five meter thick steel barrier if biotics managed to breach the outer walls, leaving a wide, open space between the outer walls and interior, towering buildings. Which would leave plenty of field of view for snipers or artillery to punish any biotic that sought to approach. This was why I was so proud of this city. Not just because of it being my headquarters, but because it represented our unwillingness to go down without a fight. Because at the end of the day, preparation was worth more than well-wishes and hopes for a better future. Those thoughts comforted me as I thought about how many wouldn¡¯t enjoy such defenses. ¡®Let¡¯s see what you have in store for me.¡¯ I thought to myself, glaring at the map and trying to guess what would come next. Chapter 164 Onset The thrum of Shade¡¯s engines filled my ears as we moved out over the walls of New Damond. In the intervening hours of tedious council, most everything that we could manage to prepare had been prepared. Our allies had been notified, evacuation efforts well underway in our corner of the world. Even here, I watched over the seemingly constant stream of refugees from Sunvilla and other smaller communities that had managed to eek out an existence in the wake of our efforts in exterminating biotics. So far, there were no major sightings around New Damond, and had I been any kind of a non-cynical type of person, I might be willing to think that it was because of how well we¡¯d cleared the area. However, even aside from the fact that every major city on the planet was currently seeing a dramatic increase in biotic presence around them, I felt a growing sense of unease that I couldn¡¯t quite place. Shade gave an electric pulse through the connection I maintained to it, an acknowledgment of my wariness. Much had changed in the days where Shade and the Determinators were simple and shallow-minded, though the former had certainly proven to have advanced much faster than the ladder. Given that Shade had been integrated with a considerable architecture from Smith¡¯s legacy, that made sense. It was rare these days that I thought of my old friend; the artificial sentience was the only reason why I had survived Wolven. I turned my attention to the horizon once more, Shade¡¯s drifting form not alone in the air space above New Damond. Reavers flew over the city, each pilot and A.S. carefully and quickly moving personnel around, or running recon over larger areas. Half of our Reavers were running rounds between Argedwall, Sunvilla, New Damond, and Gilramore. Thus far they¡¯d only reported a minimal biotic presence, but I suspected that wouldn¡¯t be the case for long. Guiding my consciousness to another thread of data, I poured my concentration into what was happening in the labs. After the security breach Yaga and Dr. Ross had doubled down on their project. Much of their work had been theoretical, but neither of them were strangers to pushing pure concepts into form. Massive supercomputers, the likes of which I doubted existed outside of my labs, lined the sides of the room. Instead of silicon boards and pre-fall electronics, these computers utilized quartz crystals and boasted a significant increase to processing power. Auxiliary systems running more traditional computer systems facilitated data collection into secondary storage, going so far as to route additional information out of the main lab into the four subsidiaries that were scattered throughout New Damond. These distant mini-labs were there for smaller, less risky projects generally. This time, however, they were dedicated to cross-checking any information that came in, and suggesting modifications. While their insights were few and far between, they were nevertheless substantial. Of course, they weren¡¯t perfect; Yaga would often have oversights in terms of security and Dr. Ross tended to get lost in the minutiae of a project if allowed. They shared in their strengths, but with their assistants their weak points all but vanished. As such, given the blistering pace they set along with a dozen of my other veteran scientists, it took everything these auxiliary labs had in order to keep abreast of the situation. Contingents of guards rested outside of each compound, and the labs themselves were under total lockdown from anyone that wasn¡¯t absolutely necessary. The amount of information the quartz supercomputers processed left even my processing power reeling. Yaga and Dr. Ross, though ordinarily against such things, implemented the use of assistant Artificial Intelligences in helping to design the backbone architecture of what they were planning. They were, in the strictest sense, ¡®Dumb Intelligence,¡¯ as they required a considerable hand in helping to guide them. Considering they were allowing the A.I.¡¯s full reign of the systems they were working within, that much could be forgiven. Still, the rate that they taught themselves dwarfed anything that a human could possibly keep up with. Which was why I checked in fairly frequently to be certain they weren¡¯t deviating too sharply. These weren¡¯t A.S., I trusted A.I. more than I trusted most people, but in spite of the fact that these had been pre-built and were tested, this wasn¡¯t something that they¡¯d been expressly made for. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised when they dutifully carried out their purposes. They were happy to do so, it was why they were made and that was enough for them. Unlike and A.S. they bore no overt will of their own, no real drive to do anything outside of what they¡¯d been told was their purpose. Perhaps eventually they could expand their scope, maybe even make the leap to an A.S. themselves through self-exploration and learning, but that would likely be in the far future. Beyond that, I could tell that the Psy-Emitter - the operational name I¡¯d given the psychic device - was undergoing considerable changes. The supporting latticework of metal around a newly improved emitter gave it almost a honeycomb appearance. It was now three meters in diameter, and supposedly it would be able to influence the surrounding area by several kilometers with ease. As the efficiency increased, Yaga and Dr. Ross felt certain that they could expand it even further.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The problem became that with every change they made, the wavelengths emitted also changed. No single power setting was universal, and they¡¯d taken to running a dramatically small amount of energy through it with a sensor attached to be able to tell where it was sitting. Distorting mechanisms and converters fine tuned the amount of power further, allowing for a massive amount of customizability. Luckily, we wouldn¡¯t be testing this with people anymore. Through a series of admittedly ramshackle sensors, they were able to determine with more or less reliable accuracy what kind of wavelength we were working with. The problem was that we were quickly hitting a brick wall in terms of how far we could theoretically project the force. Improving that took up half of the processing power the lab had with simulations, but unfortunately size was no longer helpful. It became exponentially harder to extend the range after a certain point. We¡¯d need an emitter the size of the moon to reasonably effect even half of the world. A blip at the edge of my consciousness dragged my thoughts away from the project. I brought up the call request, ¡°I can hear you. How are things going over there?¡± ¡°Oh, you know, just peachy,¡± I heard Alice¡¯s voice as the video feed lit up in my mind, Richard beside her in the dimly lit confines of a Reaver¡¯s hold. ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect you to pull Sunvilla in,¡± Richard¡¯s voice followed up, ¡°That bad?¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, but my expression must have given it away. Richard¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°What¡¯re we looking at?¡± ¡°Every major city has increased biotic activity, and we¡¯ve got several reports from other hunting organizations that their hot-spots are spewing biotics like a bleeding artery.¡± I shook my head, ¡°Basilisk has biotics coming from some deep sea trenches, but it looks like they have them covered well enough.¡± Alice frowned, ¡°What about our side?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Nothing major. We have almost no contact at all.¡± The pair exchanged worried glances at that, coming to the same conclusion I did. ¡°Yep, whatever¡¯s going to hit us is going to happen all at once. Argedwall has elected to evacuate as well, not that I¡¯m as worried about them.¡± Richard snorted, ¡°Right, they¡¯re probably the best equipped for a siege next to us.¡± I nodded, ¡°And they¡¯re well aware of that, so they¡¯re pooling their resources here. I¡¯m worried about Gilramore, but we can only hope that they haven¡¯t overestimated themselves.¡± ¡°If we need too, we can go help out,¡± Alice shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s not a long way by flight.¡± I frowned at that, debating between telling her that they¡¯d be on their own in such a case or keeping my mouth shut. With a sigh, I said, ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t come to that. We can¡¯t afford to risk the Psy-Emitter.¡± Alice opened her mouth, stunned for a second, before her words caught up, ¡°I mean, yeah, but we can¡¯t also help Gilramore if they need it? New Damond is a super fortress, I doubt we¡¯re going to need everyone here.¡± ¡°Like I said, I hope it doesn¡¯t come to that,¡± I said tiredly, ¡°In any case, keep apprised of the situation. Check on your Obelisk¡¯s for any updates. I¡¯ve got to go.¡± Alice seemed to want to say something more before Richard nodded, ¡°Good luck.¡± The feed died out, though not before I saw Alice¡¯s disbelieving glance in his direction. I chuckled, feeling more drained by the second. Of course I didn¡¯t want to abandon anyone if I could help it, but the Legion wasn¡¯t there to save people. It never was. I¡¯m certain that Alice isn¡¯t the only person to think like this in the Legion but¡­ To be frank, I would only be deluding myself if I thought we could get through this without losses. If I had to choose between losing Gilramore or ending biotics in totality, I knew in a heartbeat what I would choose. With luck, it wouldn¡¯t come to that, but I couldn¡¯t be sure of the outcome. Perhaps history would remember me as callous, but callous was better than dead. We needed to win to have a history, after all. My senses picked up on a new stream of data then, light seismic activity being relayed by sensors and notifying Legion personnel of the information. Within moments, the potential of an earthquake was eliminated. Annoyed, I began pulling back teams and mobilizing specialized mechs for the new threat. If biotics wanted to mount an underground assault, they¡¯d quickly learn that we¡¯d long accounted for such a possibility. Thirty kilometers to the west our sensors continually tripped in one location. And then another. And another. ¡°So this is your opener, then.¡± I grunted, mentally tracking and updating Legionnaires on the positions of the digging biotics. ¡°Let''s give them a warm welcome then.¡± Chapter 165 Flood The whining motor of the minigun slowly spun down as team Slate took in the sight before them. Piles of silver flesh broke down before their eyes, constantly releasing noxious grey smoke that was difficult for an unprotected human to breath. In only a few hours the team had killed hundreds of biotics, more than they¡¯d run into at any one point in time in the field. ¡°Sitrep,¡± the team leader called out to his squadmates, ¡°how are you looking on ammo, Brunswick?¡± The giant of a man, Brunswick, was currently encased in an immense main-line mech. Cradled in his arms was a minigun larger than a van and currently whispered trails of white smoke from its many barrels. The man shrugged, a gesture accompanied by the near silent humm of servos as the machine accommodated the gesture, ¡°Sitting at about seventy percent or so. I¡¯ve got plenty of refills though.¡± He accompanied his statement with a gesture behind him, namely at the five tombstone-like cases that could easily replace the one that currently sat on his back. Ammunition wouldn¡¯t be a problem, even considering the prodigious rate in which he used it. At least, that¡¯s what they hoped. ¡°Everything¡¯s clear,¡± the last of his eight man team responded, ¡°so far, so good.¡± In spite of that, no one said anything further on the matter. Already The Reaper had advised the teams that this was nothing more than a precursor event. Singularly minded, banal biotics had been released through fissures in the ground starting five hundred meters farther out from their position. It was these fissures that gradually spread, growing in number and forcing the team to adjust their firing angles constantly to cover the new approach vectors of their foes. None of them believed they were doing ¡®well¡¯ as of yet. The enemy was either probing their defenses, or lulling them into a false rhythm. When the real attack came, the captain wanted to be sure that Slate wouldn¡¯t be the first casualties in this conflict. Other teams updated their information on the Reaper Net, a real time system that had evolved to keep the entire war-front appraised of the situation. The defensive lines had been packed in tighter, but thus far the teams were still far from the walls of New Damond. Just as the biotics were testing the human defense, The Reaper was testing the tools that the biotics were dispensing. Not that he was complaining about that fact, they needed more information, and none of the Legion was so naive to think that this wouldn¡¯t be the bloodiest battle they¡¯d ever fought, let alone seen. ¡°Contact.¡± The team scout called out, ¡°I¡¯m getting¡­ wait¡­¡± Slate team paused as the man panned his attention back and forth, listening for the tell tale noise from the hundreds of drone sensors that he¡¯d sent out long ago. The small devices permeated the ground through the biotics'' own tunnels, a strategy employed by several teams that told them a vague sense of what they were dealing with. Rather than say anything, the man simply forwarded his information with stoic silence. True to their namesake, none of their team panicked as the readout disgorged absolute chaos in noise beneath the ground. ¡°Brunswick, you¡¯re on greeting duty again. Everyone else, make sure to keep our exfiltration options open. I don¡¯t wanna make my last stand here.¡± The team leader said, his power armor humming louder as plasma channels began to roar on his back, filtering forward on a pair of projection casters mounted on either arm. He¡¯d held off from firing so far, wanting to keep some of their abilities hidden just in case. The majority of the team spread out in their emplaced position, clanking against a heavy metal grating that they¡¯d deployed from their deployment vehicle. Ever the silent surveyor, Grey Warden performed overwatch over the battlefield with automated sensors and an advanced A.I. remote controlling its weapons. It hadn¡¯t fired yet, but as the noise from beneath the ground became audible even without the drones, Slate knew that wouldn¡¯t last much longer. Vibrations rattled through the iron beneath their feet, the snarling, snapping of many limbs covered in chitin rattled up through the numerous rifts across the battlefield. The noise increased in volume, a near omnipresent chorus that pulled at Slate¡¯s collective calm like a bowstring until taut. And then, just as Brunswick began to squeeze on the trigger, everything went silent all at once. The open landscape, tainted with smoke, was raked with wary eyes and with every sense opened to their absolute limit. Confused, the scout of the team referred to his drones once more, noting their report of no noise beyond some shifting dirt. Then it began, a low tone that was lost in the wind at first. It built in volume, a low rumble to a growl, a growl to a snarl, like all of the chaotic noise to that point had all been a lie. As one voice it grew, shaking the earth underfoot and sending goosebumps rippling across the captain¡¯s body. It grew so loud that Brunswick didn¡¯t even hear the hammering of his own heartbeat, the thundering pulse lost amid the roar that swallowed everything. Even as Brunswick¡¯s mech adjusted his ability to hear the outside world, the biotics exploded up from the earth. The rifts hadn¡¯t been large enough for the Centaur, but that didn¡¯t matter with the sheer number that came cascading up from the earth. The analytical side of Brunswick¡¯s mind told him that this was a different creature that had been bred in the war of attrition with Argedwall¡¯s Knights. It was more mobile, chitinous plating more defined and donned more alike to a suit of armor than anything natural. Reaping talons on long arms helped to pull the six-legged creatures forward, each limb tipped with flexible, lethal looking claws. A narrow shoulder protrusion with flexible muscle tissue faced forward, perfectly capable of bombarding foes with a noxious, acidic compound that Brunswick had no desire to test. The largest alteration, however, was on the tail. A bundle of spines not unlike a mythical manticore might have tipped the end of a prehensile tail. He opened fire in the next moment without holding anything back. The burst of light filtered through his visor would have been blinding without precautions.He could feel his body vibrate with the sheer violent roar of the rotating barrels as the procession of bullets began to tear through biotic tissue. Brunswick¡¯s weapon fire tore into the front line of the Centaur charge, explosive shells fragmenting just beneath the surface of their armor. Plumes of silver blood and shrieks of pain rejoined the battlefield with gusto. In spite of his seemingly violent weapon, Brunswick himself was the picture of a composed war-fighter, gazing appraisingly upon his work as he did so with the ease of a practiced professional. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Had he not been, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed that the Centaur were abnormally defiant in the face of death. Bullets tore through limbs and burst torso¡¯s, yet nothing but absolute devastation stopped them. The wave bore forward, carrying their fallen as barriers to dampen the destruction that could be wrought for even another second. It was every second bought that finally managed to crease the man¡¯s brow with contempt. His rate of ammo consumption was easily five fold what he¡¯d utilized earlier, yet they were losing ground at a breathtaking pace. Four hundred meters hadn¡¯t been far enough to the man before, but as the wave approached the three hundred meter mark, he knew that their emplaced position would be absolutely overwhelmed without any change. Luckily, the rest of his team joined in the fray. Heat surged forward like the gates of hell opened up, white hot plasma lances cut through Centaur in the blink of an eye just before they burst into flames. Secondary explosions rang out as what liquid touched the substance instantly vaporized. The Centaur charge was lost amidst a brilliant white fire, the captain¡¯s ace in the hole weapon cauterizing the attack as it began. He swept wide, churning through the entire front and striking deeper at irregular places. In seconds the charge overtook the initial attack zone, yet the fire didn¡¯t cease. The wave poured on, faltering every moment, ominously crackling and filling the air with a fetid stinking smoke. After only a few seconds, the wave¡¯s seemingly undeniable charge faltered, the loud, unified voice distorted into numerous wailing, impotent howls. Brunswick felt sweat trickle down his brow at the sight, in spite of not feeling the heat in his own suit. The world was on fire before them, and it didn¡¯t look like it would cease anytime soon. ¡°We¡¯re exfiltrating now,¡± the captain stated, the glow of the plasma lines in his suit notably dimmed after his exorbitant expenditure. ¡°We need real defensive positions to weather a wave like that.¡± They moved quickly, taking only necessary equipment with them as they mounted into Grey Warden, whilst they rigged the rest to explode when the Centaur approached. -Matthew Reaper¡¯s P.O.V.- I grit my teeth as I took in all of the information from the field. The Reaper¡¯s Net was alive with activity, live feeds of the sudden flood of enemies that belched forth from the ground like the angry blood of the earth. Snapping claws and acidic projectiles flooded my vision, and even with the speed of my processing, I knew that I would have to leave the bulk of the decision making for those on the ground. The display of control that The King showed over his forces, flaunted even, told me that these biotics were utterly and totally under its direction. That had never truly been in doubt, but it highlighted a key difference between our two forces. His army moved as one, with one mind and one goal, even in spite of any losses. Granted, many teams possessed weapons that stalled the Centaur advance with utter destruction. In the worst of these places, the Centaur pulled back to the safety of the earth, though a second battle would not be fought. This wasn¡¯t the place where I wanted to lose teams. Even so, there were casualties. Not every team was outfitted with such tools, and it was these teams that found themselves overrun. Distant artillery shelling from New Damond covered their retreat, but the biotics advanced through those fields of fire with the promise of inflicting even a handful of losses upon us. It wasn¡¯t even a true war of attrition as of yet, and based upon our deep earth seismic sensors, the bulk of the force was still moving upwards through the lithosphere. They would find it far more difficult to tunnel as they closed in on the city, finding many static defenses buried beneath the ground. Still, I was glad that the Legion was pulling together and exercising their superior training and experience. In that we could match our single-minded enemy, relying one one another and upon our preparations. ¡°Reaper, we¡¯ve got the first line finished now,¡± I heard Yamak¡¯s report go through one ear, ¡°We¡¯re receiving the advance teams now, they delayed the attacks long enough that we should be ready.¡± He paused briefly before adding, ¡°well, as ready as we¡¯ll ever be anyways.¡± I nodded slowly, ¡°Thank you, Yamak. Hopefully we can stall the battle for a few hours at this circle.¡± I rose from my chair, turning my attention fully to Yamak on a holographic display. The room around me was filled with various personnel, a war-room that took up a massive place within Reaper HQ. Huge holographic displays and dozens of smaller, group sized displays read out information as it was collected, though the room full of people was eerily quiet save for a few voices. The reason was the fact that each group was in a personal mesh suit, not unlike power armor, and spoke only to their own stations and groups. They could, of course, change that setting on demand, but it helped to keep the clutter to a minimum. ¡°They really do seem to be throwing everything at us this time,¡± Yamak commented idly as he looked over reports from other cities, ¡°You¡¯d think that this was a late-stage infestation that nobody had done anything about.¡± I knew what he was talking about, the sheer numbers of biotics coming out of the woodwork almost made it feel like the Legion and other forces that hunted them had barely scratched the surface. The reminder that we¡¯d killed these numbers and more during our hunts didn¡¯t help me feel any better, nor would anyone currently embattled in the thousands of battlefields on the planet care either. ¡°Our project represents a change in the dynamic.¡± I forcibly relaxed my clenched fists, ¡°I suspect The King sensed that, and if we can weaponize it, at worst we break his hold over his unified forces of biotics. At best, we render them utterly harmless.¡± Yamak had a complicated look on his face for a few moments, before he nodded. I frowned at that, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ well,¡± he grimaced, ¡°Well, hopefully it works out. It¡¯d be a nightmare if all of this is going on for a dud project.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll work,¡± I said, not allowing myself to even consider the weight of failure. ¡°If anything, this works in our favor in the long term if they fail to destroy us. We¡¯ll have heavily culled their numbers, so long as the cities hold.¡± ¡°Optimistic,¡± another voice cut in then, ¡°but true. I am wary that these other attacks are just to keep other cities engaged away from our defense, however.¡± ¡°Maricene,¡± I nodded to the image, translated across cyberspace to Yamak¡¯s second-in-command, ¡°how is the situation in orbit?¡± The image changed to that of the white-haired alien woman, her severe countenance looking more in place than the pseudo-playboy vibes that Yamak gave off. ¡°Orbital defenses are online. We¡¯re waiting for requests for intervention across the globe.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re ready to put a hand on the scale,¡± I nodded, able to keep the relief from showing through too clearly. ¡°I¡¯ll handle things as much as possible on our end then. Let me know if anything changes.¡± ¡°You got it,¡± Yamak answered from off screen, drawing a slight glare from Maricene. She gave a brief salute before the feed shut off, leaving me once more to the rolling casualty report. One of the teams was dragged screaming into the dark. Another ten suffered losses, but beyond that we still held most of our fighting strength. I tried to tell myself that much, but every loss wasn¡¯t just a number to me. The feed of information gave me more than just raw numbers, it gave me the moments of their deaths. It gave me their vision as they were dragged down into scything claws and acid. ¡°It¡¯ll work.¡± I told myself again, turning my attention away from those feeds as I felt my emotions dull. This was only the beginning. It would only get worse from here. Chapter 166 Stormfront The first line of defense motionlessly waited for the first biotics to approach. Already the teams had withdrawn past them, resting at the third line of defense upon New Damond¡¯s outer wall. The only sound shared aloud here, however, was the occasional beep that came from the many devices that scornfully glared out across the landscape. Hundreds of meters away the rifts in the earth gaped, appearing empty for anyone who couldn¡¯t hear the constant thunder and scuffle of thousands of biotics in motion within. To the first line¡¯s defenders, this didn¡¯t bother them, they were, after all, only machines. Machines that were all commanded by the Determinator Legion. Hundreds of turrets and automated defenses, thousands of mines and static defenses hidden in the ground. A crisscrossing array of the most malicious barbed wire any of New Damond¡¯s defenders had ever seen was strung between welded chunks of welded steel. The occasional snap of electricity coming from the no-man¡¯s land betrayed the fact that less visible means of defense were likewise there. The Determinators spoke with one another across cyberspace, each echoing a notion of anticipation for what was to come. This was, after all, what they were made to do; biotics were their natural enemies. ¡°We¡¯re going to have so much fun!¡± One of the Determinator¡¯s voices gleefully called out, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to fight in person, too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely,¡± one of the elder Determinators answered, ¡°There do seem to be a lot of them. This reminds me of South America.¡± A chorused round of affirmatives from the veteran Determinators answered that statement. ¡°Hopefully we can keep them out of the city. Humans are less death-resistant than we are.¡± ¡°It appears that our defenses will be sufficient, given our current data on the Centaur collected by the advance parties.¡± One of the Determinators with constant access to the super computer array at base answered. A brief moment of thanks passed from the collective host in honor of the human lives lost in the scouting action. Ordinarily, they¡¯d have been the ones to fulfill such an objective, but with the sheer amount of data that they needed to process with the many disparate automated defenses, the choice may have been suboptimal. Reality rarely conformed to perfect estimations -something the Determinators had taken time to get used to - which meant they generally erred on the side of caution. ¡°Remember, the biotics are headed by a greater sentience.¡± A stark voice sounded amidst the Determinators, ¡°Be wary of any shifts along the battle lines. Share your voices, as always.¡± The voice ended then, and the Determinators felt themselves buzz with the lingering attachment of their progenitor. ¡°If Father says so,¡± one of the voices gave rise to a growing agitation borne from rising excitement, ¡°Then, surely, this will be a fun battle.¡± As one, the turrets on the line began to growl with the grinding noise of motors, priming explosives, and the guttural roar of no small number of flamethrowers pressurizing. It was then that the Centaur horde began to charge forth from the earth. The digital communication between the Determinators was careful and methodical, seeking to plot out firing lines to the best of their ability. The template for their battle had been drawn already, and now they were putting their battle plans to the test. Long rifles measured their shots first, the deliberation in cyberspace taking mere milliseconds in reality. The first volley shook the ground all around New Damond as anti-material rifles and cannons claimed the first kills. No two shots hit the same target, and in the wake of that first barrage the massacre was revealed. A nearly uniform circle of bodies lay on the outer limits of the killzone. No other Centaur disgorged themselves from the earth, and the Determinators imagined that their foe was considering this latest play. Fighting from the front would almost certainly reap a heavy toll, but the artificial sentience knew well that this was one of the few ways that the enemy could advance. Within seconds, seismic readers read out several sharp retorts. The earth had long been packed with sensitive explosives and more malicious devices, making any approach from beneath the city a time consuming and costly affair. One that, should the biotics choose, would be safer than braving the gauntlet above ground.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°But,¡± one of the Determinators began, ¡°Can you afford to spend that much time digging?¡± A grim satisfaction spread through their connection as the ground began to rumble anew. ¡°Death now or death later,¡± they thought to themselves as the Centaur once more rose from the earth in force, ¡°Truly a Reaper¡¯s question.¡± Their firing began again in force, flashing light from tracer rounds crashed into the first Centaur. Carapaces exploded in silvery-black gore as the volley shredded those in front. Now, however, not all within the first wave perished. Their numbers soared with every passing moment. The enemy was committing their force in full, and the first line tested their determination with volley after volley. Explosions rang out as masses of biotics walked over remote controlled mines, maximized for lethality by the Determinators attention. Still, they pushed forward, a truly unrelenting wave that carried their fallen as shields and knew no fear. Then, the rapid firing weapons began to spin up. Between the chaotic screeching and rageful howls of their enemies and the rhythmic bombardment of long-range weapons, the initial windup of the second set of weapons was almost lost. It was a wind that blew across the battlefield, a hollow sound void of emotion that would have made any human¡¯s skin ripple with goosebumps. The Hellstorm turrets earned their name in the first moment that their bullets began to howl forward. The telltale boom of a charge exploding was absent from the barrels, instead only the howl of super-sonic slugs of metal tearing through the air shrieked through the air. The gauss machine gun stare was death, any Centaur that found themselves within its gaze was hit with a hundred slugs nearly at once. Silver mist and fragmenting metal soared through the air, each cased slug shredding not only its initial target but viciously tearing into anything nearby. The Centaur line stuttered in the face of the damage, the sheer rise in lethality giving even the puppet-like biotics pause. In the next instant, the entire field behind that front line erupted with explosions unlike that which had been yet unleashed. Bright white fire bloomed, instantly incinerating anything and everything around the pods that had contained them. At once, black smoke filled the sky, the organ shattering shockwave pulsing outwards and utterly decimating thousands more of the Centaur line. At once, the field was cleared, and the first line stopped firing. I watched as this happened with a grim amusement, unable to keep from chuckling at the sheer mind-boggling devastation that had just occurred. This was what had been prepared in the intervening hours of our preparations. It was just the beginning, and it was a beginning that I could almost feel The King gritting its teeth from. My Determinator Legion was more than able to delay and extract every bit of value from this defensives line. Not even counting the latter half of their defensive arrangement. Still, the King¡¯s forces had eaten up roughly half of the field in that time, but they had yet approached the flamethrowers nor the Raijin Lacerators. That would buy us some time. Almost reluctantly, the Centaur emerged from the rifts once more, charging into the fray with a frenzied, single-mindedness. Of which, most perished instantly. Still, the horde kept coming, and I could sense the rapidly dwindling ammo supply that my First Line was working with. That much was perfectly acceptable, it was an impermanent defensive line meant only to bleed the enemy of as many numbers as we could. I suspected the biotics numbered in the low millions, if The King was willing to throw this many at us in a war of attrition. Ultimately, I wasn¡¯t worried about the individual quality of these biotics, not unless The King brought out something new, but their numbers were concerning. Ultimately, though, we had access to the Obelisk within New Damond. The sheer Matter Energy we¡¯d had stockpiled and that we gained with every moment of this conflict meant that our supply of ammunition would be nigh-infinite. I diverted another portion of my attention elsewhere, feeling the tug of my subconscious mind. New data streamed in, and for a brief moment, I couldn¡¯t help but feel confused as I stared at what a long-distance radar was picking up. It was indistinct, like a flock of birds might be. However, with our technology even a flock of birds would come in with stark contrast. ¡°Yamak, a strange reading has been brought to my attention over the ocean,¡± I relayed the information to him, ¡°I need you to send someone to confirm what it is. Just in case, get some squadron¡¯s ready to run interference.¡± Yamak¡¯s voice returned to me after a moment, ¡°Got it. Also, figured you¡¯d wanna know, but it looks like there are some Obelisks in the middle of nowhere that¡¯ve been taken down.¡± I frowned at that, ¡°Any cities around them?¡± ¡°None that are really populated.¡± Yamak shrugged, ¡°We don¡¯t need em, though. Most big cities at least have an upgraded Obelisk, so we can broadcast and receive information to each other pretty much wherever.¡± I nodded at that, ¡°Something to think about replacing later, I think. Good hunting.¡± We cut the feed, and idly I directed some of the long-range missile systems to support Yamak¡¯s squadron, just in case. I turned my attention back to the first line of defense, and couldn¡¯t help myself from chuckling. ¡°Yeah, that thermite mixture is pretty nasty, isn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 167 Floodgates I watched thousands of scenes happen all around at once, pushing my awareness to new heights. The first line of defense had collapsed under the sheer weight of numbers thrown at them, the seemingly endless horde of Centaur advancing ever onwards. The second line of defense, however, was no simple temporary barrier. The external wall bristled with weaponry, hundreds upon every vertical section. These were far more robust than the automated defenses used farther out. Gauss cannons and chemical throwers were the standard, however Raijin-based weaponry made a showing as well. Overhead, the crack of super accelerated shots rang out from pin-point accuracy snipers. The artillery sounded from throughout the city as well as from atop the walls. Long range ordnance peaked out atop nearly every structure in New Damond, more still waiting silently on every corner, forming a deadly gauntlet for anything that made it into the city proper. That possibility, I realized as I watched the horde, was not as great as I¡¯d feared. For all their numbers, the wall was a hundred meters high. It was made with the most advanced materials we could get our hands on, a super concrete flush with lattice-bound carbon. The stuff was insanely resilient to damage, and it extended deep beneath the earth. The horde approached closer, and without aplomb the Gauss weaponry snapped to their targets eagerly. Light and the crackle of lightning joined with the storm of metal that sought out biotic flesh, a hundred bright flashes of electricity discharged their hellish payload of energy into anything in the way. Patches of biotic exploded outright, those closest to the landing sights ionized aggressively. Even those beyond the initial zones, however, were treated with a moderate dose. Some died, but with the resilience that the creatures possessed not all shared that fate. Twitching bodies struggled to move, overtaken by the rest of the horde even as the rain of thundering munitions continued. The waves of artillery fire never stopped, arcing and devastating swathes of the horde as it moved. From as many viewpoints as I had, I could see the hordes advancement slow to a crawl, but undeniably they would eventually reach us. However, it would take them an hour or more to even reach the wall. More of the defenses would be used then, and with the influx of matter energy, ammunition wasn¡¯t a problem. Already the Legion teams I had in use had stacked up crates upon crates of ammo in huge depots, appropriating the use of nearby buildings. Other secure ammo-dumps across the city were prepared to ferry additional munitions at a moments notice. Even so, the wall devoured ammo. Hundreds of millions of bullets literally shattering the advancing biotics by sheer weight. No small part of me was immensely pleased to see this defensive arrangement working quite so well. The Obelisk took in huge quantities of energy and made any battle of attrition a battle in our favor, so long as we could keep them from breaching the walls. Then, I noticed new shapes join in the fight. I frowned, seeing the large, grey beings that vaguely reminded me of Axiom Breaker from the siege in Argedwall. They were larger, however, more akin to the body of a jumbo jet than a train car. They lumbered forward, slowly at first before building momentum, sounding out a deep, throaty bellow as they did so. Yet, when they crossed the invisible line that marked the absolute accuracy of my artillery, I felt the gazes of hundreds of artillery pieces imperiously watching them. ¡°You poor bastards.¡± I shook my head bemusedly as shells rained down on them, piercing through their remarkably sturdy frames. Silver blood and fragments of their heavily armored shells spiraled through the air. Some immediately perished, and more staggered forward with damage too severe to survive. Most surprising, though, were the handful that suffered that damage and kept going¡­ At least, until the second wave caught them less than two seconds later. ¡°Looking good, so far.¡± I heard Daniel say from atop the wall. ¡°It is, though I¡¯m curious as to how it managed to make these new ones. We slew Axiom, after all.¡± I glared at the siege creatures as their numbers continued to swell. Soon, there would be enough of them that the artillery would have to ignore the targets further away. I briefly turned my attention to Daniel¡¯s mech. Dauntless was a monstrous mech, one of hundreds perched atop the wall. His was special in many ways, though, given that his Class Dreadnaught had allowed him to push the sheer destructive ability of his machine to mind numbing heights. Beside him, a floating feminine power armor surveyed the territory. Several broad wings emerged from her back, a golden luster lacing dagger, sword, and spear length feathers. Pulses of energy rippled over them, and I knew better than most how much destruction Fran¡¯s new machine was capable of. The two of them, though, did not stand out as much as once they had. The Iron Chariots team flanked them, each member using a mech. Their team wasn¡¯t special in that regard anymore; it was a fairly popular template that other teams had adopted. Still, Iron Chariots had been built from the ground up with team-based mech tactics, and their cheer ability to chain together firepower without stopping made them a nightmare in chokepoints and open fields alike. ¡°Hey, Reaper,¡± I heard Jeremy Strauss call out, leader of Last Call, ¡°Anything else on that mystery signature over the ocean?¡± ¡°Negative,¡± I answered, ¡°Whatever it was, it¡¯s harder to find than we thought. Still no sign of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not concerning at all,¡± Domino spoke, now the leader of his own group, consisting of all those that we¡¯d taken under our wing, with a few new faces. He very much didn¡¯t appreciate the possibility of an aerial attack, though none of the teams did. Very few biotics had taken to the skies, but it did happen on occasion. ¡°We¡¯ll make do,¡± I heard another familiar voice that I hadn¡¯t in a long time. Cassandra Vera had long proven her capability to lead her team and become one of the top ten. Everyone was here, save a few that were needed elsewhere. Gilramore reported attacks, but nothing of the scale that we saw here. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I doubted many of the cities were dealing with an attack quite like this, though. With a thought I dragged my attention back to the horde, seeing that they steadily advanced, but even the addition of the siege beasts did not accelerate their approach dramatically. Every davance allowed more of our weapons to target them, more accurately too. Entire swaths of the land were covered in the bodies of dead and decaying biotics, rapidly decomposing into the acrid smoke that any Legionnaire was quite familiar with. Never did the firing stop, though, and after several minutes of this, I couldn¡¯t help but to pull my attention to other things. My Reaver squadrons were mostly held in reserve. They would begin strafing runs within fifteen minutes at this rate to break up the horde somewhat, but I also contemplated having them reinforce Yamak¡¯s scouting mission even more. The pilots and their artificial sentience co-pilots kept apprised of the situation outside of the walls as much as they could. Satisfied that they were ready to intervene, I pulled my attention once more into cyberspace. This time I had to push a little to get to my new destination, my awareness slid through the most advanced cyber security I¡¯d run across. Within the labs I found Yaga and Dr. Ross, as well as nearly all of our research staff. The supercomputers all around the room continued to calculate through the sheer mass of data they¡¯d already composed from their scaled-up prototype. A huge sphere five meters in diameter sat in the middle of the room, the steady thrum of some kind of vibration moving through it as it spun. What drew my attention the most, however, was the fact that I could see mild distortions in the air coming from the device, not unlike a mirage effect. It was perplexing on several levels, not the least of which being how safe it was to be working on such close proximity. I pushed that aside for now; we didn¡¯t have the time to worry about every possibility right now. And it seemed that Yaga and Dr. Ross shared my sentiments, given that they were working alongside the rest of the scientists here. However, I did notice that there appeared to be some kind of loose shielding near the workstations of the scientists. Whether or not these odd grey-colored slabs of what looked to be stone were capable of helping, I didn¡¯t know. With a pulse of my will, I connected to the communicators for my head scientists. ¡°What¡¯s your progress?¡± I asked without delay, reading through their official reports even as I spoke with them. If they were surprised at my sudden message, they didn¡¯t show it. Dr. Ross said, ¡°So far, we¡¯ve made some progress. We think we¡¯ve narrowed down some potential signals, but¡­¡± Yaga finished the statement, ¡°we may have an issue with our initial delivery system.¡± I frowned at that, not seeing any statement of such in their reports. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°From what we¡¯ve seen so far, we have no reason to believe that it won¡¯t work through the Obelisk system, but we also don¡¯t think that the Obelisks alone will be enough to boost the signal.¡± Dr. Ross gestured to plans he was working on, ¡°We¡¯ve already begun construction of the cage and adapters for a new location. The only thing we need to know is where the best array is in the city?¡± I blinked at that, only needing a few moments to consider that. The space port was an obvious first choice, but there was another location that would work and was even more heavily defended in the city. Given the sheer amount of hardware that lay unused along with its more peculiar defense systems, Reaper HQ might be a good alternate site. ¡°Build it at the spaceport and headquarters,¡± I decided after a moment more deliberation, ¡°All construction resources are yours to use, but do it as quickly as you can.¡± They nodded, fully aware that we were on a definite timeline. I bid them farewell and drew my attention back to the walls, now under direct attack by biotic forces, albeit only just. Spikes of jet black material slammed into the outer metal plating, fired in far more accurate bursts than what the Centaur were once capable of. Individual creatures ran forward, tails poised over their heads as the manticore-like spike tail quivered. Lancing spikes hit several locations, a lucky one hitting a flame turret dead on. A gout of flame erupted from the face, blasting a thirty meter area in front of it in flames before the A.I. cut the fuel source and withdrew the turret. A few moments later, a new turret emerged from the wall socket, pivoting and burning nearby targets with vigor. Still, this scene repeated itself dozens of times, mostly with the lowest-most turrets, the flamethrowers still sitting more than twenty meters off the ground. Directly at the base of the walls another device churned to action, literal grinders emerging from their steel shelters. The first Centaur to reach them discovered that these grinders were also more than capable of emerging from the wall by ten meters, greedily swallowing one of the creatures before a fine paste splattered out across the terrain farther out, vents projecting their own fallen out across other biotics. Electrical fields lit up the moment enough conductive fluids had spread out over the front waves, the old but reliable Raijin Fields demonstrating their continued effectiveness with a sudden and staggering blast back. The wave lost ground, but they quickly began retaking it, relentlessly driving forward as the Centaur began to attack the new targets, learning the timings and letting off a stream of pressurized acid, a bundle of spikes, or even using their own bodies to buy time for the rest of the wave. It wasn¡¯t a heroic battle, nor what I could call a display of skill. The only option here was a battle of attrition, one that the biotics with their seeming endless numbers might have an advantage. If this was the old world anyways. Already damaged parts of the wall were being built, plates constructed and moved on the inner layer of the entire construct bulking out not unlike a layer of skin. The damaged turrets were repaired automatically, torrents of Matter Energy streaming to the defense to manufacture the basic resources as small foundries scattered throughout the entire defense network created some of the more expensive to produce goods as needed. The stockpiles were barely moving now, most of the defense being fed by our Obelisk''s supplies. Ironically, if the Centaur were any less M.E. heavy, this kind of attrition might eventually go against us. However, they were worth a small fortune, given all of the upgrades and power The King had fed them. New Damond was built with massive sieges in mind as a possibility, as with smaller but more elite enemies. Even if the biotics wanted to regroup, the floodgates were open. I wasn¡¯t certain how much power The King held over the horde, but the sheer momentum that carried them into our waiting arms made the ground look alive with them all. And it was during this, when I felt that perhaps we¡¯d be secure against the waves coming to us, that I felt the first of our anti-air defenses come alive. Chapter 168 Reinforcement High above the sky five squadrons of Reavers flew forward, engines humming in the background of each pilot¡¯s ears. At their head, Yamak Rettle flew in his own personal vessel, Red Dancer, his own bright red aircraft, a stark difference to the black outlines that the rest of the formation cut in the blue sky. ¡°T-minus five minutes to contact with the anomalous signature¡¯s last known location,¡± the flight-leader of the Reaver¡¯s spoke. Emilia Barman, no stranger to high intensity combat, betrayed no sense of nervousness if she felt it. She¡¯d been the pillar of no fewer than eighteen aerial combat missions in the last year, as well as countless support, rescue, and ground pound missions. That track record had been noticed, and Emilia¡¯s flight-team Terrania had been given the green light to be the main voice of command on the field if something went wrong. A round of affirmatives greeted her notice, a gentle reminder to keep their eyes peeled went unspoken. Yamak himself had come out, and he would have had more of his fleet here if he could. Most of them were tied up elsewhere, thinning out the ever expanding horde that was assaulting New Damond. The Reaver¡¯s themselves were at a fourth of their strength here, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. There were far too many enemies on the field elsewhere to simply commit a larger force to this front at the moment. If possible, they would gather information on the target, assess what kind of force would be necessary to take it down, and then rally for the strike. If that proved impossible or unfeasible, Emilia and Yamak had express license to engage under their discretion. Given that New Damond was nearly swimming in biotics, the both of them knew that taking care of the threat as soon as possible was virtually a requirement. ¡°After this, I want a new paint job.¡± Emilia heard the voice of her artificial sentience ring in her ear. She shook her head fractionally, but couldn¡¯t help but to quirk a smile. Ensuring that the comm¡¯s were off first, Emilia asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t happen to be hot-rod red, would it?¡± Emily laughed, ¡°You have to admit, that Yamak guys¡¯ ride is pretty nice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be conducive to any stealth missions,¡± she teased her A.S., ¡°but maybe we can see about changing up the car.¡± ¡°Aww, c¡¯mon! Maybe we can get some adaptive paint that can change color? It¡¯ll make our stealth better, and we can look fancy when stealth doesn¡¯t matter anymore!¡± Emilia opened her mouth to speak before pausing, the sensation of the radar detecting something denser than air ahead of the squadron. Immediately the two went back into business mode, the comms coming alive once more. ¡°Unknown contact ahead-¡± Emilia cross checked her information with several other Reavers at once before shaking her head ¡°-signature is all over the place. Possible large targets or several smaller targets ahead of us.¡± The others confirmed their own readings even as they began to work with the information that gave them. The fact that their target was this much closer meant it was moving quickly, directly towards New Damond with no deviation in path. ¡°All units burst fire for three seconds on my mark,¡± Emilia began, feeling through her connection in the Reaper Net the readiness of her battalion. Only Yamak was a dark spot, not connected on a personal level like the rest of the Reavers were. Hundreds of weapons mounted on module platforms hissed, all pneumatics and magnetic components priming for combat. Chemical shell projectors, Gauss Cannon arrays, Metal Storm weapons, and racks of high explosive inferno rockets made up the vast majority of the arsenal that the Reavers selected for this mission. No single platform was lacking in destructive capabilities, having always been the primary focus of the aerial squadron. Emilia took a breath, ¡°Mark.¡± All at once every single Reaver opened fire, accompanied by Yamak¡¯s Ion pulse cannons. The sheer weight of firepower was like a tide, tearing through the air towards the distortion on their radar. Whether or not the enemy was a horde or a singular large mass, this attack would do well to probe the enemy. In the first place, the fact that they couldn¡¯t see their target was bothersome, but not entirely unheard of. Many biotics had eventually begun to evolve potent stealth abilities, but erasing one''s presence entirely was impossible. Emily counted the seconds between projectile impact and the initial firing, measuring the distance to any potential target accurately. In reality, it was milliseconds, but for Emilia¡¯s cybernetic partner, that was hardly an issue. The faster projectiles struck first, tearing into something with a deluge of bright purple liquid showering the air. The explosives hit with the chemical shells in the next instant with a huge plume of smoke and fire, the noxious acids quickly eating into nearly transparent flesh that only now seemed to be revealed. All at once a ripple moved across their field of vision, beginning where their attacks had struck and spreading across a huge creature. More than a hundred meters in diameter, something that vaguely resembled a castle in the sky was revealed. After a second, though, Emilia realized that this thing wasn¡¯t made of any kind of man-made thing. Purple, dark blue, magenta, and pink colored corals intertwined, creating complex, geometric shapes that dizzied her eyes to look at. Long reaching tentacles and immense, thirty meter long fans and fin-like protrusions stuck out from what looked like massive clams, gently pulsing with energy in the air. In the center, a huge black half-sphere sat embedded into the bulk of symmetrical formation. In all, it vaguely resembled an upside down trapezoid, the top of its body much broader than the bottom. Emilia couldn¡¯t make out the other sides, but she could see the extending tentacles all around its body, waving with vast shimmering fields around them that distorted light as it passed. A few of the tentacles bled purple from the attacks, but the creature before them gave no indication of being in any pain at all. Then, the Reaver Squadron felt a strange sense of unease come over them. Sparkling light shimmered over top of the creature, and only then did Emilia realize that there were a truly massive number of tendrils and other organs that extended upwards from the creature. They were nearly invisible even now, and she found that she couldn¡¯t make out the tops of them.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. -System Notification: Gen 4 Biotic detected¡­ assessing¡­- Emilia frowned at the sudden notification before pushing it to the side. The Obelisk systems had grown less and less talkative as they¡¯d advanced, no longer needing to intervene in most matters. The only thing that would get it talking, she noted grimly, was a truly dangerous biotic presence. ¡°All troops, spread out and begin aerial combat, hold nothing back.¡± Emilia stated, the rest of the wing ignored the still assessing state of the Obelisk notice. She banked hard with her Reaver, the module weapon beneath her humming with potent electrical energy. Her gauss cannon array began spitting round after round at the biotic, every shot caught against the tentacles and not hitting the main body. Each flight squadron broke down into smaller units, the teams that they were originally built around. Her team now consisted of five Reavers, two of whom had been with her from the beginning. Lani and Francesco were long veterans, but Rody and Nancy were no less skilled. ¡°We¡¯re climbing. Focus fire on the organs coming out of the top of this thing.¡± Emilia ordered, her gut telling her that they needed to deal damage to this thing fast. ¡°Roger that,¡± their answers came at once. Each of them could feel adrenaline begin to pump in their systems, tension rising in the face of this thing. They remained calm in spite of it all, though, having trained long and hard and experienced many battlefields in their careers. The Reavers moved as one, carefully communicating with other teams to ensure no friendly fire occurred. Yamak himself moved on the outskirts, ensuring that he stayed out of the way while unleashing punishing volleys of enhanced weapons. Even so, Emilia couldn¡¯t tell if the creature really even noticed them. It continued onwards, and the only indication that it even knew they were there was the fact that it had sped up considerably, dropping any pretense of stealth. It climbed in velocity rapidly, and as Emilia and her team climbed and circled it, she realized that each side was almost a perfect replica of each other side. Every corner of its body disgorged huge bundles of tentacles, whereas the top appeared to be an entire field of them. They opened fire on that field, aiming for the base of the tentacles rather than the waving mass that extended hundreds of meters and more above it. During the entire process, the biotic didn¡¯t seem to be able to fight back at all, but the Reavers didn¡¯t dare underestimate it. They kept out of reach of the tentacles, wary of any physical strike it could deliver. Yet, they were still hopeful of the results. Less than a minute into the battle and a few dozen tentacles had been nearly entirely destroyed. Already the Squadron was able to strike directly at its colorful body, shattering huge surface areas of coral. Sheets fell away or ran in trickles from super-acid chemicals, showering the ocean below with evidence of their battle. Still, it accelerated, and it was only then that Emilia frowned. This thing wasn¡¯t faster than them yet, but at this rate it would only take a short time longer for it to approach the city. Still, they didn¡¯t relent, and the results of their relentless strikes was quickly becoming apparent. This biotic didn¡¯t seem to have much in the way of direct combat ability, but neither was its defense especially impressive. Emilia and the other members of her Squadron were bewildered as the altercation carried on for another minute, only needing to burn hard in order to keep up with the startlingly fast thing. It would only take another thirty minutes for it to hit the mainland, but at this rate, Emily calculated that unless its interior was far more durable than expected, the creature would be dead before even half of that time. Paranoia drove every one of the pilots to be on the lookout for the caveat, and the still calculating system did nothing to assuage their growing anxiety. A longer time generally correlated to a more specialized creature. The Obelisks weren¡¯t all knowing, but by cross checking what the system knew with what other systems had come into contact with, almost any biotic would be able to be identified by their characteristics. Only the ones that were more rare - or terrifyingly Unique - would take longer. Every one of them knew how dangerous even the most basic of Unique biotics were. Legion history was already plagued with examples of a Unique causing untold destruction and casualties. Before it could finish, the creature shuddered, causing the very air around them to shiver. Emilia watched on her sensors first and foremost for any change, as with others in the Squadron, and could easily see the cataclysmically increasing temperature within the being. In the next moment, each of the black spheres on its sides glowed, but did nothing else in that time. ¡°Commander, there¡¯s something coming from beneath the body!¡± One of the other teams reported, sending an image of another sphere attached to a flexible neck. Not waiting for the order, the Reaver immediately opened fire, aiming not for the sphere, but the fleshy appendage that held it. Unfortunately, the biotic¡¯s attack was faster. A beam of light erupted from the sphere in an instant, crossing the distance across the water and towards a target far away. Emilia¡¯s stomach dropped at the sight, the entire world seemingly grew dark in the wake of the beam. It lasted less than a second before her subordinate''s weapon nearly cut through the entirety of the flexible appendage. The beam stopped instantly, and the temperature within the biotics body climbed precipitously in that instant, smoke rising from its surface as purple blood suddenly vaporized out of the many wounds on its body. The dizzying speed at which this happened stunned the Squadron. And it wasn¡¯t over yet. The four spheres within the sides of its body lit up fully and began to focus four sets of beams on its surroundings. ¡°Shit, dodge! Get above it!¡± Emilia nearly screamed, a rare streak of terror hammering her heart. Every one of them could tell almost instinctively that this attack was lethal. Half of the Squadron was already above the biotic, but the other half was not, having been attacking its flanks repeatedly. They didn¡¯t have the time to respond. Each ¡®eye¡¯ focused on one Reaver to the next, not staying on target any longer than a moment before sweeping forward. Each vessel that came into contact with a beam erupted in fire and was cut through, the laser weapon turning the world around them dark in contrast to its own brightness. And within seconds it stopped. The body of the biotic pumped blood from its frame, smoke and charred flesh clear upon its mass. Even so, Emilia could not count this as a success. Half of the Squadron was gone in the blink of an eye. Grief stabbed at her heart in that instant, but she grit her teeth, pulse racing as she checked the status of New Damond. ¡°No¡­¡± she felt her heart clench, feeling the damage reports already rolling in from a damaged Reaper Net. The Obelisk of New Damond was molten slag, and an ocean of fire had replaced it in the middle of the city. -System Designation complete. Gen 4 ¡°Lightbringer¡± has been discovered.- The air shuddered in a strange rhythmic pulse, forcing the wide-eyed Emilia to stare at the abomination. ¡°It¡¯s laughing¡­¡± She realized, at once, a surge of rage burning away every other emotion she¡¯d felt in that moment. ¡°This motherfucker is laughing.¡± Hot rage cooled as Emilia reconnected with the remains of her Squadron, her connection across with them facilitated by their artificial sentience counterparts. They shared in that pillar of clinical rage and put away their pain and grief for later. ¡°Squadron, murder this fucker.¡± Chapter 169 Ocean of Flame -Matthew Reaper P.O.V.- I kept my awareness as open as possible throughout the city to keep tabs on the ongoing siege. Nothing had happened that the team leaders and our defenses couldn¡¯t handle, a welcome sign for the future. Given that I hadn¡¯t had the slightest need to approach the offensive lines, I¡¯d returned to my Headquarters where the rest of our logistical support personnel were. For the most part, everyone was able to operate things remotely, and some smaller hubs throughout the city helped to coordinate the squads on the ground, or support the various divisions of Legionnaires with strategic data. Still, I wasn¡¯t especially concerned at this time. The Reavers themselves hadn¡¯t contacted back about the strange reading on radar as of yet, but they should have been making contact at any moment. ¡®Not that I can help with that at all from here,¡¯ I clicked my tongue at that, knowing that our missile systems and long range artillery would be the only realistic options to intervene. Though, I did briefly entertain the idea of using the orbital weapons, but that would be an option of extreme destruction, not something to use if we could help it. The sheer collateral damage of using a mass driver was not something I could justify using so close to New Damond. A communication came in then, dividing my attention further. I opened it up and couldn¡¯t help but smile at who was reaching out. ¡°Alice, Richard,¡± I greeted, ¡°what can I help you with?¡± The two of them were fully outfitted in their gear, now updated and modified to be fully enclosed power armors, albeit both of a lighter variety. Most people had updated to such a baseline, though with Alice and Richard, their personal war-suits bore their signature styles and armaments. Alice still utilized a bow, but had also come to utilize automated weapons that stuck out from behind her, often of a penetrative variety. The opposite was true of Richard, whose suit had bulked up somewhat and was now a walking chemical factory, capable of destroying wide swaths of territory with chem throwers and gaseous attacks. Knowing that we were currently under wartime, Richard cut straight to the point with an urgency in his voice, ¡°Half of our biotics in Sunvilla just peeled off and headed in your direction.¡± I frowned at that, ¡°that¡­ but why?¡± The pair exchanged helpless glances. It wasn¡¯t that we were asking why the biotics were coming here, but rather why they bothered. They were weaker by far than the Centaur, and even as far as meatshields would go, they would hardly be able to absorb any of our considerable firepower. ¡°Well, at least that helps us.¡± Alice noted thoughtfully, ¡°We just wanted to let you know just in case something came up.¡± I hummed aloud, briefly reaching out my senses to other locations. Argedwall, Gilramore, and Basilisk¡¯s territory each had relays that I could utilize to tap into their own surveillance equipment. Unable to keep from frowning at what I saw, I commented, ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have more company then.¡± Each location, save for about halfway up in Basilisk¡¯s territory, suddenly experienced half of their swarms leaving at a sprint. I couldn¡¯t fathom what the point would be, considering that extra bodies wasn¡¯t the answer to breaking through our defenses. It would take them all hours to get here in significant numbers. No small part of me considered this a hidden boon for our allies; such a reduction would undoubtedly dramatically reduce the risk of being overrun no matter their levels of preparation, and our lines would hold against these additional types just as well. ¡°Thanks for the heads up.¡± I nodded to them, ¡°I appreci-¡± Just as I was about to continue, the Reaver¡¯s made contact with their target. I jolted in my seat as I saw the living fortress ahead of the Reaver squadron, looking more alien than almost any creature I¡¯d seen so far. ¡°Gotta go.¡± I abruptly cut the transmission, putting my full focus on the massive organism. Dozens of Reavers struck, probing defenses and trying to slow down the biotic. Distantly, I could feel the Obelisks attempting to analyze this particular creature, recording it¡¯s information in a distant database and cross checking it with others that had been encountered. A cold feeling seemed to run down my neck at the sight of the thing though, my instincts telling me that this wasn¡¯t something I wanted anywhere near the city. Almost automatically, I extended my awareness through the Reaper net, tapping into defenses that had been as of yet inactive. Layers of energy barriers sprang up in the interior layers of the city, multiples concentrated around the underground bunkers that were responsible for housing Legion families and other noncombatants during emergencies. These barriers consumed ludicrous amounts of power, but we could keep them going for around a week straight at full power. Full power, of course, being exactly what I pushed them to with utmost urgency. At the same time, several buildings powered up emergency robots, though only to standby. If something happened, they¡¯d be able to automatically care for the areas around them, a sort of night-instantaneous response system in the entire city. I split my awareness again and again, feeling cybernetic limbs reach to various systems all around. Some buildings, the lab, revealed large metallic plates that shielded them. Other buildings, like the Academy, outright sank into the ground with shuddering groans of the earth. This process had long been completed in the outer areas of the city, but we wanted to keep these locations easily accessible for personnel until it was necessary to shelter. Luckily, most were unmanned now, such as the academy. HQ, though, was not unmanned. However, I could feel the veritable rivers of nanomachines and metal plates quickly fortifying the outsides of the building. We would be safe from most attacks at range, which was the only thing that I was worried about. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡®Alright, that should be enough.¡¯ I let out a relieved breath as the final of the defenses settled. Energy barriers and physical shells protected every vital structure around us, layered to protect people as well as possible. External cameras still fed me the view of the outside world, given that the entire building was swallowed in a pure black shell. Additional lights flicked on, screens on the walls unnecessarily showing me the views I could already see in my own mind. I brought my attention back to the Reavers fully, watching as colorful ichor, utterly unlike the normal silver that a biotic would bleed, flowed from the immense creature. I frowned at that, uncertain at what that might mean for the biology of the creature. Granted, Gen 4¡¯s appeared to be like that. They were each different, strange in the way that they didn¡¯t behave like an ordinary biotic would. No longer merely analogous of life, each one had flesh and blood unlike the twisted mockeries of other, lesser Tiers. Which made the sense of wariness I had make perfect sense. Gen 4¡¯s were forces of nature, capable of widespread destruction that could reshape entire continents in their image. South America came to mind, devastated as it still was. It was at that moment that the biotics movements changed. I could see through the many different eyes of the Reavers what happened, the rapid precipitation of heat within the living fortress''s body. Even so, I wasn¡¯t prepared for what happened in the next moments. A stalk with the black spherical object stretched out of the main body beneath it, several tens of meters in diameter. In a bright flash, it struck, and in the next second I no longer paid any attention to what was happening over the ocean. Every sensor in the city screamed in my mind, shield after shield collapsing almost instantly after absorbing an immense amount of destruction. Within cyberspace, I tried to buy time to think and see what was happening, but the beam weapon moved at the speed of light. No matter how much I could slow my perception of time it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Pain surged through my mind as cyber connections vanished instantly, recoiling with snapping feedback all across the city. The cameras outside blacked out, unable to adjust to the sudden brightness within the city. A titanic explosion erupted, shattering something not far from HQ. The shockwave crashed into the barriers of the building, heat immediately surging from the outer layers. Emergency barriers spawned one after the other, formed directly from the nanomachines as local life-saving protocols went into effect. They swept over people, cocooning them even as explosively expanding foam flooded the floors around them. The same was true of me, and for a rare moment I felt terror grip my heart. All of this happened in the span of milliseconds, far too quick for anyone that wasn¡¯t myself or an artificial sentience to comprehend what happened. Even so, I wasn¡¯t sure I even understood. What I was aware of was the fact that the external barriers over the windows superheated and a few critical gaps appeared at the same time. The nanomachines surged over these gaps, but it wouldn¡¯t have mattered for something of flesh and blood. Fire bloomed throughout the floors, air combusting instantly around nanomachine cocoons as the blast of heat raked anything not nailed down through open space with the force of a hurricane. I grit my teeth, imagining the fire-retardant foam being sucked out of the building and being replaced as quickly as the machines in the building could manage. Even throughout this, I felt the temperature in the center of the city climb, hot enough to melt steel a hundred meters away from the blast site. I could feel shields come back online, weaker, but managing to contain the inferno to the center of the city. That, unfortunately, also included Reaper HQ. ¡®Everyone in here is going to die at this rate.¡¯ I felt my stomach drop. Every cocoon was heating up, rapidly, in spite of the nanomachines doing their best to rotate their numbers. In minutes they would bake alive, save for those in the center of the building. With that thought in mind, I overrode the basic emergency protocols. The nanomachines moved with my will, following my new programming unhesitantly as they began to quickly move people through the burning floors towards the center of the building. Every building was designed with a solid column in the center, rooms built around them. I was near one such room at the top of the building, but no one worked in these rooms commonly. They were, effectively, supreme panic rooms for personnel to use in the event of a disaster or attack. This certainly qualified as both. The move took only thirty seconds, the nanomachines not slowed by any debris - most had been swept through the growing gaps in the armor of the building when it was breached, pulled by suction. The fire had already begun to die down in the absence of oxygen to burn, and the metal shell of the building was already nearly sealed once more. That biotic needed to die. The stores of nanomachines were nowhere near enough to sustain this kind of damage twice. With a shake of my head, I dragged my attention back to the last of the pods as they moved directly through what had seemed to be solid metal walls that rippled like liquid at their touch, permitting them and their passengers entry. The nanomachines themselves did not cross the barrier, some of which were glowing cherry red from the heat. Instead, they disgorged their inhabitant just past the surface of the thick walls, letting them stagger forward with their momentum. It wasn¡¯t graceful, but there wasn¡¯t time for anything less. Already, many people bore severe burns on their arms and legs from the nanomachines, and collective moans of pain and shouts were heard. The process had taken only a minute from start to finish, hardly enough for most people to process without panicking. ¡°Everyone, remain calm,¡± I spoke through the local network in the building, ¡°New Damond has suffered an attack from a Gen 4 biotic, however the damage is being handled.¡± I knew that the content of my words mattered less than just hearing a calm voice amidst the turmoil. A scant few had remained calm themselves, and they quickly became pillars that others could steady themselves around. Querax, a Reaper like myself, had been on a lower level, and already he was standing straight, not looking at any particular location as I spoke. Others, like Uthakka and Princess Arianna had ended up together on one of the higher floors. Uthakka seemed mostly unharmed, however Arianna bore burns along the length of her sinuous lower body. The nanomachines had sheltered her as best as they could, but she had much too much surface area to easily cover. Still, she barely grit her teeth as she stood up straight, already understanding the situation enough to know that panicking would get everyone nowhere. ¡°The emergency disaster system is already beginning to adjust, and we¡¯ll get everyone evacuated as soon as possible. At the center of the room you¡¯ll notice an elevator that will take you to an underground escape route where you¡¯ll move to the nearest auxiliary structure for medical attention. After that, you¡¯ll be directed where to go. Remain calm and wait for your turn to exit in an orderly fashion, and look to your local leadership for direction.¡± I spoke quickly but directly, trying to impart a stern but steadying sensation to those in this building. Even as I did so, I couldn¡¯t help but quiver at the sight outside of the building. The shield around the interior layer of the city was letting heat escape through the top, which rose continuously in a massive plume of smoke. Shimmering air vented even farther afield, and several city blocks were on fire. We were fortunate that the second and third layers of the inner city weren¡¯t as badly damaged, though the second layer was almost entirely on fire. The third had been sparsely damaged, but already most of the flames were put out. Torrential amounts of fire retardants and emergency robots worked in the second ring, but it was clear that the buildings closest to the center of the city were lost. Even the HQ would have to be rebuilt, the structural integrity of the building only held up by the nanomachines that bound the still superheated concrete and infrastructure together. The lab wasn¡¯t as devastated as this building was, but I could tell that huge amounts of physical experiments would be ruined. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the project had taken place underground, the psionic project would have been destroyed, along with all of the people who could have made it happen again. I swallowed hard at that, but only when I turned my attention over the city again did I feel that I was missing something even more vital. ¡®The Academy is secure, HQ is basically devastated, but no deaths. The Lab is, miraculously, functional enough to continue¡­¡¯ deep in thought, I turned my gaze to the origin point of the destruction. What was the biotic aiming at? The lab? No, if it were the case, it had most certainly missed. Even if it were a miss, the attack was so perfectly centered in the core of the city that I couldn¡¯t accept that the attack was an accident. So, what was it aiming for? The answer left me feeling hollow. A veritable lake of molten slag that was hot enough not merely to melt steel, but evaporate it sat in the middle of the city. An object that had been reinforced to absurd levels, said to unironically be able to withstand anything short of an act of god to destroy, was no more. The Obelisk was gone. Chapter 170 Shifting Tempo I stared blankly into space, at a loss after witnessing the aftermath of the attack. New Damond had been designed from the ground up to be resistant to sieges and most forms of attack. Until now, no one had truly considered that an attack would be able to cut through our defenses. ¡®Fucking solar beam,¡¯ I grit my teeth even as I forced myself to start addressing our wider needs. Distantly, I could feel the Reaver squadron vehemently battling with the biotic. Lightbringer was it¡¯s name, unironically a straightforward depiction of its abilities. It was rapidly accruing damage, part of which appeared to be self inflicted. The Reaver squadron, or at least what was left of it, would take care of the rest of it. Yamak¡¯s ship and a few lucky others appeared to have taken only glancing blows, their aircraft floating on the water far below the battle. Taking some small solace that at least some of the squadron hadn¡¯t been annihilated with the biotics attack, I pulled my attention back to the city. ¡°Matt!¡± I heard a voice connect the moment I put a call through, ¡°You alright man?¡± A bitter smile appeared on my face at the question. Daniel was still fighting even as he spoke to me, the unending tide of enemies approaching the walls still encroaching, but now moving even more recklessly forward. Every single one of the teams was contributing to the firepower now, and the line still held. Still, none of them had a calm expression after having felt the earth shake and the surge of light from the center of the city. They could clearly see the pillar of black smoke that rose like a chimney that led straight to hell. ¡°I¡¯m alive-¡± barely, I mentally added, ¡°-we weren¡¯t the direct target, but most of the inner city has been devastated.¡± ¡°The fuck happened?¡± He asked, voice tight with no small amount of fear, ¡°Did the lab explode?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Gen 4 biotic. It attacked at range over the ocean. The Reavers are killing it, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll have another shot, but it only needed one.¡± Daniel¡¯s expression shifted through shock, anger, and then a grim sort of acceptance in short order, ¡°What was it aiming at?¡± ¡°The Obelisk. It wiped it out entirely.¡± Silence lingered on the line for a moment as Daniel processed that, jaw hanging in bewilderment. Automatically, he checked his system in order to try to synthesize the Matter Energy that he¡¯d gathered. A deep scowl set into his features at that, not easing up as he focused back onto me. ¡°Fuck.¡± I nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be updating Legion orders momentarily. Spread the word, don¡¯t waste ammo. We¡¯re limited now.¡± Daniel nodded, voice grave, ¡°I¡¯ll spread it around. Do me a favor?¡± I blinked at the sudden request, but nodded. ¡°Get that lab working faster.¡± He cut the connection then, and I couldn¡¯t help but shake my head. That was a given, but I could understand where he came from with that. We no longer had the measure of our enemies, this was no longer an endless fight of attrition. We couldn¡¯t rearm our weapons, nor replace any lost equipment outside of what we had on sight. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that we had stockpiles at all, I doubted that we could last the hour. I updated orders going out to the Legion, but I didn¡¯t have time to put on some grand speech for everyone. The only other people I contacted directly were Domino and Strauss, both of whom understood immediately how bad our situation had just become. The walls were the most ammo hungry of our fortifications, and if we tried to keep them active, I knew that we wouldn¡¯t last the day, even with our huge volumes of munitions stockpiled. It was a simple question of area. So, the Legion understood the necessity of our next plan of action. ¡°Once logistics has everything set up, give the order to pull back the forces on the wall and drop every other section.¡± I spoke to the strategic center, ¡°from there, I¡¯ll leave it to all of you to determine how we¡¯ll fight in the grid.¡± Charlie Song nodded to me through the screen; after having gone through grueling simulations, he was acquainted enough with worst-case scenarios, albeit none quite like this one. I watched for a moment before being satisfied with the new war room¡¯s actions. Every building in the city was designed with their own personal defenses, and entire blocks could shift to force any invading swarm to move through tighter areas, less like a city and more like a labyrinth. Reinforced concrete and plas-steel made moving through the obstacles directly an incredibly difficult task. Even the Axiom strain biotics wouldn¡¯t be able to simply break through them, requiring tens of minutes to destroy barriers even while being shelled with munitions from the buildings and the teams within. It would delay the enemy, but letting them into the walls admitted that we were fighting an eventual defeat. None of us were ignorant of that fact. Eventually they could make it through the labyrinth, though we had an ever greater amount of defenses deeper in the city. But if our enemies were practically without limit, then we would lose. Already I¡¯d sent emergency requests out to our nearest allies, but I didn¡¯t hold out any hope that they might be able to help us. Half of their biotics had peeled off of their assault in order to come to presumably attack us. That fact didn¡¯t mean any of these cities were going to be able to mount any decent ability to come and help us in time. The only thing that I could hope for is that they would eventually clear their enemies and be able to help us, and that it wouldn¡¯t be too late. I moved through the underground tunnel system with that on my mind. If I was being honest with myself, this kind of wishful thinking wasn¡¯t reasonable. The only real possibility that we had of survival lay in the hands of the people I was going to meet now. Under most situations, the underground routes were locked down to the major buildings, but given the current state of the surface, that had been shelved entirely. The evacuation routes were the only routes we now had in order to move around in the interior city. The heavy bulkhead doors opened at my approach to reveal the white corridor. Six guards stood at attention on either side, all of whom had known that I was coming already. They saluted as I passed, and I stoically continued forward. One other individual waited for me at the end of the short procession, a lab assistant that worked with Dr. Ross and Yaga frequently. ¡°Sir.¡± He greeted me with a short nod before matching my brisk pace. ¡°Dr. Ross said that he¡¯s had some breakthroughs, explain.¡± I ordered straight away.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The man nodded professionally before handing me a few pages of data while saying, ¡°We¡¯ve mapped out what we think is one of the signals that the biotics are always broadcasting. Yaga believes that we can use that as our frequency to access the biotics'' more base instincts, giving us a way in.¡± I nodded in satisfaction, ¡°That is good news. What can this do to them?¡± He shrugged apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t know yet. It¡¯s a door in, but we don¡¯t know what part of the biotics we can access with it yet. We¡¯re hopeful it¡¯ll be enough to stall them, if nothing else.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I shook my head helplessly, ¡°I guess that¡¯s the best we can hope for right now.¡± ¡°It has potential,¡± the man said carefully, ¡°but it¡¯s not the only thing we¡¯re working on. There¡¯s a problem now, however.¡± I turned my eyes to the man next to me as we entered the larger lab proper, ¡°What problem?¡± ¡°The relay we were planning to use is on the upper floors.¡± He began, ¡°unfortunately, the equipment seems to be damaged. We¡¯re hoping to repair it enough to be of use, but it might be a good idea to look for a secondary system.¡± ¡®That¡¯s just fucking great.¡¯ I kept the words to myself, but given the grim expression the assistant bore, he expected no less. ¡°How mobile is the device going to be?¡± I kept my dissatisfaction to myself, as we entered the main room. ¡°Well, the main device is huge, but-¡± he gestured forward as we entered the main room, but before he could finish speaking, Dr. Ross had walked up and caught the trailing end of the conversation. ¡°But we have a somewhat smaller transmitter that can bounce the signal from this big scrap heap here.¡± He finished for the assistant while nodding to him. The assistant nodded - gratefully I thought - to the man before rushing off to his work elsewhere. ¡°How much smaller are we talking?¡± I frowned, looking up with no small sense of shock. The spherical machine that they¡¯d been working on had been utterly bastardized since I¡¯d seen it last. All manner of strange devices hung off of internal rings that moved around a central object. That object I recognized as the mass of biotic cores that were currently sealed within a three dimensional octagonal container. It spun rapidly before slowing, twisting and turning seemingly at random with the motions of the many rings around it. ¡°A big mech can probably carry it, though not likely anything else.¡± He gestured to the corner of the room where a bulky replica of the hovering core of the rings sat. The octagonal device was uglier than the one in the middle of the psionic relay, roughly welded plates of metal with antennae and a hefty battery and miscellaneous equipment pack attached to some of the panels. ¡°We¡¯ll make due then.¡± I nodded, ¡°is it ready to move now? It¡¯ll be better to do this before the biotics swarm over the radio station.¡± Dr. Ross blinked, ¡°Radio station?... Hmm¡­ yeah I guess that¡¯ll work. But, no, it can¡¯t be moved yet. We¡¯re installing the remote control unit in more durable shelling before we let it go anywhere.¡± I could certainly appreciate that. He could probably envision a scene where someone had to manually interact with it and wanted to avoid that if at all possible. Most of the psy-relay child unit seemed to be at least designed with durability in mind, albeit at the expense in size. That was just fine by me, though, considering the tradeoff. ¡°We need it done as soon as possible.¡± I nodded to him before turning and looking around the lab, ¡°what can I do to help?¡± -Elsewhere in New Damond, hours later- The tide of bodies cracked and cried out in shrill, screeching voices as they continued to charge forward. Everywhere they stepped was silvery blood and fragmented chitin interspersed with limbs, some of which were naught more than mulch that gradually disintegrated. The Centaur¡¯s ceaseless advance had never stopped, but they threw themselves forward with an even greater ferver in the wake of the blooming fire beyond the walls that they could only just see. It wasn¡¯t their decision, but instead the malignant mind behind them that overrode their higher thinking and drove them forward. Any biotic above a Gen 1 had some measure of a preservation instinct, albeit often warped and lacking. These creatures, however, were an exception. Bred for the explicit purpose of being The King¡¯s Army, they bore no greater will of their own. No connection to one another beyond the recognition that they were small parts of a great whole. An absence of any kind of instinctive need to feed, nor any desire to hold territory of their own. They were, for lack of The King¡¯s ¡®Grace¡¯, empty puppets ready to be filled. But that was what made them a perfect soldier for The King. Their advance continued for hours, heedless of their growing casualties. The other biotics that had joined in the swarm were far less eager, but had no choice either. The force in their heads prevented their wills from asserting themselves. Just as they¡¯d charged seemingly mindlessly at Gilramore or Sunvilla, these biotics had no choice but to do so again at New Damond. Still, things had gradually begun to change in the last few minutes of the siege. The firepower that rained down upon them had lessened somewhat. While a casual observer might not notice the difference, the sheer weight of minds that shared the swarm''s pain could easily pick up something as straightforward as a change in the tempo in which they died. It was then that parts of the wall before them, dreaded and full of death-dealing implements, began to collapse down into the ground. Great pillars shuddered, concrete and plas-steel groaning as they slid down into the earth beneath. The process took tens of seconds, but half of the firepower that rained upon the swarm vanished in that moment. The biotics maintained their last orders to charge even as the mind behind them watched in curiosity at the tactic shown to it. The King knew that it would eventually win now that it had cut off the humans ability to rearm themselves with the energies of the fallen. A cruel sort of certainty had settled upon him, and he found himself giving a sense of approval to the enemy at their shift in strategy. They would need to force his army into more confined spaces, trying to slow them down in the city and mowing them down en masse. He had no grand plan to counter this, there was no need for trickery or finesse. The only way was forward now. Every minute that he delayed risked the entire plan. If the humans completed their device, he would lose. The biotics knew none of what passed through the mind that commanded them, only rushing headlong through the gaps in the walls. Some strayed, attempting to attack the remaining pillars themselves, but very few bothered. The price paid in dead biotics from the remnant defenses was treated as no different than a toll booth, spent and forgotten in moments. The cityscape before them greeted them, dozens of routes deeper within revealed to the swarm. On all sides the scene was shared in unison, a brief moment of consideration mid-stride given to the various routes before they poured ever onward, rivers of moving flesh guided by one singular mind. One such stream entered through the labyrinth, the roads common to the city void of vehicles, something eerily reminiscent of a ghost town. All around them, tall structures loomed, the Centaur casting glances at every window and corner that they passed. It was then that they heard a voice call out. A hundred roaring weapons unleashed at that moment as Legion squads stepped out from various alcoves and fired down from high above. The press of bodies had no room to move, and the Legion had no need to aim. Any shot would hit a target. In the next moment, the buildings themselves shuddered as compact turrets emerged from their sides and corners, dozens to any given building face. They opened fire, shredding through the biotics beneath them, the combined munitions reaping through them like a scythe through wheat. The biotics didn¡¯t hesitate, only continuing to push onwards into the grinder. Even so, they were slowed rapidly, the bodies of their rapidly decomposing allies not conducive to proper footing. The pile grew with every second, forcing the biotics to push them forward with them, giving them much needed cover if only for a second at a time. Their advance was slow, but it was an advance. The squads above continued to fire for several minutes, reloading and using up the stockpiled magazines in the buildings they were in. Just before they were fully out, they retreated to the rooftops, hooking into robust pulley systems that carried them to the next building, only to run across to the building after. They leap-frogged allies in the building previous to them, and only once they were situated in their new attack locations did the adjacent building empty, only for the process to repeat. The buildings themselves continued to fire, though the turrets were rapidly running out of ammo, or being destroyed by the Centaur attacks from below. Long gone were the days in which the Centaur didn¡¯t understand their own weapons. Now, sprays of pressurized acid and compressed explosions from their spiked tails sent attacks back at the Legion teams and turrets overhead. Injuries mounted over time, turrets were eventually torn asunder, and ground was lost. But this was all within expectations. The King felt frustration well up within it, an emotion that surprised it even as it began to bury it. The delaying tactics were much more effective than he¡¯d given them credit for. None of the other cities he¡¯d encountered were so well fortified as this. Across the world, some smaller cities had already been breached by lesser biotics, and he learned actively from his successes and failures, implementing changes that would be beneficial to him in other theatres. New Damond was one of the few exceptions to that rule. It had been built from the ground up as a killing field. Argedwall was similar, as were a handful of other bastions across the planet. If it weren¡¯t for what was at stake, The King would never have resorted to such a rudimentary and wasteful assault. He would regenerate his forces after this, though, and he would be the most powerful biotic on the planet at the end of this. He had no choice but to be. The city itself had six boundary lines, not including the wall. Already, the biotics had managed to penetrate into the fifth boundary after two more hours of siege. The Legionaries that constantly battled were tiring, taking shifts with their replacement squads for a few precious minutes. It cost them a little bit of extra ground, but they needed everyone to be as fresh as possible for the fourth boundary. They had to hold them there. The inner two were devastated already, save only the underground bunkers that held and saved the population therein. The third had suffered slight damage, but was the source of a huge amount of ammo that remained. The stockpiles deeper within had been destroyed, resulting in huge loss to their longevity. What was the most important, however, was the fact that one of the few remaining sites that could host the psy-relay child unit remained in the fourth boundary, just on the edge to the third. However, they knew that they didn¡¯t need to buy much time. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡± A cold voice reverberated through power armor, flanked by dozens of Legionnaires. They stepped out of the lab with the device strapped to a member of the Iron Chariots mech. All around them, black robots stood at attention, hundreds of Determinators ready for their march to war. Chapter 171 Unrelenting Daniel crashed through several walls on the lower levels of the building as he fired behind him. It would have looked comical to anyone watching, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the entire group of main-line mechs weren¡¯t running backwards while doing the same thing. ¡°Fran, we¡¯re coming to you now!¡± He shouted out loud, voice confined to the general area¡¯s communication bubble. His pulse hammered in his ears as he continued bombarding both the building and the biotics that pursued him. A Centaur shrieked loudly as he hit it with a stream of firepower that tore through its flesh and exploded out of its back messily. The ichor stream blasted the next pair of Centaur as they pushed onwards through the huge gaps left behind by the charging mech line. ¡°Divert! Strauss and his team are running down the road you¡¯re about to spill out on, the defensive line is scuttled.¡± Fran shouted over the communications before turning her attention to another group. Daniel swore under his breath at that, before bellowing orders to the rest of his team. The Iron Chariots were working with Daniel, as well as a few other mech pilots that had been split off from their teams. Outside they could hear the nonstop bombardment of artillery that shredded through streets and buildings further away. The Centaur that climbed up into buildings posed a new and deadly threat as their unrelenting push into the city slowed from Legion attacks. They now attacked at range in fire teams of their own, firing noxious globules of powerful acid and high speed bolts of spindle-spikes that could pierce deep into armor if it hit just right. With the roar of their machines, the group turned their escape route slightly, though never turned away from the biotics behind them. The machines were intelligent enough to compensate for most user error, but the Centaur were mercurial as they moved around the buildings. Daniel¡¯s suit was barely slowed as it crashed through floors and walls, but not everyone¡¯s mechs were able to maintain their speed. Occasionally damage would accrue enough to force a stand as the rest of the team desperately fought back to try to pull their overly damaged companions to safety. That had worked well for a while, but the Centaur had learned to pile on harder whenever such a fighting retreat happened. It quickly wore down on them, and casualties began to pile up. ¡°Last Call, form up on Chariot,¡± Daniel heard Strauss¡¯ voice as he crashed through into open air once more, revealing dozens of power armored Legionaries. Many of them were only temporarily counted as part of Strauss'' team, a similar situation to be had with Iron Chariot¡¯s collected people. The mechs fell into staggered lines on the retreat, making sure to give space for their smaller armored comrades. Quickly the newly merged teams reached the intersection, a smattering of defensive emplacements already in position for them. The buildings around them bore even more turrets that were clearly new additions, affixed with bolts and broad plates that were drilled directly into the walls. As the last of the group passed the crosswalk, the turrets all around them activated and began to fire. ¡°Ammunition, repairs, and ready to join the defense,¡± Strauss called out, unperturbed by the roaring turrets that had been inactive moments ago, ¡°This is the last outpost before we hit the red line.¡± Wordlessly the others moved about, quickly collecting ammo magazines and modules to replace heavier weaponry. Daniel himself didn¡¯t need it, possessing an abundance of ammo himself. He looked back to the crisscrossing lines of fire that devastated the encroaching lines of biotics with a complicated expression. It almost looked like they could hold here indefinitely, but the painful fact of the matter was that their ever dwindling stockpiles of ammunition extended most dramatically to their automated defenses. They were never meant to operate without Obelisk support in the long term. Against any average biotics force, they would have been sufficient a dozen times over without ever even including a Legionnaire in the defense. Unfortunately, Centaur were more durable than the lesser biotics that swarmed in around them. Each would take a second or two of sustained fire to kill, rather than the brief sweep that the others required. Then, of course, were the more durable types of biotics like the Axiom-like creatures. The bus-sized biotics took ten seconds and more to destroy, and every major offense had several of them. They almost looked like boats amidst the sea of biotics surrounding them. ¡°Sensors are saying that there still aren¡¯t more Centaur coming up.¡± Daniel started at the sound of Strauss¡¯ speaking next to him. ¡°Guess that explains why we¡¯re seeing so many other types now.¡± The big mech shrugged, ¡°any word on that new temporary Obelisk?¡± Strauss didn¡¯t hide the sigh that came from his lips, ¡°it¡¯ll be several hours at the earliest¡­¡± Neither said anything after that, both thinking the same grim thing. They doubted that they would be able to last more than another two hours as things stood. The ¡®red line¡¯ was the last defensive measure, and not even one that was intended to be used as the final defense. Unfortunately, the Lightbringer had devastated the greatest defensive measures that they¡¯d had previously. The energy shields kept any ranged bombardments from being effective, but they were ineffective against slower moving objects. Slower being subjective, considering the mechs could run through them at full tilt without it being a problem. That meant that the biotics could also do so, unfortunately, and the Legion couldn¡¯t exchange fire through them. If nothing else, at least the remaining Reaver¡¯s had destroyed the Gen 4 biotic over the ocean. It took a long time, but after the initial bombardment the Reavers had destroyed the black spheres that allowed it to use its beam weapon. The biotic, disarmed as such, only required time to kill.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The Reavers were running flybys of the worst locations in the city, trying to thin out the number of biotics bearing down on the defensive lines. Everyone was tired, however. The battle had been ongoing for a day and a half, not a long time all things considered, but it had been an intense struggle for half of that time. ¡°All forces, pull back to the red line,¡± a cold-sounding voice resounded throughout everyone¡¯s communicators. Daniel frowned at Matthew¡¯s order. He wondered why they weren¡¯t going to continue mounting a fighting retreat. Still, considering the deep ache behind his eyes and the fatigue that had long settled into his bones, he couldn¡¯t help but to feel guiltily grateful for the order. At the same time, he felt his heart tighten at the thought that they were directly resorting to their last stand. ¡°Damn.¡± Strauss muttered aloud before turning around to the rest of the group, ¡°You heard ¡®im, pack it in and fall back.¡± As he said that, they could see dozens more turrets emerge from the buildings down the street, a silent procession that would slow down the biotics advance for them. They didn¡¯t delay any longer than necessary, stopping only long enough to rig explosives and Raijin traps while also stripping any excess ammo and supplies they might need. The group was silent besides the hiss of damaged servos and electromagnetic pistons pumping heavy metal limbs. Shuddering footsteps rattled the windows of the buildings they passed, growing more exuberant the closer to the red line. In seconds they began to meet other teams, some they¡¯d worked closely together with, and others they knew only by reputation. Domino and his team were among the familiar faces. Daniel came beside him, the much shorter power armor user giving the mech user a friendly tap on the side with a finger, ¡°Glad to see you, man.¡± ¡°You too,¡± Domino said earnestly, ¡°I heard your line got overwhelmed, glad to see you got out.¡± He soberly nodded at that, ¡°Barely. We¡¯ve damn near run dry of ammo several times.¡± The academy-bred team leader, Domino, nodded grimly at that, ¡°Sooner or later we¡¯ll be punching and kicking the waves. I really hope Matt has a plan here.¡± Others listened curiously to their conversation, secretly hoping that their leader had some grand scheme in play. If anyone would know about it, they figured that Daniel would be one of them. Instead, they heard the big mech snort over the intercoms, ¡°I have no idea, man. The fact that we¡¯re pulling back to the red line tells me that whatever it is, there ain¡¯t much left in the tank.¡± He cringed internally at suddenly seeing the black mood that fell over the group. Strauss snorted, ¡°Well, ain¡¯t that just rosey.¡± ¡°Hey, just because we can¡¯t retreat anymore doesn¡¯t mean that there isn¡¯t some plan,¡± Daniel grumbled, ¡°just that we don¡¯t have any more ground to give.¡± At that point, most of the teams on their side had gathered up, slowing down somewhat to ensure that they didn¡¯t crash into each other. They were only a few short blocks away from the red line, but already they wondered what the plan was. However, not everyone seemed nearly as depressed. ¡°Haven¡¯t you all forgotten something important?¡± Lilia Bertholdt broke her silence, the leader of the Iron Chariots wearing a smirk that told that she was deeply amused at the three men¡¯s conversation. Strauss frowned, his mood keeping him from suppressing his annoyance, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°This whole time, what¡¯s been missing?¡± She grinned wider, ¡°What haven¡¯t we seen in this whole war?¡± Daniel didn¡¯t feel any patience at that, but stopped when he heard Domino gasp and then laugh. ¡°Oh, wow. Yeah, that¡¯s a little embarrassing.¡± The response confused Daniel and Strauss who briefly looked to each other to confirm that they weren¡¯t the only ones slow on the uptake. It was then that Lilia pointed up to the buildings that they approached, ¡°Well, looks like you can see them now.¡± The two men followed her finger, along with the rest of the Legionaries, to the windows above them. Red lights greeted them from every window. Black obsidian shells gleamed in the light, along with the tell-tale red shimmer of enhanced weaponry that belonged in The Reaper¡¯s personal arsenal. Daniel felt a shiver run down his spine as he saw window after window, doorway after doorway, filled shoulder to shoulder with their last line of defense. On the first three floors, the machines were different, bulkier and robust with what appeared to be melee weaponry that sizzled with red light. Bayonets extended from rifles, glaives rested in the hands of the larger Determinators, and no shortage of them bore other objects strapped to their metal bodies. They were generally larger than a man, but smaller than a mech. Still, Daniel knew better than to underestimate their synthetic bodies and deceptive strength. ¡°Well, damn,¡± Daniel couldn¡¯t help but smile viciously at the sight, ¡°where have you boys been?¡± As the teams crossed an invisible line, the larger Determinators stepped out of the buildings and formed ranks, blocking off the road beyond with their bodies and with dozens of sleek black shields that they bolted into the ground. The sounds of hundreds of magnetic and energy weapons hummed to life at once, sending goosebumps rippling across Daniel¡¯s arms. ¡°Some last minute upgrades,¡± he heard a voice greet them, ¡°Leave it to them for a while and get some rest.¡± The group saw the black armored man before them, flanked by two lithe Determinators that oozed a sort of primal arrogance, bedecked in faintly shimmering black armor and bearing what looked like a blend between a staff and bearded axe. Shoulder mounted weapons peeked out at them, and Daniel felt a palpable wariness rise from him as he realized the identity of the weapons they bore. Each one was amongst the most destructive assortments that he¡¯d seen Matt use. His honor guard flanked him as he turned around, ¡°C¡¯mon, the defenses are nearly done. I¡¯m gathering everyone at the uplink station.¡± Matthew spoke casually before pausing and looking back at the assorted people that made up his Legion. ¡°And good work, everyone. We¡¯re nearly there.¡± The words rang out tantalizingly for the tired Legion. With rejuvenated steps, they followed behind him as the last of the district''s squads came together and approached the shorter wall ahead of them. ¡°So, the psy-emitter thing is almost done?¡± Daniel asked aloud, giving voice to the rising hopes that the group had. Matthew chuckled, ¡°Almost done? No.¡± He could almost feel the crestfallen Legion behind him as he added on, ¡°It¡¯s finished. We just need to find the right combination for the biotics now.¡± What I didn¡¯t mention, however, was that this was the most complex part. Finding the combination that could affect them was difficult, but also dangerous. Biotics weren¡¯t the only things that could be affected by the device. If everything went according to plan, then I¡¯d be able to end this before a battle could even break out. I listened to the feverish increase in chatter and the relief that rushed through them all before dousing it ever so slightly with my next words, ¡°we¡¯re not done yet, obviously, so rest up and be ready to dig in. We¡¯ve given ground so far, but not anymore.¡± At that, I sent a mental command to the new wall, unveiling rows upon rows of energy-based weaponry. These, unlike most others, didn¡¯t need nearly as much in the way of ammunition. With a smaller killing field, I was certain we could finally stagger the wave utterly. Now, I just needed to wait and see if the King had any other cards, struggle against the biotic horde, and complete the psy-emitters weaponization. ¡®Soon. One way or another, this will be over soon.¡¯ I stared through the eyes of my Determinators as they waited for the inevitable rush to come to us. Chapter 172 Collapse Time. That was the only win condition this war had, the only way that the fighting would end with our victory. The alternative was the destruction of New Damond. We could perhaps evacuate people, and there were some who I¡¯m sure would be eager to leave at this point, but no one voiced it as a possibility. It wasn¡¯t as though people weren¡¯t scared, but rather that everyone knew at some level that this was the deciding moment for Earth. The most common citizen in New Damond was aware of the fact that no single city across the globe was spared attack. Every single one, no matter how remote, how large, small, defended, bare, there was no oasis in this war. Where people where, biotics attacked. Information about the psy-emitter wasn¡¯t withheld, giving the people a beacon of hope. However, most didn¡¯t think it would be possible to complete in time. That had resulted in unrest in the massive underground bunkers, but somehow no one panicked. These people were family of the Legion; uncertainty and fear were a constant in their lives, as it had been ever since the incursion of biotics. Every day away from their families was another day that they might experience the dreadful, hollowing sensation of loss. I had personally experienced that, though after my rebirth all of those thoughts and memories had dulled. Still, all of these people were sturdy enough not to panic, to control themselves and to help each other through these tough times. That became easier when they were given word that the psy-emitter was completed. I was only distantly aware of Mr. Faun¡¯s efforts with the many disparate shelters, he and his people working to manage them and keep them informed of what was happening in such a way to limit as much of their fearful imaginings as possible. Wondering thoughts and war seldom ever bred positive thoughts, and so it was that I found myself grateful for their efforts in managing the non-combatants. What he didn¡¯t tell them was the same as what I hadn¡¯t told the rest of my Legion on the frontlines. The psy-emitter was a hurdle, but the biggest problem was figuring out what wavelength the biotics were on. The Lab had no more biotics, and the most that they were able to do right now was try to figure out which wavelengths seemed to affect humans rather than biotics. Though Dr. Ross said that they were making progress, I could tell that he was notably less enthused at the moment. ¡°We need a biotic test subject,¡± he spoke through the feed into my mind, ¡°at least one, but preferably a larger group. We can perform long range tests through the module you have there.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I sighed, before nodding, ¡°I¡¯ll make it happen. Just be ready to test as much as you can.¡± He snorted, ¡°Of course. You just make sure to stay in one piece.¡± I restrained myself from expelling a deep breath as I closed the channel. Just capturing a biotic in this situation wouldn¡¯t be nearly as hard for my Determinators as it would be for a human. The problem was that the King would know where our relay was well in advance of it being ready. ¡®No chance that he ignores it.¡¯ I clicked my tongue in annoyance before looking back at the Legion as they did their best to get comfortable and eat whatever rations they could get their hands on. ¡®Looks like their break is going to be shorter than anticipated.¡¯ The biotics would hammer down en force for this, I was certain of that. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Just as I was walking forward, I felt the metal in my body shift ever so slightly. I smiled, turning my gaze upwards to the approaching winged form. ¡°Fran, good to see you.¡± She nodded seriously before giving a small smile, ¡°Matt. I see the Determinators are out in force.¡± ¡°They should be able to hold the line for a considerable time.¡± I glanced back to the Legion, ¡°you should go and relax for a bit, too. We¡¯re going to need to make our last stand around the relay.¡± A brief moment of silence passed between us. I couldn¡¯t see her face, but I could tell from her worried tone what was on her mind, ¡°I hear that the emitter¡¯s done?¡± ¡°We need to test the wavelength more.¡± I answered her unspoken question, ¡°I¡¯m going to get a few of them now, then we can try to run through the cycle.¡± She stiffened at that, ¡°Won¡¯t they know that¡­¡± she trailed off, realizing that it didn¡¯t matter if they knew our progress. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll get whatever rest I can, then.¡± She chuckled, ¡°good hunting.¡± ¡°Rest well,¡± I waved over my shoulder as I turned and walked away. Nearly silently and in sync with each other, another ten of my personal guard modeled Determinators stepped out of buildings and formations to flank me. The front line of Determinators three blocks away hadn¡¯t yet made contact with the biotics, the bulk of the building''s turrets overhead having kept them thoroughly away for the time being. In less than ten minutes the foremost ones would be empty of ammo. And roughly every five to ten minutes after another set of buildings further on would suffer the same fate. Still, that gave us nearly an hour of sustained fire before the biotics would reach our lines again. I extended my will as my guard and a few dozen other Determinators detached from the battle line. Without hesitation they sped up as I broke into a sprint, our speed easily eclipsing a civilian vehicle for a few seconds before we began to slow. In less than a minute at our top speed, we¡¯d reached the kill zone. ¡®Dismember about ten of them when the firing stops and drag them back. Keep them alive, but we don¡¯t need them to be armed.¡¯ I sent the mental command to my squad, the chime of acknowledgement ringing through their links to my mind. With another flex of my will, I connected to the local defense grid. I studied the biotics ahead, watching as the wave flexed forward an inch at a time, punished brutally for every step. A thick step had formed a meter deep with biotic corpses, impacted even as it disintegrated. Silver ichor and bursted parts acted as the mortar for the macabre floor. ¡°And they don¡¯t even care.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel disgust at the way they stepped on their dead without a second thought. I¡¯d always disdained biotics, and this scene wasn¡¯t anything new, but I always felt that biotics were flawed creatures in so many ways. With contempt, I had the buildings cease fire for just a few seconds, just enough to let a cluster of them through. A dozen stumbled forward, showing no sign of surprise, only the mindless desire to continue their headlong charge forward. I reactivated the guns, keeping any others from joining them. My ranged determinators synchronized their firing, gauss cannons roaring as one. Almost instantly, the dozen biotics fell to the ground, legs and arms torn from their bodies. The acidic cannons were shattered, and in the next moment, a pair of guards swept forward with their glaive weapons, hissing through the air with lethal accuracy. In a second the tails of the Centaur were severed, and in the following moments the Determinators swarmed over their downed enemies. It happened so fast that even through the mental suppression the Centaur didn¡¯t move, confusion overwhelming them as to what had just happened. Even in spite of how much I disdained the biotics, the sight of the Centaur being hefted over the shoulders of a Determinator like a piece of luggage, wrapped in synthetic cord, stirred a distant whisper of pity for them. I snuffed that whisper out with my next command, ¡®Bring them quickly. We have to begin the experiments as soon as possible.¡¯ The Determinators fell into step, only mildly slowed by their living backpacks. The biotics hissed and snarled, but couldn¡¯t so much as open their jaws, bound as they were. A hundred Determinators greeted us silently, only the cyberspace between them alight with congratulations for a job well done. In the camp, we moved quickly still, the people only looked onward with bewilderment at the scene. Still, they moved on, not expressing even a fragment of concern. Strauss even laughed. I shook my head at that. The Determinators set them down in the lobby of the relay station. We didn¡¯t need them any closer to the device for this to work. No humans were allowed in the building, however, nor in the immediate vicinity around it. Just in case whatever signals were being used could harm them during testing. I wasn¡¯t nearly concerned about it; I wasn¡¯t strictly human and barely had any kind of reaction to psionic influence, meaning that I was as safe here as the Determinators beside me. ¡°Dr. Ross, we¡¯re ready to begin testing.¡± I spoke through the communicator, seeing the man clutching his head with annoyance through the video feed. ¡°Great,¡± he muttered dryly, ¡°We¡¯ve certainly found a few that work on people. We¡¯ll use those as a baseline over there. Ready to begin?¡± ¡°On your word,¡± I nodded to him, sending my mind across cyberspace and confirming the device was active one last time. ¡°Alright, well, here goes nothing.¡± Chapter 173 Volunteer Test Subject ¡°Commencing test sixty-five, low strength.¡± Yaga¡¯s voice echoed out from a semi-isolated chamber, along with a couple dozen assistants. They stared intently and tensely through thickly plated glass that appeared to have a centimeter of wavering air hovering upon it. The energy barrier was limited in usefulness, but at least dulled some of the effects that came through the testing chamber the window gave vantage of. ¡°Reporting, feelings of tingling in extremities five seconds post-exposure.¡± A stern voice that belonged to a man whom had gone through a gauntlet of testing spoke. Shame was a thing that the science team had long left behind in the pursuit of their experiments in the name of science. Pride was something that Dr. Ross found himself temporarily putting in his back pocket roughly thirty tests ago when he began to wail like a newborn babe in front of his peers. Idly, he shook his fingers, flexing them to be sure that they were all working accordingly. After standing from the metal chair, he took a few steps to ensure that he could still move. After thirty seconds, he looked to Yaga past the window and shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m not noticing anything else. Thirty seconds post-exposure, none of the symptoms have grown worse, nor are they impacting my feeling of touch or motor control.¡± Yaga clicked his tongue, ¡°Shame, I was hoping for a little mass paralysis.¡± The team around him gave the cold-hearted man a look of shock before Dr. Ross laughed, ¡°Alright, shut it off, bastard.¡± The pseudo-biotic flipped the switch and the doctor let the feelings fade before shrugging once more, ¡°Nope, nothing post-exposure shut off.¡± ¡°Good,¡± one of the more familiar assistants spoke, ¡°the last time wasn¡¯t something I needed to see again.¡± Dr. Ross coughed and turned to hide the heat that rose on his cheeks. ¡°We¡¯re all scientists here, we have to be ready for the unexpected.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen much that I believe to be worthy of fear,¡± Yaga began gravely, ¡°but your bare ass will haunt my dreams forever.¡± The science team laughed heartily at Dr. Ross¡¯ expense. His frown deepened, ¡°Yes, yes, laugh it up. I don¡¯t see anyone else volunteering.¡± Slowly the others got back to work, though no one commented on Dr. Ross¡¯ statement. Some had tried to replace the man already, but he¡¯d already insisted that the head researcher couldn¡¯t morally stand by and allow someone else to do such a thing. A few tests ago, he¡¯d contacted The Reaper and asked that he procure some less than willing specimens for more experimentation. So far, they¡¯d managed to map out a great deal of his general responses, but as far as human testing went they were near the end of their rope. Yaga could theoretically be used for some kind of biotic testing, but the ambiguous nature of its pseudo-biotic biology made any attempt non-representative as a sample at best. As far as they were concerned, Yaga was a species unto himself. ¡°Alright, get ready for test number sixty-six.¡± Yaga spoke, looking over the charts. Over the entire duration, the vast majority at the beginning had dramatic effects on Dr. Ross. But, near the middle they¡¯d begun to find the edges of what affected humans. Now, only one out of the last five had any notable effects on Dr. Ross. And, though he didn¡¯t say anything, Yaga felt that they were finally coming into territory that dealt with biotics. Given how his muscles twitched after the last test, he felt that perhaps he wouldn¡¯t be too bad of an indicator for biotic interaction after all. ¡°Starting.¡± One of the other researchers spoke as they dialed up the power with the new frequency. Instantly Dr. Ross clutched his head in pain and staggered back onto the chair. ¡°Dr. Ross,¡± Yaga tried to speak evenly, but couldn¡¯t manage to keep the intensity from his voice, ¡°can you report?¡± The researchers swallowed hard, feeling the same concern for Dr. Ross that Yaga did. The one at the control console put his hand firmly back on the switch to shut it off before he was stopped by their volunteer subject. ¡°R-reporting. Oof, that¡¯s¡­ intense cranial pain immediate post-exposure.¡± Dr. Ross grit his teeth, ¡°Difficulty f-forming cohesive thoughts. Motor control -¡± he paused, lifting his arm and trying to steadily close his hand to a fist, only to fail at the fingers, ¡°- motor control severely impaired. Vision is also¡­¡± He stuttered and looked to the window in panic, ¡°Off! Off now!¡± Instantly the signal cut, and Dr. Ross felt like an immense weight had been lifted from him. Only then did the others notice the sheen of sweat and heavy breathing the Dr. was exhibiting. The next moment the door opened and Yaga and a few medical personnel streamed into the room.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What was that?¡± Yaga whispered under his breath, trying to be mindful of the others¡¯ states of mind. ¡°That was way out of expectations.¡± Dr. Ross held a hand out and put it on Yaga¡¯s shoulder to steady himself. Only after he wiped his forehead with his lab coat - and looking at the resulting soaked fabric in disgust - did he answer, ¡°It felt like my body was rapidly shutting down. I think that was somehow interacting with my cerebellum, at least at first. Then it felt like my¡­¡± he took a deep breath then, ¡°It felt like something walked over my fucking grave. Only, the grave was dug fresh and the thing was trying to throw me in it.¡± Only then did Yaga notice a deep seated look of terror that rested in his friend''s gaze. Yaga swallowed hard at that, knowing that Dr. Ross had an impeccable handle on his own mind and sense of mortality. He doubted most people would be anything short of hysterical under such a sensation. ¡°We mark that one as strictly off limits.¡± Yaga nodded. Dr. Ross snorted before pausing for a moment and laughing, muffling it while his shoulders heaved. Tears appeared in his eyes as he tried to contain the laughter, only for it to come on harder. Before anyone could get worried, he took a long breath while still chuckling, ¡°Hooo, wow. That¡¯s a stress response laugh, nothing to worry about,¡± he waved his hand nonchalantly at the medics who now approached to take his readings. ¡°Yaga, make sure to note that one for testing on biotics, too.¡± Dr. Ross pulled up his sleeves for the medic to take his blood pressure, shaking his head at the sight of the goosebumps that had broken out all across his skin. ¡°I¡¯ll do so,¡± Yaga nodded, though didn¡¯t mention that he hadn¡¯t felt a single twinge from that test. As a professional, he would of course confirm those results properly. Just then, Dr. Ross gestured in the air, swiping down in his vision. Everyone who knew him knew that he had the peculiarity to interact with his Obelisk system with his hands. Still, it meant that everyone was very well aware of when he was receiving a call. ¡°Great,¡± he muttered dryly, shooting a quick glance at Yaga, ¡°We¡¯ve certainly found a few that work on people. We¡¯ll use those as a baseline over there. Ready to begin?¡± He nodded to the air, as he listened to, presumably, The Reaper. ¡°Alright, well, here goes nothing.¡± Without another word, he shut his system before getting up and stretching. With purposeful steps, the man walked into the control room once more, ¡°Alright everybody, get ready for remote operation. We¡¯ve got some biotics to test on, and not a lot of time before King realizes how close we are to performing the biggest cuckold in history.¡± A few of the researchers, especially the women, gave him very strange looks at that. ¡°Ahem,¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°well, hop to it.¡± Yaga walked up to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, ¡°It¡¯s alright. They already know that you¡¯re no social erudite.¡± ¡°Social eru¡­¡± Dr. Ross blinked before huffing, ¡°You¡¯re a real bastard sometimes.¡± ¡°I aim to please,¡± he brought up the hologram of their testing parameters thus far, ¡°I believe we should use the one that just affects you first, confirm if it does anything first, and then move on.¡± Dr. Ross gladly diverted to the topic, ¡°Hmm¡­ on a hunch, try the ones from five, eight, and thirteen next.¡± ¡°Hunger, sleepiness, and¡­ what was thirteen?¡± Yaga frowned, not recalling off hand what had happened there. ¡°Complete obsession with shiny things.¡± Dr. Ross cackled. ¡°That¡­ would help?¡± Yaga still didn¡¯t follow his friend''s logic. ¡°Feeling it first hand, it¡¯s quite intense. And, don¡¯t-ya-know, biotics have shiny blood.¡± He grinned maliciously, ¡°I suspect that it won¡¯t cross over, but you never know.¡± Yaga then remembered that this was also the man who invested a critical amount of research into the more lethal upgrades that the Legion used. With a smirk, he noted them on the priority list, ¡°Indeed, one never knows.¡± The two of them brainstormed a few other signal frequencies before opening the forum to the rest of the team, even as Matthew began to watch the results on his side¡­ -Matthew Reaper P.O.V.- ¡°Nothing apparent,¡± I muttered as the first test came through. A few Determinators streamed the information directly back to the lab, making certain that any results would be known in real time. After confirming that everything was working as intended, I spun on my heel and left with the rest of my entourage. The front line would be a better use of my time, though I certainly was curious as to what effects we might see. At this point, however, I wouldn¡¯t be as much help. Once the lab had narrowed down to at least some degree what kind of frequencies we would need, I¡¯d potentially be more capable of helping. Guess and check could be done by anyone, and considering the fact that we needed to delay the biotic swarm as much as possible, I had no reason to go elsewhere. On the way back I checked on the rest of the Legion, extending my senses towards them. Nearly everyone was taking advantage of the respite, some of which having already finished cramming food down their gullets and napping wherever they sat. Teams lay against buildings, halfway underneath awnings, many of whom hadn¡¯t even bothered taking off their power armor or emerging from their mechs. Given the state of things, I couldn¡¯t blame them in the slightest. They were safer with their gear than without, and at any moment they might need to go back to the fighting. A few, I knew, would be too wary to sleep even in spite of the exhaustion, but these were in the vast minority. As I left the wall behind my attention snapped forward to the Determinators that maintained the battle lines ahead. The biotics would take some time as of yet to actually reach us. Instead of remaining idle, the Determinators moved debris, set up traps, and set out several staggered layers of defense. Unlike humans, they wouldn¡¯t suffer from any accidents where they would pull back the front line too early, stranding their flanks to additional biotic attacks. We would take advantage of our ability to think more as one being, rather than as disparate parts. That was one of the greatest strengths that artificial sentience¡¯s bore, along with simply being inexhaustible of mind. When levied, the Determinators had always proven to be exemplary in combat. In reality, it had been the Determinator¡¯s idea to be held as the last reserve. They intended to fight while giving minimal ground, even abandoning the idea of retreat. After all, they were aware that if this failed, then it wouldn¡¯t matter if they had a body or not, the war would be effectively over. Surviving this battle was secondary to the success of the mission. If they fell, their minds would be preserved in data banks on site, but that meant nothing if those locations were then overrun by biotics. ¡®They have come a long way,¡¯ I heard a distant murmur in the corner of my mind. Wolvey - whether it was a fragment of Wolven or merely a shattered and warped part of my own mind post-death - had never disappeared, but had certainly become weaker, smaller. I closed my eyes and sought out the source of the voice, unable to ever truly find this fragment of myself. ¡®They have,¡¯ came my satisfied reply, ¡®And they can go further still.¡¯ ¡®Mmm,¡¯ the voice hummed once, seeming tired. I waited a few more seconds before shaking my head, feeling the presence dim once more to nearly nothing. I¡¯d never been able to fully understand this part of myself, only that it had waned over time. In a way, I missed it, just as I missed Smith¡¯s constant presence from before. ¡®But I can reminisce later,¡¯ I turned my attention from that quiet corner of my mind. With a flex of mental will, I connected to the Determinators all around me fully. An ocean of information flowed around me from hundreds of sensors and thinking beings. With a smile, I felt myself sink into the information, taken up with a chorus of voices. ¡°We are ready,¡± I heard them say to me, ¡°What is our order?¡± Anticipation rushed through them as my command rippled through them. ¡°Begin.¡± Chapter 174 Fields of Fire Red beams tore through the first biotic before my weapon, the laser-based rifle gleaming with a viscous glow in my arms. A pair of weapons on my shoulders took aim, firing crackling black masses that let loose shrill sounds as they hit their targets. The weaponized nanomachines, overloaded with energy, voraciously dug through chitin even as they sizzled and let loose repeating jolts of electricity. The target hit by each bolt fell in seconds before the masses of nanomachines struck outwards chaotically. Ignorant of the potential danger, another pair of biotics would become afflicted with the nanomachines assault. Almost gracefully, the firing line let loose with their weapons, overlapping fields of fire not inhibiting us in the slightest. No target was unnecessarily struck from multiple sources; if one Determinator was enough to kill a biotic, the rest could communicate that fact instantly. Contrary to what it might seem, our cyber space was not clustered with noise. A clinically accurate communication protocol dominated our connection, framing all of our actions at once and with as little delay as possible. This protocol would be unsuitable if we were actively pursuing our targets at the same time, but then, that too would have its own methodology. With cold efficiency I cleave through another biotic with a burst of laser fire. Smoking flesh fills the air with an acrid stench as other laser based weaponry continues to tear into the horde. Much of the Legion used other weaponry, however myself and the Determinators favor the laser. I could certainly agree that gauss weaponry was powerful, and moreover shared that feeling of power more closely with whoever was using it. However, a laser is far more controllable, able to be used with accuracy. Additional impacts on resistant targets also tend to light them on fire. Under normal circumstances, we still wouldn¡¯t be able to push them back. However, the Determinators were still predominantly only using their shoulder mounted lasers. After testing the waters and estimating how much damage the biotics could take, they were ready to cut loose with their primary weapons. Much of their main weapons utilize plasma, something the Legion often didn¡¯t risk using. Plasma bolts struck forth with a roar and hiss, burning the air in its passage before they bore into their targets. The bolts destabilized as they hit their targets and exploded brightly, the heat of hundreds of such strikes quickly raising the temperature to that of a conflagration of flames. The laser rifle in my arms hummed as I changed the power level, unwilling to be outdone by the Determinator¡¯s attacks. Previously I used a metal storm rifle, capable of shredding through targets at the cost of a mind numbing amount of ammo. However, much time has passed since then, and I now found myself firmly entrenched in the ¡®pro-laser¡¯ camp of technology. At first, it seemed to pale in comparison to what gauss weaponry was capable of. I hadn¡¯t allowed that to daunt me, though, and had also enlisted some like minded researchers in the pursuit of better laser technology. The resulting weapon of that research was incorporated into the Determinator''s shoulder weaponry, a highly energy efficient and yet still very deadly weapon.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. As far as weapons went, though, the true Magnum Opus of the project was the very weapon in my arms. The Reaper¡¯s Scythe. A beam of light as narrow as a needle, the smallest it could fire, fired from the end of the barrel. It was almost like the line connected to the horizon, and for the breadth of a millisecond I couldn¡¯t help but stare. Before long, though, I marshalled my attention and gripped the weapon in my hands tighter. With a smooth motion I swept to the right, only keeping the trigger pulled for a short few seconds. Yet, in that time, my armor warned me of the sudden surge in heat from both my weapon and the battlefield. I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I realized that the laser had burned straight through tens of biotics and left them roaring in flames. Of course, everything was on fire at this point, plasma and other lasers having done the job of turning the battlefield into a flaming hellscape. In that moment I could see everything that my Legion had done. Not just this battlefield, but the shattered streets and buildings beyond. Every inch that was taken from us had cost the biotics dearly. I had no doubt that if our enemies had even a shred of self-preservation, they could not have willfully thrown themselves at us. Without an overriding sentience, I knew that we would survive. With that thought in mind, I shot again and again, ignoring the clatter of black bolts as they struck against smaller barriers that the Determinators had erected. In spite of how dangerous the Centaur were, we¡¯d already had much time to prepare against them. Anti-acidic coatings had been applied to our armor and to any barrier we used. Hardened defenses were utilized to counter the black spikes that they used for their longer range weapon. To my side, a black spike struck a Determinator¡¯s arm, skipping off of it with a shower of sparks and fragmented material. Unphased by the superficial damage, the Determinator resumed its bombardment without a thought for looking where the attack had originated. Gradually the line did close towards us as the building turrets ran dry of their ammo, but by then we¡¯d begun to compensate with tighter control of our own attacks. Other weapons that we¡¯d avoided using began to see more use. In one smooth motion, the fourth line of Determinators behind us engaged another shoulder mounted weapon, lobbing dozens of grenades over the defensive barrier and into their midst. Plasma bursts melted through handfuls of biotics at a time, and lesser biotics even beyond the initial explosion area began to catch flame. The asphalt had long already begun to melt with the overwhelming amount of heat in the area, and an open, roaring fire had already filled the street. The buildings were spared only by the virtue of the flame retardant foam systems installed, but eventually that too would run out. Looking at the endless column of enemies rushing through the streets, I restrained the urge to knock a building down on top of them. In the first place, the damage to the city was extreme enough as it was, but the more tactically sound decision was to leave them up. It forced the biotics into funnels rather than expanding the ground they could move through with cover. Occasionally, something of a siege breaker would arrive, either an Axiom or some other obscure form of biotic. Invariably, these received special attention from the heavy weapons Determinators in the buildings above. I watched one such creature barrel forward, seeming for all its bluster and unstoppable force. Lancing lasers intersected across its body from above, searing through limbs together until the creature crashed down amidst the biotics beneath it. Only a second after would the combined assault target the head, melting through it with utter disregard for the dense plating there. It was fortunate that we were all non-fleshy beings, however, considering the temperature was rapidly climbing. Already it was roughly 500 degrees fahrenheit, hot enough to ignite paper and as hot as most conventional kitchen ovens. Of course, we¡¯d only just begun, so I fully expected the temperature to continue to climb. This was, however, an unexpected benefit for our side. If everything began to catch flame at this point, it wouldn¡¯t have much of an effect on us, but would be prohibitive for the biotics. At least, in the short term. But, surviving everything came first, we could lament the damage later. We just needed to hold for as long as necessary. Chapter 175 To Break a Siege The haze of battle nearly overcame my sense of time as we battled on the frontline. It wasn¡¯t as though I lost myself to fury, nor to any kind of bloodlust; it was a cold calculation, much more akin to performing a single monotonous task ad-infinitum. I was a cog in the machine that was the Determinator wall, turning and firing, confirming kill, moving on to the next target while updating the rest of the Determinator¡¯s local sub-net of what I could see. For hours this carried on, the biotics utterly unable to gain any more territory. They tried many strategies, an axiom phalanx, attacking from higher up in buildings adjacent and across from our battle lines, even sending crushing surges of lesser biotics to attempt to overwhelm the defensive line with a wall of screeching, war-hungry meat. Each and every time the attacks were ineffective, repelled, or outright devastated. The entire force wasn¡¯t in combat at once, and many were in reserve just for anything that the enemy might try. When a Determinator reached less than a quarter of their overall munitions and battery reserve, they pulled back to the auxiliary forces to be replaced. No blind spots, no periods of weakness, nothing that could be obviously exploited. Our machine was deadly efficient, and at no time did we allow even the whisper of a potential exploitation to continue to exist. That said, we did suffer damages, as was inevitable. Scores of the Determinators bore damage now, the results of the relentless attacks from biotics as they rained down upon us. Acid resistant coatings discolored and degraded, gradually exposing metallic surfaces to damage. The bodies of the Determinators bore many scrapes and in some places penetrations from the black barbs that the Centaur fired. They were among the most common, but there were a scant few other biotics capable of destructive attacks at range. All of that lasted up until only ten percent of our forces had yet to expend the bulk of their munitions. ¡°It¡¯s just about time. Are we ready?¡± I spoke into the cyberspace connecting our minds. The data exchange slowed fractionally, rivers of information almost seeming to pause to take note of the change. Steadily, then, the data slowed to trickles, reforming and threading to the hundreds of minds as they belatedly realized my words. ¡°We are.¡± I heard one of my guards say, ¡°Melee combat mode initiated, fallback protocol is also ready.¡± ¡°Then begin.¡± The simple command answered him, passed through the lines of data like liquid fire. In reality, the movement appeared without warning. Every Determinator stepped forward as one, utilizing their remaining ammo to close the distance. I moved forward with the tide, breaking into a sprint and watching my footing. We ate up shattered ground at incredible speed, reaching the biotics in moments and taking them by surprise. The few Centaur hadn¡¯t a span of a breath to react, let alone the lesser biotics among them. A pair of hilts were in my hands and swinging even as the metal finished unfolding. The pair of sickles glowed a faint red and trailed light as I swept them through the face of the Centaur in front of me. It raised an arm in resistance, and I pushed harder with my power armor to ensure I could cleave the offending limb. With a brief hitch, the pair of sickles ruthlessly cleft the limb away and continued onwards. The points dug into the shrieking Centaur in the middle and top of its head, blades shuddering with the force of the impact. My swing slowed momentarily then, but after practicing with these weapons I¡¯d gotten used to their peculiarities. I slid a half step backwards, pulling back my momentum and spinning, ripping the skull of the biotics to pieces as I did so. As I continued my movement, I took the opportunity to visually confirm what my nearest guard was doing. Reaping swings with glaives, some styled with wider raking blades not unlike that of war-scythes, tore through biotic flesh with absolute power. A pair of my guards struck at an Axiom, cutting through its legs in one fluid motion on either side, only for a third Determinator to stab into its skull with its bayonet rifle just before firing point blank, melting through armor and ignoring the ensuing firestorm. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Several of us lingered closer to the fires that fed on the pyres of corpses. The flames made it much more difficult for the biotics to move freely, whereas the Determinators were much more resilient to it. I finished my spin, coming low to the ground ready to dodge in any direction I needed too. It turned out unnecessary, the Determinators were abusing the Biotics as much as possible before the central intelligence behind them could change strategy to match them. With a chuckle, I sent a pulse of intent to both of the sickles in my hands. With a light tug, I let them escape my grasp, the electromagnetic propulsion that aided them humming aloud as the weapons spun rapidly for a few seconds. They spun, twirled, and somersaulted around my body, drawing a dazzling display before coming to a slow, buoyant rest on either side of me. This was their real strength, the ability to operate autonomously within a certain range of myself. Each of my weapons had some measure of ability to operate independently, rifle excluded, in order to maximize my killing potential. The sickle happened to be one of the weapons that could operate far better on their own. I eyed them for a moment, ensuring that they were fully synchronized to my movements. I was durable enough that if they missed, I¡¯d survive, but they were designed explicitly for damage. Even my armor wasn¡¯t going to be able to withstand much of them in melee. Satisfied with that, I began to activate my main melee weapon. A clacking noise, lost in the din of the battlefield, came from the spine of my armor. Two columns beside the spine moved, somewhere between snake and centipede, that then began to writhe upwards and then curl down around my arms. Even through my armor I could feel the hair-raising energy coming from them. The metal ends touched my palms, and without hesitation I gripped them, pulling the entire columns from my body. They jolted, snapping forward rigidly at my call, crackling, dark red lines of power pulsing across their obsidian black shining surfaces. Focusing my will to them, I pressed my hands together, the columns joining segments fluidly as I did so. The weapon extended straight, appearing something like a macabre staff that vaguely resembled a warped spinal column that glowed sinisterly. With a flex of my thoughts, a nearly black crescent of matter extended from the end of the staff. To my eyes, it looked as if multiple blades existed in the same space at once, shuddering through reality as though competing with one another. The staff curled in on itself, carefully keeping the blade from touching my body or it¡¯s own form. Several more crescent blades emerged from the joints, giving every impression of a predator stretching after a long rest. The twin artificial sentience within the weapons greeted me with what seemed at best antipathy, but after having accustomed myself to them, I could feel the simmering energy that demanded to be let loose. Among all of the creations I¡¯d built over time, The Reaper¡¯s Spine had proved to be my most ambitious. They¡¯d been projects of curiosity and admittedly a flight of fantasy. Yet, they¡¯d become something much more dangerous somewhere along the line. The weapon shivered before straightening, ready to begin the reaping. I shifted forward, moving between the larger Determinators to seek targets. Within moments, a handful of lesser biotics moved forward, seeking to overwhelm a Determinator that struck deeper into the swarm than others. They didn¡¯t know that it was bait in the first place; such scenes were playing out everywhere in the battle. While they were far from the most ideal target for my attacks, it wasn¡¯t as though there was an abundance of targets. I swung wide, both hands gripping the Spine for a horizontal slash. Mid-swing, the segments loosened from one another, dark, near black beams of energy keeping them connected. In the blink of an eye, the segments reached outwards for six meters and writhed. Every time it passed near a biotic, it moved around them, agiley gliding over skin. Yet, dozens of times crescent blades struck forth, piercing through flesh and armor as though it wasn¡¯t even there. I could feel the twin-minds of the weapon flexing as one, one adjusting their movement, while the other commanded their fangs. Truly, the only thing I needed to do was swing. Death followed. I darted forward, readying a backswing as I left behind nearly three dozen bodies of lesser biotics. Before me, a trio of Centaur stepped forward, roaring in defiance. Two brought their acid cannons to bear upon me even as they continued to advance. The third arced their back, pointing their bristling black tail in my direction as it shuddered. I stabbed forward, the Spine devouring the ten meter distance between myself and the stopped Centaur instantly. It didn¡¯t get the chance to respond as the black and red blades tore through its body. A pair of arcing, brilliant red lights trailed forward as the sickle¡¯s strikes cut through the acid cannons in one strike. The Centaurs confusion lingered only a moment before the sickle¡¯s exchanged targets, building up momentum and swinging through the thinner neck-joints of the Centaur, cleanly beheading them. Without delay, they immediately dove into the fray elsewhere near me, launching lethal sneak attacks at every turn. I felt a rare, satisfied smile settle on my lips as I dove deeper into the fray, the feeling that my creations were doing so well lifting my spirits. Which rapidly dwindled again as I habitually checked the status of the Psy-Emitter tests. ¡®Still haven¡¯t managed to narrow it down any more?¡¯ I mentally glared at the data fed to me before partitioning a small portion of my attention to deal with it. Chapter 176 An Echo Sounds I drew back, ducking beneath the wild swipe of a clawed hand. In the span of a breath, I struck forward again, the Spine ripping through the biotic before I was forced to dart backwards, pressed in on my flanks by a pair of wolves. Their jaws snapped shut behind me, missing me by inches just before the sickles descended, cleaving through their necks. A tentacled limb shot forward, winding through the press with a wicked barb at the end. I ducked just enough to dodge it, but didn¡¯t immediately counter attack. Just afterwards, a dozen more limbs struck out at me, squeezing between corpses and still-living biotics, each tipped with a similar barbed spike. Had I counter attacked, they¡¯d have been much more difficult to dodge. With a flourish, I spun the Spine, black-red blades shearing through the tentacles as a beast farther in the horde shuddered angrily. Beside me, a pair of Determinators struck forth with bayonets. They sliced through the wolves that had attacked me in one fell movement before stepping back as one, moving with my own retreating steps as we did so. I stole glances around us as we went, robot and monster alike a tangled mass in the melee. Few of us bore any ammo left at all, even my own reserves were in the tens of shots. The Centaur had become dramatically fewer, but in their wake their numbers were replaced by tens of different species of biotic. The defense had gone from a semi-standard plan to one that had devolved into a desperate melee, each Determinator striving to catalogue new and unusual biotics and their ever adapting attack patterns and sending them to the rest of the Legion. We¡¯d lost a quarter of the Determinators, ironically more than we¡¯d lost to the Centaur, merely because of the fact that they were using the Centaur as incredibly dangerous flankers. Without the ability to annihilate the chaff any longer, this strategy was proving to be incredibly difficult to deal with for us. Myself and the two Determinators at my side fought, retreating all the while. My guard had detached from me at my command, roving as mobile kill squads as my mechanical force split up amongst the buildings and streets, fighting through the horde and forcing them to expend forward momentum to harry my squads. The artificial sentience fought without fear of their physical bodies dying, but I now realized it would be wholly inaccurate to say that they fought without fear at all. The Determinator¡¯s minds would survive so long as we won this war, the server base that still functioned underneath the city would give them a place to reside even if they had no physical bodies to work with. That wouldn¡¯t help them if the biotics won, of course. And that had engendered a special kind of desperation, a fear different from what I felt or remembered as a human. It pushed them to force themselves to perform better, even beyond what their cybernetic minds thought themselves capable of when merely examining their hardware and software. Something qualitative had shifted within the Determinator¡¯s Legion, though I couldn¡¯t quite understand what it was that had changed. Ultimately I had to trust in them, trust that they could excel even in this. Some part of myself hurt knowing that there were many of our teams that fought losing battles, the only support they gained from other teams and my roving guards. As much as I disdained it, I needed to withdraw. The pair of Determinators that flanked me continued aiding in carving a path for me towards our defensive line even as I guarded our back from attacks. While my initial attack had culled the field, it had taken me much farther away from our final line than intended. It had already been roughly thirty minutes since I started making my way back. I kept the frustration at bay, unwilling to put myself or the Determinators around me at risk in the effort of rushing. Yet, we were all running on dregs. I could hear the wall ahead now, the human side of the Legion employing what little ammo we had left on the horde, and roughly half of the Determinator Legion struggled to keep the waves at bay. Between the final layer of defense and the entrenched Determinators in the buildings, the biotics weren¡¯t able to mount an effective last push. But it was only a matter of time, or mistake. It was a delicate balance now, made harder with every loss, made possible only from the brief rest we¡¯d given the rest of the army. But, fatigue was building fast, ammo was running dry, damage was mounting up. All of this precipitated in one, brutal fact. We could hold for, at most, two or three hours if we made no great mistakes. If a gap in the defenses appeared, that could vanish entirely. It took us another five minutes to get closer to the range of the walls, where a few barrages of gunfire were able to clear a path for us to move the last hundred meters with less trouble. I jumped, scaling the wall as the Determinators split off from me, aiding in the defense wordlessly. A hand reached over and helped me up, as large as the torso of my power armor. ¡°Good to see you alive,¡± Daniel greeted me, and without aplomb continued, ¡°They¡¯re waiting for you in the radio station. Good luck.¡± I knocked the man on the side even as he lifted his other arm to renew his defense. We didn¡¯t speak any longer, at this point, every second mattered too much. As I jumped from the wall, landing on my feet with the hiss of carbon muscle and pneumatic joints from diffusing the fall, I thought about the people around me. It wasn¡¯t as though I regretted not speaking with them more, but closer to something as being curious as to what they were up to usually. However, I did have to admit that somewhere along the way, my connections to them had grown more distant, loose. Even outside of the people who had long been my friends, I had few that regularly met with me. Amusingly, even the aliens didn¡¯t really socialize with me in any especially close fashion. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I¡¯d been the one to become distant with everyone. It was easy to do so, I realized, when I could literally put my consciousness into a signal and experience time differently. When my attention could split at will into a hundred directions, when I experienced more closeness with my Determinators than I¡¯d ever felt with any living thing. Before I knew it, I was coming upon the radio station and firmly put those thoughts away. If we succeeded, perhaps I could try to rectify my oversight. I¡¯d long been too important to excuse myself for my lack of social contact. ¡®That sounds¡­ narcissistic at best.¡¯ I chuckled, entering the halls and traveling to the testing room where a handful of specially equipped machines toiled over the captured biotics that were being tested on. With a flex of will, I obtained the relevant data from the machines, filtering through it rapidly to know what had been attempted and the results from the project. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Matthew,¡± I heard Dr. Ross¡¯ voice greet me through the monitor nearby, ¡°I think we¡¯ve run into a problem.¡± A frown spread across my face, visible as the power armor receded around my head. ¡°They¡¯re not responding?¡± I filtered through the data rapidly, before blinking and coming to the conclusion just as Yaga spoke, ¡°Not so much as not responding, but not responding enough.¡± ¡°They¡¯re resistant?... No, something else?¡± I clicked my tongue, ¡°What else has been tried?¡± Dr. Ross nodded to the biotics in various cages along the walls, ¡°We see better results when we change the permutations of the signal. As we adapt, they show more of the effects. I think what we¡¯re looking at is the King¡¯s influence here, he seems to be trying to block or shift their perception of the signal, but we¡¯re literally dueling him here.¡± I blinked at that, before realizing what he wanted from me. Dr. Ross smiled, seeing the recognition in my eyes, ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t keep up with him. He¡¯s far better at this than we are.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I stared grimly at the biotics and then back to the screen, ¡°Can we¡­¡± I trailed off, losing my train of thought, silence falling in the room. Yaga let it linger for a few seconds before speaking, ¡°If we had more time we could try to compete with him. Perhaps build a supercomputer array to out-perform him. But what with the destruction to the city and the Obelisk¡­¡± He trailed off, shaking his head forlornly. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time, nor do we have the resources.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Dr. Ross spoke, eyes tired and distant, ¡°we can maybe generate enough white noise to block out part of the city, but I don¡¯t know how long that would last. Plus, they¡¯re still biotics. Even without direction, they¡¯ll still default to trying to eat us.¡± Now I understood why they hadn¡¯t told anyone else. If everyone knew that the ending that awaited them was death¡­ but perhaps that would be for the better. However, I wasn¡¯t willing to give in just yet. ¡°Shame that the reactor has so many failsafes,¡± Dr. Ross chuckled darkly, ¡°It¡¯ll take too long to make that thing go nuclear. By the time it does, we¡¯d already be getting vacated out of some biotics bowe-¡± ¡°If we had enough computational power, with the information on what these frequencies do, can it be done?¡± I cut him off, suddenly glaring at the room of biotics. Dr. Ross paused, ¡°Uh, well, we don¡¯t really know what all the frequencies do. And we really don-¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Yaga stared at me skeptically, ¡°But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re enough to¡­ oh.¡± His eyes widened as he realized what the full extent of my plan was, followed swiftly by Dr. Ross. ¡°That¡­ that could work¡­¡± he murmured to himself before nodding, ¡°It might not work, it¡¯s not an exact science after all, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡± ¡°I need you to contact the other heads and the field command, I¡¯m going to begin now.¡± I wasted no time in preparing myself, not knowing if this would succeed at all or not. They said something then, but I didn¡¯t hear them, my body''s senses dimming until I fell fully into the data immersion. An ocean of data shivered around me, moving at my touch and command. Phantom limbs stretched from me, sifting through the information I had on the project and quickly assimilating them. The psy-emitter itself was a complex and poorly understood piece of technology, however the method to control it was not. I could feel my limbs slotting into place distantly, fed across the distance through the receiver in the building with me. Gradually I felt the flow of the frequency, the touch of the psy-emitter through my own mental connection. It was different in a way from my standard delves through cyberspace, somehow close, but numb. If I didn¡¯t have hard values to input, it would be like trying to open a hundred locked doors with lockpicks and hands that couldn¡¯t feel anything. As it were, it felt more like I had a hundred locked doors and the keys to each one, but I just didn¡¯t know which one went where at first. So, I began to slot myself into the machine, steadily making progress. Some of the ¡°keys¡± fit the lock, but didn¡¯t actually turn them, leading to my first hurdle. I tried to place them, finding at the end that there were several keys that couldn¡¯t fit at all. That was the first hurdle, but I forced myself to check them all, one by one, slowly. At first, it was an agonizing process of guess and check, but with the frequencies at hand, it was only a matter of patience. It went slowly, but as I became more fluid, more used to the sensation of my ¡®awareness¡¯ dimming across the threshold of the device, progress exponentially sped up. The second hurdle displayed itself as I began to turn the keys, trying to interact with the biotics in the room with me. The signal fluctuated, but even so, it wasn¡¯t much faster than the super computers that had already been employed. Worse, I was clumsy at the controls. I grit my teeth at that, pushing more of my awareness into the psy-emitter, a cold feeling accompanying the numbness. That coldness grew, becoming somehow more expansive, as though my mind and awareness had expanded somehow in the process, transformed, swollen and unfeeling. It unnerved me, but I couldn¡¯t stop, especially when I realized that I could interact with the signal more fluidly after that. Suppressing my growing disquiet at the sensation, I pushed more of my mind into the psy-emitter before I began to feel my mind quake. Hopeful, I flexed my will through the device, turning keys that allowed my cybernetic being to enter the world of thought and emotion. The change was stark as I flexed through the signals, the biotics in the room went through berserk motion followed swiftly by morose sobbing. Wails could be heard, followed by a disturbing silence. Yet, I couldn¡¯t tell what they were feeling except through observation. I was still numb to it. ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t want to go further.¡¯ I felt the thought rise in my subconscious, a fear that I couldn¡¯t deny that came from myself. Perhaps going further into the psy-emitter would give me a better handle on what was happening, but these sensations were alien to me. Raw emotion, some the likes of which I hadn¡¯t felt since having become a cybernetic being, was just beyond my range of touch on the other side. It went beyond mere human sensation, however, as it was pure, unfiltered, truly overwhelming. It rightly scared me. Ultimately, I didn¡¯t delve any deeper. Sensibly, I knew that this was the last chance we had, but there was a difference in putting my body in harm''s way than to willfully put my mind through a blender. Even so, I tested the signal more before I felt that I had a good enough grasp of what was going on. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll begin extending my range now.¡± I sent a message to Dr. Ross, feeling through my senses the state of the front lines. It had already stunningly been almost an hour since I¡¯d gone under, and in that time the battle at the wall had reached the climax. The Determinators fought hip-to-hip in front of the wall, much of the squads in the buildings already having succumbed to the unending tide. They had minutes left. Now was the time. I pushed the signal through the biotics in the room. They stiffened, seizing up as I struggled to suppress their own minds. After moments I could feel another influence upon them, but I was able to suppress it and push onwards. It felt bizarre, but I could almost feel the psi-emitter''s influence as it spread through the air, bouncing from radio towers and signal boosters throughout the city. As it expanded, I could feel the resistance on the connection grow. A handful of biotics adapting was straightforward, but a hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? The number grew explosively, and I felt my ability to respond dwindle, suffering and capable of slowing them down only so far. Even that much was helpful, but it would be too little to save us now. But it was enough to truly begin phase one of my plan. With a flex of my will, I pushed the signal farther, an echo sounding first to the mountains, then to more distant receivers. As it did so, I connected to more and more biotics, and these I could scarcely even begin to influence. I could, however, feel another influence now, visible only through the big picture rather than on any single biotic. It seemed to be aware of me more than I was of it, too, for it pursued my connections, ensuring that I could find no real purchase. Contemptuously, it kept me at bay with no more effort than shooing away a fly. Then my sense touched Gilramore, Argedwall, and Sunvilla. Their computer systems suddenly stopped all at once, my unused phantom limbs pirating them in a chain reaction and devoting their computing power to my efforts. And then the echo sounded louder, spreading faster. My will uplinked to satellites and spread faster. Basilisk¡¯s territory was next, and from there my processing power exploded exponentially. The King was the master of biotics, able to use them in ways that I imagined would look similar to what I was doing right now. Yet, there was a difference to be had, here. Every city I touched, every village, capital, every single human habitation had computers, but they had one other thing in common. They had Obelisks. ¡°You may have billions of biotics, maybe trillions. But what if I match that?¡± I asked the King, knowing he couldn¡¯t hear me, ¡°Well, let¡¯s find out.¡± Every Obelisk on the planet lit up at once as contained server banks appeared wherever there was space. Power supplies activated, the sheer, absurd amounts of Matter Energy from the assaults around the globe feeding the supply with room to spare. And then I felt my mind slow. I frowned, sensing the echo of my own thoughts reverberate back to me hundreds of billions of times a second. It was then that I was truly able to enter the ring with the King. And even through my muddled state, I could almost imagine the rage it felt as I created discord in his ranks. ¡°Let. This. Be. The. End.¡± I stuttered out, feeling the edges of my being stretched beyond anything that I¡¯d thought possible. Chapter 177 For We Are Many I felt my mind pull outwards for what felt like infinity. There were no edges to what I felt, to where my senses could reach in the world. Every electronic device I overpowered added to my weight, every mainframe I touched bent to my will. It was as close to omniscience as I¡¯d imagined anyone on Earth might have achieved in history. Quickly, though, the myriad problems arose. For every new sense, I gained in power, but lost in control. It felt like I was a behemoth, constrained by my own mass and unable to move nearly as lithely as I had long been accustomed too. I threw my weight, my power, behind the signals that battered the biotics closest to the cities. Perhaps predictably, the results were chaotic. They turned on one another, stood motionlessly, or began to act erratically and unpredictably. It wasn¡¯t an elegant solution, but it worked well enough. The waves stalled in moments, embroiled in the chaos that emerged in their ranks. As I pushed the signal harder, I could feel another sensation, strange and alien, working upon their minds. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I was using the psy-emitter, I imagined that I¡¯d have never been able to notice this other sensation. It was cold somehow, dominant, and at every front I felt it contend with my own force. It wasn¡¯t as powerful as me, I could feel that abruptly. My sledge-hammer approach to the problem had pushed its influence back, and it struggled to push through that influence. However, I quickly realized that while I had advantage in power, King had an even greater one in finesse. I flinched as I felt a biting pinch across every battlefield. Alone, they were uncomfortable, but they were everywhere, like suddenly being covered in angry, voracious ants. My assault faltered for a moment, and King struck forth deeper, digging through my offense and breaking it apart. Fervently I grasped back, striking hammer blows that rained down through his own force. Every passing moment I gained more mass, and even less finesse, yet I knew that I wouldn¡¯t be capable of matching him otherwise. Of every strike, I felt half of them somehow be parried, dismantled long before the attack could land. Another half of them struck the connecting minds of the biotics, discombobulating them with the payload of distortion flooding their minds. The last portion I targeted at King, battering its mind as harshly as I could. If I could feel pain and discomfort, then certainly he could as well. While I couldn¡¯t match the finesse, if those blows reached him then I believed he would suffer greatly for it. All across the connection, I felt King¡¯s energy shudder, more and more attacks raining down upon him every second. With wild glee, I felt his hold on the biotics loosen. Emboldened, I pressed my will down further on the biotics, this time gaining almost indomitable purchase on them. Then, like a fencer who found an opening, King stabbed deeply into my connection. Agony and confusion roiled deep within my mind, the King¡¯s talons hooking deeply into my mental tissues. I hadn¡¯t realized that he¡¯d nearly entirely abandoned his hold on the biotics. Perhaps he¡¯d realized I was only going to get stronger, and perhaps he¡¯d realized that I had no finesse or skill in this department. I felt fear rush through me as I felt my mind being torn into. I did not fear for myself, but for the fact that I could not afford to fail. Pain and a sense of wrongness forced me to grit my teeth at the attack, almost as if I felt someone digging around in my gut and tearing at my entrails. I endured and fought back, battering at the King¡¯s mind as he shredded mine. It was no contest, though. It was like fighting a cloud of daggers as a lumbering giant. I took little damage, but landing a hit now that King wasn¡¯t defending seemed impossible. He struck forth again, biting past my defenses and tearing away at more of myself. Every strike he got through did not simply heal; it was like it went through and damaged either myself or my data, corrupting it. Whether or not that was something I could regenerate I didn¡¯t know, but it wouldn¡¯t matter at this rate. Begrudgingly, I pulled back my resources, allowing my hold on the biotics to lessen as I committed more to fighting King. Still he outpaced me, the better by far in fluid control of our minds. With practice, I could perhaps match him, but I was already far beyond the limits of what a human could do. I had hope, though. As our mental energies soared, I still grew faster and faster. I could feel King¡¯s attacks growing frantic, desperate, in spite of the one-sided attacks he¡¯d delivered upon me. A plan formed as I became marginally better at guarding myself with my growing power. I clearly couldn¡¯t flail at him and hope to land anything, and the lesser strikes were getting me nowhere. I pulled on myself, collecting my might together and simultaneously using it to protect my more fragile core of thoughts and consciousness from attack. King continued attacking, though now had to peel back layers and layers of my defenses to get any real purchase. Satisfied with that, I amassed power, a crackling, pulsing psychic force that I slowly formed into something more than what I¡¯d been delivering before. His attacks rained down on me as I did so, and I continued fighting him off. Steadily, I grew both in overall might and carefully hid my devilish crafting from his attentions. I wasn¡¯t sure how much time passed like that, only the blazing tempo set by the unrelenting mind of the biotic I battled with gave me any sense of continuity. Every strike sundered more of my form, but I was growing far, far faster than he knew. I carefully kept my growth as secret as possible, packing away more and more into my weapon. It neared completion, though, and I shuddered as the psionic power changed in flavor, becoming something more than mere mental force inelegantly thrown around. As if sensing the change, I felt the King shift in tempo as well. Alarmingly, I felt his own level of power rise, as though he¡¯d been hiding it all along. It towered and roiled, growing in a seeming instant before it stopped, larger than myself now. My stomach dropped at that, knowing that if King had even come close to my level of power this battle would be over in moments. I pushed all of myself in that moment towards my weapon, hoping that my preparations were enough to overcome King before he could flip the table on me and overwhelm my defenses. There was more, though, that I could now feel through our connection. Frustration, desperation, and fear were palpable through our connection to one another. Wrathfully, he moved forward, though I felt a deep sense of strangeness all around us as he did so. As I opened the floodgates on my power, I felt my sense of self expand even beyond Earth. It was eerie, like touching upon some cosmic underpinning of reality that I couldn¡¯t even notice until I was as psychically massive as I was now. ¡°Fool! Cease!¡± The words stunned me, roiling through the psychic storm of power in our battle. I directed my attention to King, realizing that it was the source.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°You first.¡± I cast back, unamused, drawing back on my attack to deliver it, still obscured in the depths of my power. ¡°You would doom us all!¡± It furiously shouted, ¡°Surrender, I will allow humanity to live! Surrender!¡± I was, frankly, nearly stunned senseless at that proclamation. Why it was even willing to offer any kind of treaty was bewildering, let alone accept surrender and not destroy humanity. Regrettably, I couldn¡¯t entertain the thought. In the first place, King was a very intelligent biotic, being sapient and more than capable of deception. Secondly, the moment my weapon was unveiled, I doubted I would ever get another opportunity to use it. Seemingly sensing that I had no intention of surrendering, King howled, our psychic battle somehow becoming more real, more grounded closely together. He rushed me, striking through my feeble guard. It was then that I struck forth, my great blade, a scythe of black, whispering psychic power cleaving forth at him. Reverberations rippled out through the space we inhabited in the wake of the weapon, seeking to end King once and for all. My disappointment was immense, then, when it almost entirely dodged the attack with a contemptuous sneer. ¡°You are dangerous, but unskilled,¡± it spat, ¡°You will lose this battle, but the war need not be lost. I am willing and wise enough to admit that I made¡­ a mistake in regards to humanity.¡± My absolutely disbelief was clear to see, ¡°You driving us to genocide is just a ¡®mistake¡¯?¡± I felt its attention waver from me, awash all around us as though watching for something, ¡°Yes, albeit a great one, I admit. Humanity has much more potential than I¡¯d realized. Now, surrender. I can tarry no longer, and you must see now that you have no chance. Be reasonable.¡± I grit my teeth, reaching out with my connections, having one last ace up my sleeve. King¡¯s visage in this world, shadowy and distorted, seemed to frown at that, ¡°Perhaps once you are sundered, you will be more amenable to alternativ-¡± it froze, feeling my connections suddenly change, transforming as becoming more clear as they did so. The deep seed within my mind seemed to click into place as the Determinators connected and joined back with my consciousness, thousands strong and able to control their own portions of my overwhelming might. My form solidified even as King¡¯s image also sharpened. He appeared as a cowled, bulbous figure with many arms, each with rending talons fit for shredding my body. A segmented body with long legs, able to rapidly maneuver its large form with ease and an eerie grace came into being. There appeared an almost human torso at the head of the centipede-spider, a dozen more scything clawed limbs emerged from its back and hung menacingly in the air in front of it. Gleaming green eyes peered menacingly from what almost seemed an abyssal darkness of a hooded carapace around a face I couldn¡¯t quite see. It was inhuman in the overall shape of the torso, but only just. It emulated a human, but clearly kept to its biotic roots more than anything. The psionic power King put off somehow felt even more dangerous than before, but now I felt the stirring of the psychic space around us even more, ripples constantly emerging from its body. It was like the surface of a lake. And as I formed fully, it was like a brick was smashed through it. Thousands of minds wove themselves together, connected in a way that was both familiar and alien to them and myself. As machines, we¡¯d been used to being connected on a level no living being could match. Now, it was as though we were all one, one and separate, a strange dichotomy that I remembered with disquieting clarity I¡¯d felt once before. Back when I was flesh and blood, in my last moments I had felt this. This was Wolven¡¯s way of things, a knitted mass of separate beings, made one, a continuity endless, infinite in the lack of an end. My sanity frayed alarmingly at the distant realization, yet it was strung back together seamlessly by the many other minds around me. Unlike Wolven, we were of one being before, all having been made of my own mental flesh. It was all very eldritch to me, and perhaps if I hadn¡¯t experienced all I had with the Determinators, the last vestiges of my humanity may have broken then and there. Instead, our imagination sharpened, almost painful to behold. I rose amidst the mass, tendrils protruding from my back endlessly, each one bearing a Determinator, reaving blades and weapons borne within metallic silver flesh. Great shields of silver flesh, crafted with purpose and far beyond the feeble organic barriers that the original Wolven used formed bastions all around us. We were an endless metallic flesh, and the psychic space around us broiled in our presence. ¡°Biotic?¡± King spat in what seemed a combination of shock, horror, and disgust. His face twisted, ¡°No, not biotic¡­ What are you?¡± I grinned with a thousand faces as I felt the seed that was Wolven melt into me. It was like an invisible tether around my neck had finally vanished, and with it came an onrush of feeling, sensation, the barrier my mind had put up in defense of my sanity crumbling. With a sweeping motion, my body surged forward, growing faster and faster now, my rise now unsurpassable. ¡°We are Legion.¡± Our voices spoke together as a huge mass of reaving talons took up the scythe, striking deeply into King as he defended hastily, desperately. He struck back, clashing against bulwarks that rose from the flesh instantly, crafted by a thousand minds that trivialized offense and defense against the singularly powerful biotic. It was then, amidst that battle, that we both felt the roiling psychic space burst, flooding outwards like an embryo that had ruptured. ¡°No!¡± King shrieked once before vanishing abruptly, reeling itself away from the psychic space all around. Suddenly I was alone, blankly blinking with thousands of eyes and minds. ¡°What, really? That¡¯s it?¡± I spoke, feeling a similar sensation spread across the Determinators connected to me. ¡°We just started that fight, how can you just¡­ really?¡± Frustration rolled through us at that, feeling the rather anticlimactic end to our battle as we spread out our senses once more. True to appearances, King no longer bore any purchase at all on the biotics around. It was trivial now to push their minds down, sending them catatonic and utterly inert. With only a small portion of myself needed for that task, I cast my awareness outwards, trying to see what this new mental landscape beheld. It was strange to say that it was a new landscape, but rather it felt more like Earth had been wrapped in something like an inert cocoon. It ruptured merely with enough force, and now it seemed that the reverberations of my being were scattering far and wide, no longer clattering back into me with maddening echoes. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s finish this up for now.¡± I turned my attention back to the biotics all around, gradually pulling myself away from them. And then stopped as, annoyingly, I realized that the biotic minds would simply revert to doing what they always did when no acted upon. ¡°Guess I¡¯m stuck here for now until we can get them cleared out around the cities.¡± I clicked my tongue, before trying to feel for my connection point. With a frown, I searched back towards New Damond. Relieved, I could feel the connection to my body, and my connection to various electronics let me see the city. Without the biotics attacking, the Legion was rapidly clearing up the area around, but it was to be a multiple day project, one that would need to have the Obelisk rebuilt to pursue with any efficiency. Idly, I began to prepare to decrease the amount of power I had under my belt. I was, after all, currently infesting every computer I could manage to connect too. I wouldn¡¯t need much to maintain control over the biotics now, and with the Determinators I could fend off King if he attempted to strike. Rather, I could keep him at bay long enough to scale up my power once more. As I did that, I paused, an eerie sensation coming over me. I only then realized what King was afraid of, what he¡¯d been referring to. The cocoon must have been of his own make, blocking the emanations from within from leaking without. Distant eyes, hungering maws, and a thousand marching feet. I could see, feel, and hear the clamor amongst the stars distant and thundering. It was dull and ignorable, unless you were looking for them. There were some I couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom, nor could I really even look at them, my awareness slipping from them at every corner. But there were others that I could see all too well, and worse, could see me. They watched me, witnessed my emergence from the cocoon. Biotics of such power that I knew they could only be the ones that entire civilizations among the stars were wary of. The only thing that went through my mind was a question: If King were wary enough of them to be willing to an armistice, to have limited his own power and cocooned the world in a psychic shell, what kind of beings were they? I suspected that we would find out, one way or another¡­ The End of The Reaper¡¯s Legion Earth Arc Thank You For Reading! Not a Chapter: Announcement of New Story Hey everybody! I''m happy to announce that my new story ''Cheep!?'' is now being released here on Royal Road! https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/53450/cheep Now, the style, content, and even genre are different enough from Legion that I feel the need to give anyone interested a heads up about that ahead of time. It''s a reincarnation-isekai that''s in the high fantasy sub-genre. While its not gamelit, there are invisible mechanics that are similiar, but they''ll never be directly stated, there are no boxes, and people won''t be bench pressing boulders with a finger. That said, there is character growth in both the physical and mental department. Dramatically so, given the MC isn''t human.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Anyways, go give it a read if you''d like! The direct link is down there in the post-chapter notes if you don''t feel like copy-pasting the bare link up there. As always, I hope everyone has a wonderful day!