It's the End of the World as we Know it (But i Feel Fine)
Moderator: Moderators
I looked at the PAX. I just noticed a slight├óÔé¼┬ªfuzziness around the inside of the watch bracelet. I looked close and saw a haze of incredibly small tubes that waved gently in the air. ├óÔé¼┼ôDose it work?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Muti, leaning close. ├óÔé¼┼ôyes├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôI tested it├óÔé¼┬Ø. I glanced at the nearest speaker. ├óÔé¼┼ôI used the PAX, then uploaded myself on the mainframe. Its safer├óÔé¼┬Ø she said matter of factly.
├óÔé¼┼ôThen the nukes hit, and I was shunted to reserve power├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally continued ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd when you showed up, I didn├óÔé¼Ôäót want you to know about the PAX├óÔé¼┬ªafter all it├óÔé¼Ôäós still one of the most valuable things in the world. So I pretended to be an A.I├óÔé¼┬Ø. I slipped the PAX into my pocket.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Ally. ├óÔé¼┼ôLeaving├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter I pick up some stuff├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait, what about the PAX? Those defenses are there for a reason!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but you know├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, nothings stopping me from leaving, as you have yet to reload the mini-guns!├óÔé¼┬Ø I grinned.
├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou wont be able to get anything from this base├óÔé¼┬ªI├óÔé¼Ôäóm not going to let you back in├óÔé¼┬Ø she warned. ├óÔé¼┼ôA plas gun would stick out like a sore thumb and one knife in the back would avail me of its niceness, and my life, while no one would take the PAX! Who wants a Rolex? It├óÔé¼Ôäós not even worth the effort of melting down├óÔé¼┬Ø I laughed.
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, no├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said, but I was already out of the sphere and into the hall way. She continued her protests unitll Muti and I, finally, got to the ladder leading to the emergency exit. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼Ôäóll be sor├óÔé¼┬Ø she managed to get out before I slammed the trap door, cutting of her voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go!├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to Muti. He grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôGood thinking├óÔé¼┬Ø he said grinning.
The climb up was slow, hard and boring. But we passed the time telling jokes. The emergency exit, just like the rest of the base, had been lit up when the fusion went back online. So, we could at least SEE on the way up. Muti had just delivered the punch line to ├óÔé¼┼ôA Reaver, Preacher and a Syndicate member all walk into a bar├óÔé¼┬Ø when we got to the top.
I stuck my head out and stared around. I saw that the sun had risen and was casting a cruel heat onto the wastes. I turned a awkward 360 degrees and spotted a group of figures, distorted by distance and heat wave, heading straight for us. I squinted and, with my new 20/20 vision, I spotted metal glinting off them. A lot of metal. A huge amount of metal. My innards twisted. I slid down the ladder and looked down at Muti ├óÔé¼┼ôGET DOWN NOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, and he started.
I followed suite, as I didn├óÔé¼Ôäót want to be pressed into service by a Reaver gang. Reaver, for anyone who never stuck there heads out of the bunker, are a radical splinter of a radical splinter of a radical splinter of the Techurch. They didn├óÔé¼Ôäót just want technology. They LOVED it. All had biomechanical implants melded with there spinal columns, strapped onto there thighs and otherwise attached to there body├óÔé¼Ôäós.
They also carried six sided stars made of U-235, literally stapled onto there foreheads and, in more extreme cases, welded to there sternums. Reavers didn├óÔé¼Ôäót live long, and many of them were mutated horrifically. However the one├óÔé¼Ôäós that survive are deadly, insane and devoted to the discovery of newtech. If they got there hands on a PAX, they would be deadly, insane, devoted to the discovery of newtech AND immortal.
So I went down the ladder as fast as I could. We reached the bottom after an agonizingly long amount of time, actually around twenty minutes. But we hit hard and I felt something bruise. No matter, as I immediately began to crawl towards the trap door. I wrestled it open, wishing to know how close the Reavers where to the base. They obviously knew the base was here, and they had ways of getting down ladders faster then I or Muti. Maybe its the implants that boost their muscle strength. Or maybe because they didn├óÔé¼Ôäót care if their legs broke.
So i dropped into the hallway, not bothering with the ladder. ├óÔé¼┼ôI told you├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said tersely ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you spot the rather homicidal group of humanoids approaching?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ªcan we prep this gun?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked noticing the mini-gun was still firing, its empty chamber clicking continually. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe servitor is on its way, and it can lode this gun and at least two others before the humanoids get here. It├óÔé¼Ôäós more important for you and your large, genetically impure friend gets armed├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said.
├óÔé¼┼ôImpure?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Muti, arriving with less oomph them I did, climbing sedately down the ladder. ├óÔé¼┼ôImproved├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally corrected hastily. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said, pulling me up ├óÔé¼┼ôWere is the armory?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôohohoho!├óÔé¼┬Ø I cackled as the door├óÔé¼Ôäós slid open with a satisfying rumble. The armory wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót the pathetic Syndicate arms house pops had busted a few years ago. It didn├óÔé¼Ôäót have a smattering of Kalashnikovs and Uzi├óÔé¼Ôäós. It didn├óÔé¼Ôäót have three grenades and a single stick of dynamite.
No├óÔé¼┬ª this was an ARMORY! Filled with laser carbines, night vision contact lenses, one shot implants, stim packs. Filled with M91├óÔé¼Ôäós, RFG├óÔé¼Ôäós, rail guns. Street sweepers, C4, and a collection of pinheads. And, on a raised podium, a massive gun with four barrels sat. I walked through the rifles, grenade launchers and targeting systems, straight to the podium.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh that├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót work. Never did from day one├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, looking at it with wonder. ├óÔé¼┼ôMicronuke launcher, ranger four clicks. Can level a small village or blow up a tank division├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø I breathed and reaching my hands out. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts really really heavy├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd its hard to aim, hard to reload and really hard to use in a fight. Not to mention the collateral damage├óÔé¼┬Ø.
I looked away from the gun and grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóll save that for later├óÔé¼┬Ø. Muti had picked up a pistol RFG and cocked it. I picked up a Cobra 197 assault cannon. ├óÔé¼┼ônot that├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôtoo much collateral. Take rails, machine guns and RFG├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø I grumped and threw the Cobra on the ground.
Muti was loded to the hilt within a few minuts. Four RFG pistols, two rifles slung across his back and a street sweeper. A felxakevlar vest covered his chest and a targeting monocle over his left eye. I wanted something with more class, using two needler├óÔé¼Ôäós and a single assault RFG. And a monofilliment grenade to flesh out my armament. My last weapon was a personal dream of mine. A pulse laser pistol. I had always wanted to try snapping off a shot with a Zzzaper, ever since I heard about it from my Pops. Now I actually would.
That would have been nice if I wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót about to fight a horde of heavily armed, armored fanatics with more gun├óÔé¼Ôäós, more amour and├óÔé¼┬ª well more everything then us. So I had my mono out and was ready to throw it as soon as an ugly drops out of the trap door. I heard bangs on the roof of the hallway. I locked my eyes, ready to throw or shoot. I heard a saw blade spin up.
A second later a rather hefty hole opened in the ceiling, behind me. Then the Reavers were on us. I caught a bullet in the shoulder, and the mono dropped to the ground. The Reavers had gotten to the hall way floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôMONO!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted to Muti, who was set up on the opposite side of the trap door. He dropped quickly, but the nade exploded before I could get completely down. I felt a slight tug on my left hand├óÔé¼Ôäós fingers and with a sickening feeling of wet meat sliding over my skin, the top half of my four fingers slid off my hand.
A monofilament is a wire, exactly one molecule thick, that is sharper then anything. It cut through my fingers easily, but it did more damage to the Reavers. A mono nade fires a wire that is designed to melt away after two seconds, long enough for pretty much anyone in the blast radius to die. The mono filament it fires is grid shaped, so it made the Reaver closest to it a lot of little cubes. Two others where bisected, many had massive chunks gouged out of them.
At least half of the ten of em died. Three of the five remaining were crippled. The last two, unfortunately, were the biggest, meanest and most gun toting. However Muti had already pulled out his RFG pistol. They made a rather unimpressive coughing noise as they fired, because RFG├óÔé¼Ôäós use compressed air to fire a burst of one hundred or so very small, very sharp disks. They used compressed air because the RFG manufacturing company wanted to be as cheap as possible, and make as many as possible.
Unfortunately the compressed air cartridges meant the RFG has little to no amour penetration, so the Reavers were angrier then hurt by the haze of projectiles that clattered against there amour. They hunched up and roared the normal Reaver response. Then the biggest one, the leader, fell with a perfect hole bored straight through it. A split second later there was a crack as air collapsed back into the perfect tunnel left by the laser bolt. There was a strong smell of ozone.
I moved the pistol to the left as the last Reaver aimed his gunhand at me. I fired first, and he collapsed like a bag of jelly, his left eye a straight, clean hole, straight through his head. There was no blood, as lasers cauterize wounds. I though that maybe I should do something about the blood coming from my severed fingers. Then I fainted.
├óÔé¼┼ôThen the nukes hit, and I was shunted to reserve power├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally continued ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd when you showed up, I didn├óÔé¼Ôäót want you to know about the PAX├óÔé¼┬ªafter all it├óÔé¼Ôäós still one of the most valuable things in the world. So I pretended to be an A.I├óÔé¼┬Ø. I slipped the PAX into my pocket.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Ally. ├óÔé¼┼ôLeaving├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter I pick up some stuff├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait, what about the PAX? Those defenses are there for a reason!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but you know├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, nothings stopping me from leaving, as you have yet to reload the mini-guns!├óÔé¼┬Ø I grinned.
├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou wont be able to get anything from this base├óÔé¼┬ªI├óÔé¼Ôäóm not going to let you back in├óÔé¼┬Ø she warned. ├óÔé¼┼ôA plas gun would stick out like a sore thumb and one knife in the back would avail me of its niceness, and my life, while no one would take the PAX! Who wants a Rolex? It├óÔé¼Ôäós not even worth the effort of melting down├óÔé¼┬Ø I laughed.
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, no├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said, but I was already out of the sphere and into the hall way. She continued her protests unitll Muti and I, finally, got to the ladder leading to the emergency exit. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou├óÔé¼Ôäóll be sor├óÔé¼┬Ø she managed to get out before I slammed the trap door, cutting of her voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go!├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to Muti. He grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôGood thinking├óÔé¼┬Ø he said grinning.
The climb up was slow, hard and boring. But we passed the time telling jokes. The emergency exit, just like the rest of the base, had been lit up when the fusion went back online. So, we could at least SEE on the way up. Muti had just delivered the punch line to ├óÔé¼┼ôA Reaver, Preacher and a Syndicate member all walk into a bar├óÔé¼┬Ø when we got to the top.
I stuck my head out and stared around. I saw that the sun had risen and was casting a cruel heat onto the wastes. I turned a awkward 360 degrees and spotted a group of figures, distorted by distance and heat wave, heading straight for us. I squinted and, with my new 20/20 vision, I spotted metal glinting off them. A lot of metal. A huge amount of metal. My innards twisted. I slid down the ladder and looked down at Muti ├óÔé¼┼ôGET DOWN NOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, and he started.
I followed suite, as I didn├óÔé¼Ôäót want to be pressed into service by a Reaver gang. Reaver, for anyone who never stuck there heads out of the bunker, are a radical splinter of a radical splinter of a radical splinter of the Techurch. They didn├óÔé¼Ôäót just want technology. They LOVED it. All had biomechanical implants melded with there spinal columns, strapped onto there thighs and otherwise attached to there body├óÔé¼Ôäós.
They also carried six sided stars made of U-235, literally stapled onto there foreheads and, in more extreme cases, welded to there sternums. Reavers didn├óÔé¼Ôäót live long, and many of them were mutated horrifically. However the one├óÔé¼Ôäós that survive are deadly, insane and devoted to the discovery of newtech. If they got there hands on a PAX, they would be deadly, insane, devoted to the discovery of newtech AND immortal.
So I went down the ladder as fast as I could. We reached the bottom after an agonizingly long amount of time, actually around twenty minutes. But we hit hard and I felt something bruise. No matter, as I immediately began to crawl towards the trap door. I wrestled it open, wishing to know how close the Reavers where to the base. They obviously knew the base was here, and they had ways of getting down ladders faster then I or Muti. Maybe its the implants that boost their muscle strength. Or maybe because they didn├óÔé¼Ôäót care if their legs broke.
So i dropped into the hallway, not bothering with the ladder. ├óÔé¼┼ôI told you├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said tersely ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you spot the rather homicidal group of humanoids approaching?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬ªcan we prep this gun?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked noticing the mini-gun was still firing, its empty chamber clicking continually. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe servitor is on its way, and it can lode this gun and at least two others before the humanoids get here. It├óÔé¼Ôäós more important for you and your large, genetically impure friend gets armed├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said.
├óÔé¼┼ôImpure?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Muti, arriving with less oomph them I did, climbing sedately down the ladder. ├óÔé¼┼ôImproved├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally corrected hastily. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said, pulling me up ├óÔé¼┼ôWere is the armory?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôohohoho!├óÔé¼┬Ø I cackled as the door├óÔé¼Ôäós slid open with a satisfying rumble. The armory wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót the pathetic Syndicate arms house pops had busted a few years ago. It didn├óÔé¼Ôäót have a smattering of Kalashnikovs and Uzi├óÔé¼Ôäós. It didn├óÔé¼Ôäót have three grenades and a single stick of dynamite.
No├óÔé¼┬ª this was an ARMORY! Filled with laser carbines, night vision contact lenses, one shot implants, stim packs. Filled with M91├óÔé¼Ôäós, RFG├óÔé¼Ôäós, rail guns. Street sweepers, C4, and a collection of pinheads. And, on a raised podium, a massive gun with four barrels sat. I walked through the rifles, grenade launchers and targeting systems, straight to the podium.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh that├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat doesn├óÔé¼Ôäót work. Never did from day one├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, looking at it with wonder. ├óÔé¼┼ôMicronuke launcher, ranger four clicks. Can level a small village or blow up a tank division├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø I breathed and reaching my hands out. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts really really heavy├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd its hard to aim, hard to reload and really hard to use in a fight. Not to mention the collateral damage├óÔé¼┬Ø.
I looked away from the gun and grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóll save that for later├óÔé¼┬Ø. Muti had picked up a pistol RFG and cocked it. I picked up a Cobra 197 assault cannon. ├óÔé¼┼ônot that├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôtoo much collateral. Take rails, machine guns and RFG├óÔé¼Ôäós├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø I grumped and threw the Cobra on the ground.
Muti was loded to the hilt within a few minuts. Four RFG pistols, two rifles slung across his back and a street sweeper. A felxakevlar vest covered his chest and a targeting monocle over his left eye. I wanted something with more class, using two needler├óÔé¼Ôäós and a single assault RFG. And a monofilliment grenade to flesh out my armament. My last weapon was a personal dream of mine. A pulse laser pistol. I had always wanted to try snapping off a shot with a Zzzaper, ever since I heard about it from my Pops. Now I actually would.
That would have been nice if I wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót about to fight a horde of heavily armed, armored fanatics with more gun├óÔé¼Ôäós, more amour and├óÔé¼┬ª well more everything then us. So I had my mono out and was ready to throw it as soon as an ugly drops out of the trap door. I heard bangs on the roof of the hallway. I locked my eyes, ready to throw or shoot. I heard a saw blade spin up.
A second later a rather hefty hole opened in the ceiling, behind me. Then the Reavers were on us. I caught a bullet in the shoulder, and the mono dropped to the ground. The Reavers had gotten to the hall way floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôMONO!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted to Muti, who was set up on the opposite side of the trap door. He dropped quickly, but the nade exploded before I could get completely down. I felt a slight tug on my left hand├óÔé¼Ôäós fingers and with a sickening feeling of wet meat sliding over my skin, the top half of my four fingers slid off my hand.
A monofilament is a wire, exactly one molecule thick, that is sharper then anything. It cut through my fingers easily, but it did more damage to the Reavers. A mono nade fires a wire that is designed to melt away after two seconds, long enough for pretty much anyone in the blast radius to die. The mono filament it fires is grid shaped, so it made the Reaver closest to it a lot of little cubes. Two others where bisected, many had massive chunks gouged out of them.
At least half of the ten of em died. Three of the five remaining were crippled. The last two, unfortunately, were the biggest, meanest and most gun toting. However Muti had already pulled out his RFG pistol. They made a rather unimpressive coughing noise as they fired, because RFG├óÔé¼Ôäós use compressed air to fire a burst of one hundred or so very small, very sharp disks. They used compressed air because the RFG manufacturing company wanted to be as cheap as possible, and make as many as possible.
Unfortunately the compressed air cartridges meant the RFG has little to no amour penetration, so the Reavers were angrier then hurt by the haze of projectiles that clattered against there amour. They hunched up and roared the normal Reaver response. Then the biggest one, the leader, fell with a perfect hole bored straight through it. A split second later there was a crack as air collapsed back into the perfect tunnel left by the laser bolt. There was a strong smell of ozone.
I moved the pistol to the left as the last Reaver aimed his gunhand at me. I fired first, and he collapsed like a bag of jelly, his left eye a straight, clean hole, straight through his head. There was no blood, as lasers cauterize wounds. I though that maybe I should do something about the blood coming from my severed fingers. Then I fainted.
Actually a monofilement wouldent hurt. Its too sharp and cuts to cleanly. If you cut a block of rock in half with a monofilement wire, it would look like a mirror, as the cut would be so smothe that it would reflect light! Cool eh? But after a few seconds natural errodion from contatact with air would make the mirror smooth survace go away.
Neat!
Neat!
I havn't read any of this stuff... at all... but the topic annoys me... it should be "it's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine"
http://www.rlyrics.com/R%5CREM/ItstheEn ... elFine.asp
http://www.rlyrics.com/R%5CREM/ItstheEn ... elFine.asp
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Zoombie's AlterEgo
- Posts: 13
- Joined: 29 May 2005, 05:29
btw, to the people who asked if this is on any other forums, i posted this at my school gaming forums, and one person, the only person who looked at it, said he like it. i always find flaws, but i like it nevertheless. also, did you buy the last good copy of arx fatalis from amazon Zoombie, because that really good one is gone.
I woke up with a strong buzzing in my ears, and the very dull view of the white ceiling of the dammed military base. I looked around and saw that Muti was reading a magazine, smoking a cigarette. I sat up, but a blinding headache hit my head hard. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø I muttered, running my fingers through my hair. It felt odd.
I looked at my hand and four shiny metal fingers glinted in the light of the medical bay. I closed my eyes and opened then again. My fingers were still robotic when my eye├óÔé¼Ôäós opened. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhhh ally├óÔé¼┬Ø I said slowly. Muti looked up from his magazine. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the├óÔé¼┬ª whatever the hell she/he/it was. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you have eye├óÔé¼Ôäós for transplant├óÔé¼┬ª then why the hell don├óÔé¼Ôäót you have fingers!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôAn unfortunate side product of the technology that created the PAX, plasma rifles, nanotech and quantum computers also produced the highest accidental finger loss in history. People stuck there fingers every where, and so many machines were very sharp, very fast moving or likable to dissolve flesh. So the organ banks ran very low on fingers. We had to improvise before you died from bleeding├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôhuh├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. Muti grinned and spat the cigarette on the ground. It landed on a small pile of other├óÔé¼Ôäós. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. He nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWith the PAX?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHell no! I said ├óÔé¼┼ôI plan on NOT losing anymore body parts in this place├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave a nice trip├óÔé¼┬Ø said Ally In the voice she had used when they first arrived.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh what happened to your voice?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Muti. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬ª that whole ├óÔé¼╦£Ally├óÔé¼Ôäó thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø a tinny laugh came from the speakers ├óÔé¼┼ôI can├óÔé¼Ôäót believe you fell for that├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at Muti and then at the nearest camera. I opened my mouth.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou really shouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót of said that├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said as we climbed out of the emergency exit. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬ª I really don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to talk about it├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, my voice somewhat muffled by the two hunks of tissue paper I shoved up my bloody nostrils. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you must agree, the door closing on your nose was just perfect├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti grinned. I thought about punching him in the nose. But I reconsidered it. We started to walk back to the city, empty-handed.
After we were about ten to twenty miles from the base Muti stopped me. ├óÔé¼┼ôEthan├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôthat A.I wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót as all cracked up as it said it was├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell makes you say that?├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped, still angry about the broken nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe├óÔé¼┬ªhe├óÔé¼┬ªit couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót even catch a lousy pickpocket├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at him. He held up the PAX ├óÔé¼┼ôDidn├óÔé¼Ôäót even see me steal this right from under you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood job├óÔé¼┬Ø I grinned. Muti passed the watch to me and I gave him a high five.
We got back to city after a day of walking, avoiding the radioactive areas and the snappers. The walls of the city was still the same, piles of cars shored up with metal plates ,with only a few new bullet holes and some mutilated corpses lay, riddled with bullet holes, outside the walls. One had a massive spine driven through his stomach, and wore Syndicate colors. A man next to him had been turned into cheddar cheese by machinegun fire. He wore Mafia colors.
├óÔé¼┼ôOY!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted some one from the walls. I looked up and saw a man with a rifle on the top. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôReavers tried to burn the town, but we managed to turn em back with help from the Mafia and the Syndicate├óÔé¼┬Ø. I laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me in please├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man laughed and singled the gate man to open it for me. We left the corpses were they lay.
I walked through the city, but my eyes were fixed on the PAX. I slowly slid it on my wrist, but at the last moment I slid it of again. Something filled me with trepidation and so I slipped the watch like object into my pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo where to now?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Muti. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets got to my Pops place. After all I need to tell him that FINALY├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, walking around the corner to my dads house ├óÔé¼┼ôFINALY went my way├óÔé¼┬Ø I finished as we came to the front of the mansion.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø I started but then flames erupted from the two upper stories of the house. The concussion hurled glass outward from the windows. I was dumbfounded as the glass pattered around me and shattered into smaller chunks. Then the secondary explosion blasted the front of the mansion out, sending lethal shrapnel flying. I was lucky that another set of explosives went off, sending my flying to the ground.
I lay on the ground for what seemed an eternity as the explosion dissipated. Then someone hauled me to my feet. My house had been leveled and my dad was dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet down!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone was saying, but his voice was tinny and far away sounding. I felt a piece of shrapnel smash into my arm, sending me flying. I hit the dirt hard and for some reason that snapped me to alertness. I rolled over and looked at the large hunk of glass that had sheered through my left arm. It was a large gash and I thought I saw a hint of bone. I sat up as the last remnants of my house collapsed inwards.
I stood, my arm handing loosely at my side. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet├óÔé¼Ôäós go├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to Muti who was staring at the destroyed house. ├óÔé¼┼ôWere?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, turning to me. ├óÔé¼┼ôCynthia├óÔé¼┬Ø I said suddenly feeling very faint. ├óÔé¼┼ôPass me a bandage please├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. Muti ripped a piece of cloth off his shirt and I bound my wound as well as I could. The brown cloth of Muti├óÔé¼Ôäós shirt quickly became stained with blood, turning it an odd purple.
Then we started to walk through the crowds of people gawking at the explosions. I felt very very cold. But we still managed to shove our way through the crowd, and finally reached the plane that Cynthia lived in. We came through the some rubble and found the back tail end of the plane and saw a flickering neon sine proclaiming
├óÔé¼┼ôGirls Girls Girls!
├óÔé¼┼ôSex! Sex! Sex!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWrong damn side of the plane├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, feeling blackness creeping in on the sides of my eyes. I knew damn all about human physiology, but I knew feeling very cold, very faint and losing a lot of blood was not a good combination. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know those brothel runners. They wont let people even LOOK at the girls without paying├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós a long way round, with the rubble and the barricades├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôScrew that├óÔé¼┬Ø I said and pulled out a snub nosed RFG. I then walked to the brothel door and kicked it in, startling a burly looking guard who was busy reading from an extremely rare, extremely valuable book. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted but I leveled the RFG on his face ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm going through to Cynthia├óÔé¼Ôäós Gun Emporium and you aren├óÔé¼Ôäót going to mess with me!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôFine fine!├óÔé¼┬Ø he snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôJust no touching the girls├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy arms hanging by a strip of skin about the size of your pinky├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped as I strode through the antechamber that then led to the main rooms of the brothel. Normally I would stop to smell the roses if I was walking through a room of mostly naked women dancing to exotic music, but they started screaming when they saw the gun and the blood and naturally assumed a robbery was taking place.
But I just shouldered my way through the sobbing women and terrified men, but was stopped by the latched door leading to Cynthia├óÔé¼Ôäós place. It was latched and nailed shut. I groaned and fired my RFG into it several times, leaving a tattered haze of shredded wood. I shouldered my way through that. Then I heard a shotgun go off and the wall next to me splintered alarmingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon├óÔé¼Ôäót fuck with me!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted a female voice.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh Cynthia, hi├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou might be interested in this├óÔé¼┬Ø I held up the RFG and for the second time in as many days, I fainted due to extreme blood loss. Before I hit the ground my last thought was At least I will have a face other then Muti├óÔé¼Ôäós to wake up to this ti
Thump.
I looked at my hand and four shiny metal fingers glinted in the light of the medical bay. I closed my eyes and opened then again. My fingers were still robotic when my eye├óÔé¼Ôäós opened. ├óÔé¼┼ôUhhh ally├óÔé¼┬Ø I said slowly. Muti looked up from his magazine. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked the├óÔé¼┬ª whatever the hell she/he/it was. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you have eye├óÔé¼Ôäós for transplant├óÔé¼┬ª then why the hell don├óÔé¼Ôäót you have fingers!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Ally said ├óÔé¼┼ôAn unfortunate side product of the technology that created the PAX, plasma rifles, nanotech and quantum computers also produced the highest accidental finger loss in history. People stuck there fingers every where, and so many machines were very sharp, very fast moving or likable to dissolve flesh. So the organ banks ran very low on fingers. We had to improvise before you died from bleeding├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôhuh├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. Muti grinned and spat the cigarette on the ground. It landed on a small pile of other├óÔé¼Ôäós. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. He nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWith the PAX?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHell no! I said ├óÔé¼┼ôI plan on NOT losing anymore body parts in this place├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave a nice trip├óÔé¼┬Ø said Ally In the voice she had used when they first arrived.
├óÔé¼┼ôUhh what happened to your voice?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Muti. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬ª that whole ├óÔé¼╦£Ally├óÔé¼Ôäó thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø a tinny laugh came from the speakers ├óÔé¼┼ôI can├óÔé¼Ôäót believe you fell for that├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at Muti and then at the nearest camera. I opened my mouth.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou really shouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót of said that├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said as we climbed out of the emergency exit. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬ª I really don├óÔé¼Ôäót want to talk about it├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, my voice somewhat muffled by the two hunks of tissue paper I shoved up my bloody nostrils. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you must agree, the door closing on your nose was just perfect├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti grinned. I thought about punching him in the nose. But I reconsidered it. We started to walk back to the city, empty-handed.
After we were about ten to twenty miles from the base Muti stopped me. ├óÔé¼┼ôEthan├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôthat A.I wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót as all cracked up as it said it was├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell makes you say that?├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped, still angry about the broken nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe├óÔé¼┬ªhe├óÔé¼┬ªit couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót even catch a lousy pickpocket├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at him. He held up the PAX ├óÔé¼┼ôDidn├óÔé¼Ôäót even see me steal this right from under you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood job├óÔé¼┬Ø I grinned. Muti passed the watch to me and I gave him a high five.
We got back to city after a day of walking, avoiding the radioactive areas and the snappers. The walls of the city was still the same, piles of cars shored up with metal plates ,with only a few new bullet holes and some mutilated corpses lay, riddled with bullet holes, outside the walls. One had a massive spine driven through his stomach, and wore Syndicate colors. A man next to him had been turned into cheddar cheese by machinegun fire. He wore Mafia colors.
├óÔé¼┼ôOY!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted some one from the walls. I looked up and saw a man with a rifle on the top. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôReavers tried to burn the town, but we managed to turn em back with help from the Mafia and the Syndicate├óÔé¼┬Ø. I laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me in please├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man laughed and singled the gate man to open it for me. We left the corpses were they lay.
I walked through the city, but my eyes were fixed on the PAX. I slowly slid it on my wrist, but at the last moment I slid it of again. Something filled me with trepidation and so I slipped the watch like object into my pocket. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo where to now?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Muti. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets got to my Pops place. After all I need to tell him that FINALY├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, walking around the corner to my dads house ├óÔé¼┼ôFINALY went my way├óÔé¼┬Ø I finished as we came to the front of the mansion.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø I started but then flames erupted from the two upper stories of the house. The concussion hurled glass outward from the windows. I was dumbfounded as the glass pattered around me and shattered into smaller chunks. Then the secondary explosion blasted the front of the mansion out, sending lethal shrapnel flying. I was lucky that another set of explosives went off, sending my flying to the ground.
I lay on the ground for what seemed an eternity as the explosion dissipated. Then someone hauled me to my feet. My house had been leveled and my dad was dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet down!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone was saying, but his voice was tinny and far away sounding. I felt a piece of shrapnel smash into my arm, sending me flying. I hit the dirt hard and for some reason that snapped me to alertness. I rolled over and looked at the large hunk of glass that had sheered through my left arm. It was a large gash and I thought I saw a hint of bone. I sat up as the last remnants of my house collapsed inwards.
I stood, my arm handing loosely at my side. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet├óÔé¼Ôäós go├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to Muti who was staring at the destroyed house. ├óÔé¼┼ôWere?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, turning to me. ├óÔé¼┼ôCynthia├óÔé¼┬Ø I said suddenly feeling very faint. ├óÔé¼┼ôPass me a bandage please├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. Muti ripped a piece of cloth off his shirt and I bound my wound as well as I could. The brown cloth of Muti├óÔé¼Ôäós shirt quickly became stained with blood, turning it an odd purple.
Then we started to walk through the crowds of people gawking at the explosions. I felt very very cold. But we still managed to shove our way through the crowd, and finally reached the plane that Cynthia lived in. We came through the some rubble and found the back tail end of the plane and saw a flickering neon sine proclaiming
├óÔé¼┼ôGirls Girls Girls!
├óÔé¼┼ôSex! Sex! Sex!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWrong damn side of the plane├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, feeling blackness creeping in on the sides of my eyes. I knew damn all about human physiology, but I knew feeling very cold, very faint and losing a lot of blood was not a good combination. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know those brothel runners. They wont let people even LOOK at the girls without paying├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt├óÔé¼Ôäós a long way round, with the rubble and the barricades├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôScrew that├óÔé¼┬Ø I said and pulled out a snub nosed RFG. I then walked to the brothel door and kicked it in, startling a burly looking guard who was busy reading from an extremely rare, extremely valuable book. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted but I leveled the RFG on his face ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóm going through to Cynthia├óÔé¼Ôäós Gun Emporium and you aren├óÔé¼Ôäót going to mess with me!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôFine fine!├óÔé¼┬Ø he snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôJust no touching the girls├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy arms hanging by a strip of skin about the size of your pinky├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped as I strode through the antechamber that then led to the main rooms of the brothel. Normally I would stop to smell the roses if I was walking through a room of mostly naked women dancing to exotic music, but they started screaming when they saw the gun and the blood and naturally assumed a robbery was taking place.
But I just shouldered my way through the sobbing women and terrified men, but was stopped by the latched door leading to Cynthia├óÔé¼Ôäós place. It was latched and nailed shut. I groaned and fired my RFG into it several times, leaving a tattered haze of shredded wood. I shouldered my way through that. Then I heard a shotgun go off and the wall next to me splintered alarmingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon├óÔé¼Ôäót fuck with me!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted a female voice.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh Cynthia, hi├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou might be interested in this├óÔé¼┬Ø I held up the RFG and for the second time in as many days, I fainted due to extreme blood loss. Before I hit the ground my last thought was At least I will have a face other then Muti├óÔé¼Ôäós to wake up to this ti
Thump.
Part Two: Everything goes to hell
├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóll do what I want, when I want, who I want!├óÔé¼┬Ø Datajacks pledge
There was a boom, and then a shattering of glass. I jerked up, was unbalanced then fell out of bed, smashing against my left arm, sending a shocking pain through my system. I went unconscious. Then a came back again and rolled onto my back as I heard the signature BANG! Chu chink! of a shot gun firing. Then a resounding volley of machine gun fire ripped through the room, messing up the paint job of the wall I was staring at.
I rolled over and saw three people who I assumed to be Muti, Abdul and Cynthia returning fire. Everything beyond that was a little hazy. Then another explosions went up, blasting part of the wall into very small, lethal shreds. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK THIS!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Cynthia, grabbing as long tube. She aimed and there was a loud Fhoooooos as smoke exploded forcefully from the back of the RPG. The rocket itself impacted into whatever she had been aiming at and there was a violent explosion.
├óÔé¼┼ôNice shot├óÔé¼┬Ø I croaked, my throat very dry. The only reason they heard me was due to the resounding silence of the aftermath. There was nothing but the quite chinks of shell casings rolling on the ground, hitting each other. Cynthia, Abdul and Muti turned to look at me. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, your awake├óÔé¼┬Ø said Muti. He was holding a shotgun, and without turning, fired it into a hazy form that was trying to sneak up on him. Blood splattered. A severed arm rolled into the room, twitching slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked ├óÔé¼┼ôand could some one pleases help me up├óÔé¼┬Ø
Later, after I had been set up in a chair and my left arm had been prompted up by a regen pack. Regen packs didn├óÔé¼Ôäót use nanotech, but rather bulky chemicals that made the wound heal much faster. That is in a few days, rather then a few months or years. ├óÔé¼┼ôyou asked what the hell was going on├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said. She looked completely unlike the cool, calm and generally sexy woman I had always known and bought stuff off of, but rather she looked frazzled.
Her hair was in disarray and her clothes were ripped. Now that I noticed it, Muti and Abdul each looked the worse for wear, but├óÔé¼┬ª I guess it was because I was so used to Cynthia looking so together. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell that is exactly what is going on. Hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia continued ├óÔé¼┼ôwith your father dead and the police he set up, the entire city has gone straight to hell├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe├óÔé¼Ôäóve already fought off four bandit gangs trying to get our hardware├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are out of the ammo for the AK-101, AK-47 , the M16 and the M60. We used up all the fleche for the RFG, all but one missile and├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti held up the laser pistol that I had brought from the military base. It was blackened, and its barrel was completely warped. ├óÔé¼┼ôthe laser gun took a bullet directly in the barrel├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we have?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, still groggy. The chemicals were responsible for that, too. ├óÔé¼┼ôA lode of shotgun ammo, some Uzi├óÔé¼Ôäós, a few monofilament grenades, your pistols and├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul pulled a cutlass out of a scabbard attached to his waist ├óÔé¼┼ôThis useless thing├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at the table ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat should we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked me.
I leaned my head back, looking at the ceiling, and groaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy me?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause your lineage suggests you MIGHT now what the hell to do├óÔé¼┬Ø said Muti. I suddenly brought my head up, looking them all in the eye ├óÔé¼┼ôI know exactly what to do├óÔé¼┬Ø I said slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôWe lode up our guns, food, water and go to the Techurch, but a car and run away. As fast as we can├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Cynthia looked at me as if I was insane. Then a buggy with ten or so people strapped to it drove past, several machine guns of different makes and sizes firing widely into the sky. The men onboard cackled widely, and one shouted a long, drawn out whop. ├óÔé¼┼ôMen├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said simply. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôEthan├óÔé¼Ôäós got a good idea├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI detest is!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Abdul ├óÔé¼┼ôIts cowardly and dishonorable├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up Abdul├óÔé¼┬Ø we all said simultaneously. He shut up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWere would we run to?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Cynthia ├óÔé¼┼ôand would they take us in?├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at Muti. He looked at Muti. ├óÔé¼┼ôit depends on weather or not it has reloaded its guns yet├óÔé¼┬Ø. Cynthia snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós a no then├óÔé¼┬Ø. I laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôActually├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt all depends on whether they were lying, or not├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôhow likely is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Cynthia. I grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôA lot├óÔé¼┬ªbut its better then sitting around here├óÔé¼┬Ø.
They all agreed on that.
The Techurch was, surprisingly looking a little better for wear. Its insides were lit and the factories running. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou do the talking├óÔé¼┬Ø I told Cynthia ├óÔé¼┼ôThey aren├óÔé¼Ôäót to fond of me├óÔé¼┬Ø. She grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôIsn├óÔé¼Ôäót that normal├óÔé¼┬Ø. I rolled my eyes and lay back. Muti had been carrying me on a stretcher├óÔé¼┬ªor slider as I called it. Its like a stretcher, but the feet end were straps and slid along the ground, so one person could drag the occupant easily. Or easier.
After a few moments, Cynthia returned ├óÔé¼┼ôI got us a ride├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was quick├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh I told them I killed you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWh-What?├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, almost falling out of my slider. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust kidding├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said, but she didn├óÔé¼Ôäót smile ├óÔé¼┼ôI had to give they your pistols├óÔé¼┬Ø. I did fall out of my slider this time, but my feet remained latched in, leaving my all twisted about.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut we have a car├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said. I just moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is not happening├óÔé¼┬Ø. They helped me back into the slider and we walked to the car. It was grimy and old, but ran well enough. I was strapped in the back, because it was a flatbed truck. Then we were off, Muti driving, Abdul ridding shotgun, literally this time. Cynthia was in the back, trying to coax life into the laser pistol. It looked to be a lost cause, but she kept at it.
Everyone had something to do. Everyone but me. So I lay there and thought about everything that had happened in just├óÔé¼┬ªfive days (Two in transit to and from the base, one in the base, and two while I was out after getting cut up). It seemed more vibrant and interesting then most of my life, but then Pops death hit home and I couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót stop crying.
But in short order we arrived at the Military Base, and we hit the read problem. How the hell to get me down the ladder├óÔé¼┬ª
We managed it! It was incredibly hard, complicated and dull. So I will just mosey on by and get to the good part.
├óÔé¼┬ª Muti and Cynthia dropped into the Base first, their shotguns bared and ready. The A.I must have been surprised, as it didn├óÔé¼Ôäót speak up until I was half way lowered down by Abdul. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour back├óÔé¼┬Ø it said. Abdul was surprised enough to drop me. Needless to say it hurt like holy hell. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted. Abdul shouted back ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry!├óÔé¼┬Ø and dropped into the base.
├óÔé¼┼ôI really should kill you for stealing the PAX├óÔé¼┬Ø The A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said, throwing the wristwatch on the floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said dryly├óÔé¼┬ªif that was even possible. I was about to open my mouth to say something unflattering. But the A.I cut in saying, rather worryingly ├óÔé¼┼ôYour car has attracted some unfriendly chaps├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you now, Brit?├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped as Muti dragged me to the Medical bay. Cynthia was hung up, staring at the mini-gun that still hadn├óÔé¼Ôäót been retracted into the ceiling. But Abdul, being more sensible then his sister for once in his life, forced her to continue. I was feeling decidedly odd. Fist I was sure a purple elephant was crawling on the ceiling, and was about to get Cynthia. I shouted obscenities at the A.I as my companions put me on the operating table.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe├óÔé¼Ôäós suffering from chemical overdoses├óÔé¼┬ªwhy did you leave him on a regen pack for so long├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat should we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Abdul. Muti ripped the thing off, without finesses, but it worked well enough. I was a little to drugged up to notice much pain. Then the A.I went to work, spraying sealant and nanoliquids all over the wound, patching me up.
It was over surprisingly quickly. I sat up, most of the chemicals drained from my brain. I sat up, but then. BANG! The lights of the base flickered on and off and we all were shook to the bone. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, standing up. ├óÔé¼┼ôThose were the unfriendly chaps├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôScrew this├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, anger boiling away my good sense.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is ridiculous├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôI cant get a good night sleep without being knocked out, and now├óÔé¼┬ªsomeone is probably going to shoot me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø said Cynthia, watching me resignedly as I walked out of the room ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you going to do?├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked back for a second ├óÔé¼┼ôShoot them first!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Then I headed to the armory.
├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼Ôäóll do what I want, when I want, who I want!├óÔé¼┬Ø Datajacks pledge
There was a boom, and then a shattering of glass. I jerked up, was unbalanced then fell out of bed, smashing against my left arm, sending a shocking pain through my system. I went unconscious. Then a came back again and rolled onto my back as I heard the signature BANG! Chu chink! of a shot gun firing. Then a resounding volley of machine gun fire ripped through the room, messing up the paint job of the wall I was staring at.
I rolled over and saw three people who I assumed to be Muti, Abdul and Cynthia returning fire. Everything beyond that was a little hazy. Then another explosions went up, blasting part of the wall into very small, lethal shreds. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK THIS!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Cynthia, grabbing as long tube. She aimed and there was a loud Fhoooooos as smoke exploded forcefully from the back of the RPG. The rocket itself impacted into whatever she had been aiming at and there was a violent explosion.
├óÔé¼┼ôNice shot├óÔé¼┬Ø I croaked, my throat very dry. The only reason they heard me was due to the resounding silence of the aftermath. There was nothing but the quite chinks of shell casings rolling on the ground, hitting each other. Cynthia, Abdul and Muti turned to look at me. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, your awake├óÔé¼┬Ø said Muti. He was holding a shotgun, and without turning, fired it into a hazy form that was trying to sneak up on him. Blood splattered. A severed arm rolled into the room, twitching slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked ├óÔé¼┼ôand could some one pleases help me up├óÔé¼┬Ø
Later, after I had been set up in a chair and my left arm had been prompted up by a regen pack. Regen packs didn├óÔé¼Ôäót use nanotech, but rather bulky chemicals that made the wound heal much faster. That is in a few days, rather then a few months or years. ├óÔé¼┼ôyou asked what the hell was going on├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said. She looked completely unlike the cool, calm and generally sexy woman I had always known and bought stuff off of, but rather she looked frazzled.
Her hair was in disarray and her clothes were ripped. Now that I noticed it, Muti and Abdul each looked the worse for wear, but├óÔé¼┬ª I guess it was because I was so used to Cynthia looking so together. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell that is exactly what is going on. Hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia continued ├óÔé¼┼ôwith your father dead and the police he set up, the entire city has gone straight to hell├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe├óÔé¼Ôäóve already fought off four bandit gangs trying to get our hardware├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are out of the ammo for the AK-101, AK-47 , the M16 and the M60. We used up all the fleche for the RFG, all but one missile and├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti held up the laser pistol that I had brought from the military base. It was blackened, and its barrel was completely warped. ├óÔé¼┼ôthe laser gun took a bullet directly in the barrel├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we have?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, still groggy. The chemicals were responsible for that, too. ├óÔé¼┼ôA lode of shotgun ammo, some Uzi├óÔé¼Ôäós, a few monofilament grenades, your pistols and├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul pulled a cutlass out of a scabbard attached to his waist ├óÔé¼┼ôThis useless thing├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at the table ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬ª├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat should we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked me.
I leaned my head back, looking at the ceiling, and groaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy me?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause your lineage suggests you MIGHT now what the hell to do├óÔé¼┬Ø said Muti. I suddenly brought my head up, looking them all in the eye ├óÔé¼┼ôI know exactly what to do├óÔé¼┬Ø I said slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôWe lode up our guns, food, water and go to the Techurch, but a car and run away. As fast as we can├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Cynthia looked at me as if I was insane. Then a buggy with ten or so people strapped to it drove past, several machine guns of different makes and sizes firing widely into the sky. The men onboard cackled widely, and one shouted a long, drawn out whop. ├óÔé¼┼ôMen├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said simply. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôEthan├óÔé¼Ôäós got a good idea├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI detest is!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Abdul ├óÔé¼┼ôIts cowardly and dishonorable├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShut up Abdul├óÔé¼┬Ø we all said simultaneously. He shut up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWere would we run to?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Cynthia ├óÔé¼┼ôand would they take us in?├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked at Muti. He looked at Muti. ├óÔé¼┼ôit depends on weather or not it has reloaded its guns yet├óÔé¼┬Ø. Cynthia snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼Ôäós a no then├óÔé¼┬Ø. I laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôActually├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt all depends on whether they were lying, or not├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôhow likely is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Cynthia. I grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôA lot├óÔé¼┬ªbut its better then sitting around here├óÔé¼┬Ø.
They all agreed on that.
The Techurch was, surprisingly looking a little better for wear. Its insides were lit and the factories running. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou do the talking├óÔé¼┬Ø I told Cynthia ├óÔé¼┼ôThey aren├óÔé¼Ôäót to fond of me├óÔé¼┬Ø. She grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôIsn├óÔé¼Ôäót that normal├óÔé¼┬Ø. I rolled my eyes and lay back. Muti had been carrying me on a stretcher├óÔé¼┬ªor slider as I called it. Its like a stretcher, but the feet end were straps and slid along the ground, so one person could drag the occupant easily. Or easier.
After a few moments, Cynthia returned ├óÔé¼┼ôI got us a ride├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was quick├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh I told them I killed you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWh-What?├óÔé¼┬Ø I said, almost falling out of my slider. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust kidding├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said, but she didn├óÔé¼Ôäót smile ├óÔé¼┼ôI had to give they your pistols├óÔé¼┬Ø. I did fall out of my slider this time, but my feet remained latched in, leaving my all twisted about.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut we have a car├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said. I just moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is not happening├óÔé¼┬Ø. They helped me back into the slider and we walked to the car. It was grimy and old, but ran well enough. I was strapped in the back, because it was a flatbed truck. Then we were off, Muti driving, Abdul ridding shotgun, literally this time. Cynthia was in the back, trying to coax life into the laser pistol. It looked to be a lost cause, but she kept at it.
Everyone had something to do. Everyone but me. So I lay there and thought about everything that had happened in just├óÔé¼┬ªfive days (Two in transit to and from the base, one in the base, and two while I was out after getting cut up). It seemed more vibrant and interesting then most of my life, but then Pops death hit home and I couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót stop crying.
But in short order we arrived at the Military Base, and we hit the read problem. How the hell to get me down the ladder├óÔé¼┬ª
We managed it! It was incredibly hard, complicated and dull. So I will just mosey on by and get to the good part.
├óÔé¼┬ª Muti and Cynthia dropped into the Base first, their shotguns bared and ready. The A.I must have been surprised, as it didn├óÔé¼Ôäót speak up until I was half way lowered down by Abdul. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour back├óÔé¼┬Ø it said. Abdul was surprised enough to drop me. Needless to say it hurt like holy hell. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted. Abdul shouted back ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry!├óÔé¼┬Ø and dropped into the base.
├óÔé¼┼ôI really should kill you for stealing the PAX├óÔé¼┬Ø The A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said, throwing the wristwatch on the floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said dryly├óÔé¼┬ªif that was even possible. I was about to open my mouth to say something unflattering. But the A.I cut in saying, rather worryingly ├óÔé¼┼ôYour car has attracted some unfriendly chaps├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you now, Brit?├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped as Muti dragged me to the Medical bay. Cynthia was hung up, staring at the mini-gun that still hadn├óÔé¼Ôäót been retracted into the ceiling. But Abdul, being more sensible then his sister for once in his life, forced her to continue. I was feeling decidedly odd. Fist I was sure a purple elephant was crawling on the ceiling, and was about to get Cynthia. I shouted obscenities at the A.I as my companions put me on the operating table.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe├óÔé¼Ôäós suffering from chemical overdoses├óÔé¼┬ªwhy did you leave him on a regen pack for so long├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat should we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Abdul. Muti ripped the thing off, without finesses, but it worked well enough. I was a little to drugged up to notice much pain. Then the A.I went to work, spraying sealant and nanoliquids all over the wound, patching me up.
It was over surprisingly quickly. I sat up, most of the chemicals drained from my brain. I sat up, but then. BANG! The lights of the base flickered on and off and we all were shook to the bone. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, standing up. ├óÔé¼┼ôThose were the unfriendly chaps├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôScrew this├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, anger boiling away my good sense.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is ridiculous├óÔé¼┬Ø I snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôI cant get a good night sleep without being knocked out, and now├óÔé¼┬ªsomeone is probably going to shoot me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø said Cynthia, watching me resignedly as I walked out of the room ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you going to do?├óÔé¼┬Ø. I looked back for a second ├óÔé¼┼ôShoot them first!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Then I headed to the armory.
The armory was still in the same shape I had left it. I strode over to the micronuke launcher. Then I reconsidered, wanting to├óÔé¼┬ªwell live when I fired off a gun, instead grabbing the Cobra Assault cannon. I hefted the gun├óÔé¼Ôäós weight. ├óÔé¼┼ôno collate-├óÔé¼┼ô the A.I started to say. I fired to gun into the neon blue strip that ran along the ceiling.
B
A
N
G!
It was extremely loud and gouged a three foot hole in the extremely hard metal that this base was made of. The A.I├óÔé¼Ôäós voice stuttered out and the neon blue strip dimmed. Then It came back├óÔé¼┬ªbut the A.I remained silent. I grinned as Cynthia walked into the room, covering her ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly shit├óÔé¼┬Ø she said looking at the armory. There was a shuddering explosion ├óÔé¼┼ôI think they, whoever the hell they are, are almost through whatever they are trying to cut through├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet one of these├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
Once we were loaded out with the assault cannons, we all went to where the A.I had said the enemy were coming from. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo who are these├óÔé¼┬ªchaps?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Abdul, still mad that I wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót give him the third and last Cobra. So he settled for a laser pistol. I knew he couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót do much damage to the base, as the laser was tuned to biologics. So we set up in the area in front of the main door.
We readied our guns. Then I looked at the main door. It was a simple hunk of metal that lowered into the floor. But it looked absolutely fine. I lowered my gun and looked back at the nearest camera. Then three min-guns lowered themselves from the ceiling, aimed at our four persons. ├óÔé¼┼ôBloody hell├óÔé¼┬Ø I whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôPretty clever eh?├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. If it had a face then It would be grinning ear to ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôThose explosions sounded pretty real├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell my holoemiter system and sound speakers can simulated pretty much everything from explosions to people├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour pretty smug├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said.
BANG!
Cynthia spun a bullet smashing into her shoulder. I took half a step forward, reconsidered, and stopped moving. Abdul however had less control. Or common sense. He took a step forward, aimed and fired. Too bad his laser pistol was set to damage biologics. So it just amounted to some sparks flying off one of the gun├óÔé¼Ôäós barrels, leaving a inconsequential hot spot.
BANG!
Abdul was hit in the leg, flying forward. His head smashed against the floor, and Abdul stayed down. I wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót moved as much when Cynthia was shot, but I was still angry. Muti was standing stock still, the Cobra still half raised in his hands.
BANG!
Muti splayed back, blood blossoming from his stomach.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell did you do that for!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, dropping my Cobra. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou really thought you could steal the PAX and come back without me feeling the slightest put off├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said, its voice still unemotional. I put my hands up. The min-guns aimed and spun up. This wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót going to be a single shot as the last three had been. I closed my eyes.
BANG!
I jerked my head, down. But there was nothing. I looked around. The guns hadn├óÔé¼Ôäót fired.
BANG!
I turned as the door bulged inwards, a massive dent appearing.
BANG!
The door started to split open. I suddenly realized that we hadn├óÔé¼Ôäót covered our car. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôReavers!├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey saw the car├óÔé¼┬ªthey saw our car!├óÔé¼┬Ø I moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly three things will make Reavers come to a location en mass. Cars, Bases and Nanotech. Now I think they know that all three are here├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThere are roughly├óÔé¼┬ªtwo hundred humanoids out there├óÔé¼┬Ø The A.I said. I grabbed Cynthia├óÔé¼Ôäós ankles and dragged her behind the mini-guns.
BANG!
I got Muti behind the mini-guns.
The door creaked open as Reavers dug through. Then the min-guns opened fire, and it was truly├óÔé¼┬ª.disappointing. The guns made a woofing sound as the bullet fired through what I assumed to be well concealed silencers. However the effect they had on the Reavers. Abdul rolled over and almost sat up. Then he immediately flattened, not wanting to get filled with holes.
The Reavers fell back after a few blood soaked minutes, leaving the mangled bodies of their comrades on the floor. The mini-guns stopped spinning and I helped Abdul into the second door that stood behind the mini-guns. Then the doors slid shut over the blood curdling shrieks of the many wounded Reavers screaming and writhing on the floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn I never though there would be so many of those things├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul said, holding his head gingerly.
I moved over to Cynthia who was bleeding profusely. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get her to the Medical bay├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to Abdul. ├óÔé¼┼ôYup├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck off!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot her!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then I moved over to Muti. He was also in a bad way, a rather large hole torn in his stomach. It was bleeding massively, and I thought I could see something long and unpleasant wriggling out of it.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat would be his intestines├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit, can he recover from that kind of wound?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, a massive lump in my stomach. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you get him to the medical bay and shoot him up with Nani-├óÔé¼┼ô the A.I said, but I cut it off, dragging Muti away. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you please help!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted to Abdul. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey man, those were huge caliber bullets├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gesturing to the rather large hole in his leg.
I dragged Muti to the medical bay. I managed to haul him onto the main operating table. ├óÔé¼┼ôSave him├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to the A.I. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø it asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don├óÔé¼Ôäót I├óÔé¼Ôäóm shooting a nice big hole in your tokomak├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. The operating implements slid out of the table of their own accord and began plastering sealant over the wound, applying nano paste and using micro lasers for quick cauterization. Sure that the A.I would finish the operation
I came to the door to find Abdul lamely trying to drag his sister away from a door that seemed to be caving in. The mini-guns were suspiciously silent. ├óÔé¼┼ôWE need to run├óÔé¼┬ªNOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul said. I tossed him a regen pack and dragged Cynthia. Abdul protested, limping along lamely, strapping the regen pack. ├óÔé¼┼ôA.I?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTwenty three Reavers are going to get through the door in approximately├óÔé¼┬ªnow├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said
I got Cynthia to the medical room, Abdul quickly behind. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe medical bay has quarantine doors right?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, levering Cynthia onto the secondary medical table. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis medical Bay has quarantine force fields├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said ├óÔé¼┼ôTop of the line, triple layered repuler magnetic screen fields, with an antimatter haze to impi-├óÔé¼┼ô. ├óÔé¼┼ôCut the techno babble and give us some cover!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, this tick over my left eye going off like crazy. The door├óÔé¼Ôäós closed then a field flickered over it, warping the air slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are two fields, each one on both sides of the door├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah yeah whatever, fix up Cynthia├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI can├óÔé¼Ôäót├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean ├óÔé¼╦£cant├óÔé¼Ôäó├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul asked, leaning against the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly the main medical table has automatic instruments. Which of you can follow directions better?├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôEthan├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know I├óÔé¼Ôäóm better at putting bullets IN people├óÔé¼┬Ø I grumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow get the third left implement, jam it into the wound, rotate 90 degrees and press the green├óÔé¼┬ªNO THE GREEN button!├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Reavers ran down the corridor. Then the one in the front hit the force field and disintegrated. Ten of them died before the one├óÔé¼Ôäós in the back realized why they shouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót run forward. Then the organized, in a relative sense, and opened fire at the field, each time one of them or a bullet hit the field the energy reserves of the field generator dropped.
I took the third, and hopefully LAST, implement out of Cynthia. Her wound had been cleaned, dressed, sealed and injected with the last nanobots in the base. Now we had to rely on chems. On second thought maybe I should of used chems and used the remaining nanobots to create new ones. However the warning light for Field Generator had flicked on and it would take├óÔé¼┬ªten minutes for Cynthia to be able to move. Muti had regained consciousness and Abdul had started to clean his cutlass.
That├óÔé¼Ôäós right when the tokomak overloaded.
B
A
N
G!
It was extremely loud and gouged a three foot hole in the extremely hard metal that this base was made of. The A.I├óÔé¼Ôäós voice stuttered out and the neon blue strip dimmed. Then It came back├óÔé¼┬ªbut the A.I remained silent. I grinned as Cynthia walked into the room, covering her ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly shit├óÔé¼┬Ø she said looking at the armory. There was a shuddering explosion ├óÔé¼┼ôI think they, whoever the hell they are, are almost through whatever they are trying to cut through├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet one of these├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
Once we were loaded out with the assault cannons, we all went to where the A.I had said the enemy were coming from. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo who are these├óÔé¼┬ªchaps?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Abdul, still mad that I wouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót give him the third and last Cobra. So he settled for a laser pistol. I knew he couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót do much damage to the base, as the laser was tuned to biologics. So we set up in the area in front of the main door.
We readied our guns. Then I looked at the main door. It was a simple hunk of metal that lowered into the floor. But it looked absolutely fine. I lowered my gun and looked back at the nearest camera. Then three min-guns lowered themselves from the ceiling, aimed at our four persons. ├óÔé¼┼ôBloody hell├óÔé¼┬Ø I whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôPretty clever eh?├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. If it had a face then It would be grinning ear to ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôThose explosions sounded pretty real├óÔé¼┬Ø Muti said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell my holoemiter system and sound speakers can simulated pretty much everything from explosions to people├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour pretty smug├óÔé¼┬Ø Cynthia said.
BANG!
Cynthia spun a bullet smashing into her shoulder. I took half a step forward, reconsidered, and stopped moving. Abdul however had less control. Or common sense. He took a step forward, aimed and fired. Too bad his laser pistol was set to damage biologics. So it just amounted to some sparks flying off one of the gun├óÔé¼Ôäós barrels, leaving a inconsequential hot spot.
BANG!
Abdul was hit in the leg, flying forward. His head smashed against the floor, and Abdul stayed down. I wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót moved as much when Cynthia was shot, but I was still angry. Muti was standing stock still, the Cobra still half raised in his hands.
BANG!
Muti splayed back, blood blossoming from his stomach.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell did you do that for!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, dropping my Cobra. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou really thought you could steal the PAX and come back without me feeling the slightest put off├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said, its voice still unemotional. I put my hands up. The min-guns aimed and spun up. This wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót going to be a single shot as the last three had been. I closed my eyes.
BANG!
I jerked my head, down. But there was nothing. I looked around. The guns hadn├óÔé¼Ôäót fired.
BANG!
I turned as the door bulged inwards, a massive dent appearing.
BANG!
The door started to split open. I suddenly realized that we hadn├óÔé¼Ôäót covered our car. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôReavers!├óÔé¼┬Ø I said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey saw the car├óÔé¼┬ªthey saw our car!├óÔé¼┬Ø I moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly three things will make Reavers come to a location en mass. Cars, Bases and Nanotech. Now I think they know that all three are here├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThere are roughly├óÔé¼┬ªtwo hundred humanoids out there├óÔé¼┬Ø The A.I said. I grabbed Cynthia├óÔé¼Ôäós ankles and dragged her behind the mini-guns.
BANG!
I got Muti behind the mini-guns.
The door creaked open as Reavers dug through. Then the min-guns opened fire, and it was truly├óÔé¼┬ª.disappointing. The guns made a woofing sound as the bullet fired through what I assumed to be well concealed silencers. However the effect they had on the Reavers. Abdul rolled over and almost sat up. Then he immediately flattened, not wanting to get filled with holes.
The Reavers fell back after a few blood soaked minutes, leaving the mangled bodies of their comrades on the floor. The mini-guns stopped spinning and I helped Abdul into the second door that stood behind the mini-guns. Then the doors slid shut over the blood curdling shrieks of the many wounded Reavers screaming and writhing on the floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn I never though there would be so many of those things├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul said, holding his head gingerly.
I moved over to Cynthia who was bleeding profusely. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get her to the Medical bay├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to Abdul. ├óÔé¼┼ôYup├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck off!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot her!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then I moved over to Muti. He was also in a bad way, a rather large hole torn in his stomach. It was bleeding massively, and I thought I could see something long and unpleasant wriggling out of it.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat would be his intestines├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh shit, can he recover from that kind of wound?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, a massive lump in my stomach. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you get him to the medical bay and shoot him up with Nani-├óÔé¼┼ô the A.I said, but I cut it off, dragging Muti away. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you please help!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted to Abdul. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey man, those were huge caliber bullets├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gesturing to the rather large hole in his leg.
I dragged Muti to the medical bay. I managed to haul him onto the main operating table. ├óÔé¼┼ôSave him├óÔé¼┬Ø I said to the A.I. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø it asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don├óÔé¼Ôäót I├óÔé¼Ôäóm shooting a nice big hole in your tokomak├óÔé¼┬Ø I said. The operating implements slid out of the table of their own accord and began plastering sealant over the wound, applying nano paste and using micro lasers for quick cauterization. Sure that the A.I would finish the operation
I came to the door to find Abdul lamely trying to drag his sister away from a door that seemed to be caving in. The mini-guns were suspiciously silent. ├óÔé¼┼ôWE need to run├óÔé¼┬ªNOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul said. I tossed him a regen pack and dragged Cynthia. Abdul protested, limping along lamely, strapping the regen pack. ├óÔé¼┼ôA.I?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTwenty three Reavers are going to get through the door in approximately├óÔé¼┬ªnow├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said
I got Cynthia to the medical room, Abdul quickly behind. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe medical bay has quarantine doors right?├óÔé¼┬Ø I asked, levering Cynthia onto the secondary medical table. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis medical Bay has quarantine force fields├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said ├óÔé¼┼ôTop of the line, triple layered repuler magnetic screen fields, with an antimatter haze to impi-├óÔé¼┼ô. ├óÔé¼┼ôCut the techno babble and give us some cover!├óÔé¼┬Ø I shouted, this tick over my left eye going off like crazy. The door├óÔé¼Ôäós closed then a field flickered over it, warping the air slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are two fields, each one on both sides of the door├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah yeah whatever, fix up Cynthia├óÔé¼┬Ø I said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI can├óÔé¼Ôäót├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean ├óÔé¼╦£cant├óÔé¼Ôäó├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul asked, leaning against the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly the main medical table has automatic instruments. Which of you can follow directions better?├óÔé¼┬Ø the A.I asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôEthan├óÔé¼┬Ø Abdul said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know I├óÔé¼Ôäóm better at putting bullets IN people├óÔé¼┬Ø I grumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow get the third left implement, jam it into the wound, rotate 90 degrees and press the green├óÔé¼┬ªNO THE GREEN button!├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Reavers ran down the corridor. Then the one in the front hit the force field and disintegrated. Ten of them died before the one├óÔé¼Ôäós in the back realized why they shouldn├óÔé¼Ôäót run forward. Then the organized, in a relative sense, and opened fire at the field, each time one of them or a bullet hit the field the energy reserves of the field generator dropped.
I took the third, and hopefully LAST, implement out of Cynthia. Her wound had been cleaned, dressed, sealed and injected with the last nanobots in the base. Now we had to rely on chems. On second thought maybe I should of used chems and used the remaining nanobots to create new ones. However the warning light for Field Generator had flicked on and it would take├óÔé¼┬ªten minutes for Cynthia to be able to move. Muti had regained consciousness and Abdul had started to clean his cutlass.
That├óÔé¼Ôäós right when the tokomak overloaded.
